An interesting wrinkle that is included in the New Health Care package. If a couple has Health insurance through the Husbands place of employment for an example, and he loses his job. The Government can fine the Wife's place of employment $3,000 because she is not covered by a Health Policy. Her Place of employment has three choices, they can provide Health Insurance, pay the fine, or fire her. If they did not offer Health Insurance it was most likely that they couldn't afford it. If that was the case, they would just fire her.
Here is an interesting video I found.
"I swear by my life and my love of it that I will never live for the sake of another man, nor ask another man to live for mine." –John Galt
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Ronaldus Magnus
As you can see from the header of my Blog page, I am a fan of Ronald Reagan. I have a shirt that is a spoof of the infamous Che' Guevera shirt that all of the young skulls full of mush like to wear that has a silhouette of Reagan. Many of those same young skulls full of mush that have a clue as to whom Che' really was find it offensive. That is what I like about it. Fans of an infamous Communist Murderer being offended by one of the greatest champions of freedom ever born.
What brings this all up? I have noticed lately that GE has been running commercials commemorating the 100th birthday of Ronald Reagan. I find this somewhat offensive seeing as how the current leadership of GE has been sucking up to Papa Doc Obama. They supported the Health Care hijacking and they also support the Cap and Trade bill that will make everyone's gas and electric bills skyrocket. Papa Doc even admitted this during his run for President.
GE now trying to remind everyone of their former relationship with Ronald Reagan is like a "soiled dove" explaining that she once dated a minister..
What brings this all up? I have noticed lately that GE has been running commercials commemorating the 100th birthday of Ronald Reagan. I find this somewhat offensive seeing as how the current leadership of GE has been sucking up to Papa Doc Obama. They supported the Health Care hijacking and they also support the Cap and Trade bill that will make everyone's gas and electric bills skyrocket. Papa Doc even admitted this during his run for President.
GE now trying to remind everyone of their former relationship with Ronald Reagan is like a "soiled dove" explaining that she once dated a minister..
Friday, March 26, 2010
Our Town
I was led to this Youtube recording entitled "Our Town" By Iris Dement. I have, over my 48 years, become more maudlin. As a lad I wouldn't even get misty over "Old Yellar". Now it's seems that anything can cause me to pause, especially when it comes to my children or my wife. If you have ever lived in a small town this will bring you back to it. Even if you haven't had the pleasure of small town life (I only lived in a smallish mid-western town for 2 years) you have probably visited one. This song is about small town life being lost. It can even be an allegory for our freedom recently lost. I guess that is what grabbed my heart the most. It makes you think of things past and now gone.
Enjoy
Artist: Dement Iris
Song: Our Town
Album: Infamous Angel
And you know the sun's settin' fast,
And just like they say, nothing good ever lasts.
Well, go on now and kiss it goodbye,
But hold on to your lover,
'Cause your heart's bound to die.
Go on now and say goodbye to our town, to our town.
Can't you see the sun's settin' down on our town, on our town,
Goodnight.
Up the street beside that red neon light,
That's where I met my baby on one hot summer night.
He was the tender and I ordered a beer,
It's been forty years and I'm still sitting here.
But you know the sun's settin' fast,
And just like they say, nothing good ever lasts.
Well, go on now and kiss it goodbye,
But hold on to your lover,
'Cause your heart's bound to die.
Go on now and say goodbye to our town, to our town.
Can't you see the sun's settin' down on our town, on our town,
Goodnight.
It's here I had my babies and I had my first kiss.
I've walked down Main Street in the cold morning mist.
Over there is where I bought my first car.
It turned over once but then it never went far.
And I can see the sun's settin' fast,
And just like they say, nothing good ever lasts.
Well, go on now and kiss it goodbye,
But hold on to your lover,
'Cause your heart's bound to die.
Go on now and say goodbye to our town, to our town.
Can't you see the sun's settin' down on our town, on our town,
Goodnight.
I buried my Mama and I buried my Pa.
They sleep up the street beside that pretty brick wall.
I bring them flowers about every day,
but I just gotta cry when I think what they'd say.
If they could see how the sun's settin' fast,
And just like they say, nothing good ever lasts.
Well, go on now and kiss it goodbye,
But hold on to your lover,
'Cause your heart's bound to die.
Go on now and say goodbye to our town, to our town.
