A PERFECT case of “Bad decision? You own the bad consequence(s)”

For years, I have thought and said that one of the most pernicious new values of our rapidly becoming a secular Progressive Society is that of socializing negative consequences of bad decisions by individuals (“nobody can suffer the consequences of their decisions – we are ALL at fault so we must ALL suffer for him”).   The associated side of this is that of the Nanny State that seeks to force one to diminish the effects of risky behavior of certain voluntary activities (e.g., forcing people to wear a motorcycle helmet or a seatbelt) – or, to take that activity or substance (no, not the usuals, but think trans-fats that make things tasty, or 100 watt light bulbs that make it easier to read by).

Now, let me state that in no way am I in favor of suicide, so don’t try to twist what the above with the below – most suicides are done out of extreme depression and a sense that nothing positive can change for them – and the vast majority are of no fault of their own.  Here?  My opinion is that this is a political statement and a political stunt – these folks are there because of extremely bad decisions done on BATTLEFIELDS against our military or civilians – these are enemy combatants that have declared war on the US (reformatted, emphasis mine):

(AP) – A hunger strike among prisoners at Guantanamo Bay keeps growing.  Lt. Col. Samuel House said Saturday that 100 of 166 prisoners at the U.S. base in Cuba have now joined the strike.  He says 19 are receiving liquid nutrients through a nasal tube to prevent dangerous weight loss. House says five of those are at a hospital under observation but that they do not have any life-threatening conditions.

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Tyranny: Democrat Socialists of America in the US House saying (Ah-gain) “you don’t need all that and you didn’t earn it anyways!”

So they believe that if you have too much private property (too much cash), they have the perfect way to steal it from you: write a bill!  After all, it isn’t FAIR that you have earned so much by stealing it from the poor and middle class.  They have far better purposes for what your labor, skill, and motivation has earned you.  It’s rather simple, really – they basically want to count your money: $1 for you and we’ll take one too!  Lather, rinse, repeat – for your entire stash (not to be confused with the Obamastash which seems to come out of nowhere to give to the 47%.  Or have we found the source??  Oh, never mind – I don’t speak Mandarin).

Several House Democrats on Thursday introduced legislation that would impose a minimum 45 percent tax rate on taxable income above $1 million, and would set a 49 percent rate on income above $1 billion.

The Fairness in Taxation Act, H.R. 1723, was proposed by Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), who said the bill would help put the nation’s wealth back into the hands of middle- and lower-income workers.

Fairness?  To take that which was not earned by you is “fair”?  I have yet to see any reference in the Democrat Socialists of America white papers that says that they stand in solidarity with the Founders who held the pursuit of Property (which was the original wording in the Declaration until Ole’ Ben said to use “Happiness” – which was considered to the be same thing back then) was one of the philosophical underpinnings of a free society).  A man is not free when the Government can take his stuff.  After all, in all other societies at the time, if the King wanted it, the King took it by “Divine Right” for the use of his government.  Now, we see this again – this bunch of Progressives wish to regress back to that time of when Government (via the King) wants something, they will just take it.  Grokster Steve’s phrase of Fee Staters not only covers the Democrat Progressives here in NH but those in DC as well; none of them believe it is enough.

This is “progress” with respect human Liberty and Freedom?  Obviously, no to the question but yes to their intent.  We see this incremental Tyranny in that these folks that believe in a foreign political philosophy certainly join in with Obama when he said “at some point, you have made enough money” (or even saved enough) –

Individual, meh.  The Collective, YEAH!

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Assault furniture

“TV tip-over warnings are imperative, said Dr. Gary Smith, president of the Center for Injury Research and Policy.

The Second Amendment in China. (WHAAT?)

This is about the third guy over on the right....
This is about the third guy over on the right….

This just in from the BBC. It happened days ago in Xinjiang province, China, where “officials described as community workers searched homes for weapons.”

What happened? It started when “three officials were killed as they were investigating reports of suspicious individuals at the home of a local resident.” And then…

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Just another devaluation of Citizenship?

Or just another attack on the responsibility of citizenship?

