We will keep moving our open Olympic thread up as needed. Post your Olympic thoughts,
Day 6
HB 53 Too Many Xfile Episodes?
Several friends sent me a copy of the daily koz article on Virginia HB 53 accompanied by peals of laughter. I am fairly skeptical about Koz and immediately looked for another source. I mean this bill looked like the Xfiles joined Armageddon. Unfortunately, the Washington Post pretty much reported the same story.
The Virginia House of Delegates voted Wednesday on HB 53. It is a bill that makes it illegal for anyone to put a microchip in your body without your permission. The bill passed the House of Delegates. The bill is mainly aimed at employers, insurance companies and government. To most people, having a bill that sounds like the Xfiles is a bit unusual:
According to the Washington Post, quoting from the bill’s sponsor:
Del. Mark L. Cole (R-Fredericksburg), the bill’s sponsor, said that privacy issues are the chief concern behind his attempt to criminalize the involuntary implantation of microchips. But he also said he shared concerns that the devices could someday be used as the “mark of the beast” described in the Book of Revelation.
“My understanding — I’m not a theologian — but there’s a prophecy in the Bible that says you’ll have to receive a mark, or you can neither buy nor sell things in end times,” Cole said. “Some people think these computer chips might be that mark.”
Cole said that the growing use of microchips could allow employers, insurers or the government to track people against their will and that implanting a foreign object into a human being could also have adverse health effects.
“I just think you should have the right to control your own body,” Cole said.
The religious overtones have cast the debate into a realm that has made even some supporters uneasy and caused opponents to mock the bill for legislating the apocalypse.
In the interest of respecting diversity, I am not coming to comment other than to ask, why is our House of Delegates dealing with this type of legislation? Have there been threats of body snatching? Aare we going to make it illegal to do the alien abduction thing? If it is religious, doesn’t that belong in church? Is our state legislature losing it or what?
Mulder and Scully, here I come!
I will respect diversity…I will respect diversity….I will respect diversity…..
12 Hand Guns a Year Limit in Danger of Repeal
Delegate Scott Lingamfelter (R-Woodbridge) has introduced a bill that would repeal the 1 handgun a month law that has been in effect in Virginia since the days of Governor Doug Wilder. HB 49 has made it out of committee and stands a good chance of being passed. The Militia, Police and Public Safety Committee voted 15-6 Friday to advance Del. Scott Lingamfelter’s bill.
Why do we have such a law limiting the number of handguns we can purchase? In a nut shell, Virginia was a gun running state. Prior to 1993, when the 1 hand gun a month law went into effect, Virginia was the # 1 gun-running state. Scofflaws would come to Virginia, buy up a load of guns, and return home to sell them illegally. New York had a particular problem with Virginia guns. Since the law was passed, Virginia has been #6 in gun running.
According to CBOnline:
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) – Virginia’s ban on buying more than one handgun a month would be repealed under a bill that passed a House committee on Friday.
The Militia, Police and Public Safety Committee voted 15-6 to advance Del. Scott Lingamfelter’s bill to a vote in the GOP-controlled House, where it is likely to pass.
Supporters say lawmakers have carved so many exemptions into the law that it was no longer effective. Since the legislation was passed in 1993, legislators have exempted the state’s 214,000 concealed carry permit holders, all law enforcement and corrections workers, those whose guns were stolen within a month of purchase and other groups from the ban. It does not apply to rifles or shotguns.
“It may have had a purpose in 1993 when it was passed, but if did, the rationale for this statute has been neutered by all the exemptions that now exist,” Lingamfelter said.
Opponents argued the prohibition had helped move Virginia from being the nation’s No. 1 supplier of guns used in the commission of crimes to No. 6. Repealing it, they said, would make it easier for criminals to get guns through so-called straw purchases. In a straw purchase, someone who can pass the required federal background check buys the gun for someone who is a felon, mentally ill or for some other reason is barred from buying guns.
“If a person can walk out with a box full of Glocks, they’re going to walk out to the street and sell them,” said Andrew Goddard, who has lobbied against gun rights bills since his son was shot four times at Virginia Tech in 2007 but survived.
There seems to be room for compromise here. Many of us who are gun owners don’t mind being limited to buying 1 a month. Perhaps changing the law to 2 hand guns a month might help. If a person needs to buy more guns than currently are allowed, there are many ways around the problem. Virginians need to be looking carefully at how to keep guns out of the hands of criminals, especially after the massacre at Virginia Tech, rather than repealing all laws. We are going to wrong direction.
It appears that the legislators in this Northern Virginian region all support the wild west mentality of buying as many guns as one wants. Hopefully down-state realizes that this law in Virginia not only protects Virginians but also the rest of the country. Being #6 isn’t great but it beats being #1.
Don’t Underestimate this Movement!
I think only a fool would underestimate this movement. There are lots and lots of people out there who are angry and mad. Angry, mad people won’t just go away. However, if the people I see in this video represent this movement, I fear for our country.
Are these people imposters? Do they not represent the Tea Party Movement? Why should I not believe these are the people of the grass roots movement. Convince me I am wrong.
There are people who are tired of this topic. There certainly are topics I am tired of, yet I keep hearing them. I cannot turn on my TV without hearing about them and many ideas I feel are repugnant. I am tired of hearing the President being called a socialist. I feel it is disrespectful. I am tired of hearing he isn’t an American. That too is disrespectful. I dislike hearing people call for revolution. I feel this call threatens my country. Convince me I have misunderstood.
Mayfield Intermediate Alternatives in the Works
The City of Manassas is frantically trying to make arrangements to house its 5th and 6th graders for the rest of the year. The roof on the 4 year old school has been declared compromised and has been deemed unsafe even for teachers to re-enter the building to get supplies and personal belongings.
School superintendent Gail Pope is trying to open school in 9 days with no supplies, no phones, and at this point, no classrooms. So far, plans are to use old Marstellar that was bought from Prince William County by Manassas Baptist Church. The City is also looking at renting space from Manassas Assemblies of God Church that has classroom space. Additionally, there is some limited space at Round and Weems, according to Pope.
Who will bear the cost of this major roof repair that has structurally harmed part of the building? This is a 4 year old school. How could this have happened? Was it not built to code? Are other schools compromised because of flat roofs? How will this temporary situation affect SOL scores of the 5th and 6th graders? They will have missed more school than their counterparts not living in the City. Will the state make them make up the time? If yes, those poor kids will be in school until the 4th of July.
Further information: Manassas News & Messenger
