And Top o’ the Day to ye, Mr. Rigby! Now let’s get to work, shall we?
Let’s consider your “facts” from your 12:45PM post:
First of all, sit down, put your seat in the upright position, place any
drinks you may have out of your reach and empty your mouth
appropriately to preserve your keyboard.
Ready?
I agree with most of your facts about Bush’s accomplishments in Texas;
but... (Aw, c’mon! You knew there’d be a “but”!)
You give Bush credit for creating, proposing, and pushing through the
Texas legislature much more than I believe to be accurate. He signed the
CHL law - he didn’t propose it, write it, or push it through the committees,
etc. By prohibiting any consideration of CHL, Ann Richards alienated not
only gun owners but also anti-gunners who wanted to vote against CHL.
In effect, she UPS’d Bush the keys to the Governor’s office by letting her
elitist arrogance show in public.
Bush can only take credit for signing the CHL law and I DO give him full
credit for fulfilling his main campaign promise! But the CHL law had been
written much earlier, during Queen Ann’s reign, by the State Rep (from
Houston, I believe). It is personally embarrassing that I can not
remember his name at the moment.
Indeed he signed the bill to keep idiot city leaders from suing gun
manufacturers. But who wrote it? Not our Bushy governor. But I DO
recognize and give credit to him for signing something so common
sensible.
I commended Bush for his stand against teen-age murderers and for frying
Carla Raye Tucker. And, with the help of the legislature, he showed
common sense ridding Texas of some old Blue Laws.
But does Gov. Bush believe in LESS government? I have no reference, but
is it one of your facts that our state budget *decreased*? Have we
*fewer* regulations now (even though he repealed some Blue Laws) than
we had before he was elected? Frankly, I don’t know. But I DO know our
legislature has been busy - and that seldom bespeaks fewer laws or less
cost.
Crime, at least violent crime, has decreased during Bush’s tenure. I find it
truly offensive (as I’m sure you do) that credit is given to everything
including midnight basketball rather than stricter law enforcement and our
CHL. We agree on much of this topic.
However, Bush has permitted many new violations of our U.S.
Constitution. Two that quickly come to mind are: 1) curfews (based on
age rather than criminal acts) and 2) no-man’s lands (creating certain
areas in San Antonio where it is forbidden for certain people simply to be).
As for “smear-free” campaigns, Bush learned his lesson from Clayton
Williams. (Is that the right name?) Anyway, this arrogant Texas rancher
ran against Ann Richards, swapped some really ugly smears with her, then
called her a liar and refused to shake her hand. (He also made some
dumb comment about the weather being like rape - if you can’t change it
just lay back and enjoy it or something to that effect. Really a dumb thing
to say.)
So if Bush takes the high ground, it is (at least in part) because it is to his
advantage to do so and he never has run against a “viable” opponent.
He’s never had to “get tough”. As you point out, Ann Richards is elitist
scum.
However, if he is a man of such unimpeachable integrity, then we must
believe he WILL implement gun control measures as President as HE
PROMISED!
Either he is lying and calling it “realism” or he will implement the
proposals of the Republican Party PLUS whatever “compromises” that must
be made with the Democrats to achieve whatever other goals they both
feel are more important than our pesky ole Constitution.
I have listened to the guy speak. So have you (apparently). So tell me,
when did he say that gun laws are unconstitutional and should be
rescinded? What has he said or done to show us he is ready to defy
Schumer, Brady, et al? Nothing!
And his record in Texas, in which you place so much stock, won’t carry him
through the power structure of Washington, DC.
--------
Now, in reference to your post at 09:11 PM
“And still, no word about why all the Bushbashing! Must be some reasons
way beyond yours and my comprehension, Cactus....” I understand your
political concepts are limited to the last four to eight years, but surely you
can understand that many of us can not check hourly for your posts!
Right? (Okay, so that was more like Ann Richards than Georgie. I’ll take
a minute to “look ashamed” as Gary Moore would say.) Just give me a
break over a time period from 12:45 to 9:11, okay?
As for your difficulty swallowing, see a political historian rather than a
medical doctor! The differences between the two parties are shouted from
the rooftops while they secretly make deals and compromises in the cloak
room.
You like facts, eh? Well the FACT remains that the Democrats and
Republicans, working together, have darned near voided the Bill of Rights.
That “HHUUGGEE difference ... between the 2 main parties” is largely a
debate over whether they want us fried or fricasseed!
These staged “pillow fights” result in combined unconstitutional violations
of our gun rights, our rights to be safe in our homes, our rights to
property, our right against self-incrimination, and (as expert TFLers can
tell you) it is getting worse instead of better.
So don’t talk to me in suave tones about “nuances”. Show me the Brady
bill rescinded. Show my daughter in New York being able to buy the
means to protect her life and the life of her son. Show me able to buy a
shotgun through mail order and have it shipped to me by UPS. Show me
able to return a firearm to the manufacturer for repairs without having the
darned thing registered by the government.
You’re cotton-picking right, “...that for some, due perhaps to repeated
disappointments with "the system", a certain "lack of faith" may have
found the way into your hearts.” And that lack of faith is in the lying
buggers implementing their “need” to reduce us to subservience.
And the sun also shines in Ft. Worth, that provincial suburb of Dallas
, so
Bush’s plans to further restrict our gun rights will affect you just as it will
affect me and our children and grandchildren. If you can’t see that, then
maybe I’m not the only sufferer from excessive sunlight.
“Wake up now, here's your chance!!!!!” That’s a wonderful, wonderful call
to action! I agree! Wake up! The Republicans will infringe our gun rights
just as would Democrats - it only take Republicans longer to do it. So the
Republicans must become Republicans again, be absorbed by their
mentors (the Democrats), or simply fade from the scene. To say that the
next ten Presidents will come from this semi-monolithic establishment is a
terrible accusation, presuming incredible stupidity and blindness, of the
American voter.
The Republicans have promised more infringements of our Second
Amendment. Either they have the integrity to do what they say (in which
case I despise them) or they are liars (in which case I despise them).