Generations, generations.

I grew up in a small town in the Southern Tier of New York State during the sixties and seventies. 

In our modest six member household we had about a dozen long guns in the house.  We all loved out of door activities such as fishing, hunting and camping.  It was a rite of passage that my two brothers, my sister and I became of age and took the state mandated hunter safety training course at fourteen years old.

With each of us it was the same procedure.  Upon successful completion of the course my father would take that child to Dicks or Philadelphia Sales to get our hunting license AND buy us our first shotgun, used of course.

I remember the other long guns in the house as a 30-06 rifle, several .22s  ( one long and one short) rifles, a .225 (?) rifle, 410 shotgun and probably a few others that I have forgotten about.

The firearms and ammunition was stored away but not locked up.  My whole family had unfettered access to all the guns and all the ammo on a 24/7 basis.

We shot a lot of rabbits, squirrels, grouse, pheasants and deer.

We never thought to use the guns for any other purpose other than hunting or target shooting or the emergency of self defense.  Our household was typical of the homes in our neighborhood in regards to firearms.

Fast forward to today in New Jersey.  A picture of a youth that was lawfully possessing his rifle is shown on social media.  Due to a flawed reporting system, overzealous child protective personnel and police rush to the residence to investigate the matter under the guise of child endangerment.  They brow beat the father of the child to gain entrance to the home and insisted on seeing the firearms that were locked in the safe.

The confused and concerned father contacts his attorney via phone and the attorney advises him that unless the authorities have a warrant they must leave the premises upon his request.  He requests, they leave.  

At the time of this writing it is not know if any charges are being contemplated by the authorities.

I suggest that the agents of the state, in New Jersey, that were involved in this incident, go to a refresher course at an in-service training session on topics that include the rights of citizens in regards to the Second, Fourth and Fifth Amendments.

Generations, generations.

A Glimmer of Hope

After having 27 years in government let me explain to the politically naive what sequestration actually means; smoke and mirrors and sleight of hand in conjunction with a gullible public.

The government has OUR money.  They will spend it where THEY want to.  At the same time the government (legislators and chief executives) realize they don't have enough money for THEIR stuff.  One way it get more money is to take financing from other programs and put the funding in their favorites programs and or to raise taxes and fees.

Now, because of their greed, stupidity and fiscal ineptitude they are caught in a pinch where they have no money to back THEIR programs.  

Here is where the deception and the use of Teflon clothing comes in.  Bring the fiscal crunch to the public forum by cutting the MOST popular or MOST strategically important programs and BLAME the loyal opposition.  

This is where the public is to rebel and approve of the solution to the fiscal problem set forth by the current administration.  You the public rejoice as the useful fools that you are (some of you anyway).

Four years ago, President Obama abdicated his fiscally responsible leadership to guarantee an approval to the fiscal irresponsibility of the 111th Congress.   Hence the PORKCULUS BILL was made law and we all suffer from it today.

The voting populace who voted for President Obama and the 111th Congress and also those who voted for giving President Obama a second term, are those responsible for our present fiscal woes.

A glimmer of hope remains.  It appears that not everyone is backing the administration's way of avoiding finding a real solution.