02/02 Morning Report

I saw this yesterday, but didn’t get to it. Nonetheless, it’s got be giving the left manic fits! A bill has been entered in the Texas legislature to allow homeowners and business owners to actually get to defend themselves! As it stands right now…

" Texas law effectively imposes a duty to attempt to retreat before using force against an intruder…Texans who do not attempt to escape before using force to protect their homes, their businesses or their vehicles may be criminally prosecuted and face possible civil suits alleging wrongful injury or death."

We’ve been told forever the way to survive a robbery or attack is to give the criminal what they want. Now, lawmakers on both sides of the fence want to make it the criminal’s responsibility to avoid harm by not acting criminally. There are 15 other states that think like this, too.
(…I like it!...I wonder what will happen to it between now and the time it gets voted on…if it gets voted on…)

Meanwhile, it seems the Flu has taken on proportions equal to terrorism. There will soon be a severity index, based on the number of deaths that may be caused by a given strain.

The mildest flu strains, those expected to kill fewer than 90,000 Americans, would be known as Category 1 outbreaks. The most severe, a Category 5 epidemic, could kill more than 1.8 million U.S. residents. State and local leaders would adjust their precautions according to the rankings, which the CDC will issue.

This was the major item of the 108-page manual to standardize procedures at state and local levels (Here is the official web site). Why do we need this index…

"Pandemic influenza is not necessarily imminent, but we believe it's inevitable….”

(…that is not encouraging…but at least it’s out in the open…think it will make any difference?...)

The short lived truce in Gaza continues to fail. Given the sectarian issues in play, it should come as no surprise. There is currently more Arab on Arab and Palestinian on Palestinian violence in Gaza AND Lebanon than there is against the Israelis—despite the bakery bombing earlier this week. Even buildings are becoming targets in Gaza now.

These are many of the same sectarian issues in play in Iraq. A new report says that sectarian violence is a bigger problem than al-Qaeda operations. This is, of course, no surprise. Why the media keep trying to report it like one is up for debate. My short version is there is a power struggle going on with the repressed Shiites backlashing against the repression of the Sunnis under Sadaam. It’s a normal historical event after regime changes. The original colonies wnet through it trying to deal with “Torries.” And, admittedly, the US should have planned better for it. Still, given that it is occurring in places the US has not taken an active role with troops, why is everyone surprised by the level of violence?

On the subject of sectarian violence in Iraq, even Iraqi generals are being investigated over the January 20th killing of five GIs. True or not, the possibility of Iranian involvement and planning is even being considered.

Though I haven’t mentioned them earlier here, these are the names of the fallen: Pvt. Johnathon M. Millican, 1st Lt. Jacob Fritz, Capt. Brian S. Freeman, Pfc. Shawn P. Falter and Spc. Johnathan Bryan Chism. We at our house remember your cry—the cry of all warriors:

"Tell them of us and say,
For their tomorrow, we gave our today."
--The Kohima Epitaph--

We remember you for what you have given. And we say thank you for the tomorrows you have given others. May God give back to your family more than they have sacrificed and lost.

And, now, we dance In Memoriam.