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Summing Up The Season

When I was small I believed in santa claus
Though I knew it was my dad
And I would hang up my stocking at christmas
Open my presents and Id be glad

But the last time I played father christmas
I stood outside a department store
A gang of kids came over and mugged me
And knocked my reindeer to the floor

They said:
Father christmas, give us some money
Dont mess around with those silly toys.
Well beat you up if you dont hand it over
We want your bread so dont make us annoyed
Give all the toys to the little rich boys

Dont give my brother a steve austin outfit
Dont give my sister a cuddly toy
We dont want a jigsaw or monopoly money
We only want the real mccoy

Father christmas, give us some money
Well beat you up if you make us annoyed
Father christmas, give us some money
Dont mess around with those silly toys

But give my daddy a job cause he needs one
Hes got lots of mouths to feed
But if youve got one, Ill have a machine gun
So I can scare all the kids down the street

Father christmas, give us some money
We got no time for your silly toys
Well beat you up if you dont hand it over
Give all the toys to the little rich boys

Have yourself a merry merry christmas
Have yourself a good time
But remember the kids who got nothin
While youre drinkin down your wine

Father christmas, give us some money
We got no time for your silly toys
Well beat you up if you dont hand it over
We want your bread, so dont make us annoyed
Give all the toys to the little rich boys

"Father Christmas" The Kinks

Posted by The Webtoad at 11:16 AM | Comments (0)

Gun Rights and the 9th Amendment

“A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”
-Second Amendment to the US Constitution.

“The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.”
-Ninth Amendment to the US Constitution.

-Source: National Archives and Records Administration – www.archives.gov

________________________________________________________________________________________________

It is more than likely that the 2nd Amendment will be much discussed in the upcoming 110th Congress. It is a favorite topic of the Democratic Party. As are all of the Constitution’s amendments, not to mention the Constitution itself, the 2nd Amendment is ambiguous. Numerous readings bring no clarity as to the specific intention of the founding fathers. It is only through an understanding of the founders’ intentions that one can begin to interpret this or any clause in the present day.

First and foremost, it was the concern of the men who gave birth to the Constitution that the Federal Government not infringe upon the rights of the states or the individuals of the newly created country. The Constitution is set up so that no one branch may hijack the government and use it against the people. The amendments further provided safeguards against hegemony by enumerating specific rights that may not be violated by the central government. The document as a whole, Constitution and amendments, are designed to protect the American people from the government. That is its most basic function.

At no point in the Constitution or the Bill of Rights are the rights of the people restricted. Never does the document upon which this country is founded take away a right from an individual. The 9th Amendment in unusual directness states that rights not specifically ensured by the Constitution shall not be considered as a denial of those rights. It can very pointedly be argued that the 2nd Amendment addresses militias and the states and that it speaks to “people” and not “person or persons”. However, any interpretation that the 2nd amendment does not guarantee the individual the right to keep and bear arms would be to ignore the 9th amendment. This reasoning would be restricting the rights of the individual by arguing that the Constitution does not specifically enumerate that right. This argument runs counter to all that the founders hoped for. The Federal Government and the manuscript upon which it is founded may not restrict an individuals rights including the right to own a gun.

History does bear out an instance in which it the Federal Government did limit the rights of the individuals. The 18th Amendment made it illegal to sell or possess alcohol. Without going deeply into that case it must suffice to say that the people of this country, through the representatives in Washington, came to their senses and with the 21st Amendment made right that wrong. Currently there is talk of an amendment to ban gay marriages. One point alone must render this argument untenable: it would restrict the rights of the individual. No other point matters.

There are many good reasons why people should not possess guns these days. 230 years ago, when the Constitution was written, guns were a necessity of life for much of the population. They were a way to put food on the table and to protect one’s family and possessions. That is not the case today. Guns have no place in much of our society. However, arguing that a person should not have a gun is much different but not far from saying that one can not have a gun. By giving into the easy fix and allowing the Federal Government to regulate the tool that the founders intended the people to have in order to protect themselves from that government is not only stupid, it is unconstitutional. The way to quell senseless violence is not through restricting the rights of individuals but through including more and more people in the prosperity that all Americans have a right to achieve through peaceful, lawful means. Washington can start by addressing the inexcusably wretched state of public education in this country and in doing so watch the rate of violent crime in this country drop. It won’t happen overnight but it will happen in most people’s lifetime.

