THANK YOU!!!

Today, no politics or complaints about the government. Just a simple "thank you" to those who have served and died protecting our great country. And another "thank you" to all else who have served and who continue to serve our great nation. Thank you.

One Marine's View: Memorial Day

And please don't forget to observe the National Moment of Remembrance at 1500 local time.

More government regulation to "fix" things

One of my favorite Congressional commies, Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif. is shooting off her mouth, without really understanding economics, and threatened the nationalization of the oil industry because she thinks that it will lead to lower gas prices. What a bunch of shit. How do people like Ms. Waters, who have very little understanding of economics but have control over our tax money, continue to be in power? Why do we keep voting for these dopes?

WorldNetDaily.com: Congresswoman threatens to nationalize oil industry:
Maxine Waters warns Shell president in House committee hearing. In a grilling of oil executives by a House panel yesterday, Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., threatened to nationalize the industry if it didn't do something about the rising prices at the pump.

"Hofmeister replied: 'I can guarantee to the American people, because of the inaction of the United States Congress (I am amazed, Congressional....inaction.....not my Congress!!), ever-increasing prices unless the demand comes down.'"

"The Shell exec said paying $5 at the pump 'will look like a very low price in the years to come if we are prohibited from finding new reserves, new opportunities to increase supplies (emphasis mine).'"

"Waters responded, in part, 'And guess what this liberal would be all about. This liberal will be about socializing … uh, um. …...Would be about, basically, taking over, and the government running all of your companies."

"The oil executives responded, according to Fox News, by saying they've seen this before, in Hugo Chavez's Venezuela."

Way to go Maxine, nationalize the oil industry, I'm sure that will help things out and get prices low enough for your liking (or reelection). Of course, building more refineries and drilling in our own country and off-shore of Florida (25 miles from the coast where the curvature of the earth would prevent the spoiling of the view) might help. Increasing supply and/or lowering demand is the way to reduce gas prices. Not more over-reaching government regulation in what once was a free market economy.

I watched a large part of the hearings on C-SPAN. What a useless dog and pony show! Members of Congress, please stop wasting my friggin tax money (which pays your salaries) with these useless bullshit hearings. Spend your tax payer funded time doing something useful like closing the boarder, lower my tax burden, allowing for drilling offshore and in Alaska and stop trying to restrict my gun rights.

Do McCain really want a flat tax?

John McCain is campaigning and making speeches across the US in anticipation of the presidential election where he will likely square off against Barack Obama. I'm not sure if McCain is pandering to people with my ideology on certain issues but when I hear things like a "flat tax" and "an end to the genocide in Darfur" you've got my attention.

The Australian: John McCain sets out lofty presidential ambitions: "He [McCain] predicted several years of 'robust' US economic growth under his stewardship, a flat tax rate, the 13 million illegal immigrants in the US living humanely under a temporary worker program, and an end to the genocide in Darfur."

Could the US really be in for some serious tax reform and will someone (the US, Europe, etc) finally do something to help the helpless in Darfur?

Could I really bring myself to vote FOR McCain instead of AGAINST Obama?

This presidential election is getting interesting, however, I'm not holding my breath.....yet.

Politics at its finest

The way many members of both political parties try to ram legislation through Congress is impressive. Much of it is done so we don't notice. Dianne Feinstein (Commie) and Larry Craig (Pinko) appear to be adding an immigration amendment to the Iraq funding bill. Why?? Because they know that Bush won't veto the bill, even with the unrelated amendment in it, since a veto would look bad for Bush's war in Iraq.

A few quotes from transcripts of the Lou Dobbs show on May 16: "This meeting yesterday at the Senate Appropriations Committee convened to vote on funding U.S. spending in Iraq. But late in the day 100 pages were added to the bill that would make an estimated three million people illegal alien farm workers and their families eligible to work in the United States and it passed 17 to 12.

