Musings on matters of interest and antagonists: May 2013

Friday, May 24, 2013

Boston Bombing

April 2013

The media provided round the clock minute by minute detail by small detail of two events which occurred in April 2013.

On April 15, 2013 some 500,000 spectators and 20,000 runners gathered to enjoy the festivities of the world’s oldest and best known road racing event known as the Boston Marathon. Two hours after the winner had crossed the finish line two bombs exploded near the finish line, where the largest crowd had gathered, creating carnage and turning the joy of victory into the horror of 3 killings and injuring over 200.

Thousands of government law enforcement workers and First Responders quickly arrived in the blood splattered bomb areas littered with the dead and injured to begin their work.

Under the leadership of the FBI thousands of city, county, state and federal employees working together secured the crime scene, gathered evidence and assured the racing crowd and the residents of the Boston area there were no other bombs.

With a few metal fragments from two pressure cookers, fragments from two back packs and a few pictures government law enforcement agents began the task of identifying and apprehending the bombers. In the incredibly short span of five days America went from a nation under terrorist attack to a nation made proud. Proud because city, county, state and federal officials and law enforcement employees worked together, identified the bombers, killed one and captured the other.

Since President Kennedy was killed, more than 50 years ago gun violence has become a daily event claiming the lives of 4 million people from 1973 to 2012 according to a report from The University of Chicago’s Crime Lab. In 2010 18,270 young people under age 25 were killed or injured by guns according to a report of the Children’s Defense Fund and there have been more than 2,200 gun deaths after the Sandy Hooks School slaughter in December 2012.

After the slaughter of 20 six and seven year old school children at Sandy Hook School with an AR-15 President Obama, led the effort to pass common sense laws regulating guns in an effort to reduce the number of killings caused by GUN VIOLENCE.

On April 17, 2013 the U.S. Senate defeated a bill to require a background check on gun purchased at gun shows and be an amendment to the current law requiring a background check on guns purchased from dealers.

Numerous polls show 90% of the American people supported the bill.

The votes were essentially along party lines. 90% of the Democrats voted for the bill and 90% of the Republicans voted against the bill.

46 Senators voted against the bill and defeated the bill. 56 Senators, a majority, voted for the bill and along with 90% of Americans lost.

Senator Mark Pryor and the other Democrats who voted with the Republicans against the bill live in States that voted for Romney for President in November 2012, and are up for re-election in 2014.

This vote is an example of the power struggle between Democrats and Republicans.

In the 6 years Reid has been leader of the Senate Democrats Republicans have filibustered 385 times compared to 1 filibuster in the 6 years Johnson was the Senate Democrats leader.

In 1999 NRA officials supported background checks for gun buyers.

In 2013 NRA officials opposed background checks for gun buyers.

74% of the 5 million NRA members in 2013 support background checks for gun buyers.

Senator Jeff Flake in a handwritten letter to Caren Teves mother of Alex Teves, killed in the Aurora theater mass gun killings, stated: “Truly sorry for son’s death. Strengthening background checks is something we agree on.” Senator Flake voted against the background gun check bill.

Working together numerous city, state, and federal Democrats and Republicans concluded the Boston bomber tragedy in less than 5 days.

The bitter division and power struggle between Democrats and Republicans have made it impossible to pass common sense regulations to reduce 50 years of gun violence killings.

President Obama said the day 46 Senators defeated the will of 90% of the American people and defeated the will of a majority of the Senators who voted on the bill was a “shameful day for Washington.”

Should you be surprised that numerous polls show the current U.S. Senate has the worst approval rating in Senate history?

HOPE: Some day Democrats and Republicans in the U.S. Senate will be willing to work together like the Democrats and Republicans after the Boston bombing and after 50 years of delay will do those things necessary to reduce the number of killings caused by gun violence and make our country proud and SAFE

McCarthyism

According to Politico roughly one third of the committees of the Republican controlled U.S House are now engaged in investigating some aspect of the Obama administration. There are 5 different committees now investigating the September 11, 2012 attack on the American diplomatic mission at Benghazi, Libya. Since January Republican Frank Wolf has secured 146 Republican sponsors calling for a bill to create a 19 member select committee to begin investigating the Benghazi attack.

Senate and House committee investigations of the Obama IRS and Justice Department are ongoing and increasing by the hour.

