Bullheaded Texan's "Open Thread"

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Comment by Bullheaded Texan on April 24, 2018 at 7:34pm

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Weapons Are Just Tools. It's People Who Are Dangerous.
J.D. Tuccille | April 24, 2018
Restricting guns—or vans, knives, or planes—won't make the world safer. The Toronto van attack reminds us peril lies in people with bad intent, not with how they get it done.
As Toronto cleans up the bloody mess caused by Monday's van attack, it's worth noting that Alek Minassian, who has been charged in the attack, appears to be a very dangerous person.
You'll note that I said dangerous person. I didn't refer to the vehicle the murderer drove for two kilometers along Toronto's Yonge Street, killing 10 people and injuring another 15.
The van, after all, was only a tool the murderer used to fulfill his malevolent intent. Once he decided to harm other people, he then chose the van as a means of achieving that goal.
The van was effective in accomplishing harm, but it was only a tool—it's the person who used it who is at fault.
That's a point that gets lost in a lot of our debates, probably because it's easier to stigmatize things than it is to root out human evil.
Firearms are the tools that most commonly come to mind when people think of mass attacks, leading many people to call for ever more restrictive gun laws as a means of reducing the body count. But firearms are certainly not the only weapon used, nor are they necessarily the most effective means of committing mayhem.
Look at recent tragedies in France. In Paris, nine attackers, using guns acquired from illegal sources in defiance of France's restrictive laws, killed 130 people and injured 413 in November 2015. But a single attacker, using a freight truck, killed 86 people and injured 458 others in Nice the following year. As in Toronto, he drove a vehicle through a crowd of pedestrians, implementing his intent with a tool that suited his purpose.
In the wake of the February murder of 17 students by a disturbed former student at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, several survivors have themselves been weaponized by organizations seeking tighter legal restrictions on firearms.

Comment by Bullheaded Texan on April 24, 2018 at 7:34pm

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Their efforts ignore not just the fact that "shooting incidents involving students have been declining since the 1990s," as researchers at Northeastern University put it, but the fact that the bloodiest mass killing ever to take place at a U.S. school didn't require the use of firearms.
The 1927 Bath School Massacre ended the lives of 44 people, including 38 children, in an explosion of dynamite that had been diverted from farming use. The murderer in that case was an embittered school board member, throwing doubt on
"solutions" that rely on the authorities to do right by the people under their protection.
Airliners were the weapons of choice on 9/11, hijacked and crashed into buildings by islamic terrorists. They killed almost 3,000 people and injured thousands more with the tools they thought would get the job done.
American officials responded with a couple of useful changes, but mostly, characteristically, they focused on the tools that were used rather than the evil people who chose them.
Fertilizer and diesel fuel were the weapons of choice in the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing. Blended together into an explosive, basic agricultural supplies—a common fertilizer and a fuel found at most filling stations—the bombers took the lives of 168 people and injured several hundred more. It was the deadliest terrorist attack on U.S. soil until 9/11.
And fuel alone was the weapon of choice for the lethal crime that killed 87 people at New York City's Happy Land Social Club in 1990. Angered by being bounced from the establishment earlier in the evening, the arsonist took his revenge with nothing more than a container of gasoline. "It was the deadliest fire in the city in 79 years," the New York Daily News reports.
In every one of these crimes, the danger existed as soon as somebody decided that the best way to vent one grievance or another was to attack other people.
The killers chose available tools that would effectively get the bloody job done. If the selected tool had somehow been rendered unavailable, the intent would have remained and no doubt found its expression in another way.
After the 9/11 attacks, both Kip Hawley, a former TSA administrator, and Bruce Schneier, a security expert, say two changes since the terrorist attack have made a difference: one is reinforcing cockpit doors, and the other is that "passengers...now know that they may have to fight back," as Schneier put it. After the Germanwings Flight 9525 incident of 2015, in which a pilot locked himself in the cockpit before deliberately crashing the plane, it's not even clear that reinforcing those doors was a net good.
In any event, both changes focused not on the tools of convenience but on how we respond to the assailants. "Regulations are always playing catch-up, because terrorists design their plots around the loopholes," Hawley says.
It's frustrating to admit, but it's true: Nothing is more dangerous than evil people who can turn anything at hand to bad intent.

Comment by Bullheaded Texan on April 24, 2018 at 3:59pm

Trump Names Former Senator to Diplomatic Post.
4/20/17 WashingtonExaminer by: Alex Pappas
President Trump on Thursday said he plans to nominate former Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown as ambassador to New Zealand.
"If confirmed, Scott Brown of Massachusetts will serve as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to New Zealand," the White House said in a release.
"Mr. Brown is a lawyer and former United States Senator. Mr. Brown served in the Massachusetts Army National Guard before receiving his law degree from Boston College Law School," the White House said. "He then went on to serve in the Massachusetts legislature for over a decade before winning the special election for ted kennedy's U.S. Senate seat in 2010. Since serving in the Senate, Mr. Brown has been a political contributor for Fox News."
Brown defeated Democrat Martha Coakley in 2010 to fill the seat held by Massachusetts Democratic Sen. ted kennedy.
Brown lost re-election in 2012 to now-Sen. elizabeth warren.