Pro-amnesty senators tonight making a new effort to ram their open border's agenda down the throats of the American people, now let's go back to June 28, 2007 when the American people made their views known to the United States Senate and the closer vote failed. It was very clear at that point what the will of the majority in this country was, but now two senators, suddenly have added an amendment that would provide amnesty for illegal alien farm workers in this country, they and their family amounting to some three million people. And they're putting this little number into a bill funding the war in Iraq. You're not supposed to notice. We're not supposed to notice. And the American people are not supposed to notice. These two senators added the amendment in the dark of night, and they did so without debate. They're duplicitous, deceitful, and absolutely dishonorable in doing so (emphasis mine)."

Also from Lou Dobbs: SEN. JEFF SESSIONS, (R), ALABAMA: Why would they stick it on a war supplemental? That is a deliberate attempt to bypass scrutiny and to see if they can slide it through without the American people realizing what's happening, on a bill that we really need to pass."

That is an excellent question, why don't these two fine Senators (one from each party) work up a single bill with total transparency which deals with only the immigration issue??

I'm not saying that I am for or against the war in Iraq. But if Congress really wanted to stop the war in Iraq, they could do it. But why stop the war when they can use the war in Iraq to their advantage?

More on the issue at TheHill.com: Senate panel approves Iraq funding bill: "Republicans say Democrats are putting troops at risk by loading up the supplemental, which Appropriations Committee Chairman Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.) characterized as 'horse-blank.'

'What hogwash. Let’s all have a big laugh,' he said before mockingly laughing out loud.

'By the end of 2008, the war in Iraq will have cost over $600 billion,' the 90-year-old Byrd said in a scathing 30-minute opening statement. 'More than $600 billion dollars for every minute since our lord Jesus Christ was born. That’s a staggering figure.'

A number of Republicans have joined Democrats in pushing to beef up the domestic spending in the supplemental measure, recognizing that the must-pass bill remains one of the few pieces of legislation likely to become law before November’s elections."

How in the world could anyone stand to listen to Robert KKK Byrd about anything for 30 minutes?! While the claims that these unrelated amendments are "putting troops at risk" are debateable, people from both paties are playing dirty Congressional politics.

Each of these issues should be voted on in separate bills with total transparency to the American people. Congress is screwing all of us.

Congress vs. Progress

Thought for the day:

If the prefix "con-" is the opposite of "pro-" does that make Congress the opposite of progress?

Based on how lame our Congress has been in getting anything tangible done, I'd have to say yes.

Government stealing

ABC news.com: Not-So-Safe Deposit Boxes: States Seize Citizen's Property to Balance Their Budgets:

"The 50 U.S. states are holding more than $32 billion worth of unclaimed property that they're supposed to safeguard for their citizens. But a "Good Morning America" investigation found some states aggressively seize property that isn't really unclaimed and then use the money -- your money -- to balance their budgets.

Unclaimed property consists of things like forgotten apartment security deposits, uncashed dividend checks and safe-deposit boxes abandoned when an elderly relative dies.

Banks and other businesses are required to turn that property over to the state for safekeeping. The problem is that the states return less than a quarter of unclaimed property to the rightful owners (emphasis mine)."

I'm actually surprised that near 25% of this property, which is stolen by our government, is returned. I figured that the criminals who we keep electing to office would just make off with all of it. Maybe politicians are really stupid. Can they really think that nobody would notice only 75% of their stuff missing?

Of course, if the government stopped wasting money by the billions, they wouldn't have to steal. Its not like we aren't paying enough taxes.

Space Coast Brush Fires

I've been away at a conference and just returned home. Apparently, a lot has gone on while I was away, including arson.

Floridatoday.com: Suspect claims that fire was an accident

The suspect seems to be a very busy guy. "Crowder told investigators that he fled from a traffic stop because he didn’t want to be picked up for his parole violations, and because he wasn’t supposed to be driving a car. 'I have a violation of probation,' Crowder told reporters. 'I have no driver’s license. I was driving.'” This guy also has quite a long rap sheet.

