Thought Legislation

First off, let me state emphatically that I do not condone murder. I doubly so do not condone murdering somebody so that you can set an ambush at their funeral. That's not acceptable.

It's also not acceptable to classify acts as crimes based on if you like somebody or not.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Falvey Jr. said that while there is nothing wrong with owning guns or hating the government, it is illegal when "people with dark hearts and evil intents" gather to discuss ways to commit violence.

By now, we've all heard about the para-military nut jobs who were arrested in Michigan. The world is a better place with them out of the way. I'm not saying that they shouldn't be arrested. What I'm saying is that an Assistant U.S. Attorney ought to know that life isn't a Tom Cruise movie. You can't know some body's heart or intent.

What about the non terrorist, Nidal Malik Hasan? He pulled off an operation similar to what the nut jobs wanted to do, but instead we're told, not that he had a dark heart, but that he had Pre Traumatic Stress Disorder. What's the difference between the two cases?

I want to know who makes the "dark hearts and evil intents" call, Bill Ayers? I mean, he founded a self-described communist revolutionary group that conducted a campaign of bombing public buildings. That took some planning and discussion. Since he isn't locked up, I've got to assume that his strength is as of ten men, because his heart must be pure. Plus, he's buds with the Big O, so he seems like the logical choice to make the call.

After Sept. 11 I remember all sorts of theories being thrown out there. They were going to use crop dusters to poison out water supply. Tanker trucks would be rigged to blow us all up. Obviously, some people were discussing these things. Were Falvey Jr. and Ayers on hand making sure their hearts weren't darkened by shadow?

I read a post last year about the failures of the president's security team, and remember a comment on how our foes were unserious, or else they could field a few Beltway sniper style teams and really make things tough for us. Oh my gosh, I just realized something. I'm sure I read that on a right wing blog. Since The Great Enlightened Hopeful One is left wing and must certainly have a heart free of darkness, does that mean that right wing people have dark hearts? So was a crime committed when he contemplated that way to commit violence, or is it only when there is a group discussion that a crime is committed?

I just realized something else. After I read that post, I can remember a discussion with another guy about how easily anybody with a welding machine or a gas powered chop saw could derail trains, and how, with a little coordination, several such groups could derail a lot of trains at once. I was in a gathering of people who discussed ways to commit violence. Should I turn myself in to Falvey Jr. and Ayers to await judgement, or just throw myself upon the mercy of The Great O?

Wait just a minute.

I heard the last half of a sound-bite on the radio this afternoon, and it confused me. From what I could tell at the time, Obama had given the okay to off shore drilling, and everybody was mad over it. Something seemed amiss.

I'll admit, when I hear him, or anybody else in D.C. mentioned, my first thought is "What has he screwed up now?" But off shore drilling is something I approve of, so there had to be more to it.

Turns out he didn't okay all off shore drilling, just some of it. And, yeah, when you look at it, it probably is just a gesture to try and appease some folks on the right. And, yes, it will take a while to get any oil from this into the system. There are some good things. Drilling provides a lot of well paying jobs. And more oil, even years from now, is better than more oil never. Sure would be nice if somebody could build some much needed refineries, but hey, baby steps. Right? I'm trying really hard to be positive and look at the bright side.

So why am I sitting here trying to figure out how anybody could have screwed this up?

Politics of Peace

First, under the Obama administration, we bombed the moon.

Now, Chavez and Castro are getting together to bomb clouds.

I thought the commies, err, I mean lefties, were all about peace?

How does this make sense?

Isn't this about the same thing as using the master card to pay off the visa card?

I'm all for keeping debt low, and I'm all for spending less. But this is the same sort of fiscal responsibility I see in folks living in trailers with big screen televisions, which they have to find a way to move every time they get kicked out of one trailer park for not paying the rent.

I don't even know where to begin

So I'll let Mr. Correia say it all for me.

The money quote: "I never thought we’d have a president who’d make me look back and wish fondly for the integrity of Bill Clinton."

Go read it all.

Barkin' up the wrong tree

You know, I don't like Obama. He's a totalitarian socialist. He has a czar who is magicaly entitled to change how much somebody gets paid. Read the article, the White House actually calls this position "Special Master for Compensation." Obviously I don't like that.

I wish we had just about anybody else for president. That being said, I think the birth certificate crowd is on the wrong track here. The McCain and Clinton campaigns looked into this. You really think the woman responsible for Vince Foster wouldn't have pulled the trigger on this if there was anything to it?

But something else is bothering me here. To play little league baseball, you've got to show up with a copy of your birth certificate. Are you telling me no paperwork is required to become president?

Change...

...they believe in.

It's odd to me that there are people on the other side of the world going to a lot of risk and hoping for some change, and Mr. HopeChange himself says "ehh, same difference."

In our last election we got to choose between Bad and Worse. When it was all said and done a lot of people were upset, but I don't remember any big protests. Protests are allowed here, we don't have secret police. There weren't any riots, despite the promised great "change." This from a country where Detroit and L.A. will riot because their team wins a basketball game.

So it's hard for me to believe that all this fuss in Iran is over two guys who are about the same.