Comment by Bullheaded Texan on April 24, 2018 at 3:52pm

BREAKING Trump UNLEASHES Major Endorsement.
4/24/18 by: TTN Staff
A big battle is brewing in the race for US Senate in Ohio. The field is crowded in a state that means a lot to both Republicans and Democrats.
However, one of the Republican candidates, US Rep. Jim Renacci, received a big endorsement on Tuesday from President Trump.
He issued his full endorsement in the following tweet:
Jim Renacci has worked so hard on Tax Reductions, Illegal Immigration, the Border and Crime. I need Jim very badly to help our agenda and to keep MAKING AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! He will be a fantastic Senator for the Great State of Ohio, and has my full endorsement!
Donald J. Trump

Comment by Bullheaded Texan on April 24, 2018 at 1:24pm

The Real Reason Hannity Talked to Trump's Lawyer.
4/24/18 by: TTN
Sean Hannity is one of the most well-known TV hosts in the world, but his success doesn't begin and end there. He has been quietly building a real estate empire in the background over the course of time and apparently that's why he sought advice from President Trump's lawyer Michael Cohen.
According to The Wrap:
On Sunday evening, The Guardian revealed that the Fox News host is also a real estate baron, with roughly 870 properties linked to him across the United States. According to the paper, Hannity amassed the properties over the last decade with a series of shell companies that dropped nearly $90 million on the purchases.
Some leftists proceeded to attack Sean Hannity's real estate venture.
He responded with the following statement on his website:
"It is ironic that I am being attacked for investing my personal money in communities that badly need such investment and in which, I am sure, those attacking me have not invested their money. The fact is, these are investments that I do not individually select, control, or know the details about; except that obviously I believe in putting my money to work in communities that otherwise struggle to receive such support. I have never discussed with anybody at HUD the original loans that were obtained in the Obama years, nor the subsequent refinance of such loans, as they are a private matter. I had no role in, or responsibility for, any HUD involvement in any of these investments. I can say that every rigorous process and strict standard of improvement requirements were followed; all were met, fulfilled and inspected."
The LLC’s are REAL companies that spend real investment money on real properties.
Success is indeed still demonized by the left.

Comment by Bullheaded Texan on April 24, 2018 at 12:57pm

Fox News Host Slams Democrats For Trying To Frame President Trump.
4/24/18 Daily Caller by: Nick Givas
Fox News senior judicial analyst Judge Andrew Napolitano accused Democrats of trying to frame President Donald Trump, Tuesday on “Fox & Friends.”
“It looks like a brazen plot simply to frame the President of the United States,” said host Steve Doocy about the Russia probe.
“Yes, it does,” Napolitano replied. “It looks like it was commenced by his most virulent political enemies.
Particularly Sid Blumenthal who’s sort of the fixer if you will, for killary clinton and that branch of the Democratic Party.”
“There’s no question that the Democrats are behind a lot of this,” Napolitano added.

Comment by Bullheaded Texan on April 24, 2018 at 12:44pm

Gun Grabbing Nut Assaults Student.
Conservative FWD Staff Apr/23/18
On Apr/20/18, Liberty Hangout, a right libertarian group at Kent State University, hosted a “change my mind” event on the K on the subject of gun rights.
During the event, John Marcinkiewicz, a freshman political science major at Kent State, approached the group and assaulted their cameraman, Nathan Murphy.
According to Liberty Hangout, Marcinkiewicz approached the group around 3:15 p.m. and engaged them in conversation.
Marcinkiewicz debated with the group for over thirteen minutes before crumpling up an informational paper he had been handed and striking the camera, a Canon Rebel T6i, priced at roughly $650, out of Nathan Murphy’s hands.
https://youtu.be/HcPmghFxIco?t=789
Along with the body, the camera’s mounted RODE video microphone, priced at roughly $150, was damaged, along with a 55mm lens, priced roughly at $100.

Comment by Bullheaded Texan on April 24, 2018 at 12:31pm

Jury Convicts Illegal Immigrant Criminal of Horrifying Crime.
By Conservative FWD Staff Apr/23/18
A Florida jury has convicted undocumented immigrant Brian Omar Hyde of four counts of second-degree murder.
Jurors agreed with prosecutors that Hyde butchered his 37-year-old aunt, Dorla Pitts; his 17-year-old cousin, Starlette Pitts; and 19-year-old Michael Kelly.
The fourth count was for the unborn child of victim Starlette Pitts.
The attacks occurred in Lehigh Acres, Florida, near Ft. Myers.
State experts testified that a rape kit confirmed that Hyde’s semen was inside his cousin’s body and that his DNA was on her body. They also testified that Hyde’s shoes were stained in numerous places with the blood of all three victims.
During the trial, Hyde took the stand and claimed he could remember nothing from the day the victims were hacked to death in a home Dorla and Starlette Pitts shared with Hyde. Hyde claimed the only thing he could remember was driving a vehicle he didn’t have permission to drive as he crashed it into a picket fence at a park.
Police believe Hyde was fleeing the crime scene. He was carrying one of the victims’ personal belongings.
Hyde also testified he was abused as a child, that members of his family had been murdered for being drug dealers, and that he worked as a butcher in his family’s grocery store in Belize, where he is a native.
The testimony about Hyde’s experience butchering meats was disturbingly similar to the prosecutor’s theory of how the perpetrator hacked up his victims.
Police officers said the crime scene was shockingly violent.
The husband of Dorla Pitts was on the phone with her just before authorities think the murders occurred. He heard her say, “Brian! What happened here? What happened?” Then, the phone sent silent.

