Guns...Times have changed...

Flintknapper

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We tend to think of criminal organizations as the mafia. They make their own rules, have controls they enforce, etc. Isn't that what our government does, maybe just a bit more sophisticated?

Received this from a friend.

As an attorney, I hesitated to forward this as it can be considered to be an indictment against my profession. But I believe there is much truth to the article below. Very thought provoking. Lawyers are adversarial and are trained to try to win at all costs. May work in litigation ----- but does not work well when governing our nation in Congress. Trying to win at any costs creates the polarization and hatred that now fills our country....Leaves no room for common sense or legitimate debate.

Every Democrat presidential nominee since 1984 went to law school (although Gore did not graduate – Biden (no surprise) was at the bottom of his class). Every Democrat vice presidential nominee since 1976, except for Lloyd Bentsen, went to law school. Barack Obama was a lawyer. Michelle Obama was a lawyer. Hillary Clinton was a lawyer. Bill Clinton was a lawyer. John Edwards is a lawyer. Elizabeth Edwards was a lawyer. Look at leaders of the Democrat Party in Congress: Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer is a lawyer. Former Senator Harry Reid was a lawyer.

The Republican Party is different. President Trump is a businessman. President Bush 1 and 2 were businessmen. Vice President Cheney was a businessman. President Eisenhower was a 5 star General.The leaders of the Republican Revolution: Newt Gingrich was a history professor. Tom Delay was an exterminator. Dick Armey was an economist. Ex-House Minority Leader John Boehner was a plastics manufacturer. The former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist is a heart surgeon. Who was the last Republican president who was a lawyer? Gerald Ford, who left office 31 years ago and who barely won the Republican nomination as a sitting president, running against actor Ronald Reagan in 1976. The Republican Party is made up of real people doing real work, who are often the targets of lawyers. This is very interesting. I had never thought about it this way before.

The Democrat Party is made up of lawyers. Democrats mock and scorn men who create wealth, like Trump, Bush, and Cheney, or who heal the sick like Frist, or who immerse themselves in history like Gingrich. The Lawyers Party sees these sorts of people, who provide goods and services that people want, as the enemies of America . And, so, in the eyes of the Lawyers Party, we have seen the procession of official enemies grow. Against whom do Hillary and Obama rail? Pharmaceutical companies, oil companies, hospitals, manufacturers, fast food restaurant chains, large retail businesses, bankers, and anyone producing anything of value in our nation.

This is the natural consequence of viewing everything through the eyes of lawyers.Lawyers solve problems by successfully representing their clients, which, in this case should be the American people. Lawyers seek to have new laws passed, they seek to win lawsuits, they press appellate courts to overturn precedent, and lawyers always parse language to favor their side.Confined to the narrow practice of law, that is fine. But it is an awful way to govern a great nation.
When politicians, as lawyers, begin to view some Americans as clients and other Americans as opposing parties, then the role of the legal system in our life becomes all-consuming. Some Americans become adverse parties of our very government. We are not all litigants in some vast social class-action suit. We are citizens of a republic that promises us a great deal of freedom from laws, from courts, and from lawyers.

Today, we are drowning in laws; we are contorted by judicial decisions; we are driven to distraction by omnipresent lawyers in all parts of our once private lives. America has a place for laws and lawyers, but that place is modest and reasonable, not vast and unchecked. When the most important decision for our next president is whom he will appoint to the Supreme Court, the role of lawyers and the law in America is too big. When House Democrats sue America in order to hamstring our efforts to learn what our enemies are planning to do to us, then the role of litigation in America has become crushing.

Perhaps Americans will understand that change cannot be brought to our nation by those lawyers who already largely dictate American society and business. Perhaps Americans will see that hope does not come from the mouths of lawyers but from personal dreams nourished by hard work. Perhaps Americans will embrace the truth that more lawyers with more power will only make our problems worse.

The United States has 5% of the world's population and 66% of the world's lawyers! Tort (Legal) reform legislation has been introduced in congress several times in the last several years to limit punitive damages in ridiculous lawsuits such as spilling hot coffee on yourself and suing the establishment that sold it to you and also to limit punitive damages in huge medical malpractice lawsuits. This legislation has continually been blocked from even being voted on by the Democrat Party. When you see that 97% of the political contributions from the American Trial Lawyers Association go to the Democrat Party, then you realize who is responsible for our medical and product costs being so high.

"it can be considered to be an indictment against my profession"

^^^^^^


Quite prophetic words I'd say.

As I don't understand why 'winning at any cost' is acceptable in the practice of law, but disparaged outside of that structure. Shouldn't Lawyers be as truthful, moral and intellectually honest as any other group?

IF everyone had scruples, principles and a conscience....maybe we wouldn't need so damn many Lawyers and times would not be as litigious as they are.

As with many things in life....if you watch the little things...the big things will mind themselves. No excuses for certain groups or venues.
 

jkrubi12

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Great post by D2Cat!

I'd like to copy/paste it & email it to 350M Americans right now! :ROFLMAO:
 
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Biker1mike

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Great post by D2Cat!

