Firefighters Down

4:15 PM
2 volunteer firefighters in Webster N Y (outside Rochester) have been shot and killed, and 2 more critically wounded in an apparent ambush. A felon apparently set his house and car on fire and then shot the firefighters when they arrived.

What a way to celebrate Christmas!!!
This guy had already been convicted of killing his grandmother. Why was he out on the street? Is life that cheap in NY State? (Answer: yes it is. You'll get more time for stealing somebody's money than for killing  them, it seems)

One has also to point a finger at the media who sensationalizes shootings and killings. Every toad suddenly sees a way to be the BIG story, and decides to make a name for himself by becoming a me-too murderer.

For the brother firefighters who died trying to protect others, for their families, for the wounded firefighters and their families, I pray for you all.

What I found to be an excellent rebuttal to most of the currently heard arguments against gun ownership. It's long, but a good read.
http://larrycorreia.wordpress.com/2012/12/20/an-opinion-on-gun-control/

To the vast hordes who eagerly await every word from my keyboard, the joy and peace of Christmas to you all.

The tragedy of the Ct. shootings still hangs in the air. And even before the first victims are laid to rest, as sure as night follows day, the politicians are on their soapboxes calling for more gun control, more laws, MORE, MORE, MORE!!!  We have to do something!!!!
But this predictable response is not just from Washington or Albany. It trickles down to the local level as well.

Mayor Bloomberg has his group of mayors who follow him lock-step in his continued attempt to restrict private gun ownership. And when you look at that list, surprise, surprise, our own mayor is listed there
http://www.mayorsagainstillegalguns.org/html/media-center/letter_121912.shtml.

Never mind that there there is no, zero, zip evidence that any of the laws already passed have had any effect on crime; never mind that when private ownership of firearms rises, violent crime rates fall; never mind that criminals and/or insane people don't follow the rule of law..... we HAVE TO DO SOMETHING!!!!!!  And our mayor signs on to this

Well it's been a long break, but the urge to put pen to paper (figuratively anyway) has made itself known once again. Since I last added anything to this blog, a lot of things have happened, too many of them NOT good. But even setbacks can be a learning experience.

Earlier this month, Mr Obama was re-elected president. When I heard this I admit I was shocked and upset. Now having thought about it for the weeks since then, I am no longer shocked, but truly disappointed. I'm not disappointed in him; I expected exactly what I have seen happening since his first election, so can't say I was disappointed.

But I am disappointed by the apparent choice of a majority of the citizens of this country to support a man and a party which has made no effort to conceal their plan and goal of "fundamentally changing" this country. I'm sorry, but the way that this country was and has been was pretty good. It made this country the beacon of hope for millions; it led the world in producing a standard of living that was the envy of the world; it gave its citizens more and greater freedom than any country in history. And we are walking away from that. We are following the very path that has led Europe, Greece, Spain and other countries into financial and social disaster. And we are doing it willingly, even as we watch these countries founder after following the very course that we have decided to follow. THAT is disappointing.

There are several ways to cope with this. One can pretend that nothing has changed, and continue to pretend that this country is the same as it was. One can get angry and cynical, and make everyone around them unhappy as well. Or, one can hunker down, admit that one's views are now the minority view, and try to hold to the core beliefs that got the country this far in hopes that eventually others will see that the current path is a path to failure. In the meantime, I have to admit that I take a certain perverse pleasure watching as all of the supporters of the "fundamental change" begin to realize that there is a bill, a VERY big bill, for those changes, and that the only one who pays, when all is said and done, is the consumer and the taxpayer, and that we are both of them.