The Kind-Hearted Smart Aleck

While it's human nature to be more emotionally impacted by a tragedy when it affects an individual personally, I find it progressively more commonplace, and frankly progressively more disturbing, to see large quantities of people not exhibit a shred of empathy, nor sympathy when said horrific occurrence occurs outisde their orbit. If and when I ever inquire how the aforementioned tragedy impacted them, I'm typically met with a shrug of the shoulders and the same sentiment - "It will never happen to me." Yes, I'm more or less referring to the MAGA cult, or, I'll be nice and call it a movement (yes, in line with bowel movements, but I digress). Hard-line members of this...movement firmly believe, no matter what happens to people like Renee Good or Alex Pretti, there's zero chance of a similar fate meeting them. You'll hear them defend the ICE agents, who committed the murders of Mr. Pretti and Ms. Good, as just doing their job; following the rule of law;...

Reporter: "From your vantage point, what is the biggest divider between the two parties? What truly sets you apart from one another?" GOP: "Easy, we're the party of law and order and they're not. They don't care about crime and we do, bigly." Reporter: "Just for the record, their nominee used to be a what?" GOP: "Prosecutor" Reporter: "...and your nominee is?" GOP: "A felon" Reporter: "Fascinating..." #TrumpIsUnfitForOffice #VoteBlueAsifYourLivesDependonit

I really hope Trump goes after Harris for being too tough on criminals when she was a prosecutor. Trump: "I got to tell you, Caramello, you were a bit too tough there on people when you were a prose-whatever." Harris: "I thought you were in the 'law & order' party." Trump: "I am." Harris: "34x-convicted felon says what?" #TrumpIsNotFitToBePresident #VoteBlueToStopACriminalDictator

Feminism: "noun, the advocacy of women's rights on the basis of the equality of the sexes." The right to work. That's feminism. The right to vote. That's feminism. Equal education and employment opportunities. That's feminism. Equal pay. That's feminism. Reproductive rights. That's feminism. Feminism is about equality. It's about women being treated as equals in and out of the home, in and out of the school, in and out of the workplace, in and out of any place where they step foot. In accordance with the law, all men and women should be treated as equals.  Here's what feminism isn't: feminism isn't seeking vengeance against innocent parties, due to the abuses and inequalities of the past. Feminism isn't seeking privilege over peers. Feminism isn't about power and control just for the sake of power and control. I'm an old-school feminist. I think it's wrong young women are often discouraged from taking an interest in cert...

  I’ve long asked the questions, “Why is our nation so divided?” and “When did it start?” I’ve heard some on the left point fingers at right-wing talk radio, Fox News, and Donald Trump. Similarly, I’ve heard some on the right blame social media, identity politics, and Barack Obama. While I personally feel as though talk radio, networks like Fox, Donald Trump, social media, and perhaps to a lesser extent, identity politics, have exacerbated the divide in recent years, this is not where it started. As a matter of fact, the divide started long before – approximately 150 years ago. While technically the Union may have defeated the Confederacy, the Civil War never truly ended.   It’s been said that African-Americans were freed from slavery at the conclusion of the Civil War, but this isn’t entirely true. In the decades, generations, even centuries that followed, black Americans have had to fight for voting rights; employment opportunities; even being allowed in the same public ...

What do you get when a white police officer kills an unarmed black man via a chokehold? Five years in prison. Oh, check that, unemployment five years later. In this episode, I talk about the recent news involving former Officer Daniel Pantaleo getting fired five years after choking and killing Eric Garner and how the seeming law enforcement-vs.-Black Lives Matter debate isn't as black and white as many suggest. In addition to this, I try to explain to my fellow whites what it actually means when someone says "Black Lives Matter!" No, as Inigo Montoya said in the classic film, The Princess Bride, "I do not think it means what you think it means." You can listen to the episode in its entirety here: https://ifeelsnitty.podbean.com/e/blue-crimes-matter/ You can check out all of my other podcasts at this link: https://ifeelsnitty.podbean.com/

NRA spokesperson and woman most likely to be voted He-Babe of the Year by conservatives - Dana Loesch - just said the following about the recent Supreme Court Colorado bakery decision on her show, Relentless : "This is clearly a victory for Jack Phillips (the baker). The desire of really big, statist government progressives to force people to engage in expression, of course this whole bake the cake thing is far from over. But surprisingly, over in California, a judge just ruled that baker Cathy Miller, yet another baker, was under no obligation to make a wedding cake for a same-sex marriage. Now in the ruling, Kern County Superior Court Judge David Lampe said, quote, 'The right to freedom of speech under the First Amendment outweighs the State's interest in securing a freely accessible marketplace,' and 'the right of freedom of thought guaranteed by the First Amendment includes the right to speak, the right to refrain from speaking, and sometimes the most profoun...

I just read about an extremely strange legal case in North Carolina. Apparently, a 17-year-old was charged with multiple counts of sexual exploitation for taking and possessing nude photos of a minor. Who is this minor? Himself, as he sent nude photos of himself to his 16-year-old girlfriend (and vice versa). That's right, according to North Carolina law, this kid was both the perpetrator and victim of this crime. Not only does that sound strange in and of itself, if this 17-year-old were to engage in sexual intercourse with his 16-year-old girlfriend, that would be perfectly legal under the state's laws. But to take a nude photo of himself and send it to his girlfriend? That's going to cost him... Fortunately, he was able to reach a plea deal where he won't have to register as a sex offender or spend any time in prison. He will be placed on probation for a year, however. This is a very strange, backwards, and ancient law, in my opinion. Just imagine if this kid had t...

