Canada to Decriminalize Pot
"The Second Amendment is a doomsday provision, one designed for those exceptionally rare circumstances where all other rights have failed - where the government refuses to stand for reelection and silences those who protest; where courts have lost the courage to oppose, or can find no one to enforce their decrees. However improbable these contingencies may seem today, facing them unprepared is a mistake a free people get to make only once." -- Judge Kozinski, 9th Circuit, Dissenting
Randall Palmer at Reuters - Canada to decriminalize pot over U.S. objections - down to a fine for half an ounce or less. Growing still a crime, but no minimum sentences. This legislation has so far just been introduced, not yet passed into Canadian law. [grabbe]
J.J. Johnson at Sierra Times - Whack'em & Stack'em - Kill the Unarmed; No Questions Asked - another unarmed innocent dies at the hands of New York City's "finest". [sierra]
If you are reading this wondering if the shooting officer is in custody, the answer is no. In fact, at the time of this writing, the shooter hasn't even been questioned. But thou shallt not pass judgment on this fine officer. After all, we must put ourselves in their shoes, and understand things from their viewpoint.
But, any civilian under the same circumstances would have been immediately charged with first degree murder, discharging a weapon within the city limits, and heaven forbid if he didn't have a license for that firearm. And that line about "He was reaching for my gun?" Tell it to your loy-ya. So let 's not put a civilian in this officer's shoes.
George Paine at Warblogging - Free Speech Zones and John Ashcroft - America now has "free speech zones" inside the boundaries of which protesters must stand in order to avoid arrest while exercising their first-amendment-guaranteed rights. Mr. Paine reminds us that all of America is a free speech zone. Protesters may not be relegated to the background. [warblogging]
As Senator Robert Byrd has famously said, "this Republic is at its greatest danger in its history because of this Administration." This is the truth. The contempt the Bush Administration shows for basic American values is absolutely appalling. Our founding fathers are collectively turning over in their graves every fifteen minutes. Every time John Ashcroft, Donald Rumsfeld and George W. Bush open their mouths, our beloved fathers of the American Republic die just a little bit more.
Kim du Toit - 12:00am: Range Report -- CZ 550 (6.5x55mm Swedish) - Kim likes his new "antelope-whacker", even before its scope arrives. [kimdutoit]