Saturday, December 15, 2012

SAR #12349

Right to work laws have nothing to do with rights and little to do with work. They encourage freeloaders to benefit from the efforts of others without contributing to the group effort, and to do so in ways designed to destroy the group, to the benefit of the owners. They are an attack on the common good.

Guns: If not now, when? How many more children do we have to sacrifice to the NRA? To the right wing nuts? Yes, it could have been a knife, but it wasn't. And don't tell me fewer would have died if 4th graders carried Glocks in their backpacks.

Red Rover, Red Rover: After long and strenuous negotiations, EU leaders reported they had agreed on further steps - beyond taking over the continents banking system - to contain or resolve or something the ongoing crisis. High on their list were plans for a common EU-wide unemployment insurance scheme and raising funds to use in smoothing over bank failures. As soon as they turned in their homework, Chancellor Merkel graded it with an "F" and told them to start over. Why doesn't she give them a copy of the answer sheet?

All I Want For Christmas.... Is Another War. The US is sending 400 soldiers and a bunch of Patriot missiles to Turkey, just in case we get a chance to get into another Middle-Eastern war.

Sun Rises In East: The Senate intelligence committee, after a long and thorough examination of the evidence, concluded that torture has not produced any significant intelligence. What it did accomplish was to make us a nation of torturers.

Wordplay: Who gets 'assured' by the Farmers Assurance Provision of the 2013 Agriculture Appropriations Bill? Monsanto, of course. They get a guarantee that the USDA, EPA, and all the rest of the federal government will not interfere in any way with introducing 'new and better' (eye of the beholder) GMO seeds. And they also get immunity from any court actions either to prevent their profiting from the seeds or paying for any damage they do to children and other living things.

Constituents: The Republicans, led by Eric Cantor, are refusing to reauthorize the Violence Against Women act because he wants a provision included that would prevent white men from being tried by tribal courts for the rape of Indian women. Understandable; pickup driving white guys who rape Indians are one of the few cohorts that still reliably vote Republican.

Grapevine: Word is that the Republicans have repeatedly refused to identify a single spending cut they want, or a specific loophole they want closed. It's the party of no ideas, just ideals. Unrealistic, otherworldly ideals. But the reports of their demise are premature.

Yes We Have No Bananas: Relapse: Seizures of foreclosed homes are once more on the rise, up 5.4% last month as mortgage portfolios at major banks turn increasingly sour. Only 85% of BofA's mortgage loans are current and 4.8% are in foreclosure. JPMorgan is foreclosing on 5% of it's homeowners. Why? Because the lenders once again think they have figured out a way "to play the foreclosure game". That doesn't mean they're playing by the rules, just that this time they think they will get away with it.

Noted: The GAO says that "spending is not out of control... Social Security and Medicare are rising gently... All other spending.. with the notable exception of interest on the debt” is falling. Interest, they say, will eventually eat up the entire budget if "revenue is not permitted to rise..."

One Stop Shopping: After its non-medical employees began unionizing because they make so little they have to use the local food bank to supplement their wages, the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center agreed to begin paying a living wage set up a food bank just for them.

The Parting Shot:

121215

7 comments:

Charles Kingsley Michaelson, III said...

rsd said: For someone who usually sees further than the hood ornament, I'm surprised at your biased spin on the Connecticut shooting. Children with Glocks in their backpacks is a real red herring.
I live in Oregon and have been to the Clackamas Mall (and many other malls). I have a concealed weapon permit. The man who caused the Clackamas Mall shooter to kill HIMSELF did so was a legally armed citizen who only needed to confront the shooter with his weapon and willingness to use it to protect those around him. Sadly, few K-12 schools have any sort of internal protection, especially one or two adults familiar with firearms, self-protection and having access to firearms at the school. I'm not talking heavy artillery, just enough to stop or deter some looney like the Connecticut kid or the knife wielder in China. We could do that here in the US, in China they like their peasants unarmed. Luby's Cafe was another tragedy where no one but the shooter was armed and the sad results were much the same. You anti-gunners are missing the point: violence is here to stay. Armed citizens have and will continue to be a defense and deterrence for those needing defense. The flip side of that is that unarmed citizens can only cower while some looney or wannabe terrorist inflicts his damage on the vulnerable and unarmed. An overweight, minimum wage security guard with pepper spray is only going to get hurt while he's waiting for the local police to get their inevitable SWAT together.
What I'm telling you is that fewer would have been injured or killed if some responsible, armed and knowledgable adult had been there to stop the killer. Disarming the responsible, armed and knowledgable citizens is a long step from sanity and we don't have to throw our bodies against a door to keep it closed against a threat, though that was a heroic act.

