My Gun Proposal

Recent event have had me thinking of what kind of common sense gun laws were should have at the Federal level. I think I've come up with some that can work, but may not be too popular. Let's see what you think.

1. Gun Owners Must Have A Firearms License: This is a blanket license that will be like a drivers license, in that it will have different endorsements. Each type of weapon (revolver, semi-automatic pistol, rifle, shotgun, etc) will be it's own endorsement. The license itself will require the completion of a 40 Hour general gun safety course. Each endorsement will require a specific 10 Hour safety course on that type of weapon. The license can be renewed every two years without additional courses. The endorsements, however, will require another 1 Hour refresher course every two years.

In addition to the safety courses, applicants will be required to pass a mental health screening and an in-home inspection of where the firearms are to be stored. Both or these requirements will be required for each renewal.

This would be a National License, so that the requirements can be standardized across all States, and all aspects will be supervised by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. That means that this will be a National registry of everyone that is qualified to own a firearm.

2. Gun Owners Must Carry Specific Firearms Liability Insurance: Just like you're required to have liability for your car, you need to be liable for your weapons. Each owner can have one policy, but each individual weapon must be covered. These would be recorded by serial number and only allowed to be removed with a copy of a bill of sale or certificate of destruction (see below). If your gun is stolen and used in a crime you would still be liable, since you didn't take adequate preventative measures to keep it in your possession.

3. Each Firearm Owned Must Have A Permit: This would be a locally governed item and must be done for every weapon. The first step would be to have the correct endorsement on your license (see #1). Beyond that it would be up to the local jurisdiction as to what is required. No sale of a weapon will be allowed without a valid permit for said weapon.

What I would like to see, though, is that the permit process is integral to buying the weapon, since it would be tied to the serial number (like the insurance). That would allow for a built in waiting period, since you'd need to go through the permit process after selecting the firearm you want to purchase.

This would also allow vendors at gun shows to take orders, but not to hand over weapons, as the permit process would still have to be observed.

4. Fully Automatic Weapons, And Parts To Convert Weapons Into Such, Will Be Fully Illegal: Yes, I know that this is technically already on the books, but I'd like to see it expanded for items like bump stocks and anything that would make a weapon behave like it's fully automatic.

5. Those Found With Unpermitted Firearms, Without A Valid Firearms License, Or Without Liability Insurance Will Be Fined $10,000 And Jailed For A Minimum Of Two Years, Per Offense: Yup, this is harsh, but I think it's a tool that law enforcement needs. This way, if someone has a single uninsured, unpermitted firearm and they don't have a license, the can spend 6 years in jail and will owe $30,000. That just might make people think twice about what they want to do.

6. The Use Of A Firearm In The Commission of Any Crime Will Immediately Double the Minimum Sentence And Remove the Possibility of Parole: Let's say that robbery is punishable by 2 years minimum in prison. If you used a gun for that crime, then you now must spend at least 4 years in prison and can't be paroled. Again, this just might make people think twice.

7. Ammunition Will Not Be Allowed To Be Sold Online: Right now anyone that wants to buy Sudafed has to produce their drivers license at the pharmacy. This would make it the same for ammunition. You'd have to drive to a physical location and produce your firearms license in order to buy ammunition. This will then be entered into the ATF system so they can see who's buying what and how often. Controlling the weapons helps, but weapons can't fire without ammunition.

8. Private Owners Will Only Be Allowed To Sell To A Store Or Surrender To The Police: In order to get rid of a weapon, it can either be turned into the police, who will destroy it, or owners can sell it to a valid firearms dealer. This would generate either a certificate of destruction or a bill of sale, either of which can be used to remove a weapon from the insurance policy above. Selling to another private owner will no longer be allowed, which should increase the ability to track weapons.


I should also point out that no one would be grandfathered in under these rules. There would be a grace period to get the license, permits, and insurance, but EVERYONE would be required to go through the process for themselves and each weapon they own.

Are these fairly strict? Yes, they are. Will they stop gun violence? No, they won't. I would hope, however, that they would reduce the instances of mass shootings, as well as give law enforcement more tools to make us all safer.

I would love to hear rational, thought out opinions on this. What changes/additions would you have to this list?

