The world did not end so I changed the oil, bought new tires, and had the Ford dealer tune up the old Expedition.
We are off to Las Vegas tomorrow.
For a bit, blogging will be as light as my wallet after a few days in that desert oasis.
I like Vegas a lot. I love being able to walk from New York to Venice, stopping off on the way in Paris. What I particularly like about the fake Paris is that the people there smile at you, they take dollars, and nobody pees against a wall. Sometimes authenticity is overrated. As long as we have taken the path to becoming Europe, I might as well see it as I want it to be. My wife, who comes from Europe, has a slightly different take. She keeps saying, "I left Europe to live in America. If America is going to become Europe, I might as well go back. The coffee is better there."
I hope while in Vegas not to think once about President Obama; I am sure that while he vacations in Hawaii he won't think about me. He, nevertheless, could spare me a thought or two as, after all, I am helping pay for his vacation; I don't ask him to pay for mine. I just ask him for the favor of leaving me some of my own money to gamble and drink away as I see fit.
If I have any money left, when I get back to Miami next month, I am going to buy either a Ruger, a Colt, or another Kimber. I buy American guns and cars. I am just that way. A Corvette just doesn't go with a Glock.
Speaking of guns, while getting ready to go to Vegas, I visited my local bank here in California, and guess what? The bank had an armed guard! How about that? Institutions, e.g., banks, museums, jewelry stores, courthouses, Congress, the White House, put armed guards wherever there are valuables to protect. So I guess that's why we don't have them at schools . . . nothing valuable there, right?
Diplomad, I, your former colleague (briefly), teach in a public high school inside the Capital Beltway, and we have a fully armed policeman patrolling the halls. I have seen our minions of the law leading teens out of school in handcuffs. We have other security personnel as well, but they do not necessarily have authority to make arrests.
ReplyDeleteA kid I taught drove the car for his brother's errand of knifing to death another teen who belonged to a rival gang as the last-mentioned kid was leaving school (I think it was Salvadoreans against Mexicans, or something like that). Our administrators, who are otherwise decent folks, called it "an incident".
Frankly, my guess is that in their hearts or hearts, our current crop of "leaders" don't think children are valuable. When he was state senator back in Illinois, our Great Leader O supported late term partial birth abortion. Our most learned jurists believe that the right to kill one's inconvenient child is more sacred than Free Exercise of Religion or Freedom of Speech (which are actually in the Bill of Rights).
Isn't it wonderful how much the American people feel so much safer and trust each other so much more since the triumph of the sensibility of the 'Sixties?
May thy journey contain all naturals, full houses of joy, straights of truth, and flushes of royal estate.
ReplyDeleteI think concealed carry teachers or "personnel" would be more effective than a uniformed armed guard or police officer, for the #1 reason that a prospective attacker doesn't know who to take out first. Secondly, I think these armed personnel can be from the community (ex military, ex cops, retired, etc) and not necessarily be pulled from the police force. There can be a pool of people if there aren't any teachers or administrators carrying. There should be 1 or 2 or more people per school depending on the size. They can be paid for their time or not, depending on the resources. There is plenty of money spent on education in this country but much of it is wasted at the higher levels of the bureaucracy.
ReplyDeleteWhile Dear Leader is on holiday in Hawaii, I will be fervently praying for a convenient white shark...
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your time in Vegas, but remember, those places are really fancy for a reason. They usually win.
Regarding your choice of firearm, is Smith & Wesson still considered an American device? While I cannot argue with any of the makers you mentioned, the M&P is a good design with high capacity.
Just sayin...
I would second the S&W recommendation but my favorite S&W is the short barrel 500 S&W Magnum. What it lacks in capacity is made up for by - everything else. Lets move beyond the false bravado exhibited by so many carriers of the 45...
DeleteThe 500 Magnum is fine for hunting grizzly, but maybe not QUITE as practical? (grin).
DeletePlus, your elbow needs to be re-built after every 25 rounds...
Talk about a HAND CANNON...
S&W, in deed, is once again an American manufacturer after a brief and unhappy time under British ownership. The only reason I ddi not list S&W among my potential purchases is that I already have several fine S&W products, including the .40 M&P which is superb.
DeleteAt the risk of starting a huge battle, I think that dollar for dollar the best guns on the market are from Ruger. Be it rifles, shotguns, pistols, or revolvers, it is hard to beat the price and value for the money.
Dip: Good column. Good luck. You'll need it: they didn't build Paris by giving money back to their customers.
ReplyDeleteI posted something rather similar on my facebook page.
ReplyDeleteGood idea. This should become a standard meme everytime a Lefty brings up gun control.
ReplyDeleteAfterall, owning a Firearm is a CHOICE protected by the Constitution.
In my hometown, the schools resources officers were about to be defunded - not sure but it could have something to do with the Obama admin taking the fed money out for that support.
ReplyDeleteThe council DID vote for a $6million dollar new safety center, with fire house training, and a lazer gun tag range in the basement. They also got a new armored car for the SWAT team for $350K in DHS money.
There was a school shooting here awhile back- crazy loon with .357 and a propane tank shot a couple kids on the playground- would have been much worse if a couple unarmed construction workers hadnt tackled him, while he fumbled the reload. Another neighbor jumped the fence with a gun to help, I think, but it was all over by then.
Took the cops a couple minutes more to arrive from the safety center a few blocks away.
I should point out the .357 is a revolver. A semi-auto anything or XX # of maximum bullets in the magazine type ban would do ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to prevent the use of that weapon in future...
ReplyDeleteBetter integration of background checks, into a mental health system of more and better treatment of the mentally ill, would, however, have a chance of detecting that troubled mind, and triggering a review of the gun permit...
But of course, thats not an easy solution that lends itself to a sound bite, or demogoguery, or blaming entire groups of responsible Americans.
I am all for targeting the mentally ill. Doctors and Gestapo have no problem flagging potential unconscious drivers. I no sooner want a psychotic neighbor with a gun than I want a 'prone to seizure' driver cruising the street in front of my house. Yes, there would be a lot of potential for government and/or social abuse. Who decides who is crazy and who isn't? But the doctor who is providing drug cocktails already made that determination. A side benefit might be more people learning to cope with the slings and arrows without regular visits to the medicine cabinet.
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