Comment by Bullheaded Texan on April 24, 2018 at 12:03pm

President Trump Warns Iran: Restart Your Nuke Program and Pay Heavy a Price!
Katie Pavlich Apr/24/18 11:30 AM
Speaking during a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron at the White House Tuesday morning, President Trump warned Iran against restarting their nuclear program should the United States back out of the 2013 nuclear agreement.
“It won’t be so easy for them [Iran] to restart it. They’re not going to be restarting anything," Trump said. "If they restart it, they’re going to have big problems, bigger than they ever had before. And you can mark it down. If they restart their nuclear program they will have bigger problems than they ever had before.”
Trump's comments come after Iranian leaders threatened to restart the nuclear program "within days" ahead of President Trump's May deadline on whether to re-certify or scrap the deal.
The head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization disclosed on Sunday that the Islamic Republic has maintained the ability to restart the full-scale enrichment of uranium—the key component in a nuclear weapon that was supposed to be removed from Iran as part of the nuclear agreement—in just four days.
Ali Akbar Salehi, head of Iran's atomic work, claimed Iran could enrich uranium to 20 percent, which is more than enough to quickly reach the threshold to power a nuclear weapon, in just four days if the word is given by Iran's hardline ruling regime.
During Macron's visit, the two leaders will have serious discussions about the future of the Iran nuclear agreement and broader Iranian influence in the Middle East. Macron and other European leaders favor changing the terms, but not scrapping it altogether. President Trump has a different view and seems to have little faith the deal can be saved in the best interest of the United States or the west.
“We’ll see. People know my views on the Iran deal. It was a terrible deal. It should have never ever been made," Trump responded when asked by a pool reporter whether the U.S. will back out of the deal. “It’s insane. It’s ridiculous. It should never have been made. But we will be talking about it.”
"It just seems that no matter where you go especially in the Middle East, Iran is behind it, wherever there’s trouble, Yemen, Syria, no matter where you have it, Iran is behind it. And now unfortunately, Russia is getting more and more involved. But Iran seems behind everything where there’s a problem. And we just have to take a look," Trump continued. "We’re not going to allow certain things to happen that are happening. The Iran deal is a disaster. The’re testing missiles. What’s that all about?"
In addition to hosting Macron for most of the day, President Trump will meet privately with Defense Secretary James Mattis for lunch.

Comment by Bullheaded Texan on April 24, 2018 at 11:52am

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Dredging the Welfare Swamp – a Very Good Start!
Opinion--- Apr/23/18 Susan Carleson
Donald Trump’s presidency has been marked by action. He focused on the nation’s problems immediately upon taking office and his economic deregulation and tax reform measures have set America back on track to prosperity and job creation.
Now he is addressing the important task of advancing work over welfare and opportunity over poverty.
On April 10th, the president issued an executive order to reverse the obuma-era promotion of dependence as a way of life and instead direct government aid to those most in need.
America is a generous country full of charitable people. Helping those in need is one of the most obvious outworking of the Christian faith and those who practice genuine compassion know it transforms the giver as well as the receiver.
But over the past half century, government has taken over as the dominate provider for America’s poor. Clever politicians knew the promises of the New Deal and Great Society would win them votes. Their successors continued to profit by making dependence on government socially acceptable, and today anyone who suggests otherwise is cast as a racist Scrooge.
Ronald Reagan had it right when he observed in 1982 that “the war on poverty created a great new upper-middle class of bureaucrats that found they had a fine career as long as they could keep enough needy people there to justify their existence.”
The Welfare Swamp is nurtured by the income redistributionists who rely on our complex tax code and myriad income transfer programs to hook as many Americans as possible on government goodies. Whether the munificence comes as corporate or social welfare, those who write the checks come from both parties.
While the constituencies for spending vastly outnumber the voices for responsible and limited government, welfare reform has occurred before. Governor Reagan began the process in the early 1970’s with my husband, Bob Carleson, to stop Mexifornia’s welfare spending from driving the state into bankruptcy.
That first reform directed scarce resources to the state’s most needy, increased the State’s discretion over eligibility, and required able-bodied recipients to seek work. Its essential elements provided the model for the 1996 Welfare Reform that broke the cycle of poverty for millions of Americans.
Resident obuma did all he could to stymy and reverse the ’96 reform, and here, as elsewhere, President Trump must now clean up the mess. And here he seems to be taking his cue from Ronald Reagan.

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