I wonder if the fact that he was let out of jail was "an accident."

I want to seriously praise everyone who took care of Crowder's mess and protected lives while risking their own. Our local firefighters, police and forestry crews never get enough credit for all of the work they do until something tragic like this happens. Kudos to all of you and the tough work that you do, everyday, it is greatly appreciated!

For anyone wanting to help the victims, donations can be made at the following Brevard County organizations:

Space Coast Credit Union
Community Educators Credit Union
KSC Federal Credit Union
Riverside National Bank

Contributions can also be mailed to or dropped by:
United Way of Brevard
937 Dixon Blvd.
Cocoa, FL 32922

Make checks payable to: United Way 2008 Fire Response Fund

Donations can also be made online at www.uwbrevard.org.

Gaza bystanders killed by blast from Hamas scum

This article is reposted from israelinsider.com:

From Israelinsider.com: IDF probe confirms: Gaza bystanders killed by blast from terrorist weapons:
"A blast in northern Gaza that killed a Palestinian mother and her four children on Monday was not caused by the Israeli Air Force or by Israel Defense Forces ground troops, an investigation into the explosion conducted by the IDF Southern Command concluded on Friday.

The blast occurred Monday morning in the northern Gaza town of Beit Hanun. Palestinians claimed that an IDF tank shell hit the home of the Abu Meatak family, as the mother Miyasar was preparing breakfast for her children, killing her and her four children.

However, the probe -- relying on infrared aerial photography -- found that four Islamic militants were carrying weaponry and explosives on their backs, approaching an IDF position. The IAF fire was on target and only hit the armed terrorists. But the Palestinian attackers' boms caused secondary explosions which destroyed the home and killed the mother and her children.

The IDF probe ruled out the possibility that the family was hit by IDF fire and revealed that the secondary explosion was far greater than the explosion caused by the initial IDF bombing and the munitions it had used.

The IDF said that it was unfortunate that innocent people were killed in the incident, but stressed that the blame lay with Hamas which operated from populated areas, using civilians as human shields."



There are a number of things regarding this story that I would like to highlight. First, there are two militaries on this stupid planet who expend enormous amounts of money and effort, often putting themseleves at unnecessary risk, in order to minimize collateral damage: The United States and Israel. Second, civilian deaths are unfortunate but Hamas and other associated terrorist scum "fight" from heavily populated areas and use human shields - purposely to increase the likelihood of civilian casualties. And I'm not even mentioning their PURPOSEFUL targeting of Israeli civilians in pizza parlors and malls.

One of the funniest things about this video is the terrorists who survived can be seen running for their lives like the real cowards that they are. Its so paradoxical, these scum purposely set up in heavily populated areas using the innocent as human shields and often dispatch young children to commit homicide bombings. If these terrorists are so tough and want to fight the "occupation" then why don't they try to shoot the Zionist aircrafts out of the sky instead of running like scared little girls?

I realize this video was recorded by the IDF so bleeding heart "freedom fighter" apologists and tinfoil hat wearing Jew haters, such as Jew Watch, may argue that the video is a Zionist conspiracy fake. After all, the Jews conspired to cause 9/11, inflated the number killed in the Holocaust or faked it all together and Dr. Joseph Mengele was just misunderstood. I wonder if the Jews in Hollywood helped NASA fake the first US moon landing??

Wise words from John Stossel

A quote from page 80 of John Stossel's book, "Myths, Lies and Downright Stupidity:"

"Smokey the Bear's rules for fire safety should apply to government: Keep it small, keep it in a confined area and keep an eye on it."

I couldn't agree more.

ElBaradei is angry! Oh no!

