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All posts in category Politics

Gunny TASS has been authorized to report…..

Let’s imagine for a moment that I was the first kid on the block to score one of the new CorreiaTech Combat Wombats in 7.62 SchutzenBoomen, and I wanted to let you all know about this wonder of engineering and how it performed.  Of course, I would run to the local merchant of death, purchase several boxes of ammunition, then haul all that and my chronometer out to the range, and spend a day making smoke into noise while taking measurements.  I would then come home, disassemble this gun, this pinnacle of modern metallurgical and polymeric science, take oodles of pictures, and document what I observe and learn.

Then, being the good little gunblogger that I am, I would post all these pictures, data, and observations so that other gun enthusiasts can make informed decisions on what they purchase and shoot.  Heck, I may provide that one key piece of data that convinces somebody, either in the United States or abroad, to make their first gun purchase a CorreiaTech, not some piece of dreck from RingoCo (Corporate motto:  Oh, RingoCo, no!)

To me, it’s a hobby and an interesting diversion. To someone else, it might be how they make their living or reach out to customers.

To the Obama Administration, it’s about to become a crime.

You see, through the magic of federal regulation and executive orders, the United States Department of State has proposed changes to the International Trade in Arms Regulations (ITAR) so that the posting of information and data about small arms in such a way that people in other parts of the world can read it becomes illegal, because we are exporting data about weapons without proper licensure.

Read for yourself:

As part of the President’s Export Control Reform (ECR) initiative, the Department of State proposes to amend the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) to update the definitions of ‘‘defense article,’’ ‘‘defense services,’’ ‘‘technical data,’’ ‘‘public domain,’’ ‘‘export,’’ and ‘‘reexport or retransfer’’ in order to clarify the scope of activities and information that are covered within these definitions and harmonize the definitions with the Export Administration Regulations (EAR), to the extent appropriate. Additionally, the Department proposes to create definitions of ‘‘required,’’ ‘‘technical data that arises during, or results from, fundamental research,’’ ‘‘release,’’ ‘‘retransfer,’’ and ‘‘activities that are not exports, reexports, or retransfers’’ in order to clarify and support the interpretation of the revised definitions that are proposed in this rulemaking. The Department proposes to create new sections detailing the scope of licenses, unauthorized releases of information, and the ‘‘release’’ of secured information, and revises the sections on ‘‘exports’’ of ‘‘technical data’’ to U.S. persons abroad. Finally, the Department proposes to address the electronic transmission and storage of unclassified ‘‘technical data’’ via foreign communications infrastructure. This rulemaking proposes that the electronic transmission of unclassified ‘‘technical data’’ abroad is not an ‘‘export,’’ provided that the data is sufficiently secured to prevent access by foreign persons. Additionally, this proposed rule would allow for the electronic storage of unclassified ‘‘technical data’’ abroad, provided that the data is secured to prevent access by parties unauthorized to access such data. The revisions contained in this proposed rule are part of the Department of State’s retrospective plan under Executive Order 13563 first submitted on August 17, 2011.

It goes on in detail, and I suggest you read it all.  Basically, gun blogs, publications, enthusiasts, forum members, manufacturers, and just plain goofballs like me would need a mother-may-I from the federal government before putting data such as muzzle velocity, materials, terminal ballistics, disassembly, cleaning, fixing, upgrading,  accurizing, assembling from parts kits, or just plain whittling your own gun out of a block of aluminum up on an open website.

If you think this is, well, troubling, then we have a lot in common.   The government has no business telling us what we can and cannot say.  It really has no business telling us to whom we are and are not allowed to convey knowledge.

By the way, if you’re a geek and have been around a while, this will sound very familiar.  You’ll also know how futile it is to try to burn the books and regulate who can have them when everybody’s got the electronic copy.

So, I’m asking all of you to reach out to our friends at Foggy Bottom and tell them, respectfully and professionally, to go pound sand up their ass.  Here is the contact information for leaving a comment on the proposed new regulations, which may be done until August 3, 2015:

ADDRESSES: Interested parties may submit comments within 60 days of the date of publication by one of the following methods: •

Email: DDTCPublicComments@state.gov with the subject line, ‘‘ITAR Amendment—Revisions to Definitions; Data Transmission and Storage.’’

• Internet: At www.regulations.gov, search for this notice by using this rule’s RIN (1400–AD70).