Should there be an investigation into the facts surrounding the attacks and killings of Americans working in our embassies and diplomatic missions? Dates and places Americans were killed in attacks on U S embassies and consulates:

January 22, 2002: US consulate at Kolkata, 5 killed

June 14, 2002: US consulate at Karachi, 12 killed

February 28, 2003: US Embassy at Islamabad, 2 killed

June 30, 2004: US: Embassy at Tshkent, 2 killed

December 6, 2004: US compound at Saudi Arabia, 9 killed

March 2, 2006: US consulate in Karachi, 2 killed

September 12, 2006: US embassy at Syria, 4 killed

March 18, 2008: US embassy at Yemen, 2 killed

July 9, 2008: US consulate at Istanbul, 6 killed

September 17, 2008: US embassy at Yemen, 16 killed

60 Americans killed in 10 U S embassy and consulate attacks when Republican George W Bush occupied the White House.

Over eleven years after the two attacks on US consulates in 2002 in which 17 American embassy employees were killed; 10 years after the attack on the US consulate in 2003 in which 2 American consulate employees were killed and over 4 years after Bush left office not one single Republican congressional committee has been convened to investigate the 60 Americans killed in these 10 attacks.

Not one single Republican press conference has been held in over 11 years expressing outrage against the Bush White House over the killing of 60 Americans in these 10 attacks..

Not one single Republican has accused the Bush White House of “lying,” engaging in a “cover up,” or failing to provide “security” for the 60 Americans killed in these 10 attacks..

September 11, 2012: US diplomatic mission at Benghazi, attacked 4 killed

I US diplomatic mission attack under Democrat President Obama 4 Americans killed.

While American’s were watching the burning Benghazi mission on their TV sets and before the bodies of the 4 Americans who had been killed could be removed Republican Presidental candidate Romney began the Republican “attack” on President Obama. Republicans have continued a constant reckless, “attack” on President Obama without regard for the evidence.

Congressmen we the taxpayers of America pay you $174,000.00 a year to “attack” the problems facing Americans. Congressmen we provide you with over a million dollars a year to hire a staff to assist in the “attack” on these problems.

We the people elected Obama President to “attack” the problems facing Americans. We the people did not elect congressmen to wage an around the clock “attack” on President Obama.

Congressman 80% of Americans disapprove of the job you are doing. When will Republicans create a special committee to investigate the job performance of Congress?

Americans have a right to know and the obligation and duty to determine why Republicans are spending millions of taxpayer dollars investigating one attack on American diplomats while a Democrat was in the White House and have completely ignored 10 attacks on American diplomats while a Republican was in the White House.

From 1950 to 1956 Republicans attacked President Truman and Secretary of State Dean Acheson accusing them of disloyalty, subversion, treason and harboring Communist without regard to the evidence. Republican Senator Joseph McCarthy conducted numerous Congressional hearings on TV in which he made reckless, unsubstantiated, demagogic attacks which destroyed the careers of thousands of law abiding Americans, including many government employees and destroyed his political adversaries. This six year Republican Communist witch hunt is defined as “McCarthyism” and should be studied by all Americans.

Many politicians, citizens and organizations like the American Legion were supportive of the Republican McCarthyism hearings but most politicians and citizens stood by and did nothing. Historians give Joseph Welch credit for the downfall of Republican McCarthyism in the 1950’s when he faced McCarthy and said: “Until this moment, Senator, I think I have never really gauged your cruelty or your recklessness. You’ve done enough. Have you no sense of decency, sir? At long last, have you no sense of decency?”

Republicans will continue to accuse President Obama, of disloyalty, subversion and treason. Republicans will continue to conduct “McCarthyism” type investigations UNTIL another Joseph Welch confronts them and the American people are convinced that: “Until this moment I think I never really gauged Republican cruelty or your Republican recklessness. Republican’s you’ve done enough. Have you Republicans no sense of decency? At long last, have Republicans no sense of decency left?”

SMART GUNS-GUN LOCKS - SECURE GUN CASES-GUN RELATED DEATHS

The University of Chicago’s Crime lab reports over 4 million “gun related deaths” in the U.S from 1973 to 2012. A 4 year old child who accidentally kills himself with a loaded gun his mother stored in a shoe box is a gun related death but it is not a “crime” or a “homicide” and would not be included in a crime or homicide report thereby causing some confusion concerning the number of gun related deaths.

Smart or personalized guns are guns which are equipped with technology such as RFID chips, fingerprint recognition, grip recognition, or magnetic devices which render a gun harmless in the hands of anyone other than the gun owner.

Smith and Wesson developed one of the first smart guns in 1975. Other developers of smart guns using various technologies are: Colt Manufacturing, Mossburg, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Trigger Smart in Ireland, A U.S. and Austrian Company, and Armatrix a German Company.

Free gun locks are available at hundreds of police stations, fire stations and other organizations and may be purchased at Wal-Mart for as little as $3.98. Secure gun cases may be purchased at Wal-Mart and from hundreds of other merchants.

