So I quess this wraps up another week here at Alphecca. As usual I take Saturday off so I'll probably see you here again sometime Sunday. Or maybe not. It's my weekend off and I might just kick-back and relax. But Monday I will certainly be here because it will be a celebration of my cat Rainbow's 19th Birthday, with pictures and weeping testimonials by yours truly... (So you might want to wait until Tuesday before coming back here...)

Anyway, as always, thanks for stopping by. Have a great weekend!

Fortunately --but probably futilely-- another bill has been introduced in the House to protect gun makers and distributors, dealers, etc., from lawsuits resulting from misuse of firearms. From the AP, here's a quote:

By a 21-11 vote, the GOP-controlled House Judiciary Committee approved legislation to prohibit lawsuits from being brought against gun and ammunition manufacturers, distributors, dealers and importers for damages resulting from "misuse" of their product.

Only one Democrat, Rick Boucher of Virginia, voted to send the legislation on to the full House for approval, with all of the rest voting against the bill. Republicans unanimously voted for the measure.

(Now you know why I usually vote Republican...) Look, I doubt that the (slightly) Republican dominated congress has the votes to pass this measure but I support it whole-heartedly. Liberal Democrats and their trial-lawyer buddies want to do to gun makers what they did to "big tobacco" and suck all the money out of the industry. But there's a difference: When used according to instructions, tobacco kills the user. When used according to instructions, the gun owner isn't killed, and in fact his life is often saved.

Ford should not be held liable for a drunk-driver's actions. Colt should not be held liable for the misuse of their product either. One of my heros, Walter Olsen (see the sidebar link, OverLawyered) is quoted in the New York Times:

"The municipal gun litigation is an utter travesty, and I think the supporters of Second Amendment liberty have every right to seek federal legislation," said Mr. Olson, who analyzes the gun lawsuits in his new book, "The Rule of Lawyers," a critique of trial lawyers. "There is no violation of proper federalism for Congress to pre-empt litigation by which New York intends to forcibly curtail the relatively open gun-selling regimes of states like South Carolina and Virginia."

And he doesn't even know I'm alive... *Ahem* Anyway, I will be following this whole thing closely and reporting it here. Many states have already passed legislation like this but it would be far better if it were coded into federal law. Then, I guess, the greedy trial lawyers would have to move on to fast-food and booze and such. Such is life in a nation of babies where no one is willing or grown-up enough to take responsibility for their own actions. "The car made me do it..." "The movie or video game made me do it..." "The gun made me do it..." How pathetic we've become.

For some background, you might want to read my previous post about this from a few weeks ago. The NAACP, always looking to find excuses and to find money, is suing various gun makers, claiming they have somehow "flooded the market" with firearms -- I suppose by leaving crates of them at bus stops and in alleys -- and somehow enticed black people to commit all sorts of crimes involving guns. Oh, okay. Here's what I said back then:

As I've said, this would be the same as holding Ford liable for carnage by a drunk driver. And accusing them (the gun makers) of "over-supplying" the market is like accusing Miller Beer of "over-supplying" since some of their beer will end up in minors' hands.

Most judges have agreed and the majority of these cases have been dismissed, or at least the components attempting to hold gun makers liable for crimes committed with guns have been dismissed. This time the judge (Jack B. Weinstein) presiding over the case is a well known "anti gun" activist. No doubt that's why the NAACP chose his venue. Sullum is pessimistic about the outcome of the trial. I suspect we will all be following this one closely.

Anyway, Kweisi Mfume is quoted in this article in NY Newsday:

"If any industry does not enforce the law, it really doesn't make much sense about how many policies and procedures you may have, it just doesn't mean anything at all," Kweisi Mfume said The government is just as much to blame, he said.

"I don't think the government has the right regulations," Mfume said. "They could have a million regulations and tie up everybody in a large bureaucratic process but if they are not the right regulations...then it really doesn't matter at all."

Mfume talked to reporters after he briefly took the witness stand in Brooklyn federal court during a trial in the NAACP's lawsuit against more than 80 gun manufacturers.

