Respons to Danny Concerning Firearms.

First, good to hear from you, Danny. I always enjoy, even when I disagree, your comments. Do I really believe that NOT everyone should have the right to arm themselves. Yes. There are convicted felons. I do NOT believe they should be able to purchase weapons. There are the mentally unstable that have been evaluated as such, that should NOT have the right to weapons. There are people that even though not convicted of a crime with a firearm, that have shown a definite lean toward violence and have been convicted of lesser charges of violence or threats of violence, that should NOT be allowed to bear arms. We have more firearms and more firearms deaths each year then any country. There is a correlation between our open sale of firearms and the number of deaths they cause each year.

When I speak of intelligence to own weapons, part of it is general intelligence and the other part is the ability to show that you know the weapon that is being purchased and know how to safely handle and store that weapon. Intelligent people do not leave their firearms in an area that children have access to. How many times do we see where a child gets a weapon in their hands and kills or wounds another child. The adult that leaves the weapon available to the child may pay the price of prison, but the damage is already done. Many firearms are accidentally fired and people are killed because of stupidity. Is there a connection between general intelligence and the misuse of firearms. I believe there is. The ability to think and the ability to handle a firearm correctly do both come into play.

The question of our founders giving the right to firearms based only on the point of feeding there families, was somewhat tongue in cheek, Yes they wanted the ability to form a militia, which is stated in the second amendment, but you should remember that in those days we had no central army, they were militias formed, mostly by the wealthy, to fight. The British came to take the weapons because they wanted to stop the revolution, there intent was to disarm the citizens. That I am aware of. However I hate to deflate every one's bubble but comparing us fighting the British, during the revolution to us fighting our own Army today, just does not compare. Remember the British were fighting overseas, far from their supplies and in unfamiliar land.

Danny, I am not and have never advocated for good, law abiding citizens to not be able to have a weapon if they choose. I just happen to believe that we have so many unnecessary killings in our country every year because guns are readily available. There has to be a control to keep more guns out of the criminals hands. 195,000 stolen weapons each year. Honest citizens do not steal them, criminals steal them, but honest citizens make them available to the criminals because they lack the intelligence to secure them and register them.

Lastly the Travon Martin killing. You ask if I believe it was a racially motivated murder. I have to ask you. Do you believe that it was not? I feel George Zimmerman was a police want to be. He saw an opportunity, in his mind, to be a hero. It went terribly wrong. The racial part was the fact that he racial profiled Martin. It is only my opinion, and we may never know the whole truth, that if this were a white man walking down the street, he would not have followed. Zimmerman has racists qualities within him and I believe we all have certain racial qualities in all of us. We all fear anyone or anything that is different then us.

I hope that I have shed some additional light on the subjects. Again I am glad to hear from you and look forward to your, sure to come, rebuttal.

America's New Motto, Land Of Hatred!

We used to proudly proclaim we were the, "Land of the free." Today we are the land of hatred. Look at the posts on face book. Read the newspaper. Watch any news or political program. Watch a sporting event. Listen to your kids. Go to the store. Drive in traffic. What do all of these things and just about every other activity we do have in common? The dislike and pure hatred that flows out of Americans today.

I listen to people talk about how much they hate President Obama. Not just dislike and disagree with his policies, but actually hate him as a person. Why? Disagree, that is absolutely fine but why hate?  Democrats hate the Republicans and vice versa. Why? I disagree with the premise that Mitch McConnell started the new legislative session with. Their number one priority was to make Barrack Obama a one term President. They have gone on to block and do everything they could to make this a reality. Why not the needs of America being their first priority? I don't hate Republicans, I just disagree with them.

I have a young lady on my face book, that constantly states how much she hates the President. When pressed for why, she blames him for things that he either did not start or has no control over. I have watched Obama be blamed for everything from the great flood of Noah fame to the future demise of the planet earth, twenty million years from now. Have we arrived at the point, where we have set unobtainable expectations of our Presidents? We ask much from the leaders of our country and yet we do not look at the actual problem or source of the problems. We then automatically assign the blame to the President. Then we hate him when problems are not solved yesterday.