Can't you see the sun's settin' down on our town, on our town,
Goodnight.
Now I sit on the porch and watch the lightning-bugs fly.
But I can't see too good, I got tears in my eyes.
I'm leaving tomorrow but I don't wanna go.
I love you, my town, you'll always live in my soul.
But I can see the sun's settin' fast,
And just like they say, nothing good ever lasts.
Well, go on, I gotta kiss you goodbye,
But I'll hold to my lover,
'Cause my heart's 'bout to die.
Go on now and say goodbye to my town, to my town.
I can see the sun has gone down on my town, on my town,
Goodnight.
Goodnight.
Enjoy
Artist: Dement Iris
Song: Our Town
Album: Infamous Angel
And you know the sun's settin' fast,
And just like they say, nothing good ever lasts.
Well, go on now and kiss it goodbye,
But hold on to your lover,
'Cause your heart's bound to die.
Go on now and say goodbye to our town, to our town.
Can't you see the sun's settin' down on our town, on our town,
Goodnight.
Up the street beside that red neon light,
That's where I met my baby on one hot summer night.
He was the tender and I ordered a beer,
It's been forty years and I'm still sitting here.
But you know the sun's settin' fast,
And just like they say, nothing good ever lasts.
Well, go on now and kiss it goodbye,
But hold on to your lover,
'Cause your heart's bound to die.
Go on now and say goodbye to our town, to our town.
Can't you see the sun's settin' down on our town, on our town,
Goodnight.
It's here I had my babies and I had my first kiss.
I've walked down Main Street in the cold morning mist.
Over there is where I bought my first car.
It turned over once but then it never went far.
And I can see the sun's settin' fast,
And just like they say, nothing good ever lasts.
Well, go on now and kiss it goodbye,
But hold on to your lover,
'Cause your heart's bound to die.
Go on now and say goodbye to our town, to our town.
Can't you see the sun's settin' down on our town, on our town,
Goodnight.
I buried my Mama and I buried my Pa.
They sleep up the street beside that pretty brick wall.
I bring them flowers about every day,
but I just gotta cry when I think what they'd say.
If they could see how the sun's settin' fast,
And just like they say, nothing good ever lasts.
Well, go on now and kiss it goodbye,
But hold on to your lover,
'Cause your heart's bound to die.
Go on now and say goodbye to our town, to our town.
Can't you see the sun's settin' down on our town, on our town,
Goodnight.
Now I sit on the porch and watch the lightning-bugs fly.
But I can't see too good, I got tears in my eyes.
I'm leaving tomorrow but I don't wanna go.
I love you, my town, you'll always live in my soul.
But I can see the sun's settin' fast,
And just like they say, nothing good ever lasts.
Well, go on, I gotta kiss you goodbye,
But I'll hold to my lover,
'Cause my heart's 'bout to die.
Go on now and say goodbye to my town, to my town.
I can see the sun has gone down on my town, on my town,
Goodnight.
Goodnight.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Demcrats Create New Slavery
Slavery: (Webster)
Function: noun
Date: 1551
1 : drudgery, toil
2 : submission to a dominating influence
3 a : the state of a person who is a chattel of another b : the practice of slaveholding
Slavery: Wikipedia
Slavery (also called thralldom) is a form of forced labor in which people are considered to be the property of others. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand wages. In some societies it was legal for an owner to kill a slave; in others it was a crime.[1]
The organization Anti-Slavery International defines slavery as "forced labor." By this definition there are approximately 27 million slaves in the world today, more than at any point in history and more than twice as many as all African slaves brought to the Americas combined.
The International labor Organization, however, does not equate forced labor with slavery. According to ILO, there are estimated 12 million people around the world still working under coercion in forced labor, slavery and slavery-like practices.[5]
Most are debt slaves, largely in South Asia, who are under debt bondage incurred by lenders, some for generations.[6] Human trafficking is mostly for prostituting women and children into the sex trade.[7] It is described as "the largest slave trade in history" and is the fastest growing criminal industry, set to outgrow drug trafficking.
Serfdom: (Wikipedia)
Specifics of serfdom varied greatly through time and region. In some places, serfdom was merged with or exchanged for various forms of taxation.
