tug-o'-war

"Law-abiding citizens who are getting permits because they think the government is coming to take their guns away are just wrong - it's an absurd, cartoonish myth." Brady campaign spokesman Peter Hamm, commenting to the AP on the 67% jump in "Right-to-Carry applications in the state of Florida. (Source: America's First Freedom, October 2009, p.16)

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Oh, Brady Campaign you democratic beacon of wisdom, you...you're right, the government is not aiming to confiscate people's firearms. And to evidence the government's non-intentions you label this belief a cartoonish myth in order to dissuade the populace from applying for right-to-carry permits. But if a person carries a handgun without a permit a government agent will exercise his duty to be on site with a gun in the holster, if not in the hand. That's if one gets there at all, since it's been ruled by more than one court that no level of government and no public servant bears any legal duty to protect an individual.

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7.15.2005 Supreme Court of the United States No. 04-278 Town of Castle Rock, Colorado, Petitioner, v. Jessica Gonzalez: It is a well-settled fact of American law that the police have no legal duty to protect any individual citizen from crime, even if the citizen has received death threats and the police have negligently failed to provide protection.

Warren v. District of Columbia, 444 A.2d 1 (D.C. 1981): ...a government and its agencies are under no general duty to provide public services, such as police protection, to any particular citizen...

Riss r. New York, 22 N.Y. 2d 579, 293 N.Y. 2d 897, 240 N.E.2d 806 (1958): What makes the City's position particularly difficult to understand is that, in conformity to the dictates of the law, [Ms. Miller] did not carry any weapon for self-defense. Thus, by a rather bitter irony she was required to rely for protection on the City of NY which now denies all responsibility to her.

Lynch v. N.C. Dept. of Justice, 376 S.E. 2nd 247 (N.C. App. 1989): Law enforcement agencies and personnel have no duty to protect individuals from the criminal acts of others; instead their duty is to preserve the peace and arrest law breakers for the protection of the general public.

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No, the government does not want to take people's guns away. All it wants is for us to ask permission to have these at the ready, while at the same time disowning the responsibility to protect us from crazy people, which perceived responsibility it does its best to ingrain into our consciousness.

Serving New York's 15th district, along with all the rest of us

Charles Rangel, congressman from New York's fifteenth district, is in the hot seat. Currently he is being investigated by the House Ethics Committee for: failing to declare $650,000 in assets on his 2007 financial disclosure forms; illegally maintaining three rent-subsidized apartments in New York; soliciting funds on congressional stationery for a think tank bearing his name; claiming three separate homes as primary residences; failing to pay property taxes on a home in the Dominican Republic and failing to report $75,000 worth of income from a condo in Florida.

Now, we all know this didn't come to light simply because one day somebody decided to ask, 'Hey, you know Charlie? I wonder what he's been up to the past few years...' No, for everything there is a reason, and if you asked me to get to the gist of it already i'd say the reason for Mr. Rangel's present headaches is the following: he took somebody's parking spot. I'd say that's what did him in, he used a coveted Capitol parking space to store a vintage Mercedes-Benz.

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Charlie, you're one of the wolves in the Ways and Means Committee who is charged with writing our nation's tax laws. Heck, Tom Delay was busted for similar corruption when he was House Majority Leader and he had nothing to do with revenue codes, so when some one who is intimately acquainted with this aspect of law is caught thieving it comes as no surprise to me. In some sad way i actually think this is to be expected...but don't go messing with some one else's parking spot! Ignoring your own unjust laws so you can steal tax dollars from the American public is one thing, but taking a man's parking spot is a whole other matter. That's a low personal blow, Charlie.

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We ought to look at this on the bright side, though. At least the money Rangel withheld from the IRS isn't going to some stupid wars that seem to have no end in sight.

Charles Rangel: serving NY's fifteenth district, serving himself, or serving us all?

Tuesday, September 22, 2009 - The Monitor, Valley and State (Section B)

un soneto experimental

Bella es ella para mi,

primera hoy en mi corazón

sin saber yo la razón,

andando ciego en mi elgjir.

Sea pido a Dios el sentir,

saber o pensar que a lo mejor

puede ella oír la voz

que no escapa mi pecho decir,

'Quizaís yo te ame,'

que no me deja dormir.