Jury BoxIt IS a basic pillar of American Jurisprudence is that we are to be judged by a panel of our peers – people that should at least share some common values and outlook on guilt / innocence and presence / absence of evidence.  And be able to logically connect the dots running between all those things within the confines the applicable law.  We, as Citizens, are expected to fulfill this duty and responsibility – those that are accused need to be judged by fellow citizens.  I am amazed, at time, how often my co-workers in Southern California are called to do just this, for here I am in central New Hampsha, having lived in the same town and same house for 30 years, and I have yet to be called even once (or TMEW, but the Eldest and the Youngest have)!  I know a lot of people do an awful lot to keep from being empaneled as they never know what kind of case they’d be put on – the fear being a long drawn out trial in which they might lose their job or miss out on some important marker in life (e.g., wedding, funereal).  To be honest, I would like to be called.

With all that said, I think this is a horrible idea (emphasis mine):

California would allow noncitizens to serve on juries under a proposal being considered by state lawmakers, potentially expanding a fundamental obligation of American life to millions more people.

The measure, which would apply only to legal residents, would make California the only state to open the jury box to noncitizens who meet all other requirements of service, according to legal experts. The proposal raises the question of what it means to be judged by peers in a state where more than one in seven residents is not a citizen. One of the bill’s authors, Assemblyman Bob Wieckowski (D-Fremont), said the proposal would help ensure an adequate pool of jurors, help immigrants integrate into American society and make juries more representative of California.

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On the Next GrokTALK!

It’s Saturday morning and this means that not long from now we’ll be recording this weeks podcast- aired Sunday on GraniteGrok.com and Tuesday 7pm EST on AC Nation Radio. This week on GrokTALK! we have the former Chairman of NHYR (as of 4/20), former MRC Vice-Chair, and the current Vice-Chair of NHYR,  and a long … Read more

HB 135: State v. Craig Moses

“In a state where corruption abounds, laws must be very numerous.” —Tacitus

Fingers_In_EarsLiberals love to ignore inconvenient facts. Stick fingers in ears, close eyes and yell, “La-la-la-la-la!” Franklin resident Craig Moses was acquitted under the Granite State’s “Stand Your Ground” law.  Moses was arrested nearly a year ago in Nashua outside a nighclub and charged with criminal threatening with a deadly weapon after he and his cousin were severely beaten.

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Reality Alert to the Ivory Tower:

Emphasis mine:

On Tuesday, New Hampshire adjunct professors stood outside Manchester Community College to protest the limit.

Some said the realization that the health care law they once supported is being used against them was a harsh reality to swallow.

Craig Lange is a member of the team that has been negotiating for a contract since the adjuncts joined the State Employees’ Association two years ago. When the health care reform law passed, he was with a group of adjuncts at a system board of trustees meeting.

“We all applauded when the news came in that (the law) passed. . . . I didn’t think it would go this way,” he said.

This is what happens when Smart People support something that they didn’t read.  This is also what happens to Smart People when Government changes the rules of the economic game and the Smart People, who voted for the Democrats that drove this ObamaClunker over the Finish Line, failed to read the fine print and had nary a thought of merely clever people acting in their own interest. Which is to say, your bosses and your politicians that keep your bosses on a leash.  Welcome to the “new normal” of trickle down Obamaeconomics, boys and girls!  And just think of the irony – you all helped to grease the skids of your own healthcase and financial demise (as it were).

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Congressional Democrats in DC – Can Congress grant ourselves a waiver from Obamacare – it costs too much!

And I am hoping it is going to cost them dearly – and not just as another deduction from their Federal tax paid payroll checks.  Like many Conservatives, my heart dropped when the Supremes declared it Constitutional – being penalized for simply being an American citizen that breathes if you decide to do “nothing”?  A Collectivists’ wet dream but in my mind, it shattered the Founders’ vision of a limited Government.  However, being a 3,000 page of a bill and now up to 20,000 pages of regulations (with more yet to come) to implement, States refusing to set up their own Exchanges and blowing out their budgets by expanding Medicare, are we starting to see panic as the October implementation date coming up?  And with this, are we seeing the first moments of the political equivalent of “insider trading”?

