Monday, May 31, 2010

More Common Sense Regarding DADT

This article in Human Events by William Buchanan (didn't he die in last season's "24"?), highlights the only sensible arguments that should be considered as Congress once again discusses a repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell, which would allow openly homosexual men and women to serve in the military (in direct violation of the Uniform Code of Military Justice).

A military spending bill that repeals DADT has already passed the House. This is a devious and dishonest ploy by enablers within our government. They tie this unconscionable repeal to spending meant to enhance the ability of troops now engaged in warfare to succeed. What results is that those who vote against this bill because of the part that repeals DADT, as whether it fails to pass or not, can be said to have been against supporting the troops. At the same time, the military has requested that Congress do nothing on this issue until it can be reviewed by the military, but apparently members of Congress think they know better what's best for the military than military people.

And this is where the article comes in. Even if the military leaders are wrong if they vote against a repeal (which they would not be), it is still something only they can righteously judge because the responsibility of the quality of our military falls on them.

But it seems there are too many political animals in the military as we see by an article in today's paper heralding the first batch of women now assigned to submarines in the Navy. There have already been higher incidents of rapes and pregnancies since women were allowed to serve on other ships, and now somehow, closer quarters won't make a difference. Don't these boneheads understand that our ability to protect the nation is at stake?

The article begins with a perfect example of boneheadedness:

"Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen recently fired another salvo to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” the 1993 law that prohibits openly gay people from serving in the Armed Forces, when he declared before the Senate Armed Services Committee, "No matter how I look at the issue I cannot escape being troubled by the fact that we have in place a policy which forces young men and women to lie about who they are in order to defend their fellow citizens." "

"Lie about who they are"? Not at all. What common sense people are hoping for is that such people resist who they are, just as we hope pedophiles resist who they are, adulterers resist who they are, thieves resist who they are, etc., etc., etc. Why should this behavior be considered immutable, yet all other behaviors forbidden under the UCMJ not? Where's the social justice for rapists and thieves? The lie is that there is no difference between homos and heteros and that there won't be serious negative ramifications should this stupidity be made into law. The article to which I've linked lists a number of considerations that are more than just potential, but are worth a wager for their extreme likelihood.

UPDATE: More common sense on the issue of DADT is found here. It is even better than the one above for the fact that it focusses more directly on the real point of the opposition to the repeal of DADT. As much as some want to see it as some kind of racial like discrimination against those poor homosexuals, it is and always has been an issue of military effectiveness and how that would be impacted by the repeal.

Friday, May 28, 2010

FOR MY NIECE EMMA and other young people I love

After commenting on my niece’s unnecessary use of the “F-bomb” on Facebook, she responded thusly:

“Can u like stop uncle art or ill just delete u off facebook my dad is my friend on fb and doesnt even comment these and u have no idea whats going on right now cause u never call me”

So now, my dear, I say to you:

You are more than free to delete or “de-friend” me for whatever reason you find sufficient. I’m sure someday (maybe months, maybe years, who knows?) I’ll learn to get over it. In the meantime, the truth remains unchanged: the use of such language shows a great lack of class. It shows a great lack of maturity. Before you or anyone else regard me as hypocritical, be it known that I do NOT consider myself exempt from this criticism and knowing that my daughters or nieces or nephews spew such vulgarity makes me more ashamed that I’ve cultivated the habit. And though your father might downplay your routine use of such language, I’m going to stick my neck out and say that it is not something which swells his chest with pride. (Go ahead---ask him. Ask him what would please him more---your continued use of profane and obscene language, or the knowledge that you are the unique one among your peers that never does. I dare you. See what he says and have him get back to me.)

Here’s something else to consider: It’s one thing when we let such words fly from our pie-holes. It’s quite another to consciously decide to type it out, in caps no less. In other words, it’s not like you were overcome with emotion that even your fingers on the keyboard are beyond your control. Besides, it really doesn’t matter what stresses you believe yourself to be under. It’s easy to be in control when there is no stress. It’s how we act when we are under stress that defines our character.

Thursday, May 27, 2010

The Oil Thing

I had been wanting to address this oil leak disaster for awhile now. I wasn't sure from which angle to do so. I was leaning toward simply discussing that as bad as this disaster is, it should not push us away from drilling more. There is still the little matter of getting too much of our oil from nations that don't much care for us, and sending them money to get it, money that is surely used to increase their own power and ability to mess with us.

But that just seemed so incredibly obvious. We didn't stop space exploration when the Challenger blew up. Why should we stop extracting our own resources and spend the money here just because a rig blew up? We'll surely have improved our ability to prevent another such disaster. Indeed, if redundant safety measures not in use can be proven to have prevented this mess, then the issue is moot. Drill, baby, drill!

I could have jumped on the slow reaction time of Obama to this crisis and ask, "Why does Barry hate black people?" It's been two months now. When the Exxon-Valdez spill occurred, Geo HW Bush was chastised by the press only fifteen days into the situation. Dems were demanding swift action, damnit!

But then, in the last thread, Dan hit on it (thanks, Dan). The perfect angle!

As you may recall, gentle reader, in our last episode, I was making a couple of points about illegal immigration based on info not commonly expressed in the media. One of these was the incredible mess left behind by the invaders. It was and still is my contention that those who weep so many tears for the plight of illegal invaders who trespass across our border and then undeservedly avail themselves of the incredible bounty of these here United States should go down to Arizon and clean up after these poor unfortunate souls who's own country doesn't give a flyin' rat's ass about them. I mean, it's only fair considering how those of us who understand that abortion destroys a real person are expected to adopt and be responsible for the unwanted unborn, so to should those who care so desperately for the illegals who don't care about our laws be made to adopt and be responsible for them.