The amount of labor required varied. In Poland, for example, it was a few days per year per household in the 13th century; one day per week per household in the 14th century; four days per week per household in the 17th century and six days per week per household in the 18th century. Early serfdom in Poland was mostly limited on the royal territories (królewszczyzny).
"Per household" means that every farm had to give a worker for the required number of days.[13] For example, in the 18th century, six people: a peasant, his wife, three children and a hired worker would be required to work for their lord one day a week, which would be counted as six days.
Sometimes, serfs served as soldiers in the event of conflict and could earn freedom or even ennoblement for valor in combat. In other cases, serfs could purchase their freedom, be manumitted by their enlightened or generous owners, or flee to towns or newly-settled land where few questions were asked. Laws varied from country to country: in England a serf who made his way to a chartered town and evaded recapture for a year and a day obtained his freedom.
Slavery, Serfdom.. Another way I have heard them defined as "The confiscation by force of the fruits of one's labor". Therefore the confiscatee is a slave or serf of the confiscator.
Monday, with the signing of the "Health Care Reform Bill", the United States of America has created two new categories of slaves or serfs.
The first are Doctors. Doctors? Yes, if you look at the Wiki definition of Slavery , the phrase "deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand wages". These will now pertain to any and all Medical Doctors. The Government will be able to restrict where they may live and practice medicine based on a geographic area's need for Doctors. Further, as is the current practice in Medicare and Medicaid, the Government will decide what is a fair reimbursement for services. Medicare and Medicaid DO NOT reimburse at cost let alone allow the Doctor to make any Profit (aka a living, salary etc). The ugly truth is that this is the real reason for the sky rocketing cost of health care, not gouging greedy Doctors and Hospitals. These individuals and institutions force the rest of us make up for the shortfall of the Government programs. Therefore we are taxed twice for Medicare, once by the Federal Government, and once by Health care providers. Doctors who don't initially submit..er a "sign up" for the program will be barred from ever participating. Further if they choose to leave the "program" they will be barred from ever rejoining (why would they go back? I don't know). At this time it is unclear if they will lose the right to practice medicine if they do not participate, but that would not surprise me. Hidden in the "Health Care Reform Bill" is also regulations to control whom may become Doctors. That is done to a degree currently by the AMA by restricting the number of medical students accepted each year. For the most part, those students that are accepted are the "best and brightest" or at least those that are the most hard working. That will all change. With the new rules, "Under represented" minorities will be given preference. What does that mean? Well currently Whites are still considered the Majority (approximately 51% of population), with Hispanics, Blacks, Asians and Jews making up the rest in roughly that order. Looking at this list you would think that all things being equal (stupid phrase, because they never are) that the percentages of Doctors would resemble this make up. No.. It doesn't. But the current group of Marxists in control see this disparity as prima fascia evidence of discrimination. I do not know the exact breakdown of Doctors by race, I attempted to find it, for I am sure someone has done the study. My guesstimate would be in order of percentage; White, Jewish, Asian (to include Indians), Hispanic, and Black. In this scenario the "Under represented" minorities are Hispanics and Blacks. Therefore, they would get preferential treatment and most of the seats in Medical school. If you do an Internet search on "Doctors Racial Makeup" you will find multiple articles from the left stating that minorities, especially Blacks, do not get proper or sufficient medical care because there aren't enough Black doctors... Isn't that Racist on it's face? Two problems with this. 1. That the reason Doctors do not practice in the inner cities is because they hate black people. 2. If there were more Black Doctors they would practice in the inner cities.. Would they? Would they live or build their practices in crime and drug ridden neighborhoods? Would they not, if given a choice, live and practice where they could live safely and make a living? A simpler way to look at it, would they prefer inner city Detroit, or the Suburbs?
If I had a choice, I would like to have a Doctor that was considered the best and brightest doing my Heart Surgery rather than a Doctor that was selected because he had the proper amount of Melanin...
