INTERESTING TIMES

It was a 5/4 decision on "the Chicago Case" in which the Court said that city residents can have handguns for their own use, even in their home. The decision voids a 1982 Chicago ordinance outlawing home handguns, and furthermore overrides any city or state laws banning handguns. The folks who think the 2nd Amendment means that anybody can have any kind of gun they want for personal use are celebrating. Justice John Paul Stevens, the leading liberal on the court, takes the bench for the last time today.

Dennis Henigan of the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence said the decision will be used by the gun lobby to challenge a myriad of state and local gun laws. "With few exceptions, these challenges will fail," he said.

By one estimate there are 200 million guns in the private ownership of about 90 million people (in the US). This is an average of 2.2 guns per owner. I wonder how many people have just one gun, and how many people have a hundred. According to government stats we have about 80 gun deaths a day, 34 of which are homicides.

( sources, exact wording of the 2nd amendment, and opinion )

He was elected governor of Illinois in 2002, and in January 2003 suddenly the inmates got a new diet. Soy protein is cheaper than meat and diary, so the state could save money by feeding it to the prisoners. If meat is served, it is mixed with about 2/3 soy protein. Of course the Department of Corrections is costly to run. And Archer Daniels Midland (soy supplier) was a major contributor to Blagojevich's campaign. But is it really fair to feed prisoners a food-substitute that is increasingly demonstrated to be have toxicity, as well as being hormonally active?

Listening to an old This American Life program (you can download them online) called Harold. It's about the first black man to serve as governor, in Chicago. It gives a little bit of history about Democracy in our country that gives me hope for Obama. Harold was "fairer than fair" and gradually began to win over racist whites by being a plain old human being, by doing his job, by really being fair. When he said it was "our turn", it really was. I am getting ready to step up myself, and claim a turn. Harold was a hero of Obama's, and just knowing this bit of history and knowing that Obama is aware of it gives me hope. It is our turn.

Go get the link yourself if you care.
I also recommend the TAL program on testosterone.