Politics

Mandating Education

/ hsoi / 4 Comments

Bob S. has started a small series on mandated education for firearms. Post 1, Post 2, Post 3.

Then as I’m catching up on my blog reading this morning, I see this posting from Roberta X.

Given what we see in Roberta’s posting, it just feeds into what Bob was saying about government mandated firearms education: what’s the damn point?

Of course, I take a step back beyond just gun/firearms/concealed-carry education and look at government mandated education in general. Hey… I homeschool my kids. Tells you what I think about government schooling.

For those unsure of my stance, I think education is one of the keys to success in life. The more you know, the better you’ll do. Rarely is ignorance the better route. But mandating education? That opens up a whole ugly can of worms, mostly because no one is going to agree where to draw the line. Look at the mess of our public government school system and failures like No Child Left Behind.

In the end, those that understand the value of education will seek knowledge. Those who are satisfied to remain ignorant will do so. Best we can do is ensure folks don’t infringe upon another’s ability to live their lives.

Ignorant and Civil

/ hsoi

Due to my line of work I knew about The Project Triangle. In short, when it comes to the quality of your product or project, what do you want? Fast? Good? or Cheap? Pick two.

While composing my previous posting I found Wikipedia has an entry about The Project Triangle and of course I read it. In the entry it listed some spinoffs. One really struck me:

Nation’s populace: Ignorant, Free, Civil – Pick two.

I guess that explains why we’re losing our freedom.

Even Arianna Huffington thinks it sucks

/ hsoi

Even the “Huff” of the HuffPo knows the US Senate’s version of the health care “reform” bill is a sack of crap.

More from Reason, including how many millions went into the palm greasing.

Politics Again

/ hsoi

Bob S. reminds us, at least in Texas, that we’ve got an election coming up. Massachusetts has an election underway too, and JayG posts a fantastic TV ad from Scott Brown, the Republican running for the US Senate seat vacated when the “Kennedy Dynasty” ended some months ago.

I’ve shrunk away from politics a bit on my blog because I’m a little tired. Last big political issue I spoke on was the healthcare debacle and boy, what a mess that’s turned into. Sure I personally continued to pay attention and take action, but blogging is a bit of an outlet for me, not a way to continue to raise my blood pressure.

Nevertheless, it’s time yet again for us Texans, and all Americans, to get up and get going.

What got me going was this from Bob:

Now you may be asking how I can say that local elections are more important then the national ones, right?

It’s a good question and I’ll answer with a question — where do you think those candidates for national office come from?

That’s right folks, from the people elected or who have ran for local office.  So, in my opinion, it is extremely important that we get out and vote for people now – at the local level – who reflect the values, traditions and principles we want to see at all levels.

He’s certainly right about that. Most people “rise through the hierarchy” in some way. It’s important to work at this “entry level” and put the right people in office.

But there’s an even more important reason to care about your local elections.

Your local laws, codes, regulations affect your daily life far more than anything that goes on on a national level. Obama doesn’t fix the potholes in the road outside your house. When the snowplows need to roll, Nancy Pelosi has nothing to do with it. Yes, we do have to care about national (and international) politics, but it’s a sad thing that most citizens seem to only care about politics on the national scale. Hell, we have higher voter turnout for fucking American Idol than we do for the elections of our public servants. Fucking sad, people.

For you folks in Austin, are you upset about the traffic cameras? Are you upset about urban development and how it affects the Edwards Aquifer? All this is local stuff folks. Mayor, City Council, your state Representative and Senator. You need to pay attention, you need to vote for these folks as well. Care about them today to ensure you can care about your tomorrow.

I don’t get it.

/ hsoi / 8 Comments

I don’t get it.

They claim to be so much better than us.

They claim to be above it all.

They claim we’re paranoid and engaging in unnecessary and unsafe behavior.

Then they act like this:

Send me your home address and I’ll come to your house and punch your fucking face in. Unless you are a pussy who can’t fight without a gun in his hand.

and this:

Jim, say what you will. If you did this to a member of my family, I’d nail you to the front of your own home, slice your gut open, and tie you up in your own entrails. Then I’d go to work on your family.

I don’t get it.

I don’t see how that makes you better than me.

I don’t see how that makes you some morally and intellectually superior, more evolved, more elite person.

But it does demonstrate why some of us choose to be prepared to defend ourselves. Because it is obvious there are violent people out there with poor impulse control.

Reasonable restrictions

/ hsoi

See? Reasonable restrictions on Sudafed sales. It’s for the children. Sure seems to be putting a halt to all that meth production, and making a lot of legislators feed good about themselves…. at least until they catch a cold themselves, I guess.

Setting the Stage for 2010

/ hsoi

Wayne LaPierre, EVP and CEO of the NRA, sets the stage for 2010.

Indeed, the right of self-defense is the single most basic human right of all. The ability to defend oneself is a guarantee of the right to “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness” held dear by Americans since the forging of our nation. It is why the Second Amendment, and the individual right of self-defense, was so important to our founding fathers.

For all the screaming about “rights” that a lot of people do, it’s amazing to me how they don’t believe a right to preserve yourself also exists. Your major religions all understand and acknowledge it; the Founding Fathers certainly did. Folks, if you can’t preserve yourself, none of those other rights matter. We’ve become a very insulated society, which is some ways is a sign of progress and improvement, but “out of sight, out of mind” certainly causes us to forget or never understand the historic fundamentals.

When you have gang members saying

“Buy a gun,” a member of a recently busted inner-city gang told The Buffalo News last week when asked what could be done to curtail homicides. “Hey, I’m just being honest. You asked.”

it demonstrates the world does have enough bad apples willing to spoil your day and the rest of you and your family’s lives. (note, don’t just “buy a gun” but “buy a gun and get some solid training in how to use it”).

We shall see what 2010 brings politically, and we shall do what we can to help bring about favorable change. Meantime, see what you can do to help improve things around here.

Yeah, what he said

/ hsoi / 2 Comments

I’ve been pretty quiet on the whole “health care” debacle. My blood just boils over it and I’d rather write on happier topics.

So, I’ll let Linoge do my writing for me. He pretty much summed up how I feel about it.

Oust the bums.