An Admirable Article by Pat Buchanan

It is a given that this veteran has not always been a huge fan of conservative pundit Pat Buchanan, but an article he recently wrote for The American Conservative is changing my mind. Buchanan speaks with a clarity rarely found in today's mainstream media and assertively addresses the President's democratic (?) jihad. He cites overarching Wilsonian interventionism as a basis for the administration's mighty war to bring democracy to nations that are not yet ready for it. Buchanan brings a heartfelt and yet stern warning to the Bush administration and the citizens of America. I now laud this man, whom I formerly did not truly respect, for his patriotism and his honesty. Patrick Buchanan, with this article you have shown yourself to be a true American.

Gay Marriage in Virginia and Assault Weapons-Links Below

The veteran is ashamed of the strong bigotry being shown in the legislative branch of his home state. Today VA lawmakers in both houses passed a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage in Virginia and refusing to recognize same-sex marriages valid in other states. I am a firm advocate of separation of church and state, and do not believe a view based on the concept of biblical sin has any place in government. Nor do I bring my religious beliefs into my personal relationships. I love all my friends, both straight and gay, and I think a person can do a lot more harm in the world than just having a homosexual relationship. Why can't we deal with the real problems in Virginia, such as unemployment? Governor Warner has done an outstanding job repairing our broken economy, but there's still more to be done and he's on his last year. You can find the story on the amendment on the Lowell Sun Online.
Let's talk about assault weapons. The law defines an assault weapon as an automatic or semiautomatic weapon (that is, one that fires multiple shots from one trigger pull or one that will fire each time the trigger is pulled without needing recocking). The law also requires that, to be considered an assault weapon, it must have "...two or more of the following:

• A folding or telescoping stock
• A pistol grip
• A bayonet mount
• A flash suppressor, or threads to attach one
• A grenade launcher" (see Guncite.com)
  

Many assault weapons are actually of lower caliber than conventional hunting weapons, but generally, people don't need a bayonet mount or a flash supressor to hunt game animals. These types of weapons are specifically made for killing humans. As a gun enthusiast and veteran of the Marine Corps, I understand this distinction well. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, of California, is now looking to reinstate the assault weapons ban that ran out in September of 2004. Senator Feinstein faces steep opposition this year in both Republican-controlled houses of Congress, but is adamant about this bill, designed to make the streets of America safer. True, these weapons only make up a small part of gun crime, but they are of the type most used by organized criminals and assassins. These weapons belong only in the hands of law enforcement and the military; weapons designed for killing humans do not need to be in the hands of average-Joe huntsman! Sen. Feinstein also faces significant opposition in the House, where Speaker Hastert and Majority Leader Tom DeLay have stated that they will not allow this legislation to come to a vote. Many assault weapon advocates, such as the NRA, cite the U.S. Constitution as a general guarantee of the right of average Americans to bear firearms, but the Constitution clearly states in Amendment #2 that "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed" (see House.gov). Do we still maintain many state militias? If not, then why would a civilian need a weapon designed for shooting human targets? The original article can be found at The San Francisco Chronicle.

On Scott Ritter, James Guckert, and Social Security

Today, I'll give commentary on three recent stories, to make up for being lazy. Links will be included in commentary.
A U.N. weapons inspector and former Marine, Scott Ritter, claims that the U.S. will commence bombing of Iran beginning in June of 2005. Ritter delivered this claim while speaking at the Olympia Theatre in Washington state. Ritter, an ardent opponent of the war in Iraq, stated that President George Walker Bush has received and approved plans to commence an aerial assault on Iran. The attack is supposed to be aimed at strategic nuclear development targets, but there is speculation that neoconservatives in the administration are also pushing an agenda of regime change in a country with high petroleum exportation.
Ritter also claims that the Bush administration rigged the supposedly 'free' elections in Iraq, altering vote counts to keep the United Iraqi Alliance, a Shiite organization, from winning agains Ayad Allawi's organization. The original article can be found at United for Peace of Pierce County, WA.

