Sanity breaks out in Virginia: School kids to learn gun safety

OMG! Have you heard what those crazy redneck gun-lovers in Virginia are going to do? They're gonna teach GUN SAFETY to those poor defenseless kids in the public schools! Really!

Now that I'm through pretending to be a leftwingnut, here's the story from the Leftwingnut News, (AKA The Washington Post).

RICHMOND -- The Virginia General Assembly has directed the state's Board of Education to develop course materials for teaching gun safety to elementary school children that incorporate the guidelines of a National Rifle Association program.

The measure, approved during the legislature's recently concluded annual session, allows local school boards to choose whether to implement the program.

A leading Democrat in the state Senate had amended the bill to allow the state board to also incorporate materials from a second group, the National Crime Prevention Center. But Gov. Robert F. McDonnell (R) has proposed stripping the amendment from the bill, leaving the reference only to NRA material.

A McDonnell spokeswoman said there is no such group as the National Crime Prevention Center. The similarly named National Crime Prevention Council, best known for its McGruff the Crime Dog programs, did develop a gun safety curriculum several years ago, but a spokesman for the group said it has not been updated in several years.

What could possibly be wrong with teaching gun safety to elementary school children? Nothing, but when the left knee jerks, that's what leftwingnuts do, protest anything with the word gun.

As an NRA gun safety instructor, I'm all for teaching gun safety to the kids in school. They just might know what to do the next time some jerk goes off with a gun on school property.

There's one exception to that statement. DO NOT allow this ex-federal DEA agent teach gun safety to anybody, much less a group of 8th grade kids in Orlando, Fla., on April 9, 2004. Really.

MSM anti-military lies exposed again in Afghanistan

Anti-war, anti-military media leftwingnuts make me ashamed to admit I spent 30+ years as a photojournalist, reporter and editor for newspapers. I guess I should take the AA approach, "I'm John Myers and I'm a reporter. It's been 1,456 days since I wrote a news article."

Cases in point, among many current, is the Associated Press decision to publish a photo of a dying Marine in Afghanistan, despite the wishes of the Marine's parents and even ignoring a plea from Secretary of Defense Robert Gates for "common decency." The AP ain't got none of that.

And then there's the New York Times reporter who rushed to the scene of an attack on the Taliban in Afghanistan where U.S. and German troops allegedly killed "innocent civilians." The Taliban has told that same old lie so many times since the war started, you'd think maybe the clueless media would finally stop believing it, but they believe it because they want to believe it.

And when the Taliban kidnapped the NYT reporter, guess who came to his rescue? British commando troops rescued his sorry carcass, but in the process one of the British troops was killed. But the NYT's rescue story focuses on the reporter's translator who was killed in the rescue instead of the British soldier who gave his life. I refuse to link to the NYT, but here's the gist of the story from The Washington Times.

KABUL -- British commandos freed a New York Times reporter early Wednesday from Taliban captives who kidnapped him over the weekend in northern Afghanistan, but one of the commandos and a Times' translator were killed in the rescue, officials said.

Reporter Stephen Farrell was taken hostage along with his translator in the northern province of Kunduz on Saturday. German commanders had ordered U.S. jets to drop bombs on two hijacked fuel tankers, causing a number of civilian casualties, and reporters traveled to the area to cover the story.

So what about those "civilian casualties" claimed by the Taliban? Same old lie told once again.

Here's the facts about that from The Weekly Standard blog by Ulf Gartzke.

Friday’s deadly air strike on two Taliban-hijacked tanker trucks, which was called in by German Bundeswehr forces and carried out by USAF fighter jets, has prompted a sudden barrage of domestic and international criticism vis-à-vis Berlin’s handling of this particular incident and, by implication, the Afghan mission in general. At a press conference in Berlin Tuesday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel was unusually blunt in hitting back at her critics -– including key NATO allies like the United States and France –- and made it clear that she opposes making premature judgments and jumping to conclusions before all results of the on-going military investigation into potential civilian casualties, etc. are known. Just to recap, the Bundeswehr had called in the night-time air strikes after a source said that the Taliban would use the hijacked tankers in suicide attack on the nearby German military base in northern Afghanistan’s Kunduz region.