PS, I tried to input my comment on your site and kept getting jargon about my HTML code not have closed tags. I have no idea what that means but your comment deserves a response.

-- posted for rsd by ckm

HS said...

Guns- If we're going to blame the NRA, we also need to blame James Holmes, CNN, NBC, CBS, and the NYT. They know damned good and well that today's massacre coverage is creating tomorrow's shooter. I'm also very curious about which prescription drugs these shooters were taking.

Anonymous said...

I too am curious about what Meds he was on. I also, tend to agree with the first comment. The school /police taught approach in a lockdown (lock door, pull shades, hide in non-visible location) is an excellent strategy as long as someone has a weapon to fortify the defensive posture. Unfortunately, without a weapon you have only herded targets into a kill zone making the carnage worse.

Remember it is doubtful the police will arrive in time to save you they only pick up the pieces.

RBM

Demetrius said...

"Yes We Have No Bananas", last night on TV there was the Pasadena Roof Orchestra (a retro band) who did it in period. It is nice to go back to source so easily!

Solon's Father said...

Arming 4th graders? I agree with you - bad idea :) But allowing CCW permit holders to carry in schools and encouraging teachers to train for and obtain CCW permits will most certainly decrease casualties in these types of horrific attacks. No new laws required, just a lifting of the concealed carry ban in schools. Something similar has evidently worked in Israel. Here in America almost every major shooting spree that has occurred since the '50s did so in a weapon free zone. You can't legislate the potential for evil out of human nature, but you can most certainly be prepared for it.
FYI I hope you aren't chagrined to have me as a reader - I have enjoyed your blog for a long time and will continue to do so. Respectfully yours, D

OkieLawyer said...

In response to Solon's Father, have you ever considered the possibility that an ordinary teacher using a weapon to "defend" the kids might increase the chances of causing even more casualties from stray bullets?

I fail to see how "more bullets flying" will make the situation safer.

Prevention is a much better solution ("an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure"). Besides the prevention of allowing guns to get in the hands of mentally disturbed individuals, there is the fact that so many of the same persons cannot access proper health care treatments for their conditions (which should be part of a national health care policy, if we were really serious about preventing tragedies like the ones recently).

It isn't like we don't have the medical technology or the wealth to afford these treatments for the people who need them (who rarely can afford them for themselves). Very often these individuals cannot maintain employment to afford their needed treatment because of their conditions. But yet I bet you will find the same gun advocates will oppose a national health treatment policy (paid through tax revenues) to treat those with mental illnesses and impairments probably 90% of the time.

It is this hypocrisy that I find so galling.

Solon's Father said...

"More flying bullets" won't make the situation safer, agreed. I'm not suggesting that Glocks be handed out to teachers with just a note on where the trigger is. Heck, even police officers only hit what they aim at 34% of the time (NYPD stats 1996-2006). Bear in mind this is an average - many LEOs are truly fine shots, because they practice. Training is the key, as in "encouraging teachers to train for and obtain CCW permits". I should have added that the training is a continuous thing. Whether you're a LEO who only shoots at the yearly quals or a CCW permit holder who only shoots twice a year - that is not enough to be truly proficient with a handgun.

Prevention a much better solution? Absolutely. I support a national health treatment policy, though I don't care much for existing health care organizations in general - too much waste and greed seem to have been institutionalized within the American health care system.