Gun Struck Revisited

Because the Virginia Tech mass murderer was treated as an outpatient and not committed to a psychiatric treatment center, he was still able to purchase a 9mm semi-automatic handgun in Virginia. He was able to do this despite the fact that a Virginia judge found him to be a danger to himself or others because of his mental illness. The governor has issued an executive order closing the loophole in the state's hand gun purchase laws. Thirty-two lives is a high price to pay for allowing Virginians to indulge in a false sense of security. Unfortunately one does not have to read tea leaves to know that this tragedy will repeat itself somewhere else. Simply look to the spike in handgun purchases and concealed weapon permit applications across the country. This character attends college in Utah where handguns like his 9mm Glock are permitted on campus. Its just sad.

The Charlatan Eyes the Prize

A little political humor to start off your week. These patriots in Miami are doing what is right for America: demanding accountability from their national government. Thanks to Raw Story for the photo.

More signs of trouble in Iraq: The British Army in the south suffered their worse month for casualties since it took Basra in April, 2003. Eleven soldiers were killed, almost half as many as were loss in the invasion itself. A respected British commander, General Sir Rupert Smith, says that Britain does not have a strategy in Iraq. He commented that simply following the Charlatan's regime is not a strategy, but an attitude. Amen. On this side of the pond, former NSA chief, retired Lt. General William Odom, says the current Commander in Chief has "gone AWOL on Iraq". He continued in his Sunday radio address, "Most Americans suspect that something is fundamentally wrong with the President's management of the conflict in Iraq. And they are right. The challenge we face today is not how to win in Iraq; it is how to recover from a strategic mistake: invading Iraq in the first place...We cannot 'win' a war that serves our enemies interests and not our own." When the old war horses finally say the jig is up, its time to pack the ole kit bag and say good night, Irene.

Waxman on the Case

Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA), chair of the House Oversight Committee, won approval from the committee to subpoena Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice for her testimony on the bogus Niger connection. It is my long held contention that if the truth about this murky incident is exposed the public will know that Bush regime operatives contracted Italian intelligence figures with fascist affiliations to help the regime concoct a story linking Saddam Hussein to procuring enriched uranium ore. The 'Italian Job', as I refer to the affair, is the smoking gun of the regime's fraudulent effort to sell the Iraq invasion to Congress and the American people. Be prepared Mr. Chairman, for a lot of Gonzo like 'I can't recalls and I don't remembers' from Ms. Rice.
Word of the Week: lu.di.crous: 1. the name of a popular rap singer; 2. a one word description of U.S foreign policy towards the Middle East. As in her response to the evidence of deceit was ludicrous.

Impeachment No Joke

Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) made good on his promise to introduce impeachment articles against Vice President Cheney into the House of Representatives. HR 333 (at least they did not number it 666) must be considered by the House Judiciary Committee chaired by Rep. John Conyers (D-MI). If Conyers' previous public statements on the issue are any measure, the resolution should get a sympathetic hearing. However, the Speaker continues to voice her disapproval of impeachment proceedings, calling the Charlatan "not worth it". Its obvious from that statement, she does not appreciate impeachment proceedings as the means the Founders intended for controlling an Executive branch that has become dangerous to republican government. Dismissing impeachment as a "distraction" from the business of passing progressive legislation is a red herring. She fails to explain how she expects to pass legislation benefiting the Democratic Party's political fortunes when the Charlatan wields the veto pen. He has already made clear he will veto any timetables associated with more spending for the defeat in Iraq. He is attempting to use the safety of American military personnel as a bargaining lever against Congress. Meanwhile, not a single item of the ballyhooed "hundred hour agenda" has yet been signed into law.

A Cheney spokesperson also belittled the resolution saying the Vice President "is focused on the serious issues facing our nation" Well, you cannot get more serious than life or death. Soldiers continue to die because Cheney deliberately mislead the nation and Congress about Iraq's threat to our national security. Critics are dismissing the resolution as a publicity stunt in Kucinich's unlikely presidential campaign. Maybe, but Rep. Kucinich is also doing exactly what he is supposed to be doing, representing the will of his constituents in Congress. The people are with Kucinch demanding accountability, and they will be rallying this weekend in support of impeaching the man who is the most responsible for selling the Iraq war. You can read the articles here. Thanks again, Congressman!

