I do, however, believe that there is a fine line where our freedom of speech ends and the protection of the public needs to begin. There is a reason that you cannot yell fire in a crowded theatre. You cannot use your freedom of speech to endanger the lives of others in an imminent fashion.
That is exactly what is going on right now.
I will go on record, and this shouldn't surprise anyone, that I am fiercely opposed to pretty much everything the conservative right stands for. They have every right to disagree with me. They have every right to voice that opinion. They have every right to show biased coverage of events in their media outlets. They have every right to protest.
They do not have a right to purposefully incite violence amongst a group of people. They do not have the right to use terror tactics to quiet the opposition. They do not have the right to push the American people to the breaking point and then back away, as if they are not responsible for this.
Right now, when you turn on the news, you see protesters at town hall meetings screaming and waiving signs. They have every right to be doing so. You see small children holding signs that their parents handed them with Nazi rhetoric on it. I find it disgusting, but they still have the right to whore out their children if they so choose to do so. You see people equating Obama to Hilter and the Democrats to Nazis. I don't understand the logic behind it, but again - it's their right to say these things.
Then you have the lunatic fringe. President Obama held a town hall meeting in New Hampshire on health care reform. Outside, a man, William Kostric, was protesting, as he has every right to. He also happened to have a loaded handgun strapped visibly to his leg, which he is allowed to do per the second amendment, as long as it is not concealed. He was also carrying a sign that said "It's time to water the tree of liberty". This alludes to the Thomas Jefferson quote "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants." Since he was there protesting, I think it's safe to bet that he wasn't insinuating that it was the blood of patriots that he was after.
Here is the video interview that he gave to Chris Matthews on Hardball on MSNBC.
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When Matthews asked if the gun was loaded, Kostric responded by saying "Um, wow, who would be silly enough to carry an unloaded firearm?" Perhaps someone who only intended the visual message but had absolutely no intention of using it? When asked why he brought a gun to a Presidential event, he responded by saying that was not an issue. Not an issue? I can't believe this.
We should also mention the Kostric is a former Arizona resident. In that state, he was involved with and is listed as a member of the Arizona Chapter of the We the People Foundation. WPF has a stated mission of "returning America to its founding principles." On their website, founder Robert Schultz says, Robert Schulz says, "Our recent initiatives have focused largely on questioning the federal government's abuse of its Constitutional powers to incur debt, tax labor, create currency by fiat, conduct war and police the peace." This group has also joined a lawsuit claiming the President Obama is an illegitimate president because he is not a natural born citizen.
This is what is going on right now. Then, after all of this happened, conservatives have stood up, not to condemn the threatening actions of this right wing fringe, but to laud him for exerting his constitutional rights. Maybe I'm being a little touchy, but Americans don't seem to have a good track record when outspoken extremists bring guns to Presidential events.
When will the encouragement of this kind of behavior stop? Someone is going to get hurt. Eventually, someone is going to break and people are going to be injured or, God forbid, killed. Will it be an elected official, a police office, or perhaps an innocent bystander? This needs to stop and it needs to stop now. Stop encouraging people to speak out with hate. Stop encouraging the extreme fringe. Stop giving them the appearance of having supporters. Stop before it is too late.
To say a thing is fine. The US Constitution protects your freedom of speech, and I’m completely behind your right to voice your own opinions. The problem is that I'm having difficulty understanding your mindset on this topic. I know that you're trying to make a point politically, but when I sit back and look at the situation, I see a major difference between what you're point and what happened.
ReplyDeleteI'll begin by quoting you. "I will go on record, and this shouldn't surprise anyone, that I am fiercely opposed to pretty much everything the conservative right stands for." By saying this, I get the impression that you don't believe in the Constitution, except for the first amendment, or any fundamental reasons for which this country was founded. Do you not believe in morality or freedom or liberty? Are you the kind of person who doesn’t believe in God, but then invokes God’s name when it suits your writing needs? Do you not believe in a right to life for unborn children? It’s illegal to murder someone isn’t it? What’s the difference in killing an unborn child?
