Saturday, November 23, 2013

Short attention span musing

...What do Anthony Weiner, Bob Filner, and even Congressman Trey Radel have in common as we approach Thanksgiving?

They are all glad that Toronto mayor Rob Ford is around to distract everyone from their own "issues".

Ford is the gift that keeps on giving in his apparent quest to explode the stereotype held by Americans that Canadians are "boring, but really nice".


...Speaking of exploding that particular stereotype ("boring, but really nice"), New Mexico, via its state police force, have accomplished the same thing.

In late October, an officer of the New Mexico State Police pulled over a minivan with a mother and her four children for speeding.

The stop didn't go smoothly.




The above video shows that the mother, Oriana Farrell, was completely in the wrong...up until the point where the officers got violent toward her and her children, including an attempt to kill them all (starting at approximately the 12:35 mark).

The prosecutor in NM has filed a number of charges against Farrell, most of which she apparently deserves.

However, she has also been charged with child abuse because the police officers shot at her and her family.

While she was completely wrong for most of the encounter by the side of the road in New Mexico and should be held responsible for her bad acts, she should NOT be held responsible for the bad acts of the officers involved.

Nothing she did during the encounter, including driving away from the police officers, endangered the officers or anyone else.  The use of lethal force was not warranted.

Period.

...For the "responsible gun owners" file:

From the Austin American-Statesman, written by Claudia Grisales -
Texas State Rep. Drew Darby is facing a felony charge after he attempted to take a weapon through a security screening at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport this month, according to court documents.

Darby was shown as booked into Travis County Jail at 7:22 a.m. on Nov. 14 after he was found to be carrying a .38 caliber Ruger and six rounds of ammunition in a magazine during the security screening that morning, the affidavit said.

Don't be surprised if the NRA ponys up funds to cover his "legal fees"...even though he is an attorney (hey, he could bill himself for services rendered, then pay himself, the be reimbursed by the NRA for money that he paid...to himself).

Cynicism is charming, right?  :)

...Lesson learned today:  Arizona's term limits law does not cover all state-level offices equally.

Joe Hart, the current State Mine Inspector, has filed for another run at the office.  Since he was first elected to the office in 2006, and term limits in AZ are eight years, this was a little surprising.

Then I read the section of the Arizona Constitution that covers term limits.

From Article 5, Section 1 (emphasis added) -
Section 1. A. The executive department shall consist of the governor, secretary of state, state treasurer, attorney general, and superintendent of public instruction, each of whom shall hold office for a term of four years beginning on the first Monday of January, 1971 next after the regular general election in 1970. No member of the executive department shall hold that office for more than two consecutive terms.

Not to worry though - we aren't stuck with Hart forever.

From Article 19, Section 0 of the state constitution (emphasis added) -

No mine inspector shall serve more than four consecutive terms in that office.

Whew!!! :)

...OK, so who had "before the end of the year" in the George Zimmerman Arrest Pool?

From CNN, written by Steve Almasy -
George Zimmerman was charged Monday with felony aggravated assault after allegedly pointing a shotgun at his girlfriend, according to Dennis Lemma, chief deputy with the Seminole County, Florida, Sheriff's Office.

Zimmerman, who was acquitted earlier this year of murdering teenager Trayvon Martin, was arrested after the incident at the home of Samantha Scheibe, Lemma said. He also was charged with two misdemeanors -- domestic violence battery and criminal mischief -- in connection with the same incident, Lemma said.

I just hope he ends up in prison before he adds to his body count...




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