Brief notes on assasination(s) in Tucson

Prayers for the victims, bystanders and families of the shooting in Tucson: Judge Roll (killed), Rep Giffords, (critical), a nine year old child (killed), three others reported killed [as of 1320 hrs, Pacific time] and 13 other wounded.

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As I wrote in my blog's introduction months ago, violence is a last-resort, self-defense answer.  No matter what this idiot "Jared Loughner" (I will not put his name in the same section as the victims) thinks his politics are, he is NOT a conservative.  A conservative does not mindlessly attack others. That is reckless, not conservative.
A conservative does not turn defense into a wild spray of bullets that injures others, especially children.  That is soulless disregard for others, not conservative.
A rambling, psychotic sounding message left behind by the apparent shooter only shows a scrambled thinking process obsessed with "dreaming", "currency", "grammar" and "government mind control" as well as the Communist Manifesto and Mein Kampf as favorite books; not measured and reasoned conservatism.

One note of optimism in this tragedy:  apparently one armed citizen returned fire, allowing other patriots (presumably a mix of R's, D's and I's) to take him down physically.  A second person is in some sort of custody.  Americans need to be able and ready to stand up for each other. 

I urge everyone to be aware and under control.  Some will try to exploit this "crisis" to ban arms (clearly counterproductive and against Gifford's own position), to otherwise attack the Right (or left), or goad others into rash actions.  Don't give the idiot a payoff.

More on this topic shortly.
Sophos Archaeus

Thanks for the laugh, Judah!

Judah, a  devotee of the Global Warming/Cooling/Change/Whatever-it-takes fraud wishes to continue the gravy train of funding (measured in hundreds of billions) and extortion (measured in trillions) that his religion feeds on.


Ignoring the fact that (without massive refrigerator-style heat sinks to shed the heat somewhere) heat cannot make cold, AND that ice packs and glaciers are growing wherever ever-shifting precipitation permits, (and polar bear numbers are encroaching on other species), AND that it is at or below normal everywhere* all at once, AND that this decades-long heating/cooling cycle has been present for eons (gradually getting cooler along with our planet's core and the rest of an expanded universe), he tells you that 'heat makes snow', and you'd know it if only you were as omniscient as he and the other fraudsters. 

Judah provides proof of his own priorities.  He doesn't want his 'alarm' spread to warn people of the danger, rather he insists on copyright fees for quotes of words, phrases, large portions or the entire article, even non-profit blogs.  In the lower left is a box to get a quote (I am not kidding) for permission to reprint any portion of his ransom note.  I inquired and was robo-informed that it required special review and email conversation. AHH-ha-ha-ha-ha! >snif<  Since I'm not interested in contributing to the global shakedown, I will simply let you read it at the NY Times site, since they paid their fees.  The comedic carbon-speak can be found HERE.

*
1: I checked several dozen locations around the world simultaneously during last year's record-breakingly "warm" blizzards, and they were all reporting normal to below-normal temperatures at the same time.
2: The snow in Siberia is just fine, thank you - - it's just so remote that the fraudsters feel they can reference it while we are trying to navigate the ice-choked northern passages and avoiding the crowds of Polar Bears.

Existentially blind: Focus on denial

In his Dec. 22nd letter to the S.B Sun, “Wrong focus” the writer, Scott Tudehope, lashes out at everything except lack of personal responsibility; the single greatest threat to our society.

Tudehope first ridicules the Corrections’ Dept crackdown on illegal cell phones in prison.  He can state no reason to allow this contraband in jails, but rather attacks the concern over their illicit presence.  He chooses to ignore the fact that communication with inmates has been restricted for centuries, in all cultures, for good reason.  As a way to arrange escapes, coordinate drug and weapon smuggling, target witnesses, attack criminal competitors and endanger rival gangs (not to mention prison staff), cell phones beat secret signals, coded letters and even personal contact at the fence.  Increases in all of these issues have been connected with the rise of cell phones. 

When Inland Newspapers responsibly supports the crackdown, Tudehope blames them too, asserting that “everyone else” is focusing on outdated facilities, food quality, prisoner health care and visitation policies. Clearly, some facilities are overcrowded or need repair, but except for outrage over wasted billions of taxpayer dollars on a few overly-cush prisons, HDTV, muscle-building equipment, law libraries, free elective surgeries and prisoners escaping during unsupervised visits and furloughs, I have never heard anyone mention such things.  I have also heard complaints about prisoners’ endless (and groundless) appeals as well as suing the government over prisoners’ “rights” to  particular brands of peanut butter on the taxpayers’ dime.

Tudehope moves on, whining about this brother’s point of view about his poor “prison experience”.   Seriously?  This is not fine dining, sir, this is jail.  It is INTENDED to be as safe as possible in a population of criminals, but not entertaining or pleasant; something to be avoided.  I suppose the brother might consider leaving no tip.

The writer summarizes incarceration: After booking, you realize that conviction has changed your life; correct (realizing this BEFORE the crime would prevent the whole issue).  Others now control of your life and freedom is limited; check (this is the definition of prison).  The routine is dull; um – duh (dealing with hundreds of people who couldn’t manage their own lives requires organization, but no activities director)!  There is increased segregation; yup (inconveniently, many of the inmates wish to KILL each other based on race).  The routine never changes; yes (see above).   Phone calls cost $1.50 per minute and not rioting only gets you 2 FREE calls per week; right (vandalism-resistant phones, random screenings and systems to screen out threats to victims and such cost money).  Lastly, “jobs” only pay $5 per day; (and the daily taxpayer cost of securing, feeding and housing each prisoner – given the high efficiency above – is over $60 per day, not counting police and court costs or the losses to victims).  Is there a complaint in there?