The second group of the new Slaves/Serfs are the Successful, the Achievers, the Earners. This Bill is the third great entitlement created by our Government. The first two, Social Security, and Medicare were intended for the lower middle class and the poor, but the cost was shared by all (if you worked) because technically, everyone qualified for benefits. This new Health Care entitlement is different, benefits are technically for everyone, but only the "Rich" will pay for it. "Oh Boy!!" you say, "Get the Bastards!!", "Yeah Buddy!!". Hold on there.. Just what is the definition of "Rich". How much money do you have to earn to be "Rich". According to this Bill, a Family of 4 whose income is $88,000.00 per year and above are "Rich". If you have a family of 4 and make less than that, you aren't. Depending on where you live and what your frame of reference is, you may believe that that definition of the "Rich" is valid.. Well I challenge you to live in Boston, New York City, Washington DC, Chicago or any other major metropolitan area and support a family of 4 on that salary. "Whoa, hold on there BigMan.. You are a Libertarian, they choose to live there." Yes, you are correct, and you may have chosen to live in Pickles Gap Arkansas and work at the Toad Suck Inn (these are real places, been there), why should someone that lives in a big Metropolitan Area, but doesn't live comparably better than you do, pay for your Health Care? Redistribution of Wealth, is Slavery. Plain and simple. Confiscating by force (But we have the largest voluntary tax system in the world!! yeah.. right, volunteer not to pay for a couple of years and see what happens) the fruit of an individual or group's labor for the benefit of another individual or group, is Slavery.
"But Health Care is a RIGHT!!"
Really?
As a Libertarian, I believe in a broad spectrum of individual rights. INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS. I also believe that these rights are not "Given", "Bequeathed", or "Bestowed". These rights are part of your basic humanity and can't be taken away without your permission. The founders believed that these rights were "Given", they believed that they were given by God and therefore could not be taken away by Man or Govt. except by your permission. Both of these ideas are known as "Natural Rights". Therefore rights that do not already exist or that aren't Natural Rights can't be created.
This is how I see your and my rights as a Libertarian; You have the right to do ANYTHING you want with your body or possessions up to the point wherein your actions affect my or someone else's rights. Therefore if you want to drink until you are falling down drunk, that is your business. When you get in a car, your actions may have an effect on the safety of others. You do not have a right to drive on the roads drunk. Although if your driving was restricted to your property were the only chance of damage or injury was to yourself or your property. Be my guest, knock yourself out..
So why isn't Health Care a right? Were you born with it? No. Does it exist in Nature? No. How do you get it? It can only exist if someone produces it. In other words, there can be no Health Care if there are no Doctors, Nurses, or Medicine. A Doctor or Nurse's skill and time belong to them. They invested time and money to obtain that skill. You do not have a right to their time or skill. They may give it to you, or you may purchase it. Obtaining it any other way is theft, the forced acquisition of their skills or time is slavery. As for medicine, a Pharmaceutical company creates it by doing research and then producing it through paying for the labor and material. You do not have a right to their production without payment. "Well, what about their obscene profits?" What is an obscene profit? Is it a percentage or an amount over and above the cost of doing business? If they make no profit, why would investors invest in those companies? Where would they get their research money? If research stops, where will new drugs come from? The American Pharmaceutical industry is the last medical research industry extant. With no profits they will disappear. Why would they stay in business, because they are nice? What will we do then? What will we do for Doctors when they aren't paid fairly for their services? In Great Britain and Canada, they rely mostly on Doctors trained in and from the Third World. That is our future.
If there are no Doctors, no Nurses, no medicine, how can you have the right to something that does not exist?
"I swear by my life and my love of it that I will never live for the sake of another man, nor ask another man to live for mine."-- John Galt, 'Atlas Shrugged'
Function: noun
Date: 1551
1 : drudgery, toil
2 : submission to a dominating influence
3 a : the state of a person who is a chattel of another b : the practice of slaveholding
Slavery: Wikipedia
Slavery (also called thralldom) is a form of forced labor in which people are considered to be the property of others. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand wages. In some societies it was legal for an owner to kill a slave; in others it was a crime.[1]
The organization Anti-Slavery International defines slavery as "forced labor." By this definition there are approximately 27 million slaves in the world today, more than at any point in history and more than twice as many as all African slaves brought to the Americas combined.
The International labor Organization, however, does not equate forced labor with slavery. According to ILO, there are estimated 12 million people around the world still working under coercion in forced labor, slavery and slavery-like practices.[5]
Most are debt slaves, largely in South Asia, who are under debt bondage incurred by lenders, some for generations.[6] Human trafficking is mostly for prostituting women and children into the sex trade.[7] It is described as "the largest slave trade in history" and is the fastest growing criminal industry, set to outgrow drug trafficking.
