Are You Kidding Me? Open Carry? Really?

Welcome to Overland Park, Kansas.  To those of you who haven't been home for a while you should know we have a brand new law.  Yes sir!  We have ----- wait for it ---- open carry!!!!  Strap on that gun buckaroos we are headed for town!  It's official.  The city council voted 11-1!  YAHOO!  An individual can openly carry a handgun on public property as long as he or she has legally obtained said gun.  Don't you love it?  It seems you can't go around stealing that "heat" you are packing -- after all, there are rules.  Play fair for God's sakes.  You gotta keep that "gat" in a holster with the safety on ---- but, and here is the best part, you have to keep the weapon in your control at all times.  Oh, Lord have mercy!  That is positively no fun at all.  So strapping on your "piece" is just for show?  No sir!  Listen "pardner," a loaded gun is for "shootin" ----- even if someone bigger and quicker, and better with firearms gets the "drop on ya" ---- disarms "ya" ----- does tricks with your guaranteed macho gun, and finally blows your damn fool head off with that same gun that was openly carried..... even if all that ---- just remember that gun was made to be openly carried and used by gawd!  That will sure show "em."  Safety and sanity have come to Overland Park, Kansas -- my hometown.

My neighborhood store, where there's a helpful smile (and a loaded gun) in every aisle! 

UPDATE: 

The police chief weighs in.  From the Kansas City Star:

Police Chief John Douglass told the council he thought the new amendment was necessary; otherwise the city could end up in court.

He also said that although his professional opinion agreed with the change, his personal opinion did not.

After all, he said when asked by a council member, the new amendment allows any legal gun owner to openly display a firearm in public. The gun owner does not have to have a permit or have special training.

Douglass also expressed frustration that concealed weapons, which do require a permit and training, are already allowed in public places in Overland Park. The city passed that ordinance, to be in accordance with the state Legislature, five years ago.

“These are the reasons police chiefs stay up at night,” he told the council. “All these issues cause me concern. Unless there is a way the city could prohibit it, there’s nothing we can do.”

Councilman Paul Lyons was the only one who voted against the amendment.

Before the vote, he voiced his disappointment that the new law would allow gun owners to show off their weapons in places such as city parks or malls, given there is no sign on the building prohibiting firearms.

“I can’t imagine allowing people to carry weapons while they’re walking in downtown Overland Park,” he said. “This city has been named one of the top 10 cities to live in the nation. Allowing people to openly carry weapons sends the wrong message.”

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/09/25/3834042/overland-park-mayor-expects-little.html#storylink=cpy

Teacher - A True Story

In the Republican world of treating teachers as if they are poorly motivated leeches, I would like to introduce you to a teacher I've known personally for 44 years.  She has been teaching for 22 years, and is employed by what was once the most prestigious school district in the state. Really, it was known nation wide.  Students were "school ready," parents had high expectations, and always worked with staff for stellar outcomes.  Fast forward many years - many changes, and now approx. one small pocket of the district has been able to remain with the same high standard while the rest of the district showed what happens when a legislature and head of state come together to slash and burn education in theory, and school programs in fact --- in order to game the budget.  It shouts loud and clear that they do not share the same core values that once were held in high esteem in Kansas.  These amazing leaders show no understanding of, at the very least, what their legacy will be, when two thirds of a district experiences socio-economic change, and needs more - not less.

My daughter, the teacher in question, went from having students that came to school with everything they needed----to a classroom filled with children having nothing!  No supplies, and worse, no adequate food.  My daughter buys and keeps extra supplies for every child in need, (I match her output at the start of each year,) and she also keeps packages of food in her desk for those kiddos who have not had breakfast, or have not made it into the school provided breakfast program, or, who's parents didn't get them to school in time for breakfast. (She does her best to get her little "clients" in to that precious breakfast program as soon as an opening comes up.  She pretends to be surprised when the child comes to tell her of their great good fortune!  Hugs all around!)

This is not what she was initially trained to do.  These are skills that she has lately acquired, and it makes her furious that the governor and his minions in the legislature want to make further cuts to the schools at every level.  Is there any study in existence that states this will end well for the children and future of Kansas?  Certainly someone will profit.  I wonder who.    

