Politics

Cops don’t believe in gun control??????!!?!?!

/ hsoi

Or at least, this 25 year veteran cop doesn’t. (h/t to Linoge)

Pens and pencils don’t make you misspell words; cars don’t make you drive drunk, run red lights or speed; and, no, not even a “morning star” can swing itself.  

The logic behind banning firearms in order to lower crime is as ridiculous to me as banning cars because so many people are injured and killed every year in accidents and drunken driving crimes. It is not the car that is at fault; it’s the driver who is at fault. And, by the same token, it isn’t the gun … It is the criminal who commits the crime and it is the criminals who need to be addressed and dealt with, not any device they use in the commission of their crimes.

As our government steadily changes more and more to the Left, gun control and outright gun ban issues will become very hot topics. So, I think it’s imperative Americans use some common sense in this area and realize gun control is in no shape, form or fashion crime control.  

If someone commits a crime with a gun, follow the law and punish the person, but leave the Second Amendment alone, it is in the Constitution for a reason.   

You know what they say about insanity…

/ hsoi / 2 Comments

… doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.

So they’re thinking about taxing soda and sugary drinks to pay for The chOsen One’s proposed healthcare legislation. (h/t to The Volokh Conspiracy)

Not only this is just asinine in and of itself, it’s going down a familiar road.

We need to pay for something. I know, we’ll tax something that we think is evil… which will fund our pet project and have the side-effect of making the evil thing less affordable and appealing to people, which will save people from the evil (aren’t we so altruistic!). But then, when people are saved from the evil, we won’t have any more funding for our project… so we’ll have to find something new to tax.

And so on we go… spiraling down the toilet.

But of course, it’s all in our best interests… we can’t make our own choices, we can’t be responsible for ourselves, we need someone to make every decision for us. We’re not even allowed to be responsible for our bad decisions no… we must be saved before we can make them. Thank God for the folks in Washington. I wouldn’t know how to wipe my ass without them… oh, and probably be taxed for that too.

</sarcasm>

Ammo ban? Perspective.

/ hsoi

Howard Nemerov provides some perspective on the rumors of an ammunition ban.

Bottom line: Buyers help keep prices high because of concerns over what might happen in the future. As prices spiral and demand clears the shelves, people worry about getting ammunition in the future. Add a few rumors, people worry more and demand goes up even more. It may be best to stop stockpiling ammunition for now to reduce demand. Instead, spend your energy on convincing Congress that the civil right of self-defense is an idea whose time has come.

The NRA is running a promotion where you can join free for one year.

If you live in Texas, you should also join the Texas State Rifle Association. If you don’t live in Texas, you should join your equivalent local/state organization.

If you choose to do neither, at least be politically active. With the Internet, it doesn’t take long to find your Congresscritters and send them a quick email. When you contact them, keep it polite, respectful, to the point.

The Congressional Effect Fund

/ hsoi

Via Roberta X I read an interesting article about the effects of Congress upon the financial markets.

You could have invested only when Congress is on vacation. It may sound a little crazy, but I am totally serious. When Congress works – and by “works” I mean “meddles” – it destroys wealth. When Congress doesn’t work, wealth grows by itself.

From 1965 through 2008, looking at a total of 11,000 trading days, the annualized daily price gain of the S&P 500 Index is just 0.31 percent when Congress is in session. Out of session, that figure jumps to 16.15 percent, a daily difference of 50 times.

As government power and influence grow, the trend has intensified in recent years. From 2000 through 2008, in-session performance of the S&P is –12.4 percent. The out-of-session performance: +8.8 percent.

In other words, had you invested $10,000 only when Congress was in session from the beginning of 2000 through 2008, putting aside dividends, you’d have $4,615 today. Had you invested that same $10,000 only on days when Congress was on vacation, you’d have $13,416 today.

The article continues with an excellent baseball analogy, then goes to list many recent things Congress has done that meddle in the markets. Truly an eye-opening read, that is, if your eyes weren’t already open.

One thing to note is it matters not who is in power: Republicans or Democrats. They’re both meddlers, they both seek to grow Government, they both spend as much of your and my money as they possibly can. Constitutional limits matter not when there’s contracts and favors and pet projects to manage! The money just flows… they spend it faster than they can take it from us or print it up.

I’m not saying one way or the other that you should invest or not in The Congressional Effect Fund… what you do with your money is your business and not mine. But it’s a damn sight interesting, that’s for sure.

Your irony for the day

/ hsoi / 2 Comments

Murdoc reports on how a man was pulled over for his “Don’t Tread On Me” bumper sticker. There’s a bit of doubt cast over the story, but given the antics going on these days it sadly doesn’t seem impossible to happen.

Regardless, one thing I found cool was learning the significance of the rattlesnake:

The commentator wrote, “The bumper sticker is based on the famous flag designed by American Revolution era general and statesman Christopher Gadsden. The yellow flag featured a coiled diamondback rattlesnake ready to strike, with the slogan ‘Don’t Tread on Me!’ underneath it. Benjamin Franklin helped make the rattlesnake a symbol of Americans’ reluctance to quarrel but vigilance and resolve in defense of their rights. By 1775 when Gadsden presented his flag to the commander-in-chief of the Navy, the rattlesnake was a symbol of the colonies and of their need to unite in defense of threats to their God-given and inherited rights.”

Updated: Xavier casts even more doubt on the story. Who knows the truth.

HB 1893 and SB 1164 updates

/ hsoi

As of today, SB 1164 has been left pending in committee. Not too thrilled about that.

But, earlier today HB 1893 was considered in Calendars and placed on the General State Calendar for Monday (May 11). So that’s a good sign.

We’ll see what comes of it all.

My State Representative’s action on HB 410

/ hsoi / 1 Comment

I received a (snail mail) letter in the mail today from my Texas State Representative, Valinda Bolton. It was a brief letter:

Dear Mr. Daub:

I want to thank you for contacting me and sharing your thoughts on House Bill 410 [relating to the requirement under certain circumstances that a license holder display the person’s license to carry a concealed handgun].

I wanted to let you know that I was happy to vote in favor of this bill when it came before the House this past Friday. Thank you for giving me your input on this important bill; it is the active involvement of citizens like you that helps me come to an informed decision on legislation.

Again, thank you for taking the time to let me know your opinions. Please feel free to contact me with any further concerns or ideas you may have.

Sincerely,

Valinda Bolton

So a (likely) boilerplate thank you letter, but it was welcome to get such a follow-up. Furthermore, it was welcome to see that she voted in favor of this bill.

Of course, I’d like to see her helping HB 1893 move along, but we already know how she feels on that one. I guess this is how she earns her “C” grade from the NRA.

How American…

/ hsoi / 1 Comment

Government can’t get the land it wants, so it’ll condemn it to get it. 

“We always prefer to get that land from a willing seller. And sometimes you can just not come to an agreement on certain things,” park service spokesman Phil Sheridan said.

We can’t get what we want by proper means, so we’ll be sore loser crybabies about it and force you to give it up.

Wow. What a great memorial to those people that died. </sarcasm>

Can I do what they’re doing?

/ hsoi

Wow… just…. wow.

I’ve been against every bailout. This is yet another reason why. The loans won’t be paid back, and those in Washington are OK with that. Great… just flush the my money down the toilet. Awesome. And while some loans are expected to be paid back, given how well they’ve run their business up to this point, I am not holding my breath waiting for anything to be paid back. 

Why can’t I behave like this? Oh that’s right… I’m responsible.

The gears of Socialism grind on….