Firearms Friday: We Need A Reminder

The past week has been an interesting one to say the least with regard to the protection of our rights. Following the defeat of four gun control measures proposed in the Senate as a knee jerk reaction to the mass murder that took place in Orlando, many democrats decided to stage a sit in. Leading this act of defiance was Congressman John Lewis (D-GA) who, if anything, did a great disservice to his own noble legacy. He was a leader in the Civil Rights movement in the 1960’s fighting for the equal rights of all Americans regardless of the color of their skin and now he is fighting equally hard to strip law abiding Americans, of all races, of their rights.

He would do well to heed the advice of Thomas Jefferson who wrote in an early draft of the Virginia Constitution in 1776 that “No freeman shall ever be debarred the use of arms.” Thankfully, this brief, misguided, and ineffectual action came to an end just as fast as it formed. However, that hasn’t stopped many politicians from continuing the debate and calling for the formation of an asinine utopia. A prime example can be found in the musings of Congressman Charlie Rangel (D-NY) who feels that members of congress need and deserve armed protection but that law abiding citizens should not be allowed to possess a firearm.   

Unfortunately, there are many in this country that have bought into this falsehood that only certain people should be able to possess firearms namely the military and law enforcement. Of course, those same people are filling our streets with manufactured outrage whenever a member of law enforcement is involved in a shooting. These are the same people that troll the internet and leave comments along the lines of “the founding fathers never intended for the second amendment to apply to modern firearms… they couldn’t have anticipated “high capacity magazines” and assault rifles [they really mean semi-automatic rifles like the AR-15]… they only had muskets.”

Well, that is one stinky pile that they have stepped in. The simple fact is that the founding fathers were well informed as to what the present had to offer and what the future might entail. To this point, many people have responded to the aforementioned types of comments referencing the Puckle gun as one of the developments of the time. However, while the revolver like mechanism speaks to the innovation of the time, it doesn’t combat the tainted perspectives on display. For that you actually have to look further back in history to the Kalthoff repeater which saw action with the Royal Foot Guards of Denmark in the Siege of Copenhagen (1658-59) and the Scanian War. While not prevalent, the magazine fed (up to 30 rounds) firearm had a rate of fire unmatched until the mid-nineteenth century. This firearm was a legend by the time the founding fathers drafted the Constitution and it is certain that they were aware of the technology.

Others politician in this current environment, like Senator Pat Toomey (R-PA), look to try and please both sides by introducing legislation that would do nothing more than muddy the waters and create a system as flawed as the individuals running it. All that it would cost us is a little bit of our freedom. Well, as Benjamin Franklin wrote in the Historical Review of Pennsylvania in 1759, “They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.” I’m not giving up my rights for the false sense of security that would be gained by the weak minded. Additionally, those who introduce such measures are walking a very dangerous line especially in Pennsylvania where it is written in our constitution (Art. 1, § 21 (enacted 1790, art. IX, § 21) that “The right of the citizens to bear arms in defence of themselves and the State shall not be questioned.” 

Sometimes we just need to remind people of these facts rather than allowing the propaganda to flow, unmolested, throughout the media. Right now, we face a serious crisis. It is not about what we own it is about the mentality of the people. It is about the the willingness to overlook the acts and intentions of the individual in order to assign blame to an inanimate object. It is about the willingness of some to give up essential freedoms for the empty promises of security. And, most importantly, it is about the paralyzing plague in this county that is mental illness and our unwillingness to do something about that problem. That is really what has to change.

Firearms Friday: Executive Orders

This past week was an interesting one to say the least as the President postured in front of the media looking to continue to falsehoods of a decades old failed policy. In a press conference filled with a flood of forced tears, the President announced a series of executive actions regarding gun control. And that last word is key to this whole equation as the posturing and proclamations are all about control which was again driven home by the “Guns in America” town hall that was held last night two days after his speech.

While the discussion that night was more evenly distributed between those on both sides of the issue… the highlight for many was the statements made and questions asked by Taya Kyle, widow of Chris Kyle, who, in part, said, “The laws that we create don't stop these horrific things from happening. That is a very tough pill to swallow," This was in addition to her additional statements stating that criminals would not be stopped from getting guns even if background checks were expanded. 

However, the moment when she truly shined, far brighter than the president, was when she posted her response to the town hall event the following day on CNN. The paragraphs that stood out to me are as follows:

Cars are tools that is involved in about as many deaths as guns. If you are a driver prone to drinking and driving, should we only allow you to drive an ultracompact car? Not an SUV which could kill more people? No, we take away the drunk driver's access to legally drive any car. This is about freedom to do as you like until you prove incapable of showing good moral judgment.

