Domesticated animals have the right to be properly fed, housed, and generally cared for; beyond that, however, elevating them to human levels seems absurd. An interesting perspective on the subject is at the link below with opposing views at hand.

http://www.opposingviews.com/arguments/why-animal-rights-don-t-exist

Although it may not be at the top of the new Washington regime’s list, underpinnings are in place for gun grabbers to make their move, once the dust settles over the recently adopted pork plan. Second Amendment supporters have planned a march on the Capitol next spring. And, the Nuge will be front and center.

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=88472

Columbus
A consortium of conservation organizations today sent a letter of support of Alaska’s wolf management program to Alaska Governor Sarah Palin.

The letter, spearheaded by the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance and signed by 8 other organizations representing nearly 3 million conservationists nationwide, came in response to unwarranted attacks on the Alaska wolf management program by the animal preservation group Defenders of Wildlife (DoW).

The attack includes a television ad featuring actress Ashley Judd. The ad is as part of an aggressive media campaign to cast public disfavor on Alaska’s scientifically valid and sound method of predator management.

The conservation groups’ letter clarifies that the Alaska program avoids game population decimation, especially for moose and caribou “through a rigorously controlled, scientifically based system.”

The letter also highlights “the critical importance of science in wildlife management” and states that “the future of effective wildlife management necessitates that emotional pleas not substitute for reasoned analysis.”

According to USSA Senior Vice President Rick Story, “It is imperative that people understand how important science is to maintaining healthy populations of wildlife species. In the absence of this program, not only would wildlife be destroyed, eventually, disease and hunger would kill far more wolves.”

Story concluded, “It is simply wrong for an environmental group to use Hollywood glitz and glamour to hide science from the public.”

The signers of the letter include:
The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance
The Archery Trade Association and Bowhunting Preservation Alliance
Boone & Crockett Foundation
Conservation Force
The Dallas Safari Club
The National Shooting Sports Foundation
North American Bear Foundation
Pope & Young Club
The Texas Wildlife Association

To view the letter please visit: http://www.ussportsmen.org/Palin

The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance is a national association of sportsmen and sportsmen’s organizations that protects the rights of hunters, anglers and trappers in the courts, legislatures, at the ballot, in Congress and through public education programs. For more information about the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance and its work, call (614) 888-4868 or visit its website, www.ussportsmen.org.

John Michael Snyder explores concern for government corruption. With tax cheats in charge, revolt is possible, as evidenced throughout history when bureaucracies get high on power.

http://www.expertclick.com/NewsReleaseWire/default.cfm?Action=ReleaseDetail&ID=25203

Dr. Death was never one to play by the rules. It’s remarkable how his attorney had attempted to get Dr. Jack out of prision because he was so ill and now he’s healed! It’s a miracle.

His contempt for his country is matched by his country’s obligation to permit him to spew.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/slf-0205kevorkian,0,854596.story

The Illinois Sheriff’s Association bucks the norm in its support of concealed carry with certain restrictions. What’s odd about this piece is the leadership of the sheriff’s association is in alignment with the rank and file. It’s a dirty little secret that many police associations are represented as being against common citizenry freedoms, such as those linked to firearms, by their leadership; however, a majority of rank and file officers understand that an honest, law-abiding citizen – if properly prepared – can be a life-saving asset in many situations. The 90-percent backing by officers in this piece is certainly not a-typical.

The link below is heatwarming.

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/illinoisnews/story/385D6275457E354286257554000E644A?OpenDocument

When democrats choose not to pay taxes, the common practice is termed mistakes. If a regular Joe does the same, it’s called tax evasion. See what Michael Reagan has to say about the myriad “mistakes” of O’Bama high-level appointees at the link below.

http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=30579

From The National Rifle Association and Institute for Legislative Action
Friday, February 06, 2009

On January 12, the FBI released preliminary crime date for calendar year 2008, indicating that the nation’s murder rate has fallen to a 43-year low, and the nation’s total violent crime rate has fallen to a 35-year low. The data suggest that since violent crime peaked in 1991, the nation’s murder rate has fallen 46 percent, and the nation’s total violent crime rate has fallen 41 percent. The FBI will publish final data for 2008 later this year.

In the same time frame, federal, state and local gun control laws have been eliminated or made less restrictive, Americans have been buying over 4 million new guns every year, and the number of guns (including semi-automatic and other firearms that use standard magazines that hold more than 10 rounds) is at an all-time high. Less gun control has coincided with less crime. Pretty simple stuff.

