I sometimes end a comment or column with an exasperated and they ask my why I drink…
CNN ought to ask itself why fewer and fewer read (or watch).
A good place to start would be the chock full o’ non sequiturs it published the other day, titled as per the headline of this dissection thereof.
“Ubiquitous gun violence in the United States . . .” it opens. Wait a minute. Let me consult my dictionary as ubiquitous is a big word and I want to be sure I have the meaning right. Ah, yes. Ubiquitous. Synonyms include omnipresent and everywhere.
Got it
I look out my window and do not see “ubiquitous” gun violence or even any, at all. In fact, there is essentially no – as in zero – gun violence in my rural SW Virginia county (Floyd, Va.) notwithstanding that guns are, indeed, very ubiquitous. If I turn my head the other direction, away from the window, I will see some of them. The ones I own. They are much like the guns my neighbors own. That practically everyone in my rural county owns yet almost no one ever commits violence with.
This being a fact – and not by any means an isolated one (there are similar gun-concentrations in most rural areas and a similar dearth of what the CNN people style “gun violence” in those areas) and for that reason, the CNN piece is simply, factually, in error.
Egregiously so.
The first three words cast both an objective falsehood and a slur, which is something one will find . . . ubiquitously over at CNN (another recent example of the same being the snide – and false – reporting that podcaster Joe Rogan self-treated his case of the ‘Rona with “horse dewormer”).
Why would anyone continue reading – or listening – to anything people of such ubiquitously bad faith (or is it merely intellectual sloppiness?) have to say about anything? Well, perhaps for the same reason pathologists paw through the maggot-crawling remains of dead people. One sometimes must wade deep to get at the truth of a thing.
The piece goes on:
“Ubiquitous gun violence in the United States has left few places unscathed over the decades . . .”
Italics mine.
Well, except for most places.
Is it even necessary to point out the well-known fact that “gun violence” is “ubiquitous” almost exclusively in “places” where there is political violence – in the form of legal prohibitions upon the possession and most all the carrying of guns outside of one’s home? Examples of such “places” abound but perhaps the most conspicuously violent is Chicago. There, violence with guns abounds – chiefly because the violent have them, contra the law – while those not violent are denied them, by the law.
This is well-known, a cliche.
The direct correlation isn’t between guns and violence. It is between violent places and guns. Almost all of the latter are urban wastelands where it is illegal to own guns and for that reason the people who are violent do own them. And use them on the non-violent as well as each other.
CNN – and other actors of bad faith – ubiquitously make the false and slanderous word-association between simple gun ownership and violence; it is the modus operandi of the people who write such pieces and it transcends the “gun violence” hobbyhorse they love to ride.
Of a piece examples include the false association of not wearing “masks” (or getting Jabs) with the spread of sickness and death. It’s false and opprobrius – which is why those so attacked resent it and stop reading and listening to the lies and opprobrium directed their way.
Lord, almighty . . . it continues:
“Still, many Americans hold their right to bear arms, enshrined in the U.S. Constitution, as sacrosanct.”
Indeed, they do. As you (CNN) hold “sacrosanct” your right – also enshrined in the U.S. Constitution – to hold forth inaccurately and slanderously. Even as you agitate for the suppression of the free speech rights of any who disagree with you. Even though that right you “hold sacrosanct” is debatable, in your case – since slander and lies are not necessarily subsumed under the right to freedom of the press.
Ready for more? You may perhaps wish to down a tumbler or two of some top-shelf stuff before proceeding . . .
Here it comes:
“But critics of the Second Amendment say that right threatens another: The right to life.”
Italics added.
In other words, you (saith CNN, obliquely but also clearly) do not have the right to defend your life, which in many cases can only be done with a gun (see, for example, the recent Kyle Rittenhouse affair, which of course CNN regards as willful murder rather an act of self-defense, as the jury ruled because how else could any jury have ruled?) because others have used guns to take lives.
I – like many people who’ve never committed an act of violence – have had guns all my life. In part to have the means of defending my life, should that ever become necessary. How that threatens the “right to life” of anyone not bent on taking mine escapes me.
Perhaps it takes reading more CNN to understand it.
I think I’d rather not.
. . .
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In the Netherlands police shot live ammo into a anti-passport protest. Some were killed , some injured.
Yes those who serve and protect their masters are allowed guns.
And those Euro-peons think we are a backward uncivilized bunch of buckeroos.
