BluegrassBulletin.com

William F. Buckley Quote of the Week

“A Conservative is a fellow who is standing athwart history yelling "Stop!"”

Lust For Obama Creating Credibility Problems For MSM

When Barack Obama categorically stated that there was no Al Qaida in Iraq before the current war, you'd think a responsible press would call him on that, especially since they had themselves chronicled Al Qaidia's presence in Iraq years ago.  But no.

Instead Obama's comments were passed along as if his ignorance was new found brilliance.

You might be think that the mainstream media cannot continue to get by with this deception.  Judging by their behavior so far I suspect their answer to your concern would be, "Yes We Can".

Kentucky Legislators Should Be Ashamed

Have you ever heard a politician talk about "family values"? If so it is usually when they want your vote, or your money, or both.  But what happens when they get elected and special interest groups get involved?  You will be stunned.

Take for example the case of a wife who suffers a broken leg in a parking lot fall.  Her husband is entitled to claim "loss of consortium" damages arising from her injuries.  In a nutshell his "loss" arises from the inability of his wife to perform her "spousal" duties.  While the amount awarded by juries for "loss of consortium" varies widely, nevertheless he is, as his wife would be, entitled to seek a monetary award.  That is the current law.

On the other hand, take the case of a husband who is disabled from a serious heart attack.  His loving wife cares for him every day.  In addition to her usual household activities, she is his nurse.  She sees that he takes his medicine, helps him walk with her assistance, bathes him, dresses him and provides the daily care that he could not afford any other way.  Now add a tragedy.

This man's wife is killed in a crash caused by a drunk driver.  Her death is immediate.  The law will NOT allow him to make a claim for the loss of her services.  In fact, the only recovery allowed by her estate is measured by the destruction of her "power to earn money". 

So let's say she had never worked, or had long since been retired.  Let's say maybe they were both senior citizens beyond normal retirement age.  Her "earning capacity" would be almost non-existent.  So even though he has lost everything he has in the world, including the incredibly valuable services provided by his wife, the drunk pays NOTHING for taking that away from him.

Why is this shameful?  If his wife was merely laid up with a broken leg from a fall, the law allows him to recover for "consortium", but if she is taken away from him forever, our legislators shrug their shoulders and say "tough luck".

Year after year when the legislature is called to correct this immense injustice, they give in to "formidable" special interest groups with lots of money and leave the rest of us with the hollow echo of their campaign rhetoric ringing in our ears.

Time and time again we hear how the marriage of one man and one woman is the bedrock of family values.  Well it's high time they put some money where their mouths are.

Family values means that there is a value to family. 

I encourage every reader of this blog to contact their representative and senator and express outrage that this bill is not being passed again this year.

You can find them here: WHO'S MY LEGISLATOR?

***THE ARMED CITIZEN*** An Every Friday Feature

Juan Amezaga and Stephen Soto were enjoying the fall weather outside Soto’s apartment. The mood was shattered when two strangers walked by two or three times as if casing the neighborhood. Then the strangers approached.

“What time is it?” one asked. Soto looked down at his watch, but as he raised his head the stranger said, “Hey, run them,” and drew a gun.

But Amezaga and Soto are concealed-carry permit holders. Soto pulled a 9 mm pistol just as the stranger shot. The bullet grazed Soto’s shin, breaking the skin.

Police say Soto fired two or three times, and the robbers fled. One robber stopped and again began shooting. Soto and Amezaga both returned fire and the robber fled.

“It could have been real bad last night if it wasn’t for the quick thinking and our concealed-weapons permits,” Soto said. “We might not even be here.”
(Orlando Sentinel, Orlando, FL, 11/07/07)

Re-printed with permission of the Nationl Rifle Association

Morning Funnies

Press 1 for English.  Another Episode from "2 Hot Girls In A Shower"

How dare we foist the future off on a generation we have failed to prepare for it?

I have always been amused by the list prepared by Beloit College to highlight the mindset of its incoming freshman class.  But amusement aside, there does seem to be a growing ignorance of when and how our political philosophies developed.

Take for instance the recent death of Bill Buckley.  I very much doubt that anyone much under the age of 30 will remember him at all.  I mean, I recently had the experience of using the word "percolator" in a sentence around some mid twenty year old young adults and they did not know what I was talking about. 

How then, in an age where serious debate is so seriously debased can we expect the next generation to use their own moral and political compass when the magnetism of conservative intellect is removed from their world?