JPost: ElBaradei slams Israel for Syria attack:"The head of the UN nuclear monitoring agency on Friday criticized the US for not giving his organization intelligence information sooner on what Washington says was a nuclear reactor in Syria being built secretly by North Korea. ElBaradei also chastised Israel for bombing the site seven months ago, in a statement whose strong language reflected his anger at being kept out of the picture for so long." Whah! Why wasn't I told??!! All because I never do anything to stop nuclear proliferation and my organization is uselss, I should still be "in the know!"

So ElBaradei and the IAEA are criticizing the US and Israel for not giving them intelligence about a nuclear reactor in Syria. And they're also pissed that Israel took out the Syrian nuclear threat. Big freakin' deal! Who cares if ElBaradei, the IAEA and the UN are pissed?! Why would we or the Israelis bother sharing intelligence with the UN? What have they done with the intelligence that we have given them about N. Korea and what's being done with the intelligence we gave them about Iran's nukes? In case this question is difficult for pro-UN liberals, the answer is nothing. N. Korea has nukes and Iran will likely have them soon. Hey, I know, let's send in more UN weapons inspectors!

Israel did what it had to do. They may again end up doing our dirty work in Iran, too. They already did it in Iraq in 1981. The UN and the IAEA should shut their respective pie holes. They were useless before, they are useless now and they'll continue to be useless.

The US and Israel should pull out of the UN. US membership in the UN is a waste of time and our tax money.

Obama wants a windfall profits tax

Bloomberg.com: Obama May Levy $15 Billion Tax on Oil Company Profit

The great Obama wants to place a windfall tax on oil profits; a 20% tax on barrels of oil costing over $80. Hillary wants to levy a similar but lower tax on oil companies. Now just who in the hell do these dopes think will end up paying these windfall taxes?

The oil companies will pass the additional tax cost onto the consumer. Why is this so hard to understand? Taxes increase costs and decrease productivity. Its really pretty simple.

Expect to pay even more at the pump!

My suggestions, lower taxes for everyone, including business, and let's drill like a banshee in Alaska! Also, build a few more refineries. THEN gas prices will go down.

Government Schools

I have finally gotten around to reading John Stossel's book, "Myths, Lies and Downright Stupidity." The book can be found on amazon.com here.

First off, it is a terrific book and I highly recommend it. He addresses a number of issues which are near and dear to me. For instance, he has a chapter about the US government school system entitled, "Stupid Schools" (Chapter 5, pages 106 to 140). I have 2 young children and my kid's educations are a big concern. In his book, John Stossel skewers the government school system noting that the US is very close to the top in the world in money spent per pupil. If we spend near the top in the world per student, then why do we not have one of the highest ranked education systems in the world? And why do politicians want to throw more money at education?? Schools already have plenty of money, how about trying to SPEND MY HARD EARNED TAX MONEY MORE EFFICIENTLY!? Why don't our government and the government school system exercise some fiscal discipline? What would happen to you, the average American, if you handled money so poorly?

Stossel is in favor of school vouchers and in "Myths, Lies and Downright Stupidity" he details a number of instances where kids did much better when their parents received vouchers and exercised the choice to send their kids to a better school. He emphasizes, and rightly so, that vouchers would allow poor parents to send their kids to better schools instead of keeping the kids in a bad school.

One of the most amazing things in Stossel's book was the fact that many European countries have more school choice than we have here in America! One particular story stood out; he talks of a Belgian mother living in America who was astonished that in the US her son was assigned to a specific school. Wow, I always thought that America was about choice and opportunity. In America you can choose to have an abortion but you can't choose where your kids go to school?!?! Talk about lack of choice, in some places law abiding citizens can't choose to own guns (sorry, that's for another blog entry)!!??

Anyway, yes, we do have the choice to spend extra money, in addition to paying our property taxes, to send our kids to private schools. But what about parents who can't afford their ridiculously high taxes AND additional private school costs? Isn't Europe the "gold standard" for American liberals? Don't most liberals want the US to be more like socialist-leaning Europe? Then why are liberals and liberal teacher's unions not advocating for us to be more like Europe with respect to school choice?

