Behind Enemy Lines: Stuck in a Blue State

Biden Flounders (again), and a View of Obama's World Image

2010-03-19T18:44:00.000-07:00

Biden was at it again. People can say what they want about Cheney. Ok, he accidentally shot someone. (If his hunting party had been more vigilant, it probably wouldn't have happened, they aren't' off the hook) It seems that every time Biden opens his mouth in public he makes a fool out of himself. (and by extension, our country) Just think, if something happens to Barack, this man will be the leader of the free world (if it's still free by the time B.O. is done with it.)

In a St. Patrick's day celebration, Biden asked for God's blessing on the soul of the Irish prime minister's mother. It was a nice thought, but the woman is actually alive. Need I say more?

The Las Fallas festival is a tradition in Valencia. Part of the celebration is the burning of large paper mache figures. For this year's festivities, one such figure is of B.O. as Superman. Seeing as they are burning sculptures, and the depictions of C. Ronaldo and Nicolas Sarkozy look the way they do, I would say that the worldwide public opinion of our commander in chief is not as good as some would like to believe. For all of our emphasis on free speech here in the U.S., this sculpture would be called an effigy and its burning would be a hate crime.

Medical/Legalized Marijuana Doesn't Solve Anything

2010-03-19T18:03:00.000-07:00

Despite claims marijuana advocates have made about the reduction of drug related crime if the drug were legalized, the Associated Press reported today that medical marijuana dispensaries and growers are the targets of increasing amounts of crime. The crimes range from simple theft of plants from a backyard garden(though some cases involve shootings as growers protect their crop), to full-on home invasions and armed robbery with security guards killed. The article quotes a police chief saying "Whenever you are dealing with drugs and money, there is going to be crime. If people think otherwise, they are very naive."

I agree with the chief's statement. Some say that goverment regulation and backing will cut down on crime, and we won't have the turf wars and other illegal activity we see with the illicit drug dealers now. B.S. With a "product" like this, there are infinite opportunities and motivation for corruption. Suppose marijuana is accepted as an alternative painkiller and dispensaries pop up as more mainstream businesses. Who can stop some dispensary owner from selling to any and all customers, even those without a prescription?

As for the theives who found a not so happy homeowner, I can't say I have too much sympathy. Homeowners should have every right to defend themselves, their homes, and their families. In all honesty, I lack sympathy for those who defended their crops as well. To me, defending your pot (legal or not) is not the noblest thing.

2010-03-18T10:30:00.000-07:00

Just signed up as a "Blogger for Brian Dubie" yesterday. Once they have their Blogroll compiled, we'll hopefully find some interesting people to follow.

F-35's, UVM in the NCAA tournament, and Guns

2010-03-15T18:10:00.000-07:00

The topics of this entry are probably a good jumping-off point for explaining my title. I was born and raised in the Green Mountain State (that's VT for you flatlanders out there). Already, I'm sure that you are picturing me in some quaint little town nestled in a valley or out in some shack in the boonies. Well, I didn't grow up in either of those places. Chittenden county is by far the most left-leaning county in VT, and growing up in Winooski, I was right in the heart of heart of this liberalism. After all, it is right next to Burlington, a city which once elected a socialist mayor who went on to become our state's senator, Bernie Sanders.

After graduating from Winooski High School as Valedictorian, I made the 5 minute (on a good day) trip to the University of Vermont. That's right, from the frying pan into the fire. Needless to say, my political and social views have never really been the popular ones, but if anything, I've only become stronger in my views under this pressure.

My time at UVM takes you to the inspiration for this post. Today, while reading the Burlington Free Press at breakfast, a few stories caught my eye.

