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More Guns Less Crime: It was true before, and it is still true

December 26, 2009

The sales boom in firearms and ammunition, largely due to the Gun Salesman of the year / Ammunition Salesman of the year, Barack H. Obama and his merry band of misfits. Has yet again caused anti liberty and freedom types to shake their heads. After all, the Brady Bunch et al would have you believe that guns are sentient things that cause crime and destruction all on their own via some mystical power over people.

Yet, the FBI says otherwise: Full story here

CRIME RATES FALL
In the First Half of 2009
12/21/09

Chart showing declining crime rates in preliminary report of first half of 2009
– View the Preliminary Crime Statistics

For the third year in a row, our Preliminary Semiannual Uniform Crime Report shows that violent crime, property crime, and arson have decreased. The latest report compares January-June 2009 figures with the same time period in 2008.

Crimes reported to our Uniform Crime Program are down collectively: violent crime overall decreased 4.4 percent, property crime is down 6.1 percent, and arson fell 8.2 percent.

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Individual crimes are also decreasing across the board:

Other interesting highlights:

  • Murder was lower in all four regions of the country, with the largest decreases in the Northeast (13.7 percent) and the West (13.3 percent).
  • Motor vehicle thefts decreased significantly in all four regions of the country (Northeast, 19.3 percent; Midwest, 21.4 percent; South, 17.8 percent; and West, 18.2 percent).
  • While violent crime and aggravated assault were down in cities of more than 1 million people (7.0 percent and 6.2 percent, respectively), in cities of populations between 10,000 and 24,999, violent crime rose 1.7 percent and aggravated assault rose 3.8 percent.
  • While both metropolitan areas and non-metropolitan areas experienced decreases in violent crime and property crime in general, non-metropolitan counties saw increases in robbery (3.8 percent) and arson (1.2 percent).
  • On a regional basis, the only uptick in any crime was a slight increase in burglaries in the South (up 0.7 percent)

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Posted in Editorial, Opinion, Education, Gun Control, Hoplophobia, Law, mysandry, News, Non Compos Mentis, Politics, Wordpress Political Blogs | Comments Off on More Guns Less Crime: It was true before, and it is still true

Legalized Prostitution : The U.S. Senate and Congress

December 24, 2009

Legalized prostitution comes in many forms, and the attention whores that makeup a majority in the Senate and Congress are no different than the crack whore’s on Colfax Avenue in Denver.

Whether the pay off is in a lighter sentence, or approval from their pimp I see little difference between an honest prostitute and a politician that sells virtue period. But? They can have their uses, and just like a street cop using a confidential informant a politician can be used toward the greater good when surrounded by evil. Read on:

Gun Owners of America Wins a Skirmish on ObamaCare

— Trumpets recent victory to be grateful for this Christmas

Gun Owners of America E-Mail Alert
8001 Forbes Place, Suite 102
Springfield, VA 22151
703-321-8585
www.gunowners.org

“Score one for the Gun Owners of America ….” Slate, December 20, 2009

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

You guys have a lot to be thankful for this Christmas. Our efforts together in lobbying against ObamaCare have netted some positive gains, and that has the political left up in arms.

The writers at the ultra-liberal Slate magazine are beside themselves that an organization like the Gun Owners of America was able to move the Senate to include protections for gun owners.
According to Slate on December 20:

Score one for the Gun Owners of America, a lobby group positioned well to the right of the National Rifle Association…. [T]o pacify GOA, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (who represents the gun-loving state of Nevada has inserted into his “manager’s amendment” a section titled “Protecting 2nd Amendment Gun Rights.” It states that no wellness program implemented under health reform may require disclosure or collection of any information relating to gun ownership.

Medical information has already been used to deny — without due process or trial by jury — more than 150,000 military veterans the right to buy firearms.

Senator Reid tries to appease Gun Owners; leaves naysayers out on a limb

In the face of all this abuse, Senator Reid was pressured by GOA and his constituents into making a face-saving move. He wanted to silence the pro-gun community’s objections, so he took steps to strip the bill of any gun rights concerns.

But what a delicious irony this created. Prior to Senator Reid’s Second Amendment “fix,” many Senators had been telling their constituents for months that there were no Second Amendment concerns in the ObamaCare legislation — and now, Senator Reid left them out on a limb.

“There is no mention of ‘gun-related health data’ anywhere in the Senate’s health reform bill, and there is nothing in the bill that would result in any such data being reported to the government,” said Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) to one constituent. “I support the Second Amendment and will continue to uphold the rights of law-abiding citizens to own firearms.”

Senator Casey supports the Second Amendment? What a laugh! Has Senator Casey seen his voting record on the GOA website? This year, he’s voted wrong on gun issues over 70% of the time.

