Wednesday, July 22, 2009

There Oughtta Be a Law...

...against adding bullshit special interest perks to important bills working their way through Congress.

I'm told it's "politics." I'm told it's the only way our Congress ever gets anything done. In order to get enough votes on board for any given bill, you have to "sweeten the pot" for legislators on the other side of the aisle.

But there are special interest groups out there poised to take every advatage of this convoluted "you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours" way of doing business.

Special interest groups like the NRA.

Which managed to attach a clause to a credit card bill, allowing people to carry concealed weapons in National Parks. WTF??!?!?

At least there was some good news today. Though it was a narrow squeak, the Senate chose to reject attaching a rider to a defense bill that would allow people to carry concealed weapons across state lines.

Sometimes I really despair over our system of government...

But if there's a better one around, we have yet to find it. Fact is, I don't think we're particularly interested...

Sigh!

9 comments:

JACKIE said...

Yeah, there was a good editorial in the Oregonian about the concealed carry permits. The "theory" as presented by the dork of a senator from SD is that crooks would be less likely to go after people if they might be armed. PUHLEEZ.

JUst like the possibility that a homeowner might have a gun. My huntin' BIL does have rifles in the house. They're locked in a gun safe when they aren't hunting and the ammo is locked in a separate drawer in the cabinet. Really useful during a home invasion.

If someone is coming in one door. I'm gonna make like a library and book out the other side of the house. Failing that; it's up the stairs. I have some books on the shelves that would be absolutely lethal if I dropped them over the side. LOL

Only suggestion I have at the moment is vote every incumbent out, and keep doing it until they start listening to us instead of the lobbyists. And I have some waterfront property in Florida to sell. In a great little place called the Everglades. Whatever that is. ;-)

Kathy said...

Let's go one thought further on the concealed weapons in National Parks ... It sounds like a real bonus to gun owners or people who prefer to carry guns, but in essense it still will only be legal if they have a permit to carried concealed in the state that the park is in ... or if they have a federal license to carry.

I don't really have a problem with anyone owning or carrying a weapon provided it's a legal ownership. I DO HAVE A HUGE problem with how all these special interest groups get their goodies.

Seems to me the method should be at teh least considered unethical, but better if it were illegal. And punishble by HUGE fines.

That would garner some dough!

Lisa :-] said...

A couple of days ago, there was a story on the local news about how a fifty-year-old homeowner in a "quiet, suburban" neightborhood was shot to death by a young kid in a pick-up truck after the homeowner shouted at him about driving too fast through the neightborhood.

And every time I read something like that, I have a HUGE problem with ANYONE owning and carrying a firearm for any reason besides hunting. And I'm not all that keen on hunting...

If you live out in the boonies somewhere, go ahead and have your gun, if you think you need it. But in our increasingly urbanized (and violent) society, individual gun ownership is an invitation to disaster.

Lisa :-] said...

...and apparently I've forgotten how to spell "neighborhood..."

JACKIE said...

They live in good old Eugene. The kid is vet with history of PTSD. and the victim counseled people with PTSD. Either news coverage is better or there are a hell of lot more people doing multiple shootings.

I'd love to know who is bank rolling the NRA.

As far as I'm concerned folks can have all the guns they want. As long as they're what was available in 1789. Hard to whack half a dozen people when it takes at least a minute to reload. In the meantime everybody else can do the dogpile.

Lisa :-] said...

Okay...I just found the article in the Register Guard. the incdent happened in Creswell. And supposedly the kid (age 28, not so much a kid) is a vet with a history of anxiety attacks and PTSD.

Now, I have to ask...what is a person with that kind of history doing being in possession of any kind of firearm--even a musket?

Bridgett said...

I love Obama. I proudly voted for him in last year's election. But if he lets this health reform bill pass without adding ANY help at all for the autism community, I shall lose my faith.

The government cannot keep ignoring this ever-growing population of children and letting them go without treatment because families cannot afford to pay.

I'm so disgusted.

Cynthia said...

If you want to see stupidity in laws, look at Tennessee, a legislator here has proposed a bill allowing people to carry guns into bars. I haven't followed up enough to know if it passed, but geez, booze and concealed weapons sounds like a recipe for disaster to me. I have to wonder if the funeral home lobby supports it.

JACKIE said...

Good Lord, what nutsy fagin proposed that piece of idiocy in Tennessee?

I'm beginnng to believe that between the drug residues in the water, the additives (including drugs and hormones) in the food, the interactions between the perscription drugs and the general permanent low level hysteria that we're all sliding into insanity.

Sorry, I've run out of expletives to delete.:-P times ten.