Other stuff

"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."

That is the entirety of the Second Amendment. Only 27 words long, but oh what a situation it has created. Mostly because, in my opinion, all the focus is on the second half of the sentence, and practically none to the first, most important part.

It was ratified in 1791, when breech-loading guns and muskets were the height of weapon technology. And it was written at a time when America had a deep distrust of standing armies -- viewing them as a stepping stone to tyranny -- but needed to be able to call on armed men for defense and security when needed. Hence, a "well regulated Militia." 

The people who wrote it could never have imagined modern assault weapons, nor do I believe they would have wanted such armament to be completely unregulated. They're called "assault style" weapons because that's what they are. Assault, not home defense.

But that's not to say that we don't need deadly, personal weapons. The police couldn't get to you quick enough to stop the bad guy coming down your hall even you lived right above the police station. So I will never support any effort to take away whatever is needed to reasonably defend one's home..

But what outside of one's home? Does society have a right to regulate weapons in public areas? I believe it does. Imagine if the Second Amendment read, "to keep and operate Vehicles" -- carts being very important to a young nation. The Founders could never have imagined the turbocharged engines of today, but would that make speed limits and "No Parking" zones unconstitutional? I don't believe so. We must always allow individuals to keep and bear arms in defense of their property, but reasonable regulation in the public square is, in my opinion, a civic duty. Even in America's "Wild West" sheriffs would collect strangers' guns before they were allowed to enter town.

I'll be working this on later. My attitude can be summed up by George Carlin: It's okay to ask a man to walk a mile in your shoes; just don't go nailing your shoes onto his feet.

Starting in 2030, Texas will begin requiring that the Bible be taught in all K-12 public schools. I wonder how they'd feel if Muslims successfully sued to get passages from the Quran taught daily. And I guess the atheists should just grit their teeth and bear it.

I believe that the human body and the anime, or soul, or whatever you choose to call it, are two separate things. We see this when we keep a body alive through artificial means after an accident or some other trauma, and the body eventually dies without ever regaining consciousness. Or, as we sometimes do, "pull the plug" on it, removing the artificial support and the body then dies naturally. Terry Schiavo was kept alive artificially for 15 years after collapsing into a coma. When she finally died (days after a court-ordered removal from life support), it was discovered that her brain had shrunk to half its size. There was no soul in the body, and hadn't been for years.

I believe that DNA is an incredible building machine, and that, given the proper resources and environment, will build a body. But it's only when that body has reached a certain level of intricacy that it can host the soul. Sort of an "If you build it, they will come" analog.

I also believe in a woman's autonomy over her own body, especially when making such a momentous decision as to whether to continue a pregnancy. I don't believe they treat abortion as a form of birth control, as many anti-choice folks allege -- certainly not in the early stages, as though it's easier to have an operation than take a pill or use a contraceptive device. And several months into the pregnancy, the decision to terminate the pregnancy must be an agonizing one, made only as a last resort. By the last few months, prospective parents are already choosing a name, and making plans for the future. The government absolutely has no business interfering in that.

But I understand that some people have more conservative views. I have always thought Roe v. Wade was a reasonable compromise, and would support efforts to codify it into federal law. There are some things that define what being an American is, and control over one's own body is right at the top of the list. Such control shouldn't depend on which state you live in. We need a national abortion policy.

I think the beginning of our latest great national divide began in the 1980s, when then-candidate Ronald Reagan would charm his audiences by saying "The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government, and I'm here to help." The audience laughed, but they were being subtly taught to view government and government employees as the enemy of the people. 

It's been the Republican mission ever since. Grover Norquist famously said in 2001: "I don't want to abolish government. I simply want to reduce it to the size where I can drag it into the bathroom and drown it in the bathtub." We've all seen what Elon Musk and his DOGE employees did in 2025, with massive, across-the-board firings regardless of the consequences. Thousands of probationary federal workers who were abruptly fired were ordered reinstated by a federal court, while several agencies rehired laid-off staff after severe cuts hindered basic operations

Republican Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich changed the House dramatically during his tenure from 1995 to 1999. He shifted the focus of congressional campaigns from local constituent services to broad, nationalized platforms, such as his 1994 "Contract with America," which forced candidates to pledge fealty to a single, nationalized party agenda. He centralized power, abolished independent research agencies, and punished freshmen lawmakers who attempted to form bipartisan friendships. And he normalized the use of government shutdowns as leverage in budget battles.

It's only gotten worse. He and every Republican speaker who followed him has resigned in disgrace or disgust. The current speaker only got the job after Kevin Johnson was ousted after only nine months on the job, and three other candidates failed to garner enough support. And it took him four votes to do it. Not so much a popular leader as a last resort after three weeks so they could get back to business.

There are many reforms that would make the House more representative of the people it serves. They should be the first thing a new Congress does, so that the new speaker will abide by them. Here are a few:

1) Restoring a more open amendment process on the House floor. Allowing more floor amendments, rather than restricting them through the Rules Committee, encourages members to work across the aisle on compromises and policy refinements.

2) Lowering the number of signatures required on a discharge petition (and allowing private signature collection) to force floor votes on bills that have substantial bipartisan support, even if party leadership opposes them.

3) Rebuilding the committee system so that bills are actually debated, marked up, and advanced by members rather than pre-negotiated by leadership. This includes encouraging bipartisan committee retreats and improving shared access to nonpartisan staff resources.

4) Closing loopholes so that bills reaching a high threshold of cosponsors (e.g., 290 members) are automatically granted a floor vote, ensuring bipartisan legislation gets a fair hearing.

I'll have something here soon, I'm sure.