Then there is Australia……..
Ken – i just had this argument with someone out here in the UK a couple days ago…. the smugness of some of these jackasses who have full faith in the authorities to take care of them is crazy. Yes they do think of Americans as a bunch of Neanderthals who still need weapons to survive…. and they genuinely think the reason they dont have them is they are more evolved or something….
RE: “and they genuinely think the reason they dont have them is they are more evolved or something….”
There’s sooo much to add to that. Historically, statistically, morally, etc, etc, etc,… I shall refrain and be glad I’m surrounded gun-totin’ rednecks who do things like shoot ducks.
and be glad I’m surrounded BY…
BY gun-totin’ rednecks who do things like shoot ducks.
Edit. Yeesh, typing too fast. Might get a ticket for that in the Bizarro World of Morrow Morrow Land?
Gotta get Daffy or Donald before either of those wackos gets you.
Helot- totally agree. Always say i’d feel more comfortable surrounded by good people who have guns, even though personally I dont know much about guns, and have hardly ever gone to a gun range or hunting except as a child with my uncles. But I guess in the UK that puts me in the top 1% of gun users in my age group in the UK because I suspect most have never seen a gun except in a movie!!
First, CNN et al. are speaking only of urban folk. The rest of us do not matter and should not be able to breathe their air.
Second, I’m happy to hear CNN admit we have a right to life. That includes a right to protect that life. Too bad for them it includes the use of arms.
We also have a right to protect that life via refusal of experimental & dangerous concoctions.
Speaking of!
I purchased some firearms the other day and STILL haven’t been approved concerning the “background check”. 10 days later!
Used to be after 5 days, if I remember correctly, they had to turn over the firearms. They say it could be a MONTH now.
Not sure what the hold-up is. Yes, I have a few misdemeanors from my youthful days. It’s been over 17 years since I’ve been arrested for anything, and even then, it was mostly “substance enthusiast” infractions. Nothing was violent.
I’ve had and bought firearms nearly all of my adult life and was raised around them as well. I’ve never shot anyone, on purpose or inadvertently, and never will, unless my life is threatened. There is no reason for this bullshit!
Having to ask the federal government for permission to buy firearms is like having to ask Al Capone if you can drink a beer. That senile old bastard, who thinks himself our king, and his band of Johnny Jackasses let the fucking TALIBAN have $80 billion worth of American military weaponry and equipment, and we’re supposed to ask THEM if it’s okay if we buy a .22!
I’m sick of it, and it needs to stop. We shouldn’t need the Crown’s permission to buy or own a fucking thing.
Alright, rant over.
There’s always”private sales”.
OR…
If you have a trusted friend or relative, they could purchase the firearms for themselves (very important, must be purchased for themselves) and then at a later date, they could “gift” them to you. Even the ATF says “gifts” of firearms are OK and are not considered “straw purchases”.
Just let your relatives know what you want for your birthday or Christmas…
If they weren’t purchased in your name, so what?
Anarchyst,
Sure, I could do that, or build them, but that isn’t the point. I’ve passed the damn background check 3 or 4 times in the 17 years since I was arrested for anything, but it’s always pissed me off that I should have to do such a thing at all. The violent bastards perpetrating gun crimes seem to acquire weapons with the greatest of ease. “Background checks” appear to be a minor inconvenience for them.
What’s worse is that there appears to be no political impetus to get rid of them. Many gun rights “proponents” seem to be all for background checks. I even hate the fucking term. BACKGROUND CHECK!
CRACKDOWN!
What a crock. Not to toot my own horn, but I’m a good citizen. Certainly better than most of the goons in the District of Criminals. I don’t need any shit.
I agree with you 100%. Background checks only affect and harass the law-abiding.
A pet peeve, most of my conservative, gun loving friends spout off crap about “we don’t need any more gun laws- they need to enforce the ones they’ve got!” and “I got my permit to carry! Ain’t that cool!”
Here is the thing. The US Constitution is the supreme law of the land per Marbury v Madison. The second amendment is an organic part of that Constitution. Therefore, the second amendment is “black letter law”. If the law matters, all levels of government are prohibited from meddling in your choices in weaponry.
Now, a right that cannot be infringed is not subject to tax, or permission slips, and cannot be disallowed by any previous condition of servitude. I don’t see any grant of power to segregate the people of this land by previous crimes committed, or by their refusal to accept a medical treatment of any sort.