Burlington International Airport is home to Air National Guard F-16 fighter jets, and their fleet is aging. Apparently, our boys are pretty good at what they do, and BTV is one of five installations under consideration to receive the new F-35 fighter jet. When I first heard this news a while back, I was excited. I've always loved to see the variety of aircraft flying over my Winooski home, especially the F-16's. Now we very well may have the newest generation of fighter jets stationed here! Maybe my fascination/excitement is just a testosterone thing, but not everyone is so excited. Complaints range from noise to pollution/burning of fossil fuels to an objection to the military-industrial complex. Personally, I think it's great that VT could be honored in such a way, and I'm pulling for the Green Mountain Boys to get some new wings.

Saturday, the Catmounts could not stop winning. Men's hockey's win got them into Hockey East semifinals, and both the men's and women's basketball teams got into the NCAA tournament. I just want to say congrats and good luck!

You may have heard about the shooting of two officers near the Pentagon. Apparently, the gun he used was once in the possession of the Memphis, Tenn. PD. A gun used in a courthouse shooting in Las Vegas is from the same source. Like many other departments, Memphis sold confiscated guns which had been used in crimes to legitimate dealers in order to raise funds for new equipment and other expenses. Well, now there is a controversy surrounding this practice. Since these guns were once again used in crimes, some are questioning why all departments don't destroy all guns they receive as evidence in crimes instead of "putting them back out on the streets." People are missing the point. The police sold them to legitimate dealers, not some guy on the street. I'll give the dealer(s) the benefit of the doubt and assume they did not sell these guns to a felon. This means that someone else bought them and they somehow ended up in these scumbag's hands. This can happen with any gun, so the point about the police selling them back is moot. Guns don't commit crimes all on their own.

Seeing as being "green" is in vogue these days, why advocate the destruction of a perfectly good gun? By putting these firearms back on the market, we are allowing more Americans to practice their 2nd Amendment rights. Being used, they will certainly be available at a discount price. That is not to say that I would take advantage of these discounts (unless they were really good, that is.) I've been looking at the Springfield Armory XD(m), and I'd rather buy new to avoid any mechanical complications I can. Plus, if I'm going to make this kind of investment, I'm going to treat myself. I must say, for being such a blue state, I'm glad that VT only scored an 8 out of 100 in the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence scorecard

2010-03-15T12:06:00.000-07:00

So, you're here. Welcome! If you are reading this, you belong to one of three groups.

You saw the title and are looking for an opportunity to bash/ridicule a conservative

You saw the title and thought "Hey! That sounds like me!" and are looking for a place to relax and kick back, safe from members of group 1.

You saw the title and your curiosity dragged you in, unsure of just what to expect.

Whoever you are, and for whatever reason you're here, I welcome you again.

As you may have gathered from the title, you can expect to find a good deal of political-themed content here. But straight-up politics is not the only topic you will find here. While there will be a fair share of postings about things like Obamacare and the highly anticipated 2010 elections, look forward to discussions about many other topics of interest to conservatives like myself. These include but are not limited to controversies surrounding abortion, relgion, and gun rights. When I can't find anything relevant in these areas, it's pretty likely you'll see some of my random musings/what has gotten on my nerves today.

For today, I've got something that encompasses many of these topic areas. In my quest for a good Newsvine seed. (If you're on there, hit me up and comment, the name there is RT8 as well) I came across one of the most badass AR-15s I've seen in a while. American Rifleman ran a piece about a custom rifle in honor of gun rights advocate and former vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin. This all-white, custom-painted gun is a BEAST made by Templar Consulting and only two were made. One will go to Sarah, and the other will be auctioned off at the National NRA Foundation Banquet.

The custom engraving and limited production makes it a valuable collector's item, and the features don't match those of the AR that I plan to have custom built, but the caliber it is chambered for, .50 Beowulf, is the piece de resistance. I mean, when a cartridge is named after the ass-kicking protagonist of the famous Anglo-Saxon epic poem, you've got to have respect. It's creator, Alexander Arms also makes a 6.5 Grendel, named after one of Beowulf's enemies.

For the full story (including information to get tickets to the banquet) click here.