Then there’s Democrat Senator Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico: “It is my understanding that there is no discussion within the Senate concerning firearms in relation to health care.  Please be assured I will keep your comments in mind as the Senate debates comprehensive health care reform.”

Senator Bingaman, will you really keep the views of your constituents in mind? If so, then why did you vote for the ObamaCare bill? After all, more than 60% of the American people oppose it!

To listen to these and other liberal Senators, you would think there were no Second Amendment concerns in President Obama’s signature piece of legislation. But then, lo and behold, Senator Reid included language in his substitute amendment that totally undercut these Senators’ excuses.

GOA lobbying saves gun owners from bureaucratic mischief

Slate then goes on to lament the other victory that GOA scored:

[G]un owners also won another provision forbidding private insurers participating in the bill’s exchanges from charging higher premiums, or denying coverage, or denying wellness discounts on the basis of gun ownership. Unlike the previous section, this one doesn’t place a restriction on what government may do. It places a restriction on what the private sector may choose to do on its own. It inhibits that most holy of right-wing sacred cows: free enteprise [sic].

The socialists at Slate magazine hate free enterprise so much, they can’t even spell the word correctly. It’s reminiscent of the Fonz from Happy Days trying unsuccessfully years ago to get the words “I was wr-wr-wrong” out of his mouth.

Yes, it’s true that GOA won a victory in this area. But GOA’s opposition to the “wellness” regulations was not driven by an effort to help big business, as it was totally driven by opposition to GOVERNMENT REGULATION that would impinge upon gun owners.

Every draft of the ObamaCare legislation on Capitol Hill would give Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius tremendous regulatory power. And in early versions of the Senate bill, the anti-gun Sebelius could very well have mandated that gun ownership is an activity so dangerous that your insurance coverage needed to be suspended.

The Reid “fix” prohibits companies from charging insurance premiums that would impinge upon “lawful” gun owners, but this will leave millions of gun owners in the cold — specifically, those honest Americans who cannot legally own firearms in Chicago, Washington, D.C., and New York City.

Slate, of course, didn’t pick up on these loopholes in the Reid compromise, but then, you can’t expect a liberal cheerleader for the Obama machine to be overly careful about analyzing a Democrat-sponsored bill.

So the bottom line? Yes, thanks to your constant pressure, Gun Owners of America won a skirmish in the battle against socialized health care and gained some protections for gun owners.

But also remember that the ObamaCrats never really had our interests in mind and that they never really solved all the Second Amendment problems in the health care bill. Again, even with the Reid “fix,” it’s still possible that ATF agents could troll through your medical information and send that data to the FBI, who in turn, could use it to deny honest Americans their right to keep and bear arms — similar to the 150,000 military veterans who have now lost their gun rights.

The Senate is expected to vote on final passage of the ObamaCare bill tomorrow. The bill is expected to pass, but the fight is far from over. So please stay tuned, as Gun Owners of America will continue to keep you abreast of the latest developments.

Thanks again for all your activism this year. It really makes our job a whole lot easier.

Have a Merry Christmas!

————————————

Not a member yet of Gun Owners of America Please activate your membership for 2010 by going to http://gunowners.org/ordergoamem.htm and joining the only “no-compromise gun lobby” in Washington!

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Posted in Czar Wars, Economics, Editorial, Opinion, Education, Gun Control, Hoplophobia, Law, Men's Issues, mysandry, News, Non Compos Mentis, Politics, Wordpress Political Blogs | 2 Comments »

What’s that Smell?

December 23, 2009

Dave Kopel’s latest newsletter (see the link on the blog roll) unloads yet again with logic and reason. Bits and snips, with links below.

To subscribe to this free e-mail newsletter, please send a request to:
kopelnewsletter@liberty.seanet.com

Aiming for Liberty

David Kopel
Merril Press
December 4, 2009
http://www.amazon.com/Aiming-LIberty-Present-Freedom-Self-Defense/dp/0936783583/davekopel-20/
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Aiming-for-Liberty/David-B-Kopel/e/9780936783581/?itm=2

Videocast on Aiming for Liberty

Dave Kopel with Jon Caldara
Independent Thinking, KBPI 12, Denver
November 27, 2009
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=EB5652D760AC2EAB
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaJgIjxmFdQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mymokhfqhJk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ud36zktV3F8
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=EB5652D760AC2EAB

Dave and Independence Institute President and program host Jon Caldara discuss his new book on this KBPI television broadcast, now available on YouTube. Part 1 is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaJgIjxmFdQ, Part 2, here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mymokhfqhJk and Part 3, here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ud36zktV3F8. The playlist with all three is here: http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=EB5652D760AC2EAB

New Law Review Articles by Kopel

The Right to Arms in the Living Constitution

David B. Kopel
Cardozo Law Review de Novo, Forthcoming; U. Denver Legal Studies Research Paper No. 09-34
December 17, 2009
http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1524103

“This Article presents a brief history of the Second Amendment as part of the living Constitution. From the Early Republic through the present, the American public has always understood the Second Amendment as guaranteeing a right to own firearms for self-defense. That view has been in accordance with �lite legal opinion, except for a period in part of the twentieth century.”