Collective Responsiblity and the Haditha Atrocity

Something I did when I moved to this city was join a parish church. I had never done that before. Previously my faith did not move me to formalize a relationship with a place of public worship. I picked a bad time to register, however. Shortly after registering, I was also made an official petitioner in the Chapter Eleven bankruptcy case filed by the archdiocese. The archbishop sought bankruptcy protection because the archdiocese was being sued in multiple cases for child abuse by it's priests. The claims, most of which were based on long past incidents of molestation, had the potential of bringing financial ruin on the Church in western Oregon. I was not pleased to being formally associated with responsibility, however attenuated, for behavior I find abhorrent and had nothing to do with. I was not even alive when some of the alleged incidents occurred and no claims were made for abuse since I had become a registered member of a parish. Nevertheless, the federal bankruptcy judge determined all registered parishioners should be parties to the case. I believe this ruling was prompted by the questionable legal position taken by the archdiocese that it's property was held in trust for parishioners and therefore could not be sold to satisfy claims. The secular newspaper also made repeated note of the collective responsibility for the victims' damage claims. A global settlement of the claims has been reached, so there is sense of relief among the faithful as well as some lingering resentment over being formally identified with the past evil behavior of religious authority figures.

The legal closure of the child abuse cases here brings me, in a circuitous way, to collective responsibility for a terminal case of abuse in a remote place: the Haditha atrocity. Two dozen Iraqis were apparently executed by US Marines in retaliation for a bomb that blew up one of their patrol vehicles and its occupants. A marine was gruesomely killed. In the opinion of an investigating Army general, the Marine Corps command deliberately ignored reports of civilian deaths to protect their own, and fostered a culture that allowed marines to considered Iraq civilian deaths to be insignificant. There was virtually no follow up investigation withing the Corps after the November 19, 2005 incident was exposed by a local journalist shooting video. Civilian witnesses maintain the marines went on a killing rampage. The lieutenant in command at the time believes the marines did nothing wrong despite the execution of five unarmed men sitting in a car at the scene, and the killing of the occupants in nearby houses including women and children lying in bed. The officer has received immunity to testify against three marine enlisted men charged with unpremeditated murder in the incident. Four officers are accused of dereliction of duty for failing to report what happened. All charges against a sergeant have also been dropped in return for his testimony.

Whatever the outcome of the courts martial, and the outcome is doubtful because the criminal investigation was mishandled, the impact of the Haditha atrocity cannot be understated. It is only one of several authenticated incidents of the US military using unauthorized force against civilians in Iraq and Afghanistan. Each incident undermines any claim to moral ascendancy the US makes to justify it's occupation. Each incident motivates civilians to resist the foreign occupiers. Each alleged war crime involves a uniform that represents every American. No American soldier has the cover of an anonymous bomb maker. These young soldiers have been sent to Iraq in our name stuffed with heads full of lies about fighting terror or bestowing democracy to accomplish a mission impossible. Their best efforts will not end an Iraq civil war that our cynical "regime change" triggered. So its our responsibility to end their hellish predicament and bring them home. Collective responsibility is hard to accept.

District of Bizarro Xll: Gonzo Hearings More Smoke

Senate Democrats cannot afford to appear they are doing nothing to contain the most corrupt and incompetent Executive in American history. So it seems that Alberto 'Gonzo' Gonzales has been chosen as the target of opportunity. Only the President, who is already exhibiting bunker syndrome, can fire him. The Democratic effort is somewhat an exercise in futility, but the choice of Gonzales has Republican cooperation because it deflects Democratic ire away from the Charlatan and gives the regime yet more time to stumble across the finish line of Election Day, 2008. It is fairly clear that the attorney firings were politically motivated and that the original idea of circumventing the Senate and replacing federal prosecutors with Bush loyalists using the Patriot Act was Carl Rove's handiwork. But as Chuck Schumer had to admit to the press, there is no smoking gun tying the regime to obstruction of justice charges. If the Senate is animated about any issue, it is about protecting its prerogatives. US District Attorneys are prized political patronage positions usually handed out with the consultation and approval of the Senators from the state where the office is located. Naturally, Senators object strenuously when there is a serious effort by the White House to evade their influence. The sanctimonious dribble about "politicizing the Justice Department" is laughable. Justice is, and has been, politicized. It is more a matter of who is pulling the strings.

