The coalition, led by America, is doing very well. This will be a short war. The beleaguered Iraqi citizens will soon be liberated. Some already have and just as I predicted (I'm too lazy to go back a few weeks and find the link) are jubilant. The leftist-liberals of the Democratic party must be going crazy.

Anyway, this isn't a warblog, it's a semi-gun-rights-blog and I'll get back to that subject soon. Once again, I would like to compliment NBC's Tom Brokaw, Brian Williams, David Bloom and Lester Holt (who has quite the superb knowledge of military aircraft and hardware) for their excellent reporting. Not to mention all of their staff and reporters and journalists. Well done folks.

There are blogs that are much better at this, and more focused at this, so I'll leave it here.

As almost always, I take Saturdays off so I'll see you all back here, same Bat-Channel, Sunday night. Thanks for stopping by!

Not mine, Alphecca isn't a warblog. I mean the TV networks. Granted I only receive two TV stations. National Public Television (or at least the Vermont version) is basically ignoring our attempts to liberate Iraq. WPTZ/WNNE, the local NBC station, has been (except during Prime Time) providing round the clock coverage from both NBC and MSNBC.

I have been critical of NBC in the past but I must say that their coverage of the war has been extraordinary. Aside from having reporters stationed almost everywhere, they have journalists posted at all the hot-spots.

I was really impressed this morning watching David Bloom reporting live (and responding to questions) while riding atop a tank recovery unit among the 250 vehicles of the 3rd Infantry Unit charging North to Baghdad. Truely excellent reporting and a wonderous technological achievement. This really shows what the press/media can do well when they want to. Kudos to all.

On the (literally) other side of the aisle, National Public Radio has shown just how totally irrelevant they've become as they manage to present every dissident view from every anti-war protester they can get their hands on. And of course NPR's editorialists (they certainly don't deserve to be called journalists) still claim the U.S. is going-it-alone and has no supporting coalition. Indeed, to hear their prattle, you would think the entire world is against our actions.

For myself, I will never contribute to, nor listen to NPR again. The real sin of this is all the tax-payer monies they consume.

For instance, Leigh Hanlon will always remember that he was bowling. And Diane L. is torn over the French boycott. Meanwhile, Queen City Soapbox is listening to Radio Kuwait on shortwave.

Well, almost everyone... Bitter Bitch has a flurry of posts on other things worth checking out.

And Aubrey Turner has a (legitimate) gripe about PayPal not allowing transactions involving guns. He also has a follow-up. My own gripe with PayPal is that they used to have really low rates (that is -- a very small cut of the transaction) when they were in competition with EBay payments. Now that EBay owns them, their percentage has doubled. That costs me money.

And Arthur Silber is pissed at the proposed new laws forbidding smoking almost everywhere in Florida. Actually, so am I.

Was that Saddam or was it a tape? Or one of his "proxies" (of which he has or had many) who suddenly had gray in his mustache and needed glasses? The consensus on Coast to Coast AM last night was that it was not really him. Momma Bear doesn't think so either. And neither does Douglas Oliver. Interesting... It would be great if we really got him but our leaders think it really was him on TV after the first attack...

God Bless the U.S.A.

God bless our country, our president, and the brave men and women who are so far from home defending our wonderful freedom, our liberty, our whole way of life. May the Almighty God protect them from harm, make their aim true, their hearts strong, and their mercy great.

It is only a few seconds before the deadline and we are about to start eliminating some of the evil in this world. Oh I know, the liberal left doesn't believe there is good and evil in this world, there are only other "cultures." Well, let us now start to exterminate the cultures of death, oppression, torture, and misery. God-Speed to our troops. God bless America. And you know what? He has, and so he will. Because under God's blessing, Right Makes Might. America is proof of that.

Reader OldeForce writes in:

Colorado Governor Bill Owens just signed two bills that set "shall-carry" standards for the state! Denver Mayor Webb - among others - is having a cow, as one of the bills sets state standards which supercede local regulations (Denver and Boulder, among others, will gladly remove certain of your bodily parts if you're caught in town with a firearm in your car.) Lawsuits are threatened, but the word is that Gov. Owens - mindful of a severe lack of state funds - took a long look ahead of time to be sure that the state would win any legal battles.

Good news indeed and here's confirmation by Julia C. Martinez from the Denver Post:

Gov. Bill Owens signed into law two controversial gun bills Tuesday, angering advocates of local-government control and people who fear the laws will trigger more gun violence in Denver.

The measures are the first significant gun-rights laws since the April 1999 Columbine High School massacre.

Owens said the new laws will provide statewide uniform standards for issuing concealed-weapons permits and overseeing the sale, possession and carrying of firearms in Colorado.