The Keystone of the Second Amendment: Quakers, the Pennsylvania Constitution, and the Questionable Scholarship of Nathan Kozuskanich

David B. Kopel with Clayton E. Cramer
Widener Law Journal, Vol. 19, 2010, forthcoming
December 19, 2009
http://ssrn.com/abstract=1502925

Kopel and Cramer examine the historical underpinnings of historian Nathan Kozuskanich’s claim that the right to arms in the 1776 Pennsylvania constitution only guaranteed a right to serve in the commonwealth’s militia.

Kopel on the Health Bill

Health Bill and Gun Ownership

David Kopel
The Volokh Conspiracy
November 24, 2009
http://volokh.com/2009/11/24/health-bill-and-gun-ownership/

Dave responds to a putative rebutal of his concerns that the Government’s expanded role in health care may lead to ‘wellness programs’ that preclude firearms ownership.

Is the Senate health plan anti-gun?

Susan Ferrechio
The Washington Examiner
November 24, 2009
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/politics/71875287.html

Ferrechio’s article includes Dave’s concern that a government putting itself in charge of people’s health may decides that habits such as firearms ownership are prohibitively expensive.

What’s that Smell?

Dave Kopel
America’s 1st Freedom
December, 2009
http://davekopel.org/2A/Mags/ACORN.htm

“Nearly everyone has heard of the corruption-plagued organization ACORN. Yet many gun owners are unaware of the organization’s strong anti-gun activities and ties.”

Missouri Court Upholds Statute Against Gun Possession While Intoxicated

David Kopel
The Volokh Conspiracy
November 20, 2009
http://volokh.com/2009/11/20/missouri-court-uphelds-statute-against-gun-possession-while-intoxicated/

“In the 1979 case People v. Garcia, the Supreme Court of Colorado dealt with a similar statute. The ruled that the statute only applied to ‘actual or physical control.’ So if a person is drunk in his living room, and owns a gun which is stored in his downstairs closet, the statute would not apply. The Missouri decision is consistent with the Colorado standard, since Richard actually was possessing the handgun.”

Bloggingheads TV on Moses as the essential American hero

David Kopel
The Volokh Conspiracy
November 10, 2009
http://tinyurl.com/ybn3ton

Dave here agrees with Bruce Feiler’s argument, in an interview on Robert Wright’s BloggingHeadsTV, that Moses is a figure of great interest as an exemplar to some of America’s most influential leaders.

United States v. Skoien

United States Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit
November 18, 2009
http://www.ca7.uscourts.gov/tmp/TL1FFWAJ.pdf
PDF files require Adobe Acrobat Reader or similar software.

The decision refers to Dave’s work on Heller on p.7, note 2.

Another Good Night for the Second Amendment

David Kopel
The Volokh Conspiracy
November 4, 2009
http://volokh.com/2009/11/04/another-good-night-for-the-second-amendment/

“In sum: A bad night for advocates of gun show restrictions. Another fine night (as were election nights 2006 and 2008) for Democrats with A ratings from NRA. And good news for Second Amendment advocates in blue New Jersey and purple Virginia.”

Will the Arms Trade Treaty Provide Effective Embargos on Human Rights Violators?

David Kopel
The Volokh Conspiracy
November 2, 2009
http://volokh.com/2009/11/02/will-the-arms-trade-treaty-provide-effective-embargos-on-human-rights-violators/

“Thus, the ATT might, at most, lead to more nominal embargos of arms; but nothing in an ATT can have greater force in international law than a Security Council order already does. Accordingly, the ATT will be of little or no use in achieving its purported objective. To the contrary, the ATT may be positively harmful, since it will probably declare a ‘right’ of governments to acquire arms. This ‘right’ could be used to claim that arms embargos outside the ATT system (e.g., unilateral embargos by the US, or the EU) are violations of international law.”

The Most Important Right to Arms Vote of 2009

David Kopel
The Volokh Conspiracy
November 4, 2009
http://volokh.com/2009/11/04/the-most-important-right-to-arms-vote-of-2009/

“Repeal of the Canadian registry would, accordingly, be of tremendous global significance. Repeal would also shatter the claim by the Canadian gun prohibition lobby that gun control in Canada is an irreversible ratchet.”

