On Guns in America, Part 1.....

Guns.... I fired weapons in the Army many moons ago, M16s primarily, but had the opportunity to fire "Soviet-bloc" weapons one day. I don't really have much to say about those except the instructor made a point to show how much easier it is to disassemble and reassemble an AK-47 than our standard rifle, the M16. He even dismantled it then ground parts of it into the dirt before reassembling it and firing off a few rounds to demonstrate why the weapon is so loved by forces around the world. Good luck repeating that with an M16.

Anyway.... when it comes to guns in America, I find it mind-boggling so many on the left side of the spectrum don't believe in the fundamentally natural right to possess a weapon for self-protection, even if that means responsible gun ownership. This nation's founders knew perfectly well the dangers of an unarmed society and the natural inclination of government, especially at the federal level, to restrict citizens from gun rights, not to mention countless other restrictions, regulations, etc. Although such natural rights and freedoms are inherently desirous of anybody who seeks to live with a limited government, it is equally natural for a government to seek the limitation of said rights, private gun ownership in particular. History abounds with examples of the results of government bans and confiscations of a citizenry's private weapons. The founders understood this possibility and made clear the dangers, therefore creating the Bill of Rights. This landmark legislation placed the states, and more importantly, the citizens, above the power of the federal government in all but a tiny handful of instances that only a federal government could handle. These instances include border security, international treaties and a few more limited examples.

OK, back to guns.... I find it amusing so many of the Hollywood elite, Democratic politicians, Democratic donors and perhaps a good portion of the media call for ever increasing gun control, even calling for outright bans rely on armed bodyguards and police protection for their safe travels. More than a few are probably legal gun owners themselves, perhaps even concealed-carry permit holders. They somehow think passing more laws, on top of the countless already in place, will prevent more mass shootings anywhere in the country. What is amazing is there seems to be basically a mass shooting amount of people shot and killed in many major cities every week yet those are rarely, if ever, highlighted in the media nor mentioned by those same gun control proponents. Most, if not all, of those killed or wounded by gunfire in those cities are victims in Democratic Party strongholds shot by people who vote Democratic, if they vote at all. I think that speaks volumes of where the blame should be focused. Whenever there is a mass shooting anywhere in the country, there is no doubt the gun control crowd hopes and prays the shooter is a Tea Partier, perhaps with a giant elephant tattooed on their body and drove a car full of GOP candidate stickers and even better has a YouTube channel dedicated to Tea Party rants about the 2nd Amendment, racist voter ID laws, etc. Unfortunately, for Democrats, the shooters are most often their supporters or sometimes actually have no political ties to any party. Of course, there will come a time when a future shooter will be solidly on the GOP side and it will be quite interesting to see how the media and activists exploit that situation.

On Israel, Part 1.....

Since Israel's modern existence, its neighbors (both immediate and all throughout the Middle East), have sought the sovereign nation's destruction. This uniquely includes the outright declaration of another sovereign nation, Iran, and its proxies to wipe Israel off the face of the planet by whatever means possible/necessary. No other nation on Earth has been under such public threat by an adversary with the means to inflict immense harm to its citizens and way of life, yet Israel is repeatedly and continuously attacked by the UN in ways that boggle the mind.

Now Israel is faced with another unique situation, but has been since 1/20/09. Does that date sound familiar? It is when the Obama administration took control of American foreign policy and left Israel without a staunch American ally for the first time in its existence.

What fascinates me most about Israel vs. its neighbors is how much more exponentially advanced Israel is compared to everybody around her. I often like to explain this using the amount of Nobel Prizes won by teeny-tiny Israel (12) compared to the comparatively gargantuanly ginormous expanse of real estate run by the Arabs, Muslims and/or Persians of the same hemisphere (12), in particular the sciences. Add to this massive lopsidedness the comparison between Jewish (nearly 200) and Muslim/Arab winners and it is even more stunning. Now tell me why on Earth would anybody take the contributions to world progress by Muslims/Arab over those of Jews/Israelis? Unless it is a piece of pottery or a rug, there is likely nothing else in your home made by a Muslim/Arab nor anything else which has improved your livelihood anywhere close to what Jews have done in the last century. That is not a statement of racism, xenophobia, Islamophobia or any other ism or phobia. It is a simple, not-at-all-painful fact that should be shared the world over.

On Voter ID, Part 1.....

Much is said by Democrats/Progressives/Liberals who claim the only possible reason for requiring any voter to produce a state-issued ID (especially a drivers license) is to repress votes by those most likely to vote for Democrats on the ballot. My only response to that is this...... name one thing anybody can do, besides voting, that has a greater effect (short and long term) on your future, not to mention the future of your family, children, grandchildren, friends and community? Shouldn't the one and only person exclusively allowed to vote in your name prove they are the one and only person completing their own ballot? What better way to prove that than a state-issued ID? How is this even questionable? What would be their reaction to discover they visited their voting place late in the day, only to be told "you already voted today" or "our records show you requested an early ballot so we cannot give you a ballot today"?