Republican Gun Control

 So let me get this straight, Republicans in the United States Senate are introducing a Bill to limit the amount of ammunition the Government can buy?

 A Senate Bill co sponsored by Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.)  Will Limit the amount of ammo the people we rely on to defend us can buy and possess.  Agencies like the Department of Homeland Security, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

   Need I remind you that these are the same Elected Representatives that want the common Citizen to be able to purchase and stockpile as much ammunition as they want, which includes some convicted felons, thanks to these same brainiac law makers.

   So lets do the Math.  The Department of Homeland Security has 240,000 employees, if Wikipedia is correct.  Lets say half of them need to carry guns, and that's being generous.  According to the U.S. Census Bureau.  217 million of which are over the age of 18.  2.2 million of those are incarcerated in one form or another that leaves just over 214 million adults.  Let's say half of them are ineligible, for different reasons.  That's being more than fair.  So what do we have?  That leaves us with roughly 107 million legal U.S. Citizens qualified to own  as many guns, and as much ammunition as the see fit.

   Not to worry.  Even if just 1 percent of them are Fanatics, that's only 1 million 70 thousand  crazies running around with all the guns and ammo while 240 thousand well meaning Homeland Security Agents are chasing after them blowing whistles, and waving their arms telling them to stop because they don't have what they need to keep themselves safe, let alone you and me.

   Even if my math is off and I'm sure it is, it's my worst subject, you have to admit allowing civilians to have more guns and ammo than the cops is a stupid idea!  It is as idiotic as the people who thought of it!  If these Senators had to work in the real world, and presented a proposal like that to their bosses in the Corporate world, they'd be fired.

   No matter how you run the numbers, or how often it all adds up to the same outcome. Stupid will always be Stupid!

   Let me drive home the depths of the Grand Old Party's stupidity.  The people who will stop at nothing to make sure America will never have gun control is advocating gun control for the people who know how to use guns!

A Commentary by Ben Stein

Gone, are the day's of rational behavior!

Where does the voice of reason reside?

The following was written by Ben Stein and recited by him on CBS Sunday Morning Commentary.

 My confession:

 I don't like getting pushed around for being a Jew, and I don't think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians. I think people who believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period. I have no idea where the concept came from, that America is an explicitly atheist country. I can't find it in the Constitution and I don't like it being shoved down my throat...

 Or maybe I can put it another way: where did the idea come from that we should worship celebrities and we aren't allowed to worship God as we understand Him? I guess that's a sign that I'm getting old, too. But there are a lot of us who are wondering where these celebrities came from and where the America we knew went to.

 In light of the many jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this is a little different: This is not intended to be a joke; it's not funny, it's intended to get you thinking.

 In light of recent events... terrorists attack, school shootings, etc.. I think it started when Madeleine Murray O'Hare (she was murdered, her body found a few years ago) complained she didn't want prayer in our schools, and we said OK. Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school... The Bible says thou shalt not kill; thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself. And we said OK

 Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave, because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem (Dr. Spock's son committed suicide). We said an expert should know what he's talking about.. And we said okay..

 Now we're asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves.

 Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with 'WE REAP WHAT WE SOW.'

 Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell. Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says. Funny how you can send 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire, but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing. Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace.

 Are you laughing yet?

 Funny how when you forward this message, you will not send it to many on your address list because you're not sure what they believe, or what they will think of you for sending it.

 Funny how we can be more worried about what other people think of us than what God thinks of us.

 Pass it on if you think it has merit.

 If not, then just discard it... no one will know you did. But, if you discard this thought process, don't sit back and complain about what bad shape the world is in.



 My Best Regards, Honestly and respectfully,

 Ben Stein

Paths

 
The first time I visited my family in Ireland, my cousin took me to a harsh and rugged piece of land that didn't seem capable of supporting human life . It was the home of my Grandfather, or at least the area where he was born and raised, and it was the most beautiful vista I had ever laid eyes on.

   It was both inhospitable and magnificent.  I have been a lot of places and seen a lot of gorgeous vistas, but none compared to that one.  My cousin then ask me, "Billy, did you ever imagine that you would be standing right here where it all started for us"?  He said "this is the land where all McLaughlins came from.  This is where our blood line goes back to a time even before last names were used".  I was so moved that I didn't realize I was speaking, and was surprised when I heard the word "No" come out of my mouth.