Let's get back to the hatred our whole country exhibits. We hate every aspect of our lives and then strike out at the people around us and blame our leaders. Where do we take responsibility for our actions? Why do we not get angry at ourselves for not changing our lives? Yes, some things in this country need to change. We have to get quality education for everyone. Infrastructure needs to be rebuilt. Everyone should have access to quality, affordable health care. People should be able to get secure, good paying jobs to support their families. However none of this is going to happen if we all just sit back and complain about everyone else. Nothing will improve if all we do is hate, the people that have success or anyone that has a different opinion. We have to return to doing what is in the best interest of America. We have to return to the ideal of hard work, good education and leading the world in innovation. We all need to take responsibility to be involved in our Democracy and take the time to help our leaders, to lead America back to greatness. Lastly we need to stop hating and start loving America.

Where Are The White And Hispanic Leaders With The Trayvon Martin Case?

I see Rev, Al Sharpton, I see Representative Corrine Brown. I see the commentators on MSNBC, such as Rachel Madow. I see celebrities of all races, I lastly see crowds of people and their faces reflect a variety of nationalities. The people that have been missing are the leaders of the Hispanic and White communities. The power brokers that lead Central Florida in these two areas are not out front, where I believe they should be.

Yesterday, after mounting pressure from black activists and hordes of regular people on the social networks, Governor Rick Scott asked for a special prosecutor to handle the investigation. Where has he been for the last month. I have yet to hear or see Marco Rubio or Bill Nelson, Senators from Florida. I see Corrine Brown, who's district Sanford is in, out front with Reverend Sharpton, but where are the other representatives from nearby Florida districts?

My friend Brandon, brought up the issue yesterday and posted on his face book page, the question of whether the powers to be are afraid of a racial war. I am not convinced this is the underlying issue, but where are the leaders? The police in Sanford are calling George Zimmerman, white and Zimmerman's family say he is Hispanic. Right now we have a white police department, with past racial abuses, investigating, if you want to call what they have done so far investigating, either a white or Hispanic man killing a young black man, and yet no arrest and a very glaring absence of outrage from white and Hispanic leaders.

The question begs to be asked. If this were a black man that had shot a white or Hispanic teenager, where would the leaders be today, and more importantly where would the accused killer be today. The answer is simple. The leaders would be screaming for justice and the killer would be behind bars. A month after this killing and yet Zimmerman remains free. This should outrage leaders of all races and classes. Zimmerman needs to be arrested and the investigation needs to be handled by competent police officers, not a group of Barney Fifes. The parents of Trayvon Martin want one thing. Justice. They deserve nothing less and each day that goes by with George Zimmerman walking around free, is one more day of injustice in America.

Before Purchasing Weapons There Should Be An Intelligence Test!

Get ready all of you second amendment rights people. Start screaming all of the NRA folks. Start your attack of me for my position. Guess what, I don't care. We have more killings by handguns and other guns in this country then any other place on the earth. The reason is simple. Idiots are allowed to purchase and carry handguns! They are protected and given this right by people who are blinded to reality.

The Trayvon Martin case is just one in a series of incidents that exacerbates the concept that we all have the right to have our guns. When the Constitution was written, people needed rifles to hunt and feed themselves. Now we carry our concealed weapons as we go to the grocery store. For what purpose? If the steak we are buying is already dead, are we armed to protect us from the cow coming back to life?

When I was a teenager and two guys got into an argument, someone, maybe, received a black eye. Today someone pulls out a gun and opens fire. Why? Because they were, now wait for it, DIS-RESPECTED. We kill to get respect? Someone dies and the killer goes to prison for life and all because someone looked at them the wrong way. People are plain, ridiculous.