In this country, we give freedom and take it away once you prove to be unworthy of the freedom we have given you. Nobody suggests taking away cars or going through a battery of tests to determine whether or not you might be a drunk driver one day.

My congressman, Representative Joe Pitts, also made his thoughts known at the end of the week following the President’s statements and actions. A portion of his weekly email newsletter read as follows:

On Tuesday, President Obama announced a series of executive actions he would take, as well as proposals for Congress to consider, on the regulation of gun ownership. The President is proposing to spend more money on mental health, though he has not said where that money will come from. From now on, the background check system will be operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week, rather than normal business hours. Doctors will be allowed to tell law enforcement about mentally ill individuals, but only until they have completed treatment.

The largest change will be expanding the scope of federal background check requirements. Federal law requires a federal firearms license for firearms dealers.  Under the President’s new rule, you would need a license and must conduct background checks if you repetitively buy and sell firearms with the principal motive of making a profit, even if that’s not your livelihood.

I am a strong supporter of background checks, and I have voted that way. Two years ago, I voted to increase funding for the background check system by 20 million dollars. But I have also sworn an oath to support the Constitution, and that includes the Second Amendment. It is also important to note that these actions would not have actually stopped any of the most horrific mass shootings that have occurred in recent years.

The last paragraph is or particular note in this who smoke show by the White House. Funds to improve background checks in general and the NICS system in particular have been voted upon and passed many times over in Congress. This is a non-issue. The focus should actually be on two parts of the actions that the President would like to take… patient confidentiality should not be something that is breached. While I can see the need to know those who are mentally unstable this should also be seen in the same way that it is in the legal system… sane until proven otherwise.

However, here is the most troubling aspect of the announcements made on Tuesday night… restricting gun sales and requiring a FFL for those who sell firearms for a profit. In the end, the FFL requirement through the ATF can potentially be used as a means to restrict sales well beyond the broad brushstrokes that the president likes to paint. There is nothing happy about these trees:

Thanks to a carefully drafted statute enacted in 1986, the president had relatively little room to maneuver in this regard. Those reforms were part of the NRA-supported Firearm Owners’ Protection Act. They were enacted specifically in response to abusive practices by the ATF, which included treating occasional sales of personal firearms as unlicensed “dealing” or seizing private firearm collections, on the pretext that they were the “inventory” of illegal “dealers.” 

At the end of the day, the administration’s big move on background checks was, instead, a 15-page brochure or “guidance” which explains the relevant federal statutes and regulations concerning firearms dealing and summarizing its view of the controlling case law.  Even though the president cannot unilaterally expand the law, he can still instill fear in gun owners and intimidate them into believing that private transfers are now illegal.  ATF can take his directive push the envelope with marginal cases that would be ignored in a less agenda-driven administration. They may well be looking to “make an example” of somebody, especially in the realm of sales advertised online. 

Obviously, chilling otherwise lawful firearms transfers could be just as effective as restricting such activity with passage of a new law or regulation.  There can be little doubt the president knows this and why he and administration officials have repeatedly said, “even 1 or 2 sales” can make one a dealer.

Based on evidence from past practices, the administration will likely try to have it both ways – revoke licenses for “dealers” who don’t sell a “sufficient” number of firearms, but prosecute those who sell a small number of firearms without a license.  In the 1980’s for example, there was evidence of ATF revoking the FFL of a person because he only sold three guns during the year, while simultaneously prosecuting another person for selling three guns that year without a license. And during the Clinton administration, after ATF had forced low-volume private sellers to become FFLs, the agency then aggressively reduced the number of FFLs for lack of business activity. 

There is a lot of posturing by the President as he concludes his second term in office. It is almost as if he really doesn’t care about the facts or what is right, he just wants to feel the warmth of the spotlight for as long as possible and try to grab as much power and control as he can before heading out the door. Sadly, the events this week are only the beginning to a very long year… hopefully we can get things back on track by the time November comes around.

Firearms Friday: Blame

Once again, we end the week looking back on another cowardly tragedy committed by a clearly unstable individual. Unfortunately, it was also no surprise that the shooting was politicized before the suspect was even found… the calls for more gun control range out louder than the shots fired early on Wednesday morning. Another heinous act blamed on inanimate objects and those who own them rather than the individual who committed the crime.

It wasn’t long before posts from my liberal friends on Facebook began filling my feed and with quotes posted my conservative friends following this initial deluge. The most commonly used of which was a quote from then Governor Ronald Reagan when he addressed the Republican National Convention in Miami Florida on July 31, 1968 amid a time of tremendous racial turmoil which erupted in riots. The excepted says simply “We must reject the idea that every time a law's broken, society is guilty rather than the lawbreaker. It is time to restore the American precept that each individual is accountable for his actions.” Essentially, violence is an individual act and must be treated as such… the idea of railing against a group of people because of the acts of an individual must be rejected.   