I also suggest you contact your senators and representatives in Congress and let them know that you’d appreciate it if they’d drag the person or persons responsible for this in front of C-SPAN and get them to explain the pressing government

I want you all to imagine what would happen if we couldn’t post reviews of guns without a license from the crown, or manufacturers had to get permission from Barack Obama and John Kerry before they could tell us what their ammunition or guns can do.  Imagine what would happen when it became illegal for forum members to post their favorite formula for reloading without risking fines and possibly jail.

Now imagine what will happen when everyone within the sound of my voice not only leaves a helpful comment at the above addresses, but gets a few of their friends and family to do the same and spread the word.

We are The People, and the Obama administration is threatening our 1st and 2nd Amendment-guaranteed rights.  It is time for us to tell them no, and to make them understand that we will not go away quietly.

In the meantime, you’re going to be seeing some weapons data posted to this site, every day, until they either drop this effort or roll a 20 in the “Summon Lawsuit” spell attempt by trying to make me stop.  Please join me in drowning the gun grabbing bluntskulls at State out and showing how impotent they really are.

by daddybear71 on June 8, 2015  •  Permalink
Posted in Guns, Politics

Posted by daddybear71 on June 8, 2015

https://daddybearsden.com/2015/06/08/gunny-tass-has-been-authorized-to-report/

Campaign Slogans

Senator Bernie Sanders announced recently that he is seeking the Democratic Parties nomination for president.  He joins Hillary Clinton, Rand Paul, and others who also seek to become temporary residents of government housing in a depressed metropolitan district.

Just to boost the political signal a bit, here are the slogans for the various campaigns:

  • Bernie Sanders – Hippies of the world unite!  You have nothing to lose except your love beads!
  • Hillary Clinton – Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain!
  • Rand Paul – I am not my father!  Unless you really like my dad, in which case, wink wink.
  • Jeb Bush – Third Bush is the charm!
  • Martin O’Malley – Hey, I did a great job with Baltimore!
  • Marco Rubio – The Second Coming of Reagan, Without All That Oratory and Junk
  • Ted Cruz – Hey, electing a first term senator worked really well last time!
  • Rick Perry – It’s my turn, dammit!
  • Elizabeth Warren – It’s not really your money, you know that, right?
  • Carly Fiorina – I’ve run a major American company into the ground, and now it’s your turn!
  • Ben Carson – I like guns now. No, really.  Who are you going to believe, me or your lying memory?
  • Donald Trump – If elected, I will drive all the poor people from Washington D.C. and build casinos

And finally, there’s this one:

  • DaddyBear – Bringing heads and pikes together for America!
by daddybear71 on April 30, 2015  •  Permalink
Posted in Politics

Posted by daddybear71 on April 30, 2015

https://daddybearsden.com/2015/04/30/campaign-slogans/

Sic Semper Tyrannis!

I just finished paying our taxes.  It never fails to amaze me how much our “fair share” comes to every year.  Unsurprisingly, my politics take a decided anti-tax, small government turn (OK, it’s not that big a turn) after I fill out those forms.

But, DaddyBear, the government needs that money to pay for the things it provides to you!

No, it doesn’t.  The only things the government provides to me that I really care about are national defense and a teeny pinch of public safety (some law enforcement, air traffic control, that sort of thing).  The rest is, in my humble taxpayer’s opinion, cruft that has glommed onto the taxpayer’s pocketbook over the years.