Conservative journalist (?) Jeff Gannon, also known as James Guckert, may be investigated by the administration following a call by Senate democrats. Guckert, a reporter for Talon News, was allegedly a plant for easy questions at press conferences given by members of the administration. He has also allegedly posed nude for homosexual porn sites and does work as a gay male prostitute at a rate of $200.00 per hour. So far as I know, Guckert has no actual press credentials outside his work for Talon News. The story on the call for investigation can be found here.

Your social security is now being ably defended by an army of senior citizens. The AARP is coming under fire from a conservative organization, USA Next, which has begun hiring consultants from the controversial Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. The republican lobby plans to commence an agressive television ad campaign denigrating AARP, through which they hope to convert AARP members to their own lobby. This surprises me, as the AARP is generally made up of seniors who know the system well and see the shortcomings in the Bush plan. They have fought social security privatization as well as changes to Medicare drafted by neoconservative republicans. This seems to me to be an agressive, unwarranted attack on the senior citizens of America, who are working to protect the interests of future retirees as well as their own. An excerpt of the original New York Times article can be found here.

Well, that about wraps it up for tonight. I have a foreign affairs exam tomorrow that I need to finish studying for. Good night, America.

A Little History Lesson

This Virginia veteran has seen many complete disavowments of history, but this one is particularly disturbing. The Christian Heritage Center of Fishersville, VA, at a rally Monday, honored many of the founders of our nation. Unfortunately, Jefferson was not one of them.
Jefferson, an antifederalist, was one of the forerunners of the american republican party. It strikes the veteran as odd that this religious group, who sang the praises of George W. Bush at their rally, went on to publicly denigrate this bastion of party tradition. They held that Jefferson's policies were based on reason, and not faith. I am, again, amazed at the lack of historical knowledge put to use by a group attempting to portray the revolutionary period of history, and especially by the lack of a historical knowledge of their own shared party. The Virginia veteran thinks that maybe they should examine their own philosophy a bit more closely.

The Pioneer of Gonzo Journalism Dies

Hunter Thompson, author of 'Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas', has died on Sunday, Feb. 20th, at the age of 67. Dr. Thompson was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in his Colorado home. He was a profound critic of the Nixon administration and both Bush administrations, and a forerunner of the 'new journalism' movement, where a reporter places himself as a character in a narrative (loosely). We will miss Dr. Thompson's irreverent, wildman way of reporting events in America, and his death is a loss to us all.

Good Night, Hunter, Wherever You Are.

A Warner/Clark ticket for '08?

Well, here's hoping so. I fully support Mark Warner for a run for the White House. He's taken my state from near-bankruptcy and turned it back into the thriving commonwealth I remember and love. My government/foreign affairs professor (Allen Trigger) is a personal friend of the governor's, and I hope to meet him some day myself. I'd also like to see Gen. Wes Clark get on that ticket with him. A strong, fiscally conservative moderate democrat combined with a smart, centrist four-star general? Sounds like a winning ticket to me! Stop on by the link in the title and get your name down on the petition to put Warner in the White House. You'll be happy you did.

Big Brother is Watching You, the Sequel

Welcome to 1984. The Patriot Act is about to expire (mostly), and Shrub wants to have it renewed. No surprise, really, but it's a bitch. I hate the thought of my phone being tapped. I don't wanna suffer because I make detrimental comments about the government. I feel cheated. Of course, I fully buy in to the theory that Bush and Co. might have 'arranged' the 9/11 incident, to help along their PNAC pals. As farfetched as it may be, it DOES make some sort of sense out of the whole thing. Here's hoping for a moderate in the next election.

Dr. Rice Shows Her True Colors

Well, this isn't exactly news, but the Herald Sun news from the Outback brought up recently how ol' Condi must've had a brain-fart when she claimed the admin hadn't had any warning of Al-Qaeda's intent. The fun part is I watched the 9/11 commission question her about the report titled 'Bin Laden Determined to Strike in U.S.', or something like that. She claimed it was all just "...historical information", and had no bearing on anything that happened, when it in fact gave pretty detailed information on the possible Wheres and Hows, if not the Whens. I'm doing a position paper on how Condi isn't qualified for her new job. Any suggestions for points are welcome.