Take a minute from your time with family and friends at the BBQ to remember those who gave everything for this country.
A Tuesday Moment of Zen
If I tried this with Tunch, I would be bleeding for a week:
Greatest Headline Ever, Part Two
Skywalkers in Korea cross Han solo
Spectering Chronicles
Very concerned GOP Congressmen edition.
Bush promises to compromise without agreeing to sacrifice anything, his party begs him to compromise without doing anything to might make him listen. They’re peas in a pod.
Open Thread
We don’t have enough arguments around here anymore.
Here’s a thought – since arming gangs and psychos is obviously bad for America’s kids, why don’t we treat gun ownership more like prescription drugs? Anybody who can demonstrate a need gets the appropriate firearm. As long as you have a valid hunting license you can keep a rifle or shotgun or one of those ridiculously huge pistols with a scope on it. People with a clean record who live in dangerous neighborhoods, have stalkers or an abusive ex or any other clear need to protect themselves can apply for a handgun. Licensed security professionals can make the case for submachine guns. I might even rethink my support for banning assault weapons – if someone can show membership in good standing with a well-regulated state militia and preferably some military trianing, what’s the problem with issuing him/her an assault rifle? As long as the militia is responsible for the actions of its members I would expect self-policing keep the worst behavior pretty effectively under wraps. That approach hasn’t hurt Switzerland.
Like prescriptions or a car registration the guns would be subject to a yearly renewal, meaning that to keep his firearm the user maintains his hunting license, his employment with the security agency or his membership in the well-regulated militia and occasionally passes a proficiency/safety test. That doesn’t seem too onerous and it even adds an extra layer of personal responsibility, something rightwing readers ought to like.
What do you think?
Open Thread
Lots of stuff happening out there.
Here, you read about sex and boats. That’s what makes us great.
The Reagan Diaries
A new book containing some of the Reagan diaries will appear soon, and it occured to me that in the not so distant future, historians are not going to have the same luxuries. I simply do not know anyone who has a diary, and after the Packwood affair, I doubt very many politicians do, either.