Caption This

Sorry about that. I just realized it's not safe to have a picture like that on a blog whose server is in Italy. If you thought the U.S. was bad with the Patriot Act and all that, I hear it's worse here.

If we're lucky though, The Prince will put up the picture.

Lyin' Politicians - You Just Can't Believe 'em

The Dallas News reports on the convenient change of heart that Craig Watkins has had on the issue of capital punishment.

Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins, the state's first elected black district attorney, made national news after taking office in 2007 when he declared that he personally opposed the death penalty on moral and religious grounds.

Now mired in a rough re-election race, the 42-year-old Democrat said he's changed his mind about the use of capital punishment.

"I came in with a certain philosophical view. I don't have that anymore," Watkins told The Dallas Morning News recently. "From a religious standpoint, I think it's an archaic way of doing justice. But in this job, I've seen people who cannot be rehabilitated."

It makes me wonder if anything any of them says can be believed.

What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.

Arnold Gettin' Tough on Crime

This is a good start. The only problem is gun availability continues. The last legitimate owner of those guns should be answering questions, hard questions.

Nearly 80 parolees were arrested and more than 20 weapons seized during what was billed Thursday as the largest sweep of its kind in the history of Los Angeles County.

What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.

The Science of Imaginary Solutions

Lacy wrote a good one. It's called pataphysics.

The fact that the United States is the only nation where one finds a concept of “gun rights”, that is the “right” to own an object which when properly used will result in death or serious bodily injury, has the highest amount of mass shootings and firearms injuries!

The answer to the gun problem is amazingly simple when one uses pataphysics: more guns!

The fact that it is admittedly easy for those who are listed as being legally disqualified to own firearms to acquire firearms leads to the truth that rather than making firearms laws more restrictive, one needs to make it easier for them to acquire firearms. We know that these people will get guns anyway, so why bother making it difficult for them to get guns?

That demonstrates the pataphysical truth of the gun rights movement. Gun control, which never has existed in any meaningful form in the US, does not work: therefore, we need to abolish gun control!

It's in Wikpedia too; he's not making this stuff up. What's your opinion?

Please leave a comment.

Robert Farago Twisting the Truth About Guns

The Truth About Guns is my favorite pro-gun blog. I think it's safe to say that. I like many of the others, but Robert Farago has some unique things about his, not the least of which is the feature, "Irresponsible Gun Owner of the Day."

But I have to say, what I read over there just now is your typical biased and slanted pro-gun nonsense. In decribing three reasons why it's OK to carry a concealed gun, he talked at some length in point number 1, about recreational drugs.

The category heading, "You know someone who uses recreational drugs," seems to be a promising start until you realize in the reading he's talking to gun owners about non gun owners. The entire essay seems to overlook the fact that many gun owners use recreational drugs, even if he does not.

Now, tens of millions of “normal” Americans smoke marijuana. Plenty of these hard-working, tax-paying Americans consider their dope dealer a “friend.”

Amazingly, he's advising the gun owners to watch out for these other folks who use drugs and know drug dealers. But if gun owners are a cross section of society and "normal" in every respect, wouldn't the drug users among them be of approximately the same proportion as in the rest of the population? I touched upon this in The Famous 10%.

Mind you, I’m not for a moment suggesting that recreational drug users should get a gun to protect themselves and their family. Quite the opposite. I’m saying they should man-up and stop using the drugs so they can keep themselves and their family safe.

I suppose it is possible that Robert lives in such a fantasy world that, based upon his own abstemious lifestyle, he really thinks ALL gun owners are clean and sober. I guess that's possible.

Basically his article is advice to the gun owners, none of whom use drugs, to beware of the non gun owners who do, and his advice to the druggies is to knock it off so they can become gun owners. No overlap at all in his view.

What's your opinion? Do you think Farago is purposely spinning the reality in favor of gun owners? Isn't it bizarre that he'd do such a thing while frequently posting videos of bad gun handling? (One of the reasons I like his site so much is because it must teach gun owners a lot. Not many of the other sites can claim that.)

Please leave a comment.

Colin Goddard Again

This is the same old video, but I think we should look at it again and again. Who cares if he himself wasn't shot with guns bought this way?

Son Reports Mom - Drunk-Driving With Gun

The Gainesville News reports on the courageous actions of a boy who reported his mother for drunk driving while carrying a gun. Thanks Southern Beale for the link.

The son of a Gainesville woman told officers his mother was driving drunk while armed with a gun.

Deputies arrested Paula Marie Bermudez, 41, and charged her with DUI, carrying a concealed firearm and using a firearm while under the influence of alcohol.

Deputies said they found a semi-automatic handgun on the passenger seat of her red Toyota Highlander.

What's your opinion? Was that a courageous move on the part of the son? Isn't it true that his actions might have saved lives? Or do you think having a few drinks, driving and having a gun are not all that incompatible?

Please leave a comment.