Thanks to the militancy of the National Rifle Association, an insane young man was able to purchase guns and ammunition and shoot up his school. Somehow I don’t think that the Founders envisioned the kinds of arms we have available today when they introduced the right for states to raise militias into the Constitution. It angers me beyond belief that this tragedy could have been averted, if only our society would take both mental health and gun control more seriously.
While media outlets have been airing poignant portraits of the individuals killed in the Virginia Tech shooting, some two hundred Iraqis died in suicide bombings this week. This surge simply isn’t working. As Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has said, we can’t win this war militarily. But our Decider-in-Chief insists that surging will win the Global War on Terror. Guess we better trust him then.
The Decider steadfastly stood by his man in the hall of justice, despite his demonstrated incompetence and deceitfulness. Even his Republican allies castigated Attorney General Alberto Gonzales’s performance at his hearing yesterday. How can a guy who graduated from Harvard Law forget so much? Let’s hope Gonzales, who argues that the Constitution does not actually contain the right to Habeas Corpus and that the Geneva Conventions rules outlawing torture are “quaint” and outdated, will soon be left to the dustbin of history.
One of the chief architects of the Iraq War and pal of the Decider Paul Wolfowitz vowed as head of the World Bank to go after corruption. Guess he never thought that anyone would find out that he stashed his girlfriend in the State Department and arranged for her to get sweet promotions and even sweeter paychecks. It must be nice to have the head of the World Bank as your sugar daddy.
The Bush-packed Supreme Court decided this week that women don’t have rights over their own bodies. Roberts and Alito ruled with Scalia, Thomas, and Kennedy that despite expert medical opinion, that banning the so-called “partial birth abortion” was just fine. The dilation and extraction procedure (and potentially, due to the bill’s vague language, some second-trimester abortion procedures) is never, ever necessary, even if the mother’s life is at stake, because these guys said so.
I think I’ll try to repair my self-absorbed cocoon and see if I can’t get back in it. This is just too much.
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8 comments:
Yeah, I'm starting to wonder why the hell I went to medical school if all the medical decisions are going to be made by politicians rather than patients and physicians.
If we spent half the time and money taking care of the kids who are here... well shit, then we'd actually be pro-life.
That's my girl.
You can see the glee on those fascist faces in the photo.
"C'mon, guys; they're gonna kick us out so let's do as much damage as we can before we go."
Bastards.
On a more positive note, there was this. Not that it is going to change much, but it still stands as a vote of no confidence of sorts.
Wow, the partial birth abortion debate is a heated one. Wouldn't it be wonderful if it were never necessary, and I can understand someone saying it's pure evil, when you read about the actual procedure and how it destroys viable children. But if I were the women whose life were at stake, and there was no other option, I sure wouldn't want a panel of judges to make the decision for me.
Maybe now a that mentally ill person has been given so much attention, the way we all approach the medical aspect of mental illness will get some well-needed attention. That concerns me more than gun control, actually, and I would like to see some revision in our policies.
You've touched on some pretty hot topics, Sassy. Good thinking.
They all look very pleased in the photo.
Maybe ole G dubbaya is just signing their pay cheques.
This screams out for a caption competition don't you think?
oh this is what i've been trying to get away from. I agree with Robyn about the mental illness thing. Do you know that someone who has mental illness and goes for treatment usually get denioed life insurance but some who has severe mental illness and does not seek help will get the coverage. Shouldn't it be the other way around. Is this country screwy or what???????????
just to point out the guy used handguns, not rifles.
Give everyone rifles then this shit wouldn't happen, single shot rifles.
Its bad what happened but no less than any other cuntry. There go I but for the grace of God.
Terroni, that must be very frustrating. I can't believe that decision. And, I know exactly what you mean. Funny how most pro-lifers aren't really all that pro-life. I call them pro-punishment (they punish women for having sex lives).
Dive, I thought you'd appreciate the post. Those guys are freaks.
James, I'm not sure if I'm taking a lot of hope from the Vermont legislature, but it's a nice gesture.
Thanks, Robyn. I can appreciate where you are coming from.
Full, I think there were caption contests when that photo came out.
Rich, the way the mentally ill are treated in this country is crazy.
Knudsen, I can appreciate what you're saying, but I think that we need real gun laws here.
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