In an interesting development, SPIEGEL Online just published an interview with Kunduz governor Mohammed Omar who strongly defended the Bundeswehr’s actions. Governor Omar singled out the German top commander in Kunduz, Col. Georg Klein, by stating that he “made the right decision at the right time and acted in a very level-headed way” when calling in the U.S. airstrike.

Omar visited the German military base in Kunduz on Monday. He said he didn’t know how many civilians were killed in the air strike. “But the Germans have the support of the population. We didn’t receive any of the complaints one usually gets in cases where civilians are killed.”

Eyewitnesses said there were 60 armed Taliban on the scene along with 15 to 20 other people. “But at half past two at night, no normal civilians would dare to go out in this area, which is more than four kilometers from the nearest village,” said Omar.

Anyone in the vicinity of the fuel tankers must have been criminal or a supporter of the Taliban, he said. The US criticism of the attack appeared to be a gut reaction, he added.

Gut reaction? How about a gutless reaction? The entire mainstream media ain't got enough guts among 'em to string a fiddle. And they cause a gut reaction with me. 'Scuse me while I go barf.

'Miss Manners' offers advice on lunatic femnist slur 'Ma'am'

I love Miss Manners. I read her column on etiquette weekly online and even have one of her books. This is an age which seems to have lost its moorings spiritually, with common sense and with just plain politeness and Miss Manners reminds us what it means to follow the rules of courtesy.

Today she addresses the recent controversy when Sen. Barbara Boxer (Leftwingnut-California) got her panties all in a wad because an Army Brigadier General testifying in Congress dared to address her high-and-mightiness with the feminist slur word "Ma'am." How dare he!?

Dear Miss Manners:

What do you think about Sen. Barbara Boxer being addressed as "ma'am" rather than as "Senator" by a U.S. brigadier general during a Senate hearing? Was this really a breach of protocol?

Let us not go looking for insults -- or assume stupidity, which it would be for anyone to insult a senator at a senatorial hearing.

Miss Manners assures you that "ma'am" is, like its masculine equivalent, "sir," a highly respectful form suitable for addressing any female, including a president, a monarch and your own mother.

Amen, sister, amen. Maybe Miss Manners oughta be our first female President.

Sarah Palin announces plans to 'Go Live!'

As Mark Twain said upon reading his own obituary in the morning newspaper, reports of the demise of Sarah Palin are "greatly exaggerated." The liberals' worst nightmare is not only politically alive and well, she's announcing her plans to "Go Live!" as soon as her resignation as governor of Alaska becomes official. In today's Washington Times, sexy soccer mom Sarah says:

ANCHORAGE, Alaska | Brushing aside the criticisms of pundits and politicos, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin said she plans to jump immediately back into the national political fray — stumping for conservative issues and even Democrats — after she prematurely vacates her elected post at month's end.

The former Republican vice-presidential nominee and heroine to much of the GOP's base said in an interview she views the electorate as embattled and fatigued by nonstop partisanship, and she is eager to campaign for Republicans, independents and even Democrats who share her values on limited government, strong defense and "energy independence."

"I will go around the country on behalf of candidates who believe in the right things, regardless of their party label or affiliation," she said over lunch in her downtown office, 40 miles from her now-famous hometown of Wasilla — population 7,000 — where she began her political career.

"People are so tired of the partisan stuff — even my own son is not a Republican," said Mrs. Palin, who stunned the political world earlier this month with her decision to step down as governor July 26 with 18 months left in her term.

Both her son, Track, 20, an enlisted soldier serving in Iraq, and her husband, Todd, are registered as "nonpartisan" in Alaska.

Mrs. Palin, who vaulted to national prominence when Sen. John McCain, Arizona Republican, chose her as his running mate last August, left the door open for a future presidential bid...

Even dealing with the political maelstrom she unleashed, Mrs. Palin flashed the down-home, personal touch that even critics say helped her forge an extraordinary bond with supporters on the campaign trail.

When a photographer prepared to take pictures of the interview, Mrs. Palin, wearing open-toed shoes, said laughingly, "Don't get my toes in the picture - they are green on the bottom."

