Stars & Bars 'Wither Irony' 2
The first one was the occurences of the Stars & Bars sticker on a bumper next to the 'United We Stand' sticker. The second, which I have begun to notice frequently, is the ol' Stars & Bars alongside 'One Nation Under God'.
Think about it.
Thursday, September 18, 2003
Wednesday, September 17, 2003
Dean vs. Goliath
Howard Dean vs. George W. Bush? No, I'm talking about a real David- Dean Barkley. Fortunately, the local media is really starting to talk about Mr. Barkley, Libertarian candidate for Carmel, IN Mayor, this way.
Last night's Fox 59-TV coverage of Dean Barkley's run for Mayor was nothing but positive, showing him as the reluctant but determined candidate, a simple small business owner who was one of many who were left out of the process by a Republican Mayor who really didn't care if his city's road project negatively impacted them. (Fox 59 has a teaser on their website on 'The Construction Candidate', but not a full story, sadly.)
This morning's Indianapolis Star has a feature on Dean in their Hamilton County section. It tells the story nicely.
The Mayor raised some $240,000 for the primary, and is now gearing up to raise more money. If raising money is the name of the game, Mayor Jim Brainard may be in for a bit of a shock. While Barkley's campaign manager says that they look to raise about $50,000, I am betting that they can raise every bit as much as Brainard (meaing six figures plus), so thorough is the dissatisfaction among Republicans and among small business owners, who would have been less surprised and disappointed if Brainard's big government and heavy-handed tendencies came from a Democrat. Alas, the Republicans are revealed as being just about the same.
This is going to be very exciting to watch, as Barkley loads the slingshot with stones.
Howard Dean vs. George W. Bush? No, I'm talking about a real David- Dean Barkley. Fortunately, the local media is really starting to talk about Mr. Barkley, Libertarian candidate for Carmel, IN Mayor, this way.
Last night's Fox 59-TV coverage of Dean Barkley's run for Mayor was nothing but positive, showing him as the reluctant but determined candidate, a simple small business owner who was one of many who were left out of the process by a Republican Mayor who really didn't care if his city's road project negatively impacted them. (Fox 59 has a teaser on their website on 'The Construction Candidate', but not a full story, sadly.)
This morning's Indianapolis Star has a feature on Dean in their Hamilton County section. It tells the story nicely.
The Mayor raised some $240,000 for the primary, and is now gearing up to raise more money. If raising money is the name of the game, Mayor Jim Brainard may be in for a bit of a shock. While Barkley's campaign manager says that they look to raise about $50,000, I am betting that they can raise every bit as much as Brainard (meaing six figures plus), so thorough is the dissatisfaction among Republicans and among small business owners, who would have been less surprised and disappointed if Brainard's big government and heavy-handed tendencies came from a Democrat. Alas, the Republicans are revealed as being just about the same.
This is going to be very exciting to watch, as Barkley loads the slingshot with stones.
Tuesday, September 16, 2003
If Currency Must Be Changed
One thing I really like about American currency is that despite numerous minute changes on the bills over the years, the basic design has remained relatively unchanged for the last 80 or so years. The size, shape, colors, and even the men whose portraits adorn the bills have not been altered in that time.
I like that. It points to the great stability of the United States and its’ economy.
Take a $1 bill from 1935 and one from today and compare. The biggest difference is that the 1935 note is usually a Silver Certificate, and it represented ‘one dollar in silver payable to the bearer on demand’. Yes, that Federal Reserve Note is not redeemable for anything… except the goods or services it can fetch. Also, the back of the 1935 bill lacks the phrase ‘In God We Trust’. Ah, let’s revisit those conversations another day. This will make the point: I collect the Silver Certificates, and have received them in change in the last five years, even though they were last produced in 1957. They are that similar.
That said, I have found a compelling change proposal to the back of the U.S. $1 bill, suggested by middle school civics teacher Randy Wright, and found on his website www.libertydollarbill.org. Wright is suggesting that U.S. Constitution should replace the All-Seeing Eye and the Great Seal of the United States.
His suggestion is that the entire Preamble to the Constitution, and descriptions of the various Amendments be written on the bill. Politicians have been warming up to the idea, and a couple years ago, HR xxxx was introduced recommending adoption of the new design.
I like the idea of the Preamble. Everyone should feast their eyes upon it every now and again so as to see what gave rise to the founding of this country. Placing it on the back of the $1 bill would ensure that everyone could see it every day.
I don’t like the idea of using interpretive descriptions of the Amendments. Interpretation is the job of the Supreme Court, and even then, I wouldn’t care to have what about half of them would have to say about it. The Constitution and the Amendments are rather like art- in the eye of the beholder, and best seen in their unblemished, original form.
Printing all ten Amendments of the Bill of Rights would be wonderful. Maybe they wouldn’t all fit. USA Today’s Tony Mauro suggests that printing the First Amendment would be a great thing. I wouldn’t have any great objection to that.
Whether it’s the Amendments or dollar bills, I like to see them messed with and changed as little as possible.
One thing I really like about American currency is that despite numerous minute changes on the bills over the years, the basic design has remained relatively unchanged for the last 80 or so years. The size, shape, colors, and even the men whose portraits adorn the bills have not been altered in that time.
I like that. It points to the great stability of the United States and its’ economy.