Neal Boortz once said that teacher's unions were a worse threat to American than terrorists: "Those of you who are constant listeners know my feelings about government schools and teachers unions. I firmly believe that in the long-term this country has more to fear from teacher's unions than we do from Islamic terrorists. I fully believe that Islamic terrorists will once again strike this country, and they may well manage to kill ten thousand or more, but at this point I don't think they can kill the dream of our forefathers. We recognize (I hope) the terrorists for the enemies that they are. We don't recognize government education and teacher's unions for the enemies that they are. Because we are so unaware and asleep at the switch, the education establishment can bring us down, where the terrorists probably cannot."

I can't say that I disagree.

Now just wait until I finish reading the chapter in John Stossel's book entitled, "Monster Government." I'm sure that chapter will inspire a few angry blog entries.

DC vs. Heller update

There has been little activity since the oral arguments were presented to the SCOTUS in the DC vs. Heller 2nd amendment case.

Right now it looks as if a ruling will be made sometime in late June.

NRA: DC vs. Heller, The Supreme Decision

Three-hundred and five members of Congress signed on in favor of Heller and gun rights. I applaud all of them.

Here are the commies in our Congress who are supporting D.C. and its gun ban:
Representative Robert A. Brady (PA-01)
Representative John Conyers, Jr. (MI-14)
Representative Danny K. Davis (IL-07)
Representative Keith Ellison (MN-05)
Representative Sam Farr (CA-17)
Representative Chaka Fattah (PA-02)
Representative Al Green (TX-09)
Representative Raúl M. Grijalva (AZ-07)
Representative Michael Honda (CA-15)
Representative Zoe Lofgren (CA-16)
Representative Carolyn McCarthy (NY-04)
Representative Gwen Moore (WI-04)
Representative James P. Moran (VA-08)
Representative Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC)
Representative Bobby L. Rush (IL-01)
Representative Maxine Waters (CA-35)
Representative Lynn C. Woolsey (CA-06)
Representative Albert R. Wynn (MD-04)

I'm not surprised that the socialists Maxine Waters and Carolyn McCarthy have signed on against gun rights. However, I am surprised at the absence of the Congressional drunkard, Ted Kennedy. Maybe he hasn't yet found time to put down his Chivas Royal.

Father imprisons and rapes daughter and may only get 15 years in prison

I'm sure that by now, most people know about Josef Fritzl. He imprisoned his daughter, had sex with her repeatedly and fathered 7 of his own daughter's children over the course of 24 years.

DNA Confirms Austrian Fathered Children With His Daughter; No Other Secret Dungeons Found

"Officials had said Fritzl faces up to 15 years in prison if charged, tried and convicted on rape charges, the most grave of his alleged offenses under Austrian law. But prosecutors in Lower Austria said Tuesday they were looking into the possibility of charging Fritzl with "murder through failure to act" in connection with the infant's death. Murder in Austria is punishable by up to 20 years in prison."

So Josef imprisons and holds his daughter captive for 24 years, repeatedly has sex with her and he may only get a maximum of 20 years in prison?!? And a 20 year jail term is only possible if the authorities find a way to charge him with murder AND a judge or jury give him the maximum prison term. Unbelievable. Who came up with such lenient sentences for rape, imprisonment and murder? I bet it was a bunch of bleeding heart European liberals. If he is implicated in the murder of the child that he fathered with his own daughter...he deserves "the chair!"

The IRS

I'm not sure where this picture originated but it was sent to me by a friend. It sums up my feelings about tax season and the IRS.

Jimmy Carter, again

Jimmy Carter didn't meet with Hamas only once, but twice. Apparently, he couldn't get enough of them.

Former President Carter Holds Second Round of Talks With Hamas

I wonder if Carter has a bumper sticker on his car that says, "Honk if you love terrorists" next to the one that says, "I love dictators."

