There has been much debate (albeit often shrill and heated) between Gun Rights Advocates and Gun Control Advocates.  As a gun control advocate myself, here are my reasons for being in favor of gun control.  The Gun Control advocates are not trying to deprive hunters and target shooters of their sports, nor are they trying to deprive people who simply collect guns as others would collect stamps. coins, or whatever, nor am I referring to Security personnel, cops, or people serving in our military, and who therefore, are authorized to carry guns.

For a plethora of reasons, I'm generally sympathetic to and for the arguments of legalizing and/or decriminalizing drugs...especially marijuana. It's well covered territory on both sides of the argument but, in the end, the anti-legalization arguments fail to convince me that it's a better way to handle this issue. To me, it's not an issue of whether people can or will have access to these drugs because they do. So, "illegal" clearly does not mean "no access" or "diminished access" or "keeping us all drug free". Likewise, "legal" does not mean the opposite.

Excellent video about what happened on the local level in an LA High School. Well done, Drew Carey.

10 minutes well spent.

Obama has released his FY 2010 Budget , and there's a lot to digest in there. NPR has a helpful overview by department. My personal, overall impression is that there is some great stuff in there, but it is too big.

Promoted for discussion by Brendan

Nancy Pelosi has asked the Big Three automakers to present a plan by December 2 .  

Pelosi, D-Calif., laid out her expectations for an auto bailout plan, emphasizing that "it must be innovative, accountable and viable."

The decision to call the House back into session next month does not depend on the quality of the plans offered, she said, but rather on the automakers meeting the deadline. 

"Sen. Obama, this is truly a good day for America. Too often the achievements of our opponents go unnoticed," McCain says to the camera. "So I wanted to stop and say, congratulations. How perfect that your nomination would come on this historic day. Tomorrow, we'll be back at it. But tonight senator, job well done."

That was McCain's classy congratulation to Obama for accepting the Democratic nomination for President on the anniversary of MLK's "I have a dream" speech. This historic event certainly demonstrated just how far America has come towards realizing King's dream. However, we don't yet live in a race-blind society.

Political campaigns are run with the goal of winning an election. As such, they need to fully understand how voters make decisions, and in what ways voters are persuadable. Some campaigns will avoid "dirty politics" -- tactics that would be effective but which it is felt cross an ethical line. Some won't. You as an informed citizen ought to understand how the issue of race can be exploited by campaigns, and then you can decide for yourself whether a particular campaign is playing to racial sentiments.

"The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and left untried. - GK Chesterton

From Megan McArdle :

Sandra Tsing-Loh is shocked and hurt that Obama sends his daughters to an expensive private school rather than the local public schools.

Said Sandra:

Seven years ago today almost 3000 people died in brutal terrorist attacks. For those of us not directly affected, the passage of time brings a natural fading of the horror and shock we felt; 9/11 is receding into history. There is nothing wrong with this -- such is the inevitable progression of our reaction to any tragedy. We remember those who died, we try to learn what lessons we can to prevent such an event from recurring, and then we go on with our lives.

For some, however, the impact of 9/11 lingers.

This isn't so much a diary as it is a special post. Following up on this recent diary I wrote about the Sarah Palin speech, I present a posting today by Democrat and economics professor Mark Thoma titled Do Democrats Need to Learn Some Respect? .

Hat tip to Arnold Kling

An article in the WaPo looks at a debate going on at the state level in RI over Medicaid spending. Its state budget bursting at the seams, the state legislature is embattled over what to do with Medicaid, which comprises about a quarter of state expenditures.

Following up on post I made last week on the new Census Bureau Stats on income, poverty and health insurance, I read this WaPo Op-ed by Robert Samuelson.

Firstly, my quibbles:

Some writing on Gustav that inserts another perspective on the ordeal.

A few days ago, Paul Krugman, in typically rabid partisan form had another NYT Op-Ed on Gustav and FEMA.

The standard fare: the wonders of government bureaucracy cannot work without proper leadership (Dems who care) and the GOP simply produced a self-fulfilled prophecy with the Katrina debacle....nothing more. IOW, good and effective government needs people who believe in it and it will work great.

Ender's video which featured the former Clinton supporter indirectly reminded me of the topic of judicial appointments and its effect on voters.

A common argument for McCain that has been used to shore up his support among the base is that he will appoint strict constructionist judges in the mold of Antonin Scalia while Obama will try to pack the court with far left ideologues. That, in and of itself, is a good enough reason to pull the lever for McCain, regardless of what views he may have on other issues. Indeed, a McCain presidency could finally be what overturns Roe v. Wade. Lets take a moment to dissect these arguments.

I am currently hosting my so-called "French Sister". She is the youngest daughter in a family with whom I lived in France during my junior year of undergrad. It wasn't a pre-determined arrangement by some agency...just chance. I was studying and living in Avignon in my own apartment when I met a young man (through a mutual friend) at school who would become one of my best friends to this day.

So recently I've done some research on the controversial Born Alive Act of Illinois (BAI) that was presented in the Illinois legislature and on the federal level. I was curious, because, as an Obama supporter, I wanted to know what was up with his "Present" vote on the issue. Quick Disclaimers: I support the general Three Exceptions approach to abortions (rape incest, physical health). However, abortion is not one of those hot-seat issues with me, because I do know that should Roe fall, it would just go to the state level anyway, effectively ending Republican grandstanding on the issue.

It is becoming more apparent with each passing day that the American lifestyle as it currently exist is unsustainable. For more than three decades we have accepted the false narrative that we can live beyond our means and there will be no cost for the extravagance. Not only has our government accepted and promoted this falsehood, but we as a nation have accepted it as well. It has become so ingrained into our national psyche that anyone who dares to point out its inherent flaws is immediately ridiculed by politicians, the media, and their fellow citizens. You see rather than looking at the real culprits of our failed domestic and foreign policies we want to create these “bogeymen” who want to destroy our sacred way of life. The truth is that it is always easier to blame others for our shortsightedness and faults.

It is ironic that with the ascension of the Barack Obama candidacy many people believe that it is
ringing the death knell for the civil rights movement as we have known it. After 50 years of struggle, are
we reaching the end of the movement that has defined the state of black America for decades? Has
America or more importantly the black community outgrown the type of politics and confrontational style
of the previous generation? Is black America better served by the rhetoric of reconciliation and personal
responsibility being touted by Senator Obama. The answer largely depends on who you ask.

Hat tip to Arnold Kling who cites a great thought experiment from unqualified reservations . This experiment is right up my alley because it forms part of the bedrock of my perspective on society, progress and governance. I've touched on this general area of thinking in the past in various conversations and in many forms.

George Carlin has died at age 71.

Fuck.

And I use that term very deliberately given that Carlin's "Seven words you can't say on TV" ultimately became the focus of a Supreme Court case about obscenity and censorship.