How to Lose an Argument

Recently I've been thinking about the discourse, or lack there of, regarding many things. Whether it's politics, religion, geek fandom, or whatever you discuss with someone, there are two ways to do it. You can either be civil and respectful, calmly discussing differences of opinions, or you can act like a child. Unfortunately, it seems like most people today want to act like children, either throwing a tantrum when they don't get their way, or rubbing their victory in the faces of their opponents. So, I'm hear to tell you, in no uncertain terms, how you can immediately make yourself lose an argument.

It's really a lot simpler than you might think. When you boil it all down, it turns out that the one true and certain way to lose is start name calling. Once you get to that point, you obviously have no further valid points to make, so you have to start attacking your opponent, and not their viewpoint.

Let's break it down, just in case that wasn't obvious enough. Once you accuse the person you're disagreeing with/about of being one of the following, you can just walk away, because you've lost.

1. Hitler/Nazi - This is an oldy but a goody. It seems like every time someone in power does something people don't like, they're suddenly Hitler and those that agree with them are Nazis. Let's get this right out there, there was one Hitler and he was, and this is what I have told my daughter, the single most evil person in history. So let's not be so free in comparing people to him, alright? Now, as for "Nazi", unless someone specifically says that they are a Nazi, or were a member of the National Socialist Party in Germany in the 1930's & 1940's, then they aren't a Nazi. You calling them that does not make it so, and just shows how low YOU are willing to go.

2. Communist - Just like in #1, unless someone tells you that they are a communist, they aren't. You remember Senator McCarthy, right? Don't be like him.

3. Racist - I'm not going to tell you that there isn't racism in the world. Heck, I'm not even going to tell you that you might be valid in calling someone a racist, under certain circumstances. However, if someone disagrees with your point, and you happen to have different ethnicities, they probably aren't racist for disagreeing with you. Just like anyone who was white that disagreed with President Obama wasn't being racist, those in that are not white who disagree with President Trump aren't being racist. Let's stop throwing that word around without justification, OK?

4. Sexist - Yup, just like racist. Disagreeing with/about someone of the opposite gender from you doesn't make you sexist. Do you want to know what does make you sexist? Making gender the primary reasoning for anything where gender doesn't matter. Here's an example: "She's the best person for the job because she has these qualifications" is not a sexist statement, but "She's the best person for the job because we need more women in that position" is sexist.

5. Uneducated - This one really gets me. Calling someone uneducated, stupid, what-have-you, because they don't agree with you is the ultimate in pomposity. "If you were smarter, you'd agree with me" is probably the single most annoying thing that I hear. So, what's the minimum level of education where you're allowed to have an opinion? In my mind, everyone is entitled to their opinion. If you think they need more education about a topic, then EDUCATE THEM, don't insult them. Layout your facts and let them draw their own conclusions. Of course, they might just educate you right back, which isn't a problem, in my opinion.

There are many more examples, but these seem to be the top five that I hear constantly. Here's a simple rule, if your opponent can do the old "Sticks and Stones..." bit from grade school to what you just said, you've lost.

I hope this helps everyone out there to start being a bit more civil in their discourse.

Voting Decisions

The other day we were having a family discussion on voting, which I've written about before, and my 7 year old daughter asked me if there was ever a time it that I wouldn't vote. I explained to her that no, I would always vote. Not only is it my right, but it's my obligation as a citizen. Sitting home and letting any voting day go by without going to my polling place just doesn't make sense to me.

Then she asked what if I didn't have anyone I wanted to vote for? You see, I've already explained to her that I need to find the candidate that's most closely aligned with my world view. I don't care what the letter is after their name, if they align with me then that's who I'm voting for. That being said, I've already told her that I'm not voting for either of the two presumptive nominees for the Big Two, since I don't think either of them will do a good job.*

So, to answer the question, if I don't find anyone who I feel that I can vote for in a given position, then I'll write in my own name. At least then I know that I've cast a vote for someone that I can agree with. The conversation then got into the mechanics of the voting booth, so I won't bore you with that, but I'm very happy that a girl of 7 is asking about this stuff.

* And don't give me any of that "throwing your vote away" crap. People blindly voting for a party rather than a person is what's got us into this mess. At least I'll be able to sleep at night.

The Unified Theory of Santa Claus

I figured that I'd write up something that I told my daughter this past holiday season. You never know, this might just be useful to some of you parents out there. It concerns Santa and how he operates. I freely admit that some of this is stolen borrowed for the great comic series Fables, mainly how Santa makes it to each house.