If you accept that they can keep you from being armed, and armed with sufficiently effective weaponry to counter any modern threat, then in what world are you free?
Thank you, Ernie. Exactly!
So many 2nd Amendment, gun-rights and freedom “advocates” all-of-a-sudden sprout all kinds of qualifiers when it comes to gun ownership and use when it comes to something like this.
Few have much to say about the same government arbitrating your gun purchases also funding and arming horrible regimes everywhere:
https://thefreethoughtproject.com/war-us-finances-dictators-worldwide/
Go figure.
You need to go thru the steps to have those arrests legally expunged from your past.
Doing so will reduce anything that slows your NICCS Background check coming back clean and quickly.
I’ve never had anything more than an hour delay and it’s usually only system congestion, so dealers told me.
your State should list the procedures for explaining expunged.
It’s worth it, I’ve seen convicted felons become FFL gun dealers using these steps.
I’ll see what I can do, Saxon. Also, there is a CCW license, which helps hasten the process, I hear.
It’s best to get those “youthful mistakes” expunged, especially if you’ve been “clean” for so many years. Critical employment opportunities, especially those involving a security clearance, can be torpedoed by them no matter how much of a “good boy” you’ve been since.
Douglas,
One issue is that in Az, they don’t exactly expunge anything. They have a provision called “set aside”, which is something more like a note from a judge saying that you’ve been a “good boy” as you put it, but your convictions aren’t removed from your record or even sealed, as they do in some places.
Eric, you may have another problem on the back end. I had to attempt to post four times. The first three times it threw an error and told me to solve the captcha properly. Did word press have yet another update and break things? Sorry guy, I know how annoying these things can be,
“Ubiquitous Gun Violence in America”
It’s. The. Blacks.
FIFY CNN
What is really sad is that slavery didn’t break up their family structure. That was done by generations of welfare. Fostered by the same party that used slavery against them. As Walter Williams once said to a Prog talking head; “Please stop helping us”.
Around blacks, NEVER relax.
Gun violence is only ubiquitous in black neighborhoods. According to the FBI Uniform Crime Report, 52% of the murders in the U.S. are committed by blacks — who comprise a mere 13% of the population. (The actual perecentage of murderous criminals is even lower than that, because most homicides are committed by males between 15 and 40… if you apply those parameters to the black population, 52% of the homicides are probably committed by 4 or 5 percent of the overall U.S. population).
The annual crime statistics offered by deBlasio’s NYPD (a department hardly immune to wokeness and political correctness) broken down by race are simply stunning:
https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/nypd/downloads/pdf/analysis_and_planning/year-end-2019-enforcement-report.pdf
To mention these truths may make some feel uncomfortable, so I feel compelled to offer the standard disclaimer that yes, of course there are white criminals, and indeed, there are wonderful law-abiding blacks, but I am also quite well-trained in the analysis of social science statistics, and the numbers are quite clear.
Beyond that, I have spent every day of my life with and around guns, yet violent crime in my environs is literally nonexistent. But then again, I live in an area that is almost 100% white and working-class. I realize that this is an anecdotal observation, but nonetheless it is my daily reality.
Of course, CNN and their ilk, as organs of propaganda, report what is politically correct and simply refuse to report fact and reality.
Hey eric, sorry if off-topic, but I think the “reset password” doodad is buggy on the site’s login page.
Several days ago, I forgot my login (tried many candidates) and tried to get a reminder/reset, but nothing ever happened when I clicked the “button” and I never got a password reset e-mail.
I just now decided to give it another shot, and got lucky.
That’s all I got…
I finished high school in 1986. During hunting season, it was not unusual for students that hunted would come to school with rifles and shotguns in the gunracks of their trucks. A lot of us, myself included, always had pocket knives on us while attending classes. Back then, no one even batted an eye at that and we never had a AGW “resource officer” at the school. Just to think if that scenario played out today, the shit would hit the fan. It’s a different world today and a sorry one at that. And to think we still consider ourselves “the land of the free”. It makes me want to drink!
1977 HS graduate, same thing re: hunting season and the local HS parking lot…rifles and shotguns on pickup truck gun racks everywhere.
Just read an article over at Zero Hedge describing my city of birth, and until 2 years ago, where I lived – Philadelphia. Or should I call it Kill-a-deathia? This week they tied their homicide record for the year with number 500. And there is still over a month to go. Lovely. And now I live in Kentucky, where there may be more guns than people. And nowhere near the violence (with the possible exception of Louisville, but that’s over an hour away from me).