Yesterday, the coverage continued and, of course, the calls for more laws intensified. While there was plenty of political banter, the quote that really crystallized the debate for me was that of Senator Marco Rubio who was quoted by the New York Times at a campaign stop in New Hampshire having said “It’s not the guns, it’s the people who are committing these crimes. What law in the world could have prevented him from killing them?” And that is what this all really comes down to… we must hold individuals accountable for their acts especially those with premeditated plans who would have followed through with this act regardless of means. In the end, this is why there are more knife attacks and beatings in the UK… people find a way to accomplish their goals regardless of whether they are good or evil.

Lastly, the other part of this whole equation that is being overlooked is the fact that even when bills are passed, they are not being enforced and/or the funding is not being spent (i.e. The National Instant Criminal Background Check System). The NICS Improvement Amendment Act was signed into law by President Bush on January 8, 2008 with the explicate mission to improve the background check system in this country. The law, endorsed by the NRA by the way, allocated Congress $1.3 Billion to improve record keeping in states which would allow greater transparency and improve the Federal gun background check system. To date nearly 90 percent of funding has never been spent and the Obama administration will further reduce spending from its peak in 2015 of $78 million down to $55 million in the President’s 2016 budget request.

Why don’t we focus on the real issues at hand instead of the hype and politicization of tragedy? Instead of the hundreds of millions of dollars being spent by gun control groups (keep in mind that I am well aware of the money spend by gun rights advocacy groups in response to various proposals and campaigns calling for the stripping away of our rights), what if we focus and put our money elsewhere that would really have an impact on the issue at hand. What if we committed hundreds of millions of dollars to mental health? What if we actually improved NICS and spent the $1.3 billion? We don’t need more laws and we definitely don’t need to prosecute and entire group of people in this country. We need to improvements in mental health in this country and we need to improve the effectiveness of the background check systems already in place. This is not a debate… this is the solution!

A Tale Of Two Speeches

There were two speeches given today that were of personal interest to me as both a Pennsylvanian and an Israeli. The local and international mix that I heard today was an interesting mix of “what are you thinking” and “what are we thinking”. As Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf (in sheep’s clothing) took to the podium in Harrisburg I prepared for the former and as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approached the podium in Congress I couldn’t help but consider the latter. In both instances I was left with the feeling that there are too many people in this world and in politics in particular that are completely out to lunch. But let’s take one speech at a time…

Wolf’s address to the commonwealth was to explain the reasoning behind his 2015 budget. Specifically he stated that the budget would achieve the following:

It is a budget that reflects my conversations with many of you here today.

It includes democratic ideas, republican ideas, and ideas that exist beyond party lines.

It is rooted in the values of fairness, inclusion, and common sense.

It is a balanced budget, and it eliminates our $2.3 billion deficit.

However, his ‘rescuing’ of the middle class is not what it seems on the surface. While he is supposedly proposing a decrease in the state income and real estate taxes as well as the corporate tax rate, he is also looking to raise the sales tax, pull $1 billion from the burgeoning natural gas industry, and increase educational funding in the commonwealth from 35 to 50%. The last might be the most crippling to his theoretical ‘balanced budget’ in that the system is broken. We need to put the system in dry dock and find the cracks, holes, and weak points rather than buying more duct tape and hoping we stay afloat. While all this is supposedly going to save the average tax payer over $1000 per year I am betting that the opposite will be true (if we are lucky).

As much as Wolf’s declarations annoyed me, Netanyahu’s assertions inspired me. In the face of a hostile political play which has been in production for weeks, the Prime Minister took center stage and said what many of us were thinking… the President’s policy, his deal, is misguided and dangerous. While this excerpt from his speech doesn’t address the nuclear development in Iran, it does speak to the heart of the matter:

America's founding document promises life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Iran's founding document pledges death, tyranny, and the pursuit of jihad. And as states are collapsing across the Middle East, Iran is charging into the void to do just that.

Iran's goons in Gaza, its lackeys in Lebanon, its revolutionary guards on the Golan Heights are clutching Israel with three tentacles of terror. Backed by Iran, Assad is slaughtering Syrians. Back by Iran, Shiite militias are rampaging through Iraq. Back by Iran, Houthis are seizing control of Yemen, threatening the strategic straits at the mouth of the Red Sea. Along with the Straits of Hormuz, that would give Iran a second choke-point on the world's oil supply.

Just last week, near Hormuz, Iran carried out a military exercise blowing up a mock U.S. aircraft carrier. That's just last week, while they're having nuclear talks with the United States. But unfortunately, for the last 36 years, Iran's attacks against the United States have been anything but mock. And the targets have been all too real. 

