I fully expect Dick Cheney to be as tenacious as he has always been.

Nowhere on this blog will anyone ever read 'Go die.' 


If I am an advocate for health coverage for every American, it includes all Americans without exception.


Dick Cheney is the furthest from my political center as one can be, but, never in my wildest imagination would I ever wish him ill.


When faced with one's own life, the scenery changes. While I may differ with others, expecting to eliminate my worst political enemy through adverse health and lack of opportunity to save one's own life is not my idea of an opportunity to win over the opposition.


All to often we hear such harsh words from opposing points of view that are so alien to a civilized resolve to our nation's problems there are no ways to find common ground. Hatred resolves nothing. Expecting every American to be autonomous in providing their health care is unrealistic. 


I fully expect the former Vice President to completely recover. His improved health will be tempered with some tolerance to medications that support his heart transplant, but, he will have a much improved health status for as long as he does.


I am not going to speak to the idea this was unjust for someone in their seventies to receive a transplant, but, instead reflect on the fact that every American is valuable and worth the care we, as a nation, can give them. This very well is a landmark to our country whereby aged Americans can receive supportive recovery from chronic illness where all body systems are in good condition and allow such a life transformation.


In realizing that a heart transplant is a radical surgery for longevity, I remind myself of the genetic therapies currently being investigated that actually grow new arteries and heart muscle. There are answers to our dilemmas as Americans and they are all very promising. We need to move in the direction of promises the future holds. Medical ethics are good for people and I trust the physicians and researchers that believe in longevity and the promise of it for every citizen.


We need to end the threat of pre-mature death to all Americans.


There was one time in our country's history where a severe auto accident was nothing but death. The auto industry has worked long and hard with the guidance of government to provide vehicles that carry us in far more safe models than ever before. I


If, as a nation, we never 'go there' we will never 'get there.' Our history proves it. 


There is absolutely no moral content to the idea that if a former Vice President is worthy of life saving surgery, that every other American isn't either. 


I wish the Cheney family much happiness in their ability to have their loved one with them that much longer.

Imagine a society with 1 million people.

There is a criminal element among the populous of 10%. 

Let's say 25% of the population are armed with guns.

Does the crime rate go down?


Real LIfe.


Michigan Governor Rick Synder wants to move State Police to high crime areas from areas of the state with low crime rates.


Will the crime go down?


Yes and no.


The crime rate in high crime areas will make some improvement, but, the confrontations among police and criminals will be more violent.


But, the crime rates in what was low crime areas will go up. Why? Because criminals aren't stupid.


The only agenda the NRA has that is valid is that instilling fear of each other will increase gun sales.


A gun is not law enforcement. Putting more officers on the street, changing corrupt cultures within law enforcement and ridding the country of drug economies will reduce crime, nothing else will. When citizens arm themselves because there is weak police presence they become a danger to themselves. A police officer comes with skills and experience, criminals do, too.

From the Houston Chronicle today:

For all the years I have been reading newspapers from around the country it was always incredible how violent Texas was consistently. Every flyin' day. Without a missing a beat there was violence and death. 

Man who claimed self-defense is charged with murder in shooting (click title to entry - thank you)

HOUSTON CHRONICLE

Updated 11:52 p.m., Friday, March 30, 2012

A man who told Houston police he fatally shot someone in self-defense has been charged with murder, officials said.

Police on Friday arrested Joseph Earl Francis, 53, in the Sunday shooting death of Joshua Johnson.

Houston police say witnesses told investigators that Johnson was walking in the 1400 block of Tarberry about 7:15 p.m. when a black Ford F-150 truck pulled alongside and someone inside the truck shot him.

Francis surrendered to authorities on Monday, telling investigators he and the 24-year-old Johnson had been involved in an 8-month-long dispute.

No further information is currently available.

Lawmakers profit from positions in Congress (click here)

By Gary Martin

Updated 10:04 a.m., Saturday, March 31, 2012

WASHINGTON — A government watchdog report that claims two-thirds of Texas congressional lawmakers used their positions to enrich themselves or family drew a strong retort Friday from both Democrats and Republicans.