It wasn’t too long ago that gun safety was taught in schools. When I went through it was gone, but we still got the first day of buck season (Monday after Thanksgiving) off because no one would show up anyway, teachers included. The Tuesday paper would almost always have a picture of a grinning kid with his trophy buck on the front page. It was normal. And no one was mass shooting, no one was a gangster. Just people doing what they’ve done for generations. The real hard core hunters would go after turkey, which is a bit dangerous. The only story I recall of someone shooting another hunter (except for VP Chaney sending the message to his “friend”) was during turkey season.
Before Babe Ruth, shooting sports were the national pastime.
Gun violence isn’t even in the top 10.
Heart disease: 659,041
Cancer: 599,601
Accidents (unintentional injuries): 173,040
Chronic lower respiratory diseases: 156,979
Stroke (cerebrovascular diseases): 150,005
Alzheimer’s disease: 121,499
Diabetes: 87,647
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome, and nephrosis: 51,565
Influenza and pneumonia: 49,783
Intentional self-harm (suicide): 47,511
I take exception to perpetuating their subtleties in mind manipulation with that term.
“Gun Violence” is named so to associate the latter with the former.
What about…
“Fist Violence”
“Hammer Violence”
“Bat Violence”
“Knife Violence”
“Poison Violence”
“Push in front of a bus violence”
“Pillow Violence” (See the recent serial killer who murdered many elderly with deadly pillows. Memory foam assault pillows should only be available to trained military and police.)
It’s a word trick to remove the human action and responsibility and place blame on the object they wish to demonize. Lets all stop repeating their spell.
Don’t forget “Cow Violence”. Cows are dangerous as all hell.
Totally true! Especially, Cows with Guns!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQMbXvn2RNI&ab_channel=Thermosion
Duh! sorry about that… I skipped the name field.
Hahaha, and chickens in choppers… Feel like I’ve seen everything now.
And given the recent tragedy in Waukesha, WI, should we add, “SUV violence?”
medical error deaths is a biggie
Traditionally its a solid third place at a conservatively estimated 250,000/year. But with the lethal injections, I’m sure they are a shoo in for grand champion in the immediate future!
A subset of about 2% of the country account for over 50% of violent crime. Also a different 2% of the country accounts for about 98% of the political crime. Having an armed citizenry keeps both groups relatively in check.
Norman, I’m glad you said “relatively”. Population control is much easier, when one has control of the “educational” system, and the mass media. John Lott has a fascinating book called More Guns Less Crime. Its a very detailed analysis of the actual data involved. His conclusions have caused Prog heads to explode across the country.
https://press.uchicago.edu/Misc/Chicago/493636.html
Its well known who is responsible for the vast majority of crime. But the Wokeista go into hysterical foaming at the mouth rage, when its out right stated.
Hey Bj, that was an excellent book. I read it years ago. Lott had great big balls to write what he did at that time.
I say ‘relatively’ because most of us here don’t live in LA, Detroit, New York, or any of the other blue shitholes that are beginning to litter the country. Still, those places should remain self isolated during a crisis. 5$ gas will keep many of the dindoos in their open air cages. Everything shitlibs do has an unintended consequence that backfires on them. Way to go Brandon.
Some 2A news about Youngkin in VA. Guy doesn’t seem to be in any hurry to roll back the red flag and other Northam infringements. The Floyd county rep quoted at the end is rarin’ to go though.
https://www.greenwichtime.com/news/article/Youngkin-tests-activists-patience-as-he-pushes-16655321.php
You will never have more rights than you can defend. Such is the very purpose of 2A. What tyranny you will tolerate is exactly how much you will get. Even if gun violence WAS ubiquitous, I would STILL favor the right to arm oneself, likely more so. I would favor a bit of erroneously described “wild west” culture to retain the means to remain free. The “wild west” was not nearly as wild as assumed, as decent people were as well armed or better than the indecent. Unlike today. Pedophiles didn’t make it to a trial. There is a reason that tyrants prefer to disarm the people, as CNN agrees with. It’s much easier to load people on trains if they aren’t shooting at you. CNN would eagerly be a party to that train loading. As long as you AREN’T shooting at them. Which is why they want you unable to do so.
