NaDruBloDa: Radical Georgia Moderate R.I.P.

Rusty just killed his blog. It's very sad. But it had to happen.

Georgia Amendment II

Georgia voters will be voting on several constitutional amendments in two weeks. One that particularly interest me is Amendment II.

Fishing and hunting. The tradition of fishing and hunting and the taking of fish and wildlife shall be preserved for the people and shall be managed by law and regulation for the public good

As I ready myself to head to Bass Pro Shops to pick up my license and a couple of boxes of shells, I look to the heavens and thank all that is natural that the good legislators have taken the time to preserve my right to hunt and fish.

What a load of crap.

Anyone with any sense can see this is a stalking horse. There is absolutely no danger of hunting being restricted in Georgia. This amendment was nothing more than a blantant ploy to "git more hunters" to the polling place because of how that demographic swings.

I hate rewarding such a blatant piece of political garbage but the fact is there is nothing wrong with the amendment. I guess this is a whole hate the sin, love the sinner thing. I'll vote for it but there will be some vomit in the back of my mouth.

Crossposted at Radical Georgia Moderate

Everybody's Wrong About Guns

The handwringing had to happen sooner or later.

Three lethal school shootings in a single week. Seven innocents dead, including five little girls in an Amish schoolhouse. Several more incidents around the country of children bringing guns to school, the latest a seventh- grader who brought and fired an assault weapon in his Missouri school on Monday...That is the reality of unfettered gun access in America ~Maureen Downey, Atlanta Journal Constitution

Handwringing comes in all forms but school shootings seem to elicit the most extreme twisting of the fingers. Children in danger triggers our most visceral instincts of fight or flight.

First observation would lead you to believe the political reactions to our most sensational gun crimes are starkly different. In Columbine, the censors and book burners blamed everything from Marilyn Manson to Playstation. The anti-gun left blamed a society obsessed with firearms and a refusal to pass stronger gun regulation. Both ignore the ostracism and possible mental disturbance that led to that awful day.

The two sides have more in common than they would ever admit. Both use extreme tragedy to foster extreme solutions that will have little effect on future tragedies. It is as if both stumble around a dark basement stubbing their toes and then one advocates the elimination of all sharp corners, the other advocates the amputation of toes while both ignore the flashlight with dead batteries in their own hand.

Despite Ms. Downey's claim, gun ownership in this country is far from unfettered. Handguns, by far the source of most violent crime, and in certain cases long guns are licensed, subject to background check and, depending on the state, subject to a waiting period. Reasonable regulations that allow gun ownership while preventing easy access to those that would do harm.

However, the fact that cannot be ignored is no amount of fettering guns would have prevented the tragedies of Columbine or Pennsylvania. If family, friends and society continually refuse to see signs of potential violence there will never be a waiting period long enough to prevent tragedy.

Maybe the path towards a solution starts with both sides attacking the roots that cause people to shoot up classrooms instead of continuing to grasp at karmic band-aids that might make us feel better but never really make us safer.

Cross posted at Radical Georgia Moderate

I Never Voted For Bill Clinton

Not a long essay but a random thought.

I didn't vote for Bush or Dole or that weird gnome from Texas either, so you figure it out.

It's twisting my soul but I am starting to regret not voting for Mr. Bill. At the time, I was much more ideologically inclined and couldn't bring myself to vote for such a political animal. The final straw was when he made it well known he would not commute the death penalty of a mentally retarded man. It was cold, calculated political move. Not a moral one and it turned my stomach.

Now, I look back at welfare reform, NAFTA and many other issues of his watch and realize more and more I agree with his moves during those eight years.

As I look back at events of the past 6 years, particularly Katrina, I keep asking myself, WWBD? What would Bill do?

Sure, a lot of what he would have done would have been through the prism of cold political calculus. But given today's climate, I think I could forgive even the most political beast.


Cross posted at Radical Georgia Moderate

Georgia PODcast At Pride

Go listen.

It's worth it just for Rusty talking to the crazy preachers.

An Alternative To The NRA

Finally, something I have been seeking for years.

Disclosure: I like guns. I currently own five. Three shotguns, one rifle and one pistol. I also like hunting. I hunt deer, dove and quail. This fall I plan to attend more hunts than I have in the past. If I don't bag a buck this year I will be disappointed.

Now back to the new American Hunters and Shooters Association.

In recent years, extreme political positions purporting to support gun rights
have jeopardized our sport and have hurt the image of responsible gun owners.
Unless the sporting community can become unified behind an organization that
fights for safe and responsible hunting and shooting practices and sensible gun
ownership, future generations may be unable to participate in and enjoy the
shooting sports.

I have always firmly believed that the NRA does more harm than good. I have also firmly believed that many gun laws are daft and useless. Many, not all. A key word that the NRA seems to not understand.

Opposing restrictions on "cop killer" bullets despite protestations of police organizations is probably the best example of the NRA's bull headed banging into trees despite the forest attitude. The result of these types of absolutist positions continues to push those who oppose gun ownership further towards prohibition only. It also leaves us reasonable gun owners scratching our heads.

Instead of spending any significant amount on education and gun safety, topics that resonate with both gun owners and non-owners, the NRA chose to draw a hard line and spend money on ridiculous lawsuits, illogical PR campaigns and and most importantly lining the pants of politicians who were willing to sponsor legislation to turn parts of the country back into Deadwood.

Some are already discussing conspiracy theories that this new group is a stalking horse attempting outflank the Republicans on the gun issue.

My response? So what.

If there is a gun group who is preaching responsibility, conservation and reaching out to non-owners then I could care less about the potential political Machiavellian maneuvering.

It's what the stupid NRA should have done decades ago.


Cross posted at Radical Georgia Moderate.

Guest Blogging At Radical Georgia Moderate

Rusty at Radical Georgia Moderate is graciously allowing me to blather a bit over at his place.

Go read my first post!

Zarqawi Is Dead and Murtha Was Right

UPDATE: Dammit! I can't keep Zarqawi's proper spelling straight. The damn R keeps going in the wrong place.