Free speech.
Yes, you’re entitled to say anything you want. Your protected right is definitely in the Constitution. Can you yell fire in a theater? Yes, but I think you’ll be hard-pressed to find a law in the Revised Code saying you can’t. Is it a smart thing to do? No… unless there is indeed a fire and you’re trying to help.
Obviously there is a difference between freedom of speech and trying to terrorize or brainwash people. Taking the extra step to once again bash the conservative right solves no problems and only serves to continue the hate mongering. I could even say that you’re using the same tactics by sounding off and calling Mr. Kostric an extremist, but more on that in a moment.
I’ll let you in on a little secret. ALL news media outlets are biased, and most are biased toward the left-hand side of the political spectrum. That’s no secret. Americans have the right to protest, as American’s have done for many years. One thing you’re missing is that Liberals protest FAR more than Conservatives ever have. Liberals protest wars, death penalty, or support of killing unborn children. Liberals protest all kinds of things. Conservatives rarely protest at all, but when they do it’s usually for a very good reason. And I think massive healthcare reforms that will serve to drive this country deeper into debt at a time when the US is in the middle of a major financial crisis is a pretty good reason.
Have conservatives incited violence? Hardly. Have conservatives used terror tactics? No. And what do you mean by they don’t have the right to push Americans to the breaking point?? Who is at the breaking point?? Are Liberals at the breaking point because they’re losing the battle to get free healthcare that isn’t really free? Are Conservatives at the breaking point because they’re sick and tired of making concessions to Communists and Socialists who want to destroy the United States as we know it?
I quote: “Right now, when you turn on the news, you see protesters at town hall meetings screaming and waiving signs. They have every right to be doing so.”
It strikes me as incredibly contradictory to say that conservatives are inciting violence when liberals have done so for years. Liberals commonly incite violence during their protests. Just look at the IMF/World Bank protests from earlier this year. They were smashing windows, spraying paint, and all kinds of things. What has been happening at town hall meetings? Yelling? Screaming? Yea, people tend to get pretty angry when you threaten their way of. Was anyone killed or even injured? Not that I’ve seen. Don’t make conservatives the bad guy when it’s been happening in your party for years.
Then you’re crying foul on US Citizen William Kostric, most likely a law abiding Conservative, who brought his legally purchased and legally carried firearm to a presidential event? Last I checked, New Hampshire is an Open Carry state, and he is well within is legal right to carry a firearm in that state. Are you suggesting we take away his rights, given to him by the Constitution of the United States and the state of New Hampshire, to do so??? If you’re suggesting we begin taking away the rights of American citizens, then where will it end? How many of our rights must we lose before it begins to impact your personal freedoms that you take for granted every day?
ReplyDeleteWas he trying to make a statement? Yep. Did he make a statement? Yep. Did he exercise his rights as a US citizen? Yep. The fact of the matter about this guy’s point is that if you don’t exercise your rights as a US citizen, eventually you can lose those rights. It wasn’t at all about inciting violence. It’s about being informed and knowing the difference, and it seems that you’re not seeing that difference, or not wanting to promote those differences due to political beliefs.
The last time I checked, law abiding conservatives don’t go around inciting violence and don’t shoot Presidents. Deranged people do. Sociopaths do. Communists do. You know, this wouldn’t even be a discussion had Mr. Kostric used his firearms to save President Obama or other innocent bystanders from a person who had set out to truly create a violent situation. Instead of criticizing him, we should be supporting his rights as a US citizen. It’s not people like him who are inciting violence or causing problems. Don’t make Mr. Kostric out to be a terrorist. By doing so, you’re just trying to scare people.