Or are we seeing the first screaming of those closest to an explosion starting to run to save their hides?

“I have no problems with Congress being under the same guidelines,” Burr told Politico. “I think if this is going to be a disaster — which I think it’s going to be — we ought to enjoy it together with our constituents.”

That would be US Senator Richard Burr (R-NC) over at The Corner and I think that SHOULD be the line that the Republicans should take – but will they cave?  At Politico (2 days ago):

Congressional leaders in both parties are engaged in high-level, confidential talks about exempting lawmakers and Capitol Hill aides from the insurance exchanges they are mandated to join as part of President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul, sources in both parties said.

…There is concern in some quarters that the provision requiring lawmakers and staffers to join the exchanges, if it isn’t revised, could lead to a “brain drain” on Capitol Hill, as several sources close to the talks put it.

The problem stems from whether members and aides set to enter the exchanges would have their health insurance premiums subsidized by their employer — in this case, the federal government. If not, aides and lawmakers in both parties fear that staffers — especially low-paid junior aides — could be hit with thousands of dollars in new health care costs, prompting them to seek jobs elsewhere. Older, more senior staffers could also retire or jump to the private sector rather than face a big financial penalty.

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Real life NH Example of why HB135 (repeal of Stand Your Ground) is a bad idea

From Pro-Gun NH, an example of someone who would be in jail if it wasn’t for the passage of the “Stand Your Ground” law simply for trying to protect his family member in a public space.  I keep hearing that we are “not to worry – this is not a problem in NH” with the underlying whisper message of “not to worry – NH prosecutors WILL do the right thing”.  Then we here in NH saw what happened to Ward Bird with “a willing liberal prosecutor, Robin Gordon“.  And now, a second time (emphasis mine, reformatted):

After two days of trial and jury deliberation in Hillsborough County Superior Court South, a verdict of not guilty was rendered in the case of State v Craig Moses. The attorney for Mr. Moses was Evan Nappen….who is also the General Counsel and one of the five Directors of Pro-Gun New Hampshire. Mr. Moses had defended himself and his cousin, who was knocked unconscious and was lying in a pool of blood after having been brutally punched and kicked in the head. The attack on Mr. Moses and his cousin occurred early in the morning of May 5, 2012 outside a Nashua nightclub called “The Junk Yard.”

Upon exiting the nightclub, Mr. Moses was sucker-punched in the chest, breaking two ribs; he was also punched in the nose, and was dazed from a head injury. While trying to get away from his attackers, he saw his cousin also being brutally assaulted, receiving multiple punches and kicks to the head that left him unconscious on the asphalt as the beating continued.  When Mr. Moses reached the vehicle he immediately went to retrieve his lawfully-possessed .380 handgun, which he had kept in the locked vehicle, and for which he had a License to Carry.

In order to create a zone of safety around his fallen cousin…

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Some thoughts on the Pindell / Cline / Douglas criticisms of the Honor Your Oath Rally – Part 1

I’m not even sure that James Pindell, Chuck Douglas, and Drew Cline were even at the same rally I was from reading their criticism (one at the WMUR site, two Union Leader Op-Eds)  – or even bothered to watched the videos that were up at several sites.  Each of them decided to tear the folks apart that stood up for their beliefs without seeing what was, to me, the obvious.  In fact, I’m not even sure they even saw the obvious reason why 600 folks turned out to participate, volunteers doing the grunt work necessary to put on such an event, and the dozen or so speakers up at the podium.  Yes, when you put yourself out in public, this is what happens – others will take pot shots at you, at the rally, or the issue for a variety of reasons:  their sense of “professionalism”, their overarching specialized knowledge has been “violated”, their standing within their own specialized communities “demands” they take a stand, or they decided to reject the perceived issue out of hand as “being without merit”.  None of them seem to have caught the intense sense of importance of the actual subject to the speakers and the attendees.

Or, to put it simply, wielding a hatchet just because they have an audience to impress or a thinly veiled purpose that may be getting set for the future.  Or both.

