Tragedies Waiting To Happen: Yesterday Minneapolis, Tomorrow Your Town?

Right now, according to ABC News, the federal government acknowledges that about 35% of this nation's major highways are in desperate shape; this in addition to the tens of thousands of bridges, countless thousands of stretches of railway, and other parts of the infrastructure that have been left to decay and are now at best "structurally unsound" and more likely flat out very dangerous.

It's only a matter of time before we see the disaster on the I35W bridge in Minneapolis repeated, perhaps with far more deadly results.

Department of Homeland Security? I dunno; al Qaeda supposedly attacked us ONCE. But can these terrorists do anywhere near the damage our federal government has, just in its total irresponsibility regarding the failing infrastructure?

I think not. President Bush's plan? Why, to tell us to pray, of course.

Of Guns And Labels And Assumptions

Regular readers know I have no love for guns. But regulars have seen me state on many occasions that although I don't want a gun anywhere in my home or office, I have no desire to take guns away from everyone or make it impossible for good and educated-to-the-risks-and-safety people to have one or more guns. [Although I continue to strive for a world where one of our favorite possessions is something that largely exists only to threaten, wound, or kill, I recognize we're sure not there now.] My 2004 choice for president was Howard Dean who is for many issues I care about while he is also hardly anti-gun.

So I was a little surprised to see that I was branded as an anti-gun misanthrope simply for posting about an article on Gun Guys; here's my response:

As the blogger in question, let me point out a few things:

First, you're right; I do not like guns although I was raised even as a little girl to know how to handle them and to shoot. But not liking is rather different from "anti-gun".

Second, while I am strongly FOR gun education and safety, I do not campaign against guns or likewise. To some degree, adults should be able to choose their particular interests without having the feds in your face all the time.

Third, as part of item two, I support intelligent gun laws that allow those who want to shoot as a passtime (or use for protection). I just happen to prefer not to use, see, or even have brought into my home or office a handgun or anything larger.

Fourth - and here's probably the biggest gap between us - while some may call it issue advocacy at The Gun Guys, I find them a good place to start for information on an issue that I can then research through other means. After checking out several items, I find GunGuys generally less invested in spin than many of the sites that promote the "give every American a gun" ideals.

Since this post mentions the need for education, I say hell yes! We can start with a better reading of the 2nd amendment as to what it DOES say, rather than what some wish to infer.