Kopel on McDonald v. Chicago

The Kopel Amicus Brief

Brief Summary of the Kopel Brief

David B. Kopel
The Volokh Conspiracy
November 23, 2009
http://volokh.com/2009/11/23/kopel-brief-in-mcdonald-v-chicago/

Here is a brief summary of the complete amicus brief, linked below, that Dave has written for the case of McDonald v. Chicago

Amicus Brief in McDonald v. Chicago: On Behalf of the International Law Enforcement Educators and Trainers Association, Et Al.

David B. Kopel
Independence Institute; Denver University, Sturm College of Law
November 22, 2009
http://ssrn.com/abstract=1511425

Here is a link to the full text of Dave’s brief on this important post-Heller case.

McDonald v. Chicago

Dave Kopel with Jon Caldara
Dave Kopel’s Second Amendment Podcast
December 1, 2009
http://audio.ivoices.org/mp3/iipodcast353.mp3

Kopel and Caldara discuss Dave’s completed amicus brief and the importance of this case.

JoshCasts: Interview with Dave Kopel on McDonald v. Chicago

Dave Kopel with Josh Blackman
Josh Blackman’s Blog
November 23, 2009
http://joshblackman.com/blog/?p=2540

Here’s a podcast in which Law Clerk and Blogger-Tweeter Josh Blackman interviews Dave about the McDonald v. Chicago brief.

Dave’s Blogging on the Other Briefs in McDonald v. Chicago

Congressional brief in McDonald v. Chicago

David Kopel
The Volokh Conspiracy
November 23, 2009
http://volokh.com/2009/11/23/congressional-brief-in-mcdonald-v-chicago/

Here is Dave’s reaction to the Congressional brief filed in the McDonald case. “Counsel of Record is former Solicitor General Paul D. Clement. Much of the brief recapitulates the lengthy historical record of congressional action (including but not limited to Reconstruction) to protect the individual right to arms from federal or state infringement.”

Academics for the Second Amendment brief in McDonald

David Kopel
The Volokh Conspiracy
November 23, 2009
http://volokh.com/2009/11/23/academics-for-the-second-amendment-brief-in-mcdonald/

“Well before Reconstruction, the Second Amendment was considered to be mainly a guarantee of a right to own and carry guns for personal protection. Back in 1998, I wrote a hundred-page article, The Second Amendment in the Nineteenth Century, 1998 BYU Law Review 1359, which focused mainly on cases and treatises. Olson/Hardy/Cramer have gone further, and brought forward extensive evidence about the understanding of the public and of elected public officials.”

McDonald amicus: Don’t trust Fairman and Berger

David Kopel
The Volokh Conspiracy
November 23, 2009
http://volokh.com/2009/11/23/mcdonald-amicus-dont-trust-fairman-and-berger/

“Erik S. Jaffe has written a very interesting brief for the CalGuns Foundation. In short, the argument is: ‘Charles Fairman’s and Raoul Berger’s Work on Fourteenth Amendment Incorporation of the Bill of Rights Is Deeply Flawed, Inaccurate, and Should Not Be Relied Upon by this Court.’ ”

Cato brief in McDonald v. Chicago

David Kopel
The Volokh Conspiracy
November 23, 2009
http://volokh.com/2009/11/23/cato-brief-in-mcdonald-v-chicago/

“An outstanding brief, as one might expect. The bulk of the brief (21 pages, comprising Part I) shows that from the Founding Era into through the framing of the Fourteenth Amendment, national citizenship was paramount to state citizenship. Part II briefly argues that Slaughterhouse violated canons of constitutional construction such as by interpreting the Privileges or Immunities Clause to make it nothing more than a reiteration of the Supremacy Clause.”

Institute for Justice brief in McDonald v. Chicago

David Kopel
The Volokh Conspiracy
November 23, 2009
http://volokh.com/2009/11/23/institute-for-justice-brief-in-mcdonald-v-chicago/

“The most important part of the brief is Part III, which begins: ‘To enslave a class of people requires three basic things: destroy their self-sufficiency, prevent them from fighting back, and silence any opposition.’ The brief then goes on to argue that the the Court should resist suggestions that it hold that the Privileges or Immunities clause makes the first eight amendments applicable against the states, but does nothing else.”

McDonald amicus briefs: Academics, Congress Redux, and California District Attorneys

David Kopel
The Volokh Conspiracy
November 25, 2009
http://volokh.com/2009/11/25/mcdonald-amicus-briefs-academics-and-congress-redux/

“The new Kates-Ayers brief begins with a survey of the 17th-18th century philosophical view, with which the American Founders agreed, that self-defense was among the most fundamental of all rights, that it was also a duty, and that the right necessarily implied the right to use arms in self-defense.”

