One commenter thinks Indianapolis has too many teenagers shooting one another (we do); she even gets as far as suggesting solutions should include "More activities and safe places to hang out...[t]hey want positive role models...." but having already loosened the lug nuts with "The Second Amendment was never designed so that young people who do not have the cognitive ability to control their impulses or solve problems effectively* could draw a weapon any time they felt that someone disrespected them," the wheels come right off when she abjures us to, "[D]o our part to ensure that youth are safe by removing the availability of guns...." What, by making it even more illegal than it already is? The Second Amendment does not apply to minors. Never has.
Another writer -- Indiana University School of Journalism Deep Thinker Anthony Fargo -- frets that mean ol' President Obama has signed a bill that protects American citizens freedom of speech entirely too much. It seems that some U.S. publishers lost libel suits in countries who lack law or tradition akin to our First Amendment and Congress has attempted to fix that by requiring U.S. courts to refuse to enforce judgments coming from such counties. Mr. Fargo opines that this law is a bad thing. How, exactly? Hey, Mr. School of Journalism, do you want your line of work to get even deeper in debt and trouble, or were you expecting such Bill Of Rights bypassing lawsuits would only affect those of whom you disapprove? Ahh, he'd rather judges were allowed "discretion." That works out well for you...when your side is picking the judges. No, hells no, there's no sneaking around the Bill Of Rights by venue-shopping, you slimy ninny.
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* Put that way, it sounds as though she believes they never will master impulse control or complex reasoning. When the prevailing thinking shifted from inculcating civilized values in the young (by main force if need be) to nurturing their inherent preciousness no matter how ignorant or brutal it might happen to be, everybody lost -- especially the kids.
One of the things we *really* need to import to this country is the Japanese sense of family and honor.
ReplyDeleteAll too many parents and children -- note I did not say "family" because, for so many, that term no longer applies -- in the US have turned to the legal system, to the government, for their sense of right and wrong, of good and bad.
But neither the law nor the government were intended, nor can provide, those measures.
The law is there to protect the general population. There is no "right" or "wrong" there. Just what is OK and what is not OK to do to your neighbor.
And government -- [Phah!]. Right and wrong? Give me a break!
Mom and Dad's disgust, that angry scowl, is what the Japanese have. And it works.
We need that. (Today's goal: scowl and disgust!)
Wonder what she would do if she saw a bunch of High School kids pull up to the building at the end of the day, pile out of a van, and carry large quantities of Rifles into the building, like we used to do when my High School Rifle Club came back training or a Match? Of, course, us young people only had one "Cognitive Impulse", and that was to "Hit the X-Ring". But that was sooo long ago, all the way back in the 1970's!
ReplyDelete"The Second Amendment does not apply to minors. Never has."
ReplyDeleteEl Neil would stop speaking to you if he knew you'd said that.
Y'know, there's a difference between description and prescription.
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