It's interesting that Martinez dwells at several points in her report on Columbine when it has nothing to do with the bills. Media bias indeed. None-the-less this is (in my opinion) good news for Colorado citizens. As I've said in the past, now a law abiding citizen who has a firearm in the glove compartment of his car can pass through cities such as Denver and not be busted for it. In addition, one of the bills makes the state a "shall issue" for concealed carry permits.

So another week has passed and it's time to pass my (impeccable) judgement about the bias displayed by Yahoo when they choose which stories and editorials to link to on the Yahoo Gun Control Debate Page of their U.S. News full coverage section. There haven't been a lot of new listings this week and I've already discussed many of them on Sunday but here's the table:

Yahoo Gun Control Debate Page Articles
Sample Date	For More Gun Control Or Is Anti-Gun	Not More Gun Control Or Is Pro 2nd Amendment	Neutral Articles	Concurrent Events Notes
03/19/03	10	5	5	Good news in Illinois and Colorado
03/11/03	12	4	4	Judge dismisses gun makers as defendants in suit
03/05/03	11	2	7
Feb. Avg.	11	2	7	Colorado laws, S&W .50 revolver, Ashcroft/ATF prosecutions
Jan. Avg.	15	2.5	3	Ashcroft, sniper victim lawsuits, England gang murders/ban on toy guns
Dec. Avg.	14	4	3	Canadian Registry fiasco & NJ "smart-gun" law
Nov. Avg.	17	3	2	D.C. snipers

There was no real theme to this week other then the couple stories about more gun control measures going down in defeat in Illinois, and Colorado getting a more unifying bill (which includes a "shall issue" for concealed carry) passed by the legislature. But as you can see, the pro-gun number is (as it was last week) moving up a bit. Indeed, the "anti" to "pro" ratio is at 2:1 which doesn't sound good but compared to what it's been for the past six months is reason for hope.

Oh who am I kidding, the coastal-types at Yahoo must be on vacation and will find a bunch of "anti" articles when they return...

One new silly editorial in the Kansas City Star praises the NAACP for pressing their law suit against gun makers. As if somehow they were responsible for all the crime against black folks. Here's a quote:

If nothing else, the NAACP hopes to force the gun industry to control dealers who sell to lawbreakers. The gun industry should recognize that it is in everyone's best interests to better control the flow of handguns. Such controls, along with gun buybacks and policies that mandate stricter sentences for felons caught with handguns, could help make all of our streets safer.

This is so stupid that I don't know where to begin. Here's the simple fact: The big gun makers such as Smith & Wesson, Sturm Ruger, Colt, et al, sell to distributors. The distributors sell to dealers. Distributors only ship what is ordered by the dealer. They don't include bonus items or extra guns in the shipment. But besides all of that, the gun makers are already a step removed from the final retail point. It would be the same as if we held Budweiser Beer responsible because a bar was caught selling to a minor. Sorry, but that dog don't hunt.

Gun buybacks are the biggest waste of money of all. So a hundred tired, rusty, broken old guns are turned in by old folks and junkies trying to make ends meet. Does anyone really think the Bloods and Crips and thugs and mutants are turning in guns because of a sudden pang of guilt?

The NAACP will lose this suit if it isn't already tossed out. They don't stand a chance and they shouldn't. If they really want to go after crime, look to their own community and chase the criminals out of it. And arming themselves would go a long way towards seeing to that.

OK, next week I really will have the Excell chart back up...

In today's Washington Post, an editorial urges Bush to get on with it (the war.) Nothing surprising about that -- WaPo has been beating the drums of war for some time now. They also urge President Bush to be frank with the American public and demand sacrifices such as rescinding the proposed new tax cuts. Here's a quote:

Mr. Bush could further help this long-term cause by acknowledging, at last, what is already obvious to most economists: that the United States cannot afford to fight foreign wars and take on far-reaching commitments while simultaneously slashing federal revenue. Mr. Bush has behaved as if his assertive approach to Iraq and other foreign threats since Sept. 11, 2001, need have no impact on his domestic policy -- and yet, it must and it eventually will. The president has the chance now to shape the impact, by frankly acknowledging that wars demand sacrifices and by asking Americans to accept them. By withdrawing or modifying the new round of tax cuts he has proposed to Congress, he could make an excellent start.

While the U.S. economy will probably never again grow at the furious pace it did during the 90's, I believe the reason it's mired down now is because people are afraid to spend when the specter of war is hanging over their heads. Yes, they're buying homes because interest rates have never been lower. But durable goods (furniture, appliances, etc.) are not selling.

As soon as this war (which will probably begin in earnest later this week) gets going (and it shouldn't last very long) you'll see money start to flow again. Everyone will breathe a sigh of relief and the economy will pick up dramatically. In turn, this will cause revenues from tax collections to rise dramatically as well.