How many of the 4 million people killed with guns between 1973 and 2012 do you believe would be alive today if: (1) all guns manufactured in America during that period had been equipped with smart gun or personalized gun technology (2) All guns in America not equipped with smart gun technology were equipped with gun locks (3) All guns in America during that period had been kept in secure gun cases.

The guns used at the Sandy Hook School, Westside Jonesboro, Arkansas School, Thurston Oregon High School were not owned by the killers, were not kept in a locked gun case and were not equipped with smart gun technology. How many of the children killed in these school tragedies do you believe would be alive today if (1) the guns used had been equipped with smart gun technology (2) had been kept in a locked gun case accessible only to the owner (3) had been equipped with gun locks.

Would America have fewer gun killings if we had laws requiring (1) all guns manufactured or sold in the U.S to be equipped with smart gun technology (2) guns not equipped with smart technology must have gun locks (3) all guns must be kept in a secure gun case accessible only by the owner.

Members of the NRA send in over $100 million dollars a year in membership dues which Wayne LaPierre uses to defeat any attempt to make guns safe and defeat any politician that does not vote the NRA line 100% of the time. When Colt and Smith & Wesson produced a smart gun they were boycotted by the NRA.

Americans have two clear choices on lowering gun violence and reducing the number of gun killings.

You can support and send YOUR money to the NRA to pay LaPierre’s a million dollar salary, to continue blocking production of guns equipped with smart gun technology as it has done for the last 30 years, to defeat all common sense gun safety laws, to contribute YOUR money to politicians of LaPierre’s choice, to spread misinformation about YOUR Second Amendment rights and to spread misinformation about those supporting common sense safety laws on guns.

Or you can support the parents whose children were Killed at Sandy Hook School who have formed an organization called Sandy Hook Promise Technology Committee To Reduce Gun Violence. This organization with 30 star technology investors expect to raise $15 million dollars in the next year to reduce gun violence and reduce the number of people killed in America with guns.

Before making your choice please study the information on gun violence and make your choice based on facts not fear or falsehoods. Please remember military assault weapons were created TO KILL more people in combat faster—not to hunt squirrels, Gun manufacturers make guns for one purpose and one purpose only—TO MAKE MONEY. Gun manufacturers have spent millions and perhaps billions of dollars over the past 30 years to SELL more guns and have opposed all efforts to make guns and their use safer. The latest example of defeating laws to make guns safer was when the U.S Senate on April 17 defeated a bill to require gun purchasers to have background checks by a 54 to 46 vote. Numerous polls show 90% of all Americans approved this background check law.

Please choose wisely as your life, the life of a family member or the life of your friend may depend on the choice you make.

HONEST ARKANSAS ELECTIONS THEN AND NOW

“Governor George W. Donaghey gave out a statement yesterday endorsing the proposed constitutional amendment, including what is known as the “grandfather clause.” The governor declared that from every viewpoint it is better to eliminate the Negro from politics. He said the Negroes, as a whole, are prevented from voting now and that it would be better to do this legally than by intimidation. Until this is done, he declared honest elections cannot be secured in Arkansas.” Arkansas Democrat Gazette 7/4/12—Other Days—100 years ago July 4, 1912

100 years ago the Governor of Arkansas, a Democrat, declared if we wanted to have “honest elections” we needed to exclude Negroes (Republican voters) from politics.

“SB 2 is seen by most Arkansas as a ‘common-sense solution’ to voter fraud. Senate Bill 2 would go a long way toward protecting the integrity of the vote here in Arkansas.” Stephen Meeks R-Greenbrier Arkansas Democrat Gazette 4/2/2013

“Voter impersonation is voter fraud, it’s been occurring in Arkansas for many years and, unfortunately it has been denied by a lot of people…we need to improve the integrity of our elections…the one thing that we should get down here for the people of Arkansas is a fair shake for elections, and I believe this bill will do it. Sen. Bryan King R-Green Forest sponsor of SB2 photo ID voter law. Arkansas Democrat Gazette 3/28/2013

100 years later Republican Legislators Meeks and King, declared they had passed a law to improve the “integrity” of Arkansas elections and provided a “common sense solution to voter fraud” by excluding voters who didn’t have a photo ID.

During the debate on the photo ID voter bill there was no evidence presented of a single incident where a voter had lied about their identity.

During the time George W Bush was president (remember he was the one who received fewer votes than his opponent, but was anointed President by a 5-4 Supreme Court decision that stopped the vote count in Florida) he had his Department of Justice spend 5 years of time and taxpayers money trying to find voter fraud and did not find or prosecute a single case.

