Friday, February 21, 2003
This is one of my ongoing pet peeves so I am making it my cause of the day.
The public's common misunderstanding of the Second Amendment has been engendered, in large part, by a campaign of misinformation supported by those opposed to common sense gun laws. As former Chief Justice Warren Burger said, "[The Second Amendment] has been the subject of one of the greatest pieces of fraud, repeat the word 'fraud,' on the American public by special interest groups that I have ever seen in my lifetime."
The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security
of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear
Arms, shall not be infringed."
Contrary to the gun lobby's propaganda, the Second Amendment guarantees the people the right to be armed only in connection with service in a "well regulated Militia." Courts consistently have ruled that there is no constitutional right to own a gun for private purposes unrelated to the organized state militia.
Anyone interested in finding out the truth go
here.
posted by Kimber
at 8:04 PM ::
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Thursday, February 20, 2003
**Dragging the old feminist soap box from the back of the closet and blowing off the layers of dust**Ok, ladies, I was driving home from work last night listening to one of my favorite country singers, Conway Twitty. **waits for the snickers to die down** And I started listening to the words of one of his songs that I hadn't really paid attention to before and it just struck me that this truly is a representation of what most men think love is. And if you tell them differently you get that ubiquitous, blank, non-sequitur look we all find so endearing. I submit the lyrics for your perusal and consideration. Let your significant male other read it and see if he can figure out what is wrong with this picture...
Touch The HandConway TwittyToday I heard my woman say something I never heard her say before.
She just told me she was gonna leave me and that she didn't love me anymore.
But I know that the lovin' kindness and the understandin'
that she had when I first met her is still there somewhere
So I'm gonna get down on my knees and I'm gonna say to my baby...
(chorus)
Touch the hand of the man
That made you a woman
And then tell me
you don't love me anymore
I was the first man to ever
Hold you in a special kind of way
And those unfamiliar feelings
That caused you to tremble
I know you remember today
Before you decide you're gonna leave me
And do things you've never done before
(Chorus)
The two lips that once held sweet surprises
Surprised me and said goodbye today
And the two lovin' arms that used to reach for me
Just reached out and pushed me away
I know you believe you don't love me
But before you walk out that door
(chorus)
How sad is that? Now I'm not usually riled up by this sort of thing but the other song that really got my hackles up was that pop song a few years ago "More that Words". If these men think that sex is the key component to the relationship then they should not be shocked when the woman packs up their sh** and kicks them to the curb!!!!! Quite frankly most of the women I know like sex, some of them really love sex, but there are
MUCH more critical aspects of an actual relationship. If all we wanted was sex, then we would keep Adrian Paul clones in a closet somewhere and let him out when needed then put him back and call the real man to have the relationship with. I just really wish that there was some kind of radiation therapy that would allow these confused men to comprehend this concept.
**Steps down, puts the feminist soap box back in the back of the closet.**
posted by Kimber
at 3:40 PM ::
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Wednesday, February 19, 2003
...and now for a brief commercial break...
posted by Kimber
at 5:31 PM ::
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Tuesday, February 18, 2003
Ok, yes, I know. Wiccans aren't supposed to get pissed off. I know the three-fold rule. I know that by maintaining this blog I am projecting negative energy. But this is the most harmless way I could think of to get rid of my negative energy, so hopefully the universe won't clobber me too badly. For my first little piece of steam to let off, I would like to submit this speech by Senator Robert Byrd. The fact that he is the only one to say this knowing his record as I do, is a sad commentary on our government as a whole. Please read and THINK ABOUT IT!!!!!!!!!!
http://www.unitedforpeace.org/article.php?id=955Reckless Administration May Reap Disastrous Consequences by US Senator Robert Byrd -- Senate Floor Speech, Commondreams.org
February 12th, 2003 To contemplate war is to think about the most horrible of human experiences. On this February day, as this nation stands at the brink of battle, every American on some evel must be contemplating the horrors of war.
Yet, this Chamber is, for the most part, silent -- ominously, dreadfully silent. There is no debate, no discussion, no attempt to lay out for the nation the pros and cons of this particular war. There is nothing.
We stand passively mute in the United States Senate, paralyzed by our own uncertainty, seemingly stunned by the sheer turmoil of events. Only on the editorial pages of our newspapers is there much substantive discussion of the prudence or imprudence of engaging in this particular war.
And this is no small conflagration we contemplate. This is no simple attempt to defang a villain. No. This coming battle, if it materializes, represents a turning point in U.S. foreign policy and possibly a turning point in the recent history of the world.
This nation is about to embark upon the first test of a revolutionary doctrine applied in an extraordinary way at an unfortunate time. The doctrine of preemption -- the idea that the United States or any other nation can legitimately attack a nation that is not imminently threatening but may be threatening in the future -- is a radical new twist on the traditional idea of self defense. It appears to be in contravention of international law and the UN Charter. And it is being tested at a time of world-wide terrorism, making many countries around the globe wonder if they will soon be on our -- or some other nation's -- hit list. High level Administration figures recently refused to take nuclear weapons off of the table when discussing a possible attack against Iraq. What could be more destabilizing and unwise than this type of uncertainty, particularly in a world where globalism has tied the vital economic and security interests of many nations so closely together? There are huge cracks emerging in our time-honored alliances,
and U.S. intentions are suddenly subject to damaging worldwide speculation. Anti-Americanism based on mistrust, misinformation, suspicion, and alarming rhetoric from U.S. leaders is fracturing the once solid alliance against global terrorism which existed after September 11.