Here's how it goes:

Santa is magical and doesn't need to stop at each individual house one after the other. He actually creates duplicates of himself and they are what travels to each house. Each house has it's own Santa, and that one is customized for the household.

So, if you have a house in the United States, Santa is dressed in the familiar red with white trim (thank you Coca Cola). If the house in in the United Kingdom, then Santa looks like Father Christmas. Along these same lines, if the house has a white family, then the Santa is white. If it's a black family, then Santa is black, and so on.

No, the guys in the malls, town halls, museums, or where-ever you go to meet Santa aren't really him, but they are, in fact, his helpers. These men (and women, where Mrs. Claus is around) have a direct line to Santa and they tell him what each child said to them. So, while the child is not really talking to Santa, Santa will know what was said.

Even though he doesn't require a chimney to enter a house (remember, he's magic), Santa does need permission. This permission can come in several forms. The one our family uses is something called a "Santa Key" that we leave outside on the door knob. Santa uses this to enter the house and he then hangs it on the tree.

So, there you have it. My unified theory of Santa Claus that, I think, helps explain some of the "unexplainable" things about him. Feel free to adopt or adapt this for your own use, and please let me know how it works for you.

Comfort Zone

Yeah, I know I haven't posted anything in awhile, and that's primarily because I haven't had anything to say, of substance, on politics or religion recently. Today, however, I want to talk about something that came up recently. You see, because I'm not a Christian, people tend to think that I get uncomfortable when something Christian comes up. This couldn't be further from the truth.

You see, I was raised as a Roman Catholic, going to CCD, etc, so I know a lot about Christianity. When I was in High School, everything that I had learned about the religion and my world view had a disconnect, so I left that faith. I eventually found my own path, but that was due to a large amount of research on my part. Consequently, I probably know more about the bible than most Christians do, although I can't quote it chapter and verse.

Due to this journey that I went on, I'm perfectly happy talking to people about religion, Christianity or some other, as long as it's a reasoned discourse and not, "You're going to Hell!" (My typical response to this is "Yes, but it only has one "L", which tends to get me odd looks.) So, if you want to discuss religion, please feel free to. I might just jump in and tell you something you didn't know, so be warned.

Yuletide Greetings

I would like to wish everyone that reads this blog a Glad Yule. I know it's been rather quite around here this year. I can't guarantee that will change in 2015, but I know I'm going to try and post more over here, specifically continuing the "My Worldview" stuff.

A Worthy Cause

My buddy, Paul Spataro, is raising money for Pancreatic Cancer Research. If you have a few bucks to drop in the jar, please consider donating here. Thanks.

Solar Roadways

Alright everyone, I've been seeing a lot of people posting the video (see below) for Solar Roadways and I have a few things to say on the subject.

First of all, I fully support this idea and the technology behind it. To the point that I have donated, even if it's only $5, to see it completed. I would love to investigate this for my own driveway when I need to get it redone.

That being said, I do have some concerns about how the design will hold up to heavy/highway punishment. Ask another in the Oakland part of Pittsburgh how the bus lane on 5th Avenue looks and you will understand by the current design might need to be beefed up. I do think that the current design looks like it would work for the average small road, though. Just not anything that sees a lot of truck/bus traffic, or heavy commuter traffic.

Then there is the existing infrastructure to think about. I love how they have trenches on either side of the road to connect all the piping, electrical conduit, etc, but any of these services that are already there are under the current roadway. Moving them will be a HUGE expanse for the various municipal departments and utilities, not to mention the inconvenience to the standard homeowner. Remember, your water, gas and sanitary sewer would have to be SHUT OFF in order to move these things out from under the roadway and off to the side.

Lastly, if you think that any politician would even think of implementing untried technology on the public's dime, forget it. All the vast majority of politicians care about is keeping their job, and that means not rocking the boat. If you want to see this technology get out there and grow, private citizens and small business owners have to get it going. Yes, it will be expensive at first, but so is any new technology. The more demand there is, the more the investors will see that they can make money and mass production will start.

Is this the wave of the future? I believe it is. Can we wait for our public figures to do this for us? No, we can't. Private citizens, as with most innovations, have to push this kind of thing through and then the public sector will catch up.