    I guess this snapped me out of what ever shock I was in, because I began to tell him I never expected to be anywhere.  I never thought in a million years I would have what I have, a home, a family, anything.  I always thought I would grow up and live on the same street, in the same city I was born in.  I never expected to have a wonderful wife, three amazing children, and a bevy of beautiful grandchildren.

   Our home is no Palace by any means but it is my Castle, and that's enough for me.  But that's what can happen in America. At least the America I grew up in.  A boy with very little education, no connections, and even less money can make a place for himself.  This is probably the main thing that separates us from the rest of the world.  It can not be done without work and for that we need jobs. Good jobs, with good benefits and the chance for advancement.

   This is something we are sorely lacking now a days.  This is why my Grandfather came to America.  When I was in Ireland, I walked along an old path that lead from the sea to the main town.  The English paid my Grandfather to take stones from the pebble beach and spread them out on that path, paving the road all the way to town.  Every day he would shovel stones into a 4 foot by 4 foot donkey cart and shovel it back out onto the path. And when he was done it needed replenishing, and he would start all over.  If he missed a day, he would be replaced, and lose that job.

    I look at Companies in America today and I see the same mentality my Grandfather wished to escape.  My Grandfather grew up in a world where his religion, culture and language were illegal, and work was a privilege, so you'd better be grateful for what you got.

    Congratulations Corporate America, you have guided us directly onto the path that caused the collapse of the British Empire.

The Right to Complain

   I can not believe the level of hatred and bigotry in this country.  While reading the business and economic news from various periodicals, I also look through the comments section per chance to find an intelligent and viable idea on how we as a Nation might proceed, to fix our woes and spur growth to create jobs.  Which are desperately needed.

   I usually find the same old blame game with some bright ideas sprinkled here and there.  But lately it's all been acrid slander spilling onto the page before me as if everybody at the party decided to vomit all at the same time.

   When did we become a Nation of complainers?  I understand the value of complaining.  Everyone needs something to complain about.  It's the natural order of things.  It helps to relieve stress when we're frustrated, angry and sometimes it's even helpful when we are bored.  You know, spices things up a bit.  But this is getting out of  control.  It's all the time.  Everyone is complaining and no one is doing anything about it.
There has to be a balance.  And the tone of complaining is astounding.  Vile, irreverent hatred coming from everywhere.

   It's often said that we have a right to complain.  If no one complained, we never would have had the American Revolution.  But to complain without action is fruitless.  By action I mean positive progressive steps forward.  Not holding our breath, stomping our feet, or even worse, do what ever it takes to get our way no matter who gets hurt.  Because I'm here to tell you,  complaining combined with negative hurtful actions is a cocktail for disaster.  I've seen the results of that for myself.  We all have.

   In the early hours of September 11th 2001 some 3000 people died in an hour and forty five minutes because of such a cocktail of closed minded hatred and selfishness.  Think about that for a minute.  1 hour and 45 minutes.  3000 mothers, fathers, sons  daughters, aunts, uncles, soldiers  firefighters, police, CEO's accountants, and janitors, gone.  For what?

   So we can cry about having to pay higher taxes?  So we can whine about who the real Americans are?  Did hundreds of thousands of families have their lives irrevocably changed so we could blame each other incessantly?

   We should be ashamed of ourselves.  If we as Americans were watching another country go through this we'd be disgusted and appalled at such childish behavior.  We should be honoring those men and women, as well as the military personnel who are fighting for us, and the ones that paid the ultimate price.

   We should be showing them that America is worth saving.  But instead we threaten Revolution and secession.  Running away from a problem never solved anything.  Working together will solve them all.

Divided We Fall

   There has been a lot of talk coming from Conservatives, GOP and Tea Party members about secession from the rest of the the Country. Blaming President Obama's win at the polls.  There seems to be a lot of hatred in this Country, for really no reason at all.  Certainly not any reason that can't be talked through and worked out.

   Some GOP Treasurer in Texas said the people who voted for Obama were maggots, Ted Nugent  referred to his fellow Americans as Pimps and Donald Trump called for a Revolution.  Seems he wants to march on Washington and take the Nation back by force.  That seems petulant to me, in fact it all seems petulant and childish to me.  And counter productive.  They are basically running away from their problems.