Take a $1 bill from 1935 and one from today and compare. The biggest difference is that the 1935 note is usually a Silver Certificate, and it represented ‘one dollar in silver payable to the bearer on demand’. Yes, that Federal Reserve Note is not redeemable for anything… except the goods or services it can fetch. Also, the back of the 1935 bill lacks the phrase ‘In God We Trust’. Ah, let’s revisit those conversations another day. This will make the point: I collect the Silver Certificates, and have received them in change in the last five years, even though they were last produced in 1957. They are that similar.
That said, I have found a compelling change proposal to the back of the U.S. $1 bill, suggested by middle school civics teacher Randy Wright, and found on his website www.libertydollarbill.org. Wright is suggesting that U.S. Constitution should replace the All-Seeing Eye and the Great Seal of the United States.
His suggestion is that the entire Preamble to the Constitution, and descriptions of the various Amendments be written on the bill. Politicians have been warming up to the idea, and a couple years ago, HR xxxx was introduced recommending adoption of the new design.
I like the idea of the Preamble. Everyone should feast their eyes upon it every now and again so as to see what gave rise to the founding of this country. Placing it on the back of the $1 bill would ensure that everyone could see it every day.
I don’t like the idea of using interpretive descriptions of the Amendments. Interpretation is the job of the Supreme Court, and even then, I wouldn’t care to have what about half of them would have to say about it. The Constitution and the Amendments are rather like art- in the eye of the beholder, and best seen in their unblemished, original form.
Printing all ten Amendments of the Bill of Rights would be wonderful. Maybe they wouldn’t all fit. USA Today’s Tony Mauro suggests that printing the First Amendment would be a great thing. I wouldn’t have any great objection to that.
Whether it’s the Amendments or dollar bills, I like to see them messed with and changed as little as possible.
Web Nonsense
Forgive me, Wired, for I have no technical skills. I am the great unwashed, heavily reliant upon point-and-click simplicity, utterly ignorant of code.
For days, I have been unable to access my blog via Internet Explorer. This morning it dawned on me that IE could be the problem, so I tried using Netscape. Voila! So here are these quick posts. Problem is, not all of the buttons are visible to me, so I can't insert links, or use bold or italic type. Arrgh! I'll have to download more current versions of both browsers and see what becomes available to me.
Forgive me, Wired, for I have no technical skills. I am the great unwashed, heavily reliant upon point-and-click simplicity, utterly ignorant of code.
For days, I have been unable to access my blog via Internet Explorer. This morning it dawned on me that IE could be the problem, so I tried using Netscape. Voila! So here are these quick posts. Problem is, not all of the buttons are visible to me, so I can't insert links, or use bold or italic type. Arrgh! I'll have to download more current versions of both browsers and see what becomes available to me.
I Can't Wait to Watch the TV News!
I don't think I've uttered such a phrase in better than ten years, so insipid, so vacuous is the usual fare on the broadcast news. But tonight, while there may well be coverage of car crashes or house fires, there will also be a feature on Dean Barkley on Fox 59-TV at 10:00.
Dean is running for Mayor of Carmel, IN on the Libertarian ticket. All indications are that this is the kind of coverage Libertarian candidates tend not to get- positive coverage.
My VCR is fired up, and so am I!
I don't think I've uttered such a phrase in better than ten years, so insipid, so vacuous is the usual fare on the broadcast news. But tonight, while there may well be coverage of car crashes or house fires, there will also be a feature on Dean Barkley on Fox 59-TV at 10:00.
Dean is running for Mayor of Carmel, IN on the Libertarian ticket. All indications are that this is the kind of coverage Libertarian candidates tend not to get- positive coverage.
My VCR is fired up, and so am I!
Sunday, September 07, 2003
Big League or Thrid World?
That seems to be the big, pressing question before the good people of Indianapolis. Oh, it hasn't been stated this way explicitly, but I think it should be. Here are the two local stories on the front page of this morning's Indy Star:
Headline, above the fold, uppermost left- "City debates if paying Colts would pay off".
Headline, above the fold, center, below the Colts story, "Insufficient Infrastructure. Storm deluge sends raw sewage gushing".
The stories placed side-by-side like this makes the choice clear- fix the sewers.
It is rare that libertarians argue for common resources and common funding. However, most libertarians will argue that sewers and other infrastructure are among the rare instances where common resources are appropriately administered by government. The argument can successfully be made for privatization of sewers, but for the time being, they are a common resource. So long as they are, they should be fully funded and fully functional, and should not overflow every time better than a half-inch of rain falls.
It is quite the mind-blower that people are arguing for socialized football, and worse, making it a priority over sewers.
The bitter irony here is that, "to proponents, it's money well spent for being 'big-league'". Look to the city that hosts the Colts opener today: Cleveland. That city has had major league baseball since the 1890's, the NFL with a three-year gap since 1950, and the NBA since 1970. That city's big league status wasn't called into question when the Browns left for Baltimore in 1996. It was called to the mat when the Cuyahoga River caught fire in 1969. Ever since, when a comedian has needed a cheap laugh and didn't wish to use profanity, he uttered the word, "Cleveland".
If Indianapolis begins to have cases of cholera because raw sewage escapes the system with heavy rains, all the football welfare in the world won't save the city from worldwide stigma. Cleveland will breath a sigh of relief and pass the torch to us.
The Libertarian Party has been on the correct side of both of these issues for years: Fund the sewage system. Leave the Colts to the free enterprize system.
That seems to be the big, pressing question before the good people of Indianapolis. Oh, it hasn't been stated this way explicitly, but I think it should be. Here are the two local stories on the front page of this morning's Indy Star:
Headline, above the fold, uppermost left- "City debates if paying Colts would pay off".
Headline, above the fold, center, below the Colts story, "Insufficient Infrastructure. Storm deluge sends raw sewage gushing".