The report, “Family Affair,” by the Citizens for Responsibility in Ethics in Washington, states that no laws or ethics codes were broken but shows a disconnect by lawmakers from voters despite continued low national opinion ratings for Congress.

“This report shows lawmakers still haven't learned it is wrong to trade on their positions as elected leaders to benefit themselves or their families,” said Melanie Sloan, CREW executive director.

The report lists 21 of the 32 Texas congressional lawmakers with questionable dealings....

Murders in Texas in 2010 - 1,249  That is 8.5% of the deaths in the USA. Not one-fiftieth (1/50). Eight and a half percent.


Murders in the entire USA in 2010 - 14,748


Rate of murders in Texas per 100,000 people in 2010 - 5 


That is an improvement of an all time high of 16.9 in 1980; while the rest of the country was 10.2.


Rate of murders in the entire USA in 2010 per 100,000 persons - 4.8

Texas City man convicted of capital murder (click here)

On Friday, a jury found a Texas City man guilty of capital murder in a bar shooting that killed two and injured one, the Daily News of Galveston reported.

Robert Hernandez Ramos is expected to be sentenced to life in prison, the newspaper reported.

The incident happened in 2010, according to the Houston Chronicle, when Ramos confronted his father-in-law, Robert Cantu, at the Little Doggie bar. Witnesses said Ramos shot Cantu execution-style, then shot other bar patrons during the commotion that erupted afterwards.

Rodger Doyle Robinson, who tried to stop Ramos, was shot and killed. A woman at the jukebox was shot in the shoulder and survived.

California and Florida have a larger death row population, but, have not executed as many people as Texas. So much for a deterrent. There is only one deterrent to murder and that is removing weapons from the street!

Capital punishment has been used in the U.S. state of Texas and its predecessor entities since 1819.

As of 28 March 2012, 1,232 individuals (all but six of whom have been male) have been executed. Only Virginia has executed more individuals overall; however, since the death penalty was re-instituted in the United States in the 1976 Gregg v. Georgia decision, Texas has executed (all via lethal injection) more inmates than any other state (beginning in 1982 with the execution of Charles Brooks Jr.), notwithstanding that two states (California and Florida) have a larger death row population than Texas.

Dallas' crime gun arsenal grew substantially more lethal from 1980 to 1992 as measured by changes in the types of guns confiscated by police.

...semiautomatic handguns rose from approximately 25% of confiscated handguns in the early 1980s to 0 65% in 1 9 9 2 . Likewise, large caliber handguns (defined as handguns largler than .32 caliber) accounted for approximately 45% of confiscated handguns in the early 1980s and rose to about 60% by the early 1990s. Large caliber semiautomatic handguns increased nearlyfourfold in relative terms, rising from under 10% of confiscated handguns in 1980 to 38% in 1992....


...Notwithstanding, this study has shown that the crime gun arsenal has become more lethal in recent years, and there is evidence that this trend has had negative consequences on public safety in Dallas, (click here) and presumably elsewhere. Indeed, the results of this study are very similar to those produced by an earlier study examining recent trends in gun lethality and gun violence mortality in Kansas City, Missouri....


The more guns on the street the more deaths there are. The more lethal the guns the more deaths there are.

Texas lawyers offer $10,000 for George Zimmerman's legal defense

What would the interest of a group of Texas lawyers be in a Florida killing of an innocent young man?


Self-defense? Who's self-defense? Zimmerman? The stalker? He needs a self-defense plea? 


Somebody has this wrong and I don't think it is those that see Trayvon Martin as a victim to someone who took the law into his own hands. This is outrageous. This gets more and more outrageous every day that goes by.


See, a lawyers association that wants to represent a gunman for self-defense wants every American carrying a weapon. After all, it is good for business. 


5:48 p.m. EST, March 30, 2012|

By Henry Pierson Curtis

Orlando Sentinel

The National Association for Legal Gun Defense (click title to entry - thank you) wants to contribute $10,000 toward George Zimmerman's legal expenses, a member said today.

The group represents gun owners involved in self-defense shooting cases, said attorney Blue Rannefeld of Fort Worth, Texas.

Rannefeld said he has not been able to contact Zimmerman, 28, and is trying to reach Zimmerman's attorney, Craig Sonner of Altamonte Springs to make the group's offer of assistance.