Happy 4th of July. Is everyone ready for the long weekend which starts tomorrow?
Who has special plans for the 4th?
I love fireworks but I hate crowds. I have traveled across the country just to see good ones in a non-crowded environment.
The bet I have seen have been in Long Beach, Washington, right on the Pacific ocean from my hotel room. I wish I were there this weekend. Such is not to be, however. I could probably never get that room again. I am sure it books up years in advance. Where have you seen the best fireworks?
@Wolve
Wolve (#58), I guess we’re even now. I didn’t say anything about this. I don’t know whom you were addressing, but it wasn’t I.
But, since you addressed me directly, albeit cryptically, I’ll chime in. Given the Second Amendment, I don’t have problems with people carrying firearms if they are carefully tested (and periodically re-screened) for competence, physical ability, emotional/mental maturity, firearms knowledge, marksmanship, and, most importantly, they carry the weapon openly and conspicuously in a bright colored outer holster. If there had been a number of people in Chattanooga who had been so trained and vetted, and their presence quite visible to the shooter, he might have thought better of it and those Marines would be alive today. So I think we are in at least particle agreement. The other element in this is that it appears that we really are going to have to harden up security at virtually all our military installations, even recruiting offices.
“particle” should read “partial”. I’d like to think that some sort of auto-spell made that mistake, but since both are words, it must be a combination of my lightning typing speed coupled with my champeen, astronomically high error rate.
@Moon-howler
Roof shouldn’t have had access to any weapon. The FBI admitted to screwing up his background check. Felons have surrendered their eights, and the those judged mentally deficient as well. My issue is this is about people, not guns. People commit evil. A gun lacks the power to shoot itself. It is a hard heart that kills. People get burned and drowned. Shall we ban fire and water?
Both fire and water exist naturally in nature. Guns do not. I have never suggested we ban guns. I suggest we look a lot more carefully about who gets to use them.
Obviously the words of the 2A are somewhat hollow since we take guns away from felons, even after they have done their time, children, the mentally ill and the mentally deficient. Those restrictions do infringe upon someone’s right to bear arms.
People don’t tend to get drowned in multiples, Steve. They tend to do it one at a time. The problem with modern firearms (as opposed to those in the awareness of the Framers of the Constitution) is that they enable deranged and angry people to do a lot of maiming and killing in a very short time, far more than can be done with a knife or water wielded by a lone assailant. They also have a pretty high mortality rate per attempted homicidal use. So we have a problem. Guns are wildly abundant and ludicrously easy to obtain. Sure, the people part is key. But a lot more vetting about who has modern handguns and how competent they are to use them would hurt no legitimate gun owner, and might place some brakes on homicidal loonies getting hold of them. Limits on they type of gun might also be helpful (e.g., single shot muzzle loaders of the type in use at the time of the drafting of the Second Amendment).
I realize that, given the number of guns in circulation, that people who shouldn’t have them may well find ways to get hold of them. So there is no overnight fix. That does not mean we should not work toward improvement of a situation where we have thousands of gun deaths, homicides and suicides, every year.
My understanding is the Senate does not have to approve this deal for it to enter into force. The only way it can be stopped is for Congress to disapprove by a veto-proof margin. Since it is not a treaty, however, it will much easier for the next president to rescind.
Speaking of other presidents, E.J. Dionne had an interesting op-ed in the Washington Post two days ago that compared the Iranian deal to the Reagan-Gorbachev nuclear arms agreement in 1985. A liberal invoking Reagan suggests a really, really bad deal.
I am totally baffled as to why all of those military installations were not “hardened” long ago (although the recruiting centers in open civilian areas are a special problem). For the love of Mike, ISIS announced openly some time ago that they were instructing their supporters in the US to target American military personnel here on our home ground. How much advance notice does Washington need before they get off their derrieres?! I understand that the joint Navy-Marine installation in Chattanooga where the four Marines died had an unmanned gate and only some cement barriers around which vehicles had to maneuver. Go figure.