Privileges or Immunities Extravaganza

David Kopel
The Volokh Conspiracy
December 21, 2009
http://volokh.com/2009/12/21/privileges-or-immunities-extravaganza/

“The Question Presented by the Court asked if the bans should be considered unconstitutional under the Fourteenth Amendment’s Due Process clause, or under the Privileges or Immunities clause. There’s been plenty of interesting scholarship recently on Privileges or Immunities. Here’s a guide to some of the most important articles.”

More of Dave’s Podcasts on the Case

Interview with Alan Gura

Dave Kopel with Alan Gura
Dave Kopel’s Second Amendment Podcast
December 7, 2009
http://audio.ivoices.org/mp3/iipodcast358.mp3

Here is Dave’s lengthy (50 minutes) interview with Alan Gura, the lead attorney in the Heller case, now involved in McDonald v. Chicago.

McDonald v. Chicago: Is the 2nd Amendment Incorporated in the 14th Amendment? An Explanation of the Basic Constitutional Issues in the Case.

Dave Kopel with Jon Caldara
Dave Kopel’s Second Amendment Podcast
December 7, 2009
http://audio.ivoices.org/mp3/iipodcast349.mp3

Dave and Jon Caldara discuss Dave’s early work on his amicus brief, and the issues and precedents at stake in McDonald v. Chicago.

Stephen Halbrook Christmas Special.

Dave Kopel with Stephen Halbrook
Dave Kopel’s Second Amendment Podcast
December 17, 2009
http://audio.ivoices.org/mp3/iipodcast362.mp3

Kopel interviews Stephen Halbrook, the leading legal defender of the Second Amendment over the last three decades. 53 minutes.

More available at the sidebar link!

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Posted in Editorial, Opinion, Education, Gun Control, Hoplophobia, Law, News, Politics, Wordpress Political Blogs | 1 Comment »

Arrogance and hypocrisy

December 23, 2009

The prostitutes in the Senate need a message sent to them loud, and clear. Get ready for the unemployment line you bunch of whores.

President Obama’s Saturday radio address was almost mystifying in its arrogance and hypocrisy. His own words underscore the need for the Read the Bills Act.

Please tell Congress to delay passing healthcare legislation until the people have had a chance to read it. And tell them to pass the Read the Bills Act.

This is what I wrote in my letter . . .

President Obama’s Saturday radio address claims that because a “clear majority” in the Senate favors the latest slapped-together healthcare bill, that the opposition should just give up. http://tinyurl.com/ybnyoly

President Obama ignores the glaring fact that no “clear majority” of the American people favors these schemes. If anything, a slight majority opposes them. http://www.rttnews.com/ArticleView.aspx?Id=1158932&SMap=1

Should Congress ignore the will of the people? If the people are split on a bill that will reduce their liberties and transform the economy, is it wise for you to blindly move forward on a 2,000 page bill you won’t actually read?

Obama goes further to say that anyone who criticizes insurance regulations “simply hasn’t read the bills.”

But that’s the point!

Give us a chance to read the bills!

The Senate has kept introducing and withdrawing so many proposals that it’s hard to figure out whether the latest bill has even been posted online.

And, we don’t know what scandalous back-room deals have found their way into the bill.

Obama arrogantly assumes that he has the votes and that the debate should be over.

But how do we know if the debate should be over if we don’t know the contents of the bill?

I demand that Democrats and Republicans agree to take some time to consider this bill. It is extremely shallow and immature to stick to an arbitrary Christmas deadline. Instead, Democrats and Republicans should come together and introduce the Read the Bills Act. This will bring sanity back into the process.

But if Democrats insist on ramming this bill through, I encourage Republicans to employ every “delaying” tactic available to them, including having bill read aloud.

If nothing else, this will give the people a chance to actually read the bill.

END LETTER

You can send your message using our Educate the Powerful System. https://secure.downsizedc.org/etp/campaigns/27

We also invite you to join the Read the Bills Act Coalition. Membership will help build awareness about RTBA, and in return we will list your site on our main page. You can learn more at the DownsizeDC.org site: http://www.downsizedc.org/coalition

Today we welcome 3 new members to the Coalition:

Finally, since December 1 Congress has passed a total of 59 bills totaling 2,581 pages. You can see the bills below my signature in the blog version of this Dispatch: http://tinyurl.com/ykxtvdk

James Wilson
Assistant Communications Director
DownsizeDC.org

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Posted in Editorial, Opinion, Education, Gun Control, Hoplophobia, Law, News, Politics, Wordpress Political Blogs | 1 Comment »

Lets say thanks: For the troops!