My World View – Concentric Circles

For the new year I thought that I’d share my religious world view with all of you.  I’m going to start with the importance I place on people/needs/etc.  The basic idea behind this is that those that are closer to me are more important that those I don’t know, or don’t know very well.  Think of this as a series of concentric circles (hence the title) radiating outward.  The further from the center, the less importance I place on it.  Here’s my breakdown:

1.       Kith & Kin – These are my family (Kin), regardless of what number/removed they are from me.  Be they blood relations or married relations, these are my family and the most important people in my life.  Also on this level are my Kith, those friends of mine that are as close as if they were my family.

2.       Tribe/Kindred – People here are tied to me through Oaths and share a common connection to the Gods and wights.  Currently I am not part of any group like this, but I was and I hope to be again in the future.

3.       Friends – People who I know and trust, but are not as close as Kith.  Most people here I have known for years, but some can get here pretty quick.

4.       Community – People that work and live in my town.  Neighbors are very important to me, since we have to live near one another, so I make it a point to help out when I can.

Now we’re getting into bigger geographical subsets, and I’m going to be specific to New Jersey, since that’s where I live and it’s what I know.  I’m sure there are breakdowns like this where you live.

5.       County – The needs of the people in my county are definitely more important to me that those of another county, and that’s because it affects my family and community more.

6.       State – The great state of New Jersey, for all its flaws, is where I choose to live and it’s more important to me than the other states in the Union.

7.       Region – The North East isn’t just a collection of states, it’s also intertwined via roads, power grids, economy, etc, and I’m a part of that.

8.       Country – As it says on the sub-title to this page, I believe that the United States is the greatest country in the world, and it definitely has my loyalty over any other.

9.       Continent – North America is my home, and the fate of Canada, Mexico and all the rest will eventually trickle down to the US.

10.   Planet – Do I really need to say more?

Since we don’t have any proof of anything beyond out little ball of blue and green, I’m going to stop here.  Needless to say, Earth trumps Mars when we finally get to colonization.

If you look at this list, it probably makes sense to you, but then it might not.  I know that my wife has a bit of a hard time with it, since she keeps trying to tell me which celebrity is getting divorces or having a baby or whatever.  Sorry, but that’s down at #8 (if it makes the list at all), which means I have much more important things to worry about.  This is also why I shoveled a parking spot for my neighbors after the most recent snow storm.  They weren’t home and were going to need a place to park when they did get home.  I didn’t do it for any reward or even a thank you, it’s that they’re part of my community (and elderly) and I was out there anyway.

Next time I’ll go into my views on the interactions between mortals and the rest of the universe.

I'm Doing It Wrong

Not something you hear too often is it?  Someone telling you that they are knowingly doing something incorrectly.  Still, I am practicing being a Heathen the wrong way.  At least, wrong in how I believe it should be practiced.  You see, I am a solitary Heathen.  True my wife and daughter are there for the rites, but my wife is a Protestant and my daughter is too young to know what she wants to be, so I am, technically, the only Heathen in my household.  While that's not unusual, I do think that it is the wrong way to do it.

The Heathen religion, in my opinion, is meant to be practiced as part of a group.  The main reason that I feel this way is the way I was brought into the religion, which is through a Theod, or Tribe, where the Gods are approached as a group, while the Wights and Ancestors are approached on a family basis.  That just makes sense to me.  The Gods are a bit on the busy side, what with trying to forestall Ragnarok and all, and they really don't have time to deal with individuals.

"So why don't you just join a group?" you ask.  Well, that's complex.  You see, the group I was a part of dissolved and the main person that got me into it is in another group.  However, that group is located a bit far out of my comfort zone as far as travel goes.  I my view, any group that I am a part of would be convenient for my family, and not require special preparations for average get togethers.  As far as a new group goes, I haven't been out to discover is there are any Theods in my area, and if there are then there's the whole joining process that I would have to go through again.  Nothing bad, mind you, but I'm getting close to 40 and I don't know if I want to do that at this point in my life.

So, until something happens to make it change, I'm going to keep doing what I'm doing, even if it's wrong, because it's better than not doing anything.

You Better Watch Out...

I would like to wish all of you a very joyous Yuletide this year.  I would also like to thank everyone who believes in Santa Claus for keeping Odin in your hearts.