  • Public Schools – Close ’em.  Reopen as private schools.  Don’t want to pay for your kids to be educated?  Then do it yourself and quit asking the rest of us to do it for you.  And don’t give me that “I pay for schools because I don’t want stupid people” crap.  Public schools don’t prevent people from being stupid.  Heck, we’re lucky if they prevent people from just being ignorant.  Stupidity is both hereditary and learned behavior, and it cannot be cured.  Quit wasting time and money trying to educate the portion of the school-age population that doesn’t care.
  • Law Enforcement – You know, I’ll take a nuanced approach here.  Sheriffs departments and federal marshals can stay. Maybe a few other specialists can as well, but not many, and on a case by case basis. Citizens become responsible for their own security again.  Take the money you save in not paying taxes for police and get yourself the tools and training you want to use to take care of yourself and your family.
  • Fire and EMS – Privatize them.  Either insure yourself against their use or just pay a fee to use their services.  Don’t want to pay the monthly fee to have fire coverage on your house?  Then I suggest JiffyPop and StayPuft marshmallows.  It also might cut down on frequent flyers in EMS if it hurt your pocketbook to keep calling Ambulance Driver over to take care of your boo-boo.
  • Roads – Privatize them or just quit worrying about it.  Seriously, a 4×4 with knobby tires would be cheaper than this.
  • Courts – Since we got rid of the police, the amount of criminal proceedings should go way down, so we can eliminate most courts, judges, and prosecutors.  Of course, we’ll still need courts for civil proceedings.  We do love to sue each other, don’t we?
  • Welfare – I don’t think my position on so-called “entitlement programs” is much of a secret.  Get rid of unearned benefits for those who are capable of finding work.  The world needs ditch diggers and sewer scrubbers, and I’m tired of paying child support for kids I didn’t make.  Now, ask me politely for charity, and you might just be surprised.  It’s the whole “Pay this or we shoot you and your dog” aspect that gets under my craw.
  • Prisons – I’m a big fan of Judge Roy Bean, myself.  Of course, if someone really just needs a time out from society to think about what he’s done, then I suggest tent camps, leg chains, and work crews, in either Arizona or North Dakota, take your pick.  Concrete walls and roofs are for law-abiding citizens, not convicts.
  • Finally, I reserve the right to condemn and push for the elimination of anything that seems superfluous.  This is my fantasy, so I get to make the rules and change them as I see fit.

I’m going to go grumble over a tumbler full of something strong and smoky.  I hope my mood gets better as we get further and further away from April 15.

by daddybear71 on April 13, 2015  •  Permalink
Posted in grumbling, Politics, silliness, taxes

Posted by daddybear71 on April 13, 2015

https://daddybearsden.com/2015/04/13/sic-semper-tyrannis/

NRAAM 2015 Speeches

This afternoon and this evening, I watched the speeches given at the NRA-ILA Leadership Forum.

To me, as a gun owner and NRA member, this is a chance for politicians to get their 2nd Amendment opinions and positions front and center at a large gathering of gun-owning voters.  When they stray from that core subject, it is distracting and annoying.  I sort-of grade the speeches, at least partly, on how well they keep to the core subject of gun rights and the 2nd Amendment.

One thought – Rand Paul was conspicuously absent.  I’m not saying that kissing the ring of the NRA is mandatory, but not taking advantage of a chance to get your point across when it comes to the 2nd Amendment and gun rights says a lot to me.  By the time the next NRAAM happens next May, we will probably know who the Republican candidate is.  Paul should have been here today.

Here are my thoughts on the speeches given today.  Please note that I left out several speakers who didn’t seem to be cogent to the political nature of the gathering.  If you’d like to watch all of the speeches, they have been posted to YouTube.

Wayne Lapierre

  • Pro-gun Democrats, Libertarians, and Independents should be welcomed at the NRAAM, not just Republicans.
  • “Somewhere along the line, the political class and the media class stopped giving us their best.”
  • Spending a lot of energy on Hillary Clinton.  Wonder if he’ll mention other Democrat possibles.
  • OK, we get it, the NRA doesn’t like the Clintons.  Can we talk about guns and the Second Amendment now?  Seriously, stay focused on your core subject.
  • Since he brought up a pay difference between men and woman in the Clinton Senate office, does the NRA have data on their own pay rates?
  • “Hillary Clinton has more “Gates” than a south Texas cattle ranch.”

Bobby Jindal

  • Goes off the rails and plunges right into the culture war
  • Takes shots at Obama on executive orders
  • Claims to have written the law that restricted seizure of guns in a disaster – research
  • “The National Rifle Association is the most effective civil rights organization in our country”
  • Making about a 50/50 mix of first and second amendment rights
  • Jindal gets a star for being the first to say that 2016 is a history making election.
  • Calls for national right to carry legislation
  • The republican party stands up to big government?  Really?
  • Nice stump speech from someone who isn’t officially running.

Scott Walker

  • Doesn’t speak from behind podium.  No jacket.  Sleeves rolled up.
  • Goes for points by honoring military and veterans.
  • Staying on topic about second amendment.  Mostly.
  • Good populist talk about American values of work and prosperity and opportunity
  • Mentions April 15.  Reminds me I need to finish our tax return.
  • Tried to get the crowd going at the end, but they didn’t seem to respond.

David Clark

  • Thanks the NRA for their support
  • Does good job speaking to the base.
  • Stays on point about second amendment
  • “Don’t trust politicians.  Trust the National Rifle Association.”
  • Talks about national reciprocity.
  • Very plain spoken, down to earth.
  • “I don’t blame the gun.  I blame the subhuman behavior of someone who would shoot another human being without justification.”
  • Suggests that members upgrade their membership and look to get new members.