Honor Your Oath.  It wasn’t about journalists worried about column inches, punctuation, and delicately chosen words and sentence structure; it is about keeping a promise.  It wasn’t about case law, or legal briefs, or court battles (even if from a former Supreme Court Justice);  it is about a man and the importance of his word.  It was not about bright lights, teleprompters, self-absorption, politics, or even the crowd; it is about judging a man and his bond.  It wasn’t about guns or self-defense or “Stand Your Ground” (although that’s all these three seemingly heard), it wasn’t about Right or Left; it is about answering the question “Do we trust this person when their actions do not match that Oath”?

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The unbearable lightness of helium deprivation…

It is inconceivable that this man is a sitting US Congressman. The same man who feared the island of Guam might tip over now brings you the “The Responsible Helium Administration and Stewardship Act of 2013.” Truly, it is difficult to know whether to laugh or run screaming from the room.  We are doomed. H/T Weasel … Read more

Government: wanna a dog? Criminal background check and dog class for YOU!

Best comment over at the News Observer:

When are we going to close the dog show loophole? 

Yeah, that pretty much sums it up as yet another politician has decided that “he’s gotta do something” and ends up with a law that says “Subject Citizen, you must again ask for permission to do that”!

Rodney Moore, a Democrat from Mecklenburg County…introduced a bill [House Bill 956] Tuesday that would require anyone taking ownership of the much-maligned dogs [pit bulls] to submit to a criminal background check. The proposal also targets Rottweilers, mastiffs, chows, Perro de Presa Canarios and any “wolf hybrids.”

“I did this for a constituent,” Moore said Thursday. “It was not to vilify a breed. The reason I put background checks in was I didn’t want irresponsible people to use these types of animals illegally.”

So, what was he (and the Republican who was the co-sponsor) ?

  • submit to a criminal background check
  • mandatory enrollment in a four-hour course provided by the Humane Society or another rescue organization approved by the state Department of Insurance to learn “responsible” dog management of these breeds and be “good” owners
  • tell your insurance company “Hey, I have a new Fido” (and accept the rate increase (I assume that word “quietly” is in there somewhere in “signing the check”)
  • your Police Chief “may” issue you a permit to own “Fido”
  • pay for a special state permit

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Blogline of the Day – on HB 135 (Deputy Dawg’s repeal of Stand Your Ground)

From the Seacoastonline.com reporting on the NH Senate hearing on Shurtleff’s repeal of Stand Your Ground (who is exempt from his own law) (emphasis mine): Earl Kolb, 32, of Salem, said the repeal proposal was written with only public safety in mind. As someone who uses a wheelchair, he urged lawmakers to consider those for … Read more

Notable quote – Judge Andrew Napolitano

The pact with the devil occurred in the fall of 2001, when then President George W. Bush and Congress decided that they would use the machinery of the federal government to secure safety, rather than liberty. So, the Bush-inspired Patriot Act permits federal agents to write their own search warrants, and the Bush-inspired new FISA … Read more

Guest Post by Alan Olsen – Barrett L. Austin

Barrett L. Austin, Easley, SC
Barrett L. Austin, Easley, SC

My guess is that you do not know Barrett L. Austin. I would also venture a guess that you do not know the town of Easley, South Carolina. And in this day and age, we never will know unless we take our time and look for these youngsters and their stories.

Why is that important? Sad to say that this morning, I am doubting we do care anymore. But maybe you can help me come to better grips with all of this, a better insight beyond America not caring anymore. Honestly, I do not know and am clouded by my bias against being force-fed minute by minute, hour by hour and day by day the tragedies of the past months. Please understand here that I in no way minimize all that has happened. We have been hit by our enemies and by crazy people in the name of God knows what. There are bad people who do bad things for reasons that are hard for many of us to fully understand. And after all the media “get the widow on the set” coverage, it still boils down to bad people doing bad things to everyday good people. All tomorrow’s laws, rules and regulations, imposed on good people, will never erase the (set to action) of bad, cruel and cowardly people. To me, this is important because others are sacrificing and my country no longer pays attention.

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