Those who have opposed this speech and have questioned the opposition to Obama’s deal should take note of those two paragraphs. Iran is a threat to my people, Israelis and Americans alike, and we should recognize that reality rather than allowing a rogue regime continue to run rampant throughout the region. Such situations, when left unchecked or addressed without a firm resolve, can have a dire impact on the world not just the countries and people surrounding them. We should stand with our only true democratic ally in the region and prevent the terror from overtaking the world.

Firearms Friday: The Devil Of Ramadi

This past Tuesday former Marine Eddie Ray Routh was found guilty of the death of former Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, the author of “American Sniper”, and Kyle’s friend Chad Littlefield. It took the Erath County, Texas jury less than two hours to convict Routh of capital murder with the judge sentencing him to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Kyle, who had taken Routh to a local shooting range to help him cope with PTSD, was shot in the back along with Littlefield on February 2, 2013. Kyle had done the same work with returning veterans to help them cope with life after war.

While Routh had admitted to the killing immediately afterward plead not guilty at the onset of the trial with his attorney asserting that he suffers from psychotic episodes caused by PTSD and other factors. In the end however, the right verdict was reached as he was the coward behind the trigger that ended the lives of two American heroes who both fought the same battles in the field and in the mind. Sometimes, the insanity plea should not be a factor in such a heinous act.

In the short time since the verdict was read, two Texas Congressmen have filed legislation intended to award the Medal of Honor to the late Chris Kyle. It should be noted that the military credits Kyle, "The Devil of Ramadi", with 160 confirmed kills, out of 255 claimed (probable kills). Ignore the political timing for a moment and consider what is being proposed…

As the most lethal sniper in military history, there is little doubt that Kyle “distinguish himself through conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty” both “while engaged in action against an enemy of the United States” and “while engaged in military operations involving conflict with an opposing foreign force.” When reading this definition from the US Department of Defense website, it is clear that there is merit to this case. However, there is a process, a chain of command, that must be followed so don’t expect a decision in the near future.

To this end, Representative Roger Williams, a co-sponsor of the bill, made the following statement, “There is no doubt that this true American hero is worthy of our nation's highest military honor… While the Medal of Honor will not bring back a husband, father, son and a model Texan, we owe Chris Kyle and his family a great deal of gratitude for his relentless devotion to his country."

Kyle is a man who lived up to the cliché of living life to the fullest. While he was not perfect, he went above and beyond the call of duty both in and out of uniform and should be honored for his heroism. This is an honor long overdue especially since the White House refused to lower flags at half-staff at the time of his death but had no problem doing so not long prior to his passing when they were informed of the death of Whitney Houston. It is about time that we honor his life and his service by considering him for the highest honor this country has to offer. The "The Chris Kyle Medal of Honor Act," which is co-sponsored by Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, was sent to the House Armed Services Committee for consideration.

Firearms Friday: Banning All Means Of Self-Defense

There have been countless bills in recent history that have been specifically designed to limit firearms ownership and essentially strip the rights away from people to defend themselves. That simple and devious objective has recently been broadened to include those items that are truly, by any political definition, defensive. By this I am of course referring to the bill proposed last month by Representative Mike Honda (D-CA) deceptively titled the “Responsible Body Armor Possession Act”. As summarized on the Congressional website:

Amends the federal criminal code to prohibit the purchase, ownership, or possession of enhanced body armor, except: (1) by or under the authority of the United States or any state or political subdivision, or (2) enhanced body armor that was lawfully possessed before the effective date of this Act.

Defines "enhanced body armor" to mean body armor, including a helmet or shield, the ballistic resistance of which meets or exceeds the ballistic performance of Type III armor, determined using National Institute of Justice Standard-0101.06.

That’s right, the same people that want to strip you of right to bear arms also want to eliminate any possibility to defend yourself once those firearms have been taken away. Once again, we are all caste in the same pool as those who perform illegal, insidious, and barbaric acts with firearms. For a group that likes to focus so intensely on the lives of the one percent it is interesting that they have no problem ignoring the fact that only a fraction of a percent of the hundreds of millions of firearms in this country are actually used to commit a crime. However, I think that Robert Farago at TheTruthAboutGuns.org was much more succinct in his reaction to the bill:

That “argument” presumes that A) active shooters wear Type III bullet resistant vests, B) a ban on Type III bullet resistant vests would prevent active shooters from obtaining and wearing such attire and C) active shooters (wearing Type III bullet resistant vests) are enough of a problem to warrant federal legislation. D’oh! Forgot D) banning Type III bullet resistant vests doesn’t limit law-abiding citizens’ ability to defend themselves

It’s that last one that reveals Honda’s true agenda.