@Moon-howler
Moon,
Felons are stripped of many constitutional rights, which I have absolutely issue with. I wouldn’t object to a process whereby a felon who demonstrates rehabilitation can petition to have his or her rights restored, as happens with voting. Those judged to be mentally ill and or mentally deficient are also denied many constitutional rights, not just gun rights, but not without due process. Minors have yet to receive their full majority, or their franchise, and therefore are not entitled to the full exercise of their rights. We limit their ability to enter contracts, own property, and they are shielded from certain prosecutions. This doesn’t diminish the 2A, anymore than it does the other expressed rights in the Constitution.
@Moon-howler
Moon,
Felons are stripped of many constitutional rights, which I have absolutely no issue with. I wouldn’t object to a process whereby a felon who demonstrates rehabilitation can petition to have his or her rights restored, as happens with voting. Those judged to be mentally ill and or mentally deficient are also denied many constitutional rights, not just gun rights, but not without due process. Minors have yet to receive their full majority, or their franchise, and therefore are not entitled to the full exercise of their rights. We limit their ability to enter contracts, own property, and they are shielded from certain prosecutions. This doesn’t diminish the 2A, anymore than it does the other expressed rights in the Constitution.
However, their rights have been infringed upon. That is my only point. There are restrictions. Americans can’t have full “machine guns” or other types of weapons deemed unacceptable. Some Americans have been excluded from having those rights.
Frankly, I am not happy with the denial to felons once they have served their time, either voting rights or gun rights. ONce you’ve done your time, you’ve done your time. Felony and misdemeanor are often fairly arbitrary. You can go half beat someone’s brains in in a barroom brawl and have it a misdemeanor.
My only point is, no rights are really without restriction. Once we establish that, there are reasonable places for discussion. For example, what can be done to keep guns from those who act irresponsibily? Who, how, etc.
Don’t you feel those are appropriate topics?
You and I have discussed different rules for arming members of the military. Absolutely. They are sitting ducks as things now exist.
I understand digging one’s heels in probably better than the average bear, as an abortion rights supporter. If you give a damn inch, your rights will be snatched away. Even if you dig your heels in, there are those who will just whittle away. I know your go to the mat issue works the same way.
At some point, there needs to be talk by reasonable people without the idiot politicians involved.
Trump belittles McCain’s war service, sparking stern Republican backlash
AMES, Iowa — Donald Trump, the celebrity businessman who has rocketed to the front of the Republican presidential race, flippantly belittled Sen. John McCain’s war service here Saturday, inviting a torrent of criticism from party leaders and other candidates.
“He’s not a war hero,” Trump said of McCain at a summit of 3,000 socially conservative activists. He continued, sarcastically, “He’s a war hero because he was captured. I like people that weren’t captured.”
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-belittles-mccains-war-service-sparking-stern-republican-backlash/2015/07/18/e9f814c6-2d7e-11e5-bd33-395c05608059_story.html?hpid=z1
Attacking veterans for their war service is repugnant and cowardly, especially coming from someone who refused to serve.
Just listened to John Kasich’s speech.
Aside from being a good speaker, I liked most of what he
was saying. He was not a blistering, stir-up-the-masses
firebrand, but lively and with a message the was more
optimistic than what I’ve heard from any other candidate
to date.
Just saw the second video about Planned Parenthood and the availability of the body tissue of aborted fetuses. It sure looked to me like a negotiating of the PP price.
Well, then call the FBI. Selling body parts is illegal.
I heard someone in the know state tonight that they had about a dozen more videos like that available. PP on the hot seat, I must say.
If you have reason to think a crime has been committed, you have a responsibility to turn them over to the authorities.
Otherwise, what’s the issue? Up to this point, fetal stem cells come from fetuses. I don’t know what else there is to it.
By gosh and by golly, I just got around to reading a 16 July thread on The Derecho in which Elena’s citizen coalition against the Dominion power lines in Haymarket got what looks like an A+ from Derecho for organization, unity, knowledge, and performance at the most recent public meeting with Dominon VA Power reps. Yessirreee.
I expect he would approve. He is part of the organization. He is part of the leadership working against those huge towers being run through people’s neighborhoods. Hopefully, they will prevail.