The stories placed side-by-side like this makes the choice clear- fix the sewers.
It is rare that libertarians argue for common resources and common funding. However, most libertarians will argue that sewers and other infrastructure are among the rare instances where common resources are appropriately administered by government. The argument can successfully be made for privatization of sewers, but for the time being, they are a common resource. So long as they are, they should be fully funded and fully functional, and should not overflow every time better than a half-inch of rain falls.
It is quite the mind-blower that people are arguing for socialized football, and worse, making it a priority over sewers.
The bitter irony here is that, "to proponents, it's money well spent for being 'big-league'". Look to the city that hosts the Colts opener today: Cleveland. That city has had major league baseball since the 1890's, the NFL with a three-year gap since 1950, and the NBA since 1970. That city's big league status wasn't called into question when the Browns left for Baltimore in 1996. It was called to the mat when the Cuyahoga River caught fire in 1969. Ever since, when a comedian has needed a cheap laugh and didn't wish to use profanity, he uttered the word, "Cleveland".
If Indianapolis begins to have cases of cholera because raw sewage escapes the system with heavy rains, all the football welfare in the world won't save the city from worldwide stigma. Cleveland will breath a sigh of relief and pass the torch to us.
The Libertarian Party has been on the correct side of both of these issues for years: Fund the sewage system. Leave the Colts to the free enterprize system.
Saturday, September 06, 2003
You Cannot Be Asking To Be Taken Seriously
As a campaign manager, I watched in awe as George W. Bush came to my home town of Indianapolis for a fundraiser. The man raised as much with one dinner plate- $2,000- as Brad might in the average two-week span. Of course, Bush is President, and Brad is running for City-County Council. I have no protest. I can appreciate supply and demand on this one. The President raised about $1.5 million with the event.
Roughly 200 people showed up outside the dinner venue to protest. The most common objections were to the dinner's price tag, with assertions made about the immorality of making politics a money game, and how $2,000 could feed so many people. Here's a link to protest video from Rtv6.
Here is my challenge to the Bush protestors: have your candidate walk your walk. Contact the person you want for the next President of the United States. Ask that person to refuse to raise any money. If that person has raised any money, ask that it be given away ASAP.
Then, see which happens first- your candidate agrees, or Bush reads the works of Karl Marx to Alan Greenspan's bedside at sleepytime.
I did a google search and discovered a site called whitehouseforsale.org. I figured that this would be a clearing house for information on campaign dollars raised by Presidential candidates. It is. Sort of. A search of their site turns up the following number of responses to the following names:
Bush = 67
Dean = 3
Kucinich = 1
Gore = 0
Lieberman = 2
Kerry = 2
They have chronicled every stop by the Bush campaign, and every dollar reported thus far. It's impressive work. It's also impressive that Bush has already raised over $54 million.
To search the site, and to read their posts, one might conclude that Democratic Presidential hopefuls do not raise any money.
Alas. In 2000, more than $132 million was raised by a huckster politician, devoid of principles, and certainly not feeding the hungry. That was Al Gore.
What about this year?
John Kerry = $16,028,266
John Edwards = $11,936,277
Howard Dean = $10,547,980
Dick Gephardt = $9,750,802
Joe Lieberman = $8,151,575
I couldn't find this info on whitehouseforsale.org. While they work hard to expose every dollar Bush raises and condemn it as evil, they don't even bother researching those on their side who do the same, though not quite as well. The info on the Democrats was found on a site called opensecrets.org. It's obviously a far less biased site than whitehouseforsale, and a much better clearing house for such information.
whitehouseforsale.org is an arm of Public Citizen. Public Citizen is the tool of Ralph Nader.
Oh, in 2000, Ralph Nader raised $8,433,778 and accepted $723,308 in Federal funds. If the White House is for sale, can we assume from this that Nader was merely one of the low bidders? If he was abiding by his stated principles, should he have even been in the bidding? Couldn't Nader have left that Federal money alone for the hungry to be fed instead? So much for his principles.
Libertarian Harry Browne refused to accept any Federal dollars- on principle. Some day, maybe Ralph can live up to Harry.
I have no problem with raising money from willing contributors to support a candidate. Money is a tool, and is not the end-all, be-all. Democrats in Indiana should know this. After all, the 2002 Democratic Secretary of State candidate Fernandez outspent his Republican rival, spending over $1 million in all, and still lost, mainly due to negative campaigning.
Maybe there lies some insight for leftists: try to be positive rather than endlessly on the attack. Promote yourself and your vision. To be negative all the time is to confirm the absence of a vision.
So, I say bully for George W. Bush. Congratulations on collecting such a fat bag o' swag.
As a campaign manager, I watched in awe as George W. Bush came to my home town of Indianapolis for a fundraiser. The man raised as much with one dinner plate- $2,000- as Brad might in the average two-week span. Of course, Bush is President, and Brad is running for City-County Council. I have no protest. I can appreciate supply and demand on this one. The President raised about $1.5 million with the event.
Roughly 200 people showed up outside the dinner venue to protest. The most common objections were to the dinner's price tag, with assertions made about the immorality of making politics a money game, and how $2,000 could feed so many people. Here's a link to protest video from Rtv6.
Here is my challenge to the Bush protestors: have your candidate walk your walk. Contact the person you want for the next President of the United States. Ask that person to refuse to raise any money. If that person has raised any money, ask that it be given away ASAP.
Then, see which happens first- your candidate agrees, or Bush reads the works of Karl Marx to Alan Greenspan's bedside at sleepytime.