I'd like to copy/paste it & email it to 350M Americans right now! :ROFLMAO:
Might want to add this. Based on the 15 years of each party with president in white house.
Granted the top 1% did much better under the GOP. Most of us never saw those breaks.

"During the most recent 15 years during which Republicans have held the presidency, the value of the Dow has increased by 42%. During the Democratic presidencies, it has increased by 609%- 14.5 times faster. The average growth in the value of the Dow under Democrats during this period has been 14.75% and under Republicans it has been 5.11%. (In case you are wondering, the reason the ratio is higher for the total is compounding.)" source http://politicsthatwork.com/graphs/dow-jones-performance-by-party
 
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Flintknapper

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Might want to add this. Based on the 15 years of each party with president in white house.
Granted the top 1% did much better under the GOP. Most of us never saw those breaks.

"During the most recent 15 years during which Republicans have held the presidency, the value of the Dow has increased by 42%. During the Democratic presidencies, it has increased by 609%- 14.5 times faster. The average growth in the value of the Dow under Democrats during this period has been 14.75% and under Republicans it has been 5.11%. (In case you are wondering, the reason the ratio is higher for the total is compounding.)" source http://politicsthatwork.com/graphs/dow-jones-performance-by-party
Pretty sure many folks in 'fly over' country are not that interested in what the Stock Market is doing currently or in years past. But they ARE interested in fuel prices and inflation which is what is affecting them right now. Not their retirement plan.
 

skeets

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I dont about all that mike, what I do know is the bottom line in my bank account,,, when the "R"s were running things there was a lot of cushion. In the last 18 months, I have less than what I started with. And it has been that way just going by my barometer of cash flow and availability. Now this has been over the last 50 years since I came home from over seas with enough to buy a hemi cuda and invest the rest. A "D" in there it is a bumpy ride an "R" not so much..
 
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Biker1mike

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Pretty sure many folks in 'fly over' country are not that interested in what the Stock Market is doing currently or in years past. But they ARE interested in fuel prices and inflation which is what is affecting them right now. Not their retirement plan.
If they are not interested in their retirement plan they will NOT have a retirement plan. I am not a finance guy just a techie that got good advice early on. It was that if you do not pay attention and plan long term you will work until you die. I worked with several guys that are screwed and plan to work well into their late 70's or longer before they can retire.
As to the fly over folks. Pretty sure the market price of wheat, soybeans, beef and pork are of big interest to the growers. If the commodities market for a certain product tanks , a bunch of farmers/ranches are sure to notice.
The economy cycles and always has. Inflation and recoveries are hard but can be planned for.
My sympathy for young people that have not learned this yet. U.S. history in schools do a great job of not explaining how our markets actually operate.
 

D2Cat

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Some are aware of the rule of 72. If not, here is is: 72 ÷ your compound annual interest rate = how many years until your investment doubles.

We have a checking account and it currently pays .58 interest. 72/ .58 = 124.13 years for the funds to double. Kind of depressing isn't it? Wasn't too many years ago one could put funds in a CD at the bank and earn 20% and it would be lock in for the term.

So the secret is to start saving early!
 
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Flintknapper

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Biker1mike wrote:

If they are not interested in their retirement plan they will NOT have a retirement plan. I am not a finance guy just a techie that got good advice early on. It was that if you do not pay attention and plan long term you will work until you die. I worked with several guys that are screwed and plan to work well into their late 70's or longer before they can retire.

No argument about the need/wisdom of having a retirement plan. But my point was whatever the stock market did in the past is exactly that (in the past, history and nothing can be done about it). Current stock trades/values are up and down as always, no one is screaming about that. BUT current fuel prices and general inflation is taking a bite out of all businesses. People are feeling it and that is what is on their minds right now.

As to the fly over folks. Pretty sure the market price of wheat, soybeans, beef and pork are of big interest to the growers. If the commodities market for a certain product tanks , a bunch of farmers/ranches are sure to notice.

You've limited the argument to agricultural commodities, but that is fine, they represent a large portion of cash receipts from the sale of U.S.-produced farm products. ( cattle/calves, corn, soybeans, dairy products/milk, miscellaneous crops, broilers, hogs, wheat, chicken eggs, and hay)

So....pricing of those commodities is important to the grower/producer. But from that pricing must come the growers 'profit'. What are their costs to produce the commodity and bring it to market. Can they maintain their profit 'margin' amid ever increasing regulations, taxes, decreased subsidies, etc...

So if we were to break it down further (in order for it to be meaningful).... were growers better off under certain administrations than others? Farmers/Ranchers don't really care if the DOW on the whole grew more under DEM's than REPUBs if most of that lined the pockets of those on Wall Street and other trade considerations.


The economy cycles and always has.
Agreed! And always best when fairly stable.

Inflation and recoveries are hard but can be planned for.

Yes, in fact.... you might even say this bout of Inflation WAS 'planned for' (manufactured). Or at least should have been anticipated when you print and dump trillions of dollars into the economy what do you think is going to happen when it starts being spent.

My sympathy for young people that have not learned this yet. U.S. history in schools do a great job of not explaining how our markets actually operate.