Indeed John,
Australia is already loading those trains, being able to do so since they previously disarmed their citizens. I still find it hard to believe those people willingly turned over their guns; if the PTB ever come for mine they’ll be getting the ammo first, as fast as I can give it to them.
All one has to do is observe the countries who chose NOT to give up their nukes. Nobody is going to f#ck with them. It is ironic to note that israel, which has possessed nukes since the 1950s has the “chutzpah” to tell the rest of the world that (certain) other countries should not possess nukes. Who died and made israel the “boss” of the world? As a matter of fact, israel’s nukes were manufactured with stolen fissile material.
When it comes to the proliferation of weaponry, American hunters comprise a much larger military force than that of the uniformed services. In addition, the government does not know where most of the firearms are–a good thing.
Australia is a prime example of what occurs when the citizenry gives up their firearms. Repressive measures for a phony “virus” including “lockdowns” (being imprisoned in one’s home), curfews, forced face diaper and vaccination mandates, and camps. Yes, camps which are presently being used to imprison the aboriginal population.
NEVER GIVE UP YOUR MEANS OF DEFENSE AGAINST TYRANNICAL GOVERNMENTS AND OTHERS–NEVER!
And there are an abundance of shooters that do not hunt, me being among them. Not to mention those shooters that don’t hunt are most often better at it. Though those like myself that used to hunt are more accustomed to taking a life. A thing I never took pleasure in, but felt a spiritual need to do if I was going to eat meat. Or remain free.
Although certainly there’s an inherent right to hunt game to feed oneself and family (covered under 9A and 10A), 2A is not to defend that right. The explanatory clause makes it clear that the Founders intended that the basic military power should be delved down to the several citizens who inherently are the “militia” the clause mentions.
“Not to mention those shooters that don’t hunt are most often better at it. Though those like myself that used to hunt are more accustomed to taking a life.”
John, I have to disagree. A practiced hunter has to know his stuff, and be able to make a fast correct judgement and an effective shot on an obviously intelligent target moving in unpredictable ways. I do both, practice is just good fun, and hunting is a way of life I never get to do as much as I’d prefer. The hunting time is far more valuable to me as a tool/weapon using human.
Q. Who died and made israel the “boss” of the world?
A. Those Zionists who’ve designated themselves as “God’s CHOSEN people” and the duped “Evangelical” Christians who’ve bought into that scam, wholesale.
Their banking cartels gave them the power to infiltrate and subvert just about everything. Toss in the legions of politicians that they out right own, and you have the basis of their power. There is an excellent book called The Israel Lobby, that goes into many of the details.
Fake it until you make it!
IOW, political power is almost always usurped rather than given. Israel along with it’s enablers just acted like their in charge and backed up that claim with a big enough stick until it is now unquestioned.
It’s a bit of an overstatement that Aussies gave up all their guns. In fact they own more now in shear numbers than prior to 1997. They are concentrated in about half the number of owners. There’s also apparently a significant number of so-called undeclared guns, which are termed “grey” market and that implies they aren’t quite illegal either.
https://www.sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/news/2021/04/28/new-gun-ownership-figures-revealed-25-years-on-from-port-arthur.html
It is true that Australians went down the path of giving up scary semiautomatics so what they do have seem to be disproportionately bolt actions and revolvers. But having a wildly asymmetric number of 30-06 rifles hiding in every bush or building protecting their homes and families should worry any honest army to its core.
And that’s the real power of the 2A. Aussies could have ten times the number of firearms but it’s all just steel and wood unless there’s still a legitimate belief they will be used.
Agreed: Nobody is gonna mess with Kim Jung In of North Korea. If I ever became a petty dictator of a 3rd world country, that would be the first thing I’d do: Get nukes. Then nobody is gonna mess with you. And the USA really, really, could get away with 1/20th the military it has. Just keep the nuclear triad, the coast guard, and the (army and air) national guards. No carriers, no million man army, etc., etc.
But Tom! What of our “destiny” to rule the world?… We have countless National Interests that have to be attended to. Not to mention the Enemy™ that is forever lurking in the shadows, waiting to pounce at the first sign of weakness! Then of course, what would happen if we didn’t spend almost a trillion a year on the Military Industrial Complex… Do you know how many rice bowls that would break?
I find CNN’s argument to the “right to life” an oxymoron. The lefties are the first to scream about the the guns and how so many lives are lost, but will be the first at the Supreme Court steps stating that it is a woman’s right to abort the life of her unborn child. The lunacy in such a defense is laughable if it were not so tragic.