December 23, 2009

I usually don’t forward emails but this is a very good cause.  I did snopes.com it and yes, xerox is really doing this for our troops.  Merry Christmas.

If you go to this web site, http://www.LetsSayThanks.com you can pick out a thank you card and Xerox will print it and it will be sent to a soldier that is currently serving overseas. You can’t pick out who gets it, but it will go to a member of the armed services.

How AMAZING it would be if we could get everyone we know to send one!!! It is FREE and it only takes a second.

SOURCE: interoffice email

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Posted in Editorial, Opinion, Education, News, War | Comments Off on Lets say thanks: For the troops!

Facts Are Stubborn Things

December 19, 2009

Reporting here earlier on climategate, and faux science we now have a wrap up to be enjoyed. Let’s just “hope & pray” that Iran’s nuclear scientist are as incompetent as the algore worshipers are…

The ice in the Arctic isn’t melting nearly as fast as the hype surrounding the theory of anthropogenic global warming. After years of predicting the end of the world while simultaneously touting themselves as its saviors, the envirofascists are now getting caught in their lies and even turning on each other as the truth comes to light.

According to its wonderfully entitled article, “Inconvenient truth for Al Gore as his North Pole sums don’t add up,” the UK Times reported that Al Gore told his Copenhagen audience that “the latest research” predicts the Arctic ice will melt within five years. Dr. Mallowski, upon whose work Gore based his claim, wasted no time in correcting the wayward former vice-president, stating that Gore had used old numbers tossed about in conversation several years ago. Several other scientists chimed in, adding that they consider Mallowski’s numbers, even if quoted accurately, to be “extreme.”

Envirofascists are also falling flat on their faces closer to home. At a recent convening of the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, two of President Obama’s top polar bears proved that the climate science is far from settled. John Holdren, the pretentiously titled Assistant to the President for Science and Technology and Director of the Office of Science and Technology (a.k.a. the “Science Czar”), told the committee that global temperatures could cause ocean levels to rise by six or more feet by the end of the century. Jane Lubchenco, administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, however, told the committee that sea levels could rise by 3.5 feet. Rep. John Shadegg (R-AZ) was quick to point out both the discrepancy and the folly of acting on conflicting figures arrived at by so-called experts batting for the same team.

But the debate is far from over. As snow falls during the first weeks of the Australian summer, the World Meteorological Organization is predicting that 2010 is going to be the hottest for the world — ever. That’s the great thing about this debate … there’s always more speculation to keep the argument going.

SOURCE

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Posted in Czar Wars, Economics, Editorial, Opinion, Education, Law, News, Non Compos Mentis, Politics, Wordpress Political Blogs | 2 Comments »

Army Rangers, Navy Seals do their jobs and ..?

December 19, 2009

Department of Military Correctness: Friendly Fire

As Christmas approaches, the Obama regime’s assault on our own warriors continues. As detailed previously, court-martial preparations continue for three U.S. Navy SEALs accused of mistreating a captured jihadi. But another case of political correctness gone wild recently came to light — that of Army Ranger 1st Lieutenant Michael Behenna, who is now serving a 20-year sentence at Fort Leavenworth. Lieutenant Behenna was found guilty by a court-martial of unpremeditated murder in the shooting death of a jihadi named Ali Mansur, despite the fact that an expert prosecution witness had evidence that backed up Behenna’s claim of self defense. The expert, Dr. Herbert MacDonell, a specialist in blood stain forensics, was flown in by the Army prosecutors to testify in the case, though it appears that in order to get a conviction, the Army prosecutors did not call on Dr. MacDonell to testify because his evidence did not support their case.

Thankfully, in both cases, some spine is finally starting to show among our leaders. In Congress, 40 members led by Rep. Dan Burton (R-IN) sent a letter to Army Major General Charles Cleveland, commander of Special Operation Command Central and the man who ordered the SEALs’ court-martial, calling on him to dismiss the charges and exonerate the SEALs. Scandalously, but not surprisingly, the letter was signed only by Republicans, few though there were. And in Lt. Behenna’s case, an e-mail from Dr. MacDonell explaining his testimony surfaced. A clemency hearing for Behenna is set for Jan. 7 in Arlington, Virginia. May justice be done.

SOURCE

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Posted in Editorial, Opinion, Education, Law, Men's Issues, Military Science, News, Non Compos Mentis, Politics, War, Warfare, Wordpress Political Blogs | 1 Comment »

Department of Military Readiness: A Disarming Way With Nukes

December 19, 2009

A world without nukes — what’s not to love about that? That’s the message the Chosen One reiterated in Oslo last week as he accepted his Nobel Peace Prize — for what we’re not quite sure, other than wanting to do something about nuclear weapons. Citing his efforts to revise expiring nuclear agreements with Russia, His Worship went on to reaffirm his commitment to disarmament. There’s just one minor problem: We’re the only ones disarming.