We pass laws, that states, we can stand our ground. Write that on my tombstone. He stood his ground. Now people use it as a way to commit a racist murder. This is definitely the case with George Zimmerman. Then the Sanford police allow Zimmerman to just walk away. Would he be out of jail today if he were a black man that had just gunned down a white teenager. But back to guns. Where is the intelligence test of people that get to carry weapons? Where is the psychological test for mental stability? We have none and every time groups try to make it harder for criminals or idiots to get guns the pro-gun lobbyist crawl out from under their rocks to oppose any common sense approach to the problem.

They claim if we limit guns then only criminals will have them. Most criminals get their weapons by stealing them from law abiding citizens. or buying them from someone that stole them. They say if they have protection of a gun they will be able to stop criminals. Just because you can shot a target that is not firing back and the adrenalin is not flowing, does not mean you can do it when your life is in danger. They say we need it to protect us from the government. This one I really like. What good would that handgun do against a trained soldier with his M-16?

None of these arguments really hold water. There are too many handguns and unnecessary weapons in this country. We are killing each other and are becoming immune to the deaths. With each outrageous killing like the Trayven Martin murder, we become more apathetic.

 Yes, I will buy the theory that guns do not kill people, people kill people. The problem is the gun cannot decide whether the shooter is mentally stable or just another whack job, stalking one of our children.

We Should Have Left Afghanistan Years Ago.

Even better we should have never entered in the way we did. I support the President in many areas, but will not follow blindly. The war in Afghanistan is an example where I disagree. We should be out now.

The Afghan leaders are among the most corrupt in the world. Hamid Karzai, the president, leads a nation that is among the world's poorest. Most of the population there lives on less then a dollar a day. The literacy rate is 28%, meaning only 28% have the ability to read. It is even worse if you are a woman. That rate is a meager 10%. They live in rural villages with little or no modern convienences. They are simply, impoverished. Why? Decades of wars and the drug trade have influenced day to day living in Afghanistan, and their leaders are not looking to improve the lifes of the people anytime soon. Three million Afghans are involved in the drug trades and violent crime is rampant.

Look at the history of this country. Going back to Alexander the Great, who invaded them in 330 BC. Genghis Khan raided the Afghans in 1219 AD and it was not until 1709 that they overthrew Gurgin Khan. It wasn't long before the British arrived in the late 1870's, where the U.K. lost money and men in the attempt to defeat Afghanistan. Then in 1978 the Soviet Union got bogged down in the quagmire of the mountainous and isolated Afghan area. The United States, through Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, threw it's support behind the Mujaheddin, who's spiritual leader was none other then Osama bin Laden. The Soviets were beaten back and the amount of money and lives that was lost in Afghanistan, helped fuel the down fall of the once mighty Soviet Union Empire.

Finally in October of 2001, the United States, under the name of, Operation Enduring Freedom, entered Afghanistan and for over ten years we have poured trillions of dollars and tens of thousands of American soldiers, into the cause. The cause of what? Al-Qaeda has been forced into hiding. bin Laden was killed in Pakistan. The Taliban, which did not attack us on 9-11 has scattered, but will return whether we leave now or twenty years from now. What have we accomplished? What is our future prospects of victory? The Taliban wants to keep Afghanistan a second century country. Fine that is their decision and the decision of the Afghan people to make, not the decision of politicians and military people from America.

I want to place this war in historical perspective. We have been here for over ten years. Vietnam was nine and one half years and what results did we have from that disaster? The American Revolutionary War was over in a little more then eight years and we dictated our own countries direction with that war. World War I was five years and the second World War, the American participation was only six years. My point is this. We have invested money that should be used here at home, in this country and we see no return. More importantly we have invested lives in this and we can never be repaid for the sacrifices of so many great American men and women.

