I’m not legal scholar or anything like that but it seems to me that ruling:

the recently enacted Nebraska constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage . . . is unconstitutional.

is a bit misguided. Isn’t the Constitution constitutional? Seems odd to a layman that you could rule the standard by which you would measure an issue’s constitutionalness (heh, made up word) couldn’t be, you know, anti-itself.

I realize that the reference is to the US constitution but still find it odd. I’m all for gay marriage but it shouldn’t be done from the bench.

NewsTalk99‘s David Foulk has a blog. On the recent incursion of an unauthorized plane in DC airspace, he writes:

Al Quaeda is watching and taking note of how patient we are with violators. It is a deadly patience that could be exploited by evil people.

Good stuff. Done by Steve.

A gun-toting liberal has a piece entitled A Gun Person in an Academic World. It’s worth the read that addresses a variety of things, like gender issues and guns:

Male homeowners who shot incompetently were perceived more negatively than were men who shot the intruder with competence. The opposite trend was observed for female homeowners.

I dig it:

We need a Godwin’s Law for guns. I’m proposing one: “As a discussion about guns grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Dodge City or the Wild West approaches one.”

However, I’d change it from discussion about guns to discussion about concealed carry.

Quote:

In an interview on CNN’s “Larry King Live,” Rice said she came to that view from personal experience. She said her father, a black minister, and his friends armed themselves to defended the black community in Birmingham, Ala., against the White Knight Riders in 1962 and 1963. She said if local authorities had had lists of registered weapons, she did not think her father and other blacks would have been able to defend themselves.

{snip}

Rice said the Founding Fathers understood “there might be circumstances that people like my father experienced in Birmingham, Ala., when, in fact, the police weren’t going to protect you.”

“I also don’t think we get to pick and choose from the Constitution,” she said in the interview, which was taped for airing Wednesday night. “The Second Amendment is as important as the First Amendment.”

Too bad she ruins it by playing the nonexistent gun show loophole card.

A while back, Denver banned politically incorrect dogs and that ban was suspended by state legislation restricting breed specific legislation. Denver sued to reinstate the ban and won. A court ruled that Denver was, basically, not subject to the state law because of home rule. In other words, Denver was its own country.

The breed ban has resumed and Denver has started rounding up family pets and killing them. It is abysmal:

Yet here we have the city of Denver, newly sprung from legislative and judicial restraint, rounding up pits over the past couple of days and killing them like rats during The Plague.

A uniformed officer arrives at a home. “I’ll get him,” she announces to her partner. Rather than fight it all, a distraught man emerges, weighs going to jail and a fine, and in the end hands over his dog.

“I’m definitely sad,” he later tells a reporter. “He’s like a member of my family.”

Later in the day, a woman pleads: “I don’t have no dogs!

“There ain’t no dogs in the basement!” she yells as the uniformed man and woman, responding to an informant’s report of a pit bull, interrogate her. Outside, squad cars filled with police officers wait to see if they are needed.

“I’m just doing my job,” the woman officer later laments.

One vet is trying to make a difference by shipping pits out of Denver but, sadly, he notes:

“We would absolutely love to be the Underground Railroad for pit bulls, but we know the city would close us down.”

The article closes with:

What happens, I ask, when all of the Denver pit bulls have been rounded up and put down?

He would not want to be a Malamute, he said.

A male Malamute attacked and killed a 7-year-old girl in Fruita last Saturday night.

“It is not the breed,” an unsmiling Bill Suro said.

Radley Balko on Breed Specific Legislation:

Breed-specific legislation is overly emotional, ineffective, and inhumane. The entire city of Denver ought to be ashamed of its public officials. Pit-bulls make up a disproportionate percentage of vicious dogs that attack humans and other dogs because people who breed vicious dogs happened to favor pit-bulls (actually, that’s not even true any more. Rottweilers surpassed pit-bulls a few years ago as the breed with the most-reported dog-on-man attacks). You can train a poodle to kill if you’re so inclined. Ban pit-bulls and dogfight enthusiasts will simply pick another breed.