Rick Perry

  • “We do not believe that the Constitution is a cafeteria plan.”
  • More polished than other speakers.  But then, this isn’t his first rodeo.
  • Goes over his 2nd Amendment accomplishments.
  • Goes off topic when talking about national security and foreign affairs.

Jeb Bush

  • First speaker to mention, obliquely, Operation Choke Point
  • First to tell us how long he’s been a Life member (1986)
  • Lays out his 2nd Amendment record as governor of Florida
  • $5 million fine for creating a gun registry In Florida – wow.
  • 8:40 – Says that the 2nd Amendment creates the right, as opposed to protecting it.
  • Kind of a rocky start, and had to refer to notes very often, but a well-delivered speech.

Marco Rubio

  • Goes right into the 2nd Amendment and arguments that it is outdated.
  • “American strength requires leaders and presidents who execute their responsibility to protect our nation, and a people who exercise their right to protect themselves.”
  • Goes after President Obama over reaction to Islamic terrorism.  Agree with him, but off topic.
  • Does a good job tying foreign terror into the right to self defense.
  • “The sins of the evil to not justify restricting the rights of the good.”
  • Brings up his efforts to force Washington DC into better recognizing gun rights.
  • Says that he will announce in three days whether he will run for President, reelection to the Senate, or to be commissioner of the NFL. (He was the one to be most definite about this)

Lindsey Graham

  • Relatively polished speaker, but consults notes often.
  • Thanks Democrats who support the 2nd Amendment.  That’s kind of refreshing.
  • Shows a sense of humor.  Even pokes fun at himself.  I kind of like that.
  • Personalizes the conversation by talking about the 4 guns he owns that mean the most to him.
  • “You may not like the fact that I have these guns.  You may disagree with the fact that I own these guns.  But all I can say to you is that I have a right to own these guns.”
  • “I have a duty to be responsible with these guns…. With every right comes a responsibility.”
  • Goes a bit off topic by bringing up foreign affairs and Israel.

Ted Cruz

  • Starts off with a joke.  Connects with the audience.  Does speech away from the podium and delivers it well.
  • Brings up the Fort Hood shootings and that the Purple Hearts were awarded to those who were hurt or killed.  Cruz was involved in legislation to award the Purple Heart in this case.
  • Stays off topic by talking about Israel and the Iran nuclear negotiations.
  • Discusses his role in 2nd Amendment litigation.
  • Makes a point that there are a lot of people who say they support gun rights, but can’t point to any concrete actions to back that up.
  • Talks about his role in stymying post-Sandy Hook attacks on gun rights.
  • Does a bit of marketing for his campaign (mentioning website, asking that people identify themselves by sending a text.)
by daddybear71 on April 11, 2015  •  Permalink
Posted in NRA Convention, Politics

Posted by daddybear71 on April 11, 2015

https://daddybearsden.com/2015/04/11/nraam-2015-speeches/

Bend Like A Reid In The Wind

Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, current Minority Leader, former Majority Leader, and internationally recognized champion in Olympic pig calling, has announced that he will not seek re-election in 2016.  I’d like to thank Senator Reid for his long years of government service, and wish him well as he retires from 32 years in Congress where he accomplished…..  Well, there’s that one time he got….  Hmmm, well, as Majority Leader he…..  Well, he must have done something to rise through the ranks of his party other than being able to get the people of Nevada to keep re-electing him, and we thank him for that.

Since Mr. Reid is a go-getter kind of guy, I can’t see him joining the rocking chair brigade.  Here are some suggestions for what he can do after he leaves Washington:

  • Work at the Walmart in Pahrump.  However, instead of being a greeter, Harry can stand in front of the checkout lines and prevent shoppers from completing their purchase.
  • Join the crew at the Bellagio, where he will spend his time putting dry wall screws into the wheel of fortune and the roulette wheel so that they can’t spin.
  • Stand at the top of Hoover Dam and push people over the side just before they finish the tour.
  • Earn that NRA rating by traveling to golf courses and shooting the balls just as they make that last chip onto the 18th green.
  • Stand on the Las Vegas Strip and hand out “business” cards featuring pictures of his former female Democrat colleagues, including Dianne Feinstein, Hillary Clinton, and Nancy Pelosi.
  • Work with the monorail company in Las Vegas to make sure that an efficient, cost-effective, and convenient mass-transit system never extends to McCarran Airport from the Strip.