If the Bush Justice Department in five years found no evidence of voter ID fraud, and if no evidence of voter ID fraud in Arkansas can be found, why did Republican lawmakers waste their time and waste taxpayers money passing such law?

Is it just coincidental that 30 Republican-controlled state legislatures passed similar photo ID voter laws? Or is it more believable these 30 Republican-controlled state legislatures passed similar photo ID voter laws believing those laws would reduce the number of people who would vote for Democrats?

House Majority Leader Mike Turzai (R-Allegheny) boasted to the Pennsylvania Republican State Committee in June 2012 that the recently passed Pennsylvania photo ID voter law was passed to deliver the State of Pennsylvania to Mitt Romney and had nothing to do with voter fraud. Seems Mr. Turzai believed the Republican photo ID voter law can keep enough Democrats from the polls, enabling Republicans to take the White House again with fewer votes just as Bush did in 2000.

Republicans promise smaller government. Adding millions of dollars to the tax bills of your grandchildren in 30 states to establish a department of photo ID appears to be a breach of the smaller government promise. Should Republicans who voted for creating this big government photo ID voter department be called RINO’S and more aptly described as big government tax and spend liberals?

Musings are prepared and published in the spirit that the wise don’t need advice, and the fools won’t follow it.

611 words 4/30/ 8am

A REPUBLICAN MOSES FOR ARKANSAS

Republican politicians claim the people in Arkansas have lived in bondage for more than 130 years under the rule of the liberal, tax and spend, Socialist, big government, Democrats. Bondage much like the children of Israel suffered in Egypt. Republicans tell the people of Arkansas their bondage is about to end. Republicans will control Arkansas politics from top to bottom and a modern day Republican Moses will emerge and transform Arkansas into the promised land—a land flowing with milk and honey.

For the first time since the 1870’s the Arkansas legislature is controlled by lower taxes, less government, conservative, caring, Christian, Republicans who in their first session passed: (1) A bill aimed at protecting those wandering in the wilderness from feral hogs which law provides a $5,000.00 fine and two years in prison for anyone found guilty of releasing a Razorback on public land (2) A bill restoring your freedom to buy raw milk (3) Two unconstitutional abortion bills which will be litigated for years in the courts, and will cost taxpayers of Arkansas millions of dollars in court costs and attorneys fees (4) A voter ID law which it is estimated will cost $300,000.00 to implement (5) Reduced the state income taxes for the richest (5) Reduced the amount of unemployment benefits for the poorest (6) Waived and deferred millions of dollars in taxes and authorized the State of Arkansas to issue $125 million in bonds, (corporate welfare) to build the billionaire Koch brothers a steel mill near Osceola. A steel mill some say will fail because there are currently two steel mills near Osceola.

The NRA’S choice for Arkansas Moses--Asa Hutchinson. The NRA advanced Hutchinson a million dollars to use in his campaign for Moses of Arkansas which the NRA called money for a study of gun killings in schools. Hutchinson’s study recommended the same plan the NRA’s LaPierre announced in December 2012. A plan which would sell millions of dollars worth of guns to every school in America to arm the teachers and school staff.

State Republican Senator Jason Rapert began his campaign to become the Tea Party’s nominee for Arkansas Moses when he, to loud applause, told a Tea Party rally at Conway: “We’re not going to allow minorities to run roughshod over what you people believe.”

Jon Hubbard, Loy Mauch, and Charles Fuquay held positions of honor in Arkansas Republican politics and each believed he possessed all the qualifications to be the Moses of Arkansas. However Mauch, Hubbard and Fuquay made statements which other Republican leaders considered divisive, statements which created discord among the people and all three were found unacceptable for the role of Moses.. Those divisive statements were: (1) Slavery was beneficial for African Americans, (2) Muslims should be expelled from America, (3) Rebellious children should be put to death, and (4) Abraham Lincoln was a terrorist.

Grover Norquist has not revealed his choice for Moses. Since his American for Tax Reform spent $230,000.00 promoting 11 Arkansas Legislative candidates during the final week of the 2012 general election he most assuredly will have a nominee for the Moses of Arkansas.

The Koch brothers who donated $5.2 million to state candidates and ballot issues in 34 states from 2003 to 2010 will certainly have a nominee for the Moses of Arkansas. A Moses who they expect to protect their millions of taxpayer dollars in corporate welfare for their steel mill. A Moses who will protect their timber holdings in south Arkansas.

Many folks believe the modern day Arkansas Moses, regardless of who is anointed, and his Republican followers like the Moses and his followers of Biblical times are destined to wander for 40 years in the Republican wilderness of less government and lower taxes and Republicans will never transform Arkansas into a land flowing with milk and honey as promised.