For instance, in the tentative update to the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty of 1991 (START), the U.S. is set to cut nuclear delivery vehicles — ICBMs, bombers and subs — to 800 or less, half the current START limits. Since Russia has a current inventory of 814 vehicles, while America has 1,198, guess who “wins” the arms reduction game here? Of course the “winner” also loses in the national security game, but we digress. The drawdown in bombers hurts our non-nuclear war-fighting capability, as well. That’s because all of our nuclear-capable bomber platforms can also carry conventional munitions.

Forget about verification, too. The Gipper’s “trust but verify” axiom may be thrown under the bus in the new agreement. Russia announced its intention to end continuous monitoring at its Votkinsk Machine Building Plant, which is where our Red “friends” are building new RS-24 mobile nuclear missiles, purported by a Russian general to compose 80 percent of Russian ICBM forces by 2016. Good luck guessing how many they will actually build if that provision is accepted — but we can trust them, right?

Finally, while Russia is investing heavily in new warheads and missiles, our own nuclear arsenal continues to age, with no proposed modernization on the horizon. The White House has been silent on virtually all matters related to strategic deterrence (save July’s public kowtowing to Russian demands that the U.S. kill its plans to deploy an anti-ballistic missile system in Poland and the Czech Republic) to have any hope of moving forward on a revised START agreement. Notwithstanding Obama’s disarming overtures toward Russia, none of these efforts have even remotely slowed Iran’s full-court press to acquire nuclear weapons or North Korea’s equally aggressive efforts to expand its nuclear arsenal.

Nice work, Mr. Nobel-Prize-Winner. Hope we all remember what a great job you did to “earn” your Nobel if Washington or New York are one day awakened at 2 a.m. to an “unscheduled sunrise.”

Source


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WILDLIFE COMMISSIONER BOB STREETER TO MEET PUBLIC IN NORTHEAST REGION

December 19, 2009

DENVER, Colo. — Commissioner Bob Streeter will hold a public meeting in Fort Collins to discuss the concerns of constituents and wildlife issues facing the plains.  The commissioner, who represents public members, will discuss the deer and elk season structure and any other issues of concern brought by attendees.  Streeter and DOW staff will lead a conversation on regional outreach efforts and how to engage additional non-consumptive users in supporting and contributing to wildlife in Colorado.

Streeter, who lives in eastern Larimer County, is a former wildlife and habitat restoration consultant and has worked in a variety of roles with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, including as assistant director of refuges and wildlife from 1995 to 1998.  He is a former chair of the Larimer County Planning Commission and the Larimer County Open Lands Advisory Board. He also currently serves on the South Platte Roundtable and is the Wildlife Commission representative on the Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) Board.

The Wildlife Commission is a volunteer board that sets regulations and policies for the DOW. There are nine wildlife commissioners who represent five different districts in Colorado. They are appointed from each of the following groups: livestock producers; agricultural or produce growers; sportsmen or outfitters; wildlife organizations; and boards of county commissioners. The remaining three commissioners are appointed from the public at large.

Please join Commissioner Streeter at this meeting:

WHAT:               1313 Meeting with Commissioner Bob Streeter
WHEN:               Wednesday, January 13, 6:30 – 8:30 pm
WHERE:            Fort Collins Senior Center, 1200 Raintree Drive

For more information about Division of Wildlife go to: http://wildlife.state.co.us.

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Technical Night Before Christmas

December 19, 2009 
The things that you get from an Engineer!
AS YOU READ THROUGH THIS VERSION OF THE FAMOUS CHRISTMAS TALE, I THINK 
YOU'LL
COME TO THE SAME CONCLUSION I HAVE. IT MUST HAVE BEEN WRITTEN BY THE 
CONGRESSMEN
WHO WROTE THAT 2000 PAGE HEALTH CARE BILL. ROA
 