So uh... Kweisi... What regulations should the government have? Perhaps some laws against committing crimes? I thought they did! So tell us "oh wise one," what regulations should they have? And why do you think that the mutant members of your community would obey them when they don't obey the ones that exist now?

Look folks, white or black, criminals just don't care what laws are on the books. To try to blame the gun makers or car makers or knife makers for the actions of mutant criminals is stupid, wrong, and counter-productive. Hey Kweisi, you think you're clever finding an anti-gun activist judge to hear your case, but in appeals you will still lose. It's not the gun. It's the mutant who uses the gun wrongly. Pretty simple, huh?

Would somebody please explain that to a couple of really stupid Republicans? (See! I don't just knock Democrats...)

Look folks, while I tepidly support the liberation and de-armament of Iraq, I have no problem with those who disagree with that policy peacefully protesting. Sure, no one wants to see major avenues closed down or see the violence some protesters have incited, but as I've said before: I support the 1st Amendment as vigorously as the 2nd.

What precipitates this brief rant are two stories in the papers. The first is this story from the Cincinnati Enquirer about how moronic Kentucky Republican senator Jim Bunning wants Peter Arnett tried as a traitor to the United States. Here's a quote:

"I think he should be brought back and tried as a traitor to the United States of America, for his aiding and abetting the Iraqi government during a war," Bunning said in a conference call with reporters. Later in a speech on the Senate floor, Bunning said: "Mr. Arnett can apologize all he likes for being a `useful idiot' for Saddam and his barbaric regime. But that's not enough for me, and it's certainly not enough for our soldiers and many Americans."

This is just stupid! Look, I have no intention of defending Arnett's actions but what were they? He gave an interview to Iraqi television and said he thinks the U.S. war plan failed. Okay. I would hardly call that aiding and abetting. He expressed an opinion which most of us might think wrong but that's his right. It was a bad judgement call for someone who is supposed to be an unbiased journalist but really! Hey Bunning -- get a grip and quit grandstanding for your constituents.

Then we have this article from the Washington Post about how Oregon lawmakers want to arrest and prosecute all anti-war protesters for treason. Here's a quote:

Dubbed Senate Bill 742, it identifies a terrorist as a person who "plans or participates in an act that is intended, by at least one of its participants, to disrupt" business, transportation, schools, government, or free assembly.

The bill's few public supporters say police need stronger laws to break up protests that have created havoc in cities like Portland, where thousands of people have marched and demonstrated against war in Iraq since last fall.

"We need some additional tools to control protests that shut down the city," said Lars Larson, a conservative radio talk show host who has aggressively stumped for the bill.

The bill was written and proposed by Oregon Republican state senator John Minnis. I don't know whether he was born an idiot or he had to be educated up to it. And it's not surprising that a schmuck like Larson would back such anti-American --yes, I consider this bill anti-American-- legislation. This bill would call for jail terms of at least 25 years! For disrupting traffic. What the hell is in the water around there?

Look, if protesters get violent, or disrupt things, then you can (although most police departments show smarter restraint) charge them with the appropriate crime. To call them traitors and give them life sentences is so beyond the pale as to make a mockery of the First Amendment and to deny everything our brave troops are fighting for.

In my book, attempting to nullify our Constitution and Bill of Rights are the real treasonable offenses. It's Bunning and Minnis who should be thrown in jail.

The Winter that never ends. Yes, yes, I know I should be used to it after all these years but the last few mild Winters have lulled me into a denial of reality. They're predicting another major Winter Storm tomorrow with up to a foot of snow. Waaaa... But enough about my problems... Oh wait! This is a blog. More about my problems...

Actually, I have good news; in the last couple days two more nice folks have donated to the kitty. (Finally, for all of you slow on the uptake, the pun behind my "tip-box.") Thanks very much! And thanks to all of you for stopping by.

