tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4902311365480654127.comments2019-12-16T13:14:23.542-05:00Peace-AbilityG. D. Gehrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17197051394482382882noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4902311365480654127.post-77412800505751150232019-12-16T13:14:23.542-05:002019-12-16T13:14:23.542-05:00From Dan Sweigart: "Your commentary regardin...From Dan Sweigart: "Your commentary regarding Greta Thunberg and Trump’s infantile reaction to her being named Time’s Person of the Year is spot on. The first time I heard Greta speak, I was blown away by her eloquence and her passion about the most serious issue facing the future of civilization on this planet – Global Warming. As you’ve observed, Greta is wise well beyond her years. I would describe Greta as an “old soul.” <br /><br />I was both mesmerized and inspired by her address of the United Nations Assembly earlier this year. I don’t think there are too many sixteen year-olds who could speak truth to power as she did so forcefully at the United Nations Assembly. The fact that Greta has Asperger’s makes her accomplishments all the more remarkable. <br /><br />There is something that is very spiritual about this young lady, although I have no clue what faith tradition, if any, that she was brought up in. If you’ve ever read any of the writings of John Muir, who was one of the most famous advocates of conservation and environmental justice of the previous century, there are clear similarities with the environmental stewardship message of Greta Thunberg. It is likely that Muir was also on the spectrum. He spent months at a time alone out in the wilderness of the Sierra Nevada, away from family and friends, to commune with the natural world. He referred to Yosemite Valley as America’s cathedral in stone and said that his Christian faith (he was a Scottish Presbyterian) was inspired the awesomeness of creation.<br /><br />Dan Sweigart" <br />G. D. Gehrhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17197051394482382882noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4902311365480654127.post-67124689260721845852019-03-13T17:33:44.716-04:002019-03-13T17:33:44.716-04:00Amen Doug! Your commentary is spot on. The only ...Amen Doug! Your commentary is spot on. The only thing that I would add to your commentary is Trump's outrageous claim that "there were good people on both sides" at the White Nationalist and Neo Nazi rally in Charlottesville two summers ago. Those "good people" were carrying torches through the University of Virginia campus shouting "blood and soil" and "Jews will not replace us." The entire nation witnessed open and blatant antisemitism at that rally and the POTUS defending it. Where was the outrage among Republicans in Congress over that?Dan Sweigarthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05271714017237028438noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4902311365480654127.post-75276092217701488042016-10-05T11:29:52.055-04:002016-10-05T11:29:52.055-04:00Thank you, Doug! These are wise words for difficul...Thank you, Doug! These are wise words for difficult times.Alanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15074090335174684606noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4902311365480654127.post-33793961109270192062015-10-27T12:42:49.501-04:002015-10-27T12:42:49.501-04:00Wonderful. I had been thinking about David myself....Wonderful. I had been thinking about David myself...that his hands with enemy's blood could not build a place of worship. <br />I also think often of the verses that say, Some trust in horses and chariots, but we trust in the Lord our God....Nanahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04719846406431634122noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4902311365480654127.post-52887530640842445602015-01-27T06:26:05.053-05:002015-01-27T06:26:05.053-05:00The ruling still allows builders to demonstrate ex...The ruling still allows builders to demonstrate exceptions if fall protection procedures would create a greater danger or is not feasible. The burden would remain on the builder to provide one of the prescribed alternatives along with a site specific fall protection plan.<br />*** ~~~ <a href="http://www.guardstogo.com/residential" rel="nofollow">residential security services</a> ~~~ ***Security Guardshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01289437875471065329noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4902311365480654127.post-21199785943785151652014-06-08T23:15:48.616-04:002014-06-08T23:15:48.616-04:00Uncle Doug, this was a well written and appropriat...Uncle Doug, this was a well written and appropriate piece. While my curiosity has always wanted to ask your father, my grandfather about his duties served during the war, I always admired with great aspiration to live as peaceful as him. That said I respect his wishes never to speak of his time spent engaged in dire situations to ensure the freedoms of his future family and fellow Americans. This brief description of his accounts is information I would like to pass on, how my grandfather played his part securing freedom. Not to overlook the underlying message in this, that our will to find solutions not involving violence, to solve our difference without bloodshed and to instill our faith and beliefs in all around us to strive for a better tomorrow. Thank you for sharing this, I am a better man for reading and understanding the sacrifices made by all that serve, for now and tomorrow.