Fair Warning: Soon, not next week or maybe even next month, I'm going to skip publishing my blog and clean up my computer. Oh yeah! It could take a lot of time.
There's all of the programs and Apps that looked good, but I never use.
Then there are all of those photo's unlabeled and years old now, that I can't bring myself to delete.
The letters to companies I had problems with, usually billing issues. They wanted me to pay, and I didn't agree.
And the writing. The essays, the short stories a novella or two and four novel-length manuscripts that I have in various states of completion.
Let me tell you a story that is supposed to be true. It's about a famous Spanish painter, who would sneak into the El Prado museum in Madrid where his paintings hung. Under his coat, he had a small pallet and brush. When the attendants weren't looking, he would "fix" his paintings.
This is the problem with my fiction writing. In my mind, it can always be fixed. Therefore, it's never done.
I must admit writing this has answered one question. When it comes to data storage, I am a hoarder.
To shoot or not to shoot or just" oh shoot."
With the debate about gun control raging in the press and social media, I linked an article from the NY Times that tried to inform the question of why rural people feel so strongly opposed to any attempt to control guns.
In this opinion piece, the author paraphrases a congressmen talking about the difference between a liberal and a conservative. The congressman postulates that Liberals see people as basically good and therefore the problem with guns is solved by controlling access to the guns. Conservatives see the same problems as being caused by a weakness in the people who violate the norms and see no value in restricting access to guns. The writer goes on to say that rural people see this issue as personal and there is little room for compromise. If this is true, and I think it may be, then compromise is an unattainable goal.
Here's my question. If conservative thinking says that people are responsible for their actions and that is how we should judge them. How are we to hold gun owners responsible for what is done with the guns, if we don't know who owns them. How are we to keep them out of the hands of the irresponsible. We have no guidelines that hold up under scrutiny.
Fact: The young man who killed 17 people at the School in Parkland Florida was reported to the FBI. They admit they did not respond properly to the information provided. But, it was stated that even if they had, they might not have had the authority to do anything meaningful. There is law that protects people from being forced into treatment or jail for suspicious behavior.
So, liberals believe people are basically good and sometimes resort to bad behavior. Conservatives believe that people are weak and respond poorly to temptation. Nature vs. Nurture. Noddles in chili - No noodles in chili. Unsolvable differences between people of good will. However, the regulation of guns is demonstrably a matter of life and death. The issue must be confronted. Rules must be put in place to protect the innocent.
I think there are three things we have to do to honor the second amendment and protect the public. Title guns to the owner, so we know who is responsible for the gun. We need to have comprehensive background checks and responsible safety training, as a gateway to gun ownership. Finally, we should revive the ban on the ownership of assault weapons.
Guns or Instruments of War?
The question that confounds so many of us, even some NRA members is, why does anybody need an automatic weapon, such as an AR-15. The rural conservative answer seems to be because it's a gun and all gun ownership is protected by the constitution. Anyone should be able to own any gun they wish. To prejudge what they might do with it is contrary to the rule of law. So far the courts have pretty much ruled in the conservative direction.
The Florida legislature, under tremendous pressure, has raised the age that someone can buy a long gun from 18 to 21. It is being challenged in court by the NRA (National Rifle Association). We will see.
There's all of the programs and Apps that looked good, but I never use.
Then there are all of those photo's unlabeled and years old now, that I can't bring myself to delete.
The letters to companies I had problems with, usually billing issues. They wanted me to pay, and I didn't agree.
And the writing. The essays, the short stories a novella or two and four novel-length manuscripts that I have in various states of completion.
Let me tell you a story that is supposed to be true. It's about a famous Spanish painter, who would sneak into the El Prado museum in Madrid where his paintings hung. Under his coat, he had a small pallet and brush. When the attendants weren't looking, he would "fix" his paintings.
This is the problem with my fiction writing. In my mind, it can always be fixed. Therefore, it's never done.
I must admit writing this has answered one question. When it comes to data storage, I am a hoarder.
To shoot or not to shoot or just" oh shoot."
With the debate about gun control raging in the press and social media, I linked an article from the NY Times that tried to inform the question of why rural people feel so strongly opposed to any attempt to control guns.
In this opinion piece, the author paraphrases a congressmen talking about the difference between a liberal and a conservative. The congressman postulates that Liberals see people as basically good and therefore the problem with guns is solved by controlling access to the guns. Conservatives see the same problems as being caused by a weakness in the people who violate the norms and see no value in restricting access to guns. The writer goes on to say that rural people see this issue as personal and there is little room for compromise. If this is true, and I think it may be, then compromise is an unattainable goal.
Here's my question. If conservative thinking says that people are responsible for their actions and that is how we should judge them. How are we to hold gun owners responsible for what is done with the guns, if we don't know who owns them. How are we to keep them out of the hands of the irresponsible. We have no guidelines that hold up under scrutiny.
Fact: The young man who killed 17 people at the School in Parkland Florida was reported to the FBI. They admit they did not respond properly to the information provided. But, it was stated that even if they had, they might not have had the authority to do anything meaningful. There is law that protects people from being forced into treatment or jail for suspicious behavior.
So, liberals believe people are basically good and sometimes resort to bad behavior. Conservatives believe that people are weak and respond poorly to temptation. Nature vs. Nurture. Noddles in chili - No noodles in chili. Unsolvable differences between people of good will. However, the regulation of guns is demonstrably a matter of life and death. The issue must be confronted. Rules must be put in place to protect the innocent.
I think there are three things we have to do to honor the second amendment and protect the public. Title guns to the owner, so we know who is responsible for the gun. We need to have comprehensive background checks and responsible safety training, as a gateway to gun ownership. Finally, we should revive the ban on the ownership of assault weapons.
Guns or Instruments of War?
The question that confounds so many of us, even some NRA members is, why does anybody need an automatic weapon, such as an AR-15. The rural conservative answer seems to be because it's a gun and all gun ownership is protected by the constitution. Anyone should be able to own any gun they wish. To prejudge what they might do with it is contrary to the rule of law. So far the courts have pretty much ruled in the conservative direction.
The Florida legislature, under tremendous pressure, has raised the age that someone can buy a long gun from 18 to 21. It is being challenged in court by the NRA (National Rifle Association). We will see.
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