So why are we still here. In February our soldiers accidentally burned the Muslim holy book, the Koran. Last week a Staff Sergeant, Robert Bates, killed several Afghan civilians. These incidents will happen and the longer we keep our fighting people there the more it will happen. Sergeant Bales, has seen four tours of duty in Afghanistan and has seen more death and destruction then most people would ever see in a life time. He has witnessed his friends dismembered, blown up, shot and destroyed in so many ways. This is not an excuse for his actions only an explanation. More of this has and will occur. The time to end it is now.

The Afghan people have a right  and responsibility to decide their fate. They can choose to live their lives in centuries old style if they choose. They have the God given ability to change or remain the same. They do not have to forcibly be moved into the twenty first century. It is time for the American politicians and military leaders to end this. The politicians want to make this a political football. the President does not want to be seen as the man that lost Afghanistan. Afghanistan is not ours to loose. The Republicans want to stay there and win the victory. What victory. We have already lost and yet our leaders are too afraid to tell us. We can get out now and start to rebuild our own country or we can stay and suffer the same results that many others have. Afghanistan is the place that empires go to die. I want us to live.

Response to Marines, about Sacrifice!

Thank you for your comments. One thing I should have done is a better job at explaining who should make the largest amount of sacrifice. The wealthy elite and corporations. I read back over my post and wanted to add some more to it and you helped by voicing your opinion. My point is, if the corporations sacrifice some of their profits, then the elite, sacrifice some of their return on their investments, the average person would then be able to make a fair and living wage. As wages go up for the average worker, then they could pass along the sacrifice for others. Again the auto workers were a good example of everyone winning. Profits went up and then the corporations rewarded the workers, for their sacrifices. I also believe that we all need to sacrifice for the education of our citizens. Either with time when money is an issue, or with money when we can. The example of my interest deduction for our mortgage, is an example of middle class people that are doing a little better then others giving up something also. My biggest point would be the elite and corporations would have to start the movement. Average workers have given enough and it is really way overdue for the top 1% to give. Thanks again for your comments, I always appreciate when you send in your thoughts.

Republican Politicians are Cowards!

I am placing this initial stance on the political leaders first, however any man that does not take up this stand for their wives, daughters, mothers, granddaughters or any female friend is also a coward.

Mitt Romney said Limbaugh's words are not the words he would have used.

Rick Santorum was the closest to standing up but all he said was the words were despicable, but Limbaugh is just an entertainer.

Ron Paul, said something similar to Romney, about that would not have been his choice of words.

John Boehner and Eric Cantor, basically said the same. Not words they would use and then distanced themselves from additional responses.

Really, this is the best you guys can do. What if Limbaugh had called your wife a slut, or your daughter or mother or sister. Would you be willing to be so passive. If the answer is yes, then I wonder about your manhood. Yesterday on face book I stated that I want to punch him right in the mouth and would be more then willing to do so, even though I do not know the young lady. You are all cowards and yet you want to lead our country!

The other part of all of this is none of the above men or Rush himself have even listened to her testimony before Congress. She was not talking about sex, but the problems that some women, and in particular her friend, face, prohibited costs for contraception that are for medical purposes and have absolutely nothing to do with sex. They are not only cowards but they are fools.

Let's contrast these people, to our President. He called Ms. Fluke and even expressed the fact that her parents must be very proud of her. The right, in their infinite wisdom, have attacked the President, saying how can he or her parents be proud of her, because they still think this is about sex. I am very proud that Sandra Fluke is a product of our country. I am proud when a young person stands up for the rights and the betterment of others. My pride quickly diminishes, when I listen to jerks like Limbaugh and then see no guts on the Republican side to stand up and demand that Rush be thrown off the airways.

You know the recent fight by the right to take away health care for the women in our country is both sad and deplorable. We need to fight for all women to have access to high quality health care. My last thought is this. Women can take the pill to prevent unwanted or unplanned pregnancies, however the men that are attacking the women of America have no pill to cure their ailments. Stupidity and Cowardliness.