I did a google search and discovered a site called whitehouseforsale.org. I figured that this would be a clearing house for information on campaign dollars raised by Presidential candidates. It is. Sort of. A search of their site turns up the following number of responses to the following names:
Bush = 67
Dean = 3
Kucinich = 1
Gore = 0
Lieberman = 2
Kerry = 2
They have chronicled every stop by the Bush campaign, and every dollar reported thus far. It's impressive work. It's also impressive that Bush has already raised over $54 million.
To search the site, and to read their posts, one might conclude that Democratic Presidential hopefuls do not raise any money.
Alas. In 2000, more than $132 million was raised by a huckster politician, devoid of principles, and certainly not feeding the hungry. That was Al Gore.
What about this year?
John Kerry = $16,028,266
John Edwards = $11,936,277
Howard Dean = $10,547,980
Dick Gephardt = $9,750,802
Joe Lieberman = $8,151,575
I couldn't find this info on whitehouseforsale.org. While they work hard to expose every dollar Bush raises and condemn it as evil, they don't even bother researching those on their side who do the same, though not quite as well. The info on the Democrats was found on a site called opensecrets.org. It's obviously a far less biased site than whitehouseforsale, and a much better clearing house for such information.
whitehouseforsale.org is an arm of Public Citizen. Public Citizen is the tool of Ralph Nader.
Oh, in 2000, Ralph Nader raised $8,433,778 and accepted $723,308 in Federal funds. If the White House is for sale, can we assume from this that Nader was merely one of the low bidders? If he was abiding by his stated principles, should he have even been in the bidding? Couldn't Nader have left that Federal money alone for the hungry to be fed instead? So much for his principles.
Libertarian Harry Browne refused to accept any Federal dollars- on principle. Some day, maybe Ralph can live up to Harry.
I have no problem with raising money from willing contributors to support a candidate. Money is a tool, and is not the end-all, be-all. Democrats in Indiana should know this. After all, the 2002 Democratic Secretary of State candidate Fernandez outspent his Republican rival, spending over $1 million in all, and still lost, mainly due to negative campaigning.
Maybe there lies some insight for leftists: try to be positive rather than endlessly on the attack. Promote yourself and your vision. To be negative all the time is to confirm the absence of a vision.
So, I say bully for George W. Bush. Congratulations on collecting such a fat bag o' swag.
Wither Irony?
I've lost count, but I'm sure I've seen instances of this post-9/11 phenomenon more than 50 times now: the appearance of two bumper stickers on the same vehicle, one sporting 'United We Stand', and the other the Confederate Stars & Bars. Nobody with any clue at all what the Confederacy was can possibly endorse a slogan like 'United We Stand'.
Perhaps, therein lies the rub.
I've lost count, but I'm sure I've seen instances of this post-9/11 phenomenon more than 50 times now: the appearance of two bumper stickers on the same vehicle, one sporting 'United We Stand', and the other the Confederate Stars & Bars. Nobody with any clue at all what the Confederacy was can possibly endorse a slogan like 'United We Stand'.
Perhaps, therein lies the rub.
Thursday, September 04, 2003
Libertarian Getting the Ink
While Libertarian candidates such as Brad get lost in the shuffle of politics in Indy- of the State, County, and City varieties- they get noticed in almost every other county except Marion. Prime example: Dean Barkley.
Dean is the owner of Extreme Outfitters. He was inspired to run for Mayor of Carmel, IN when the street on which his business is situated was closed abruptly by city government. Barkley and other retailers felt excluded from consideration by the closing, and Dean emerged as a sort of spokesman for the group. His comments were picked up by the Indy Star.
Dean is going to be an excellent candidate. He is respected by his peers, and is thoughtful and well-spoken. He may not be a favorite to win in a highly Republican city like Carmel, but he will put important issues in front of voters at least until November, such as the idea that government serves citizens (not vice versa), and open communication between government and businesses and residents.
The Star's Hamilton County edition subsequently had an article reporting Barkley's candidacy. It appeared as the headline on the Hamilton County section.
That article also mentioned two other Hamilton County candidates, Mark Schreiber and Rob Place. It's great stuff. I look forward to this kind of coverage for Marion County candidates such as Brad and Rev. Greg Dixon.
While Libertarian candidates such as Brad get lost in the shuffle of politics in Indy- of the State, County, and City varieties- they get noticed in almost every other county except Marion. Prime example: Dean Barkley.
Dean is the owner of Extreme Outfitters. He was inspired to run for Mayor of Carmel, IN when the street on which his business is situated was closed abruptly by city government. Barkley and other retailers felt excluded from consideration by the closing, and Dean emerged as a sort of spokesman for the group. His comments were picked up by the Indy Star.
Dean is going to be an excellent candidate. He is respected by his peers, and is thoughtful and well-spoken. He may not be a favorite to win in a highly Republican city like Carmel, but he will put important issues in front of voters at least until November, such as the idea that government serves citizens (not vice versa), and open communication between government and businesses and residents.
The Star's Hamilton County edition subsequently had an article reporting Barkley's candidacy. It appeared as the headline on the Hamilton County section.
That article also mentioned two other Hamilton County candidates, Mark Schreiber and Rob Place. It's great stuff. I look forward to this kind of coverage for Marion County candidates such as Brad and Rev. Greg Dixon.
Campaign Update
When Brad Klopfenstein asked me to be his campaign manager, I told him that by any conventional standard, I'd be pretty useless to him. I've been in Indiana less than a year, and didn't even know the size or shape of his district.
