Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Let The Hand-Wringing Begin!

With the Heller decision not even yet released, the cringing nanny-ninnies are already goin' all fluttery over it. To wit (or witless?), Atlanta's Mayor along Shirley's little helpers, a cinquefecta of trembling Mayors; and not only from way out Left in Trenton, New Mobsey and PSHan Francisco but even Miami. Wha hop'? Did the Mayor there miss what happened in the Sunshine State after legal carry was made easier or does he just not care? (From Jacob, who aptly fisks the whole notion with special, not-to-be-missed attention to New York's laws, via Sebastian).

The guest editorial in question has got it all, from the specious implication that the Supremes have previously held the Second Amendment to not be an individual right to unproven assertions of a linkage between restrictive firearms laws and reduction in violent crime. (By that yardstick, Chicago should have far less crime than Indianapolis; in fact, the Windy City usually beats us for criminality even if we leave the denizens of the respective City Halls* out of the stats). She even gives us "community leaders" as The Great Benign Father Here To Lead The Ignert Savages To Civilisation, a meme I thought died moaning as the sun set on the empires of the 19th Century. Really, if she'd managed to blow a kiss to Che, Hugo or Fidel, the bouquet would be complete.

As if to prove irony is fireproof, Mayor Franklin cites a shooting (of The Children, 'cos that's even more heart-wrenchingly useful to her ends) in Chicago to "prove" her point about unregulated handguns being bad. Unpossible! Handguns are already prohibited there and long guns harshly restricted. And it didn't help. Those disallowed the means to defend themselves died of it at the hands of baddies who ignored the law. Gee, criminals unconcerned about adding one more crime to their tab, who would have thunk it?

Then the high price of crime is put in play. Hmpf. Memo to Ms. Franklin: If you're so all-fired concerned about the budgetary impact of violent crime (another of her crying points), you would do well to remember that legally-armed citizens thwart a huge number of crimes every year at no cost to any taxpayer but themselves. Hows that for a win-win? Conversely, if you abet malefactors by disarming the law-abiding, you are making the problem worse and enlarging the victim pool.

We really should adopt some sort of intelligence and critical reasoning skill test as a prerequisite to holding public office. It would put a whoooooole lotta "Benign" Great Leaders outta work. Benign, benighted, potato, potahtoe. Most of them would do their finest public service picking up litter.
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* Actually the City-County Building here after they melted City and County Gummits together for streamlined irksomeness.

4 comments:

  1. Mighty Roberta, don't you know that the antis don't get and will never get it? You know why? They don't want to get it and nothing any of us sane folk do will ever change that.

    I'm with you on the politicians. Give them an IQ test before they are allowed into any public office. If they fail, offer them a job on the garbage truck at minimum wage and tell them to go work their way up and get a life's worth of real education while they're at it.

    Anybody can be booksmart and get good grades and fancy papers to hang on the wall. What you need to be a good politician (did I say that? good politician? one can hope heh?) is a good education at the working man and woman's level where you live amongst what you are trying to rule over and learn something about real life before you're allowed to rule over others.

    Molon Labe,
    Joe

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  2. I fear the second amendment will be effectivly made moot and be found to be a collective "right". The DC restrictions will be found to be the will of the people reflected through there elected officials. Opening the door for more restrictions nation wide.

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  3. Remind me not to ask anonymous for tips at the track... :-D

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  4. Yes, I wouldn't ask Anon about the weather fprecast, D. W. but consider... ;)

    The pessimist, if mistaken in his assessment, receives a nice surprise; if he's right, he basks in the warm glow of successful prediction. Either way, he wins!

    The optimist, if in error, reaps only disappointment. He can only win if he's right about the toast falling butter side up -- and we know how often that happens.

    OTOH, most pessimists are no fun to be around. So which is better depends on how you're scoring it.

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