The Petition for Peace
# Lady Liberty at The Libertarian Enterprise - Who's Crazy Now? - commentary on the Red Lake, Minnesota school shooting by someone who used to live nearby. [tle]
What the Brady Campaign doesn't say--and what's been all but buried in the mainstream media--is that all the politically correct precautions were taken at Red Lake High School, and that they were worthless. The accused shooter had actually been prohibited from campus some weeks before for an infringement of school policy (he was participating in an off-campus education program). The school had signs outside that specifically noted firearms were prohibited on site. The school was equipped with metal detectors at the door just in case somebody would be so reckless as to ignore the signs. And security guards were on duty at the time of the shootings. In fact, one security guard who tried to stop the carnage by confronting the gun-wielding student at the door was the first to die at the school. The true tragedy here is not what happened next, but that what happened next didn't need to happen at all.
You see, there's another fact we're hearing very little about. Security guards, it seems, are politically correct, but armed security guards are not. And so an unarmed man bravely--and futilely--tried to stop someone who quite literally outgunned him. There are those who consider him heroic, but that's likely scant comfort to his family. Even less comforting is the notion that if he had had a weapon of his own, he would very probably have been able to end the incident right there at the school door. It wouldn't have been a happy day. The accused shooter, his grandfather, and his grandfather's girlfriend would probably still be dead. But a teacher and five students would be alive and breathing today to thank that heroic security guard, who would in turn still be alive to brush off their thanks and say that shucks, he was only doing his job.
# Jeffrey St. Clair at Counterpunch - The Road to Rendition: Torture Air, Incorporated - "Welcome to the dark ages," says Mr. St. Clair. Or why you should never allow yourself to be arrested by any feral goon. The only rational course, should you discover that the guy in front of you works for the feds, is to terminate his command, with extreme prejudice. Wish it weren't so. [root]
# George Phillies at Liberty for All - Who would Jesus torture? - nobody, of course, but try to convince the Busheviks.
The Republican Party has sold itself body and soul to its Christian Right supporters. They pretend to be Christians but behold their deeds: (and for those of you speaking to Christians who view themselves as Republicans, I supply a few questions)
Once upon a time, it was Americans who were rigorous in obeying the laws of war, and depraved foreign enemies who tortured prisoners. Under Republican leadership, it is Americans who torture. William Fisher, on antiwar.com, writes "the ACLU has disclosed a Sept. 14, 2003 memo signed by Lt. Gen. Ricardo A. Sanchez, then senior commander of U.S. forces in Iraq, authorizing 29 interrogation techniques, including 12 that "far exceeded limits established by the Army's own Field Manual...the Center for Constitutional Rights...said "at least 26 prisoners who died in American custody in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2002 were likely the victims of criminal homicide."
...
The Republican Party rejects the ways Americans have followed for two centuries. It advocates ANTICHRISTian ideas: Torture. Slaughter. Hatred. Oathbreaking. Protection of Evil. The Republican Party stands against the beliefs for which Americans have spoken and litigated and fought and died since 1776.
Fortunately, America now has an alternative. The Libertarian Alternative of Peace, freedom and prosperity.
# petitionforpeach.net - The Petition for Peace - a rewriting of the Declaration of Independence. Very well done. Web site appears to be another Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) thing, but stressing the declaration of individual sovereignty, not court fights. It was created by the International Organization for Sovereign Americans, whose only contact is an Earthlink email address. [liberty]