Irresponsible owners will just switch breeds. You’ll get my dogs from my cold dead hands.

Update: Jacob Grier has some numbers:

If history is any indication, this is going to mean a lot of dogs will get a lethal injection. In 2003 Denver put down 410 pit bulls and returned 240 to owners with the promise that they would be relocated immediately. Yet despite the bloodbath, city officials estimate that there were still 4,500 pit bulls illegally owned at the peak of enforcement. The prohibition didn’t work, but a lot of innocent dogs were killed and many privacies were violated.

He also notes that the most dangerous breed changes over time, something I’ve addressed before. And addresses how the popularity of a breed tends to correlate to the dog related fatalities.

Apparently, I should feel sympathy for someone who is bent on taking away second amendment rights. Why else would they have this tearful piece on the plight of the poor, defenseless gun grabber:

“What ever happened to civility?” Whittenburg asked Tuesday as her group’s legislative agenda – or what’s left of it – limped toward the end of the session. “There’s a level of anger here that you don’t see with other bills. And these people, you know, are armed!”

Yes, they’re armed. And you work with a group that seeks to disarm them. You expect them to be civil with you?

Responsible gun owners, step away from your computer keyboards. Whittenburg is the first to acknowledge that the nasty e-mails and telephone messages surrounding Maine’s never-ending debate over firearms come not from mainstream hunters or target shooters or collectors. Rather, she blames them on “the bullies” who attack anything they consider a threat to their beloved Second Amendment.

She’s referencing Maine’s attempt at a ban on weapons that merely look like assault weapons. That is an attack on the second amendment. And the “gun bullies” are regular Joes concerned about their rights. The NRA is only as powerful as its members.

The rest of the piece consists of anti-gun politicos thinking that I should feel sorry for them because of the way they’re being treated for being anti-gun. Actually, that’s what it says but what it means is that pro-gun people are organized and put the pressure on. And the piece points out the few whackjobs who are threatening these politicos with physical violence. Of course, you pick the extremists to try to make a case.

Cry me a river, you dumbasses.

Carnaby, Michelle and myself all fit the same typology. I think they can add to the description likely to have blogs.

Update: And this guy is too. Yup, add likely to blog to the list.

The useless solution of limiting handgun sales to one gun per month was recommended to the PA governor:

State Rep. W. Curtis Thomas, who also participated in the news conference, said the unlimited sale of handguns in Pennsylvania feeds a voracious underground market for illegal weapons used to commit crimes.

“This is about whether or not somebody should have the ability to buy 25 guns a month who knowingly … then put those 25 guns in a stream of commerce in a way that they know is going to end up in death or permanent injury,” the Philadelphia Democrat said.

“This is about choosing life over death, choosing peace over a society where people do not feel safe,” he said.

Do they really think a gun-toting criminal gets their gun from a local gun shop?

Forget securing borders and providing healthcare to the needy, we must instead save dead or dying languages:

Thousands of languages are threatened with extinction, and the U.S. government is trying to help save some of them, from the one used by Cherokee Indians to a language spoken by a small group of people in Tibet but never written down.

The project awards $4.4 million to 26 institutions and 13 individual scholars to investigate the status of more than 70 languages among the 6,000 to 7,000 in the world.

In Sunset Hills, there are plans to take private property and turn it into a shopping center by abusing eminent domain. The plan would displace 254 residents and all but two adjacent businesses. Displace is a nice term for kicking people out under the threat of a gun.

And more abuse in Albany:

In March, the city declared the area blighted under state law, which gives the city the power of eminent domain. That means the city can seize private property for public use — or even for private development, if it benefits the public.

Actually, that private development bit is unconstitutional even though it is common practice.

I for one welcome our new self-replicating overlords:

Scientists at the Cornell University in Ithaca, New York have created small robots that can build copies of themselves.

