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 Copyright ©2003-2008 Anthony Canales |
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 Anthony Canales is the President of the San Fernando Valley NRA Member’s Council. He works as a Quality Control Manager in Glendale, California. He is married with one son. The opinions expressed in 'News Briefs' belong soley to the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Rifle Association of America or the NRA Members' Councils of California. |
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03-20-2008
12-31-2007 |
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November 15, 2004
"...Just let me make one point. You were
talking about the map
before. If indeed all those blue states
all got together and
seceded from the union, think what would
be left for those
red states, nothing. There would be no
education system.
You would have nothing. What would be left
to you? I mean,
where is all of this talent in this
country? It's on both sides,
the Northeast corridor..."
-Comments made by
Geraldine Ferraro on
the November 5, 2004 "Hannity
and Colmes"
show on Fox, in reaction
to the results of the
Presidential Election
To All,
It would seem that Ms. Ferraro, whose key
career decision was to join the 1984 Mondale Campaign, is impugning the
academic reputations of such Red State universities as Notre Dame, Georgia
Tech, Duke, Clemson, Ohio State, Brigham Young, University of Tennessee,
Vanderbilt University, VMI, and even the University of Arkansas, among
others. But then, it does not take "book larnin' " to know a fool when one
sees one.
In other news:
Behind The Times:
Watching Liberals argue and re-argue
philosophies rejected by the majority is like watching Rottweilers chasing
parked cars in Compton. How else would one be able to explain the latest
column by Nicholas Kristoff of the New York Times (Same as the Old York,
apparently), which tries to "re-package" the same old and tired parallel
strategy of gun control by a public health approach.
Of course, Kristoff rattles off the slanted
litany of Brady Bunch/Americans For Gun Safety talking points- 30,000 gun
deaths, children more likely to die in a gun accident here than elsewhere in
the "developed world", higher average costs of treating firearm-related
injuries.
But Kristoff has been living
in some retro-policy land if he thinks that the public
health-oriented firearms control proposals of Dr. David Hemenway (Director of
the Harvard Injury Control Research Center) are a new path for a Democrat
Party resurgence. Democrat candidates for public office have been proposing
these very same "solutions" since the Great Donkey Die-off of 1994, and at
last count they are starting their second decade out of power on Capitol Hill
(The Vidkun Jeffords episode does not technically count, given the brevity of
the event. Of course, New England's dairy farmers are probably cussing the day
that Jeffords decided to become an Independent).
For example, efforts at legislation to design
"child-proof" guns have been on the political agenda for years. Drop tests,
loaded chamber indicators, and safe storage laws are all currently being
"tested" in such incubator states as California. As of this posting, there
does not seem to be any empirical evidence that these laws are having the
effect to the "zero tolerance" levels that would satisfy Kristoff or Hemenway.
In addition, the pet "denial" states, such as
New York and Massachusetts, have been an ongoing functionality test for those
theories based upon gun-rationing, or even Prohibition. Yet what few accidents
that are being recorded across the nation are apparently not being affected by
these schemes as well.
In almost all cases, none of these have had
much of an effect on changing firearms suicide rates and incidences. This is
in itself important, given that firearms suicides constitute almost 2/3rds of
all firearms-related deaths. And it is safe to say that no legislation so far
has come up with a sure-fire way mitigate the substitution effect of the
methods of suicide, let alone ban suicide out right. As such, the above
proposal will apparently never affect a the vast majority of firearms related
fatalities.
Alongside of the question of suicides is
intentional criminal action, along with law enforcement responses. These in
themselves constitute almost one third of all firearms-related fatalities.
Yes, a homicidal inclination is surely a public health threat. But something
tells this poster that Dr. Hemenway and Mr. Kristof are not so bold, nor so
confident, that some Blue State proposal can somehow impose a restriction on
homicidal tendencies without stepping on the toes of the ACLU (Islamo-fascists,
for example, would be highly miffed at any attempts to limit their recourse to
the drive-by and the shoe bomb, in the pursuit of a world government dedicated
to sharia as well as the day when the Victoria's Secret Catalogue is
nothing but head-to-toe flannel or burlap).
Thus one is left with the accidental causes
that Kristoff and Hemenway would focus millions of dollars of expenditure on.
These would be in terms of re-design capital, and where opportunity cost would
include factoring in the reduction of firearms dependability in moments of
crisis or personal security.