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06733368538607540736noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4902311365480654127.post-21785557656993284152013-04-01T11:54:33.925-04:002013-04-01T11:54:33.925-04:00You say that you are a Christian, right? Well, get...You say that you are a Christian, right? Well, get the Churches to step up!!! Stop depending on the Govt. to be the Church. Time for the Church to be the Church.rfengineer2https://www.blogger.com/profile/01371107561316423443noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4902311365480654127.post-69190555188102740272012-10-23T06:07:55.281-04:002012-10-23T06:07:55.281-04:00Thank you, Doug. I found this review Biblically ac...Thank you, Doug. I found this review Biblically accurate and well written.Alan Millernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4902311365480654127.post-31372311084043058192012-07-28T12:02:59.428-04:002012-07-28T12:02:59.428-04:00You make a very good point, Tim. I readily admit ...You make a very good point, Tim. I readily admit Option 3 has a long list of challenging issues, to say the least. Primarily I offer it as motivation to force the passage of Options 1 or 2, since few if any can live with #3. I certainly do not want to see the Hunger Games become a non-fictional story! I doubt any sane person would.<br />You are absolutely right in saying "any and all governments, except God's, is corrupt at some level."G. D. Gehrhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17197051394482382882noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4902311365480654127.post-82724221617545475612012-07-28T11:38:06.393-04:002012-07-28T11:38:06.393-04:00I can agree with a lot of what you're saying e...I can agree with a lot of what you're saying except "option 3", that scares the willies out of me. Makes me think of Hitler Germany and the movie "The Hunger Games". An unchecked government is not a good thing. Yes we do need to be responsible for or action but would that happen in any government when they were the only ones with gun? Like I said, I could see something like the Hunger Games really happing with a government in full control of its people with them not having a way to defend themselves. Let’s face it, any and all governments, except God’s, is corrupt at some level.Timnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4902311365480654127.post-85179404315865604372012-07-27T22:15:24.700-04:002012-07-27T22:15:24.700-04:00Thank you for your thoughtful remarks. I would li...Thank you for your thoughtful remarks. I would like to respond to a few of your comments, if I may. On Point #1 - I agree with your analysis of the AR-15. I only pointed out the original claim of this weapon's capacity. My claim that the AR-15, as well as all forms of assualt weapons, was not envisioned by the Founding Fathers still holds. On Point # 2 - The U.S. Army says that the Second Amendment cannot be interpreted apart from the perceived need for a militia as opposed to a standing army, as I mentioned in my post. That is a rather authoritative source. By bringing the Supreme Court into the mix you have revealed another issue altogether: the politicizing of the Supreme Court and our Judicial System. It would serve our Justices well to truly study the entire Second Amendment with an open mind rather than reciting only the second half from memory. On Point # 4 - I was not trying to compare weapons from Colombine, only the fact that both were acts of violence that created tragedy. But, as you point out, The 1994 Assault Weapons Ban is the only thing that made the Colombine weapons illegal and would have also made the AR-15 illegal. Today they are all legal, which speaks of the lack of responsibility our society has assumed.<br /><br />Again, my friend Anonymous, I thank you for your thoughts. Let us join our prayers and efforts together - by whatever means - to find a way to end the violent tragedies that are much too common.G. D. Gehrhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17197051394482382882noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4902311365480654127.post-32807509817075191322012-07-26T13:46:03.125-04:002012-07-26T13:46:03.125-04:00Sorry I should have proofread this better, I disa...Sorry I should have proofread this better, I disagree with your assertion that the argument of "if we out law guns only the outlaws will have guns." won't hunt as it were.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4902311365480654127.post-64719943036401620722012-07-26T10:58:35.905-04:002012-07-26T10:58:35.905-04:005. In places where they have mostly eliminated gun...5. In places where they have mostly eliminated guns such as the UK violence has not decreased but only changed forms. London is one of the most dangerous cities in the developed world and has been since the 1970s. by one estimate a violent assault with a knife occurs there every 52 minutes.<br /><br />I agree that a more peaceful world would be nice and it is a goal we should continue to work towards, but it should be by trying to modify behavior and enlisting better controls to make sure that people who do legally purchase their fire arms arm mentally competent (something that is up for debate with Mr. Holmes. He truly seems to believe that he is a villain in a movie). However I do not find your arguments or examples compelling.