I just finished reading President Ahmadinejad's letter to the people of the US. Although the Bush Administration has dismissed the letter as "transparently hypocritical", I think it's still worth a read. I'm not saying that I agree or disagree with anything President Ahmadinejad says, but I do find it interesting.
Follow the link to his blog on the right of the screen if you're interested.
Thursday, November 30, 2006
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
In response...
...to the comment I received in my previous posting:
First, thanks for your comments. I love to read what other people have to say about topics that I find interesting.
I agree with you that the Americans have the right to purchase and possess fire arms. It's clearly stated in the Constitution. My argument, however, (although not explicitly stated in the original entry) is that maybe owning a gun isn't a right that people should have. It made sense when the threat of British soldiers was on everyone's minds back when the Constitution was drafted, but nowadays, I would assert that it causes more trouble than it’s worth. I concede that there have been many instances in which law-abiding citizens have protected themselves and their families from danger through the possession of a firearm, but that number is dwarfed by the number of people that have been killed due to the fact that it is legal to possess weapons in this country. Guns are potentially dangerous and it takes a level of maturity and training and soundness of mind to ensure that guns aren’t used for malicious ends. The problem, however, is that the ease at which one can obtain a gun is in direct contrast with the level of responsibility one should take on when issued such a potentially dangerous weapon. Ultimately, if everyone who was issued a gun were responsible enough to make sure that kids didn’t get a hold of it or that it didn’t end up in the hands of criminals, I would feel a lot more comfortable with people exercising their “right” to possess firearms. The problem is that many people don’t fully appreciate the gravity of the decision they have made to obtain a gun, and, as a result, guns that have been obtained legally through rights guaranteed under the 2nd amendment go onto murder innocent (and also not so innocent) people.
Furthermore, I wholeheartedly stand by my assertion that I would rather be robbed by a person wielding a paintball gun than a person in possession of a real gun. Obviously, robbing someone is a crime and is scary and is something that no one should have to experience. However, given the fact that people do in fact get robbed, getting robbed with a toy gun is clearly preferable to getting robbed with a real gun because at least with a toy gun, there’s no chance that you’ll lose your life along with your wallet, even if you don’t know that it’s a toy gun pointed at your back at the time.
Banning paintball guns isn’t going to stop people from getting robbed. If someone has made up his mind to rob you, not having had the opportunity to stop at Walmart to pick up a paintball gun isn’t going to stop him.
But again, thanks for you comment. I’m sure there are many things that I write in this blog that people don’t agree with. I’d love to hear from you.
First, thanks for your comments. I love to read what other people have to say about topics that I find interesting.
I agree with you that the Americans have the right to purchase and possess fire arms. It's clearly stated in the Constitution. My argument, however, (although not explicitly stated in the original entry) is that maybe owning a gun isn't a right that people should have. It made sense when the threat of British soldiers was on everyone's minds back when the Constitution was drafted, but nowadays, I would assert that it causes more trouble than it’s worth. I concede that there have been many instances in which law-abiding citizens have protected themselves and their families from danger through the possession of a firearm, but that number is dwarfed by the number of people that have been killed due to the fact that it is legal to possess weapons in this country. Guns are potentially dangerous and it takes a level of maturity and training and soundness of mind to ensure that guns aren’t used for malicious ends. The problem, however, is that the ease at which one can obtain a gun is in direct contrast with the level of responsibility one should take on when issued such a potentially dangerous weapon. Ultimately, if everyone who was issued a gun were responsible enough to make sure that kids didn’t get a hold of it or that it didn’t end up in the hands of criminals, I would feel a lot more comfortable with people exercising their “right” to possess firearms. The problem is that many people don’t fully appreciate the gravity of the decision they have made to obtain a gun, and, as a result, guns that have been obtained legally through rights guaranteed under the 2nd amendment go onto murder innocent (and also not so innocent) people.