I'm interested in seeing if they track any clicks on this back to a pagan blog. :)

A Message for Political Groups

Doing my research for today's election I came across the website for the Burlington County Democratic Committee, which is helpful since that's where I live.  They have some nice write ups on the candidates that they are backing but nothing, really, on the positions that they are taking.  So, wishing to get more information, I clicked on the Chairman's Message.  That's where it all fell apart for me.  Does this message speak to taxes, marriage equality, jobs, or other items important to the people of Burlington County?  Nope.

In fact, it seems like their overwhelming issue, which is the only one I can find on this entire website, is "We need to make sure that Chris Christie does not even think about running for President in 2016."  Really?  There is nothing else that you could possibly think to run on?  There are no issues affecting New Jersey or Burlington County that could possibly make any difference?  Apparently not.  Apparently they think that an election that is 3 years away is the only possible thing that any voter could care about in this election.

This is the kind of thing that really makes me want more than two (or sometimes less on this ballot) choices for any position.  The "we're good and they're bad" mindset really ticks me off.  I, for one, am more concerned about what can be done about the outrageous property taxes in the state, the passing of useless (or at least, wrong headed) laws and wasteful spending than I am about who may or may not be running for President in 2016.

We (NJ residents) have a choice of 8 candidates for Governor, which is great!  But that's it.  Every other office has only 2, and my school board election has only 2 people listed to fill 3 positions.  It's at times like this that I admire people like Kevin Bott, who are willing and able to run as an alternate party candidate.

So, what's my message to these groups?  Try stating what you are for and what positive items you want to accomplish rather than what you are against or what political power moves you plan on making.  Not only does it turn voters off from what possible good you might do, it makes you the poster children for the worst in American politics.

Now stop reading this blog and go out and vote!

How I Vote

No, this is not a "I always vote for this party" post, this is a step by step procedure of how I cast my vote in elections.  Considering the amount of posts I see on a daily basis which consist of nothing but a re-post of a political image or slogan, with no added commentary or just a "Yeah", I am forced to conclude that many people don't do much research on their own.  Hence a little guide for those of you that might just go into the booth and cast your ballot for people with the appropriate (to you) letter after their name.

1. Register to Vote - You would be surprised how many people forget this, especially if they are moving.  The simple fact of the matter is that if you aren't registered, you can't vote.

2. Obtain Sample Ballot - In the vast majority of cases, this comes in the mail a few weeks prior to the election.  If you don't get one, you can call your municipality or local board of elections and see if they can get one to you.  This is a crucial step, since everything from here on is dependent on having this piece of paper.

3. Determine Incumbents - Also know as "Determine who has one strike against them."  All things being equal, I vote for new comers over incumbents.  I just have an innate problem with career politicians.  Public Office is not supposed to be a career, it's supposed to be service to the community.  For example, the mayor of my home town is a paid, elected position.  The person that holds the office, though, has a day job because the pay is worth it for their time, but not enough to make a living off of.  That just keeps them honest, IMHO.

4. Research Candidates - Here's the hard part, especially as one gets more local.  Take the ballot and look up all the candidates.  See where they stack up on issues that are important to you.  My general rule of thumb is that if someone agrees with my position on more than half of the things that are important to me, they are worth voting for.  I know that no one will be with me on everything, but 51% is good enough to make me consider them.  And I don't just mean those in the R or D columns, I mean research everyone.  You might just be surprised on how much you might like an alternative viewpoint.

5. Research Ballot Questions - If there are any questions to be voted on, take a look at them.  Don't just go by the ballot says, look into what impact that would have on you and your family.  There is usually enough information out there on these questions that you can form a decent enough opinion on it ahead of time.

6. Mark Sample Ballot - Now that you have all of your information collected, weight it all for each office/question.  Look at each choice you have and make a decision on what is best for you.  Once you've come to a decision, mark that on the ballot.  I refer to this as my cheat sheet, since I bring it into the booth with me and cast my vote based on those choices.

7. Vote at Designated Polling Place - I am always surprised by how many people just don't bother to vote, or vote for the wrong reasons.  There was actually someone that posted on Facebook something along the lines of "I wasn't going to vote, because I really don't like Candidate A, but now that Public Figure B has endorsed Candidate C, I'll go out and vote for A."  Not because this person felt that A most represented what they thought would be good for the office, but because they didn't like B, that meant they had to vote for A.  I try to ignore endorsements as much as possible, and simply vote on the issues that matter to me, for just this reason.