I became a Republican at a very young age for the reasons above. Even at the age of 10 I could not see how it was justifiable to kill a baby, but let a bad guy rot in prison for a lifetime on murder charges. I have been pro gun and pro capital punishment before I hit the pubescent years. How else does one fight off someone who wishes to maim or murder you without assistance from Smith and Wesson? If a woman is 5’5” and 140 pounds the odds are greatly stacked against her if her opponent is 6’1” and 220.
Growing up in rural Virginia the gun was the weapon to keep the coyotes from taking down a calf, keeping a fox out of the henhouse, and taking out a rabid possum. It is also that feeling of extra security when she is on your hip walking down an unfamiliar street at night because the work meeting ran over.
Most importantly, it is this country’s saving grace when our government comes for us. That this country has a billion guns in personal residences and 42% of her citizens own them helps me sleep well at night.
I agree with all but one point. I too used to be pro capital punishment, until I became aware of the fundamental ineptitude and corruption of the judicial system. One cannot rescind an execution wrongfully applied.
Hi John,
I will agree to life in prison if their is an iota of a doubt by the person convicted. The problem is there are many we know committed crimes….Susan Smith, Dylan Roof, the guy who just killed six people in Wisconsin, etc. Personally, I think Rittenhouse did us a favor by taking out the pervert that molested five young boys who were between the ages of 9 to 11. Why was he even out walking around free? He should have been given to the victim’s families to deal with.
I am sick and tired of this country turning a blind eye to the increase in crime including murder, armed robbery, rape, etc. We are scared of prosecuting the wrong person so we prosecute no one.
If in an alternate universe I happened to be one of those mentioned, I would PREFER execution to life in a cage, and those so convicted should be given the choice. Without that capital punishment we would not be subjected to a nearly eternal appeals process. Not uncommon for that process to take 20 years. With the outcome doubtful to serve justice, and the offended parties either deceased or forgotten.
I understand you RG. However (you knew that was coming) I think it’s a major flaw to allow GovCo the power to kill citizens regardless of their “crime”. E.g. you can get a death sentence for possessing a large enough amount cocaine. Give GovCo anything and it will be stretched to the breaking point and beyond.
I’ve come to the conclusion that government is an experiment that was tried by civilized people in the attempt to advance civilization. I submit the experiment has failed. I offer the U.S.ofA. as Exhibit “A”. We need to find other means of organizing our affairs that does not include the coercive, brutal, self-judging entity know as Government.
Hi Mark,
I would have no issue with turning the convicted over to the victim’s families. No one says government needs to have a hand in the dealings. If the victim’s family believes the convicted should have a second chance then set them free, if they feel the convicted should have their head on a spike, that is an option as well.
In the old days when one saw their ranch hand molesting their seven year old one had a right to kill them, now we let them teach. When people feel repercussions for the crimes that they commit (I am referring to moral crimes, not stupid laws on the books) they usually reassess the action they were going to take.
We no longer have that and today anything goes including the inability to defend one’s self and their property.
in many States defending one’s life is still “legal” at least to some degree. Defending one’s property is not. Even though for most of us that property is purchased with an investment of a part of one’s life, time and effort, stealing or destroying it being murder, in a slightly lesser degree.
By the way, I do believe in capital punishment when imposed in immediate, actual defense of one’s life or property.
Most assuredly I agree with self defense. I don’t like giving that power to The State. Revenge belongs to The Lord.
The principle of a disinterested third party (being gubermint anointed) standing in judgement only works in theory. No one can ever be free of bias. Which was supposed to be rectified with a sufficiently large enough committee. And that might have worked if the system didn’t fundamentally corrupt jury trials by handcuffing them to actually judge outcomes or even nullify laws.
That’s more an argument to ensure that due process is strictly observed in criminal law, rather than hesitancy to enforce the appropriate penalty for the crime. In the case of capital murder, that’s DEATH. Typically, when the condemned does finally receive his just reward for his crime(s), at least greater consideration is given for his “pain and suffering” than was shown his victim(s).
Agree with John. the judicial system is severely corrupt, and as a govt institution, should never be trusted.
Death penalty has proven to be no deterrence to murder, so what does it accomplish? Just revenge. Revenge is not a right bestowed on the public at large, and death penalty (killing) as revenge would be immoral, saved only for the protection of innocent life.
Perhaps it is for the immediate victim, but they of course are no longer.
