Why are people so scared of guns?

Guns are not dangerous, they are not deadly, and most of all they are not scary! However in the hands of a drunk, high, crazy, or even untrained persons, guns are all of those things and more. So we need gun control to keep guns out of the hands of the aforementioned people right? Wrong we already have laws that cover most of those people, they are infective because the aren’t enforced. There is also this little problem of when I sell my gun to some one I’m not going to preform a background check. So when our legislators make new gun control laws, what are they really doing? It’s simple, you can’t argue with this because it is a simple undeniable fact that when more gun control laws are passed they only work to take guns from law abiding citizens. Yes if the law makes it more difficult to obtain a fire arm legally it is again only working to keep guns away from people who dont wish to break the law. Okay now I’m going to throw a zinger, I don’t think non violent felons should lose there right to own a fire arm (for that matter I don’t think any felon should loose there right to vote while not incarcerated). I’m not crazy I actually think it is way to easy to become a felon in the first place. I love the negative connotation that comes with the word felon. The truth is most of the time it’s not that bad, and I think we need to be very careful about taking away a persons god given rights, self defense is one of those rights and packing may just keep you out of a situation where you will need to defend yourself. Less gun control more guns usually means less crime. So why would the GOV want to take away our guns? Simple they want to control us, much easier to do if we are unarmed, you might think I’m a nut but I’m not. Stop thinking inside of a narrow world view and start thinking logically. The only reason to prohibit a weapon is for control.

North Korea in Hideous Distortion

Amazing

from swerve of shore

Never before or since my short trip to North Korea have I felt so perplexed about the realities of a country. It’s easy to know certain things: it’s a hermit nation, it’s citizens have little to no access to the outside world, it’s been run by a family of despots since the end of the Korean War, and it seemingly revels in its own bad behavior, taunting the world but stopping just short of biting the hands that feed it. But like all things worth exploring, what’s on the surface can be a very shallow reflection of the place as a whole.

During my few days in country, I met some of the nicest, most intelligent people I’ve ever had the pleasure of speaking with. North Koreans, born and raised. They would talk to me about the US’s foreign policies, about Vietnam’s peculiar brand of communism, and about many other…

View original post 153 more words

Pull your heads out, our justice system doesn’t work.