Anyway, we here at DaddyBear’s Den wish Mr. Reid a pleasant retirement.  Thanks for all the blog fodder, Harry!

by daddybear71 on March 27, 2015  •  Permalink
Posted in news, Politics

Posted by daddybear71 on March 27, 2015

https://daddybearsden.com/2015/03/27/bend-like-a-reid-in-the-wind/

Nothing To See Here, Move Along

Hillary Clinton, former First Lady, Senator, Secretary of State, and rush committee chairwoman for Up With People, broke from her routine of siphoning off the life force of young children and maidens today so that she could respond to allegations that she used a private email server to conduct official business while serving as President Obama’s Dog Robber Secretary of State.

In news that should be applauded by all of us worthless plebs, she admits to doing this, but pinky swears that classified information was never discussed via email, and that the almost 50% of the messages handled by her home-brew server, which she had destroyed, were not work related.  She knows this, because her sysad signed an affidavit attesting to that fact,  under torture, just before she had him decapitated, set on fire, and buried face down in Budapest.

Now, I’m going to make a few points here, but far be it from me to ever question my betters.  Anyway, here goes:

  • When you are a cabinet level secretary, everything you do that isn’t broadcast on TV, radio, internet, or passenger pigeon is at least sensitive, if not classified.
  • Using a non-governmental conduit to do government business is wrong, even if you followed the letter of the law.  At least try to look ashamed, or even sheepish.
  • When a determination of whether or not classified data has gotten loose in places it’s not supposed to be, it is not the prerogative of the person who may have put it there to declare that it didn’t.  That’s why we pay lawyers, police, and interrogators.
  • If I, as an intelligence specialist, had ever decided to declare my living room a SCIF for the sake of ‘convenience’, then taken possibly sensitive data out of controlled areas and worked on it at home, they wouldn’t even know where to dig to find my prison cell yet.  Hillarificent does not get to decide what is and what is not classified, especially after she gets caught, nor does she get to decide that it’s inconvenient to do things the right way.
  • Whoever at State who set this kind of thing up for her ought to be drug out in the street and bull-whipped within an inch of their lives.  To quote Treebeard – A wizard should know better.

Thing is, she isn’t the first to do this, and she won’t be the last.   I just wish somebody would get frog marched into a federal courthouse over stuff like this, pour encourageur les autres.

by daddybear71 on March 10, 2015  •  Permalink
Posted in felonies, Politics, technology, WTF

Posted by daddybear71 on March 10, 2015

https://daddybearsden.com/2015/03/10/nothing-to-see-here-move-along/

A Little Perspective

My Congressman, Republican Thomas Massie, posted this to his FaceBook feed a few minutes ago:

The media has failed to fully explain what happened with Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding bills yesterday so I’ll offer my “front row seat” description. Please SHARE:

In December while Senator Reid was still majority leader in the Senate, Congress passed, and the President signed, a bill called the CR/Omnibus that funded all government for a year except for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Republican leadership in the House decided it would be best to fund DHS only until February 27th. We were promised this would allow a republican controlled Senate and House to craft a funding bill for DHS that would defund, and thereby stop, the President’s executive action on illegal immigration. This promise was instrumental in securing republican votes for the December CR/Omnibus.

Several weeks ago, per the plan, the House passed a full year funding bill for DHS that would have prevented the President’s executive action on illegal immigration from being implemented. This was hardly mentioned in the media. For their part, the Senate engaged in brinksmanship and waited until yesterday, February 27th, to pass their version of a bill to fund DHS for the year. For what it’s worth, the Senate bill would do absolutely nothing to stop the President’s executive action.

When the Senate and House both pass different versions of the same bill (in this case a DHS funding bill), and neither agrees to the text of the other chamber’s bill, typically the leadership of the two chambers appoint conferees who meet in a conference and hammer out a compromise bill. This compromise bill, also known as a conference bill, then returns to both chambers for an up or down vote.