Add to that, it costs taxpayers more for death penalty than life, it seems a win to pay less & prevent the guilty from taking the quick way out.
Hi Dan,
Where are you getting your stats that the death penalty is not a deterrent for murder? I am happy to produce many studies and articles that murder (and crime, in general) increase when the death penalty is revoked. This country’s murder rates have skyrocketed in the last year, with an average increase of 16%, they were up over 30% in 2020, which are not levels seen since the early 1990s.
https://247wallst.com/special-report/2021/11/25/the-town-with-the-most-murders-in-every-state/
The only reason a death row inmate costs more is that we allow for constant appeals and we put them higher security level prisons due to their dangerous nature. We, as a country, rarely see through the death penalty (Charles Manson, Jeffrey Dahmer, etc.). So, yes, when we don’t see through the execution it does cost more because they are still alive.
Do you truly believe if we were to stop after one appeal and followed through with the sentence that the cost would still be more than someone spending a lifetime behind bars getting three square meals a day, healthcare, clothing, housing, and the additional officers needed to oversee them?
“Since it is impossible to develop an error-free death penalty system, those who support the death penalty are embracing the idea that the government should be able to execute innocent people for the “greater good.”” …
https://www.lewrockwell.com/2015/06/bionic-mosquito/should-the-government-be-able-to-poison-people/
…”This one really struck home with me. I was once an avid proponent of the death penalty. I was firmly in the camp of those believing the only thing wrong with it was it took too long and there were too many appeals allowed. Over time it began to occur to me that I was trusting the same government to decide who should live and die that I wouldn’t trust with even very simple decisions related to running my life. I also became more aware of how corrupt and incompetent the entire “justice” system was. If allowing politics to control the allocation of resources is a bad idea, then how much worse an idea is letting politics decide who lives and dies?” …
https://www.lewrockwell.com/political-theatre/death-penalty/
Morning, Helot!
I’m similarly ambivalent about the state performing the act. Of the state being endowed with the authority to perform the act. Perhaps only those directly damaged – i.e., the family/friends of the person murdered – have the moral right to kill the person who committed the murder. But what then of people who are murdered who lack family/friends to stand up for them? Who shall intervene? Should anyone intervene? In which case, is it – essentially – open season on people who haven’t got friends/family?
There is also the question of due process, the adjudication in a nonprejudicial manner (to the degree possible) of capital crimes and of processes of appeal, etc.
It’s a very tough question.
It’s also self-evident that more persons are extra-judicially executed by AGWs in the performance of their duties than ever end up on death row after trial and conviction in a capital case. And we rightfully are angered when said “execution” is NOT justified, as naturally we recoil in anger and horror that a person can be easily deprived of his life by a lone AGW acting as judge, jury, and EXECUTIONER.
But no one seriously supports disarming the police or getting rid of them altogether, given that (1) we’d have to adjudicate making citizen arrests ourselves, and we see how THAT worked out recently in SE Georgia and (2) as was said oft when I was a lad, “next time you criticize the cops, call a HIPPIE when you’re in trouble.”.
…”why do we consider it unacceptable for an individual to kill, while simultaneously viewing State killing as both appropriate and necessary? […]
The term “death penalty” is simply a euphemism for the act of State sanctioned murder, ironically carried out under the pretense of justice.”…
https://www.lewrockwell.com/2005/03/stephaniemurphy/state-sanctioned-murder-2/
Then what justifies YOU killing in “self-defense”? Not that I’m arguing you can’t, but why isn’t it murder when you or I do it?
The difference is this- if someone is violating you and dies in the process they are actually killing themselves. You have the right to defend yourself, your family, your property against predators of any variety. Self defense is an absolute natural right, if an aggressor dies, he killed himself.
Doug, the difference is in who initiated. You own yourself. An attack is an attack on your primary property. You have a natural right to self defense. Its not murder because you didn’t initiate.