So while I don't actually think a new round of tax cuts is called for just yet, I do think the tax cuts passed last year should remain. And yes, I'm aware that many hard-core libertarians feel there should not be any federal taxes, or only enough to maintain the military. I'm not hard-core and while I think the federal government does way more then it's supposed to in many areas, I do recognize there are some functions that -- but for the fed -- wouldn't get done at all. Taxes are too high but lets wait for whatever fallout occurs from the impending military action before cutting taxes again.

Interesting article by Tim Jones in the Chicago Tribune about the issue of concealed carry making headway through so many state legislatures. I've already discussed many of these bills but the article mentions that many state police associations are against these bills. Here's a quote:

Members of the Ohio House last week passed by a wide margin a bill that would give Ohioans the right to carry guns in their purses, jackets, cars and elsewhere. The Ohio Highway Patrol and police chiefs oppose the measure, and Republican Gov. Bob Taft is expected to veto the bill if it reaches his desk in its current form.

and:

Meanwhile, Minnesota lawmakers, with the endorsement of Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty, are expected to clear the way for Minnesotans to carry handguns. Police organizations oppose the measure.

Things are much different here in Vermont. About ten years ago I attended the Vermont Police Citizen's Academy. This was a ten week program to aquaint the average person with police procedures, what police face day-to-day, laws, and the best part of it, the (I think it was called) VATS training machine. This machine projects a potential crime and or other possible life-threatening situation and you have to decide whether to fire your computer controlled Sig or not.

A typical example (one of the episodes I went through) had you approaching a man in a park harrassing a small girl. As you near him, he turns to you and reaches into his back pocket. He starts to bring something out. Is it a gun, or his wallet. And so on. Anyway this whole Academy program was discontinued several years ago due to lack of funds.

All of the cops involved in the program, from the Captain and Lieutenant of the Bradford Barracks, to the chief of the state police, agreed that they were glad Vermonters had the right to carry because they (the police) couldn't be everywhere and response times in a rural area could take 20 minutes.

I've said it before but I am a gay gun nut. Thank God Vermont allows me to be both.

...writes in:

In reference to your blog about the arsenal found in arizona:

I have been trying to find my source, & when/if i do I'll let ya know, but I seem to remember that the BATF raided a guy who was an ex con living in the northeast a discovered an arsenal in Arizona that belonged to him. Well, as is usually the case with the BATF, it turns out the ex con was guilty of a non violent misdemeanor of some sort & the arsenal was legal. It included rocket launchers & grenades that had been demilled ( non functional) & all of the machine guns turned out to be semi automatic only.

I'll keep trying to find the source to verify if it's the same guy or not. Just some advice from a guy who's probably younger than you but doesn't feel a day over 74: don't trust the BATF, even when it seems legit.

& on another point: the Right to Arms does include machine guns, & grenades can be argued as included as well. I remember seeing an early 1800's ad in a newspaper that was selling grenades to the general public, so obviously they not only had no problem with the citizen being equipped like an infantrymen, they didn't close the newspaper loophole either. I do wonder though, how long it took the pony express to take your application to purchase a flintlock to Washington ( the man, not the town) & have it approved before you could be armed for b'ar? I could go on, but basically even the Miller decision said military firearms wer eprotected under the second amendment, which means the Miller in question could have had a Tommy gun & been o.k. Unfortunately he had a short barrelled shotgun ( they came that way back then) & the Justices didn't know that the military used them frequently.

& btw, the concealed carry bill in Colorado is not cause for joy. It's yet another in a long series of deals worked by the NRA whiches enhances their power, makes the anti's happy & trades in our rights to accomplish those things. Colorado's old system was better then the new one. & the NRA ignored a fairly decent CCW bill ( if begging permission & paying fees for exercising a Right can be considered decent) to get theirs passed.

Everybody is younger then me... I agree that machine guns are included. Indeed, irregardless of what licensing procedures the federal government requires, as far as the state of Vermont is concerned, citizens may own and carry machine guns, bazookas, etc.

I have actually updated my "gun stuff" page. Go ahead -- you may all gasp in astonishment. Anyway, I've provided a link to every pro-Second Amendment posting I've ever put up here on Alphecca.

Also, I've been accepted into the "Keep And Bear Arms" web-ring which is a collection of great sites that feel the same way I and most of you do. You'll see the linkage at the bottom of this page. Hopefully, this will bring in more like-minded visitors who support our Constitution and our Bill of Rights. And it will give you some new and exciting websites to check out...

Yes, I was "Googling" myself again. Anyway, I've discovered another Vermont blogger who links (blogrolls) me and she's a computer geek. Confessions of a G33k is the name, or is it Cleverhack? Anyway, go say hello.

And just a reminder that I gratefully blogroll anyone who blogrolls me. You don't have to agree with my politics either. So don't be shy, let me know if you've added me to your perma-links and I'll quickly add you to mine. And that also keeps you on my radar...