Tudehope blames his brother’s difficulties on, “Idaho’s wonderful ‘three strikes law’ and Judge [Deborah?]  Bail”.  So does he mean that, though less than 1% ever go to jail for anything, his brother just couldn’t help committing an ARMED robbery (“holding up a… store”)?  He also couldn’t avoid committing the TWO previous felonies on his record?  Clearly, it’s the law’s fault and the judge’s fault.  Now we can see why his brother would write a complaint letter about a ‘restriction of entertainment’ due to a justifiable safety regulation like ‘no unauthorized communication’, rather than on his self-destructive lifestyle or some genuine threat to his safety while in custody.

This is almost the same view, and just as absurd, as the notion that the U.S. taxpayer “owes” a free living to every citizen and (unlike every other nation in the world) every foreigner that sneaks in.  Let’s focus on reality.

Merry Christmas!

This is what I say to those I meet this time of year.  It is the same greeting that my family and friends would get, so it applies to benign-looking strangers as well, meaning them nothing but good.  My Jewish and Islamic friends also get “Merry Christmas”.  Not surprising among reasonable people, they smile and return the blessing.  Likewise, when I notice (not being a theologian or scholar) that it is Ramadan or Al-Hijra, I will tell Muslims to have “a blessed” one and I post a hearty “שמח חנוכה!” when I see that Hanukkah is approaching.

The way I see it, if I would bestow the same wishes to my children, they should be pleased if I wish them well in the same way.  Likewise, if they are sincere and would give their loved ones the same greetings, then I am satisfied with their intent when I get a “شهر رمضان المبارك” (I admit I cannot even come close to pronouncing the Arabic).  I’m not worried about being diminished somehow or being tagged for eternal punishment.  I don’t believe that God, the only one that gets it right with a sea of imperfect humans underfoot, would do anything other than smile.

Don’t get me wrong, I am rock-solid in my faith and believe I have most of it right.  I know that I misunderstand some things, but, “behold, I stand at the door and knock.  If any man hears me and opens the door, I shall come in and eat with him”.  If I have Jeshue’s or Jehovah’s name wrong, or make some other error because of what I have been taught, He will come to me if I am sincere.  He makes up the difference.  That’s called “grace”.  If He will cover for me, why not any other human striving (according to his experience) to be Godly?

But this “happy holiday” business?   Holiday?  If they’re lumping in everything from October to January, that’s one thing.  If not, exactly which Holy Day are they celebrating (with their Christmas trees and presents) if not Christmas?  The Festival of Lights and Islamic New Year are over.  Kwanzaa (not a holy day, but a cultural event) isn’t until after Christmas.  This appears to be a rather vapid attempt to avoid being offensive by some and an attempt to deny the true nature of the celebration by others.  Some make it “winter solstice”, which is just the name of the shortest day of the year. 

This last group (atheists) insists that any mention of anything to do with God (they often make it “magical sky-god” to be as offensive as possible) is unconstitutional.  They demand that ancient city names be changed, historic memorials and other artifacts be hidden or destroyed, etc.  Real Taliban stuff.

The First Amendment says that the government will not set up a state religion, but otherwise, the free exercise of religion shall not be prohibited.  This is referred to as “freedom of religion”.  One is also free to opt out of participating in religion.  But it doesn’t even suggest that anyone can be free from seeing or hearing about it.  ‘Freedom from religion’ (protection from exposure) means staying home.  Interestingly, the phrase “separation of church and state” does not exist anywhere in either the Declaration of Independence or the Constitution.  It is widely attributed to a 1947 SCotUS decision, referring to an 1802 letter from President Jefferson to a religious group.  Jefferson confirms a division between religious and government business, but goes on to wish them the blessings of the “Father and Creator”.

And a Happy New Year!  I was going to save pedestrian, D.C. news for future scribbling, but we have been given gifts too important to ignore.  The Democrats have been ignoring the will of the People and the Constitution as if November’s election never occurred.  They delayed responsible legislation (like a budget and the expiring tax cuts) all year to cram it all into this false-crisis “lame duck” session, along with tons of Socialist agenda items.  Instead of a “continuing resolution” (50 pages, simply continuing all programs at current levels until the new Congress in January), they (most Dems, a couple Republicans) came up with a gargantuan “omnibus spending bill”.  Yet another 1,900 page monster, crammed with hidden/confusing language, and at least 8,000 new, Progressive spending projects that would increase the deficit by another trillion dollars. 

They also tried again to force through their DREAM act (Democrats’ Registration Extravaganza by Amnesty measure?), which would give illegal alien “children” up to 35 years old immunity from deportation upon application, and eventual citizenship, in return for their “service” in accepting money, free food and free education for years, if they promise to accept the additional burden of more free cash and education.  And priority over Americans’ kids.   And ability to vouch-in their entire families.

  

Well, the conservatives did as we told them in November:  they largely held the breach against the blitz in favor of illegal aliens, massive debt and crippling tax increases.  They had to give up on “paying for” the extension of unemployment, so it wasn’t a great deal for the country. They wanted some cuts somewhere to offset that cost (most of the “$700 billion – no, $900 billion – no, $1 trillion, GIVEN to the rich”).  However, it seems that the Progressives’ much touted “pay as you go” resolution (and recent screaming about debt) was just an inconvenient truth for them to sidestep.

So, while we still have a lot repair work to do, we will be in much better condition than we feared (or they planned) in January.  We can breathe a bit easier and enjoy the more important truth.  The Good News that is the reality of this season.