Author: Derek

The Arrest Of Coward Scot Peterson

First, go read Kevin’s and Miguel’s posts on the subject. Finished? Good.

I’m closer to Miguel’s POV on the charges. I also think the perjury charge is probably bullshit, but will be the charge in the end that Peterson will go to jail for. Broward is so ready to punish anyone for their county’s systemic failures, they’ll go with a bad case. Which will end badly because cops have no duty to protect individuals.

One can hope this is the case that overturns those horrific precedents. That cops, like damn near every other profession, will have a minimum duty of care to people under their direct care or purview.

My conspiracy side is wondering if they’re doing it this way to prove they’re doing something they know won’t work but will satisfy the public’s bloodlust.

Gun Safety in Schools

I saw this article on the Book of Face about how Minnesota passed a bill to allow gym safety to be taught in phys ed.

This got me thinking. There are upwards of 400-500 million guns in private hands. Approximately half of the households have at least one gun. Why is gun safety not being taught from kindergarten on up?

In my ideal world, it would at least be a variant of Eddie the Eagle with age-appropriate modalities. As they get into high school, it should be equivalent to a hunters safety course.

Friday Quote – H.L. Mencken

Five years of Prohibition have had, at least, this one benign effect: they have completely disposed of all the favorite arguments of Prohibitionists. None of the great boons and usufructs that were to follow the passage of the Eighteenth Amendment has come to pass. There is not less drunkenness in the Republic, but more. There is not less crime, but more. There is not less insanity, but more. The cost of government is smaller, but vastly greater. Respect for law has not increased, but diminished.

This was about Prohibition, but it seems eerily accurate about the War on Drugs.

Alabama Poised to Abolish Marriage Licenses

Via friend Sean on the Book Of Face comes this article on Alabama’s House Of Representatives passing a bill that would essentially abolish state issued marriage licenses.

Under the bill that passed today, couples wanting to get married would submit to the probate judge a form that includes an affidavit saying they meet the legal requirements of marriage and the probate judge would record that as the official marriage document.

It also takes out the requirement that a minister or similar position be the officiant of the ceremony.

There is criticism from the left – justifiably- that this is an end run around making some probate courts actually do their job and issue licenses to same-sex couples. Honestly, I don’t care if that’s the reason, if this is passed.