Happy President's Day!

Alexander Hamilton

Wait, what?

USA…USA…USA...

In 1980, it was the Miracle on Ice, when US amateur college hockey players beat the Soviet Union national team.

On Saturday, the US again beat the (now) Russians in Olympic hockey.

But the real victory, or sorts…

The Russian team is funded by Nike and Reebok (UK)...

….and 18 out of the 35-man Russian roster…live and play hockey in the United States (and Canada).

Alexander Ovechkin buys Virginia mansion

Score one for Capitalism!

Whew!

Nobody cares...

How Quickly We Forget...

Russian Eatery Refuses to Serve FBI and CIA Agents in Sochi

…another sign read, "We remember the Cold War."

Well, most of America has forgotten it…

"…through every stage of its story, its resisted any notion of limitation..."

"…the revolution that birthed one of modern history's most pivotal experiments..."

Just a Quick Thought...

Less laws, less regulations always seems to be better.  

If you approach an intersection, or a traffic circle, your goal should be to enter, not hit other vehicles, and exit.  However, in our society, more often you get this:

It becomes the distraction that causes the accident.

Do we need "self defense" laws?  I definitely respect the efforts of those behind the laws.  They feel that other laws have eroded what should be an inalienable right…the right to life.  

As usual, the Press doesn't miss an opportunity to miss the facts.

Trial Brings New Scrutiny of Self-Defense Laws

I have only read articles, and watched videos on the case.  It seems to me like this:  Some young black males were driving in a car in Jacksonville, Florida.  They had their music blaring. An older white male driving next to them, asked them to turn it down.  They did.  Then they turned it up.  There was an exchange of words.  The older white male (aged 47….so not "older" than you thought…) shot ten rounds into their vehicle, hitting a 17-year-old three times.

The 17-year-old died.  

The shooter, drove to his hotel room, ordered pizza, and drove 170 miles away to his home the next day.  He never called the police.

The police investigated.  

The shooter was arrested.

The shooter is going to trial.  He will be convicted, and "Self-Defense laws" will win…people should have the right to defend themselves from people like him.

While the shooter may have been driven by his feelings towards the color of the skin of the victims, Justice should be blind to it.  

That Makes Sense...

"As one of the largest retailers and pharmacies in America, CVS Caremark sets a powerful example, and today's decision will help advance my administration's efforts to reduce tobacco-related deaths, cancer, and heart disease, as well as bring down health care costs -- ultimately saving lives and protecting untold numbers of families from pain and heartbreak for years to come"... Obama

Today, the U.S. Department of Justice announced an update to its federal marijuana enforcement policy in light of recent state ballot initiatives that legalize, under state law, the possession of small amounts of marijuana and provide for the regulation of marijuana production, processing, and sale.

“As has been well documented, I smoked pot as a kid, and I view it as a bad habit and a vice, not very different from the cigarettes that I smoked as a young person up through a big chunk of my adult life. I don’t think it is more dangerous than alcohol," Obama...

Do Not Call it a War...

Many in this country like to focus on the poorly worded "War on Drugs."  Many in this country think strong drug laws are unfair to certain races.  Many in this country feel people should be free to choose if they want to use drugs.

Do not call it a war, if you are unwilling to recognized the casualties:


January 14, 2014
112 Deaths in Ocean County, New Jersey Heroin "Overdoses in 2013

January 30, 2014
US Attorney General Asks Defense Attorneys to Help Find Unfairly Sentenced Drug Dealers

February 2, 2014
Philip Seymour Hoffman Dies from Heroin Injection

February 3, 2014
Dozens of Deaths in Northeast Linked to Heroin



Biased Opinion:

* Sentencing guidelines for crack cocaine should be the same as powder cocaine and heroin and meth.

* Complaining that "we have spent billions" on a loosing "war" is just as silly as calling it a war.

* Calling marijuana a gateway drug does not mean EVERYBODY moves on to hard drugs, it means SOME people move on to hard drugs.

* Those who argue for legalized drugs on the basis of individual freedom, should not make the argument that we should be reaping the tax dollars to grow the size of government.

* Marijuana should not be legalized or compared to alcohol.


Facts:

* The legal penalties in most states for the "use" or possession of small amounts of marijuana is MUCH less than being found guilty of drinking and driving.

* Hoffman died because he freely chose to use drugs.  So did 112 people in one small county in a small state.

* Under the current Federal Sentencing laws, mandatory minimum sentences for violations of drug laws do not have to apply to first time offenders, do not apply to "user" quantities, and do not have to apply in plea agreements.