Posted by The Webtoad at 02:50 PM | Comments (0)

Ginsberg

Detroit has built a million automobiles of rubber trees and phantoms
but I walk, I walk, and the Orient walks with me, and all Africa walks
and sooner or later North America will walk

...

I am not interested in preventing Asia from being Asia
and the governments of Russia and Asia will rise and fall but Asia and
Russia will not fall
the government of America also will fall but how can America fall
I doubt if anyone will ever fall anymore except governments
fortunately all the governments will fall
the only ones which won't fall are the good ones
and the good ones don't yet exist.

- Excerpts from Allen Ginsberg's "Death To Van Gogh's Ear!" 1958

Posted by The Webtoad at 01:08 AM | Comments (0)

So Much For the Polls

I am glad that my analysis of the NY times/CBS poll was wrong. I am glad that we have a new party to run our Legislative branch. I am glad that I am now represented by a new person in the House. I am glad about a lot of things but my scepticism leads me to believe that I had best not get used to it.

The Democrats have had it easy the last couple of years. All they had to do was be against whatever it was that the Republican Party of George Bush was proposing. Alternatives were not necessary. The Republicans did such a wonderful job of screwing things up that they did not need any help from the Democrats. That has all changed. With Virginia's Senate race seeming to go to the Democrats, they control the entire Legislature. They now have the burden of setting a legislative agenda. That is their job. If the President were smart (no need for jokes here the man just got trampled) he would sit back and do what it is that the Constitution asks of him: execute the laws of the land. That would include vetoing any laws he disagreed with. Essentially, to help himself get back into the good graces of the voting public, he should stay out of the Legislative process. Let the Dems do their job and oppose what they put forward. More than likely, the Dems will be stepping in cow patties soon enough.

Posted by The Webtoad at 01:06 AM | Comments (0)

Donkey Stampede

I saw this cartoon on Tuesday. It seemed so fitting then as it does now.

Posted by The Webtoad at 12:58 AM | Comments (0)

Hudna

A spokesman for the Palestinian's ruling party, Hamas, calls for a long period of peaceful, non-violent co-exixtense.

Pause For Peace

Posted by The Webtoad at 01:21 PM | Comments (0)

So Much For A Change In Congress

The latest NY Times/CBS Poll is out and there are some disturbing numbers in it. For the most part, it is straightforward and bland. Nobody approves of the President. Most everybody believes that the country is headed in the wrong direction and everybody hates the members of Congress. Except for their own. Wait, what? That’s right, the only person that people want to remain in office is the only one that they can vote for. Here are the two pairs of questions that bare this out:

Do you approve or disapprove of the way Congress is handling its job?
10/27-31/06 Approve: 29% Disapprove 56%

How about the Representative in Congress from your district? Do you approve or disapprove of the way your Representative is handling his or her job?
10/27-31/06 Approve: 58% Disapprove 26%

Do you think the representative in Congress from your district has performed his or her job well enough to deserve re-election, or do you think it's time to give a new person a chance?
10/27-31/06 Deserves Re-Election: 46% Time for New Person: 44%

Do you think most members of Congress have done a good enough job to deserve re-election, or do you think it's time to give new people a chance?
10/27-31/06 Deserve Re-Election: 16% Time for New People: 70%

I had to read these questions several times today. I could not believe my eyes. “Should we re-elect a new Congress?” “Hell yes! Throw the bums out!!! Except for my Bum. My bum is doing just fine.”

I am sure that I don’t need to spell this out but I am going to anyway. If everybody votes for the only Congressman that they feel is doing fine, then ALL Congressmen will be re-elected. There will be no change in Congress.

This is what we get when we have only two choices (one step away from no choice) in our political system. Who do you want to represent you? Dumb or dumber? Corrupt or criminal? Richie Rich or Richie Richer? Corporate America or Corporate America?

I go to the polls this Tuesday knowing that either way, donkey or elephant, America loses.

Posted by The Webtoad at 01:04 AM | Comments (0)