Jimmy Carter

Foxnews: Carter Shrugs Off Calls From U.S. Officials, Lawmakers to Drop Meeting With Hamas: "Former President Jimmy Carter said he feels 'quite at ease' about meeting Hamas militants over the objections of Washington because the Palestinian group is essential to a future peace with Israel."

Hamas is essential for the future peace process??!! That is complete BS, Hamas is committed to the destruction of the state of Israel. The only way the peace process can proceed is for the elimination of the military wing of Hamas. I will admit that Hamas does have a political wing which does a lot of good especially in the form of social programs, however, this political wing still spends large amounts of money and time indoctrinating future homicide bombers. Hamas is also well known for summary executions and let's not forget the constant barrage of Quassam rockets aimed at Israeli civilians. The Israelis do respond to the attacks but remember, if Hamas didn't start it, Israel wouldn't have to finish it. Uh-oh, I think that I have just admitted to being part of the Zionist conspiracy to rule the world.

Anyway......Carter isn't only in love with Hamas members who sacrifice their children for Allah or PURPOSELY target innocent civilians but he also has a soft spot for the murderous Chinese government.

"Carter, interviewed Saturday for ABC News' "This Week," airing Sunday, also said he would OPPOSE a U.S. Olympic boycott and HOPES ALL COUNTRIES WILL JOIN (both emphases mine) in the Beijing games."

I do agree with the many that claim that a boycott of the the opening ceremonies will be nothing more that symbolism. The world should not attend at all. How the IOC decided to "reward" China with the Olympics is still as perplexing to me as quantum physics. However, the world is allowing the Chinese government to commit murder, allowing genocide in Darfur, and stood by during the genocide in Rwanda. Why start doing anything now?

At least Carter admits there are crimes against humanity occurring in the Sudan. Of course, he refuses to use the word "genocide" to describe the killings in Darfur. Maybe we'll need 1 million to be slaughter before we can use the word genocide. Apparently 200,000 killed is not enough for Carter.

Al Sadr calls for calm

Foxnews: Fighting Resumes Despite Muqtada al-Sadr's Calls for Calm

Al-Sadr calls for calm. Why is he still able to call for anything? He is an enemy of the United States. I want to see the military video of the building he occupied exploding with the audio, "target engaged and eliminated."

The wasting of OUR tax money

Citizens Against Government Waste releases a yearly report called the Congressional Pig Book. This report details how the people which we elect (and often reelect) waste OUR tax money on pet projects and earmarks. You can buy the complete report on their website here. I am going to purchase a copy. They do have a summary file, the 2008 Congressional Pig Book Summary, which is in .pdf form and can be downloaded for free. It is OUR money, its taken from us at the point of a gun and we have very little say as to where or how OUR money is spent.

From the free version:
"The 1,188 projects, totaling $2.8 billion, in this year’s Congressional Pig Book Summary symbolize the most egregious and blatant examples of pork. As in previous years, all of the items in the Congressional Pig Book Summary meet at least one of CAGW’s seven criteria, but most satisfy at least two:
• Requested by only one chamber of Congress;
• Not specifically authorized;
• Not competitively awarded;
• Not requested by the President;
• Greatly exceeds the President’s budget request or the previous year’s funding;
• Not the subject of congressional hearings; or
• Serves only a local or special interest."

I will concur that a select few of the projects listed may be worthwhile and I may not have included them in my list of pork. However, there are some real "doozies" in there and I think taxpayers should know where THEIR money is going.

Interestingly it appears that the presumptive republican nominee, John McCain, requested ZERO earmarks. Hmmmm.....I am beginning to like him more and more each day.

However, 2 of the biggest porkers aren't pleased with the public knowing where OUR money is being spent. From the free summary version:
'"Those peckerwoods don't know what they're doing. They don't. They're not being realistic.' The King of Pork, Senator Robert C. Byrd (D-W.Va.) on National Public Radio, July 19, 2001......'All they are is a bunch of psychopaths.' CAGW 'Oinker' Senator Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) Associated Press, December 26, 1999."