It would be a lot more satisfying and purgative if Gonzo was fired for the constitutional wrongs he has committed, such as approving the immoral use of torture or illegal domestic spying programs. The Vermont State Senate by voting 16-9 for impeachment of the President and Vice President is doing more to protect us than most of the politicians in the District of Bizarro where political power is the coin of the realm.

Sea Lions not the Problem or the Solution

Indian leaders of the 19th Century knew that the white man had a problem living in balance with nature. Men like Chief Seattle saw the destruction of the great bison herds and voracious slaughter of other animals for fur and food. They foresaw their way of living in harmony with the earth and even their very existence would be the next victims of the white man's mindless consumption of her resources. West coast salmon appear to be meeting the same fate as the buffalo. Depleted salmon stocks, despite millions spent on recovery programs, are fading fast. There is much consternation in the Northwest about the declining runs which sees the salmon as its iconic emblem as well as a significant contributor to local economies. Its understandable that when a villain, other than man, in the salmon's sad story is found businessmen are quick to point fingers--and guns.

California sea lions (zalophus californicus) are intelligent and resourceful predators. The collapsing marine food chain in the Pacific has encouraged them to seek out other sources of food. An enterprising few have entered the Columbia River and have found a veritable protein bonanza at the base of the Bonneville Dam. They are feasting on what remains of the spring Chinook salmon run milling before their first major man made obstacle. Fish and wildlife managers have tried a variety of methods to dissuade the protected mammals from eating the fish. None of the methods have succeeded. The current estimate is that sea lions consume about three to four thousand salmon. When salmon runs were numbered in the millions, that amount lost to natural predation could be tolerated. Not anymore. Salmon seasons have been curtailed because of crashing salmon populations. Expensive salmon restoration programs promise less than the 3% increase in adult Chinooks that are being consumed by sea lions. The states of Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Columbia basin tribes have asked the federal government permission to kill feeding sea lions. Sea lions have increased in number since 1972 when Congress passed the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

Salmon have always been prey for sea lions. Before European arrival there was a natural balance between prey and predator. Industrial man and his works have upset nature's scales and are bringing salmon to the brink of collapse, just as in the 19th century he nearly exterminated the bison. In an important decision, the Ninth Circuit US Court of Appeals ruled that the government's plan for salmon recovery in the Northwest is little more than analytical legerdemain and therefore violates the Endangered Species Act. The appeals court upheld district court Judge James Redden who was presented with a biological opinion that considered the Columbia basin dams part of the environment since they existed before enactment of the Endangered Species Act. Returns of wild Chinook in the Snake river once exceeded 1.5 million fish or about half of the total Columbia basin salmon run. Even in the late sixties and seventies after the lower Snake river dams went up, salmon returns often exceeded 60,000. Last year only 17,000 exhausted fish made it pass Lower Granite Dam. The Appeals Court called the government's approach to recovery a "slow slide to oblivion" for salmon.

We should give both the sea lions and the salmon a brake by being honest with ourselves. Our endless demands have exhausted a once mighty natural system. Killing sea lions might make some frustrated managers feel better, but it will not solve the problem. Perhaps the easiest solution is to allow more water over the dams or even remove some dams in order to help the salmon migrate successfully. But of course, governments and business interests want their salmon and electricity too. Its a lot less painful to shoot the sea lions.

Weekend Update: An angry fisherman shot a federally protected sea lion twice in the head after it took a hooked salmon from his fishing line on Wednesday. The incident, which is a federal crime punishable by imprisonment and heavy fines, occurred in the Willamette River. The polluted urban river joins the Columbia River approximately eighty miles from the sea. The sea lion was not killed outright. It was found later in serious pain and distress. One guide said that several sea lions are killed each year by frustrated anglers. "They shouldn't be here", he observed. "They are sea lions, not river lions." It seems not only sea lions are hungry for fish.