Interesting story in today's Washington Times about some of the bankrolling of the various anti-war groups. Here's a quote:

But TrueMajority.com, an Internet activism group founded during the summer by Ben Cohen of Ben & Jerry's ice cream, boasts of its fund-raising prowess. TrueMajority.com says it is bringing in substantial amounts of money thanks to high-profile newspaper ads. These started in November, when 150 members of its related nonprofit corporation, Business Leaders for Sensible Priorities Inc., ran a $40,000 antiwar ad in the New York Times.

That brought in $80,000, partly because "we had the foresight to include a coupon," executive director Gary Ferdman says. That revenue helped pay for a $170,000 ad in the Jan. 13 Wall Street Journal national edition and later a $40,000 ad in the Journal's New York metro edition. Thanks to the Turner Foundation and the San Francisco-based Plowshares Fund, TrueMajority.com says, its $1.5 million operating budget helps pay for five full-time staff and six consultants.

Now I know which ice-cream not to buy. And of course the psychotic hand of Ted Turner is involved in all of this. Lots more so check the article out...

Okay, so I'm cheating by a couple hours... This will be very brief since nothing much has happened.

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
04/02/03	11	4	5
03/26/03	11	5	4
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

The war in Iraq has conscripted all the news reports and almost nothing is being reported about anything else. This is certainly reflected on Yahoo's gun debate page where only two new items appeared since last Wednesday. I discussed them late last week so... uh... well... I guess I don't have anything to report this week. All the more reason to hope for a speedy conclusion in Iraq!

So if you miss my sparkling commentary on gun rights issues why not check out my gun stuff page. It links to everything I've written and covered on gun rights here at Alphecca since I started this blog last October.

Yes, another scholar from Hollywood, Robin Williams, has offered his informed opinions on the liberation of Iraq and President Bush. And we all know how well respected he is among the great think-tanks regarding world events. From SFGate (naturally,) here's a quote:

He says, "America is broke, basically, but Bush wants to wage a war that costs pretty much a billion dollars a month.

"We have a president for whom English is a second language. He's like 'We have to get rid of dictators,' but he's pretty much one himself.

Well how could anyone argue with such insightful commentary as that?

I really wish that more of the folks in Hollywood that do agree with our side would raise their voices. Or is it that they're afraid the liberals there will black-list them? That could be a real possibility...

Specifically, they want to ban hunting within city limits including all the natural forested areas purchased by the city using funds raised from grants that came from excise taxes on... hunting licenses! From Seacoast Online, here's a quote:

"There really are not that many places left within the city limits that are rural anymore," said Champlin.

That's why Champlin supports an effort to ban hunting within the city.

"If you want my personal opinion, I don't think they should be able to ... especially in light of the world that we¹re living in," Champlin said. "If people are trying to live, and they're hearing gunshots in a residential area, I think that could be very disturbing to people."

Champlin is a jerk Captain of the Portsmouth police department. Fortunately, Sgt. Bruce Bonenfant (N.H. Fish & Game) and others are providing some balance to the debate:

"It's the hunters and fishermen in this state that are funding the lion's share of our conservation work," said Jeff Cantara, a wildlife biologist who has worked with the Seacoast Land Trust to restore the Great Bog.

Echoing Bonenfant, Cantara said hunters help to protect drivers on Interstate 95 by managing the number of deer in the Great Bog.

And:

Both Sgt. Bonenfant and Greenwood, however, said hunting accidents are extremely rare. Bonenfant listed football and Ping-Pong as causing more deaths.

"You're somewhere between 30 and 50 times more likely to be killed by a white-tailed deer in your car than you are by a hunter," said Greenwood. "A woman in my area could walk out with a fur coat and a pair of antlers on her head, and she'd be as safe as a babe in her mother's arms."