I nearly had a coronary today as a listened to a local news talk radio show. The topic was the overcrowding in Idaho prisons and jails. As a country the US imprisons more people then any other country in the world. Idaho with its small crime rate imprisons more people then any other state (per capita). The problem in Idaho is the indeterminate sentencing, all that means is that you are given your time and then on top of that you get time that they can make you do for any reason they can think of. That’s really only part of the problem though. I usually try to site my research, but in this case I will leave it to you, I’m only going to ask some questions. Do you realize how easy it is to become a felon? Far to easy if you ask me. Do you know how hard it is to stay out of jail while on supervised probation? Far to hard if you ask me. Do you know how hard it is to get a job as a felon? Far to hard if you ask me. I think all of is can agree that as a society, we want people to pay there debt to society and then become productive members of society. The problem is, as a society we make that nearly impossible. Most people who read this wouldn’t likely hire a felon, those same people will complain about all these criminals staying criminals. That is the worst circular logic. If I can’t find a job I will do whatever it takes to support my family. That hard set morale belief in me could very well drive me to become a criminal. Can you hear that? It’s all the people screaming how wrong I am. I’m not wrong there is just more to the story. The part about the radio show that made my blood boil, was when a former corrections officer, current police officer called in. The man literally said all people in prison or jail are bad people and deserve to be there. Let’s break that down with an example. The felony level here in Idaho for crimes involving merchandise and financial instruments is $250.00. So let’s say I write a bad check for let’s say $300.00. I have just committed a felony punishable by a year in prison and who knows how much probation. Now let’s say I realized my mistake and I go pay the check to whomever I wrote it to, if they are mad enough they can still push for charges to be filled, and they will be. Now I did the right thing, but because this other person is pissed off about it I’m now likely going to spend a year in prison. Is that right? I made a mistake people make everyday, and I fixed that mistake. So now I go to prison lets just say, now mind you I had a job and was a productive member of society before I went in. So I’m in prison I do my time and get out just to find out now I’m on supervised probation and if I sneeze improperly I get thrown back in. Now I have to pay for this probation so I need to get a job, wait I’m a felon that is going to be nearly impossible. So I am unable to find a job so I can’t pay for my probation so I get thrown back in jail, while there waitin for a court date I decide to hell with this I’m going to maximize the time they can give me so I don’t have to come back here. I spend another year in jail. I Get out don’t have this probation hanging over me but is still can’t find a job. So I go on welfare, I hate it but what choice do I have, even felons have to eat. Years latter and I’m talking five to seven years latter I finally find a decent job get off of welfare and rebuild my life. So let’s put that whole situation another way. Over a three hundred dollar bad check (which I ended up paying) the state incarcerated me for two years at a cost to the tax payers of forty to eighty thousand dollars (don’t actually know the exact amount it costs to imprison someone for a year), then they spent another approximately twenty thousand on my welfare benefits, and many other costs I’m not even including. All of that over a three hundred dollar check. So I cost the tax payer (YOU!) one hundred thousand dollars or more, for a three hundred dollar bad check. Now you make think this type of scenario is the exception rather then the rule. I think there was a time that you would have been right, but unfortunately this is common now. A system that does that punishes us more then the criminal and it benefits neither society or the criminal. Think about that next time you hear some law enforcement agency talking about getting tough on some victimless crime, yes they do exist and we punish them more severely then the ones that involve an actual victim. And you should also remember that I have morals and don’t want to be a criminal so my scenario only counts for a person that doesn’t reoffend, which is the exception not the rule. When it is easier to make money as a criminal them to find an above board job, I think that person is going to be a capitalist, and make money. Just some food for thought have a nice day.

when saying no is saying yes

Nice

lifeinthedport

After 75 minutes of delicious, sweaty hot yoga, our instructor cued us to bring our hands to third-eye center and bow forward. This is the way class is usually closed. However today, this instructor took it to another level:

This is the greatest act of submission–the head bowing to the heart, saying you are greater than me.

Well that’ll get ya thinking. And it did. And those thoughts came full circle to a blog a childhood friend’s husband posted this last week on prioritizing student needs.

I fully support the conviction and paradigm of student-centered teaching. My relationships with my students give me both the perspective and the motivation to be their advocates, to stand up for them, to put them first. Putting them first gives me a much-needed compass in a whirlwind of destructive politics and overwhelming educalculation. I have lived by this motto since I began teaching.

View original post 407 more words

Civil traffic tickets?

Have you ever had a roommate who moved out a stole you’re stuff? If you have, a natural reaction may have been to call the police, of course you may have found out calling the police couldn’t help you. The reason calling the police did nothing for you is because a roommate stealing from you is a civil matter. The roommate may have stolen from you, but by simply living with you they can somehow contrive a claim over your property, your only recourse is to take your roommate to civil court, or sue them. Police can’t do any thing, after all they don’t get involved in civil matters; right? Before I go any further I want to make it clear that under the rule of law police cannot involve themselves in any official capacity in a civil matter, with that said. To answer my previous question under Idaho law and the law in most states, police involve themselves in civil matters as part of there every day job, in fact they cause the civil matter. They do this by writing traffic tickets. Most traffic tickets are infractions which are considered civil in nature, and there for are brought before a civil court. Here is the problem for the police the prosecutor and the court, a traffic citation doesn’t give then standing in court. To sue somebody else you have to have a claim of some sort of damages, turns out it doesn’t hurt the state when I speed. Now make no mistake by taking you to civil court the county city or state is suing you. I believe it may be section three of the Idaho constitution that affords you the right to a jury trail for whatever reason you may be in court, as per the Idaho constitution it doesn’t matter if it’s a ticket. Now go to court for a ticket and argue standing or jurisdiction, hell demand a jury. You will get laughed out of court, after all we are all just mere peasants and dont understand the legal system. For the above mentioned reasons I believe our system is completely corrupt. Tickets don’t keep us safer on the contrary real life examples actually discount that notion. The fact is traffic citations are just another way for the GOV to tax us. Think about that next time you get a ticket.

