Category Archives: Social Commentary

Stand Your Ground Laws

Detroit’s future may depend on them.

[Update a few minuts later]

The single most important lesson gun owners should learn from the George Zimmerman case:

Part of the ethos of responsible concealed weapons permit holders is to avoid getting into dicey situations whenever possible. We should remain aware of our surroundings at all times. We should avoid getting into unnecessary conflicts. If conflicts arise, we should attempt to defuse rather than escalate them. If some jerk gets angry because he thinks we stole his spot in the grocery store parking lot, we should back down or remove ourselves from the situation — precisely because we recognize the deadly consequences if things escalate out of control.

In particular, we must not seek out confrontations counting on our handgun to bail us out of trouble. Anyone exercising his right to carry a firearm for self-defense has corresponding responsibility to exert greater — not lesser — control over his emotions.

I’ve never been a big fan of Zimmerman, or his behavior. I’ve just been appalled by all the false race-baiting narratives that the left and the media (if that’s not redundant) have come up with to demonize him and confer childhood and sainthood on the young thug Trayvon Martin.

Hyphens

Is the Internet killing them? This is the problem:

“People are not confident about using hyphens anymore, they’re not really sure what they are for,” Shorter OED editor Angus Stevenson told Reuters at the time.

It’s part of the continuing breakdown of the educational system. Hyphens are important, primarily for disambiguation of modifiers. There is a difference between a light brown suitcase and a light-brown suitcase. The former is a brown suitcase that doesn’t weigh much, and the latter is a suitcase (of unknown weight) that is light brown. It’s that simple.

Stand-Your-Ground Laws

As Glenn says, Hollywood dumbasses.

In addition to his points, a) there’s nothing wrong with stand-your-ground laws and b) the Zimmerman case had nothing to do with stand your ground.

These morons just can’t stand the notion that people should be able to defend themselves.

[Update a few minuts later]

Hey, remember when Barack Obama supported stand-your-ground laws? Well, neither does he. To repeat: dumbasses.

[Update a while later]

OK, you’ll be as unsurprised as I am to learn that John McCain has decided to become one of the dumbasses.