BlogList addition

I've been reading the stuff over at The Smallest Minority for a couple weeks now. I like what I see so I'm adding him to my BlogLinks.

I'm not the type of guy who jumps on a bandwagon, but if I had to pick a side I'd join that Minority. I read a lot of stuff and since I'm naturally contrary I can usually find a way to disagree or point out a flaw. After reading TSM posts my first reaction is: "Well, I can't say it any better than that".

hearing voices

Digging through my RSS feeds today I read a couple posts from different places that sorta fit together, and I heard that little click in my head as the pieces fell into place.

and then I heard my Dad's voice loud and clear:

"Leave it alone son. It's not bothering you"

Now I know Dad is at least 800 miles away, but occasionally situations spark memories of my childhood and I get little verbal flashbacks. This particular memory centers around a varmint sittin' in a sunny patch, a stick and a kid [me] with no fear of getting bitten or scratched. Y'all are already laughing at me aren't ya? Dad was one to let the punishment fit the crime. He's funny that way. He figures I'm gonna get what I deserve; random varmints don't have a 3 strike justice system.

Well today I was reading this: Jovian Thunderbolt
immediately after which I read this: CowTown Cop

I can't leave that alone...... gotta poke it ........I'll need a stick.......

word for the day: SEGUE

"to make a transition from one thing to another smoothly and without interruption"

.... stop pokin' me DAD.

blog clock

glad i numbered those... sheesh

ironic the rant about education got out of order

i pressed the publish button at 830pm central. no clue how it got listed at 513pm

some sort of blogspot master plan

Laws, Safety & Freedom - Part 2

Do I think we all need formal training? Do we need driver's training or parenthood classes or firearms safety? No.

[I know half of you just heard "say again?" in your head]

What we need is a high school diploma.

If I go into the Harley dealer and throw my money on the counter, instead of asking to see a driver's license I should be able to show them my diploma.

Need a John Deere tractor? Got a diploma? yup. Sign here, come back any time Sir.

Need a Snowmobile? Chainsaw? Dynamite? Sailboat? Razor Blade? Got my diploma card right here. Sold.

OMG OMG you can't teach all that in school, there's too much to learn. shut up. I'm not done.

School (and parents) should teach how to recognize a dangerous tool when you see one. You should also get taught the ENGLISH language so you know how to READ THE F***ING INSTRUCTIONS; the one that says "Poison: do not take internally" or "Contains tobacco: May cause cancer". If you can do basic reading comprehension you should be able to buy any item you want, hazardous or not, read the label and use it at a basic level of proficiency. For advanced proficiency do some research on your own [you should learn how to do research in SCHOOL], seek out others who are proficient, to learn from, and practice.

If you are thoughtless enough to drive drunk, your ability to make decisions impacting the freedoms & rights of other citizens is suspect and as a result society has a responsibility to restrict your access to other dangerous things. Can you still buy groceries? Sure. Can you live on my street? Sure. Can you buy a car? No. You're the Mass-Transit Ranger bro. A car is a deadly weapon in the hands of a negligent driver, and you demonstrated your brain has no safety catch.

Again, we don’t need lawmakers to make more rules in an attempt to prevent stupidity from happening. We need to make the education system better. Face it friends and neighbors, stupid is gonna happen no matter what. Stupidity is a force of Nature, it’s like rain and wind.

We need less of this 'no one left behind' B.S. and a lot more 'you stay here until you learn it'. Graduating underachievers is dangerous to the public. Drivers who can't read road signs are dangerous. Parents who can't read medicine bottles are dangerous.

Laws, Safety & Freedom Part - 3

I happen to believe I have the right to buy any damn thing I want to buy. If I can't spend my money as I see fit, this country ceases to be classified as FREE. I have been to lots of places all over the world and while I have seen numerous items with DANGEROUS IF IMPROPERLY USED labels, I have yet to see the EVIL product line in any store.