The article is well balanced and neutral. Alas, Portsmouth is dominated by people who moved there from away and the measure before the city council will probably pass. I call this liberal creep. The creep of liberalism up into Northern New England from the elites of NY, NJ, CT, and MA. It's like a disease and there is no cure. There isn't even any hope. *Sigh.*

Analysis of the recovered data-recorder from the space shuttle Columbia now leads investigators to rule out damaged tiles as the cause of the disaster. Instead, they now think it was damage to the reinforced panels at the leading edge of the left wing (still probably caused by falling debris during liftoff) that failed. Matthew L. Wald writes in the NY Times:

What could have been done to repair the part, or reduce the load during re-entry, is not clear. But pinpointing the location of the breach now would help NASA engineers determine what improvements can be made to the surviving fleet.

Admiral Gehman also said today that the new data hinted that the shuttle already had severe damage when it began its re-entry, and not a minor flaw that was made worse by re-entry. Engineers had theorized that minor damage to the thin layer of protective silicon carbide on the panels could have allowed hot oxygen to begin eating away at the leading edge, but Admiral Gehman's comments suggest that this is unlikely.

Damage before re-entry is likely, he said, because the data show extreme heating taking place early, while the force of air passing over the wing was still quite weak. Admiral Gehman spoke in a conference call with reporters this afternoon.

And there in lies the problem with most of our politicians. They -- of course -- are leading their own investigation solely in order to try to assign blame. Americans seem obsessed with trying to find and punish culprits in any tragic event rather then simply trying to learn from mistakes or miscalculations in order to prevent further occurrences. Actually, I shouldn't limit that to Americans since it seems to be a world-wide trait of humans. Humans are the most vindictive species on Earth and want to extract the most punishment for perceived wrongs.

Without launching into a religious tract, I think folks should try to re-learn something from their respective holy books -- mercy and forgiveness. Unfortunately, we now live in a society where lawyers and lawmakers (usually one and the same) have determined that erring is not only not human but is absolutely forbidden. We've forgotten the difference between intentional acts and simple errors of judgement (something all of us make.)

The exploration of space, our first tentative steps beyond our planet, are fraught with danger. There are going to be mistakes. Filing lawsuits will not prevent them but might preclude them if it shuts down our space program or forces us to scale-back to a point where we simply send up a few robots. Mars will reveal very little unless there are humans there to see with real eyes, dig and feel with real hands, sense with the accuracy and intuition that only a human being can provide.

A new addtion to my blogroll, It Could Be Better by Dave Hinton. He's got an interesting perspective on current events as well as the NCAA and I think most of my readers will agree with him. He also knows the secret to blog success -- specialization: He follows the career of America's worst employed writer, Mark Morford of SFGate. It's a continuing feature I'm sure you'll enjoy. So click on over and say hello.

Just an update on the bill to allow concealed carry in Missouri. (See my post here.) The bill has been passed --overwhelmingly-- by the Missouri House and now heads towards the Senate where it should do well. Unfortunately, Governor Holden still threatens to veto the bill. From the Daily Journal, here's the story:

The bill restricts who could have a concealed weapon and where such weapons could be carried. No one with a felony conviction could obtain a permit, nor could anyone who has been convicted of a misdemeanor involving violence in the previous five years.

Everyone who seeks a permit would have to take an eight-hours of gun safety training and also undergo a background check. The permits issued through the Sheriff's Department would cost $100 and would be good for three years.

Even those with a permit could not carry a concealed weapon to casinos, bars, schools, child care facilities, prisons, police stations, courthouses and a number of other facilities. Members of the House and Senate would be allowed to carry concealed weapons in the chambers of those two legislative bodies.

I would hardly call this an invitation to Dodge City and I really can't see what Holden's objections to the bill could be. He says the measure was already rejected (just barely, I might add) under public referendum but that was several years ago.

Frankly, I think the bill is a lousy one because it does place so many restrictions on where and how law-abiding citizens may carry their guns. In addition, there would be a $100 application fee for the CCL which is obscene. However, any bill that would permit concealed carry is better then none. All you folks in Missouri need to start NOW to lobby your governor by fax, phone, email, etc.

Needless to say, the incident of a group of mutant high-schoolers throwing stones at a National Guardsman caught the attention of the nationwide press. And if true, it was an ugly incident and these punk brats should be whipped until the blood runs down their legs. Oh wait -- sorry, that's what would happen to them if they lived in their adopted homeland of Iraq. Oh wait -- actually they would just be shot dead.