Like all gun control advocates, Honda believes that people are safer under the protection of the bullet resistant vest-wearing police than they are when they take responsibility for their own defense – which could include wearing a rifle-round capable bullet resistant vest. Self-defense is too risky! People who own guns – and wear bullet resistant vests – could turn into active shooters! Hard-to-kill active shooters!

All of this debate has spurred sales of personal body armor and those companies offering that protection at a reasonable price have been inundated by orders resulting in lead times of up to 10-12 weeks. AR500 is probably the best example of this influx of activity and while some customers have been content to wait others have criticized the small Arizona based manufacturer for the delay. However, just like the ammunition shortage we all experienced a few years ago, production can only go so fast if quality is to be maintained.

We all heard the stories of overpowered and underpowered rounds that resulted from the high input to keep up with demand. However, I can confidently say that the AR500 armor is well worth the wait. Despite the political pressure and subsequent order inundation, AR500.com maintains a high standard. I have seen the quality first hand and despite the lag times that are currently in place and the volume that they are now producing, the quality remains unquestioned and the prices remain the same. Those who are thinking about purchasing should probably hedge their bet now and at least order some plates. After all, grandfathering is a beautiful thing in the face of strict regulation when you know that you are already covered.

With that said, all of this would be so much easier if everyone could simply agree to allow people to defend themselves. All of these bills and fear mongering is getting out of hand and the encouragement of people to rely so heavily on the government is a bit ridiculous. The police do all that they can to protect us but they can’t be everywhere and when something does happen it is going to take them time to arrive on the scene. We can’t fault them for doing all that they can do but, at the same time, you can’t fault us for wanting to protect ourselves.

We don’t need overregulation and bans on everything that anyone has ever used in a crime. We need some real gun sense to finally take hold and for people to embrace the broader concepts of personal responsibility, self-sufficiency, and self-defense sense. Those characteristics should be recognized and encouraged for the solid foundation that they provide to a nation of law abiding citizens. We must defend not attack “we the people.”

Double D’Oh!

On my way to the office on Tuesday morning the radio was full of both local and national discussions as we would see a new Governor take office in Pennsylvania around lunch time and the President was set to address the nation in his State of the Union speech in the evening. It should be no surprise to anyone who reads this blog that I wasn’t looking forward to either of these speeches. Two meals ruined by the double d’oh!

The morning flew by as I as jumping from project to project trying to make sure things were lined up for what was going to be a scattered afternoon. As I walked out of my office to head to a meeting Tom Wolf (in sheep’s clothing) was being sworn in as the 47^th Governor of the Commonwealth. While his speech was innocuous there are too many questions still unanswered stemming from his previously stated views from the campaign. While by no means all encompassing, this was pointed out later in the evening by 6 ABC (a local Philadelphia news station) when they reported the following:

“Wolf outlined his goals in positive, general terms - creating good-paying jobs, equalizing educational opportunity in public schools and providing "a government that works." He did not mention a projected $2 billion-plus revenue gap for the fiscal year that starts July 1 or his proposals that include levying a new tax on the natural gas industry, overhauling the state income tax and increasing public school funding.”

Basically we are all just waiting for the state and local taxes to go up along with the federal taxes that are certain to be on the rise as well. Having a greater chunk taken out of our pay is a near certainty heading into the final two years of the Obama administration. Some will say that it will only be imposed on the top 1% but those are not the ones that are going to feel it. Trickle down taxation is something that is not discussed as much as it should be but simply put the ripple from top to bottom is certain and, in the end, we are all going to have lighter wallets.

By the way, Business Insider has a great state by state chart of how much you would have to make to be considered part of the 1%. The Atlantic has another chart that breaks it down by age. While still high compared to what many of us take home each year, it is takes far less than a million dollar annually to be considered part of the 1%. In fact, when you think about it, nearly every politician that you vote for would fall into this top echelon.

However, what really struck me about the evening speech by the President is the combative tone which he used throughout the night including the record threat to veto four separate initiatives expected to be passed by Congress. This is particularly striking when paired with his other pleas for understanding and cooperation. With an economy that is still lagging and national security in question, might we consider the fact that there are other ways to go about doing business. Of course that wouldn’t work. Instead we are going to keep paying more and more money to support failed and flawed policies because the best way to fix a problem is to throw money at it and the best way to get people to accept something is to give it to them for free (you just get taxed for shipping, handling, and processing). The state of disillusion is strong indeed!

Someone Is Drunk Behind The Wheel!

I'm okay to drive!