National Voter Registration Day

Today is National Voter Registration Day, and our family is absolutely thrilled to have a brand new first time voter.  Yes, by God, he is well and truly registered, and this was accomplished despite being targeted by Governor Brownback, the Koch brothers, and our sterling legislators.  All these entities were allied against his act of patriotism.  With great youthful pride, he will cast his vote for the very first time. You don't hear much about the Kansas role in this shameful act of denying people their right to vote ---- so we have to shout louder, and more often.  A first time voter is an amazingly wonderful thing to contemplate.  Our young voter will not be denied.  If only those who attempt to deny him his vote would know an ounce of shame, this madness might end.

OY!

Kris Kobach!  There will be more details to come about trying to keep our President Obama off of the ballot in Ks. regarding the "Birther Issue!"  This is just to set the table - so to speak.  Do the juices of a bigot flow so "lava like" that they can't be stopped?  I think perhaps this is a sickness.  Bigotry, like all things takes many forms, but, this man, this Sec. Of State Of Ks. is so  filled with hate, that I suppose he might have trouble breathing.  I'm serious.  If you recall, this is "the papers please," maven that went running off to Arizona's side to work on their bigotry program since we weren't a boarder state.  But, now lookee here ------ one last gasp for Ks.!  WE can be a "Birther State."  Confetti please!  If you haven't already heard the details, I hope to have them at this site soon.  Again, the main idea, with the help of a fellow nitwit who is now  quickly scuttling for cover, is to keep Pres. Obama off the ballot in Ks.  Mercy!  (In a letter to the editor written by Rabbi Mark H. Levin, I found the following quote: "Where truth dies,  democracy will die with it."  Thank you, Rabbi.)

UPDATE #1:
Whew!  That was fast!  The NYTimes just said the initiative was nixed!  You think?  Nationally, perhaps ----- but, locally there are many backers who will not understand why it was nixed, and will not believe it is truly over.  It will remain alive and well in some of our press.  The phrase "caving in" might come up about one or a hundred times! It won't be over until the god awful publicity is locked in..... perhaps Monday.

                           
UPDATE #2:
Resolved, As Of Yesterday!
We find that yesterday brought this particular ludicrous mess to a formal close. It was ended by the state Board Of Objections.  Yes there is such a body!  Even though the fool bringing the complaint tried to drop it last Friday, fearing, he said, for his well being. The law said he couldn't just say,"never mind," and the Board Of Objections had to make a ruling.  I don't know what is more amazing ----- that there is something called the Board Of Objections, or that, YES,  after reviewing all the papers from Hawaii AGAIN, President Obama can have his name on the ballot in Kansas.

Best of all, Kris Kobach said," the Board Of Objections could not consider any further challenges to Obama's place on the ballot."  Get out of town!  Shut the front door!  We are on a roll here!  

If you think that brought everything to a dignified end - not so much!  "Activists on both sides of the residency question quarreled before and after the meeting, forcing a security officer to order them out of the building!"  LOVELY!

As for me, I just can't get over that we have that Board Of Objections!  Hot Damn!  Sign me up!


UPDATE #3

                                   Oops!   Not Resolved!    Enter Orly Taitz
Yep!  You got it!  Dr. Taitz was granted an Oct. 3 court hearing here in Kansas.  It seems our now famous Objections Board ruled over her "objections!"  How's that for irony, or maybe that is what an Objections Board is supposed to do ---- who knows?  Sadly, there are so very few of these quaint boards around.  But, it seems ole Kris Kobach did Orly Taitz wrong ---- so pop the popcorn, pull up a chair, the Birther action in Ks. will be Oct. 3 in the center ring.  Do go on with the rest of Romney's version of "Better Know A Candidate."  Kansas has it's Objections Board.  No! No! You can't just say, "I object!" Then we would miss all the fun.

       
UPDATE #4

Here we are at Oct. 3rd.  Poor Doc. Taitz was informed that a state judge has delayed today's "birther hearing."  There seems to be some concern as to whether it is legal for her to bring such a case in our state.

