Canales News Briefs

June 23, 2004

"...I'm a little pimp with my hair gassed back

Pair a khaki pants with my shoe shined black

Got a little lady...walk the street

Tellin' all the boy that she cain't be beat

Twenny dollah bill (I can set you straight)

Meet me onna corner boy'n don't be late

Man in a suit with a bow-tie neck

Wanna buy a grunt with a third party check

Standin' onna porch of the Lido Hotel

Floozies in the lobby love the way I sell....."

-Partial Lyrics from the song

"Willie The Pimp", by Frank

Zappa, from the album

"Hot Rats" (1969)

To All,

It seems that the old saw about "putting lipstick on a pig" has a certain relevance these days, what with the release of the latest Presidential "autobiography":

"...I Survived The Clinton Administration, But All I Got Was This Lousy T-Shirt...":

The BBC is reporting about a television interview given by Former President Bill Clinton as he begins to promote his autobiography "My Life".

In a widely covered outburst, Mr. Clinton vented all over BBC Presenter David Dimbleby after being asked about the why's and wherefore's of his affair with Monica Lewinsky. Essentially, Clinton blamed the media for only focusing on himself, instead of putting Former Special Prosecuter Ken Starr under the Inquisitional Blowtorch (It is rumored that the latest in a long line of skin grafts, applied to Ken Starr's derriere, have finally been successful after his having been made an object of media "indifference" during the late 90's).

But Clinton's stated concern over the fate of some "...little people from Arkansas..." would probably come off a little more sincere if Clinton himself had demonstrated some of the same kind of concern for "little people" in general. This not only goes past the fate of Billy Dale, as pointed out by Tony Snow on Fox News last night. For example, he would appear more sincere if Clinton had demonstrated a more contemporary concern for the Children of Waco, just prior to their incineration as a result of government action. Likewise in the case of Elian Gonzalez, whose extended family were treated to a dynamic entry courtesy of Raider Reno's DOJ.

Now, this is not to say that the former President was totally unbelievable during his BBC interview. He did report that he was consigned to a couch, rather than remain with the First Lady after ultimately admitting to the Lewinsky Affair. After all, it was well established that the Lincoln Bedroom, along with all the other guest rooms in the White House, was booked up well until the end of 2000. But, for the most part, the redirection of the BBC interview's topic from civil perjury toward marital infidelity has been a Clinton SOP since the now-famous "wagging finger" press conference-cum-denial.

Now, it is also clear that this type of controversy is made for the selling of books. Whether the Dimbleby interview was a set-up (Dick Morris noted that Dimbleby was not as likely to be familiar with all of the Clinton story as American aficionados of the political scene.). Whether Clinton's taking umbrage at the media is contrived or not remains to be seen. But what is clear is that the Remaking of a Presidency is now in full swing. What is more, historical revisionism could be the order of the day unless it is opposed by those with a thorough knowledge of what Life in the 1990's was about. It is up to the rest of us to keep the record straight.

Story basis may be found at:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/3829799.stm

Amen:

Birmingham News Outdoor Columnist Mike Bolton wrote yesterday about the controversy over the use of an SKS in the killing of three police officers recently. Bolton notes that the burial of one officer, Carlos Owen, was attended by over 700 uniformed officers.

Firearms activists are familiar with the SKS. It's 7.62 x 39 mm cartridge is roughly comparable to the ubiquitous .30-.30, though domestically-made soft point rounds would be more appropriate for brush hunting situations involving white tail deer. Though a type of military semi-automatic, it's normal variant with a fixed magazine capacity exempts it from restriction under the soon-to-expire 1994 ban on Flash suppressors, Bayonet Lugs, and Folding stocks.

But the main controversy about firearms, like any other weapon-as-tool, is that they can be used for both good and evil purposes. (Of course, what the media and the gun control movement choose to focus on, to the detriment of firearms rights, is all too clear.). Bolton noted that ATF Special Agent In Charge Jim Cavanaugh himself is cognizant of the dual use issue that firearms pose to society. In fact, Bolton quotes Cavanaugh as saying-

"...We need to get all guns out of the hands of

criminals...In the hands of good citizens they

are no problem..."

If it were simple as this, there would be no controversy with this writer. But the issue itself is affected by the skewed outlook of a variety of public servants who are of a different mind on deciding what priorities need funding first.

For example, one clearly runs into the rules of economics in Cavanaugh's further observation that the rounds fired from an SKS "...would have penetrated vests generally worn by police officers...". As is well known to firearms activists, it takes an expensive Level IV vest to stop almost all rifle ammunition, and with the use of ceramic trauma plates to boot.

But whereas there was a general uproar among the public for the failure by some Pentagon procurement officers to have enough modern body armor for the troops in Iraq, there seems to be little objection when city officials fail to provide comparable armor to police officers. Somehow the niceties of budgets and allocations seem to be applied unevenly when domestic politics and law enforcement are involved.

Now, this is not to say that police officers would enjoy patrolling in the summer wearing the heavy systems capable of stopping both intermediate and high power rifle cartridges. But it should be safe to say that they would prefer surviving an armed attack as compared to not, just as the troops in Iraq do. Thus one could infer that they would wear the heavier, more capable body armor systems despite the discomfort involved.

Perhaps it is too much to expect from domestic bureaucracies to put the furnishing of effective body armor ahead of such critical budget items as marble tabletops, wood paneling, and the employment of duplicative field staffs. But as long as almost all rifle ammunition is capable of penetrating most police vests, and that criminals can obtain firearms from either domestic or foreign sources, then it would seem prudent to equip police officers with body armor capable of meeting the current threat. Otherwise firearms activists may just find themselves facing the possibility of having to choose between their rights and the practical desire of police officers to be able to go home at night in one piece. Surely the money for better body armor for law enforcement can be found, given the nature of the alternative.

Story basis may be found at:

http://www.al.com/outdoors/birminghamnews/mbolton.ssf?
/base/sports/1087895777308120.xml

http://www.ammoguide.com

Respectfully,

Anthony Canales

SFVMC-NRA