Now, who thinks this is a good idea?

Tennessee’s other blogging politico, Stacey Campfield, on Governor Bredesen’s blog:

I held out hope for a comment section though-and remained optimistic. Unfortunately, I have now discovered that the Governor’s blog/web designer sent out a mass email to all the pro pre-K people indicating that a blog had been set up for the Governor with a pre-K poll on it. The email encouraged them to go online and vote in favor of Pre-K.

Come on Governor! This is a terrible way to start your blog. Perhaps there wouldn’t have been a computer trail of emails if he would have “fixed” the poll by configuring the program to automatically register two “yes” votes for every one “no.” Is there really a difference between a mass email and fixing the numbers? And wouldn’t that be more in keeping with the efficiency he’s always talking about?

I was genuinely excited that the Governor had started a blog. I think communicating with Tennesseans is good for government, good for the people, and great for accountability. But sadly, it just looks like Phil Blog is going to be a political tool with an unfortunate, shady start.

Ouch.

White House evacuated:

TeeVee mentioned something about an enemy in the area.

Update: Apparently, warjets are chasing a plane now.

Update 2: Some sort of malfunction, nothing to see here.

SayUncle needs a new blade, since the TSA now has my old one (I’ll miss that knife). Anyway, I’m looking for one that has a four inch blade, preferably with assisted opening (though not a switchblade). So, if you got any advice or reviews, let me know.

As a side note, I was perusing various knife sites and decided that an automatic unfolding knife (aka switchblade) would be nice. They’re convenient, easy to operate with one hand and they’re cool. Then I started reading up on them. It is illegal to ship an automatic unfolding knife over state lines unless it’s for military, emergency workers, law enforcement and militia duty. Fortunately, being between the ages of 17 – 45 and a citizen, I am a member of the militia. The problem is that in Tennessee, it is illegal to carry a switchblade. I can carry a Glock 30 but not a knife that is convenient to open. May be the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard of.

Gullyborg speculates that Bredesen’s blog may be an indication of higher political aspirations:

Gov. Bredesen is positioning himself to be the anti-Hillary, the “red state” democRat who can win in 2008. Can he succeed?

He will have a hard time winning the primary.

I personally don’t think Hillary has a chance, she lacks her husband’s charisma and popularity. I do think Bredesen (or really any moderately conservative – and particularly southern – Democrat) could stand a shot in the general. The real indicator will be if they could make it through the primaries.

Bredesen, however, absolutely must save TennCare or he is doomed politically. People like their free stuff and don’t appreciate politicos (even fiscally responsible Democrats – never thought I’d say that) cutting benefits. And when the debate turns to MediCare, he’ll appear weak on the issue as his opponents can’t point out TennCare’s failings.

Bredesen is fiscally conservative and pro-gun. These are two traits any Democrat would need to succeed and Bredesen would need to hammer those points home. Howard Dean had the same traits going in but changed his position on guns when he ran for office. I guess his consultants figured such a change would play well in the polls. Bredesen would do well to stick to his guns. It seems to be working for Harry Reid as well.

Well, that’s one way to teach kids to stay away from guns.

I was driving in to work this morning, listening to the local news talk station. They started talking about Gov. Bredesen’s blog. They had a brief comment from the Rocky Top Brigade’s own Bill Hobbs. I also discovered that News Talk 99’s Dave Foulk has a blog, because he mentioned it on the radio.

Update: Rich reports in comments that Star 102 did a thing on local bloggers. The mentioned me, him, Bubba and Adam. And some guy named Glenn Reynolds. Cool.

Update 2: Rich has more. We were mentioned by Glenn Reynolds, even. Now, who is that guy?

Blake reports that Real ID passed the Senate. It’s on its way to Bush for signing. He also reports that Lamar Alexander made a quite half-assed attempt to stand against it. Too bad that’s overshadows by the fact he, you know, voted for it.

Blake has a round up of Real ID stuff here.