I also though it strange that you bashed his foundation’s initiatives to, and I’ll quote your words:
“initiatives have focused largely on questioning the federal government's abuse of its Constitutional powers to incur debt, tax labor, create currency by fiat, conduct war and police the peace."
By disagreeing with Mr. Kostric, you’ve put yourself in the place of saying that you support increased US government debt, support increasing taxes on labor, support the printing of currency not supported by a fair commodity, don’t support the protection of the free world or the United States from terrorist attacks, and support a nationalized police force which could create a police state.
You claim Mr. Kostric is an extremist, but there is no evidence of that. My question to you is how does exercising your rights as a natural born US citizen make you an extremist??? And speaking of being naturally born, why hasn’t Obama come out to disprove the naysayers and support his citizenship? It definitely raises some general concerns about his legitimacy.
That being said, do I think Obama is a bad guy? No. I think he is an excellent diplomat. I disagree that the people of the United States, and that includes you, should bear the costs to bring misrun US corporations out of the gutter. I disagree in supporting a “free” healthcare system that isn’t truly “free”. But I do feel that President Obama is following is own personal beliefs on what he feels is good and right. Will that make him an effective President? All I’ll say to that is that lets wait until the end of his first term as President and see if he’s been able to balance the US budget by then. Only then will you be able to tell me “I told ya so”.
OK… Where to start…
ReplyDeleteFirst, I want to thank you for commenting. The purpose of this blog was to provoke intellectual discourse and I think I have done that. Varying opinions are welcome here. With that being said, I’ll move through your post with my comments as necessary.
Yes, I am opposed to probably 90% of what the conservative right stands for, if not the average run of the mill Republican, than definitely the far-right wingers that get touted as “party leaders”. I do happen to believe in the constitution. As a matter of fact, I believe in all of it, something the far right and I don’t see eye to eye on from time to time. I do believe in morality, but not legislated morality. I think that everyone is entitled to their own spiritual and religious beliefs, but that they have no place in government – you know, the part of the constitution about the separation of church and state.
Why would you assume that I don’t believe in “God”? Is it because I am a hippy leftist or because I don’t fit into the typical right-wing Jesus loving mold? I do happen to believe in “God”, for your information. I am not a huge fan of organized religion, but I think that religion and spirituality are two very separate things. No, frankly, I do not believe in a “right to life for unborn children”. I believe that a woman has a choice as to what happens with her body and I believe that it is a decision best left to her and her “God” – whatever God that may be. I do find it amusing that the right is all about the rights of the unborn but not always as concerned with those people already living and breathing on this planet of ours. I also find it very interesting when the conservatives feel the need to insert themselves into such a private issue, all the while lampooning “big government” for interfering in our lives. Can anyone say oxymoron?
Believe it or not, there are limits to free speech in this country. As for yelling fire in a crowded theatre, no you actually can’t. That would be included in the part of the law that prohibits incitement to riot. I can send you a link to the legal code if you would like to look it over.
I will agree with you that all media outlets are biased, this one included. Although, I will disagree with you, because if you take talk radio into consideration, the market is about 75% saturated with a right-wing slant. I will agree with you, as well, that liberals protest and probably more so than conservatives. Yes, we do protest wars we have no business fighting and the right to personal and individual freedoms. I personally to do oppose the death penalty – I know – you’re shocked right! :)
I will concede that conservatives probably protest less but I won’t say they do it for better reasons. President Obama has said over and over again that he will NOT sign legislation into law that will drive us deeper into debt. We can recoup over 80% of the costs from simply streamlining programs to make them more efficient.
ReplyDelete“Have conservatives incited violence? Hardly.” Do you watch the news? Now, I will say that the average, normal, run of the mill conservative has not incited violence. The conservatives that I refer to are the “leaders” of the party that are urging people to scream until the other side shuts up. The same leaders that refer to Obama as Hitler and joke about poisoning our leaders. The same ones that incite uneducated people to do their dirty work by lying to them and scaring them for nothing but personal and political gain. Those are the conservatives that I have a problem with.