Yesterday at 2:43pm the House took a good faith vote to go to conference and negotiate with the Senate. In a conference, it is understood that neither side will get everything it wants. A vote against going to conference is sometimes characterized in the media as obstructing the legislative process. I voted to go to conference, while every Democrat voted against going to conference. The motion to go to conference passed the House, but the Senate was unable or unwilling to pass a motion to go to conference. It is disappointing to me that the media didn’t report this important breakdown in the legislative process. (http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2015/roll102.xml)

Faced with a Senate that refused to negotiate, House leadership acquiesced and offered on the floor a bill identical to the Senate bill that did nothing to stop the President’s executive action on illegal immigration. However, this proposal limited DHS funding to 3 weeks instead of the full year. 52 House republicans, myself included, voted against the 3 week spending bill because it contained no guarantee that the Senate would vote to go to conference to negotiate a compromise bill before the temporary funding ran out. Although passage of the 3 week spending bill would have signaled retreat on the part of the Republicans, Democrats calculated that if they defeated the temporary spending bill, they could get the full year Senate bill passed yesterday, so they voted against the 3 week bill as well. The bill failed yesterday evening at 5:13pm. (http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2015/roll104.xml)

Immediately after this bill died, conservatives in the House offered to vote for a 3 week DHS funding bill if it contained the modest requirement that the Senate come to conference to negotiate a long term compromise bill. House republican leadership rejected the proposal from conservatives.

Faced with DHS funding expiring at midnight, yet unwilling to negotiate in conference, Senate leadership reached out to House republican leadership and minority leader Pelosi. The Senate offered to pass a one week version of their DHS bill that would do nothing to stop the President’s executive action, if minority leader Pelosi would guarantee all of the democrats’ votes in the House. House Democrats were told if they would vote for the temporary measure, then within a week Congress would pass a DHS bill that would allow the President’s executive action on illegal immigration to be carried out. A deal was struck, the Senate passed their version by unanimous consent and adjourned, leaving the House with no other options to avert a lapse in DHS funding. At 9:59pm the House passed the temporary Senate measure, although I joined 54 other conservative republicans in opposing it. (http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2015/roll106.xml)

In summary, using the power of the purse to keep the executive branch in check is a legitimate and constitutional strategy, but our republican leadership chose poorly last December when selecting security funding as a point of leverage. Having backed themselves into a corner, last night House republican leadership abandoned their own plan and struck a deal with minority leader Pelosi that gave the President what he wanted for at least another week. In my estimation, the long term prospect of using the power of the purse to stop the President’s unilateral action is bleak now that House leadership has signaled a temporary retreat without gaining a single concession from the Senate.

I support Congressman Massie and those who work to both hold congressional leadership’s feet to the fire and to try to limit the actions of a President who does not feel he is beholden to the other two branches of the government or to the American people.

The Legislature makes the law, the Executive implements the law, and the Judiciary interprets the law.  It’s just that simple.  When one of these branches goes beyond the limits of its power, it is right and proper that the other two branches cut it off.  Rolling over and exposing their soft underbelly is not why the American voter gave Congress back to the Republicans.  Stuff like this will only lead to a lot of us finding something better to do than voting Republican during the next election.

To Senator McConnell and Congressman Boehner, either stand by your guns, or let someone else relieve you.  You need to find a principle you’re willing to defend, or you better get used to being a minority party on a more regular basis.

by daddybear71 on February 28, 2015  •  Permalink
Posted in Politics

Posted by daddybear71 on February 28, 2015

https://daddybearsden.com/2015/02/28/a-little-perspective/

Ungrateful and Shameful

To the people of France,

Like the rest of the world, I was shocked and horrified by the actions of a small group of evil barbarians, who decided that the answer to offensive speech is murder, and caused such harm in Paris last week.  The pillars of freedom were attacked when the offices of Charlie Hebdo were attacked and innocent blood was spilled.  We watched a Muslim police officer sacrifice his life to gain time for non-Muslims to escape, and we watched the animals who have rejected the freedoms and liberty of French life execute him.

Yesterday, another historic event occurred.  Leaders of the world joined hundreds of thousands of people in the streets of Paris to show their resolve and affirm their commitment to defending and exercising freedom of speech and of thought.

But something, rather, someone, was missing.

Our president, the leader of another long-lived and freedom-loving republic, was absent.  His representative, the Attorney General, was in Paris, but I have seen neither pictures of him on the streets with other leaders, nor quotes from him about the attacks and the demonstration.

In other words, where other nations reached out to our ally and friend in her time of need, those who claim to lead our nation failed to show their face to the world when France stood up to the darkness of barbarism and murder.  Apparently a few remarks to the press corps in Washington was all that we could muster.

It is with great humility and shame that I beg your pardon and forgiveness for this slight.  Our nations have had their differences in the past, but like a brother and sister that quarrel, an attack against either of us should cause the other to close ranks, offer comfort, and confront the aggressor.  I am ashamed of my president today because he has forgotten that.