@Wolve
Looks like PP is trying to get out in front of the next group of videos about to be released. They came out yesterday warning of several more videos, some of them even racial in nature.
Quick, call the NAACP and report Planned Parenthood.
Those who support it will continue to do so. Those who don’t wouldn’t ever under any circumstances.
There is a large contingency of people out there who must not have known where fetal issue for stem cell research came from. Go figure.
I wonder if medical advances from that use would be rejected by some because of its association with stem cell research? I seriously doubt it.
I think that the bigger story here isn’t that no crime has been committed; rather why is this NOT a crime?
If PP is using these tissues for research then why aren’t they simply donating them? Why are they negotiating the highest price for each organ?
Selling body parts is illegal. Period. It is allowable to charge for storage and handling. So either prosecute, or shut up.
It’s just not something I plan on spending time on. This will probably fizzle out like all political “sting” operations.
@Moon-howler
One last thing about these PP videos… it’s obvious that the PP doctors are discussing different ways in which to perform these abortions (“a less crunchy method”) and when they should be performed to ensure the best preserved organs for sale.
I always thought that PP provided abortions purely for the health and safety of the mother. Doesn’t this conflict with that claim? It appears that in certain cases they are more concerned with getting the most cash that they can for tissues rather than the health and safety of the mother.
If people really cared about health of the woman there wouldn’t be so many TRAP laws, or other phony laws restricting right to abortion. In fact, there wouldn’t have been such a howl over D&X procedure.
By the way, other facilities other than Planned parenthood provide fetal tissue, within the constraints of the law.
My suggestion to you is to stay out of PP facilities and stop worrying about it. You are trying to be a provocateur here and not doing a very good job with it at all. This is just one of those areas I cant must up the energy to discuss in detail. Read my lips: I don’t give a crap. Dead is dead. Medical research beats the medical waste incinerator. Done here.
I think that is what is currently happening Moon. A few states have opened investigations into this issue with PP. Maybe charges will be filed after the investigation is complete.
I’m sure other facilities do provide fetal tissue for research, I’m curious if they negotiate the highest price possible for the tissue and then joke about how they want a Lambo with the money.
Two very edited and taken out of context videos have surfaced. When you watch more of the content from the first video – the person says the costs are for handling, transportation and storage. It remains legal to donate tissue from an aborted fetus.
Just another group out there trying to drum up a name for themselves while doctoring the videos to justify there cause. This is also a very small part of the business operation of planned parenthood. They do much more for woman’s health than many other groups.
@Jackson Bills
It all sounds rather Mengelean .
Edited and out of context = standard liberal response to everything.
Dead is dead and deliberately killed is deliberately killed.
It remains legal to donate tissue from an aborted fetus – what a sad statement. A fetus is a fetus when it’s not wanted. Otherwise it’s a child and a reason to celebrate. Only the perception is different, not the facts.
And we argue over black lives or all lives matter? This is why it doesn’t. Life should matter.
Your perception statement is very true. Not all pregnancies are happy ones. It’s a complicated issue. It gets even more complicated and contradictory when looking at the demographics of abortion.
Democrats in Connecticut are dropping the names of Jefferson and Jackson from the annual fundraising dinner most Democratic parties (including PWC) have. Hopefully this will catch on as the next step in removing the racist legacy of slavery.
http://www.ctpost.com/news/article/Democrats-drop-Thomas-Jefferson-and-Andrew-6400544.php
Oh well. Jefferson wasn’t a democrat anyway. Was Jackson a slave holder or did he just do genocide on Indians?
@Lyssa
Lyssa – I kinda agree with you on this. Abortion is not for me nor my family. I do not condone it. At the same time, I am not going to impose my wants and wishes on another person that is pregnant and may not have good alternatives – abusive relationship, deformed child, raped, etc. I find it very ironic that there is a part of the population out there that wants to ban abortion and at the same time limit the help and resources to our poorest at the same time. The wealthy can often (and do) go to other locations to receive abortion services. Even the RNC provided abortion coverage through their health plan until a few short years ago.
@Pat.Herve
Not everyone has the same threshold. I have observed over the year that most people have standards on the subject of abortion., These said standards are subject to change when there are fetal anomalies, pregnant 14 year old daughters, or other circumstances that create a “crisis pregnancy.”