Add to that the public's current experience
that there are some who will mishandle firearms, no matter the already intense
public and private efforts to train the public in safe handling, and one
starts getting the impression that a form of Darwinism is in effect ( Here is
where the arguments over creationism take on a new meaning.). In any case,
less than 600 firearms-related accidental fatalities may end up failing any
cost-benefit analysis, again when one takes into account the need for 100%
reliability of their firearm in a crisis scenario (In fact, nothing in the
current market can end any particular firearm's product lifespan as much as a
reputation for unreliability. Just ask the folks at Colt about that Glock-wannabe
concept they tried to market a few years back.).
Such as it is, Kristoff's advocacy of the
public health approach posed by Dr. Hemenway is simply a "More of the Same"
approach founded on a kind arrogance found among some holding an Urban
worldview. The sooner that they "grok" that the Public at Large wants as much
choice in personal self-defense and firearms-related leisure activities as
they would want in any one of a number of policy standpoints, the better off
we will all be. Hopefully Kristoff and Hemenway will realize that running into
back bumpers is painful, before those voters in the driver's seat decide to
put the old jalope in reverse and put an end to their misery. Otherwise, the
fate of their proposals will be determined only when they are tossed out on
their ears by those political professionals who have learned some hard lessons
of late.
Story may be found at:
The Serpent and the Egg, Or, The Yolks
On Him:
The New York Post is reporting on the latest gag by Tim Russert
to offset gains made by the Fair and Balanced Panel over at Fox News.
In what one must admit is an interesting way
to get conservative voters to turn to the Plucked Chicken Network, Russert
allowed James "Serpent Head" Carville smash an egg on his face.
Apparently Carville did the deed that
Conservatives dream of in recognition that his batting averages of late have
been on the "Shrum" side of things. Carville had called the election for Kerry
several days before the vote, when polls were still showing a 3 point lead for
President Bush nationally.
Still, color pictures notwithstanding, the
event is more noted for it's parsimony than anything. Russert and Tom Brokaw
each deserve a half dozen eggs a piece for their Election coverage. Wolf
Blitzer deserves a dozen more by his lonesome, and Dan Rather deserves an
entire flock's worth for his yet unresolved reporting on the forged National
Guard service documents.
Now, it may be that this will not be the last
time that one sees Carville try out the latest in French skin care techniques.
If the New England Brahmans try to run Hillary as yet another Northeastern
Liberal, trying not to alienate the so-very-pouty Left Wing, then Carville
once more might be forced to make amends on national television.
Only next time, let's see if the eggs can be
hard-boiled.
Story may be found at:
Just Ducky:
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist appeared on
Fox News Sunday, where he told Moderator Chris Wallace that he and other
Senate conservatives were waiting for Arlen Spector to make the case for the
Judiciary Committee Chairmanship later this week.
Most political pundits are calling it,
ultimately, for Spector to get the chairmanship. On the other hand, there is a
certain consensus that Spector's own words about the
President's judicial nominees have put him in the controversy in the first
place, and that enough concessions will be wrung from Spector to give the
President more assurance that his nominees will get a fair hearing in the
committee.
Still, as important as the Spector controversy
is, what was also discussed is Senator Frist's political future. And if the
heart surgeon is to be believed, he is not going to run for re-election in
2006 and he is not interested in a Presidential run in 2008.
Some Beltway pundits had also considered Frist
as a potential Presidential nominee in 2008. His solid support of the
individual right to keep and bear arm would have given him a leg up over such
potential candidates as Rudy Giuliani or Arizona's John McCain, the latter
having much to explain over the Campaign Finance Reform bill that partially
bears his name.
As such, Frist may prove to be a Senate
Majority Leader-cum-Lame Duck, unable to hold the herd of cats known as the US
Senate in any semblance of order. Without the incentive of patronage,
citizen-politicians such as Frist have often found themselves at a
disadvantage to the "Lifer" class of politicians normally inhabiting the halls
of Congress.
This is not to say that Frist would not be
more effective, or more happy, in his first chose profession of heart surgery.
But given the nature of politics, it is a sad day when one sees the possible
end of a good man in politics. If he keeps his word, which is in itself a
laudable event, the country will be the poorer for it.
Story elements may be found at:
Anthony Canales
SFVMC-NRA
Copyright 2004 Anthony Canales All rights reserved. |
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