In fairness, nobody knows the shapes of districts. They had been gerrymandered to shapes that Rand McNally never dreamed of up until this year, when they were redrawn. Also, Brad knows the lay of the land. He needs me to give him ideas, to manage some details, and to keep him going. That I can handle!
So far, Brad has raised more money than his opponents, combined. Shall I remind you that Brad is a Libertarian, and that his opponents are a Democrat and a Republican? Brad is definietly outworking his opponents, meeting with neighborhood groups and planning volunteer action throughout the district.
We've been having fun with the fundraising. He raised about $400 with a trip to a ball game. We're looking to have other social events as fundraisers rather than stuffy speeches.
We're getting the buttons, yard signs, and fridge magnets made up, moving things along. The next big step is to get the major media interested in saying more than the usual polite, 'oh-by-the-way-a-Libertarian-is-also-running' kind of mention. I am hopeful that at the very least the reporters will notice that Brad is outworking the opposition... and then print it.
When Brad Klopfenstein asked me to be his campaign manager, I told him that by any conventional standard, I'd be pretty useless to him. I've been in Indiana less than a year, and didn't even know the size or shape of his district.
In fairness, nobody knows the shapes of districts. They had been gerrymandered to shapes that Rand McNally never dreamed of up until this year, when they were redrawn. Also, Brad knows the lay of the land. He needs me to give him ideas, to manage some details, and to keep him going. That I can handle!
So far, Brad has raised more money than his opponents, combined. Shall I remind you that Brad is a Libertarian, and that his opponents are a Democrat and a Republican? Brad is definietly outworking his opponents, meeting with neighborhood groups and planning volunteer action throughout the district.
We've been having fun with the fundraising. He raised about $400 with a trip to a ball game. We're looking to have other social events as fundraisers rather than stuffy speeches.
We're getting the buttons, yard signs, and fridge magnets made up, moving things along. The next big step is to get the major media interested in saying more than the usual polite, 'oh-by-the-way-a-Libertarian-is-also-running' kind of mention. I am hopeful that at the very least the reporters will notice that Brad is outworking the opposition... and then print it.
Wednesday, September 03, 2003
Other Wrongful Civil Disobedience
The Paul Hill story is the more widely reported wrong-headed civil disobedience story I've encountered lately. The other story was that of the Animal Liberation Front (ALF) people who released 10,000 mink from captivity and into the wild.
The mink belonged to someone as property. ALF was guilty of the destruction of property.
Oh yes- destruction of property. Of the estimated 10,000 that escaped, only 9,000 were recovered. What happened to the other 1,000? From the Seattle Times:
"Brad Roesler said his family and neighbors set out traps and tromped through the woods with fishing nets and wire loops like the ones dog catchers use. While most of the animals had been returned to cages last night, scores of others died from dehydration or from being struck by cars. "
So, for a group that espouses the deep concern and respect for animal life, this was rather a boneheaded stunt, that ended up in the death of 1,000 mink sooner rather than later. Geniuses.
The spokesperson for a fur trade organization was left to talk sense and real concern for the animals.
Teresa Platt, executive director of the San Diego-based Fur Commission USA, said the mink had been hand-raised by the Roeslers. She said the mink don't know how to hunt for food or water.
"This is a great example of animal cruelty," said Platt, who estimated the damage at the farm at $500,000. "They're trying to terrorize the farmer into giving up his livelihood. That's ecoterrorism."
For those who think that property rights and ownership of animals, and respect for animals is incompatible, I will point to a free market solution that my camping-pal-in-laws, Cindy and David, subscribe to. I'm not sure that this is the one, but it is the same in spirit: the Poplar Spring Animal Sanctuary.
This is a farm where animals are raised for the purpose of living full lives until they die of natural causes. Those who support this more humane kind of animal liberation pay annual sponsorship fees, that support the feeding and care of these animals, as well as the salaries of the people who work there, the free range land they graze on, etc.
This is the free market at work- creating peaceful solutions to issues some people see as problems. It's all voluntary, and nobody is harmed, and nobody is deprived of their livelihood or property, and the animal rights supporter gets to exercise his conscience, all of which is very respectful.
The Paul Hill story is the more widely reported wrong-headed civil disobedience story I've encountered lately. The other story was that of the Animal Liberation Front (ALF) people who released 10,000 mink from captivity and into the wild.
The mink belonged to someone as property. ALF was guilty of the destruction of property.
Oh yes- destruction of property. Of the estimated 10,000 that escaped, only 9,000 were recovered. What happened to the other 1,000? From the Seattle Times:
"Brad Roesler said his family and neighbors set out traps and tromped through the woods with fishing nets and wire loops like the ones dog catchers use. While most of the animals had been returned to cages last night, scores of others died from dehydration or from being struck by cars. "
So, for a group that espouses the deep concern and respect for animal life, this was rather a boneheaded stunt, that ended up in the death of 1,000 mink sooner rather than later. Geniuses.
The spokesperson for a fur trade organization was left to talk sense and real concern for the animals.
Teresa Platt, executive director of the San Diego-based Fur Commission USA, said the mink had been hand-raised by the Roeslers. She said the mink don't know how to hunt for food or water.
"This is a great example of animal cruelty," said Platt, who estimated the damage at the farm at $500,000. "They're trying to terrorize the farmer into giving up his livelihood. That's ecoterrorism."
For those who think that property rights and ownership of animals, and respect for animals is incompatible, I will point to a free market solution that my camping-pal-in-laws, Cindy and David, subscribe to. I'm not sure that this is the one, but it is the same in spirit: the Poplar Spring Animal Sanctuary.