But Dan, in a weak attempt that for him must pass for being clever, suggested that I have no credibility regarding the environment because, I guess, I support the move to drill here, drill now (Baby!). According to Dan, he'll worry about the despoiled Arizona desert when I worry about the Gulf, as if I don't already. A few problems here with the first being that the Gulf has nothing to do with the topic I was covering. Next, in the case of the Gulf, where drilling I support makes me culpable somehow, clean-up efforts by those responsible were ongoing, whereas the mess made by illegals was NOT being cleaned up by either those responsible or those, like Dan, who support them.

Dan goes on to try to compare the extent of the damage and who and what is affected by it and thinks he's scored as a result. But of course, illegals destroyed the World Trade Center, killed many and deprived many more of jobs and income. So, by Dan's math, he's still in the hole. But what's worse was made more clear to me by this article. In it, Henry Wickham, the author, shows just how much the tree-huggers are responsible for this disaster as well. Their obstructionist actions regarding drilling in more reasonable locales has to be included if one wants to honestly think in terms of blame, because really, why would anyone want to drill a mile below the ocean's surface in the first place when there are plenty of safer and less expensive places to extract what is so wanted and needed? I tell ya, that ANWAR is lookin' a whole lot better now!

What this comes down to is the typical manifestation of the law of unintended consequences so often experienced following the implementation of most lefty proposals. A good rule of thumb would be that if a lefty has a plan, don't let it become law until it is properly scrutinized by smarter people. Likely as not, it'll end up hurting far more than it helps.

Monday, May 24, 2010

More AZ stuff

This AmericanThinker blog post shows what most Americans never see, and what most American libs would prefer we didn't see. Perhaps Dan, Geoffrey and Marty can buy about fifty 50 gallon drums to serve as garbage cans so the poor illegals seeking a better life have some place to throw out their crap so as not to despoil the land they really, really want to inhabit. And like this news report highlights (takes a few seconds to load---be patient), it points out a more sinister aspect of the border issue: those that want to do us harm enter in the same way.

These two reports show that members of terrorist groups actually learn Spanish so as to more easily sneak across the border. The Mexican scumbags that are preying on the poor that libs think they are considering will also help the terrorists get across the border to do whatever it is they are planning and hoping to do. Sure, perhaps some of these people from Arab lands are also seeking a better life but, like the Mexican illegals and S. American illegals, are illegal themselves.

But just meditate on the pictures, libs. In addition to the trash littering the desert, throw in the occasional dead body of an illegal who didn't make it, or was murdered by the thugs preying on those seeking a better life. Now think on just how open borders would work. Would there be simply open borders, get here as best you can? Or would you be insisting the feds spend my tax dollars to facilitate their entry? And what of those who live on the AZ side of the border, who own the property through which the illegals are now trespassing, would you insist that they sell part of it to the feds, or should the feds just take it under a lib interpretation of public domain?

For now, I insist that all you libs who think our current laws need amending or eliminating, those of you who think the United States provided the motivation for these illegals to leave their shithole environs governed by corrupt and/or incompetent politicians, those of you who insist that these invaders are just hard working people seeking a better life despite an apparent inability to clean up after themselves, I insist you all go to the Arizon desert and clean up after these forlorn people and maintain the area for as long as they need it to ignore our laws. And tell those terrorists you really want to be their friends. See how well that goes over.

UPDATE: I just had to add this absolute gem. Note at the bottom of the piece that the author is a grad of Berkeley and Harvard. Sure, he was there in the 70's, but it's amazing he got through those schools with his common sense intact.

UPDATE II: Two more relevant articles here and here.

Sunday, May 02, 2010

Alien Nation---More Questions

*Just read this in a George Will column:

"...since 1952 federal law has said: "Every alien, eighteen years of age and over, shall at all times carry with him and have in his personal possession any certificate of alien registration or alien registration receipt card issued to him." "

It seems to me that a law such as this carries with it an expectation that at some point, and for some reason, such identification might be required of an alien in this country. Does it make sense that such a law should exist yet law enforcement should be prohibited from ever requesting that an alien produce such documentation? Why is asking for this documentation fascism and a cop asking for license, registration and proof of insurance after pulling someone over not?

*In today's local newspaper there were stories of rallies and marches for immigration reform. It stated that this was planned well before the AZ law became news. Aside from the fact that it presented a great opportunity for ICE to apprehend more illegals, it was basically an event organized to draw attention to the plight of people who broke the law to enter this country. Apparently, that they are "forced" to enter illegally is some kind of "social justice" issue. (I never needed Glen Beck to tell me that use of the term is a ploy.) I wonder where the justice is in demanding citizenship for illegals when we have 10% unemployment in this country. Far better that we deport as many illegals as we can to free up some of the jobs that they have taken. I don't want to hear this crap about them doing jobs Americans won't do. In today's economy, I have personally spoken to many who have "lowered" themselves to take jobs they never would have taken five to ten years ago.

*Also in today's paper, in the same article, was an activist with stats about how long it takes to go through the proper channels to enter this country. Supposedly, the United States is one of the most restrictive and it takes twenty years for some to go through the process. I'm tearing up. How it that our problem? How does it make us responsible for this "social injustice"? Apparently, we screwed up so badly the economies of so many other countries that we now owe these teaming masses a piece of the American pie. Of course that's crap. And La Raza thinks they're gonna get back California.

*So maybe by now, one of those who have posted comments opposing the AZ law could tell me what number would satisfy them as the proper amount we should let in each year, and while they're at it, explain where the hell they're all going to work? Explain also just what is wrong with the numbers we're letting in now. With our unemployment level, why should we let ANY in right now?

Theses are just a few of the questions that keep popping up in my head regarding the illegal invader issue. More will pop up I'm sure, at which time I'll add them to the list.