However, to characterize that one lone story as somehow representing all the views of Vermonters would be wrong. Matt Sutkoski writes in the Burlington Free Press:

Troops in Iraq are receiving more public shows of support from Vermonters.

Banners, quiet shows of respect and street demonstrations in support of U.S. troops have been held in Vermont in recent days, prompted by people who say U.S. military personnel in Iraq need clear messages that folks at home support them.

Organizers of the pro-troop rallies say they want to counter anti-war demonstrations. The organizers worry anti-war demonstrations could demoralize U.S. soldiers despite the peace activists' repeated messages that they hate the war but support the soldiers.

Probably the largest of the demonstrations is scheduled today in Burlington, where a rally and speeches in support of the troops are planned.

And much more importantly:

Vermont has seen only one well-publicized incident against the military. A member of the Vermont National Guard said earlier this month that some teenagers hurled insults and small stones at her as she stopped at a central Vermont store.

Guard Spokesman Capt. Jeff Roosevelt said the incident was isolated and greatly overshadowed by numerous acts of kindness Vermonters have shown Guard members.

Last week, Roosevelt said, the proprietor of a car wash refused to let him pay for work on his vehicle. Guard members on lunch breaks at restaurants have discovered after finishing their meals that other patrons have paid their tabs, Roosevelt said.

I will not absolve the right-wingers of this country from never perpetrating violence for their causes since you only have to read any story of the bombing of an abortion clinic (or for that matter -- the bombing of the federal building in Oklahoma) to know it simply isn't true.

But God knows the left-wingers who make up most of the "peace-protesters" do seem bent on showing as much disruption and violence as they possibly can. The old slogan of "support peace or I'll kill you" never had more relevance then when applied to them. I've prattled on about this before but if you really want to get your message out, cut out all the surrounding noise or folks will simply tune you out.

The story came to my attention via Michelle's always excellent A Small Victory. Michelle is too smart to think this was a "Vermont" thing but one of her readers left a truely asinine comment:

I'm ashamed to be living in Vermont (at least I wasn't born here.) Too many Vermonters are simply communist and don't wish the United States well.

Well hey, asshole, don't let the door hit you on your way out. Here's a clue: It's the natives who are the real conservatives in this state. They are the ones on the right side of almost every issue facing the state. It's flat-heads like you who have moved up here and brought all your arrogance, your endless regulations, your rock-throwing spoiled mutant brats with you.

Natives (that is, folks who were actually born here and whose families go back at least several generations) are against Act 250 and most zoning in general. They don't want to be told what they can and can't do with their land. It's flat-heads like you that move here and then want to slam the gate so no one else can. And you want to creat all sorts of zoning so no one disturbs your precious views from your 6000 square foot house (which you needed to build and heat and air-condition so you could feel like you're living the simple, rural lifestyle.)

Natives almost never post their land. They allow hunting, sledding, hiking. It's the jerks like you who are the first ones to throw-up a fence or worse, post your 100 acres of dormant farmland so no one else can enjoy it.

It is the natives who overwhelmingly vote Republican. It is the natives who are being forced to subdivide and sell off their farms because jerks like you insist that every school have a squash team, a swimming pool, and a lap-top on every desk so that school taxes are sky-high. The mostly poor natives can't even afford to buy a home anymore because so many shits like you have moved up here and driven property prices sky-high.

It's the natives who enlist in the armed services and the Vermont National Guard.

It's the natives who support our lenient gun-laws.

It's the natives who show up at Town Meeting Day. And they're the ones who insist on reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.

Granted, there were always a few rich folks who had second homes in Vermont during the early part of the last century, but the real problems started with all the peace-loving hippies moving up here, that's when the state started losing it's conservative identity and was then fueled further by all the rich yuppies from the south scooping up farmland and forests and declaring them their private reserves.

But there's no need for you to feel ashamed -- just move on back to wherever you came from. You jerk.