State Department withholding records

Judge orders State Dept. to release documents on corrupt contractor before election

The title isn’t surprising; our government seems to be as corrupt as its contractors, and is withholding records requested under an FOIA request. What is surprising is that the state department is letting the corrupt contractor – BAE, who pleaded guilty in 2010 to a criminal count of violating the FCPA – review the records and decide what should be redacted. Really – I kid you not! You can’t make this stuff up!

Here’s an earlier story on the same subject, with an interesting excerpt below:
“So far, after more than two years, the State Department had turned over seven pages to the AP on the subject.”

Hate crimes

This is interesting:

Indigenous woman yells ‘I hate white people’ before punching white woman, but it’s not a hate crime judge rules

For the record, I am against hate crime legislation. Such laws only serve political purposes, and highlight our differences rather than our similarities. In the end, these laws just provide fodder for hate groups.

The punishment for a specific crime is designed to both discourage the offense and punish an offender. If setting a higher punishment for crimes based on the class of victim serves to reduce the occurrence of the crime against those victims, then why should not that additional protection be available to everyone? Hate crime legislation, by providing special protections and privileges to select classes of people, only penalizes those not in one of the selected classes.

Is it just me…

… or does this sound like the police are allowing crime to happen as a punishment for their perceived slight? Here’s a similar story from NPR. A few excerpts:

“Police in Chicago made 30 percent fewer arrests in the early part of this year compared to last year. Street stops are down more than 80 percent so far this year.”

“2016 is shaping up to be one of deadliest in Chicago since the 1990s.”

Continue reading “Is it just me…”

Vote your conscience?

Interesting story: Some of the delegates to the GOP conference don’t want to vote for their voter-selected nominee. Instead, they want to vote their conscience.

I’ve got news for you, people – it’s  not your conscience that matters, but rather the conscience of the voters you represent. Do your job and represent the voters of your state, as agreed. Right or wrong, it’s their choice, not yours. If you can’t represent the will of the people, then get out of the way.

(Note that this is not to be taken as an endorsement or rejection of any particular candidate; I would hold this position regarding a delegate’s vote this no matter who might be the candidate and regardless of political party affiliation)

Is Hillary ignorant, or just pandering?

Your guess is as good as mine. I’ve just come from Hillary’s gun-control web page, however, and I’m concerned. Either she does not understand existing gun laws or gun crime statistics, or she is hoping you don’t. Either way is very, very bad. Let’s take a look at her gun control position…

< Begin long-winded rant… >

Continue reading “Is Hillary ignorant, or just pandering?”

Are charities part of the problem?

I don’t recommend a movie too often, but I would strongly suggest you watch one titled “Poverty, Inc“. I don’t want to spoil it for you, but let’s just say that the movie is both enlightening and confirming. It is available on some of the network-based streaming services.

Help offered to those in need should not destroy potential economies, or turn people into dependent beggars. It should enable them to be lifted up by their own effort, not chain them to their poverty.

Watch the movie. It will change your view of charity.

 

Gov. Brown signs new restrictions on firearms

I hope that each of you will review these new California gun laws, and in doing so realize how little impact they will have on criminals while having a large impact on law-abiding citizens.

Realize, too, that while mass shootings involving so-called “assault weapons” are highly-publicized, they account for a relatively few deaths – fewer than you might think. Some statistic for your review: Continue reading “Gov. Brown signs new restrictions on firearms”

Puerto Rico defaults on loans

Puerto Rico today advised investors that it would no longer pay general obligation debts, even though their constitution guarantees that these be paid ahead of even government workers. Never mind that such guarantees were what drove the financial markets to invest in Puerto Rico (so much for “Government guarantees”; progressive socialists take note).  Continue reading “Puerto Rico defaults on loans”

“Give me your tired, …

… your poor, your criminal element…”

In the previous three years more than 8200 criminal aliens have not been deported upon release because their countries refused to take them back. So instead of deportation they are released upon an unsuspecting American public, where some go on to commit serious crimes.

I find it hard to believe that we have no recourse against those countries who refuse to deal with their own criminal citizens. Tariffs, trade sanctions, visa and travel restrictions – can’t these be used as leverage? After all, I just don’t see “Give me … your criminal element…” anywhere in Emma Lazarus’ iconic sonnet.

I’m not saying all immigrants (or even many, for that matter) are bad, but once we identify some as criminals then why should we allow them to stay here and threaten our lives and security?  Sending them home is a reasonable action under these circumstances.

Sometimes, guns save lives…

What would you tell the family of this 7-11 clerk, attacked my an axe-wielding man, if a law-abiding citizen/customer had not been armed and able to intervene? Or this mother of two, had she not been armed and able to protect herself and her children from a larger, stronger attacker in her own home?

What do you think would happen to crime levels if criminals no longer had to worry about their law-abiding victims being armed? Just a thought…