Here at home, people are warned of imminent terrorist attacks with little guidance as to when or where such attacks might occur. Family members are being called to active military duty, with no idea of the duration of their stay or what horrors they may face. Communities are being left with less than adequate police and fire protection. Other
essential services are also short-staffed. The mood of the nation is grim. The economy is stumbling. Fuel prices are rising and may soon spike higher.
This Administration, now in power for a little over two years, must be judged on its record. I believe that that record is dismal.
In that scant two years, this Administration has squandered a large projected surplus of some $5.6 trillion over the next decade and taken us to projected deficits as far as the eye can see. This Administration's domestic policy has put many of our states in dire financial condition, under funding scores of essential programs for our people. This Administration has fostered policies which have slowed economic growth. This Administration has ignored urgent matters such as the crisis in health care for our elderly. This Administration has been slow to provide adequate funding for homeland security. This Administration has been reluctant to better protect our long and porous
borders.
In foreign policy, this Administration has failed to find Osama bin Laden. In fact, just yesterday we heard from him again marshaling his forces and urging them to kill. This Administration has split traditional alliances, possibly crippling, for all time, International order-keeping entities like the United Nations and NATO. This Administration has called into question the traditional worldwide perception of the United States as well-intentioned, peacekeeper. This Administration has turned the patient art of diplomacy into threats, labeling, and name calling of the sort that reflects quite poorly on the intelligence and sensitivity of our leaders, and which will have consequences for years to come.
Calling heads of state pygmies, labeling whole countries as evil, denigrating powerful European allies as irrelevant -- these types of crude insensitivities can do our great nation no good. We may have massive military might, but we cannot fight a global war on terrorism alone. We need the cooperation and friendship of our time-honored
allies as well as the newer found friends whom we can attract with our wealth. Our awesome military machine will do us little good if we suffer another devastating attack on our homeland which severely damages our economy. Our military manpower is already stretched thin and we will need the augmenting support of those nations who can supply troop strength, not just sign letters cheering us on.
The war in Afghanistan has cost us $37 billion so far, yet there is evidence that terrorism may already be starting to regain its hold in that region. We have not found bin Laden, and unless we secure the peace in Afghanistan, the dark dens of terrorism may yet again flourish in that remote and devastated land.
Pakistan as well is at risk of destabilizing forces. This Administration has not finished the first war against terrorism and yet it is eager to embark on another conflict with perils much greater than those in Afghanistan. Is our attention span that short? Have we not learned that after winning the war one must always secure the peace?
And yet we hear little about the aftermath of war in Iraq. In the absence of plans, speculation abroad is rife. Will we seize Iraq's oil fields, becoming an occupying power which controls the price and supply of that nation's oil for the foreseeable future? To whom do we propose to hand the reigns of power after Saddam Hussein?
Will our war inflame the Muslim world resulting in devastating attacks on Israel? Will Israel retaliate with its own nuclear arsenal? Will the Jordanian and Saudi Arabian governments be toppled by radicals, bolstered by Iran which has much closer ties to terrorism than Iraq?
Could a disruption of the world's oil supply lead to a world-wide recession? Has our senselessly bellicose language and our callous disregard of the interests and opinions of other nations increased the global race to join the nuclear club and made proliferation an even more lucrative practice for nations which need the income?
In only the space of two short years this reckless and arrogant Administration has initiated policies which may reap disastrous consequences for years.
One can understand the anger and shock of any President after the savage attacks of September 11. One can appreciate the frustration of having only a shadow to chase and an amorphous, fleeting enemy on which it is nearly impossible to exact retribution.
But to turn one's frustration and anger into the kind of extremely destabilizing and dangerous foreign policy debacle that the world is currently witnessing is inexcusable from any Administration charged with the awesome power and responsibility of guiding the destiny of the greatest superpower on the planet. Frankly many of the pronouncements
made by this Administration are outrageous. There is no other word.
Yet this chamber is hauntingly silent. On what is possibly the eve of horrific infliction of death and destruction on the population of the nation of Iraq -- a population, I might add, of which over 50% is under age 15 -- this chamber is silent. On what is possibly only days before we send thousands of our own citizens to face unimagined horrors of
chemical and biological warfare -- this chamber is silent. On the eve of what could possibly be a vicious terrorist attack in retaliation for our attack on Iraq, it is business as usual in the United States Senate.
We are truly "sleepwalking through history." In my heart of hearts I pray that this great nation and its good and trusting citizens are not in for a rudest of awakenings.
To engage in war is always to pick a wild card. And war must always be a last resort, not a first choice. I truly must question the judgment of any President who can say that a massive unprovoked military attack on a nation which is over 50% children is "in the highest moral traditions of our country". This war is not necessary at this time.
Pressure appears to be having a good result in Iraq. Our mistake was to put ourselves in a corner so quickly. Our challenge is to now find a graceful way out of a box of our own making. Perhaps there is still a way if we allow more time.
posted by Kimber
at 12:29 AM ::
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