Indeed they were. She said the marks were grass stains from mowing her lawn the previous day.

Green toes indeed. What a touch. Look out for this woman. She'll be our next President.

I would say this announcement makes it perfectly clear (as Nixon would say) that Sarah's supposedly shocking resignation of her governorship early is just what she said it is: a unanimous family decision that the MSM/Leftwingnut Wolfpack's constant sniping at her and her family had made her effectiveness as governor not in the best interests of Alaskans. But she didn't quit just to get away from the snipers, quite the opposite. She quit to clear the decks for the main battle.

Buckle up leftwingnuts! You're in for the butt-whooping of your lives. Sarah's going on the warpath. And the wolfpackers who've been celebrating victory over Sarah are gonna find out they brought a knife to a gun fight. Because Sarah's got a moose gun and she knows how to use it!

W, Anne & me: Big Al vs. Osama?

Friends, neighbors, countrymen, we are gathered here today not to bury George Bush, but to praise him. On this 7^th anniversary of 9/11, the score is Bush 7, Osama 0. It’s a lonely job, praising President George W. Bush, but somebody’s got to do it. The “W” Fan Club could meet in a phone booth, as they say about us Republicans in my county of North Carolina. Let’s see, there’s me, there’s Anne Coulter, there’s… Oh, what the hey, I wouldn’t mind being alone in a phone booth with Anne. Where was I? Oh yeah, praising W. I live and work surrounded by Democrats, though to their credit they tend toward the Blue Dog conservative side of the party, not the leftwing nutroots, thank God for that small favor.

But I have discovered by trial and error, mostly error, that’s there’s one argument with my Democratic brethren that almost always works when they start running W down. After listening to the rants a while, I calmly ask, “Can you imagine what would have happened if Al Gore had been President when 9/11 happened?” I’m sure the leftwing-nutroot response to that is sputtering madness, but here in the conservative, Bible-belt South, it always brings a thoughtful pause to the conversation. And no Democrat I’ve asked that yet has replied with any defense of Big Al.

So for this solemn day of remembrance, I prepared my Osama targets last night for a trip to the range this weekend, where I shall shoot some .45, .44 and .357 Sig holes in my favorite terrorist. And when I put the first one between Osama’s eyes, I’ll say, “This one’s for you, George!”

Back to Anne Coulter, the Sarah Palin of the media; with me in the W phone booth. Good-looking, blue-eyed blonde, a bit skinny though. Where was I? Oh yeah, Anne’s 9-11 column compares George W. to my second-favorite Western movie star (the Duke is 1^st), Gary Cooper.

George Bush is Gary Cooper in the classic western "High Noon." The sheriff is about to leave office when a marauding gang is coming to town. He could leave, but he waits to face the killers as all his friends and all the townspeople, who supported him during his years of keeping them safe, slowly abandon him. In the end, he walks alone to meet the killers, because someone has to.

That's Bush. Name one other person in Washington who would be willing to stand alone if he had to, because someone had to.

OK, there is one, but she's not in Washington yet. Appropriately, at the end of "High Noon," Cooper is surrounded by the last two highwaymen when, suddenly, his wife (Grace Kelly) appears out of nowhere and blows away one of the killers! The aging sheriff is saved by a beautiful, gun-toting woman.

I love a happy ending, don’t you? And with Big John and Sarah Barracuda riding into town, I’m starting to feel better about the ending to 2008.

Any voter who can envision Sheriff Obama and Deputy Little Joe standing up to face the bad guys has seen too many modern Hollywood movies.

Ace penned a really good rant about 9/11. He’s pretty good at explaining the sputtering madness of the leftwing nutroots on 9/11.

On a lighter note, let me share my personal favorite 9/11-Osama story. In the summer of 2002, my middle grandson, Nicholas, was a very bright 4 years old and well on his way to becoming a news junkie, like his grandpa. My daughter Layla was shopping with Nicholas riding in the cart when they passed a military man in uniform walking up an aisle. “Are you in the Army?” Nicholas asked the soldier as he passed by.

The soldier stopped, smiled and answered in the affirmative. It probably also didn’t escape his notice that my daughter is a beautiful blonde.