Young people.....! Hell our elected officials don't even seem to know this. There is NO hope for the up and coming Young People. Move over America. China will be the new Super Power in my lifetime (and I'm old). At least they run their government like a business. Our country is trillions of dollars in debt and it is getting worse by the day.

This is the product of having incompetents in powerful positions. Reckless spending and no accountability. Been going on for decades. Just a big damn 'boys club' there is DC.
 
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Henro

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I dont about all that mike, what I do know is the bottom line in my bank account,,, when the "R"s were running things there was a lot of cushion. In the last 18 months, I have less than what I started with. And it has been that way just going by my barometer of cash flow and availability. Now this has been over the last 50 years since I came home from over seas with enough to buy a hemi cuda and invest the rest. A "D" in there it is a bumpy ride an "R" not so much..
We need to keep in mind that economics is slow moving and a current administration suffers/enjoys the results of what the previous administration set in place.

But back on topic, how about that 22 year old “kid” that stopped that gunman in that Indiana mall in about 15 seconds (as recently reported). Carrying legally and I hope someone like that is around if I am ever in a dire situation like that.

My hat is off to that guy!

Edit: Would I buy him a beer? NO! I would buy him 10 beers! (And drive him home afterwards…LOL)
 
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Flintknapper

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We need to keep in mind that economics is slow moving and a current administration suffers/enjoys the results of what the previous administration set in place.

But back on topic, how about that 22 year old “kid” that stopped that gunman in that Indiana mall in about 15 seconds (as recently reported). Carrying legally and I hope someone like that is around if I am ever in a dire situation like that.

My hat is off to that guy!

Edit: Would I buy him a beer? NO! I would buy him 10 beers! (And drive him home afterwards…LOL)
Yes, a valid point on economics. Absolutely true, for gain or loss one administration inherits what the previous one left.

And agree also on the heroism of the 22 year old. Reportedly 10 shots fired in 15 seconds (under stressful circumstances) with 8 hits is most impressive at 40 yds.

Though Law Enforcement would certainly have engaged the shooter as well...the fact is, these types of shootings are usually over in a matter of seconds. Police in this case were able to respond in 11 minutes (according to reports). Untold carnage can occur in ONE minute, let alone 11.

Sadly we (general public) are responsible for our own safety in many situations. The police can't be everywhere nor respond in time to stop many types of crimes.

So it is well for each person to think about what they can do to protect themselves and family when out in public. it will vary person to person what that entails. But wise to give it thought BEFORE an incident happens.
 
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Bmyers

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To add to the topic, in NY a politician was attacked by a man with a knife. Under NY bail law, the person was released from jail the same day.

Bystanders stepped in and stopped the attack, with police showing up a few minutes later. Goes to prove the point discussed above, you are your own protection (unless you are blessed enough to have someone step in on your behalf).

 

Flintknapper

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To add to the topic, in NY a politician was attacked by a man with a knife. Under NY bail law, the person was released from jail the same day.

Bystanders stepped in and stopped the attack, with police showing up a few minutes later. Goes to prove the point discussed above, you are your own protection (unless you are blessed enough to have someone step in on your behalf).

Yep, thankfully 'Zeldin' grabbed the wrist of the guy assaulting him and his staffers moved quickly to take the guy down. A few 'bystanders' in the crowd did then assist with restraining the attacker.

Among the first to act was a Woman staffer and she can be seen going to the ground with the suspect. Another woman (in the crowd near the stage) is seen landing some pretty good punches on the guy while he is down and being held (per the video).

Many first reports are that Zeldin was attacked by a man wielding a 'knife' but in fact it was one of those metal Self Defense 'Cat Keychains'. Still capable of delivering a serious wound.

Cat Keychain.jpg


But yes, as previously stated these things happen and are over in a matter of seconds, that is why it is so important to take ownership of your own safety and prepare for it as well as you can.
 
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Bmyers

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I was going to post this under daily chuckle, but realized it isn't a chuckle, but the sad truth that has been discussed in this topic.

1658497157809.png
 
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Biker1mike

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Yep, thankfully 'Zeldin' grabbed the wrist of the guy assaulting him and his staffers moved quickly to take the guy down. A few 'bystanders' in the crowd did then assist with restraining the attacker.

Among the first to act was a Woman staffer and she can be seen going to the ground with the suspect. Another woman (in the crowd near the stage) is seen landing some pretty good punches on the guy while he is down and being held (per the video).

Many first reports are that Zeldin was attacked by a man wielding a 'knife' but in fact it was one of those metal Self Defense 'Cat Keychains'. Still capable of delivering a serious wound.

View attachment 83989

But yes, as previously stated these things happen and are over in a matter of seconds, that is why it is so important to take ownership of your own safety and prepare for it as well as you can.
Strange video of this. Looked like the slowest knife advance I have ever seen. Zeldin never even dropped his microphone. He certainly did not display any defensive moves for being attacked.
I may be old and slow but my left leg would be heading to this clown's nut while my left arm would be heading towards his face.
I would also fire my entire security team !! How does a drunk get on stage with a weapon. He should have been down or dead before he hit the top step. Hired security does carry, even in NY.