So the big speech is tonight and all those watching the Latin Grammy Awards will have to pardon the interruption at the President overextends himself. In an unprecedented move, the President is expected to extend amnesty to roughly 5 million illegal immigrants currently residing in the United States. Contrary to what you might hear on MSNBC or CNN, this is completely different than that of the amnesty granted by Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush in that they were making ever attempt to keep families together in the wake of an ill-conceived piece of legislation passed by congress while still working within the parameters of that law.  

Tonight we will see a President not working within the limitations of the law but someone who is willing to exceed his power and make decisions without bothering to take a minute to listen to the voice of the people. For someone who is supposedly a ‘Constitutional Scholar’ he has not acted in a way that would make me believe that claim. Given the latest vote by the house clearing the way for a lawsuit to be filed against the president on the grounds of exceeding his authority, this bombastic and self-righteous move is not a surprise… especially the PR move to schedule to speech on the same night as the Latin Grammy Awards (you are incredibly naïve if you think this is mere coincidence).

So what is fallout going to be like after this dictatorial declaration? I really couldn’t say as there are so many possibilities and factors that are playing into this whole crisis. However, given the scope of the aforementioned lawsuit and the permissive language used within it, I am pretty sure that this whole incident will be added to the case. Oh, did I mention that the attorney hired to try the case was actually an Obama supporter and has come to the realization over time that he is indeed overreaching his powers? Well, that is the kind of president that we have to put up with for two more years.   

What I can tell you is that this result of the reckless actions will be comparable to slowing down and trying to figure out how it all happened as you pass an accident scene on the highway. Fingers will be pointed, blame will be passed around, and no one is going to have any answers. Just get ready for the traffic jam and potential shutdown of the government highway that may result from the actions of one irresponsible man who decided to get behind the wheel while drunk with power.

Voting SNAFU!

I knew that I was going to be arriving late the office this morning. After all, I had to stop by my polling place and cast my vote (even though it wouldn’t make any difference in the area in which we live). I arrived at my designated polling location and it seemed as though I had never left the apartment building.

Of the dozen or so people staffing the location only a couple of them weren’t neighbors. I knew each and every one of them which is why I can confidently say that this was not a politically diverse crowd. Maybe that is why no one would say a word to me as I walked up to the building and through the doors.

There were only a couple people in front of me so it didn’t take me long to get up to the table. The lack of participation is not surprising as, according to recent study by WalletHub, only 42.1% of voters ages 18-24 and 68.9% of senior citizen even bother to show up at the polls. License in hand I gave them my name and watched as the confused look fell upon their face as to why I would have a photo ID out. Thirty seconds later I was in, and out, of the booth and heading back to the car.  

By the end of the long day, with the results beginning to come in, I was both incredibly disappointed by my state and happy about the shift in power that was going to occur in Washington. While the process is necessary for the people to have their voices heard I just can’t get over the fact that we will have to put up with a new Governor that does not represent us. To add to the entire fiasco is the fact that his main body of supporters are completely oblivious to the contrariness of the vote that they just submitted in their naive push of the button.

These people who take pride letting everyone know that they are part of the 99% just voted for someone who is part of the 0.1% to represent them. They claim that they want the government to stay out of their bedrooms and their lives but they support having their rights limited and, in some instances, taken away. They want people to take home more of their hard earned money but they support tax policies that obliterate their paychecks. They say they want people to have greater opportunities in life but they don’t want to encourage them to be self-sufficient, they prefer giving them handouts.

WTF!

This whole day just proves the point that sometimes saying that you voted is like saying everybody poops. We know that its true but it doesn’t mean you should be applauded for crapping on the carpet. Voting for the Republican candidate in my town is like farting in the middle of the room… they know people will notice but they don’t want to admit to it. Well, pull my finger because I’m the one who voted Republican across the board.

Why Am I Only Hearing Crickets?

Would this be considered a high capacity wood block?

I have said it before and I will say it again, it is time for some sensible weapons registration. MAC over at The Bang Switch and I agree on the fact that we must put companies and manufacturers on notice that we can no longer allow for the careless production, purchase, and use of such deadly instruments in homes across the country. These steel tools are easily within reach of children and the mentally unstable each and every day in this country and it can’t simply continue happening in such an unregulated and dangerous way.

I expect to see members of Congress and the Senate line up behind the President and support all legislative actions, and even executive orders if that is what it takes, so that we can become a safer nation. This should not be an issue of partisanship, this should be an issue that unites us all because, in the end, Washington knows best. This should happen any minute now while the emotions stemming from the attempted murder at a Western Pennsylvania High School are still raw and public support can be rallied behind the regulation of sharp cutting instruments.