French blood has soaked into the soil of the United States, just as Americans have bled for France.  Our nations, no matter our differences, are intertwined with a shared history and love of freedom.  Even though our politicians have forsaken that bond, I have not.

Daddy J. Bear
Louisville, Kentucky

by daddybear71 on January 12, 2015  •  Permalink
Posted in news, Politics

Posted by daddybear71 on January 12, 2015

https://daddybearsden.com/2015/01/12/ungrateful-and-shameful/

A Request

I received the following news release from my Congressman, Thomas Massie:

U.S. Representative Thomas Massie Announces He Will Not Vote to Re-elect
Speaker Boehner

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Massie issued these reasons to support a new candidate for Speaker of the House:

For years I watched Washington from afar and suspected that something was broken.  Why is it that so many people approve of their congressman, yet they consistently disapprove of Congress?  During my first two years as a congressman I discovered a significant source of the dysfunction.  I watched the House Leadership:

• Schedule a fiscal crisis in a lame duck session on the last legislative day before Christmas to get maximum leverage over rank and file members,

• Mislead members into thinking that a vote on an unpopular bill was postponed, only to then conduct a rushed voice vote on the $10 billion unfunded spending measure with fewer than a dozen members present,

• Give members less than 72 hours to read bills over 1,000 pages long, and

• Remove members from committees simply because they voted for the principles upon which they campaigned.

With a process this broken, is it any wonder that Washington no longer works for the people?  My constituents expect better and America deserves better.  On January 6th, 2015, I will vote for a new Speaker who will consistently articulate a constitutional vision for America and facilitate an inclusive and orderly legislative process that allows Congress to truly reflect the will of the people.

I’ve met Congressman Massie, and both the impression that I got from the short time I spent talking with him and what I have seen in his actions in Congress lead me to believe that what he is saying is true and that he is doing this out of a concern for the welfare of the Congress and the nation.  He goes into more detail in an op-ed, published this weekend.

I ask each of you to read what Congressman Massie says in both pieces, and to consider whether you want John Boehner to continue as Speaker of the House.  If you agree with me that it’s time he was replaced, or if you believe that to do so would not be in our best interest, please reach out to your Representative and let them know.  They need to hear from us in order to do our bidding.  Remember, apathy denotes acceptance, and silence denotes permission.

by daddybear71 on January 4, 2015  •  Permalink
Posted in Politics

Posted by daddybear71 on January 4, 2015

https://daddybearsden.com/2015/01/04/a-request-2/

Repost: Happy Bill of Rights Day!

On this date in 1791, the first 10 amendments to the United States Constitution were ratified.
For those of you who took a hit of blotter acid prior to civics class in high school, these are the ones that say what the government isn’t allowed to do to you. These are rights, not privileges. They’re not granted by the government. We grant power to the government so that these rights can be safeguarded. Sometimes we forget that.

Here are all of the amendments to the constitution and my interpretation of them. This is a long one, but I think you’ll like it. H/T to Wikipedia on this one.

Amendment # 1
The government can’t force you to have religion, and the government can’t force you not to express your religion. It’s none of their business. You can say or print pretty much anything you want to and the government can’t do much to stop you. This right will not, however, keep your ass from getting kicked due to what you say or print. We can all get together to do something as long as we’re not hurting anyone, and we can complain to the government any time we want to when they screw up. Some people make a living doing this. What a country.

Amendment # 2
We have to defend ourselves, sometimes from the government itself, and the government can’t take away our guns or stop us from getting them. And it’s no one’s business but my own what I have.

Amendment # 3
The government can’t force me to put up and feed soldiers during peacetime, although I can pay for their beer if I want to, and during time of war, they have to actually pass a law forcing me to do this. But all they’d have to do is ask nicely, and I’ll sleep on the couch so a couple of paratroopers can get a good nights sleep and a good breakfast.

Amendment # 4
Got a warrant? No? Then come back when you get one. Please put that thermal imaging system away. And thanks for being a cop.

Amendment # 5
The government can’t just drag me into court. You have to convince people just like me that I’ve actually committed a crime. The government only gets to try to throw my fat self into jail for doing something once. The government can’t force me to testify against myself, and I’m not saying anything until my lawyer gets here. The government can’t take my land to build a strip mall unless you actually pay me for it. And that better be a really nice strip mall.

Amendment # 6
The government has to let me have a lawyer. Hopefully one with a clue. The government can’t throw me into jail for a few years before they get around to actually accusing and trying me. I can’t be arrested in Kentucky and tried in Minnesota for something I did in New Mexico. I have to be told what I’m being accused of, and the government can’t stop me from trying to prove that their witnesses aren’t lousy stinking lieing rats who should be thrown in front of a truck.

