You all know how I feel about guns (short version, they’re okay by me, but don’t point them my way), but I don’t understand why the sale and manufacture of clips to hold large amounts of ammunition for handguns is allowed.

What legitimate need does it fulfill? Hunting? Not with a handgun. Home defense? What, 9 or 11 bullets won’t do? Militia duties? Again, not with a handgun.

The combination of an easily hidden handgun and a large clip of ammunition increased the scope of Saturday’s tragedy.

So, why? What legitimate purpose did the availability of that clip serve?

(Yes, yes, I know that the ammunition clip didn’t kill and injure the people at that event, that the shooter did. But he wouldn’t have killed or injured as many people without that clip.)

My thoughts are with the friends, families, and victims.

There’s a terrific discussion going on about redistricting, focused on the Dulles District. Comments there got off to a good start with one by our own Paradox13.

Loudoun Times Mirror’s David D’Onofrio very kindly asked me to contribute to his collection of resolutions for Loudoun County!

We didn’t go out and say, HEY! We know what would be good here! Let’s run one each of several constituent minorities that Eugene has derided and see which gets the most votes!

No. What the Dems asked for, and what we got, were candidates who are willing to put in the time, effort, money, and guts to run.

If you don’t like the Democrats who are standing up to run against The Man in the Orange Hat, then tell me…who is running in a Republican primary against him?

Are you?  

Not nearly as angry any more.

Thank you, Congress and President Obama, for passing and signing the repeal of DADT.

Thank you, Senate, for ratifying the New START treaty.

Thank you, Senate, for giving 9/11 first responders money for health care.Here are some links to things I’ve been reading:

Amanda Hess writes about Bob Marshall’s reaction to the repeal of DADT

My own Stevens Miller takes a different slant on it

And one of the comments on one of the posts about DADT over on Shakesville really stood out for me.

Finally, a video of a song by Tom Lehrer. It’s not really apropos, but it’s about the military and the bomb, so here goes:

I wish DOMA had been repealed, too. I wish we had a single-payer health care system. I wish women’s health were not constantly used as a bargaining chip. But today, I’m happy with what we got this week.

In which Lloyd hopes for 12-year term limits for congress critters?

Isn’t this one of the people who keeps voting for Congressman-for-Life Frank Wolf?

Dude, if you don’t want people serving forever, vote for the other guy once in a while.

Jeff Barnett was a great alternative to Mr. Thirty-years-and-counting, but noooooo, gotta vote for Frank!

…so little time to blog.

FuryI am furious that an outright MAJORITY of DEMOCRATS can’t get DADT repealed. Strike that. That a MAJORITY OF DEMOCRATS won’t live up to their own bloody platform. EQUALITY, GODDAMNIT!!

I am furious that an outright MAJORITY of DEMOCRATS can’t get it together to extend unemployment benefits and extend tax cuts to 98% of Americans. WITHOUT giving away $708 BILLION dollars to folks who already have more money than the bottom 50%.

I am furious that every single TV news outlet except for Comedy Fucking Central let the Republicans get away with filibustering against health care for 9/11 first responders.

I am furious that Fox News is on every day, all the time, in my office break room. I sprain my eyeballs rolling them every time I go in there. If I change the channel, it’ll be changed back within 15 minutes.

I am furious that Democrats in the Senate and in the House have acted for the last two years like compromise would work with people to whom “compromise” means “give me everything I want”. They should NEVER have passed bills to assuage Republicans when they ended up not getting a single Republican vote.

And now we’ve lost the House. And did we learn anything from it? No.

Fury.

INVITE DETAILS

“Cherish Choice – A Woman’s Constitutional Right Under Attack in Virginia”

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What you need to know that’s happening, and an opportunity for action to defend a woman’s right of choice.  So please join us for champagne, hors d’oeuvres, a concert violinist, and an informal conversation on a most distressing issue — Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli’s current attacks on a women’s basic reproductive rights here in Virginia — and how we can fight back.

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John and Holly Flannery will host and introduce: NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia Executive Director Tarina Keene, so Tarina can update us on the status of Choice in the commonwealth, what’s at stake in the upcoming General Assembly session and 2011 election, and what you can do to make a difference.

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DATE AND TIME: Saturday, December 11, 4pm-6pm

PLACE: The home of John and Holly Flannery

Ithaca Manor, 38469 Triticum Lane, Lovettsville, VA 20180

SUGGESTED DONATION: $50 to support NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia

I know that the question he asks over on his blog is not pertinent to my co-bloggers, but it sure may be pertinent to some readers. What do you think?

but something came up. Home now and doing well. Thanking everybody for their kind words and loving thoughts. Thanking also the great EMTs and the staff at Loudoun Hospital for taking such wonderful care of me.