Nicholas carried on his military interview with a second question, “Are you hunting Osama?” The soldier smiled again and said “I guess so.”

Nicholas replied with perfect logic, “Then what are you doing in here?” While the soldier was pondering his response to that question, Nicholas decided it was time to share some military intelligence with him, volunteering, “I know where Osama is.” The soldier smiled again and asked “Where is he?” Nicholas replied, “In ‘Ghanistan in a cave!” with a shrug of his shoulders as if everybody knew that. From the mouths of babes…

Vote Nicholas-Piper for 2048!

Lunatic politics from angry left in Palin panic

Here's a bio of Sarah "Barracuda" Palin they didn't have time for last night at the GOP convention.

Sarah Palin defended herself quite well when she spoke last night at the GOP Convention, but after listening to a week of unhinged lunacy from the left about her, her infant son, her teen daughter and her husband, as the line goes: “I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore!”

Obama smugly announced family members are “off limits” to campaign politics, but it certainly appears to be a “Do as I say, not as I do” line because all this lunatic talk is certainly coming from Obama supporters and I strongly suspect it’s being secretly fed by the Obama campaign.

Bill Kristol explained why the angry left is so unhinged on Fox News: Sarah Palin has them in a panic because she threatens Obama.

And the angry left has a very good reason to be in a panic. Palin is a strong woman leader who can appeal to those 18 million Hillary voters that Obama decided would have nowhere to go but to him when he passed on making Hillary his VP choice. Surprise, surprise up steps Sarah Palin.

But what’s chapping my behind is not the criticism of Palin. She’s a candidate and she’s fair game. But since when did it become politics to turn her infant son into a political football? Since when is a teenage daughter’s pregnancy a political football? Since when did a candidate’s husband who is not a politician become a political football? If her husband was named Bill, maybe so. But Todd Palin’s not a politician, he’s just a husband.

This is not politics. This is lunatics. This is McCarthyism, to throw out a favorite blast from the lefties. And the same line that ended the McCarthy era fits well here for the lunatic left, blasting a baby, a pregnant teenage daughter and their father, too: “Do you have no shame? None at all?”

Juan Williams of NPR defended these lunatics on Fox News, citing Sarah Palin’s supposed “hypocrisy.” Just how is it hypocrisy for a mother to love her daughter and support her when she’s pregnant? Mora Liason of NPR, also on the Fox News panel, gently but firmly corrected Williams about Palin and warned Democrats who gang up on her can expect to face a backlash from the voters for their hypocrisy.

Now that the voters have heard from Sarah herself, I say "Let the backlash begin!"

J.R. Dunn at American Thinker sums up this scurrilous media trashing of Palin’s pregnant daughter quite well.

For the past five days we have been witness to the most odious media campaign in the history of the Republic. The entire might of the legacy media -- still considerable, even in its decline -- has been focused on the degradation of a vulnerable seventeen-year-old girl for the purpose of getting at her mother. This exercise outdoes everything turned against Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush, Richard Cheney, Karl Rove, and even Richard Nixon. Only in a political culture hurtling into the abyss would such an effort not be recognized and condemned for what it is.

Patrick J. Casey cites chapter and verse to document exactly how the mainstream media and the leftwingnuts are working together to try to destroy Palin. It's worth a read for the full magilla.

Make no mistake about it; the media and the Dems are out to destroy Palin and her family by any means necessary.

The following quote from Yuval Levin at the Corner that pretty much sums up what conservatives have been thinking this week:

I have always tended to think that conservative complaints about the media are a little exaggerated. There are occasionally obvious instances of bias and clear examples of a double standard, but most reporters don’t want to fall into those and some conservatives are surely too sensitive to them. But this week has changed my view. I have never seen, and I admit that I could never have imagined, such shameful, out-of-control, frenzied, angry, condescending, and pathetic journalistic malpractice. The ignorant assault on Palin’s accomplishments and experience, the breathless careless airing of deranged rumors about her private life, the staggeringly indecent mistreatment of her teenage daughter in a difficult time, the ill-informed piling on about the vetting process, the self-intensifying circle of tisking nodding heads utterly detached from a straightforward political event, have been amazing and eye-opening.