For most people, that is.

On February 4, the anti-gun Brady Campaign looked at the historically low crime rates and concluded otherwise. “Most states have weak or non-existent gun laws that help feed the illegal gun market, allow the sale of guns without Brady background checks and put families and children at risk,” the group claimed.

Brady made the claim in conjunction with the release of its annual “state scorecard” gimmick, in which the anti-gun group “scores” each state from zero to 100, giving more points for more gun control laws, without regard to whether the laws have any positive effect. Brady used to give out school-like letter grades, but abandoned that concept when people noticed that the group was giving most states Ds and Fs when violent crime was low and declining.

Scores of 0-59 points are still worth an “F,” and scores of 60-69 points are still worth a “D,” however. And with that in mind, Brady gave 48 states an “F,” one state a “D,” and California got a “C.” The average score for the 50 states was 17.7. As Brady put it, “Once again, the scores for most states are abysmal. No states got a better score for 2008 than for 2007. Five states saw their scores drop.”

Since Brady gives the states worse scores every time crime rates go down, all we can add is “Amen.”

From The National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action
Friday, February 06, 2009

With President Barack Obama stating that his “urban agenda” includes reimposing the former federal ban on “assault weapons” and “large” magazines, it’s out-of-date to refer to that law as it was known at the time–the Clinton Gun Ban.

On second thought, maybe not just yet.

In January, speaking at a meeting of the anti-gun U.S. Conference of Mayors, former president Bill Clinton took credit for the old ban, praised the Brady Campaign for continuing to lobby Congress for a new ban, and suggested that the mood in Washington might be more favorable toward a ban now than it had been during the last eight years.

Here’s what Mr. Clinton had to say:
“[W]e will not go forward anymore, I don’t think, with the kind of politics of division and destruction that drug us down for too long. That’s essentially what is different, and what creates this great moment of opportunity . . . . to have conversations with people, instead of screaming matches, over things like what former Mayor [now Brady Campaign president Paul] Helmke works on so much—over what is the best way to keep the American people safe. Nobody wants to repeal the Second Amendment, and nobody wants to keep you out of the deer woods, but wouldn’t it be nice if your children didn’t have to worry about being mowed down by an assault weapon when they turn the corner?”

After the mayors’ reflexive applause receded, Clinton continued, this time speaking more broadly than in reference to gun control alone. “[W]e’re now in a position to begin again,” he said. “It’s not a leftward movement. It’s a forward, communitarian movement.” Communitarianism is a movement that considers individualism an impediment to society uniformly adopting values the movement considers appropriate, including authoritarian gun control. For example, the Communitarian Network platform states “there is little sense in gun registration. What we need to significantly enhance public safety is domestic disarmament of the kind that exists in practically all democracies.”

Mr. Clinton did not treat the mayors to a longwinded explanation of the communitarian ideal, nor did he explain that the Brady Campaign no longer advocates merely the reimposition of the Clinton-era ban. Instead, like the Violence Policy Center and Legal Community Against Violence, Brady advocates a much broader federal ban, such as California’s or the one proposed by Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-N.Y.), which would ban guns made to comply with the 1994 ban (by omitting one or more attachments, such as a flash suppressor), all semi-automatic shotguns, the Ruger Mini-14, the .30 Carbine, the M1 Garand, and other categories of guns and gun parts not affected by the 1994 ban.

Mr. Clinton also praised President Obama’s selection of Hillary Clinton as his Secretary of State, a position in which Mrs. Clinton could lend support to international efforts to impose gun prohibitions domestically. It’s going to be an interesting four years, to say the least.

Deer Management Threatened in Indiana Bill Sets Arbitrary Increase for Deer Harvests
2/6/09

A new Indiana bill increasing the bag limit for deer in thirty counties has substituted politics for scientific wildlife management.

House Bill 1585 was introduced by Representative Bill Friend (R- Macy). The bill politicizes wildlife management by permitting the legislature, not the state wildlife management agency, to have jurisdiction over setting seasons and bag limits.

According to the bill, the Director of the Division of Fish and Wildlife is mandated to double the seasonal bag limit for deer in each of the thirty counties that experienced the highest number of deer-vehicle collisions as reported by the state police department. The new limits would begin in the 2009 hunting season and continue through the end of the 2011 season.

According to Rick Story, senior vice president of the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance, “It’s a slippery slope whenever politicians get involved in wildlife management. It is a highly scientific process that should be handled by the responsible agency and not be made a political football.”