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4902311365480654127.post-20018671389855011062012-07-26T10:57:58.280-04:002012-07-26T10:57:58.280-04:001. Only the fully automatic version of the AR-15 c...1. Only the fully automatic version of the AR-15 can put through 800r/min and that is a theoretical that would require an 800 round magazine. And if it was a fully automatic version or set up for 3 round burst it would be designated the M-16. The Ar-15 is trademarked by colt only for the semi-automatic version which is what the shooter had. And in reality if you had said magazine, aside from being too heavy to move, if you held down the trigger on a fully automatic M-16 and some how had an 800 round magazine that doesn't exist and were somehow able to control it so that you didn't have to take your finger off the trigger, the barrel would melt before you every got through that magazine. <br /><br />2. When the second Amendment was written it was unclear if this union was going to last or if rebellion would again be necessary to protect people from despotism. The right of the people to bear arms was not only to keep King George off the colonists backs it was to ensure that the people would be protected from their own government. I personally don't think that's really an issue any more but many people do. Also in supreme court challenges to various gun bans around the country (the DC handgun ban in particular comes to mind) the supreme court, an august body of legal scholars, has repeatedly upheld the right of citizens to purchase and bear firearms under the second amendment. <br /><br />3. I disagree with your assertion that the argument of "if we out law guns only the outlaws will have guns." Conceptually you set up a false comparison in your examples. In guns you are talking about banning people from legally owning firearms. You are banning the object. In the car example it would be a better example to say "We should ban muscle cars because who needs a 4000lb chunk of metal that can do a quarter mile in 11 seconds." We already put controls on the people who can purchase weapons and those probably need strengthened with modern psychological evaluations. The number of crimes committed with guns purchased legally (especially so called assault weapons) is microscopic compared to what happens with illegal weapons. During the assault weapons ban the ATF and FBI seized hundreds of illegal weapons. As far as the drugs go, there are solid arguments for legalization, not least of which is it would take power away from the violent cartels south of the border, prostitution is legal in most countries with varying levels of legalization for the hiring of them. Hungary even has a union. This is because until we have a perfect social welfare system there will always be people who have to resort to desperate measures to survive. This legalization actually protects the women by allowing them to prosecute johns who beat them up with out fearing that they will be prosecuted themselves. And the building code example is just a straw man argument. But more to the point, the basis of all of your examples lays in modifying behavior. And again I think that makes sense. I think we need to have more controls on who can buy the guns. But I think you're wrong that outlawing the object in this case is the answer. I could as previously mentioned make the argument that we should outlaw muscle cars or turbos or anything else that makes a car go fast because when used improperly the car can kill many people. <br />4. And although Aurora was done with legally purchased weapons, Columbine was not. The shooters broke more than 20 gun laws in obtaining their weapons. The TEC-9 hand gun they used was banned by name under the 1994 Assault Weapons ban. Gun violence statistics include things such as suicides, and violence between criminals who have no purchased their guns legally and often include things like drug deals gone wrong. When you account for the illegal weapons and the people who have chosen to kill themselves, the numbers are much different.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4902311365480654127.post-88835225206012374752012-03-22T13:18:27.623-04:002012-03-22T13:18:27.623-04:00Whoops! I didn't mean your your writing...I re...Whoops! I didn't mean your your writing...I refer to "HOLY TALK." HOLY TALK can tend to be communication of the most elementary type. SORRY about my failure to re-read my own scrawl.Bretthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00110673030084837308noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4902311365480654127.post-75438449947303353652012-03-19T22:52:47.147-04:002012-03-19T22:52:47.147-04:00A friend once stereotyped such conversations.
H...A friend once stereotyped such conversations. <br /><br />He said: it is only a "tad-bit above the salutation, being more like an exchange of cliches after a greeting. Each person has maybe three cliches and a 'what's new' question at the end."<br />Linguistically, it is the equivalent of "gather information, and say nothing."Bretthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00110673030084837308noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4902311365480654127.post-9761586530674507272010-10-31T21:47:18.185-04:002010-10-31T21:47:18.185-04:00How very sad for everyone involved! The well-meani...How very sad for everyone involved! The well-meaning samaritans who wished to provide a much-needed service, as well as the neighbors who, in their ignorance, prevented that from happening. Reminds me of the time not so long ago when they wanted to create a Teen Challenge center nearby and the idea was shot to pieces by the NIMBY (not-in-my-back-yard) locals. Ignorance is so disappointing.loricashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06325901948480757066noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4902311365480654127.post-558324479959672622010-09-17T13:09:42.892-04:002010-09-17T13:09:42.892-04:00I think the idea of this blog is wonderful with a ...I think the idea of this blog is wonderful with a definite sense of purpose. I applaud you and look forward to reading (and maybe posting) in the future!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16452906361210415010noreply@blogger.com