This is a farm where animals are raised for the purpose of living full lives until they die of natural causes. Those who support this more humane kind of animal liberation pay annual sponsorship fees, that support the feeding and care of these animals, as well as the salaries of the people who work there, the free range land they graze on, etc.
This is the free market at work- creating peaceful solutions to issues some people see as problems. It's all voluntary, and nobody is harmed, and nobody is deprived of their livelihood or property, and the animal rights supporter gets to exercise his conscience, all of which is very respectful.
One Less Moron
Paul Hill was executed today in exchange for having killed a doctor who performed abortions, along with the doctor's body guard. Hill acted on the grounds that killing fetuses is wrong. Hill apparently saw no irony or contradiction in this. Could he really have valued potential human life more highly than actual human life? His actions demonstrate that he did. Either that, or he was greatly confused.
From the CNN story:
Since losing his automatic appeals, Hill did not fight his execution and insisted up to the day before his death that he would be forgiven by God for killing to save the unborn.
"I expect a great reward in heaven," he said in an interview Tuesday, during which he was cheerful, often smiling. "I am looking forward to glory."
Clearly, this man was a moron.
I have no tolerance for violent civil disobedience. There is no difference between the Christian Hill and the Islamic suicide bomber. Their motive is the same: mystic justice. Their means is the same: violence. Their justification is the same: I meet God if I meet my death.
To complete this thought, consider that the state killed the man who killed the doctor who killed the fetuses. Whoa.
Paul Hill was executed today in exchange for having killed a doctor who performed abortions, along with the doctor's body guard. Hill acted on the grounds that killing fetuses is wrong. Hill apparently saw no irony or contradiction in this. Could he really have valued potential human life more highly than actual human life? His actions demonstrate that he did. Either that, or he was greatly confused.
From the CNN story:
Since losing his automatic appeals, Hill did not fight his execution and insisted up to the day before his death that he would be forgiven by God for killing to save the unborn.
"I expect a great reward in heaven," he said in an interview Tuesday, during which he was cheerful, often smiling. "I am looking forward to glory."
Clearly, this man was a moron.
I have no tolerance for violent civil disobedience. There is no difference between the Christian Hill and the Islamic suicide bomber. Their motive is the same: mystic justice. Their means is the same: violence. Their justification is the same: I meet God if I meet my death.
To complete this thought, consider that the state killed the man who killed the doctor who killed the fetuses. Whoa.
Monday, September 01, 2003
Apologies- Sort Of
The symptoms of Lyme Disease have proven to be somewhat debilitating. Mainly, I have experienced serious fatigue in the past two weeks, hence no activity here. At the same time, the website had been down for six days straight, hence no activity here. It's a shame because I had a lot of topics I wished to cover. Let's see if I can make up for lost time.
The symptoms of Lyme Disease have proven to be somewhat debilitating. Mainly, I have experienced serious fatigue in the past two weeks, hence no activity here. At the same time, the website had been down for six days straight, hence no activity here. It's a shame because I had a lot of topics I wished to cover. Let's see if I can make up for lost time.
Thursday, August 21, 2003
Camping Weekend
I'm excited for a weekend of camping, but I'm also somewhat apprehensive. I was bitten by a tick two weeks ago, and have developed many of the symptoms associated with Lyme Disease. The idea of possibly picking up another tick is less than appealing. Plus, it's going to be humid as all get-out, which I don't care for.
Fortunately, Ame & I are meeting up with her cousin Cindy, and her husband, David, in southern Ohio. It should be a hoot!
I'm excited for a weekend of camping, but I'm also somewhat apprehensive. I was bitten by a tick two weeks ago, and have developed many of the symptoms associated with Lyme Disease. The idea of possibly picking up another tick is less than appealing. Plus, it's going to be humid as all get-out, which I don't care for.
Fortunately, Ame & I are meeting up with her cousin Cindy, and her husband, David, in southern Ohio. It should be a hoot!
Wednesday, August 20, 2003
Calling Mr. Boortz!
Yesterday, on his radio show, Neal Boortz continued to discuss the improper use of eminent domain by governments. A proper use might be for the construction of a road. The kind of improper uses he is spotlighting are like those of the case of the New York Times: a large corporation becomes a jilted suitor in its' attempt to purchase land from its' current owners. Frustrated, they go to municipal government and lobby for the literal theft and transfer of the land on the basis that their use will generate greater tax revenues than the current use.
Ironically, hypocritically, the New York Times has long railed against corporations bullying the 'little guy' on their editorial pages. In real life, the Times is the same corporate bully they decry.
You ask, 'so what'? Isn't a greater tax net a greater good for all citizens? After all, more money can then be put into programs and services.
No. Theft is theft, and theft is never justified. Even if employed to fend off starvation, theft is the negation of someone's right to property. The so-called 'social justice' espoused by so many in this world is the assert of the right to violate another human being. That is not justice. It's the ugliest possible side of democracy: mob rule. Democracy must be more than two wolves and a sheep voting on what to have for dinner. When a government sanctions theft, it encourages anarchy. When corporate dollars merge with government power, the small business owner best beware, if not flee.
I called Neal to remind him and his listeners that there is a non-profit, legal defense organization that defends the rights that matter, the ones the ACLU leaves out, namely property rights. That group, which defends all Ten Amendments of the Bill of Rights, is called the Institute for Justice. Here's hoping that Neal will interview one of their lawyers soon.