The problem with what is going on right now is that there is no discussion on heath care. There is screaming about Obama being a Marxist and we’re sliding into socialism and the crazy liberal heath care reform is a secret plot to kill old people. All of this is completely untrue and the ranking republicans are propagating these lies because ignorant people believe what their leaders tell them. Ignorant people who listen to these lies go to town hall meeting and disrupt the democratic process. I have said time and time again that you don’t have to agree with me, but if there can be no constructive discussion, our democracy is for naught. If we can’t have rational, civil discussions, how are we ever going to accomplish anything substantial?
As for violence at leftist protests, I do not support it. Plain and simple. I have been to many protests in my day for many issues and never once have I encountered violence that was instigated by the protestors. I have, on many occasions, been on the receiving end of violent acts perpetrated by people who didn’t like what I had to say. As for the IMF / World Bank protests, yes I support funding an entity that has no interest in supporting or mandating minimal human rights standards, but I do not support doing so in a violent fashion.
A lot worse than just yelling and screaming has been happening at town hall meetings. People have been injured and required medical care after altercations between opposing sides ensued. I have no idea at this point who started what and where they started it at, but I can tell you that violence has a tendency to escalate. We need to be careful.
As for Kostric, I am suggesting that it is always in poor taste to bring a weapon to protest against a speech being given by the President. It just is. I don’t care which side you are on and who you voted for. We do not have a good track record with such things and people are understandably nervous about such things. We are especially sensitive when said citizen is also carrying a sign alluding to the bloodshed of tyrants. We can make the inferred point.
ReplyDeleteTalk about the loss of personal freedoms… Again, I find it very interesting that conservatives don’t want liberals to have anything to do with their guns, but they love sticking their noses in our uteruses. Figuratively, of course.
Yes, he made a statement, but what was that statement? Could he have made a better, more intelligent and persuasive argument if he has chosen another outlet? Perhaps. The issue here is that health care reform was not discussed. President Obama’s remarks played second fiddle to this. This story became the headline when it should have been what was going on inside the meeting. It is a distraction to the discussion.
I also made the statement that Kostric was affiliated with the We The People Foundation and he is listed as a member on their Arizona chapter site. He moved to NH approximately a year ago. This is the same We The People that are entwined with the militia group in MA that refused to relinquish the assault rifles that they possessed and that were in direct violation of federal law. These are the same people that fired on officials trying to seize said outlawed weapons. They are a bit out there in their political affiliations and while I never called Kostric a “terrorist”, I do consider him to be slightly suspect. That is my opinion, as is everything I write on this blog.
Let’s talk about the “birther” movement. These people do not believe that President Obama has show a clear lineage and has not confirmed that he is an actual natural born citizen and therefore might not really be a legitimate president. Give me a break. He has posted the Hawaiian Certificate of Live Birth online for the entire world to see. There are multiple news paper clippings listing a boy born to his parents in Hawaii on the day he says is his birthday. Would you like a picture of Don Ho singing as she is delivering? This is a ridiculous argument by people seeking to defame him. Democrats were told that we were evil and unpatriotic when we questioned Bush’s questionable service record. What does that make the people of the “birther” movement?
I would love to see Obama balance the budget, but given the e-frickin-normous deficit he inherited from Bush, it will be a challenge. When he does, you owe me a beer. :)
The Church, Government and God.
ReplyDeleteThe United States was founded on the principles of Christianity. Those principles helped form the Constitution. Separation of Church and State is meant to prevent the creation or establishment of a secular government and to allow anyone to practice the religion of their choice. But what is legislated morality? Is that simply establishing a set of laws telling people not only what is wrong, but also what is right? We all need to ask ourselves, what is right and what is wrong?