   I would have great difficulty voting for someone who runs at the first taste of defeat.  I don't recall anyone threatening Insurrection when George Bush Bankrupted America sending us spiraling into our worst Recession yet.  Nobody called Bush voters Pimps, or Maggots when he refused to invest in America, saying we are not Nation builders, all the while sending millions of dollars to build the Iraqi Nation.

   I'm not bitter about being temporarily laid off, or watching loved ones lose almost everything.  I'm even over the fact that I had to watch the quality of life of people I care deeply for drop to sub standard living.  One of the Tea Party denigration's called Obama voters "Cowards".

   Well that can't possibly be true because we are not running.  We didn't run four years ago, we didn't run eight years ago.  In fact we never ran, never threatened to run or secede.  We never called people names, belittled or bullied them in anyway.  In fact over the years we have behaved in the exact opposite manner in which we now find ourselves accused.

   And still we offer an olive branch, still we ask for our elected officials regardless of political affiliation, to fix this great Nation of ours.  This Proud Nation that we all love, that we have all Pledged our Allegiance to.

   We simply want to work for a decent wage.  Support our families, and have a quality of life that will ensure our well being.  Is having the right to marry the love of our lives to much to ask?  Is it cowardice to ask for the same pay as someone of the opposite sex?  Does having the means to support ourselves to a ripe old age make us maggots?  No, these things the GOP and Tea Party refer to, don't apply to us, they apply to them.

    Someone once said that what we fear the most, lies within ourselves.  I have always believed that in order to overcome your fears, you must confront them.  I don't know if that is true or not, but it might be as good a place to start as any.

Conservatives

It is entirely possible to be conservative and be a caring, feeling, normal human being. Time was conservatives did care about others. They had their way and respected the fact that you had yours. I think most conservatives are still that way. We just don't realize it, because they are drowned out by right wing fanatics. In fact, I don't think they should call themselves conservative any more. You can't be a fanatic and conservative at the same time. Intentionally or not, they've sullied the very meaning of the word.  And about all the controversy lately over Famous personalities supporting conservatives. I say leave them alone. They've made their own decision and we should respect that.  Don't we ask for the same respect?  If you're deciding peoples votes for them, your in the wrong country.  It seems like everybody is so busy shouting to be heard they don't realize, nobody is listening to any one.  It's bad enough the politicians stopped listening to us, now we aren't even listening to each other.   I'm not a conservative but I respect their right to live as they see fit.  I only ask they do the same.  As for the Ultra Right Wing Extremist I say to you, do unto others as you would have them do unto you.  So if you want to be berated, assaulted, belittled and humiliated, than by all means carry on.

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Congress Fiddles while Rome Burns

I will give Democrats credit for trying to move the Nation forward against a Tea Party Hi-Jacked Republican Congress. And I can't fault them for failing in their attempt.  It's difficult to reason with fanatics.  But that does not excuse them for ignoring and in some cases, lashing out against their own constituents. Americans are pleading for help and all we get is "it's not my fault" or "why don't you do something about it" or my personal favorite said to my face from a Candidate seeking my vote, "make yourself relevant".  All though unemployment has recently dropped, there are to many variables involved for it to be taken seriously. Students going back to school, and leaving summer jobs that are being filled by over qualified professionals that have been out of work for years. Add to that temporary seasonal hiring has started for the upcoming Holidays. All of which make for an inaccurate jobs analysis. As thankful as we are to be getting back to work, these are hardly the types of jobs that will put America back on track. And all the while Congress fiddles while Rome burns.  It's baffling that PACs, Super PACs and the Mega Rich are willing to give Millions of Dollars to get a Candidate elected, but not willing to spare one dime on economic growth. I wonder how many jobs could have been created with just the money the Koch Brothers alone have given?

Bill McLaughlin     

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Employment

Despite how much we complain about our jobs or bosses, people really do want to work. We actually enjoy it. In fact we like to work as much as we like to complain about it. For most it's a paycheck, a means to provide food, shelter, and warmth for ourselves or loved ones. A meager attempt to offer a sense normality, and stability to an other wise dangerous and uncertain world. But for all of us, it brings a feeling of pride and self worth, to contribute to something greater than ourselves. To be a part of something bigger than we are, to be a part of the big picture. A chance to be someone.

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