What’s a little callous misappropriation of a mass shooting, in the scheme of things? – Ken White
…moral courage [is] holding fast to your principles in the face of unimaginable challenges to those principles. Pierce O’Farrill was shot three times in Aurora, once with each of James Holmes’ guns. He gave a radio interview yesterday. So first of all, the guy was shot three times, and he gave a radio interview yesterday. But it’s more about what the guy said. First, he forgave his attacker. Second, he asked that his attacker not be given the death penalty. And third, he reaffirmed his support for Second Amendment rights…[he] sounds like a pretty exceptional human being.
At the end of last week, Patrick from Popehat bid the readers farewell because personal and professional commitments will probably preclude his doing any more guest blogging for the duration of Radley’s absence. However, his blogging partner Ken took up the slack with three posts: one of them revealed the real reason the Washington, DC police suddenly reversed course and announced that police will no longer harass, arrest, manhandle, rob or make false accusations against citizens who try to take pictures of them; the others strongly criticized two mayors (Michael Bloomberg of New York and Ed Lee of San Francisco) who wasted no time in making use of the Aurora shootings for their own political ends. Also, Drew Johnson posted a links column.
I started the week with “Compare the Headlines”, a small compilation of links and video about police in Anaheim, California attacking a crowd who dared to question their shooting an unarmed man in the back. On Tuesday I published “What’s the Difference?”, a “sex work is work” column incorporating passages from “Bogeymen” and TW3 #29. On Thursday I reprinted “Godwin’s Law”, which appeared on this blog in March of last year; my “Five Star Friday” video was ZZ Top’s “La Grange”, and today I shared pictures of my dogs Shasta and Lassen. As usual, I also posted three link columns, containing the following:
- New Bowling Green, Ohio law allows cops to give tickets to virtually anyone.
- The IRS demands $40 million in inheritance taxes for an item which is literally worthless.
- Girl faces jail time for naming the boys who sexually assaulted her.
- John Burge’s fondness for torture has cost Chicago taxpayers $33 million so far, with $7 million more on the way.
- One of those things that make me glad I don’t have television.
- Wait, isn’t Cracked supposed to be a humor site?
- Headlines of the day for Monday and Saturday.
- “Zombies take over city.”
- Your daily reminder that politicians are horrible people.
- Disabled man delayed so long by TSA the batteries on his oxygen machine run down.
- Here’s a really good piece on gun control from Harper’s, and an even better one from Mike Riggs. And if you prefer more practical arguments on the subject, here’s a good one for women who are married to sociopathic perverts.
- Puppycide, complete with a swaggering excuse from the sheriff.
- Government Wins Right to Pretend That Cables Released by WikiLeaks Are Still Secret. Meanwhile, Congress wants to use the Wikileaks precedent to prosecute mainstream journalists as well.
- Cop tried to trade theft victim’s stolen property for sex.
- “If you see something, say something” backfires on NYPD.
- Another isolated incident, with nudity.
- Every 3-D movie is the same.
- The New York Times blames the Aurora shootings on Warner Brothers.
- Cop has 20 years of on-duty sex, plus overtime, then retires early at 42 with 7 years of health benefits.
- The London Olympics 2012 Total Perspective Vortex.
- Man bets friends he can set his own face on fire, and wins.
- Cops beat and pepper-spray paraplegic for videorecording them.
- Suicide bombers of the insect world.
- Doctors in Dominican Republic refuse to treat pregnant teenager for cancer, due to fear of prosecution under a strict abortion ban.
- If you had plans for the next 20 billion years, you should probably speed up your timetable a bit.