Amendment # 7
We have to take our arguments to be decided by 12 people who couldn’t get out of jury duty.

Amendment # 8
The government can’t hold you on $2 million dollars bail for spitting on the sidewalk, and they can’t fine you that $2 million for said spitting. As satisfying as flogging a child molester or hanging a multiple murderer up to his neck in pig droppings would be, some panty waisted loser would have his feelings hurt, and we can’t have that.

Amendment # 9
Just because we didn’t think of it in here, doesn’t mean it’s not a right. This must be where that right to choice is.

Amendment # 10
The federal government only gets those powers that are given to it in the Constitution. If it’s not in here, they don’t get it. All of that stuff goes to the states, or better yet, the actual people who pay taxes and keep the train rolling.

Amendment # 11
The Federal courts can’t be used by anyone to sue a state unless the state agrees to participate. So you have to have their consent to try to sue them. Good luck with all that.

Amendment # 12
Way too long to put the text in here, but basically, we vote for electors, the electors vote for President and Vice President, and if you can’t be President for some reason, you don’t get to be Vice President. From the length of the amendment, you can see that the lawyers had already taken over by 1804.

Amendment # 13
You don’t get to own other people. And the government can pass laws to make sure you don’t. As a transplant to Kentucky, I can tell you there are a lot of people who either have a problem with this one, or haven’t heard about it yet.

Amendment # 14
Again, the lawyers must have eaten their Wheaties when they wrote this one. Way too long, but they were trying to cover a lot of bases with one amendment. First, if you’re born in the United States, you’re a citizen, even if mama came across the border only to have you in the ER in San Diego. Second, every person in a state is counted as a whole human being when figuring out how many electors the states get for electing the President. No more math in figuring out what 3/5th’s of a person is. Third, if you made an oath to the Confederacy, you don’t get to be a part of the government. No kidding? You can’t be an officer of a government you tried to overthrow? We actually had to write that down? Fourth, we’re going to pay our debts, but I’ll be damned if we’ll pay off the debts of the Confederacy.

Amendment # 15
Ex slaves get to vote, and Congress can pass laws making sure they get to. We passed this on in 1870. Only took 80 or 90 years for this one to be enforced at all.

Amendment # 16
Congratulations, the government figured out a way to punish you for making more money than it takes to keep your family at the poverty level. And there’s nothing you can do about it.

Amendment # 17
Another wordy one. We get to directly pick our Senators in an election, instead of the former manner, which involved something resembling the “Twit of the Year” contest.

Amendment # 18
Yet another one that was written by a committee. You can’t be trusted to drink alcohol, so it’s illegal. Everywhere. Unless you happen to be a Kennedy.

Amendment # 19
Women get the vote. Whoopee. Pants suits for everyone.

Amendment # 20
For the love of God, were they being paid by the word? The President and Vice President have to show up to work in January, and the Congress actually has to show up once a year.

Amendment # 21
18th Amendment? We don’t need no stinking 18th Amendment! You have to believe in something, and I believe I’ll have a beer.

Amendment # 22
You only get to be President for two terms. Not 4, just 2. No President for life. At least not again.

Amendment # 23
The District of Columbia gets to actually have someone represent them in the Presidential election. They just don’t get a Senator or Congressman with an actual vote.

Amendment # 24
You can’t be denied your right to vote because you can’t pay a tax. You should have to pass an intelligence test, but we haven’t passed that amendment yet.

Amendment # 25
The Vice President gets to be President if he bumps off the President.

Amendment # 26
18 year olds get to vote. Still can’t buy a beer, but they can at least vote for the guys who keep them from drinking.

Amendment # 27
The accidental amendment. Proposed in 1789, ratified in 1992. If a Congressman votes himself another unearned raise, he has to go through another election cycle before he starts to rake it in. This one is also a monument to that great American motto “I’ll get around to it”.

So that’s it. 27 amendments to the document that has governed the country since its founding. Not bad for a bunch of oppressors, or as we who actually deserve to be protected by the Constitution would call them, the illustrious geniuses who designed and founded our Republic.

by daddybear71 on December 15, 2014  •  Permalink
Posted in Politics

Posted by daddybear71 on December 15, 2014

https://daddybearsden.com/2014/12/15/repost-happy-bill-of-rights-day-2/

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