Serfdom: (Wikipedia)
Specifics of serfdom varied greatly through time and region. In some places, serfdom was merged with or exchanged for various forms of taxation.
The amount of labor required varied. In Poland, for example, it was a few days per year per household in the 13th century; one day per week per household in the 14th century; four days per week per household in the 17th century and six days per week per household in the 18th century. Early serfdom in Poland was mostly limited on the royal territories (królewszczyzny).
"Per household" means that every farm had to give a worker for the required number of days.[13] For example, in the 18th century, six people: a peasant, his wife, three children and a hired worker would be required to work for their lord one day a week, which would be counted as six days.
Sometimes, serfs served as soldiers in the event of conflict and could earn freedom or even ennoblement for valor in combat. In other cases, serfs could purchase their freedom, be manumitted by their enlightened or generous owners, or flee to towns or newly-settled land where few questions were asked. Laws varied from country to country: in England a serf who made his way to a chartered town and evaded recapture for a year and a day obtained his freedom.
Slavery, Serfdom.. Another way I have heard them defined as "The confiscation by force of the fruits of one's labor". Therefore the confiscatee is a slave or serf of the confiscator.
Monday, with the signing of the "Health Care Reform Bill", the United States of America has created two new categories of slaves or serfs.
The first are Doctors. Doctors? Yes, if you look at the Wiki definition of Slavery , the phrase "deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand wages". These will now pertain to any and all Medical Doctors. The Government will be able to restrict where they may live and practice medicine based on a geographic area's need for Doctors. Further, as is the current practice in Medicare and Medicaid, the Government will decide what is a fair reimbursement for services. Medicare and Medicaid DO NOT reimburse at cost let alone allow the Doctor to make any Profit (aka a living, salary etc). The ugly truth is that this is the real reason for the sky rocketing cost of health care, not gouging greedy Doctors and Hospitals. These individuals and institutions force the rest of us make up for the shortfall of the Government programs. Therefore we are taxed twice for Medicare, once by the Federal Government, and once by Health care providers. Doctors who don't initially submit..er a "sign up" for the program will be barred from ever participating. Further if they choose to leave the "program" they will be barred from ever rejoining (why would they go back? I don't know). At this time it is unclear if they will lose the right to practice medicine if they do not participate, but that would not surprise me. Hidden in the "Health Care Reform Bill" is also regulations to control whom may become Doctors. That is done to a degree currently by the AMA by restricting the number of medical students accepted each year. For the most part, those students that are accepted are the "best and brightest" or at least those that are the most hard working. That will all change. With the new rules, "Under represented" minorities will be given preference. What does that mean? Well currently Whites are still considered the Majority (approximately 51% of population), with Hispanics, Blacks, Asians and Jews making up the rest in roughly that order. Looking at this list you would think that all things being equal (stupid phrase, because they never are) that the percentages of Doctors would resemble this make up. No.. It doesn't. But the current group of Marxists in control see this disparity as prima fascia evidence of discrimination. I do not know the exact breakdown of Doctors by race, I attempted to find it, for I am sure someone has done the study. My guesstimate would be in order of percentage; White, Jewish, Asian (to include Indians), Hispanic, and Black. In this scenario the "Under represented" minorities are Hispanics and Blacks. Therefore, they would get preferential treatment and most of the seats in Medical school. If you do an Internet search on "Doctors Racial Makeup" you will find multiple articles from the left stating that minorities, especially Blacks, do not get proper or sufficient medical care because there aren't enough Black doctors... Isn't that Racist on it's face? Two problems with this. 1. That the reason Doctors do not practice in the inner cities is because they hate black people. 2. If there were more Black Doctors they would practice in the inner cities.. Would they? Would they live or build their practices in crime and drug ridden neighborhoods? Would they not, if given a choice, live and practice where they could live safely and make a living? A simpler way to look at it, would they prefer inner city Detroit, or the Suburbs?
If I had a choice, I would like to have a Doctor that was considered the best and brightest doing my Heart Surgery rather than a Doctor that was selected because he had the proper amount of Melanin...