A few years ago I was talking with a person who claimed to be an Atheist. I asked him if it was okay to kill people. He asked me what I meant. I said “Is it okay to walk up to that guy crossing the street over there and kill him?” He said “No”. So I then asked him, “Why is it not okay?”, to which he told me “It’s not right”. I asked where he learned that it wasn’t right. He then told me a short story about his mother teaching him the Christian belief that “Thou shall not kill” before he converted to Atheism in his adult life. So I then asked him to explain to me that if he is now an Atheist, why does he still believe that murder is wrong, aside from it being the law? The conversation then devolved into one where I was accused of trying to trick him into admitting to Christian beliefs. That wasn’t my goal at all. I was just trying to understand his religious beliefs, or in his case, lack of beliefs, so that I could better understand his mindset. I never did grasp a clear understanding from him.
I guess my point is this. People aren’t born with a morality gene. We are born and taught our beliefs, usually at a young age, usually by our parents, our teachers, and even our friends. If we are not taught about morality, we can easily devolve into savages and animals. When we don’t value life and when we don’t value what is good and right in the world, we cease to remain human, and become something entirely different.
I don’t believe that the government should be reciting religious doctrine and casting out the disbelievers. Heck, look at what is going on in Iran. I certainly don’t want to live there! But what is the problem with the government supporting a system of laws designed to teach right from wrong?
On the topic of abortion, I will say that mainly I am a pro-life kind of person. But should abortions be completely abandoned? I don’t believe in should in situations of rape, incest or in situations where a continued pregnancy would have a negative impact on the child or the mother, especially in cases where the life of one or the other is in jeopardy. But for situations where a woman goes out with a man, they have sex, she becomes pregnant and she wants to get an abortion out of shame or the fear of financial burden or some other reason? No. You would no differently walk up to someone and kill them and call it a retroactive abortion just because you feel their parents should have aborted them prior to birth. I had a very good friend in high school that got an abortion. After it was done, I just remember how much she cried and how bad she felt and she was never the same afterward.
I’m not sure how an oxymoron fits into your description. To claim to believe in God, without quotes, is much different than to claim belief in “her God – whatever God that may be.” We must remember that there is only one true God, and though he is represented in different ways in different religions, he is still the same one God. Other Gods are just false idols. And how do conservatives different in their views of unborn versus those who have already been born? By the way, a fetus is indeed living and breathing inside the womb.
Utopian Healthcare
ReplyDeleteYes, I know what Obama said. But often times, what someone says and does are vastly different. Streamlining current programs is just not going to offer enough of a savings that will pay for a new government run healthcare system. If you can’t see that, then I think you really need to open your eyes and take a deeper look into who is actually paying for what in this country. And how can you say that there are no discussions about healthcare? That is what is happened at town hall meetings. People all across the country are talking about it, even you and me. So someone is talking about it. The problem is that the proposal is over 1,000 pages long, and for many, it’s confusing. I’ll even admit that there are some parts that seem so contradictory that it makes my head spin. And yes, I am actually reading it.
Anyone who reads it will know that it’s not a secret plot to kill people. What kind of country do you think we live in? But there are indeed concerns about oversight panels within the proposal that have unclear purposes. Does that mean they are death councils? Probably not, but the prospect of that possibility does indeed scare people, democrats and republicans alike.
The reason people are screaming that Obama is a Marxist and a Socialist is due to his track record of supporting some Marxist and Socialist ideologies. Are there small aspects of Marxism or Socialism that are good? Yea, sure there are in small ways. But to force such broad and sweeping reforms that do indeed seem rather socialistic in nature before the public can understand the full meaning of such proposals is irresponsible. No one, except for maybe Rush (I don’t listen to talk radio anymore), is calling Obama a mirror image of Hitler. What Conservatives are saying, and what they’re trying to make people understand, is that when Hitler came to power, it wasn’t an image of terror and tyranny that he portrayed. He was out to reform and strengthen the people of Germany, and moved quickly to implement those changes. What then occurred was that if he could change one thing so quickly, it moved on to more and more things that he really had no business changing. This led to eugenics programs and other things that spiraled out of control. The Conservatives are simply stating that they don’t want the same to happen to the United States, even though we may spiral in a different direction than Nazi Germany. I certainly don’t see mass killings or genocide happening here, and if it came to that, you can bet there will be a massive retaliation by the US public. And as far as having rational discussions, Liberals are just as guilty of yelling and screaming as the current Conservatives are. You’re right, it may not solve the problem of people coming to an immediate understanding, but it just goes to show that people are passionate in their beliefs.