My legs were gone, only bloody rags remained of my pants

Wow must read.

Life after legs

The sand filled my eyes, my pants, hell even my mouth. As I opened my eyes everything was replaced by a cloud of sand. A tan nothingness. My spirit had left my body, and an empty self-awareness remained. Within this moment, I realized I was flying through the air. Although it lasted only seconds, it seemed to be forever. As my brain processed the physical stimuli into an equation; I knew it could yield only one conclusion. I had stepped on an I.E.D.

We had just been talking about how Greer loved to find IED’s. I told him he sucked at his job.

“You engine-queers try too hard to be EOD techs”, I said.

“We find them just as good as you guys do”, he replied instantly.

This was how we communicated. Marines; especially when faced with a dangerous mission, can be like affectionate assholes. We spoke harshly to each…

View original post 1,829 more words

The Cold War Never Ended

WildKat Formation

I’ve never been interested in the Winter Olympics. I prefer my Olympic athletes to be…how you say…”more naked.” There is little to no Olympics craze here in Albania either, so most of what I know about the games comes from social media. And other than giggling at the name Bode and getting tired of hearing about how hot some Italian ice skater chick is, what seems to be dominating the news I get are the sub-par amenities at the Sochi hotels. Um…what?

There is a hashtag on Twitter called #SochiProblems, I guess. And a matching account with over 300,000 followers dedicated to westerners complaining about spending a few weeks in an underdeveloped country that doesn’t quite meet their qualifications for luxury. As an American, I am very familiar with the concept of “getting your money’s worth,” and having worked many years in customer service I understand that westerners…

View original post 886 more words

The melting pot that is America

I grew up believing that I live in the greatest country in the world. We live in a country where any body from any where can come here and make success for themselves. Well I’m not a kid any more, and I no longer believe that this is the greatest country in the world. Before you freak out let me explain, after all I think I deserve it I did go to war for you and you and every body else that enjoys the ever eroding freedoms of these United States. When you think of America as a melting pot why comes to mind? For me it has always been, a picture of cultures from all over the world coming together with the common goal, to make America great. To work hard for everything you have, and in so doing enrich everything and everybody around you. I think that has to be pretty close to what this idea that America is a melting pot must mean, where did that most basic of ideas go? I don’t know where it went I hope that this country can get back to it. I feel like in this day and age we cater to the lowest denominator. What I mean by that is if anything is offensive to anyone, or even objectionable, we change it or do away with it. Why? For example a very controversial topic now days is the pledge of allegiance. I think (and I’m sure somebody who reads this will be more then happy to argue) it would be hard to make an argument that by having our children recite the pledge of allegiance, can some how become a detriment to there development. In fact I would argue that this one simple thing could actually have a positive effect on our children’s development. Maybe it could help give them an appreciation for what that flag is supposed to mean, maybe it could enrich them? But unfortunately because of two words and our insistence on catering to that lowest denominator, the pledge is leaving our society. We, really are a country of countries, a culture of cultures, but that is not to say that we don’t have our own unique culture. Here is where this idea if the melting pot is is being destroyed. We have our very own American culture, immigrants of the past came here to become part of that culture, immigrants now seem to want us to become what they left to come here. That’s wrong, that, should piss you off. Now I’m not trying to say if you come to America to leave your traditions and language at the door, no that’s part of what makes us great. But I am saying that maybe instead of trying to change America to be more like your culture, maybe you should become part of this awesome unique American culture. Because within thy culture there is a place to share your own culture, and have other cultures shared with you. When you find that place you become enriched with the many great differences we have with so many people we deal with every day. That is America, and that is what we are loosing. I don’t know about you but that scares me, it should scare all of us. I really just wish people would stop coming here and trying to make this place like the place they came from, I mean why then did you leave! Some people may think I’m racist for saying things like this. Well I’m not I just see my country going to shit. I know things will always change, just seems like they should be uniting changes. All we do now is find ways to better divide ourselves.

