"Was My Face Red" Update

In re the guy who complained about the Air Force flyby, Snopes.com reports:

To his credit, the complainant, Mr. MacRae, tendered a written apology which was published in The Republic on 9 July: Regarding "Flyby honoring fallen comrade" (Letters, June 28):

I read with increasing embarrassment and humility the response to my unfortunate letter to The Republic concerning an Air Force flyby ("A wake-up call from Luke's jets," Letters, June 23).

I had no idea of the significance of the flyby, and would never have insulted such a fine and respectful display had I known.

I have received many calls from the fine airmen who are serving or have served at Luke, and I have attempted to explain my side and apologized for any discomfort my letter has caused.

This was simply an uninformed citizen complaining about noise.

I have been made aware in both written and verbal communications of the four-ship flyby, and my heart goes out to each and every lost serviceman and woman in this war in which we are engaged.

I have been called un-American by an unknown caller and I feel that I must address that. I served in the U.S. Navy and am a Vietnam veteran. I love my country and respect the jobs that the service organizations are doing.

Please accept my heartfelt apologies.

Tom MacRae, Peoria

Arrest That Man!

"Last November, University of California, Los Angeles student Joseph Deutch put what appeared to be a bullet into the chamber and pulled the trigger in front of his class.

"After the sound of a click, he ran out of the room and a loud noise rang out, causing panic among students who briefly thought he had committed suicide. In fact, Deutch had set off a firecracker in a can offstage, his lawyer Howard R. Price told the Los Angeles Times."

Firecrackers, of course, are illegal in the state of California, which only allows the sale and use of State Fire Marshal-approved "safe and sane" fireworks. On top of that, even those fireworks may only be discharged between specified dates around the Fourth of July, and only then in municipalities which permit it.

So the lawyer seems to be admitting guilt for his client on several counts.

Actually, the whole story about a wooden gun sounds like BS to me.

Hey, Can I Do That?

Louisville minister Louis Coleman hates guns.

"'We want to get them off the streets. We want to get them out of people's homes. We want to get people's minds, eyesight, earshot distance. We want to get them out of the environment totally,' said Coleman."

Somehow, I don't think he intends to disarm his masters and their enforcers. But what's he doing to disarm his flock?

"For the past several years, he's set up temporary shop on the corner offering to buy guns for $20 to $25. It's dollars he pays out of pocket with the funds that are supplied by his group, the Justice Resource Center."

He wouldn't be operating this store and receiving firearms without jumping through all the hoops a regular gun dealer is forced to go through, would he?

Blame It On Rio

Let's see--unchecked gangs roam the streets committing carnage--hey, HERE'S an idea--seeing as how the increasingly restrictive edicts haven't done anything to stem the violence, why not hold a referendum to make ALL private guns illegal?

THAT'll teach those street thugs!