Now my favorite, "who knew there was such a thing? --- "Board Of Objections" --- is being referred to as "the little known board," and if that isn't insulting enough, the singing legend, Cher has tweeted that the state of Ks. GOP is "beneath slime."  Piling on --- State Rep. Ann Mah, (D. Topeka,) accuses Kobach of turning Ks. into a laughing stock again,  and strange, but true,  Ks. GOP officials want to stress that the Birther Movement does not control the Ks. Republican Party!  Get out! Really? You mean they really have a point at which they actually draw a line?

Two Observations, (with the help of Steve Coll.)

You know Karl Rove and those that reside with him in his oily little nest are, according to Steve Coll of The New Yorker, quite truly historical. Yes, historical!  Steve tells us, and I quote, (as he did,) political conventions were "magnificent festivals of honest work and base trickery," enlivened by delegates who could be "violent, vituperative and malignant." This was a Times account of the Republican Convention of 1880!  Don't you love it?   Hey! Calling Karl ------- I have a shoe for you.  I'm certain it will fit.

The same Steve Coll article noted the following from President Obama's speech regarding "citizenship, a word at the very heart of our founding , at the very essence of our democracy."
          We, the people recognize that we have responsibilities as well as rights; that our destinies are 
          bound together; that a freedom which only asks what's in it for me, a freedom without
          commitment to others, a freedom without love or charity or duty or patriotism, is unworthy
          of our founding ideals, and those who died in their defense.
Take that Ayn Rand followers.  Take that those without a core.  Take that those who reached out this week for the brass ring, and grasped pure air instead ---- while cheapening the lives of an ambassador and three other incredible Americans.

Tuna Fish, Pasta, And Fear!

Now how did that go?  The young Romneys know what it is to struggle because they ate tuna fish and pasta when they were in the early years of their marriage.  The one thing missing from that menu --- the thing that set them apart from others when they were just starting out was ---- fear!  They knew they would never go hungry. NEVER! EVER!  It was just a matter of which one of their extraordinarily wealthy parents they would go to for help. THEY WOULD NEVER STARVE.  THEIR YOUNG CHILDREN WOULD NEVER GO WITHOUT. So let's take a hard look at just how much the Romneys can possibly understand about what a person from middle America will face in any given lifetime.   They will never really know the kind of fear that comes from not having a safety net the size of all outdoors.  They will never know the fear that comes from facing the "unexpected!" Yes, Mrs. Romney is facing daunting health concerns, and we will get to that presently. In fact, let's look at it now.

There are many kinds of fear that are faced by the average American. Not being able to put bread on the table, of course, is one. Wondering if you will be able to educate your children is another, (and that certainly is no issue for the Romneys.)  So the next great fear would come under the heading of HEALTH CARE.  Ann Romney's terribly unfortunate health problems might bring some families to their knees. We can rest assured that she has the very best in medical care, and know that that care will not incur any strain on her family's finances. But, sadly that isn't the case for many many Americans.  It is here where I think Mrs. Romney's tuna fish story spreads a tad thin, because I know a thing or two about this kind of FEAR! Pre-existing conditions, and health insurance companies that won't cover you, and yes, FEAR because of that!  Honestly, that is when tuna fish and pasta stories are just plain insulting!

Mr. and Mrs. Romney, I am less than charmed with your sweet stories about those cute days when you ate your tuna fish and pasta with the other young couples in the married student quarters at Harvard.  I would rather know what you have figured out for people who might be living paycheck to paycheck or those who have even less. In case there is no plan ---- and there appears not to be, I'm going to grab a tuna on rye, and continue to work for our President Obama.

Swing State Plea!

Old story, but never truer ----- I am stuck in this red red state.  Of course I will vote, but I so wish that at this juncture I lived in a swing state.  For all of you that do live in a swing state  - VOTE - VOTE - VOTE!  Please help our president, and if you can, help those who are targeted to be shut out of the voting process, those who might have difficulty getting registered or getting to the polls.  Don't let YOUR STATE be bought by MY STATE'S billionaires.

The conventions are over.  The debates are next.  The election will be upon us, so THINK SUPREME COURT!  BE BRAVE!  FIGHT!

And Fox News Was Born!

