SUPREME COURT MAY BE MOVING AWAY FROM NRA POSITIONS RE GUNS

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I consider the Justice Building Blog one of the finest on the internet. Published once or twice a week. I read it religiously.

The blog is written by someone at the Miami Courthouse. Generally right on re legal issues.

Guns the big news these days. Understandably so. The Justice Building Blog dealt with one phase of the issue in its 2/20/18 publication.

The blog reviewed Justice Clarence Thomas’ 14 page dissent in Sylvester v. Becerra, 583 U.S.__(2018).

The Supreme Court as a whole, except for Thomas, had decided to deny certiorari and not hear the appeal in the Sylvester case. Involved was California’s 10 day waiting period in order to purchase a firearm.

The appellant was a gun owner who already had a firearm and had been earlier approved during a 10 day waiting period for that firearm. Since he was purchasing a second firearm and had already been approved re the first, he felt it was wrong to apply the 10 day waiting period to him.

The Supreme Court, except for Thomas, opted to pass on the issue and not entertain it.

Thomas is considered an NRA supporter.

I do not hold Thomas in high esteem. I have always considered him inept. A mistake on the Court.

Thomas was upset because the Court would not hear and rule on the matter. He wrote a lengthy dissent. An educational one from my perspective. Brought to my attention facts I was unaware off.

The U.S. Supreme Court has not heard a gun case in almost 8 years. Thomas criticized the Court’s “continued direction in this area.” Meaning the Court has not wished to hear gun cases in almost 8 years.

Some other Thomas comments: “The right to keep and bear arms is apparently the Court’s constitutional orphan…..We have not heard argument in a Second Amendment case for nearly eight years…..And we have not clarified the standard for asserting Second Amendment claims for almost 10.”

He compared the Court’s failure as he viewed it comparable to not having heard in many years Third Amendment cases. The Third Amendment involves the prohibition against quartering of soldiers in homes. He also invoked the Eighteenth Amendment which prohibits the sale and manufacture of liquor.

I suspect the Supreme Court has avoided gun cases because it wants federal or state legislatures to move on the issue first.

Burt Bacharach was one of the premier song writers back when. In 1965, he published What The World Needs Now Is Love. Let the tune play through your mind.

The Justice Building Blog ended with a take on Bacharach’s tune. One printed with tongue in cheek I am sure: What The World Needs Now Are Guns, more guns…..not just for some, but for everyone.

A tough emotional day yesterday. I was glued to the TV set. Douglas High School children and others appearing in Tallahassee and Washington. The Washington group with the President.

Moving. The tears flowed freely on occasion.

I want to share some at random thoughts re what I observed.

Initially, I thought the Trump meeting was a political ploy and nothing more. He and the NRA are hand in hand. Turned out differently. I now suspect the President did it with sincerity and sorrow.

The high schoolers and some of the parents spoke with an eloquence even Shakespeare could not have composed. From the heart. Gut feelings. “My daughter is dead. Nine bullets in her body.” “My daughter killed from a bullet in her back which shattered her spine.”

The high schoolers most definitely a sleeping giant awakened. Beware NRA and those who blindly support the NRA for dollars.

The shooting itself the beginning of the end of the NRA.

My fear is Trump will not go far enough. Ban assault weapons should be the first issue up front. An AR-15 only good for two things. War and killing school children.

Trump’s thought that teachers should carry useless. Probably the NRA’s idea. Would sell more guns. What good is a pistol going to be against an AR-15?

Enough for today. No more soap boxing.

Last night Tavern ‘n Town for an early dinner. Then to the Chart Room to watch Syracuse/North Carolina. Syracuse lost 78-74. Came close to winning at the end. Had it all tied up with 1 1/2 minutes left. Blew three chances to win.

North Carolina the superior team. I was impressed that Syracuse came back at the end.

Have to hustle. A haircut with Lori at noon. A manicure with Tammy later in the afternoon. Glad I called Tammy for an appointment yesterday. She leaves on vacation tomorrow.

Enjoy your day!

CHILDREN DIE

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Another school shooting. Yesterday, Parkland High School. Located in Broward County Florida. The 19th school shooting  this year in the United States. Today, only February 15. Means 19 school shootings in 46 days. Seventeen killed yesterday. More injured.

The blame lies primarily with the NRA and our elected politicians. The politicos are owned by the NRA.

Children die because politicians are interested in keeping their seats.

Sick!

The extremist NRA lobbies. Elected officials are subservient to them because of the power and money the NRA has. Both of which could be used to defeat them if they dared to oppose the NRA.

Our elected representatives today reflect man at his worst. Money being more important than lives.

The past year saw politicians with a new line following a mass shooting. A line I would guarantee has to have been formulated by the NRA. When asked what the politician thought, what could be done, etc.,  the response always is not the time to talk about it.

If not immediately following a mass shooting, when?

Appreciate the amount of NRA money being spent on Congressional people alone. The New York Times set forth such information on October 4, 2017. I take from the article the top three US Senators who received the most in contributions from the NRA.

John Mc Cain #1. $7,700,000. Richard Burr #2. $6,900,000. Ray Blunt #3. $4,500,000.

The numbers say it all. The truth lies within them.

Big night yesterday. Actually started in the afternoon.

The Custom House first for the St. Valentine’s Day mass kiss-in. My date was Catherine. The kiss-in scheduled precisely for 6pm. One thousand expected. Five hundred couples kissing.

We got there at 4:30. The crowd still small. We knew we could not stay till 6 because of another event. We sat on the steps and chatted till 5:15.

