The Deuce Ponders II

Things are tough all over. But now we know exactly how tough. The Glorious Leader ( TGL ) has apparently instructed the State Department to shop for gifts for foreign dignitaries at Wal-Mart. First, the British P.M. on his visit to The White House gets a DVD set of American movie classics. Then, on his visit to London for the G-20 swap meet, TGL gives Queen Elizabeth an iPod. TGL campaigned with the mantra, "yes we can." Judging by these cheap and tacky gifts more appropriate for an episode of My Big Redneck Wedding, the new mantra is "well, er, no we can't." Look for TGL to invite Larry the Cable Guy to the next Kennedy Honors event. Now thet right thar is funny...I don't care who ya are!

I'm sure TGL's main squeeze is a wonderful person ( even though she's only been proud of America for a few months now ), and I wouldn't normally comment on Michelle's fashion sense, but I can't help but notice ( thanks to the MSM ) that she goes sleeveless more often than your run of the mill Hell's Angel. What are the odds she's got a tramp stamp? The Vegas line says it's even money. And shouldn't it be TGL showing off his guns? Who's the shot-caller in this crew anyway?

Why are the Obama's looking to adopt a rescue dog when they've already got two lap dogs; Chris Mathews and Steve Olberman? Oh yeah, one of the daughters is allergic to mutts. Not to mention having a dog that gets a thrill down his leg every time TGL is present could get kind of embarrassing.

Here's a joke for you. GM and Chrysler ( among other auto makers ) are now advertising that if you buy a car from them, then lose your job, they'll make your car payments for you for a few months. So, what's the punchline you may ask? They'll be making the payments with money gleaned from the billions of taxpayer dollars given them by TGL. There's no such thing as a free lunch people. In a hilarious related story, the Feds will honor any manufacturer's warranty from said auto makers...again with tax payer's money. Gee, I recently had a three month old Mr. Coffee crap out on me. Where's my bailout? $70 here and there and pretty soon were talking serious cash. Turns out the Mr. Coffee was made in China. I guess I should be thankful it didn't poison me...so far as I know.

Speaking of poisoning, it recently came to light that the managers of the peanut butter processing plant in Georgia knew there was salmonella in their product, yet continued to ship their tainted peanut butter. Several people died and hundreds were sickened...and I didn't have a PB&J for a month. Look, I know that as a nation we're dependent on foreign oil, but couldn't we temporarily be just a little more dependent, just enough to make enough tar so that we could tar and feather these miscreants? Are we dependent on foreign sources of feathers too? Do we make any damn thing in this country anymore besides glutinous bankers and corrupt politicians?

Earlier today yet another freak, this time in Binghamton NY, decided to punch the ticket on his miserable life but didn't want to go alone, so he slaughtered 13 innocent human beings before ventilating his own melon. During the TV coverage on Fox News, I watched a retired NYPD cop discussing how such sickening mass murders could be avoided. Among other things he said, "It's too bad that there wasn't armed security there, or an off duty policeman." Meaning, too bad there wasn't a good guy there armed with a gun who might have been able to stop the shooting and limit the loss of life. What he pointedly didn't say was too bad there wasn't armed security there or an off duty policeman, or an armed citizen. Why wasn't there an armed citizen there? There are a lot of answers to that...here's the one that I think is the most germane. The state of New York is very restrictive on issuing permits to carry concealed weapons. The NRA and other 2nd Amendment rights organizations describe New York as " right restricted-very limited issue." This generally means that a person may apply for a concealed carry permit, but if they can not show a very specific reason why they need to carry a weapon, such as being employed in a job that requires carrying large sums of cash or their job requires them to carry a weapon ( such as private security) or they are a public figure and have had their safety threatened by stalkers or the like, the application for concealed carry will be denied. Most people do not meet those requirements. This is what people like me call victim disarmament.

My response to this despicable act of mass murder? I said a prayer for the dead and wounded and their loved ones; I thanked God for the first responders who may have saved lives; I cursed the shooter and the idiot sheep in New York who continue to work to keep average people from lawfully carrying weapons with which to defend themselves and innocent bystanders; and I went to my local Sheriff's office and renewed my carry permit.

While I do not live in a "shall issue" state ( meaning the local county Sheriff or other responsible law enforcement officer MUST issue a carry permit if the applicant has no history of violence or mental illness and successfully completes any required training), I do live in a "may issue" state, which means the county Sheriff MAY deny the application FOR ANY REASON. I'm lucky that my local Sheriff is a reasonable man and to my knowledge will not deny an applicant unless there is good reason to do so.

I live in a small town. The violent crime rate here is very low. The odds of my actually needing a gun to defend myself or others in my community is almost non-existent. I rarely carry my gun in town. However, I live just 20 minutes from a much larger city where I often go to shop or eat out or see a movie. This city has a much greater violent crime rate. I carry my gun when I go there.

In the 13 years I've had a carry permit I've never had to pull my gun. Never even thought about it. Whenever I put on that gun I pray I don't need it...and thank God I've got it. Better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.
I can't help but wonder how many people in Binghamton, NY, or Columbine CO or Blacksburg VA are wishing they had the right to carry a concealed weapon at their job or at their school. After all, where are you truly safe? Events in recent years and common sense should tell us that we never really know when we're safe and when we're not. No matter the time or the place, evil can come crashing down on us and if we're not prepared for it, we're toast.

Question: Why do you carry a gun? Answer: Because cops are too heavy.
Question: Why don't you rely on the police to protect you? Answer: Because when you need the police they're only minutes away, but in a life and death situation you only have seconds.
Question: Why don't you support more stringent gun control? Answer: Because when guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns.
Question: Why don't you have a concealed carry permit? Answer: Guns are soooo icky!

Guns are tools. They are neither good nor evil. It is people, not guns, that are good or evil. Bottom line; the safety of you and your loved ones is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY, not someone elses. Stop being a sheep, and start being a sheep dog.