Friends have called to engage me in conversation about the conventions as well as other things they have clearly heard on Fox. Yes, I get both sides!  The truly dearest of those friends like to assure me that they just "flip" on Fox and just as quickly "flip" it off.  Yet, every once and a while in some part of our conversation they will open up, and it is easy to tell they watch a whole lot of Fox with solid knowledge of each and every reporter!  So you should know that there really are still many people across this land that actually believe with all their heart and souls that they are getting a fair and balanced point of view.  I have tried to find ways to point out that that thought is a wee bit off.  Sooo-- with some help from the Broadway show, "Chicago," I had this vision:


Rupert Murdoch and Roger Ailes take a meeting in a lavish hotel suite - something befitting their egos.

They decide to put together a news network totally based on right wing lies and exaggerations.  Next they will need a short and catchy "Mission Statement."  I know!  I know!  Let ME say it.  How about, "Fair and Balanced?"  (Now of course,  our guys wouldn't really want it to be fair and balanced - that should go without saying.  They must love the irony.   A little joke just between the two of them.)  Mr. Murdoch and Mr. Ailes talk back and forth and decide they need a model for this new devious network.  "EUREKA!"

The lyrics from a song from the Broadway show, "Chicago" are just the ticket to frame the new news network to be known as Fox News. I have taken some huge liberties with the following lyrics, see if you don't agree that we have a rather good fit:
                       Give 'em the the old razzle dazzle
                       Razzle Dazzle 'em 
                       Give 'em the old hocus pocus
                       Razzle Dazzle 'em
                       And they'll never catch wise!!!!!!!
     
                     Give 'em the old flim flam flummox
                     Throw 'em a fake AND a finagle
                     Razzle Dazzle 'em

                    Give 'em the double whammy
                    Give 'em the three ring circus
                    Show 'em the first rate sorcerers you are
                    Long as you keep 'em way off balance
                                  (My Words:)
                    How can they spot those lies - with all your talent? 
                           RAZZLE DAZZLE 'EM!
                           RAZZLE DAZZLE 'EM
                    AND CONTINUE TO LIE!              
        

Clint Eastwood

I just saw a headline entitled, "Leave Clint Alone."  As far as I can tell that is just what is happening.  Yes, yes.  The first 48 hrs. were filled with comments from people who were stunned, shocked, amazed, amused, gob-smacked, thunder struck, asking themselves and others, "What was that?" Also, some were delighted, supportive of Mr. Eastwood - even if they didn't quite understand him, and Mr. Limbaugh was so moved, he was bouncing up and down in his chair shouting, "Right on!" "Right On!"  So, here we are on the following Tuesday, and no one is really analyzing Mr. Eastwood's performance any longer.
                     And scene!     (Clearly, we have left Clint alone.)

Grandmother Shtick!

  Here I am sitting in the car at a soccer practice field.  All the parents are at "Back To School Night."  I have 4 boys in my charge which includes my youngest Ks. grandson.  I have delivered them to the field at approx. 6:15, and will remain until approx. 8:00 p.m.  My home is too far away to make the trip in between times.  It is 95 degrees!  Yep!  I'm nuts, but I will do anything  ------ anything for my grandchildren, all 5 of them, and I'm delighted that they know it.

The news was on TV prior to our leaving for practice.  It was coverage of the Rep. Convention.  This grandson asked if I liked Ryan.  "No," I replied.  He was startled.  He asked about Romney.  "No," again.  He decided to get a little more detail here.  Dig a little deeper, so to speak. He was used to hearing all Romney - all the time at his heavily Republican school.  He asked his mom ---- still home at this point.  She gave a little more detail at this juncture about primaries and generals, but the final answer, "No," for Romney!  YIKES!  What about his very adored uncle whose opinion is  always highly valued?  "No."  Well, he was quite sure about his Dad, a Kansas business man who deals with solid Republicans all day every day.  He also was sure about his other grandparents, Republicans from the "old days" in Kansas.  (That talk will have to wait for later when Dad comes home.)  He will just have to deal with this mess of a family, which in many ways is quirky enough and contrary enough to be to his liking.  So, he  decided for now, he too would be for Obama.  (Did I mention that he is very bright, gifted really? We all knew that when he made his decision for Obama - right?)

Truth be told, I so adore these kiddos, it does't matter who they pull for.   At least they are in the game!