The second group of the new Slaves/Serfs are the Successful, the Achievers, the Earners. This Bill is the third great entitlement created by our Government. The first two, Social Security, and Medicare were intended for the lower middle class and the poor, but the cost was shared by all (if you worked) because technically, everyone qualified for benefits. This new Health Care entitlement is different, benefits are technically for everyone, but only the "Rich" will pay for it. "Oh Boy!!" you say, "Get the Bastards!!", "Yeah Buddy!!". Hold on there.. Just what is the definition of "Rich". How much money do you have to earn to be "Rich". According to this Bill, a Family of 4 whose income is $88,000.00 per year and above are "Rich". If you have a family of 4 and make less than that, you aren't. Depending on where you live and what your frame of reference is, you may believe that that definition of the "Rich" is valid.. Well I challenge you to live in Boston, New York City, Washington DC, Chicago or any other major metropolitan area and support a family of 4 on that salary. "Whoa, hold on there BigMan.. You are a Libertarian, they choose to live there." Yes, you are correct, and you may have chosen to live in Pickles Gap Arkansas and work at the Toad Suck Inn (these are real places, been there), why should someone that lives in a big Metropolitan Area, but doesn't live comparably better than you do, pay for your Health Care? Redistribution of Wealth, is Slavery. Plain and simple. Confiscating by force (But we have the largest voluntary tax system in the world!! yeah.. right, volunteer not to pay for a couple of years and see what happens) the fruit of an individual or group's labor for the benefit of another individual or group, is Slavery.
"But Health Care is a RIGHT!!"
Really?
As a Libertarian, I believe in a broad spectrum of individual rights. INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS. I also believe that these rights are not "Given", "Bequeathed", or "Bestowed". These rights are part of your basic humanity and can't be taken away without your permission. The founders believed that these rights were "Given", they believed that they were given by God and therefore could not be taken away by Man or Govt. except by your permission. Both of these ideas are known as "Natural Rights". Therefore rights that do not already exist or that aren't Natural Rights can't be created.
This is how I see your and my rights as a Libertarian; You have the right to do ANYTHING you want with your body or possessions up to the point wherein your actions affect my or someone else's rights. Therefore if you want to drink until you are falling down drunk, that is your business. When you get in a car, your actions may have an effect on the safety of others. You do not have a right to drive on the roads drunk. Although if your driving was restricted to your property were the only chance of damage or injury was to yourself or your property. Be my guest, knock yourself out..
So why isn't Health Care a right? Were you born with it? No. Does it exist in Nature? No. How do you get it? It can only exist if someone produces it. In other words, there can be no Health Care if there are no Doctors, Nurses, or Medicine. A Doctor or Nurse's skill and time belong to them. They invested time and money to obtain that skill. You do not have a right to their time or skill. They may give it to you, or you may purchase it. Obtaining it any other way is theft, the forced acquisition of their skills or time is slavery. As for medicine, a Pharmaceutical company creates it by doing research and then producing it through paying for the labor and material. You do not have a right to their production without payment. "Well, what about their obscene profits?" What is an obscene profit? Is it a percentage or an amount over and above the cost of doing business? If they make no profit, why would investors invest in those companies? Where would they get their research money? If research stops, where will new drugs come from? The American Pharmaceutical industry is the last medical research industry extant. With no profits they will disappear. Why would they stay in business, because they are nice? What will we do then? What will we do for Doctors when they aren't paid fairly for their services? In Great Britain and Canada, they rely mostly on Doctors trained in and from the Third World. That is our future.
If there are no Doctors, no Nurses, no medicine, how can you have the right to something that does not exist?
"I swear by my life and my love of it that I will never live for the sake of another man, nor ask another man to live for mine."-- John Galt, 'Atlas Shrugged'
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
The 2nd Advantage
While watching a documentary about Snipers the other evening I noticed an accidental vote of support for the US 2nd amendment. They were profiling the Canadian Sniper credited with making the longest recorded confirmed kill, a distance of 1.5 miles using a 50BMG sniper rifle (http://www.mcmfamily.com/mcmillan-rifles-tactical-tac-50.php). As the gentleman was discussing the area of Afghanistan where operation "Cobra" occurred. He stated that he ran out of the Canadian issued .50 ammunition and was given some American issued .50. He stated that the accuracy, projectile weight and range of the American Ammunition was far superior to the Canadian ammunition. This is where I thought of the 2nd Amendment.