Furthermore, I wholeheartedly stand by my assertion that I would rather be robbed by a person wielding a paintball gun than a person in possession of a real gun. Obviously, robbing someone is a crime and is scary and is something that no one should have to experience. However, given the fact that people do in fact get robbed, getting robbed with a toy gun is clearly preferable to getting robbed with a real gun because at least with a toy gun, there’s no chance that you’ll lose your life along with your wallet, even if you don’t know that it’s a toy gun pointed at your back at the time.
Banning paintball guns isn’t going to stop people from getting robbed. If someone has made up his mind to rob you, not having had the opportunity to stop at Walmart to pick up a paintball gun isn’t going to stop him.
But again, thanks for you comment. I’m sure there are many things that I write in this blog that people don’t agree with. I’d love to hear from you.
Sunday, November 26, 2006
Is anyone else as worried as I am?
Has the United States become an overly militarized state right under our noses? I fear that the answer may be yes.
I was home in Baltimore this weekend for Turkey Day and I happened to glance at a copy of the Baltimore Examiner , in which the headline read "Bill aims to outlaw paintball, BB, pellet guns in Baltimore" The Baltimore City Council is considering restricting the purchase and use of paintball and BB guns to licensed entertainment facilities and no longer allowing ordinary citizens to purchase them. The reasoning behind the bill is because these "toy" guns have been used to commit real crimes such as robberies. The irony in all of this is that instead of trying to get rid of toys that look like guns, shouldn't we be trying to get rid of real guns? If I'm going to get robbed on the street, I'd much rather the guy be holding a paintball gun instead of a real gun, so in case he gets nervous and pulls the trigger, I just have to buy a new jacket instead of spending the rest of my life in a wheelchair. I think most people would probably agree with that, but the notion of outlawing real guns isn't even an option. How did we get to the point when the individual right to carry a weapon overrides all appeals to collective security and the common good?
In another example of how American society has become overly militarized, the NYPD has yet again used excessive force against unarmed black men, using the "oh, I thought he had a gun" excuse (the NYPD seems to never get tired of using that one). NYPD fired 50 bullets, only half of which actually landed anywhere close to their intended targets. Has anyone thought that if normal citizens weren't allowed to walk around with guns, maybe cops would be a little less trigger happy? Not to take any blame away from cops because I'm sure everyone (including myself) has their issues with cops, especially the NYPD, but in such a militarized society in which anyone you meet could potentially have a concealed weapon, I could understand a cop being a little jumpy.
My concern, however, isn't limited to ease in which Americans can obtain firearms, but rather my concern extends to the militarized nature of our society as a whole. It would not be difficult to make the argument that the ridiculous amount our government spends on defense has just as much to do with economics as it has to do with actual defense. As proven by German militarization leading up to World War II and our own militarization during the same period, nothing jump starts an economy like gearing up for war. Upon emerging from WWII as the unquestioned western pole of a bi-polar world, the US was reluctant to sacrifice the economic gains reached through militarization, especially with the Soviets nipping at our heals. And even today, with the Soviet threat long gone, war and military build up continues to be one of the main drivers of our economy. I urge anyone who questions that assertion to look at the huge profits defense suppliers and contractors are making through various wars and military operations around the globe and the existence of, by some accounts, over 700 US military bases in over 40 countries. Not only is our society becoming very militarized, but we successfully project our bellicose culture abroad.(This could quite easily lead to a discussion of the false claim that the US has always been the "reluctant" imperialist, but I'll save that discussion for another time).
So I commend the Baltimore City Council in trying to lower crime in the city, but, unfortunately, I fear that the problem of violence in that city or any other across the nation goes much deeper than whether people are allowed to carry around paintball guns.
I was home in Baltimore this weekend for Turkey Day and I happened to glance at a copy of the Baltimore Examiner , in which the headline read "Bill aims to outlaw paintball, BB, pellet guns in Baltimore" The Baltimore City Council is considering restricting the purchase and use of paintball and BB guns to licensed entertainment facilities and no longer allowing ordinary citizens to purchase them. The reasoning behind the bill is because these "toy" guns have been used to commit real crimes such as robberies. The irony in all of this is that instead of trying to get rid of toys that look like guns, shouldn't we be trying to get rid of real guns? If I'm going to get robbed on the street, I'd much rather the guy be holding a paintball gun instead of a real gun, so in case he gets nervous and pulls the trigger, I just have to buy a new jacket instead of spending the rest of my life in a wheelchair. I think most people would probably agree with that, but the notion of outlawing real guns isn't even an option. How did we get to the point when the individual right to carry a weapon overrides all appeals to collective security and the common good?