As far as Kostric, again, he was simply exercising his rights under the constitution and the laws of the state of New Hampshire. Is it a shocking display of his rights? Maybe to some, but he still has that right. Militias are indeed allowed to own weapons, and when the government is attempting to take them a way, their rights are being violated. Militia groups are generally made up of law abiding citizens who want to practice their rights as established under the Constitution, nothing more. If people became more educated about their practices, then there could possible be a bit more of an understanding, even if you don’t agree with them 100%. It is perfectly legal to own assault weapons in most states, providing you follow state and local laws, which most lawful owners do. It’s our right as Americans to do so, so we should be allowed to exercise those rights.
ReplyDeleteAnd as far as the Birther movement, there are conditions established under US law that describes the qualifications for the US Presidency. The issue is not weather Obama was born in the United States, it has to do with how long his parent, or parents were citizens. The issue boils down to how long his mother was a citizen before giving birth to Obama, and from what I can take from it, it appear that by law, Obama may technically not be a true “natural born” citizen as defined by law. Do I think this creates a problem with respect to the confidence of his Presidency? No, not really. But it does bring up the question as to whether or not the proper legal channels were truly followed during his run for President. The fact that he has not been more forthcoming on this topic is cause for general concern, but I don’t think that Obama is necessarily a problem or a bad guy. It would be akin to saying Arnold Schwartzenegger is going to become President. He’s not naturally born, but could he be a good president? Maybe. Same goes with anyone else not naturally born. But we should be following our established laws to ensure there is no doubt where a person was born prior to be accepted as a Presidential candidate.
Part 1:
ReplyDeleteOK… The United States was founded by people seeking freedom from religious persecution. Yes, they have Christian influence, but it was not founded as a Christian nation. Separation of Church and State guarantees that no one religion will have precedence over another in the political venue – something that our last administration clearly did not agree with. Legislated morality is the idea that you can tell an entire population how to behave based on your individual spiritual and religious beliefs.
I will agree with you that there are things that are not good for society as a whole. Murder is bad. You shouldn’t steal other people’s things. The list can go on and on. The commonality in those is that your actions have a direct influence on that of another human being. The common saying is “your rights end where mine begin”. I was raised by two devout Southern Baptist parents who also happen to be faithful democrats. Unusual, isn’t it? They did teach me right from wrong and that actions that interfere with other people have consequences. I believe that you can teach right from wrong in this way and that you don’t have to drag a specific religion into the mix.
As for abortion, I am quite obviously pro-choice. I think that it is no one else’s business what I or any other woman does with my body. We could use the slippery slope argument that we so often hear against liberal ideas… If I let you dictate that I have to have a child, what will you make me do next? I believe that the government has no right to interfere with what I do to my body and that includes euthanasia, which is a completely different topic. I do not believe that abortion is murder because I do not believe a fetus is a human being. It is a rapidly multiplying mass of cells. If left alone, it has the possibility of becoming a human being but I do not believe that life begins at conception. There is also a lot of controversy in churches over this issue because the Bible does not clearly state that a fetus is a human being, and in most cases, points to the opposite. I can provide specific situations if you would like. This issue is not really whether or not I would have an abortion; it is whether or not I want the government to be able to tell me what I can and cannot do with my body. We are all afforded the rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, are we not? How are dictating procreation habits any different than dictating gun ownership, which you adamantly defend?