> Technical Night 
Before Christmas
>
> 'Twas the Night Before Christmas' as written by 
a technical
> writer for a firm that does Gov't 
contracting...
>
> 'Twas the nocturnal segment of the diurnal period 
preceding
> the annual Yuletide celebration, and throughout our place 
of
> residence, kinetic activity was not in evidence among the
> 
possessors of this potential, including that species of
> domestic rodent 
known as Mus musculus. Hosiery was
> meticulously suspended from the 
forward edge of the wood
> burning caloric apparatus, pursuant to our 
anticipatory
> pleasure regarding an imminent visitation from an 
eccentric
> philanthropist among whose folkloric appellations is 
the
> honorific title of St. Nicholas.
>
> The prepubescent 
siblings, comfortably ensconced in their
> respective accommodations of 
repose, were experiencing
> subconscious visual hallucinations of 
variegated fruit
> confections moving rhythmically through their 
cerebrums. My
> conjugal partner and I, attired in our nocturnal 
head
> coverings, were about to take slumberous advantage of the
> 
hibernal darkness when upon the avenaceous exterior portion
> of the 
grounds there ascended such a cacophony of dissonance
> that I felt 
compelled to arise with alacrity from my place
> of repose for the purpose 
of ascertaining the precise source
> thereof.
>
> Hastening to 
the casement, I forthwith opened the barriers
> sealing this fenestration, 
noting thereupon that the lunar
> brilliance without, reflected as it was 
on the surface of a
> recent crystalline precipitation, might be said to 
rival
> that of the solar meridian itself - thus permitting my
> 
incredulous optical sensory organs to behold a miniature
> airborne 
runnered conveyance drawn by eight diminutive
> specimens of the genus 
Rangifer, piloted by a minuscule,
> aged chauffeur so ebullient and nimble 
that it became
> instantly apparent to me that he was indeed our 
anticipated
> caller. With his ungulate motive power travelling at 
what
> may possibly have been more vertiginous velocity than
> 
patriotic alar predators, he vociferated loudly, expelled
> breath 
musically through contracted labia, and addressed
> each of the octet by 
his or her respective cognomen - "Now
> Dasher, now Dancer..." et al. - 
guiding them to the
> uppermost exterior level of our abode, through 
which
> structure I could readily distinguish the concatenations 
of
> each of the 32 cloven pedal extremities.
>
> As I 
retracted my cranium from its erstwhile location, and
> was performing a 
180-degree pivot, our distinguished
> visitant achieved - with utmost 
celerity and via a downward
> leap - entry by way of the smoke passage. He 
was clad
> entirely in animal pelts soiled by the ebony residue 
from
> oxidations of carboniferous fuels which had accumulated on
> 
the walls thereof. His resemblance to a street vendor I
> attributed 
largely to the plethora of assorted playthings
> which he bore dorsally in 
a commodious cloth receptacle.
>
> His orbs were scintillant with 
reflected luminosity, while
> his submaxillary dermal indentations gave 
every evidence of
> engaging amiability. The capillaries of his malar 
regions
> and nasal appurtenance were engorged with blood which
> 
suffused the subcutaneous layers, the former approximating
> the 
coloration of Albion's floral emblem, the latter that of
> the Prunus 
avium, or sweet cherry. His amusing sub- and
> supralabials resembled 
nothing so much as a common loop
> knot, and their ambient hirsute facial 
adornment appeared
> like small, tabular and columnar crystals of frozen 
water.
>
> Clenched firmly between his incisors was a smoking 
piece
> whose grey fumes, forming a tenuous ellipse about his
> 
occiput, were suggestive of a decorative seasonal circlet of
> holly. His 
visage was wider than it was high, and when he
> waxed audibly mirthful, 
his corpulent abdominal region
> undulated in the manner of impectinated 
fruit syrup in a
> hemispherical container. He was, in short, neither more 
nor
> less than an obese, jocund, multigenarian gnome, the optical
> 
perception of whom rendered me visibly frolicsome despite
> every effort 
to refrain from so being. By rapidly lowering
> and then elevating one 
eyelid and rotating his head slightly
> to one side, he indicated that 
trepidation on my part was
> groundless.
>
> Without utterance 
and with dispatch, he commenced filling
> the aforementioned appended 
hosiery with various of the
> aforementioned articles of merchandise 
extracted from his
> aforementioned previously dorsally transported 
cloth
> receptacle. Upon completion of this task, he executed an
> 
abrupt about- face, placed a single manual digit in lateral
> 
juxtaposition to his olfactory organ, inclined his cranium
> forward in a 
gesture of leave-taking, and forthwith effected
> his egress by 
renegotiating (in reverse) the smoke passage.
> He then propelled himself 
in a short vector onto his
> conveyance, directed a musical expulsion of 
air through his
> contracted oral sphincter to the antlered quadrupeds 
of
> burden, and proceeded to soar aloft in a movement hitherto
> 
observable chiefly among the seed-bearing portions of a
> common weed. But 
I overheard his parting exclamation,
> audible immediately prior to his 
vehiculation beyond the
> limits of visibility: "Ecstatic Yuletide to the 
planetary
> constituency, and to that self same assemblage, my 
sincerest
> wishes for a salubriously beneficial and gratifyingly
> 
pleasurable period between sunset and dawn."

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