There should be many long tributes to Buckley over the next little bit,  and we should encourage young people to watch them and to learn more about him.  But to whet your appetite for more take a look at Ann Coulter's column.  Here's a tease:

In a famous exchange with Gore Vidal in 1968, Vidal said to Buckley: "As far as I am concerned, the only crypto Nazi I can think of is yourself."

Buckley replied: "Now listen, you queer. Stop calling me a crypto Nazi, or I'll sock you in your goddamn face and you'll stay plastered."

Years later, in 1985, Buckley said of the incident: "We both acted irresponsibly. I'm not a Nazi, but he is, I suppose, a fag."

Certainly this reminiscence employs language and descriptions which are unacceptable today, but without an understanding of how people thought and behaved before they became "enlightened" can there be any true understanding of how we got to where we are today?

READ ANN COULTER COLUMN HERE 

Morning Funnies

Obama's Achilles Heel

Ben Shapiro writes today that Barack Obama has adopted a single incantation for his campaign "Change".  He also points out, with substantial reliance upon Karl Rove, that like John Kerry's Vietnam service, this theme is Obama's weakness.

How, you might ask, can the GOP exploit the conciliatory cooing of Obama to become his undoing?  It's a good read, from a very bright young writer.  Here's a little tease:

While Obama believes he can win the presidency simply by uttering the word "change" like a magical incantation, his "change" message has a soft underbelly. His focus on change means he despises this country the way it is.

Despite all of its problems, America is not a deeply flawed place. It is the greatest nation in the history of mankind. It allows Barack Obama to run for president; it allows his wife to attend Princeton University and Harvard Law School. The Obamas' constant emphasis on change carries the disturbing undertone that the country is a disaster requiring radical reform. This isn't a message of optimism -- it's a message of profound pessimism.

READ MORE

McCain Embarrassed In Cincinnati By Just The Latest Example Of Poor Media Manners

Willie Cunningham is a successful, syndicated, talk radio host with his roots in Cincinnati.  Yesterday he prompted an embarrassed John McCain to disavow Cunningham's remarks about Obama.  This is just the latest media stench.

Cunningham, for those of you unfamiliar with him, is a lawyer.  His radio program is a disturbing combination of over the top confrontational rhetoric, shocking metaphors and a high energy, unapologetic attack on anybody or anything Willie wants to rant about.

Quite frankly, his celebrity perplexes me.  At first he was amusing because he was loud and obnoxious, and occasionally funny.  He lost funny.

But Cunningham is not the only culprit out there who is crippling our nation's ability to have civil debate.  Hannity and Colmes, the highly rated cable program, often encourages its guests to talk over each other, in angry tones, so much so that the cacophony makes me scramble for the handle on my lazy boy in a fast fumble to find the mute button.

Rush Limbaugh, the most successful talk radio host in America, has developed an angry tone to his voice which is taken to the next level by Michael Savage who ends up screaming before he ends half of his segments.

The typically liberal main stream media outlets are no better.  Their editors yawn as they pass over stories about policy differences between candidates but scramble to out do each other the minute an unflattering picture surfaces.

The danger we face in this environment is losing sight of issues and values which are truly important to American families.  This danger is not lost on the American public.

Perhaps that is one reason why the "Cool Hand Barack" approach of Senator Obama is attracting so many voters who have chosen not to be a part of the process before now.

Other than those Americans who enjoy the blood sport of politics, many new voters are expressing a much more widely held desire for America to stop making nasty over our differences, and to start making nice over our common goals and beliefs.

Now don't get me wrong, on policy Obama is not my first choice for president.  But he does represent, as the Cunningham incident highlights, that for most Americans its not the color or gender or policies of politics which have to change, but it is most definitely the tone of politics which determines whether we reach for the mute button, or turn the volume up.

Teach Your Children Well

A new survey released by American Enterprise Institute finds that high schoolers still lack important historical and cultural underpinnings of "a complete education." The failure to teach enough about history and literature is to blame.

According to the author of the study:

...the nation's current focus on improving basic reading and math skills in elementary school might only make matters worse, giving short shrift to the humanities even if children can read and do math.

It is high time programs which receive a lot of talk, but need more action, like the "Civic Literacy" program of Secretary of State Trey Grayson and Senator Jack Westwood get moving. 

It may not be too long before our children, who will become our government leaders, will lack enough historical references to do anything but that which they are told to do by others. 

Critical thinking, analytical skills and compassion come from an understanding of the history of mankind, which by the way, didn't begin with JFK.