And yes, I've gone back to my old homepage photo. So sue me. I'll try to vary it from time to time but the other was way too bright. And let's face it, my commentary isn't always .50 caliber...

So I'll see you all here soon, thanks for stopping by.

I've been following this story (see here and here) about a bill working it's way through the Colorado legislature that would unify the state's gun laws (that is, a specific jurisdiction couldn't enact additional laws that would criminalize someone who in other parts of the state was not in violation of state laws.) In addition, Colorado would become a "shall issue carry permit" state. Sheriffs couldn't refuse to issue a carry permit unless the applicant was a criminal, etc. They could no longer use politics or personalities as a reason for refusal. From the Denver Post:

The state House approved two gun bills today, one that would require sheriffs to issue concealed-handgun permits to all law-abiding applicants, the other limiting local governments¹ ability to regulate guns.

The measures passed Thursday with the majority of Republicans supporting both bills and most Democrats voting against. Both bills have already cleared the Senate, but House amendments require Senate agreement.

Supporters hailed the legislation as a long time in coming and said the bills would standardize gun laws statewide. Gov. Bill Owens said Thursday he would carefully consider both measures if they reach his desk. In the past, he has endorsed the concealed-weapons bill.

Once again, I urge my Colorado readers to exert as much pressure as possible on Gov. Owens. Write, call, email, fax. Let him know you support the Second Amendment and expect him too as well.

You know... Gun control advocates haven't been doing so well lately. Anyway, so this is another piece of good news for your Sunday. The third is that it is bright and sunny here in Northern New England and temperatures are expected to hit the high forties and stay there for several days. We haven't seen that since last October! Dare I say it? That Spring is on the way? Better not, it will just cause a huge snow-storm to occur. After all, God is now gefilte fish... And boy is he pissed.

...or at least we didn't lose one. I discussed this last week. Chicago Mayor Richard Daley and many in the Illinois state legislature were trying to enact even more gun control measures then are already in place. Most of the bill went down in defeat. From the Chicago Tribune, here's a quote:

Despite the Democratic takeover and a turn to the political left in the Illinois Senate this year, the bulk of Chicago Mayor Richard Daley's high-profile gun control agenda went down in flames in a chamber committee Thursday.

Members of the Judiciary Committee killed Daley's proposals to restrict handgun purchases to one a month, require background checks at gun shows and increase the application fee for a Firearm Owners' Identification card. Sponsors still shoring up support decided not to call proposals that would increase the waiting period for handgun purchases and require gun dealers to provide police with sample bullets before guns are sold.

Who said I can't provide good news on a Sunday? One measure, a proposal to ban certain types of "semi-automatic assault weapons" survived but is currently tabled. Hopefully that will also die a quick death. Interestingly, many "upstate" Democrats in the state house also rejected the measures. As a friend of mine is fond of saying, this was a case of the city mice trying to tell the country mice how to live. The country mice won this one.

From the (UK) Observer:

An obscure Jewish sect in New York has been gripped in awe by what it believes to be a mystical visitation by a 20lb carp that was heard shouting in Hebrew, in what many Jews worldwide are hailing as a modern miracle.

Many of the 7,000-member Skver sect of Hasidim in New Square, 30 miles north of Manhattan, believe God has revealed himself in fish form.

According to two fish-cutters at the New Square Fish Market, the carp was about to be slaughtered and made into gefilte fish for Sabbath dinner when it suddenly began shouting apocalyptic warnings in Hebrew.

Many believe the carp was channelling the troubled soul of a revered community elder who recently died; others say it was God. The only witnesses to the mystical show were Zalmen Rosen, a 57-year-old Hasid with 11 children, and his co-worker, Luis Nivelo. They say that on 28 January at 4pm they were about to club the carp on the head when it began yelling.

The fish warned that "the end" is near. Now here's the disturbing thing:

The animated carp commanded Rosen to pray and study the Torah. Rosen tried to kill the fish but injured himself. It was finally butchered by Nivelo and sold.

I don't know if I would want to eat gefilte fish that contained God. I suspect this "story" might not be completely true. Otherwise Rosen and Nivelo would have kept the fish alive. You don't club God in the head and grind him up. Otherwise the "final days" might come even sooner then planned...

Interesting editorial by Senate majority leader Dr. Bill Frist in the Washington Post. He compares preemptive action in Iraq with preventive care provided by physicians:

I firmly believe that to wait for the long-term development of vaccines and cures is a losing-odds bet on the goodness of Hussein. Attacks on human beings designed for the maximum of unspeakable suffering call for nontraditional preventive care on our part.

Getting rid of Saddam Hussein's regime is our best inoculation. Destroying once and for all his weapons of disease and death is a vaccination for the world.

Frist is absolutely correct. Look, you don't wait until a child comes down with the "mumps" when you can give him a preventive shot early in life. We shouldn't wait until Saddam (once again) uses or sells his weapons to begin treating the problem.