I also happen to believe I can use my possessions in any manner I see fit unless my actions infringe on the rights of another citizen. If, through my actions, I harm others due to thoughtlessness or negligence (or intent) THEN I lose the right to purchase/use items.

I suggest we consider 2 concepts:

1- We need be concerned with what people DO with their possessions rather than the possessions themselves. A citizen’s decisions and actions are the issue, not inanimate objects.

2- We need be concerned with entities encroaching upon our freedom rather than forcing more limits on society.

If we blend those 2 ideas together we get people who can own anything they want and can do anything they want up to a point; THE POINT where one citizen's activity intersects another's.

Enter government regulation
1-laws
2-enforcement
3-punishment

No law keeps us safe, [LawDog posted a few months back about the power of paper armor ]. We cannot force criminals to conform. Only by removing from society those who do not respect the rules of society are we kept 'safe'.

The point of all this is: The government keeps adding to the list of things that limit rights and freedom; when will YOU draw the line. There's been lots of talk about the gun nuts who will use deadly force if society tries to disarm them. That's where they are drawing the line.

When will you say "NO MORE"? Who will hear you?

Consider this thought before you draw YOUR line in the sand: The original purpose of our constitution was to ensure the limits on the government, and the freedom of the people, not the freedom of the government to limit the people.

The right to keep and bear arms was included as a failsafe. If the populace is armed, they cannot be forced by an armed government.

Our fellow citizens are the most dangerous enemy today. Apathy and Ignorance are their allies.

The care of our freedom has been entrusted to us by our forefathers. Do not squander, through apathy or ignorance, that which was so dearly purchased.

Laws, Safety & Freedom - Part 1

Our laws are inconsistent.

We require seat belt use for automobiles, but our citizens are allowed to jump out of airplanes.

We require safety/proficiency training for legal use of automobiles, but we don't require any prior training for parenthood.

I think motorcycle helmets are a good safety feature. I think helmet use can save lives. The ER nurses who held me down and scrubbed the gravel out of my face think so too. I don't for a second think anyone has the right to MAKE me wear one. Do I wear one? Yes. Always? No. It is a choice I should be able to make for myself as an adult. At no point does my helmet usage adversely impact another living being. EVER. Why do people across the nation think the government needs to regulate it?

To my knowledge there's no law requiring condom use. Condom use quite frequently impacts more than one life.

If we are going to pass laws to keep people safe from EVERYTHING, wow that's a lot of laws we're going to need. Let's face it; if we legislate anything unsafe out of our lives we're going to be left with the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man and not much else.

I can see the reasoning behind training prior to using a firearm or a vehicle (or ANY potentially dangerous tool). I can see the reasoning behind a requirement for training. I can also see a reason to avoid making it a REQUIREMENT.

If you buy a saw and cut off your finger, that's all you. Call it incompetence or negligence or whatever you want; you did it to you. I don’t see any need for anti-saw legislation to keep you safe. I certainly don’t see a need for anti-saw legislation to keep ME safe in the event I might lose a finger someday down the road. Since they belong to me, and I’m an adult, I see it as MY responsibility to keep track of where I put MY fingers and MY saw. There’s no logical reason to pass a law just because we need to be careful.

When I bounced my face on the road, because I was too stupid to put on my helmet, my dad took me to the ER and then took me to the local cycle safety class. He had the instructor point to my face and point to the students’ helmets. Then he showed them the medical bill and told them where they could buy full face helmets. That’s education not legislation. And it works.

We cannot continue to pass legislation every time someone does something stupid or careless. Every time we do, we curb the rights of the citizens; the safe and conscientious as well as the stupid and careless. It is not government’s job to keep us safe from ourselves. This is the USA and we have the freedom to be as smart or stupid as we choose.

Instead of passing more unconstitutional laws we don’t need, let’s promote education.

movies by mulligan - Swing Vote

go see it.

this movie has reawakened parts of my brain I thought lost for good.

I'll likely have several posts and a full review this week, but it's late so you get the short version for now.