I try not to judge and I sure do want to keep it legal and safe. Yes, it is sad. Its a very sad topic. How many of us have had our lives made richer because a family member chose NOT to have an abortion?
@Moon-howler
Me….
Because abortion was illegal when my mother was pregnant and because she was devout.
I’m alive.
You are making that leap that if abortion were legal, you would have been aborted. Even if your mother told you that is what would have happened, maybe not. People change their minds.
But…I am glad you are here.
From Wikipedia:
Starting with nine slaves, Jackson held as many as 44 by 1820, and later held up to 150 slaves, making him among the planter elite. Throughout his lifetime Jackson may have owned as many as 300 slaves.
There’s also an effort to get Jackson off the $20 bill. Maybe we need to start work on the nickel too. Locally, I know there is a push to rename Route 1. Fairfax has Lee Highway and TJ High School.
I thought Jackson was common born?
Thanks for the info. I was too lazy to look it up for myself.
I don’t mind swapping out faces on paper currency. Franklin and Grant also owned slaves.
@Pat
I am with you. I would not judge the victim of a rape or incest. Beyond that….my sister and her husband were unable to have children. Their pain was awful to watch. There are waiting lists to adopt children with Downs Syndrome. I am infuriated by those that can’t ‘bear’ to give the child up for adoption but can abort. There are definitely situations that are best left to the individual and the Doctor. That said, I firmly believe there is a future reckoning for some.
And it doesn’t dictate my vote.
Planned Parenthood published on its website a list of 41 corporate donors. That list has now been taken down. It appears that at least three of the listed corporations, Coca Cola, Ford Motor Company, and Xerox have flatly denied that they have ever been PP donors, including matching employee charitable contributions.
And the grapevine says some upcoming videos will discuss PP views on Black fetal tissue.
Hot seat for sure.
According to whom? I would think fetal tissue would be fetal tissue. Whats the deal with race?
I find it odd that no major news outlet seems to be covering this topic–just those with a strong anti abortion agenda.
I looked at some of the lists. I am proud to say I own stock in at least 5 of the contributing companies.
This is rich. Some major PR firm with big donation and bundling links to the Hillary Clinton apparatus has hired Anthony Wiener to advise clients who are having to deal with negative PR problems.
Well, heck, Anthony’s wife had to find something for the guy to do!
Can you please post a link? I would like to see the new edits.
Very interesting photographs following 9-11
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/never-before-seen-photos-of-bush-cheney-white-house-staff-after-sept-11-attacks/2015/07/25/229d678e-32ea-11e5-97ae-30a30cca95d7_gallery.html?hpid=z8
Why watch the edited versions when you can watch the entire video? Just go to YouTube and search ‘Center for American Progress’ and you can watch all 4+ hours, it’s not that hard.
Why would you want to watch all that? Aren’t you working? I don’t want to watch brain surgery either.
How do you know the youtube.com video hasn’t been edited? You don’t.
More on this when I have the time.
sorry, ‘Center for Medical Progress’…
@Moon-howler
Just letting Pat know that they release the full unedited version as well as the pared down version. For some reason when ever there is a gotcha type video the first thing defenders do is complain that it’s edited…. standard procedure I suppose (on both sides).
If you don’t want to watch brain surgery then you really won’t want to watch the third video… absolutely barbaric and disgusting.
The unedited videos are just that; unedited. Take a peek at them, it’s pretty obvious.
Leave the link.
did you read what I said about what is sop with abortions? Its pretty nasty, but so is anything to do with surgery, in my opinion.
As for editing, most things are edited. You chose the footage that best presents your point of view.
Abortion, either spontaneous or induced is just not pretty. Its sad. I have no problem with fetal tissue going to stem cell research. I know it helps combat some life altering, debilitating diseases. The process is just as gross regardless what becomes of the fetal tissue.
Beijing Just got awarded the 2022 Winter Olympics.
Why? Why? Why!!!!!!! We couldn’t breath when we were over there in 2008. They don’t deserve another chance.