Si mi pensar no esta mal

ya sabre confesar

con mis labios resecos

y los ojos abiertos

esperandola a ella,

feliz.

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Si sabes leer, tu nombre leeras.

If these products don't make our lives better, i don't know what will...

Abilify yourself, foo'! If you are currently taking medication for depression but are still experiencing residual sadness, you might want to consider Abilify as an add-on. In this case, the point of an add-on is to provide additional relief from depressive symptoms, that is what Abilify is supposed to do. However, you might want to discontinue consumption if you experience new or worstening depression symptoms, unusual changes in behavior, or thoughts of suicide. If you have any of these sypmtoms, PLEASE contact the dumbass who prescribed you Abilify!

Abilify, it makes me feel so good i couldn't possibly have anything else to live for =)

Abilify

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No more Christmas, but how 'bout Diwali?

Texas education standards currently require sixth graders be "able to explain the significance of religious holidays sch as...Christmas and Easter...Ramadan, and...Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah." However, the Texas State Board of Education is currently considering a proposal which would remove the words Christmas and Rosh Hashanah from the curriculum, to have these supplanted by a lesson on the Hindu festival Dawali. The proposed change would affect sixth grade courses on world geography and cultures. "The curriculum does not prohibit teachers from mentioning other cultural or religious holidays in their classrooms."

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David Barton, one of the experts appointed to a

dvise the SBoE, opines against:

America is not equally divided among these five religions...[bringing up Christmas and Rosh Hashanah] does not necessarily promote either Christianity or Judaism; rather, it simply acknowledges with accuracy the religious culture of America as it actually exists that these holidays have been awarded their place in the culture by the people themselves."

Kathy Miller, President of watchdog group Texas Freedom network, gets snarky:

This is just a cynical attempt to use religion as a weapon to mislead the public and divide Texans over something as important as our children's education.

G. Smithy, Founder, President and CFO of U.S. Federation for the Furtherance of Smithiness, South Texas chapter, adds his two sense:

* Mr. Barton, i must say you bring up a most excellent point! Would you like to become an Honorary Member of the U.S. Federation for the Furtherance of Smithiness, South TX chapter?

* Ms. Miller, if it aint broke, don't fix it. It seems that it may people with beliefs similar to your own who are using such proposals as divisive tools, this by alluding to them within the context of religious indoctrination when, for all practical purposes, references to these holidays in schools have to do with the cultural heritage of a nation. Children are taught about the ways of these religions in schools, not in the ways of these religions. Do you propose that the children of Texas now have the "freedom" to not suffer mention of traditional days of

observance?

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I'm almost tempted to side with the proposal, though for reasons different than Ms. Miller's. Children already learn about their own traditional holidays through their own families, so why not mix-up the curriculum a little and take a more holistic approach to world cultures/religions?

Still, to strike mention of Christmas (and Rosh Hashanah) seems to go a bit far.

My brother, where hast thou been?

I wanted to use Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?, but there's already a movie with that title. I probably wouldn't have thought of that if i hadn't watched the movie, though, so it's alright.

One of my brothers has recently begun to consider the ways in which one's choice of words is important. He's been reading a new book, The Stylelife Challenge [sic], and began insisting i "should read it", to which my reaction was, No way, i don't have time to read that. After briefly contemplating my response he chose to rephrase his instruction, this time articulating the many merits of the book and then simply recommending it - Hmm, i'll check it out next time i go to the bookstore. He attributes his incipient appreciation for elocution to this book.

What can i say? I think the book is silly in a general sense, but the kid makes a good point about something i haven't consciously thought of for some time. Choice and delivery are crucial to success.

Ladies, take heed

THE PEACOCK AND THE CRANE

A tale by Aesop

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A peacock taunted a crane with the dullness of her plumage. "Look at my brilliant colors," said she, "and see how much finer they are than your poor feathers." "I am not denying," replied the crane, "that yours are far gayer than mine. But when it comes to flying I can soar into the clouds, whereas you are confined to the earth like any dunghill cock."

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Gents, the same goes for us.

Senatorial Solitaire

Read the article at DailyCourant.com