See, it's just that easy.  Yes there is some work involved on your part, but considering that we elect people who will be crafting laws that will affect all of the residents of this great country, is a little homework really all that bad?  I hope I have helped some of you out there with this process.  It works for me, so I thought it would be useful for others.  Just do me one favor, vote intelligently.  Don't go by party, but by what issues are important to you as an individual.

A Marriage Opinion

I'm going to say this once, and I think that should be enough.  If your marriage or faith are so tenuous that you feel people of the same sex getting married, with all the same rights and privileges as any other married couple, would completely shatter either, then you are fighting the wrong battle.  If you would devote the same amount of energy that you waste on what other people do with their lives and focus on your own, everyone would be in a better place.  That is all.

Kevin Bott for Mayor

I recently became aware of a campaign by Kevin Bott to become mayor of Syracuse, NY.  I have visited his website and watched his video (see below), and I have to say I'm impressed.  Here is someone willing to take a shot at being Mayor of a major American city who realizes what it's like to be a normal person in this world.  The fact that he's going about it outside of the two party system that has gotten way out of control is wonderful.

Do I agree with him, or the Green Party, on everything?  Nope.  Some of the issue are pretty much the opposite of what I would want.  However, I want to give him a shot.  What we need more of in our government is outsiders.  People that do not look at politics as a career, but as a civic duty.  I believe that Kevin is one of these people and I would like to encourage everyone in Syracuse to vote for him and for as many of the readers here as possible to donate to his campaign (I have pledged $10 myself).

It's my opinion that the two party system is one of the major reasons for this country being in the mess it is currently in.  Whether I agree with the candidate/party or not, I want to encourage as many alternate party candidates as possible to run for as many offices as possible.  Once real people get control, rather than career politicians, I think we'll have a better chance to turn this around.

Social Media

Just so you know, dear readers, I have created pages for this blog on both Facebook and Google+.  Please feel free to add them for all the latest updates.

Required Viewing on Economics

These videos should be required viewing for all, but especially politicians.

Basics of Capitalism (aka It's OK to go into business)

Running a Buisiness (aka Profits are NOT necessarily evil!)

Investing (aka The rich are NOT necessarily evil!)

Unpopular Bullying Opinion

I'm sorry, but all the stuff I'm hearing recently on bullying in schools, etc just makes me sick.  Bullies are not, by nature, reasonable people.  Treating them like misunderstood, rational beings is as illogical as thier own actions.  You know what stops bullying?  Standing up and letting them know you won't take it any more.  If they can't keep picking on you without resistance, they'll move on to easier targets.  Once all easy targets are gone, they aren't able to be a bully anymore.

Personally, I think this video should be mandatory viewing for all students (and administrators).

Before you ask, no, I was not a victim of bullying.  I was lucky to be both one of the biggest kids in the class and blessed with the "I don't care what other people think" attitude.

I’m Just Fed Up

OK, this has been building for quite a bit, and I have touched on this before, but I’m a really fed up with government.  The over-reaction to the deplorable Sandy Hook Shooting, the gridlock in Washington, etc., it’s just too much.  So, not being one to curse the rain without opening an umbrella, here are my thoughts.

1.       Military

a.       Step One, GET OUT OF AFGANISTAN!  Sorry, was that not forceful enough?  We have no business there, we are not doing anyone any good and it’s Freaking Expensive in both money, and more important, LIVES!  Just be done with it.

b.      This goes down to point 5, but I’ll say it here.  If the military doesn’t want something new, don’t push it through anyway!  I tend to trust the people that have done the job for years and years, and if they don’t want a shiny new <fill in military tech here>, then that should be the end of it.  “But people in my district/state/whatever need work.”  I’m sure that these companies can find something else to build.  Sorry if that’s harsh, but we’re a little beyond sunshine and rainbows in the country.