Here in the US there is a specialty sport of Long Range Bench Rest competitive shooting. The 50 BMG whether Barrett (http://www.barrett.net/firearms/model82a1) or McMillan (http://www.mcmfamily.com/mcmillan-rifles-tactical-tac-50.php) is a favorite. I have associated with these enthusiasts and they are a very competitive lot. They are constantly looking for an edge in competition. Whether it is from scopes, a barrel shroud, or ammunition. They are always tinkering to get that last little bit of an advantage from their rifle. Here is where I believe that the ammunition difference that the Canadian sniper found came from. The fact that many Americans use the .50 and compete with it influenced ammunition design. These competitors created highly accurate hand loads that were then copied by ammunition manufacturers that sometimes actually had employed people that were also Bench Rest competitors.
The US military's rifle marksmanship programs influence civilian shooting and civilian shooting influences US military's rifle marksmanship. There is a sharing of ideas and principles that just does not occur in a country with restrictive firearm ownership like Canada.
Here in the US there is a specialty sport of Long Range Bench Rest competitive shooting. The 50 BMG whether Barrett (http://www.barrett.net/firearms/model82a1) or McMillan (http://www.mcmfamily.com/mcmillan-rifles-tactical-tac-50.php) is a favorite. I have associated with these enthusiasts and they are a very competitive lot. They are constantly looking for an edge in competition. Whether it is from scopes, a barrel shroud, or ammunition. They are always tinkering to get that last little bit of an advantage from their rifle. Here is where I believe that the ammunition difference that the Canadian sniper found came from. The fact that many Americans use the .50 and compete with it influenced ammunition design. These competitors created highly accurate hand loads that were then copied by ammunition manufacturers that sometimes actually had employed people that were also Bench Rest competitors.
The US military's rifle marksmanship programs influence civilian shooting and civilian shooting influences US military's rifle marksmanship. There is a sharing of ideas and principles that just does not occur in a country with restrictive firearm ownership like Canada.
Monday, March 1, 2010
A Sign of the times...
Saturday afternoon, I came painfully close to killing a child. I don't mean metaphorically, I mean literally. I drive a 1 ton Dodge truck with dual rear wheels. I was driving down a two lane shoulder less road not far from my home when I saw a group of boys in the 11-13 year old range riding their bikes toward me. The boy in the lead, in the act of turning to yell at his friends behind him, veered across the lane he was in directly into my path. I at the time was traveling at approximately 35 mph. He was about 2 1/2 tuck lengths ahead when I locked my brakes. Luckily he looked and stopped at that moment and I came within about 2 feet of hitting him. he then gave me a surprised look and veered back into the opposite lane, without looking. I quickly backed up, rolled down my window and inquired if the lad had might have lost his mental faculties (not quite that nicely). He response was "My Bad, I was listening to my Ipod." I informed him that it would been more than his bad with my truck on top of him. I suggested that he not listen to his Ipod when riding his bicycle down a busy road.
I must admit that I was not as pleasant sounding as I suggest. I do believe that my discussion with him may have frightened him more than the incident. If so, then it did what I desired. I am sure that if God forbid I would have hit him and injured or killed him I would have been at fault either in court or the court of public opinion.
He was Black, I am white, I was driving a "red neck Cadillac" with conservative and an NRA Patron stickers. Stereotypically that makes me a racist and not caring about black children, that would be the obvious reason I didn't do more to avoid hitting him..
That's the kind of world we live in.. With a child of any other race, I would have only been concerned with facing his parents and seeing the grief in their eyes. With this particular boy that was only a fleeting concern, I was mostly concerned with the attacks that would come my way if it would have turned out worse.
I must admit that I was not as pleasant sounding as I suggest. I do believe that my discussion with him may have frightened him more than the incident. If so, then it did what I desired. I am sure that if God forbid I would have hit him and injured or killed him I would have been at fault either in court or the court of public opinion.
He was Black, I am white, I was driving a "red neck Cadillac" with conservative and an NRA Patron stickers. Stereotypically that makes me a racist and not caring about black children, that would be the obvious reason I didn't do more to avoid hitting him..
That's the kind of world we live in.. With a child of any other race, I would have only been concerned with facing his parents and seeing the grief in their eyes. With this particular boy that was only a fleeting concern, I was mostly concerned with the attacks that would come my way if it would have turned out worse.
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