Furthermore, we should invest in the development of smart knives so that only the owner, who has filled out all the proper paperwork and has registered their Cutco steak knife set is able to use it. Although, come to think of it, steak knives are rather compact. Maybe we should also enforce a STK (Short Tong Knives) policy and require a $200 tax stamp, 6+ month waiting period, and extensive background checks in order to purchase any knife under a certain length. This also applies to fully automatic knives also known as assault blenders and all ‘electric machine cutting knives’. Heck with maybe, that is definitely what we should do.

Of course, let us not forget the proliferation of ghost knives that have flooded the market. You know, the home made knives flowing from garages and basements across this country that are sold without any record and that go from state to state undetected. And, of course, they come with unlimited capacity blades that can be used over and over with little more than a sharpening stone or strap o leather.

People, yes you, cannot be trusted with such dangerous items without the proper training and only after a background check has been performed. After all, owning a knife is not a right and the Founding Fathers could not have anticipated the development of folding knives, electric knives, concealed carry knives, Leatherman tools, and other such developments. Everyone knows that the object makes the person unstable, it is the cause of these heinous acts, the person holding the weapon is just another victim. Mental health has nothing to do with what continue to happen so we need to ban anything and everything that can be used as a weapon.

How does that sound to you?

The State Of The Union Is…

It is many things but nothing that I would call strong. Actually, scratch that. The state of the union is strongly divided.

While the address by President Obama this year was annoying and, at some points, downright stomach churning it was still better than it was last year when the television barely escaped in one piece. In that regard, things have gotten better since this same time last year. That may be the only positive development that I can really see that this administration has made in the past twelve months.

Like many of the President’s pubic addresses when the prompter is working properly, his performance was excellent. That part is undeniable and many people enjoy hearing the President speak just like many people like the forced overdramatic performances in B movies. But, just like the fiction found on film, the promises and pledges made are theatrics and nothing more.

The state of the union is divided. Too many people are out of work and any have given up trying. While the jobless rate seems to be going down it leaves me questioning how many people stopped looking? How many people are no longer counted?

Many minutes were dedicated to the calling for equal pay, for helping the African American community find work, for a higher minimum wage, for amnesty, and for many other things. Is this really where we should be focusing our efforts? Is this where we should be funneling our dollars? I don’t see this as a means to equality, this is a road to complacency. We need to be a nation of equal rights, equal freedoms, and an opportunity to pursue our own happiness.

No one ever said that life is fair. This nation was not founded as a coop. Embrace opportunity and work hard to make your life better. Does that mean you will live like the Jones’? No. Some will have more than others but many have more than they need. Are you really going to be better off paying higher and higher taxes, having money taken out of your pocket, in order to fulfill the promises of a government that insists on supporting the weight of the nation under the false premise that we need to give unequal amounts of money to some in order to ensure equality?

However, the most dangerous phrase of the evening which was used on a few occasions was “with or without congress” when referring to the actions that ‘need’ to be taken. It is this statement that should ring loudly in the ears of all who are listening. This is a frightening action and a threat of unilateral action that has the potential to be more damaging to the state of our union than any external force which threatens our safety and our freedom. This is a phrase that no President, regardless of party, should be using especially one with approval ratings as low as they are at this point. And, given the status that the United States still has in this world, it is a statement that endangers the safety and security of our allies especially Israel.

The state of the union, our union, is many things but, at this point, it is not strong, it is not stable, it is not safe, and it is not prosperous. We are in a state of division with a chasm that is growing faster than the national debt. It is with this reality in mind that we need to focus on and fight for change in the political system. It is through our efforts and our voices that we can fulfill the opportunity for change that has been given to us by the Founding Fathers. We all have an equal vote and an equal opportunity. It all comes down to who wants to work harder to change the state of the union and restore the strength that was once present.

Shut Down!

As you should be aware the Federal government officially shut down at 12:00 AM this morning. We have now gone nearly an entire day without any progress being made. The politicians still got paid and Obamacare enrollment still happened but many people found themselves with no job to go to and no paycheck to be had. This is our government at work.

While the Democrats keep saying the Republicans are at fault and the Republicans keep saying the Democrats are at fault I think we all have to come to the realization that this was a combined failure. On the good side, this may be the most decisive bipartisan effort in Washington in a long time but it also means that we are paying for what has become the epitome of ineffective government. This is what happens when the best interests of the people are a secondary concern to the egos of elected officials.

There are far reaching effects beyond the confines of Capital Hill that, in some shape or form, could impact all of us. CBSnews.com put out a pretty good list soon after midnight to break down the government breakdown:

Air Travel: Federal air traffic controllers would remain on the job and airport screeners would keep funneling passengers through security checkpoints. Federal inspectors would continue enforcing safety rules.

International Travel: The State Department would continue processing foreign applications for visas and U.S. applications for passports, since fees are collected to finance those services. Embassies and consulates overseas would continue to provide services to American citizens.