2.       Domestic Issues

a.       Very simply put, see the 10^th Amendment.  The Federal Government really needs to stop worrying about regulating the states and deal with the Big Stuff that is their responsibility.

b.      Gun Control is not either banning all guns or using a second hand to hold your gun, it is a responsible way for States (see 2a) to control who can legally own a firearm and what kinds of firearms are legally available.  Personally, I don’t see the reason for anyone to own a fully automatic weapon.  There are better ways to make deer pâté.  That is not to say that semi-automatic weapons should be banned, just the full auto.  On that note, I would like to point out that any responsible citizen, who wishes to, should be able to buy any legally available firearm they can afford.  Heck, let’s require everyone who wants to own a particular firearm to pass a 6-week course on how to use it.  Believe or not, criminals don’t obey the law, so no matter how strict your gun restrictions, criminals will still have guns so people will still have to protect themselves.

c.       Please, PLEASE give the President a Line Item Veto.  Just look at the recent Sandy Aid Bill and listen to the oinking.  All these amendments to bills that have NOTHING to do with them is part of the problem in Washington.

3.       Foreign Issues

a.       Can we PLEASE stop being the world’s police force?  Isn’t there a group of countries, who all send representatives to a meeting yearly, which could take over this function?  I don’t know, some kind of United Nations?

b.      Again referring down to point 5, let’s cut all foreign aid, yes I said all, by half.  I know we can’t responsibly get rid of it all, but we kind of have a cash flow problem here, so let’s trim what’s leaving this country.

c.       Speaking of foreign aid, let’s enact a law/regulation/what-have-you that states “If a country receiving US foreign aid is found to be harboring a wanted enemy of the US, all foreign aid immediate stops and cannot be restarted for 10 years.”  Osama Bin Laden anyone?

4.       Elected Officials

a.       I would like to see a Constitutional Amendment implemented that states “No individual may hold elected office on any level (local, state, federal) more than a cumulative total of 20 years.”  Career politicians just annoy me on how out of touch they are and limiting how many terms of a particular office they can hold just isn’t going to deter them.  This would not apply to appointed offices, such as cabinet positions, just elected.

b.      The House of Representatives has been so f’d up for the past decade or so (yes, both Republicans and Democrats are to blame) that we should really think about implementing the Greek method of choosing.  Take all the names of all constitutionally qualified candidates in a congressional district and pick one.  That’s your Congressman/woman for the next two years.  Can anyone really argue that we’d be in worse shape?

5.       Budget

a.       First thing to do, get rid of all automatic increases in spending.  I don’t get a raise every year just because time passed, and neither should government agencies/employees.

b.      You want to raise taxes on the “rich” to increase revenue, be my guest.  But this won’t solve the problem.  There is no way that was can tax our way out of this mess we’re in.  Severe and across the board spending cuts are needed.  It’s not going to be pretty or fun, but it needs to be done.

c.       Speaking of taxes, let’s close any and all loopholes in the tax code and implement a flat sales tax.  No deductions, no tax shelters, nothing like that.  You owe X% of your purchases to the government and that’s it.  Basic necessities, such as produce, dairy, clothing, diapers, etc, would be exempt, but you want a 72” 1080p TV, you’ve got to pay the tax.  Personally, I think this is fairer than taxing income, since it doesn’t punish success, just luxury.  Yes, there could be a Scrooge out there who makes a lot of money but lives like he’s poor, but I think that’s far more the exception than the rule.

The True Meaning of Brotherhood

As most of you know, I’m a native and current resident of the great state of New Jersey.  As such, I was among those affected by Hurricane Sandy, to the point where our residence was rendered unlivable.  We’re all fine and now have a new place to live (thanks to my wife annoying the heck out of the real estate agent who was assigned to work with us), so there’s no reason to go into that.

What I would like to talk about, however, is the 3 weeks that we were without a home of our own.  My wife, 4 year-old daughter and I (the dog was being boarded) descended upon the Philadelphia apartment of my good friend and Fraternity Brother, Kurt.  For three weeks he not only put up with us invading his single life, but cooked us dinner and helped with the clean-up/recovery at our old place.  There aren’t many people in this world that are anywhere near as generous or patient as Kurt, who treated us like family.

Many people accuse those that join fraternities as trying to buy friends, or the like.  But when you have someone that offers you a place of stability in an extremely chaotic situation, you see just what kind of people you have joined up with.  Kurt and I took an oath (at different times, mind you) to treat all members of Triangle as brothers.  As a Heathen, I take oaths very seriously and I have to say, Kurt has upheld his in spades.

So I want to take this opportunity to publicly thank him and salute him for being a pillar of brotherhood and a man of unimpeachable character.  Wassail, Kurt!