May, 2014 archive
A Potpourri of Preposterous 0
Warning: Language.
“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0
Yet more familial politeness (emphasis added):
(snip)
The young men apparently discovered a shotgun in the home and were handling it when it discharged, striking the older brother, Chapman said.
I wonder whether the shotgun sneaked in on its own or was an invited guest.
I grew up with guns.
We knew where the guns were and were taught when and how to “handle” them.
“Privilege” 0
In the context of a much longer post about the antics of Cliven Bundy, his tools, dupes, and symps, Chauncey Devega gives as good a working definition of “privilege” as you are likely to see (emphasis added):
Privilege consists of all those day-to-day things that a given person does not have to think about.
In the context of Cliven Bundy and the rise of the White Right in the Age of Obama, white privilege consists of the freedom for white conservative protesters and militia members to point guns at federal law enforcement agents and to do so with the reasonable expectation that you will not be shot dead.
Moreover, if you are shot dead for brandishing a weapon and/or threatening the life of a federal law enforcement agent, white privilege guarantees that you will become a martyr and hero for movement conservatives and those who are drunk on the fumes of the Right-wing media.
Follow the link for the rest.
Nothing To Do, Nowhere To Go 0
Not so good.
(snip)
The four-week average of claims, a less-volatile measure than the weekly figure, increased to 320,000 from 317,000 in the prior week.
The number of people continuing to receive jobless benefits rose by 97,000 to 2.77 million in the week ended April 19.