I guess wanting to know where MY tax money is being spent makes me a "peckerwood" and a "psychopath." Fine, I can live with that. I've been called worse things by better people than Robert K.K.K. Byrd and Ted Stevens. I was surprised to see that Robert KKK Byrd didn't have an earmark for "sheet" cleaning.

Down with the IRS! (A look at the flat tax)

Apparently, a number of countries already have introduced the Flat Tax to try to boost economic growth. Since the mid-1990s, Estonia (24% tax rate), Latvia (25%) and Lithuania (33%) have had a flat tax system in place. Russia (13% flat tax), Slovakia (19%), Romania (16%), Macedonia (12% flat tax on personal income and corporate profit), and Ukraine (15%) also have a flat tax in place. Albania may implement a 10% flat tax this coming year.

Could a "radical" simplified tax code ever come to be in America? Everyone else seems to be giving it a try, why not the US? I'm not sure whether I prefer the Fair Tax or the Flat Tax but something needs to be done about the tax rates and tax system in America!

The Hoover institution has been big on the Flat Tax and have published the following book: The Flat Tax by Robert E. Hall and Alvin Rabushka.

I think I might have to make a book purchase as soon as I am done reading the The FairTax Book and FairTax: The Truth: Answering the Critics.

Woman starves her child

Florida Today: Woman given 25-year sentence for starving baby girl
"A Key Largo woman has been sentenced to serve the next 25 years in jail for letting her baby starve to death."

"Thirteen-month-old Jasmine Marie Thomas died in September 2006 of severe malnutrition. She weighed just 6 pounds, 9 ounces at the time of her death."

The baby was thirteen months old and not even 7 pounds! Most children are born heavier than that! A twenty-five year jail term is not nearly enough. I bet the mother will eat a heck of a lot better in the "big house" than her poor little baby did while she starved to death. Hopefully, the mother will do something stupid in prison to get the punishment which she REALLY deserves: life in prison or the death penalty (either by lethal injection or shank).

Taxes, taxes, taxes!!!

My beautiful wife and I are in the process of preparing our taxes. To make a long story short (which should be done with our tax code), our tax code is ridiculous, too friggin long and way too complicated!! It should not take this much time and effort to prepare a tax return!! Its bad enough that the government overtaxes us, at gun point no less! Try not paying taxes or neglecting your return filing and see what happens.

Of course, it wouldn't be this difficult or take so long if we implemented the FairTax.







Do I dread tax day? Absolutely. But what I dread more are the days it takes to prepare my taxes.

China, The Olympics and Gun Control

The Chinese government has been selected as the site for the 2008 Olympics. However, unrest in China and Tibet, which is controlled by China, is embarrassing the Chinese government. China News Agency: Death Toll From Riots Rises to at Least 19: "Numbers for injuries and death tolls have been varied and hard to confirm because China keeps a tight control over information. Tibetan exile groups say 99 people were killed — 80 in Lhasa and 19 in Gansu — while Beijing maintains that 16 died and more than 300 were injured in Lhasa." I think there may be some bias here, an altering of the actual numbers for political gain. Sort of like the "Jenin massacre."

Many are calling for the Olympics to be pulled from China to punish the Chinese government for murdering its citizens and I agree (with how oppressive the communist Chinese government is, I don't know how they were even in the running for hosting the Olympics in the first place). The Chinese populace has been relieved of their basic human rights of free speech and personal protection by their oppressive communist government. And its beginning to look as if the Chinese government is exploiting the vulnerability of their people.

In the US, the second amendment was partially written to prevent government oppression; you cannot oppress an armed populace. Even the Japanese thought twice about invading the US mainland in WW II when Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto of the Japanese Navy said, "You cannot invade the mainland United States. There would be a rifle behind every blade of grass." However, just like most gun control advocates, the Chinese government claims that its total gun ban is to prevent crime. However, I think that its really to control its population (and the Tibetan population).