Yesterday, on his radio show, Neal Boortz continued to discuss the improper use of eminent domain by governments. A proper use might be for the construction of a road. The kind of improper uses he is spotlighting are like those of the case of the New York Times: a large corporation becomes a jilted suitor in its' attempt to purchase land from its' current owners. Frustrated, they go to municipal government and lobby for the literal theft and transfer of the land on the basis that their use will generate greater tax revenues than the current use.
Ironically, hypocritically, the New York Times has long railed against corporations bullying the 'little guy' on their editorial pages. In real life, the Times is the same corporate bully they decry.
You ask, 'so what'? Isn't a greater tax net a greater good for all citizens? After all, more money can then be put into programs and services.
No. Theft is theft, and theft is never justified. Even if employed to fend off starvation, theft is the negation of someone's right to property. The so-called 'social justice' espoused by so many in this world is the assert of the right to violate another human being. That is not justice. It's the ugliest possible side of democracy: mob rule. Democracy must be more than two wolves and a sheep voting on what to have for dinner. When a government sanctions theft, it encourages anarchy. When corporate dollars merge with government power, the small business owner best beware, if not flee.
I called Neal to remind him and his listeners that there is a non-profit, legal defense organization that defends the rights that matter, the ones the ACLU leaves out, namely property rights. That group, which defends all Ten Amendments of the Bill of Rights, is called the Institute for Justice. Here's hoping that Neal will interview one of their lawyers soon.
Tuesday, August 19, 2003
Fun Blog Research
My Blog comes equipped with eXTReMe Tracking (isn't that spelling cute?), which tells me not only how many visitors I have each day, week, and month, but who has a website with a link that sends folks my way, but also what kind of search they might have used on a Google or Yahoo to find me. It's fascinating what people search for.
I would not have guessed that people are doing Google searches for "Dennis Kucinich looks like hitler," but they do. When they do, they get my blog and a host of other sites with the same observation I first made when I was 11 years old.
I'm hoping the fans of organic foods who did their search for "Newman O's" and got my blog had reason to question. Same goes for those searching "Warren Buffet against tax cut reason".
My Blog comes equipped with eXTReMe Tracking (isn't that spelling cute?), which tells me not only how many visitors I have each day, week, and month, but who has a website with a link that sends folks my way, but also what kind of search they might have used on a Google or Yahoo to find me. It's fascinating what people search for.
I would not have guessed that people are doing Google searches for "Dennis Kucinich looks like hitler," but they do. When they do, they get my blog and a host of other sites with the same observation I first made when I was 11 years old.
I'm hoping the fans of organic foods who did their search for "Newman O's" and got my blog had reason to question. Same goes for those searching "Warren Buffet against tax cut reason".
Monday, August 18, 2003
If I May Change the Subject...
The only subject on the tongues of a great many of the citizens of Indianapolis is property taxes. As the issue exploded, Mayor Bart Peterson, a Democrat, immediately sought to distance himself from any responsibility for his (or anyone else's) inability or willingness to cut spending in the face of obviously shrinking revenues. Now he's run away from the subject entirely, by creating an issue where there was none, citing the 'problem' of adult bookstores and peepshows.
"National and state laws allow for adult businesses to operate in our country, but that doesn't mean they have free reign to threaten public health," said Peterson.
Well, Mr. Peterson? How are these businesses threatening public health? No reply in the article. None will be forthcoming. It isn't necessary. The purpose for introducing the legislation is to dodge the property tax issue while trying to lure conservative voters from Republican Greg Jordan.
It must be that Mr. Peterson believes the economy of this city is so robust, so vibrant, so positively bursting at the seams, that the businesses he doesn't like- or more accurately, the ones he thinks undecided voters don't like- can be shut down at whimsical times. Maybe he believes that if the porn shop is closed on Sunday, the would-be customers will choose instead to go to church. Sure, either way they talk to God, but: Are ye mad?
In the meantime, other business is leaving the city. Lafayette Mall is apparently suffering the loss of a major retailer, JC Penney. Interestingly, there is a poll on the page with the article linked in the previous sentence. It asks, "Will Lafayette Square Mall be able to survive after losing both Lazarus and JC Penney this year?" With 153 votes in, it's 85% saying, 'no'. Thanks, Mr. Mayor!
Normally, I wouldn't assign blame to a Mayor for a retailer leaving. But since Mayor Peterson believes it is his business to stick his nose in the retail business, it's clearly his fault. If he were attending to keeping retailers here instead of shutting them down according to his tastes and schedule, Indianapolis would be in better shape on Tuesday morning than it will be.
The only subject on the tongues of a great many of the citizens of Indianapolis is property taxes. As the issue exploded, Mayor Bart Peterson, a Democrat, immediately sought to distance himself from any responsibility for his (or anyone else's) inability or willingness to cut spending in the face of obviously shrinking revenues. Now he's run away from the subject entirely, by creating an issue where there was none, citing the 'problem' of adult bookstores and peepshows.
"National and state laws allow for adult businesses to operate in our country, but that doesn't mean they have free reign to threaten public health," said Peterson.
Well, Mr. Peterson? How are these businesses threatening public health? No reply in the article. None will be forthcoming. It isn't necessary. The purpose for introducing the legislation is to dodge the property tax issue while trying to lure conservative voters from Republican Greg Jordan.
It must be that Mr. Peterson believes the economy of this city is so robust, so vibrant, so positively bursting at the seams, that the businesses he doesn't like- or more accurately, the ones he thinks undecided voters don't like- can be shut down at whimsical times. Maybe he believes that if the porn shop is closed on Sunday, the would-be customers will choose instead to go to church. Sure, either way they talk to God, but: Are ye mad?
