Arizona Abortion Law
Per Heather Cox Richardson’s Letters from an American, the Arizona law that will begin to be enforced in 14 days was written by a single man in 1864.
In 1864, Arizona was not a state, women and minorities could not vote, and doctors were still sewing up wounds with horsehair and storing their unwashed medical instruments in velvet-lined cases.
Arizona is a swing state that will move to Biden’s favor. Abortion is the Republican party’s kryptonite.
Israel/Gaza War
I was having a discussion with some friends today about the Israel/Gaza War. I was expressing my concern that Israel has turned from the victim to the aggressor and that they are being indiscriminate in the number of civilians that are being killed. I said confidently that there have been more people killed in the last six months than there have been killed in the combined Israel/Arab conflicts of recent years. I decided to verify by comments. Here is what I found.
- From September 2000 to September 2023, the conflicts between Israel and Palestine have killed 1,315 Israelis and 10,512 Palestinians.
- In the current conflict which started October 2023, 1,438 Israelis have been killed and 34, 315 Palestinians have been killed.
The facts bear out my comments. I believe Israel has a right to defend itself, but I believe they have gone beyond defending themselves. Until there is a cease fire, the U.S. should discontinue their support of Israel and redirect the funds to provide humanitarian aid to the area.
If it saves one life, it is worth it.
Per the Guardian, the sale of firearms on the internet and at gun shows in the US will in future be subject to mandatory background checks, the justice department said on Thursday as it announced a “historic” new action to keep weapons out of the hands of criminals.
The closing of the so-called gun show loophole, which exempts private transactions from restrictions that apply to licensed dealers…is specifically targeted in the rule published in the federal register today.
Under this regulation, it will not matter if guns are sold on the internet, at a gun show, or at a brick-and-mortar store: if you sell guns predominantly to earn a profit, you must be licensed, and you must conduct background checks,” the attorney general, Merrick Garland, told reporters on a press call announcing the measure.
Merrick Garland gets my Orchid of the Day
O.J.
O.J. Simpson passed away today of cancer at the age of 76. He was an American icon until he wasn’t. He was found innocent of murder in a criminal court, but later found guilty of murder in a civil court, which ordered millions in settlement to the victims. The civil conviction ultimately led to his public downfall as nearly every dollar he had or earned in the future had to go to the settlement. This led to erratic behavior which led a criminal conviction of robbery and kidnapping and time in prison.
His “Trial of the Century” showed the great racial divide that existed in this country. The trial captivated the country as an estimated 100 million people watched the verdict when it was announced. Polls showed a large majority of whites felt he was guilty, and a large majority of blacks felt he was innocent.
At the time the verdict was announced, I was at the Michigan Union. Everyone there had stopped what they were doing and were gathered around any TV that could be found. As the verdict was read the reaction was memorable. Whites were aghast and blacks were cheering and high fiving.
I remember walking back to my office realizing that race was still a major issue in our country. If you were white, you saw the facts one way. If you were black, you saw the facts another way.
Whites saw a black guy guilty of killing a white woman and her white boyfriend. Blacks saw a black guy being framed by crooked cops for the murder of a white women and her white boyfriend. It was a wakeup call to me about the tremendous racial divide that still existed in this country.
When Obama was elected president, I thought we were over the hump. Unfortunately, it didn’t take long for me to realize I was wrong. Not long after Obama’s election I started receiving racist emails from a surprising number of acquaintances. The number of emails and the hate they transmitted was upsetting and surprising. The emails changed how I viewed the people sending the emails. Little did I know it was only going to get worse.
Inflation
Although significantly lower than two years ago, the 3.8% annual inflation rate in March was 0.1% higher than most economists anticipated. It remains at least 1.0% higher than the feds want it to be and before they start reducing interest rates.
No matter how well the overall economy is doing, and it is doing well, inflation will be Biden’s kryptonite.
Red Wings
The Red Wings wanted to be playing meaningful games in April. They got their wish.
With four games left in the season the Wings are one point out of the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Tonight, they are playing one of their prime competitors, Pittsburg Penguins, on the road. The Wings need to win at least 3 of 4 to have a chance. Even that may not be enough if the Washington Capitals win all four of their remaining games. It has been a while since the Wings have been in the playoffs. It would be nice if they get over the hump this year.
In the Stanley Cup playoffs, once you get in, anything can happen. A hot goalie or a few lucky bounces and you can make it all the way to the finals.
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Quote of the Day: I saw this in Joyce Vance’s newsletter today. I am thinking of making it a permanent disclaimer on my blog.
“My proofreader is on a much-deserved vacation this week, and I’m on my own. It’s tough to write, edit, and still get the newsletter out to you in a timely fashion, so I appreciate your understanding. Don’t worry. She’ll be back Sunday night. I miss her already!”
Orchid of the Day: Merrick Garland. See the above story If it saves one life, it is worth it.
Onion of the Day: The winds at the Masters tournament today. The winds were creating havoc for the golfers. I saw a lot of golfers just shaking their heads as they watched the winds take the balls in ways they did not anticipate.
Question of the Day: Will the new gun law save lives?
Video of the Day: John Rohm hole-in-one at the Masters during the practice round on Tuesday where he deliberately skipped it over the water.
Jon Rahm skips to a hole-in-one on No. 16 | Masters Tuesday (youtube.com)