China established gun control in 1935; from 1948 to 1952, 20 million political dissidents were exterminated.

With a terribly oppressive government and a population unable to defend itself, I fear that history may be repeating itself.

DC vs. Heller update

Foxnews.com: In Second Amendment Case, High Court Majority Appears to Support Individual Right to Own Guns

Some quotes from the Foxnews.com story:

"The Supreme Court appeared ready Tuesday to endorse the view that the Second Amendment gives individuals the right to own guns, but was less clear about whether to retain the District of Columbia's ban on handguns."

"But Justice Stephen Breyer suggested that the District's public safety concerns could be relevant in evaluating its 32-year-old ban on handguns, perhaps the strictest gun control law in the nation. Justice Breyer said: 'Does that make it unreasonable for a city with a very high crime rate...to say no handguns here?'"

Does it make it unreasonable to say "no hand guns here?" I say yes, since the handgun ban is one of the reasons why crime is so high in D.C.

Of course, a bunch of commies decided to show up and protested the individual's right to protect oneself and property with a handgun. These are often the same people who argue that we have the right to kill our unborn children but we don't have the right to own a gun.

The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence made an appearance and chanted "guns kill." While their goal of preventing killing is a good and noble one, guns don't kill because people have to pull the triggers. People kill. If they want to ban guns then I guess we need to ban cars, knives (stabbings), baseball bats (beatings), feet (you might be kicked to death), electricity (including lightning), physicians (even physicians make mistakes), pools (kids are much more likely to drown in a pool than be shot by a gun in the home), rope (people might be strangled) and buildings taller than 1 story (one might jump or be pushed). And , of course, if we ban guns I know that the criminals will be sure to turn their weapons in and play nice. Then we could all get into a hippie circle and sing Kumbaya!

MORE government overreaching

On Friday, a friend and coworker sent me a link to a CNN video regarding the second amendment and a court case against David Olofson entitled, "Freedom Under Fire." He sent it merely to raise my blood pressure. Well, it worked, but it also inspired a blog entry.

This story takes place in Wisconsin and involves a law-abiding citizen named David Olofson and his battle against the overaggressive ATF and the subsequent court case. David Olofson is a fellow gun owner who lent a legal AR-15 to a friend. This friend took the gun to a local gun range in Wisconsin and while the friend was shooting the AR-15 jammed. After he cleared the jam the friend continued shooting. Two multi-shot bursts occurred because the gun began to malfunction. Afterwards, here came the government to "protect" us and subsequently ruin Olofson's life.

By Jeff Knox from The Firearms Coalition:
"(January 29, 2008) There are several ways for a person to unintentionally commit a felony, but most of them are looked at by prosecutors, judges, and juries as the accidents they are and dealt with accordingly. Such is not always the case however, especially when firearms are involved; for the past 2 years David Olofson has been learning that the hard way. Olofson is a regular guy who happens to be fond of AR15 style sport-utility rifles. He loaned a rifle to a friend. While the friend was shooting it he moved the safety switch to a point beyond the Fire position. The rifle fired a couple of short bursts and jammed. Someone at or near the club called the police to complain about machinegun fire. The police notified the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and David Olofson was subsequently charged and convicted of illegally transferring a machinegun."

The above is a summary from a more in-depth article which highlights MANY instances of government, ATF and court "missteps" in this case, investigation and trial.

More links to stuff about this story:
2nd amendment under fire, what's next?

Great Moments in BATFE Gestapo Goonery

Drill instructor convicted after rifle jams: Guardsman guilty of illegally transferring 'machine gun' after firearm malfunctions

I saw a bumper sticker yesterday that said, "Ignore your rights...and they'll go away." Here is a perfect example.

More later...after my BP comes down......