Free rum beginning at 5. We did not get any. By 5, the line was long. The Spectrelles singing. Couples kissing when ever they wanted. The woman slung over on the man’s arm.

We left, but not without kissing. Our first. Immediately turned into 3 or 4. Led to more kissing later in the evening. Made me wonder why we had not done this on previous dates.

Then to the Sons and Daughters of Italy St. Valentine’s day dinner and meeting.

The dinner outstanding. Lasagna! Followed by a huge heart shaped chocolate cake covered deep in frosting.

I cheated. Only the third time since November 27. The night before, I craved cake. Any kind. I am on a low carb diet. The craving was satisfied last night. The lasagna an added bonus.

A night cap was in order. We were off to the Chart Room. John bartending.

Lovely Nikki cried out…..Key West Lou! We had never met before. Nikki is from Atlanta. Reads this blog every day. Thank you, Nikki!

Nikki and her husband Russ are from Atlanta. Vacationing. Have been doing so in Key West annually for many years. They were married on Smathers Beach in 2007.

Nikki is a paralegal. Husband Russ, a marina manager.

They were enjoying Key West with Atlanta friends Tatiana and Doug.

Permit an observation. Both Nikki and Tatiana extremely beautiful women.

I found Tatiana’s name different. Special. She explained she was Brazilian. Tatiana however not Brazilian. Tatiana was born sometime around the 1980 Winter Olympics. There was a Russian skater named Tatiana that impressed her mother. Ergo, the name Tatiana.

Tatiana is a nurse practitioner. Proud of her work and the responsibility that goes with it.

Doug into transportation logistics.

Four wonderful people! Hope I run into them again.

There is a new musical in Key West. Undying Love. Tickets hard to come by.

Described as an off beat musical. It is the story of Key West’s Count Carl von Cosel whose love Elena Milagro de Hoyos had died. He stole her body from her grave. Kept Elena with him for several years till discovered. In his bed. Preserved with wax.

Sick!

Made into a musical, however. And from all I hear, a tremendous success.

The Battleship Maine blew up in Havana harbor this day in 1898. Two hundred sixty American sailors killed. Led to the Spanish American War.

Key West has two connections to the tragedy.

The first involves many of the sailors who died. They are interred in the Key West Cemetery. Duly honored every year.

The other is the location of the formal hearing to determine the cause of the explosion. The US Court of Naval Inquiry met at what is today’s Custom House. Then a newly constructed federal building.

The stock market crashed last week. I predicted it. Though not an economist, being 82 I have lived through several and could sense this one coming.

I am going to stick my neck out. The crash is not yet complete. There will be another this year, worse.

Enjoy your day!

 

GOP SHOOTING

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A sad morning.

Sad for the people of the United States.

Republican Congressmen were shot at early this morning while practicing for a baseball game tomorrow morning. Against Democrats. An annual charity fundraiser.

Steve Scalise, the Majority Whip, was shot. In the hip. In surgery at the moment. Several others shot, including two police officers.

I am not a Scalise fan. He is a right wing conservative. However, that does not mean I want him shot. The philosophical battles between my side and his are fought in the halls of Congress and at the ballot box.

One observation. I place part of the blame on the venom and in your face bully type comments spewed by Trump. It invites reaction. In this instance, against Republican Congressmen.

All wrong!

An attack against a Congressman is an attack against me and against you. We are all Americans.

My yesterday a busy one. Running around all day taking care of the mundane.

Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou last night. My podcast. Dwelt on Sessions’ testimony, the Cabinet meeting (the ass kissing one), and Boeing building or planning on building plants in China, Saudi Arabia, and India.

Forbes March edition reported there are 2,043 billionaires in the world. Their combined net worth $7.67 trillion.

Our national debt is three times that amount!

This Qatar thing is having effects. I once again blame Trump for emboldening the Saudis.

Qatar is one of the richest nations in the world. However a financial crisis is looming. The Saudis have shut off Qatar’s outside its borders bank transactions.

Another problem is milk. A problem of more immediate consequence. Milk. Milk is generally imported. Saudi Arabia and several other Arab nations have blockaded Qatar.

Local Qatar entrepreneurs have started a cow paradropping campaign. The Berlin Airlift on a minor scale.

The Key West Citizen carries columns by national columnists several times a week. One appeared today. By the Washington Post’s Kathleen Parker: Wishing for a Trump Tweetectomy.

Right on!

More than any other President, Trump has increased material for use by comedians.

Comedy Central’s Daily Show is opening this weekend the Donald J. Trump Presidential Library. The featured subject: Trump tweets. The Library is at 3 West 57th Street in Manhattan. It will be open friday-sunday. Admission free.

Some 20 years ago, a waitress at Square One had a sister who was afflicted with some rare disease. The sister was in Philadelphia. The waitress walked from Key West to Philadelphia to bring attention to the disease and to raise money to assist in finding a cure.

Impressive!

Another such venture. This one in the water rather than on land.

Three women are paddle boarding from Havana to South Florida. Hopefully, Smathers Beach.

One paddle board. three women. Each will take turns of two hours or less paddling. One of the ladies said, “Our arms are our engines.” Actually, the ladies cup their hands and use their hands to cut the water.

A vessel will lead them.

The trip is anticipated to take 25 hours.

Purpose: To bring two charities to the forefront. Ocean of Hope and Special Olympics 305.

Brave, tough ladies. Not an easy trip. Beside crazy waters and sharks, jelly fish could be the most significant problem. The ladies expect bites. They believe they can mentally as well as physically handle the pain.

Enjoy your day!