I do disagree with the statement that “other gods are false idols”. That is very indicative of someone who had a monotheistic upbringing, but does not speak to the recognition of religions, of which there are many, that have many gods. While they may not be your personal beliefs, I don’t think it is right to discount them by calling them false.
Part 2:
ReplyDeleteYes, people are talking about health care, but that aren’t talking about what really matters. They are talking about death panels and all of the other talking points, but not about the actual legislation, which isn’t even finished yet. Watch the town hall videos and you can see representatives getting booed and jeered and screamed at before they can even utter a word.
I happen to think that the large majority of Americans are ignorant. They are uneducated on the topic and are responding to talking points and posts on facebook pages instead of what is actually in the bill. I will agree that, yes, anyone who reads it will know that it is not a secret plot to kill old people. The problem is, no one is reading it.
The reason that people are saying that Obama is a Marxist and a Socialist is not because of his policy opinions. It’s because those words scare uneducated people. Rarely does the public ever really understand the scale and scope of legislation. Would Medicare have been passed in 1965? Not if Reagan had had a say in it. He released television and radio ads saying the Medicare would tell doctors how many patients they could serve, where they could do it, and that it would eventually lead to the government deciding who could live where. He declared it to be socialist and evil and something no American should get behind. 44 years later, Medicare is an incredibly successful plan that helps millions of seniors receive the treatment and care that they need. This is the perfect example of the conservative right rally against a “socialist” plan that actually does some good for the average working person. So yes, while the idea of universal health care may carry undertones of socialism, why on earth would that be a bad thing?
As for conservatives and their allusions to Hitler, Rush is not the only culprit. Check out the videos I posted from Glenn Beck’s show on eugenics and how socialized medicine might be a slippery slope into Nazism. You could also check out FreedomWorks.org – a foundation run by former Speaker of The House Dick Armey, that fully funds ResistNet.com – a “grassroots” organizing site that last week featured the “Obama = Hitler” video on its front page. This is not limited to one individual. This is permeating the conservative talking points. Now, while you might not buy into this garbage, many ignorant people who cannot see through the bull do. That is why it is irresponsible to plaster this all over the airwaves. I will also go on record and say that while I opposed Bush, I never once called him a Nazi or equated him to Hitler.
To say that conservatives don’t want eugenics makes it sound like liberals do and you know that is not true. No one wants our country to end up like Nazi Germany – well, ok, maybe there are some radicals out there that do, but I don’t think they vote democrat.
Part 3:
ReplyDeleteYes, Kostric had every right to carry a weapon under the constitution and no one is arguing that. What I said was that it was in poor taste and took the emphasis off of where it should have been – the health care debate. Militias are permitted to own weapons, but only weapons that are not outlawed, as the seized arms were and while it may be legal in most states, it was not in theirs. I think that I do have an understanding of militias to some extent. I am also quite familiar with laws regarding firearms. I am also very familiar with the military on both a personal and private level. The second amendment does not trump federal and state laws forbidding specific weaponry.
As for the “birther” movement, the question is ridiculous. Per the US Constitution, there are three things that a president must be: at least thirty-five years old, a permanent resident for at least 14 years, and a natural born citizen. The citizen ship clause says that “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are Citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside." Yes, it says that all persons born in the United States are indeed citizens. That means that it does not matter if the child’s parents are citizens or not, the child is indeed a citizen if born here. Hawaii is a state. Obama was born there. Therefore, he is a citizen. End of story. This stance was affirmed by The Supreme Court in 1857 with Dred Scott v. Sanford. Justice B. Curtis wrote “The first section of the second article of the Constitution uses the language "a natural-born citizen." It thus assumes that citizenship may be acquired by birth.”
Since that should put this debate to rest, why are conservatives continuing to beat this decaying dead horse? Simply because they will do anything they can to detract from a national debate. This is simply another unfounded distraction.