In another example of how American society has become overly militarized, the NYPD has yet again used excessive force against unarmed black men, using the "oh, I thought he had a gun" excuse (the NYPD seems to never get tired of using that one). NYPD fired 50 bullets, only half of which actually landed anywhere close to their intended targets. Has anyone thought that if normal citizens weren't allowed to walk around with guns, maybe cops would be a little less trigger happy? Not to take any blame away from cops because I'm sure everyone (including myself) has their issues with cops, especially the NYPD, but in such a militarized society in which anyone you meet could potentially have a concealed weapon, I could understand a cop being a little jumpy.
My concern, however, isn't limited to ease in which Americans can obtain firearms, but rather my concern extends to the militarized nature of our society as a whole. It would not be difficult to make the argument that the ridiculous amount our government spends on defense has just as much to do with economics as it has to do with actual defense. As proven by German militarization leading up to World War II and our own militarization during the same period, nothing jump starts an economy like gearing up for war. Upon emerging from WWII as the unquestioned western pole of a bi-polar world, the US was reluctant to sacrifice the economic gains reached through militarization, especially with the Soviets nipping at our heals. And even today, with the Soviet threat long gone, war and military build up continues to be one of the main drivers of our economy. I urge anyone who questions that assertion to look at the huge profits defense suppliers and contractors are making through various wars and military operations around the globe and the existence of, by some accounts, over 700 US military bases in over 40 countries. Not only is our society becoming very militarized, but we successfully project our bellicose culture abroad.(This could quite easily lead to a discussion of the false claim that the US has always been the "reluctant" imperialist, but I'll save that discussion for another time).
So I commend the Baltimore City Council in trying to lower crime in the city, but, unfortunately, I fear that the problem of violence in that city or any other across the nation goes much deeper than whether people are allowed to carry around paintball guns.
Thursday, November 09, 2006
Whew...That Was Close
At first, I was a little disappointed. After making a terrible, yet completely understandable, mistake 4 years ago, I thought that my home-state brethren were poised to make an even more egregious error. But, alas, my own lack of patience was the only fault of the evening.
When I powered up my computer Tuesday evening and looked up the election tallies, I was very worried that not only was Ehrlich going to remain the governer of Maryland, but his Lt. Governor was going to pass one of Maryland's Senate seats to the other side of the aisle. Fortunately, however, as more votes rolled in, Martin O'Malley (who I honestly don't really find very impressive)and Ben Cardin came through in the end. After a 4-year identity crisis, it's nice to see that Maryland has come back to its Democratic senses and ended its foolish experimentation with Republican politics.
All is now right with the world.
By the way, was anyone else caught off guard with Bush's sacking of Rummy? If anything, I would have thought he would have given him the axe before the election. Since so many people hated him, firing him before the election might have helped the Republicans a bit. Waiting until the day after is like Bush admitting that he was wrong all along, which is not something that I would have ever expected him to do.
When I powered up my computer Tuesday evening and looked up the election tallies, I was very worried that not only was Ehrlich going to remain the governer of Maryland, but his Lt. Governor was going to pass one of Maryland's Senate seats to the other side of the aisle. Fortunately, however, as more votes rolled in, Martin O'Malley (who I honestly don't really find very impressive)and Ben Cardin came through in the end. After a 4-year identity crisis, it's nice to see that Maryland has come back to its Democratic senses and ended its foolish experimentation with Republican politics.
All is now right with the world.
By the way, was anyone else caught off guard with Bush's sacking of Rummy? If anything, I would have thought he would have given him the axe before the election. Since so many people hated him, firing him before the election might have helped the Republicans a bit. Waiting until the day after is like Bush admitting that he was wrong all along, which is not something that I would have ever expected him to do.
Thursday, November 02, 2006
Ain't the Internet Great?
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