Well, I'm Back...

Mike announced he's in Ohio, so I won't be letting any cats out of the bag.  I just got back from going to see him, as he's @ 2+ hours away.  I went down to see him because (A), I wanted to, and (B) two hot ones we're working on required it.  He looks good, better than I'd expected.  Dropping some weight has had other beneficial effects.

More later--I have a magazine article to finish, a piece of certified mail to get off (and it's a doozy), a ton of emails to address, a ton of chores for our upcoming Independence Day bash where we'll host several dozen relatives, a cousin to pick up at the airport...meanwhile, I do have a couple immediate blog posts I want to get up.

Oh, hell, I'd better get those out of the way right now:

• I was on Armed American Radio last night, starting in the last half of the second hour and all of the third.  Go here and scroll down the right side for Hour 1, 2 and 3 podcasts.
• Per Tom Skoch, editor of The Morning Journal: "It was Terry’s death in December 2010 that prompted whistleblowers to reveal the operation. The mainstream media ignored the story for a year. Meanwhile, a group of bloggers, notably Mike Vanderboegh, David Codrea and Dave Workman, kept the revelations coming and spurred the congressional investigation by Republican Rep. Darrell Issa, along with Sen. Chuck Grassley, that led to Thursday’s vote, which the mainstream media couldn’t ignore."

There's not enough of me, although I understand if some will argue otherwise.

Is It Time Yet? To Even Talk, I Mean...?

A friend who sends noteworthy news links and commentary to his list of influential Second Amendment scholars, lawyers, shakers and movers, names we've all heard of, just sent them the link to Media Matters' latest hit piece on Vanderboegh. Rather than decry leftist stoogemedia, his comment was reserved for Mike, as he sent the link under the title "This is the kind of talk we don't need."

Questions: Will it ever be time to talk that way? When? What's the purpose of having the capability to require it of them if we're afraid to warn aggressors to back off?

There's no way those who promote individual liberty and oppose the fascist collective could couch their arguments or make enough concessions that would induce the mouthpieces of tyranny like Media Matters to portray us as anything other than extremists, haters, racists... and really, with those hive insects, why even try? Who doesn't understand that some of the regressive fanatics may be misguided, but the effect of their efforts is...evil?

We hear all kinds of rhetoric about the ultimate purpose of the Second Amendment ("From my cold dead hands!" "Yayyyy!!!!") and we nod in assent at the plain language in the Declaration about a long train of abuses. Now the courts have been closed off, and if anyone truly believes Romney will save us...

What intolerable acts did King George impose that were so much more tyrannical than what our government is doing now in terms of intrusion on liberty, on ruling us, on sending hither swarms of officers, on...tolerability?

Would those now proclaiming this is the kind of talk we don't need have said the same thing about the "Don't Tread on Me" rattler, that gave benefit of warning before striking?

What would they have said about the rhetoric that preceded rebellion at the founding?

Would that even have happened had theirs been the voices to prevail?

Do those who recoil at such talk, who not only believe it makes us all look bad but go out of their way to marginalize it, and men like Mike, have a line in the sand where they would talk that way as a last-ditch desperation move?

If so, what is it that would bring out their inner firebrand?

And if not, don't you think they ought to at least admit it as a qualifier to their pronouncements, so we can make our decision accordingly on whether theirs is a voice we should heed?

This Day in History: July 2

I thought it necessary, however, to suggest to you the preparing an arrangement of officers for the men; for, though they are to supply our battalions, yet, as our whole line officers, almost, are in captivity, I suppose some temporary provision must be made. [More]