Benefit Payments: Social Security and Medicare benefits would keep coming, but there could be delays in processing new disability applications. Unemployment benefits would still go out.

Federal Courts: Federal courts would continue operating normally for about 10 business days after the start of a shutdown, roughly until the middle of October. If the shutdown continues, the judiciary would have to begin furloughs of employees whose work is not considered essential. But cases would continue to be heard.

Mail: Deliveries would continue as usual because the U.S. Postal Service receives no tax dollars for day-to-day operations. It relies on income from stamps and other postal fees to keep running.

Recreation: All national parks would be closed, as would the Smithsonian museums, including the National Zoo in Washington. Visitors using overnight campgrounds or other park facilities would be given 48 hours to make alternate arrangements and leave the park. Among the visitor centers that would be closed: the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island in New York, Independence Hall in Philadelphia and Alcatraz Island near San Francisco.

Health: New patients would not be accepted into clinical research at the National Institutes of Health, but current patients would continue to receive care. Medical research at the NIH would be disrupted and some studies would be delayed. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would be severely limited in spotting or investigating disease outbreaks such as the flu or that mysterious MERS virus from the Middle East.

Food Safety: The Food and Drug Administration would handle high-risk recalls, but would suspend most routine safety inspections. Federal meat inspections would be expected to proceed as usual.

Head Start: A small number of Head Start programs, about 20 out of 1,600 nationally, would feel the impact right away. The federal Administration for Children and Families says grants expiring about Oct. 1 would not be renewed. Over time, more programs would be affected. Several of the Head Start programs that would immediately feel the pinch are in Florida. It's unclear if they would continue serving children.

Food Assistance: The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, known as WIC, could shut down. The program provides supplemental food, health care referrals and nutrition education for pregnant women, mothers and their children. School lunches and breakfasts would continue to be served, and food stamps, known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, would continue to be distributed. But several smaller feeding programs would not have the money to operate.

Taxes: Americans would still have to pay their taxes and file federal tax returns, but the Internal Revenue Service says it would suspend all audits. Got questions? Sorry, the IRS says taxpayer services, including toll-free help lines, would be shut as well.

Loans: Many low-to-moderate incomes borrowers and first-time homebuyers seeking government-insured mortgages could face delays. The Federal Housing Administration, which guarantees about 30 percent of home mortgages, would still approve single-family loans, but with delays. Multi-family mortgage approvals would be suspended. Action on government-backed loans to small businesses would be suspended.

Science: NASA will continue to keep workers at Mission Control in Houston and elsewhere to support the International Space station, where two Americans and four others are deployed. The National Weather Service would keep forecasting weather and issuing warnings and the National Hurricane Center would continue to track storms. The scientific work of the U.S. Geological Survey would be halted.

Homeland Security: The majority of the Department of Homeland Security's employees are expected to stay on the job, including uniformed agents and officers at the country's borders and ports of entry, members of the Coast Guard, Transportation Security Administration officers, Secret Service personnel and other law enforcement agents and officers. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services employees would continue to process green card applications.

Military: The military's 1.4 million active duty personnel would stay on duty, but their paychecks would be delayed. About half of the Defense Department's civilian employees would be furloughed.

Prisons: All 116 federal prisons would remain open, and criminal litigation would proceed.

Veterans Services: Most services offered through the Department of Veterans Affairs will continue because lawmakers approve money one year in advance for the VA's health programs. Veterans would still be able to visit hospitals for inpatient care, get mental health counseling at vet centers or get prescriptions filled at VA health clinics. Operators would still staff the crisis hotline and claims workers would still process payments to cover disability and pension benefits. But those veterans appealing the denial of disability benefits to the Board of Veterans Appeals will have to wait longer for a decision because the board would not issue any decisions during a shutdown.

Work Safety: Federal occupational safety and health inspectors would stop workplace inspections except in cases of imminent danger.

However, this is just about all the neutral news coming out of the mouths of the media regarding this issue. Some coverage has been outright biased (MSNBC) while other reports ‘talk to the people’ who all seem to place the blame squarely on Congress. I agree that they are to blame, both sides of the aisle, but so is the rest of the federal government at this point. By the way, all of you ranting on Facebook and Twitter are not helping the situation either. In fact, it's getting so bad on social media that you should all run for office. 

This is the 17th shut down of the federal government since 1976. Fault has been assigned to each of the parties at any given instance but why don’t we finally take a look at the situation and realize that this is, and has always been, a bipartisan clusterf**k. This will blow over like the legislative flatulence that it is and life will go on just like it did the previous 16 times. Just don’t expect anything to get resolved and remember that there is a reason why we hold elections.

To sum up the current state of Washington politics I will borrow a technical acronym from the military… SNAFU!