Way to go, boys

I'm the first one to admit that both sides of the aisle are filled with leaders that have forgotten why we sent them to Washington. It's been a long time since any of us could honestly say we were proud of what was happening on Capitol Hill. This week is a little different. It seems the GOP may have finally awoken and found an issue with some teeth. A handful of "renegade republicans" have finally taken a stand against inaction. It makes me wonder how this current "mock" session of congress resembles the way it was in the beginning. Passionate politicians with a true mandate from their constituents giving speeches not in front of the bright lights and C-SPAN cameras, but in front of the people that sent them there in the first place. The American people. If nothing else, this week should give America hope. The people have spoken - DRILL HERE, DRILL NOW. It's the only solution that makes sense. And Washington, it seems, is finally starting to hear us.

It will be found an unjust and unwise jealousy to deprive a man of his natural liberty upon the supposition he may abuse it. - George Washington

Second Ammendment

Gun control. To some, it means taking every gun, legal or not, off the streets and out of the hands of law abiding citizens. To me, it means using both hands. Here's my take.

What makes a criminal a criminal? A blatant disregard for rights and safety of others and for the rule of law. Advocates of gun control will have you believe that passing a bunch of new laws and stealing the rights of the rest of us will magically force criminals to lay down their arms and become model citizens. The very definition of a criminal precludes this notion. You can pass all the laws you want, but these born losers will continue to do what they know best...commit crimes. We have a thousand laws on the books already to try to deter these thugs. How's that workin out for us? Not so good.

Here's a few scenarios to consider...

Johnny Thugloser has just hit the streets after beating a drug charge on a technicality. Armed with the knowledge that the federal government has just ripped up the constitution and banned ALL gun ownership, he searches for his next victim. Of course he's packing heat and ready to use it. You walk right into this unfortunate situation unarmed and unequipped to fight back. When all is said and done, you've been pistol whipped, your wallets gone and your feeling of personal security is shattered, but you feel lucky to be alive. The good news...they caught the guy. He'll be spending the next six months in a minimum security resort for the habitual offender with cable TV and certainly better accommodations than he has on the streets. What a deterrent!!!!!!

At the same time, in bizzaro world, Jack Grannybeater is coming off a two year stint at Chino. This time the government comes to its senses and makes Concealed Carry licenses available all citizens that pass the required courses and background checks. Like Johnny, he looking for his first victim. He spots Billy Permitholder rounding the corner into an alley. This time the tables are turned. It seems Jack brought a knife to a gunfight and after demanding Billy's wallet at knife point, he's finds himself staring down the barrel of Billy's Glock 19. Billy seemed like your average guy...Khakis and a button-down shirt. Suddenly Jack is the one feeling lucky to be alive, although he could use a new pair of underpants. It's so hard to run like a sissy girl in urine-soaked clothes. Talk about a deterrent.

Quote of Note...

“Congressmen who willfully take actions during wartime that damage morale and undermine the military are saboteurs and should be arrested, exiled or hanged.” - Abraham Lincoln

It's the CIA, stupid

It's seems we are nursing another self-inflicting gunshot to the foot in the war on terror, courtesy of the ACLU. So the CIA has secrets...DUH??? Of course they have secrets!!! They're the CIA. Secrets is what they do. Where do we get off asking these people to risk their lives in hostile territory to gather vital information for us, and then undermine that work by demanding that they share everything they know with everyone else. As far as I'm concerned, they can destroy all the tapes they want. The more the merrier. I don't know how they do their job and frankly I don't want to know. The more I know, the less effective they will be. War is ugly and sometimes avoiding war is even uglier. But I can sleep soundly at night knowing that those who aim to harm this country are on the run, and the ones we've caught are "having a really bad day". But if the ACLU has their way, these thugs and murderers will have all the rights that we as American citizens do. And as for the Geneva Convention, these are not uniformed soldiers on the field of battle. These are cowards dressed as civilians using women and children as human shields in schools and churches. Whatever they get, they've got it coming. The first job of the president is to protect this country from all enemies, foreign and domestic. You wouldn't play a game with rules that only one side recognizes and you can't win a war that way either. It's time to take the political handcuffs off these leaders that we hold so accountable. Let them do their job.

The FairTax

The FairTax is an idea whose time has come. For too long, the federal government has taken advantage of the apathy of America in regards to the gross abuse of our federal tax system. There is a reason that our original draft of the Constitution leaves no avenue for the government to tax our income. IT'S UNAMERICAN and our founding fathers knew that! It took and amendment to the constitution in 1913 to make it legal and it's been downhill ever since. If you actually sit back and do the math, it's infuriating how much is stolen from our paychecks each year.

The fairtax replaces all federal income taxes with a 23% national retail sales tax on all new goods and services. Although the details can be quite complex, the principle is really quite simple. You go home with 100% of what you earn! For most Americans, this would be about a 30% increase in spendable income. The flip side is that you would pay a 23% tax on pretty much everything you buy. Sounds scary, but if you do the math, it's not. One of the great parts of the FairTax plan is what's called a prebate. Each month the head of household receives a check from the government equal to the tax that would be paid on the necessities of life (as predetermined based on family size). So your groceries, utilities, etc. would essentially be untaxed. The best part of the plan is that it allows the individual taxpayer to choose the amount of taxes he will pay based on what he chooses to spend. Notice I reference the word choice...not something you hear when discussing a government program. One FAQ associated with the fairtax is "will there be enough revenue to run the government with this program?". Think for a minute how many illegal aliens are in this country, not paying taxes. With the FairTax - EVERYONE PAYS! If you buy anything at all in the public arena in this country, you pay taxes. Even the government pays taxes anytime they buy something! We're talking billions in additional untapped revenue. Imagine with the IRS gone, there's no more reason for companies to move overseas to escape the burden of our tax system. Suddenly America becomes THE tax haven. There are many more facets of this plan that can be found in the book written by Congressman John Lindner and radio talk show host Neal Boortz. It's a quick read and makes this plan very simple to understand and get behind. I highly recommend it.

Quote of Note...

“Peace is the highest aspiration of the American people. We will negotiate for it, sacrifice for it, we will never surrender for it, now or ever.” - Ronald Reagan