…”if the death penalty is an effective deterrent, why do jurisdictions without the death penalty have a lower crime rate than jurisdictions with the death penalty? And why did a 2009 survey find that the majority of American police chiefs consider the death penalty the least effective way to reduce violent crime?”…
https://www.lewrockwell.com/2015/06/ron-paul/government-ritual-murder/
Wow. I about fell out of my chair with CNN talking about “right to life”. Was that a direct quote, too? Even more richer. Yeah – CNN supporting abortion even post-delivery! Have to disagree about capital punishment, though. I believe the libertarian view is that we (through our government) have the duty to remove those people from our society, but we don’t want the agents of government to extinguish those peoples lives. (Even, yes though they be criminal…)
What is interesting is you cannot talk about this with any accuracy without saying the impolite and politically suppressed. The areas where the vast majority of violent crimes occur are racially and culturally black. If you subtract out Chicago, LA, New Orleans, Atlanta, Detroit, and a few others (including increasingly Minneapolis), The USA has one of the lowest incidences of violent crime in the world. Until this truth is addressed, there will be no improvement.
My personal experience with black folks is that they are decent folks trying to make it in a crappy system just like everyone else.
To use an offensive term (deliberately , for effect) we used to understand that the cops were there to keep the niggers in line. It was also at one time implicitlty understood that those weren’t necessarily black.
Now with cops being persecuted for actually going after violent criminals, and actively encouraged to go after decent folks via a variety of crap like seat belts, helmets, gun control, etc, that is turned on it’s head and the value of cops is less than zero to our society. The beat cop who kept the black, irish, jewish criminals in line, who knew where he lived and what he was supposed to stand for, was a positive good for society. The traffic cop and the school board enforcer are decidedly NOT.
I worry about my black brothers, they are only about 15% of the population, and a subset of that is stoking resentment by being niggers. This will not end well.
Ernie, Charles Manson used to say that a racial war in this country was going to be fomented by the government. Seeing what the government and it’s mouth-piece Hollywood, and corporate culture and academia are doing today to foster racism against whites while elevating blacks to a favored status, Manson may not have been crazy [at least concerning that prediction]. Since so many mass-murderers turn out to be people who have been manipulated by or have had relationships with the CIA, maybe he actually knew something…..’cause there is going to reach a point where whites are going to get fed-up- and we already see how violently radical a good segment of black community has become, so all we need now is for the other side to organize and mobilize…and BAM!
Doubtful. Too many whites have bought into the lie that they’re inherently evil and must let the “victim” classes lord over them as penance. Ya know, we supposedly pioneered slavery and massacred those innocent 6 million….
If indeed “we” (meaning Gentile whites) did “massacre” six million jews (somehow, I’m sure the actual toll was far less), never mind that, as “Herr Doktor” Josef Goebbels rued in 1944 that more “Aryan types” were attacking the Reich from the West in uniform than were peaceably entering from the East in civilian garb, then obviously, “we” failed to finish the job.
Actual number of deaths from ALL causes in the “camps” was approximately 731,000, NOT 6,000,000. These were from the International Red Cross records releases from Bad Arelson. The IRC had access to ALL of the camps and as such would have known if “gas chambers” existed. (They didn’t exist)..
The late “Charley” Manson was an evil, manipulating bastard…but was he wrong? Chilling to think that at least he saw things as they are, not as we’d like them to be.
What makes him so disgusting and interesting is that he was an uninhibited version of us. All mental illness is manifestation in the same genome and environment that creates politicians, teachers, soldiers … everyone. Given the right inputs anyone could be ol’ Chuck. Project Mockingbird relies on it. The mass hysteria of COnVID and “mainstream” media propaganda relies on it.
Nunez, I apologize. When I listed black, Jewish, and Irish criminals, how did I forget the Italian mafia?
Re Manson, another interesting figure. Actually a capable musician, there were a lot of that crowd in that Laurel Canyon ranch who were decidedly spooky/connected. The counterculture/hippy/drug culture produced and elevated a lot of folks with useful blackmail material for the Ivy League puritan/Yankees. Very useful idiots were produced…
I’ve heard rumors that ol’ Charley was also the product of CIA mind-tampering with LDS back in the 1950s. If so, done under circumstances of “Plausible Deniability”.
She-itt, did the same thing that James T. Kirk did back in ’86 when he and Spock “saved the whales”. LSD…although the gaffe gave me a helluva chuckle when I first watched “Star IV: The Voyage Home”.
The big city police forces are just like the big cities: Big. They centralized the police forces under the auspices of “efficiency,” just like the school districts. But the problem is, most of the services traditionally handed over to the government and the church don’t scale, and never were intended to do so. They weren’t going to ever earn a profit for sure, but also weren’t ever going to be done in an efficient manner and also be effective. The police chief who lives in the neighborhood is going to have an interest in keeping it neighborly. The cop who drives in from the next county over isn’t.