In the meantime, other business is leaving the city. Lafayette Mall is apparently suffering the loss of a major retailer, JC Penney. Interestingly, there is a poll on the page with the article linked in the previous sentence. It asks, "Will Lafayette Square Mall be able to survive after losing both Lazarus and JC Penney this year?" With 153 votes in, it's 85% saying, 'no'. Thanks, Mr. Mayor!
Normally, I wouldn't assign blame to a Mayor for a retailer leaving. But since Mayor Peterson believes it is his business to stick his nose in the retail business, it's clearly his fault. If he were attending to keeping retailers here instead of shutting them down according to his tastes and schedule, Indianapolis would be in better shape on Tuesday morning than it will be.
Sunday, August 17, 2003
What's $2 Million?
$2 million, times every commercial airliner in the United States. That's billions of dollars.
No matter. Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) thinks that every airliner should be equipped with devices that would help thwart shoulder-fired surface-to-air missile attacks. In February, Boxer introduced legislation that would force airlines to spend the money so equipping their planes. It is coming to light now that an arms dealer was apprehended trying to sell such weapons.
Here are some questions that immediately spring to mind:
Is there really so significant a threat of this kind of terrorism against domestic flights?
Aren't we spending too much money and time on the war on terrorism?
Isn't the war on terrorism little more than a boogeyman designed to help George W. Bush put money in the pockets of his defense contractor pals?
Wait a minute. Aren't those the kind of questions Democrats ask? And yet, here we have two Democrats, Boxer and co-sponsor Charles Schumer (D-NY) contradicting that kind of rhetoric in a blatant and very expensive way.
Yes, I know that an arms dealer was apprehended attempting to sell the shoulder-fired guns. Yes, I know that there are a lot of people in this world that wish to do Americans harm. And yes, I generally come from the perspective that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
However, this is a fantastically expensive preventive measure. It was one thing to force automakers to install seat belts. That came at a cost to every purchaser of every car, but it was a relatively small cost, and addressed a threat that is very real in every day life.
Let the airlines choose to equip or not to equip. There are those who will choose to fly on the airlines who equip, despite a doubling or tripling of fares because they feel safer doing so. There are those who will choose to fly unequipped airlines for the savings on the fare, taking their chances.
Life isn't perfect, and putting a Star Wars system on an airliner cannot prevent a terrorist from devising other ways of getting to us. It may, however, help the terrorists achieve their goal of bringing our economy to its' knees.
$2 million, times every commercial airliner in the United States. That's billions of dollars.
No matter. Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) thinks that every airliner should be equipped with devices that would help thwart shoulder-fired surface-to-air missile attacks. In February, Boxer introduced legislation that would force airlines to spend the money so equipping their planes. It is coming to light now that an arms dealer was apprehended trying to sell such weapons.
Here are some questions that immediately spring to mind:
Is there really so significant a threat of this kind of terrorism against domestic flights?
Aren't we spending too much money and time on the war on terrorism?
Isn't the war on terrorism little more than a boogeyman designed to help George W. Bush put money in the pockets of his defense contractor pals?
Wait a minute. Aren't those the kind of questions Democrats ask? And yet, here we have two Democrats, Boxer and co-sponsor Charles Schumer (D-NY) contradicting that kind of rhetoric in a blatant and very expensive way.
Yes, I know that an arms dealer was apprehended attempting to sell the shoulder-fired guns. Yes, I know that there are a lot of people in this world that wish to do Americans harm. And yes, I generally come from the perspective that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
However, this is a fantastically expensive preventive measure. It was one thing to force automakers to install seat belts. That came at a cost to every purchaser of every car, but it was a relatively small cost, and addressed a threat that is very real in every day life.
Let the airlines choose to equip or not to equip. There are those who will choose to fly on the airlines who equip, despite a doubling or tripling of fares because they feel safer doing so. There are those who will choose to fly unequipped airlines for the savings on the fare, taking their chances.
Life isn't perfect, and putting a Star Wars system on an airliner cannot prevent a terrorist from devising other ways of getting to us. It may, however, help the terrorists achieve their goal of bringing our economy to its' knees.
Fun Campaign Event Today
Brad Klopfenstein is putting the 'fun' in fundraising. No rubber chicken dinner today. Rather, a very personal fundraiser, as he has invited friends and associates for a day out at the ballgame. He is asking for a donation of $25, while he supplies the tickets. Then plan is to work for seed money from those closest to him first, to gain their support before going into the cold, harsh world or fundraising from people we don't know nearly as well as his family and friends. These people know Brad, and what he is about, so they don't need a stump speech from him.
The AAA Indianapolis Indians, farm club of the Milwaukee Brewers, host the New York Mets' affiliate, the Norfolk Tides today at 2pm at Victory Field. That's fitting, as victory is what we're working for.
Brad Klopfenstein is putting the 'fun' in fundraising. No rubber chicken dinner today. Rather, a very personal fundraiser, as he has invited friends and associates for a day out at the ballgame. He is asking for a donation of $25, while he supplies the tickets. Then plan is to work for seed money from those closest to him first, to gain their support before going into the cold, harsh world or fundraising from people we don't know nearly as well as his family and friends. These people know Brad, and what he is about, so they don't need a stump speech from him.
The AAA Indianapolis Indians, farm club of the Milwaukee Brewers, host the New York Mets' affiliate, the Norfolk Tides today at 2pm at Victory Field. That's fitting, as victory is what we're working for.
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