How’s it doing? Depends who you ask:

One year after 11 law enforcement agencies increased patrols in Knoxville’s gun zone, half of the city’s gun murders still happen within a three mile radius east of downtown.

The area is part of an initiative called Project Safe Neighborhood. Police say so far, the project has been a success. However, residents say they still see crime every day. Townview Terrace was the scene of a shooting the same day as this report.

Update: David has more on Project Safe Neighborhoods.

Looks like the horrendous gun bill that was making its way in Illinois is done for, at least for now.

In New Jersey, they are looking to pass a bill that will allow the confiscation of property from people who have illegal guns:

The legislation, sponsored by Assemblyman Louis Manzo, D-Jersey City, authorizes the forfeiture of “motor vehicle, building or premise” if a firearm is found in it that is not possessed legally per state law – “even if the firearm was not possessed by the owner of the motor vehicle, building or premise,” states a summary of the bill, A3998. The legislation was introduced Thursday.

Manzo pointed out his bill extends government power now reserved for targeting those in possession of illegal drugs.

And the drug war is going so well. And, depending on the definition of illegal, this could be quite problematic. This is New Jersey and whenever the technology exists guns that aren’t smart guns will be illegal.

Update: I apparently need to start reading Ravenwood earlier. He’s on it.

Jeff has the latest on anti-gun bias in the media.

One of those personality things. Via Phelps, who apparently has issues.

Read the rest of this entry »

The Tennessean reports that:

Tennessee Highway Patrol troopers would collect racial data about the motorists they stop under a bill approved by the legislature yesterday aimed at monitoring whether officers unfairly target minority drivers.

The ”racial profiling” bill is headed for the governor’s desk after passing the state House on a 64-29 vote, with two lawmakers not voting. It cleared the Senate with a single dissenting vote April 28.

The purpose is to determine if minorities are targeted more often. I wonder if this will lead to fewer people being pulled over because of their race even though they should be pulled over?

Michael Silence writes about Governor Phil Bredesen’s blog.

One note: Michael, get your web guy to fix the link to the blog.

A DEA Official who was in Gatlinburg criticized the press for its coverage of The War on Civil Liberties err Some Drugs:

Administrator Karen Tandy of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration said that aggressively pursuing the drug war has led to a reduction in drug use and availability, but she complained that the media doesn’t report the issue fairly.

“Good news doesn’t sell,” Tandy said. “You won’t read about it in the press.”

On measuring the Drug War’s success:

Tandy said that drug seizures are “on track this year to hit $1 billion” and predicted that amount will eventually climb to $3 billion a year.

“And that’s more money, by the way, that will be going back to you,” she told the assembly of hundreds of law enforcement officers in a reference to state and federal laws that allow funds seized during drug busts to be returned to the agencies that confiscate them.

Actually, the DEA’s budget (which excludes local law enforcement budgets) is $2.14 billion. Let’s see $2.14B less $1B is still a positive number, so there’s still no money that will be going back to me. And your measure of success is the street value of what you confiscate? Does that include the houses, cars and property seized without due process of law in violation of the Constitution? What about the killing of innocent people in the name of war on drugs? People are not secure in their homes because of no knock warrants and search warrants issued based on the frequently false testimony of criminals. Property is taken and lives are destroyed over a few minuscule amounts of drugs. Is it worth that price to confiscate an infinitesimally small fraction of a percent of the drug supply in this country?

Pete has more.

This morning, I killed 89 zombies. Via Mike. Oh, hit the shift key to switch to the boomstick.

Is it just me or has spam has been out of control for the last week. And it’s new spam. Sure, I’ve been getting porn spam, erectile enhancement spam, watch spam and so forth. I’ve gotten Nigerian scam spams. I even get spam in Spanish. The latest wave of spam I’m getting is Christian spam. Strange.

Update: even more strange. I clicked the link the church that sent spam and it’s actually the website of some leftists who have issues with religion. Though the WWJD thong was funny.