HOW TO FIGHT A LIAR IN COURT

MEN'S FAMILY LAW

The biggest frustration most people have in court, is the lying. In theory, no one is lying, because testimony is taken under oath. In reality, every case is riddled with lies, half truths, shades of fact and the greatest of all, the omission of a critical fact that totally changes the situation.

In the court’s eyes, as a lawyer I’m supposed to be the champion for my client, and I’m expected to have vetted their testimony to make sure that it’s true. Most of the time I’ve spent a great deal of effort to explain to the client that judges hate liars and I coach them to be as truthful as possible.

Inevitably when I get in to a child custody hearing or a divorce trial, it gets heated and the cries of “She lied!” “She’s committing perjury!!” “That’s a lie!” start.

In every courtroom, those phrases are said, every…

View original post 410 more words

The cathedral of law

It’s Sunday, so I’m going to get a little off subject. The court is like church for lawyers. I can already hear the shouts from attorneys “I’m Christian court isn’t church I’m offended!” Darn take a midol. The law is a religion, truth Is the law I talk about in here isn’t the law at all, the only lawful document in this country is the constitution. I talk about codes and ordinances, notice they aren’t called laws, that’s because there is a difference. I’m not going to try to explain those differences truth is I don’t understand them, and don’t try to ask an attorney about this they will just give you a look like “who told you our secret”.
Did you know that you are actually the third allegiance for an attorney who you have hired, their first is to the BAR, second is to the court, and you come in a weak third. The BAR is a scary thing it’s like the creek actors guild it’s not a state ran organization it’s just a private professional organization. I can’t find these court decisions I’m about to talk about but I know they exists. In one case the Supreme Court ruled that the practice of law is not licensable, however in another case they ruled that the individual states have the discretion to determine who is admitted to the practice of law. So most states license attorneys through that states Supreme Court and they require that person to be a member of the BAR. It’s a freaking club! I mean think about a judge, what is a judge? Easy a judge is an attorney in a ridiculous robe (in some courts they still wear wigs). It’s all pomp and circumstances. That’s why you can go to court with a bullet proof defense but if it doesn’t fit in to the status quo then that judge (you know the attorney in a robe) will laugh you out of court, welcome to court corruption. It is rampant, an attorney who has been practicing for over twenty years out it to me best, the judge is impartial however Allen Hancock is not (that was the judges name). Sad to say he is right. If you find your self in court for a crime or traffic ticket or whatever it may be with the state as the plaintiff, ask the judge three questions. One, am I entitled to a fair and impartial trail?, he will say yes, two, can I get a fair and impartial trail with a conflict of interest?, he will say no, and three, who do you represent. You won’t likely get an answer to the last question the fact is the judge represents the people who are prosecuting you, they sign his checks, that by itself is a conflict. Courts are a corrupt club, I always recommend defending your self. Why because attorneys aren’t there for you no matter how much you pay them. Scary thought right (wow this idiot wants me to defend myself) let me tell you the difference between you and a “trained” attorney. Simple they know I different set of definitions to common words that’s it. You learn their system you become a threat, because then their religion falls apart, because it’s not a religion it’s a gang. One that is guilty of extortion and they will never change unless we make them. Yep it is our fault that gov sucks, we let it happen now we need to fix it. Some tickets are deserved most aren’t, sentences for crime are way to long, it is to easy to become a felon. There is so much codified now days that we are all criminals we just don’t know it.