I've spoken to many common sense gun owners, even NRA members, whom agree that some gun laws are necessary, such as mandated background checks (with that, closing the gun-show and Internet-sales loopholes) and not allowing guns in bars. Some even agree that assault weapons and high-capacity magazines should be outlawed. When Ohio passed a law in 2011 allowing guns in bars, several pro-gun business owners I know thought the idea was so outrageous, they posted signs at the front of their establishments to show that no guns were allowed. Well, if these very individuals thought that law was outrageous, that was nothing compared to the recent legislative proposal made by state Representative Ron Hood of Ashville, Ohio. Currently, it's state law for aspiring gun purchasers to complete an eight-hour training course regarding gun usage and safety before getting their concealed handgun license at the sheriff's office. Well, if this new bill gets enacted, no training will be necess...

It seems like the #1 thing Congressional Republicans (or potential Congressional Republicans) are saying with regard to potentially taking control of the Senate today is, "We're going to repeal Obamacare!" Sorry to disappoint them and their followers, but that's not going to happen. First off, whether or not the GOP attains control of the Senate, they won't have enough members for a filibuster-proof majority. Also, President Obama is still the president, so he will veto any and all attempts to repeal his landmark healthcare law. In order for Congress to override a president's veto, they'd need 2/3 of the vote in both the House and the Senate, which won't happen. So, once again, I'm sorry to disappoint some people, but if you truly believe the "We'll-repeal-Obamacare-if-we-win-control-of-the-Senate," it's not going to happen anytime soon. The soonest it could potentially happen would be in 2017, if a Republican wins the 2016 pr...

In yet another case of victim-blaming, an Oklahoma Highway Patrol officer and an Oklahoma City Police officer have been accused of repeatedly raping women in recent months. Just last week, a Tulsa County sheriff's deputy was arrested for sexually assaulting a woman after responding to a 911 call. So, what did Captain George Brown have to say about all of this? What were his words of wisdom to women? He lent KJRH (and women everywhere) this piece of advice: "He [the captain] says the best tip that he can give is to follow the law in the first place so you don't get pulled over." There we have it. If a woman gets raped by a cop, it's really her own fault for getting pulled over in the first place. What Captain Brown is essentially saying is this: "Girls, ladies, the women, or whatever you call yourselves anymore, look - as officers of the law, while it's our job to protect the people from law-breakers and arrest those that break the law, we aren't...

It was just recently reported that Ohio anti-gay activist Phil Burress made a very odd statement on a radio talk show, where he said the following with regard to plaintiffs attempting to challenge a state law which prohibits same-sex couples from adding both names to their child's birth certificate: "This defies common sense. It's like I'm going to take my cat and try to get a dog license for it, and when they tell me, 'Not, that's a cat,' I'm going to say, 'No it isn't, it's a dog,' and see what they say." I, for the life of me, can't figure out what in the world this guy is talking about. So, are women the cats in the scenario and men are the dogs? Is he saying that gay men are trying to claim they're women (and vice versa)? Is he simply saying that since gay couples can't reproduce, it's beyond logic to include both of their names on the child's birth certificate? If that's the case, then what about he...

In July of 2012, James Holmes killed 12 people and injured 70 others when he opened fire in a Colorado movie theater for a premiere of the film Dark Knight Rises . Holmes had brought with him the following - all of which he purchased off the Internet: Ballistic gear, firearms, and high-capacity magazine clips (100-round clips) - all which totaled over $15,000. Colorado has since passed a law banning high-capacity clips, and yesterday, a discussion took place among two State Senators with regard to whether or not the new law should be repealed. The conversation between Senators Irene Aguilar (Democrat) and Bernie Herpin (Republican) went like this: Aguilar: "My understanding is that James Holmes bought his 100-round capacity magazine legally. So in fact, this law would have stopped James Holmes from purchasing a 100-round magazine. I was wondering if you agree with me." Herpin: "Perhaps, James Holmes would not have been able to purchase a 100-round magazine. As it tur...

While a detailed account of the story has yet to be released, it appears as if country singer Wayne Mills was shot and killed in Nashville, Tennessee over the weekend, after allegedly getting into an argument with Pit and Barrel owner Chris Ferrell at 5 am Saturday morning. Ferrell is claiming he shot Mills in self-defense and police are looking further into that claim. Close to three years ago, lawmakers in Tennessee voted to allow loaded guns in bars across the state. As I've been saying since that law was enacted, while Jack Daniels and Coca-Cola might mix well, alcohol and guns do not. http://www.10tv.com/content/stories/apexchange/2013/11/24/us-country-singer-killed.html

Current Texas Governor and the man voted most likely to take a stapler to a gun draw - Rick Perry - signed the "Merry Christmas Bill" this past Thursday, and said the following words about it: "Religious freedom does not mean freedom from religion. People of faith too often feel they can't express their faith publicly. And if they dare display it, they find themselves under attack from individuals and organizations that have nothing to do with them or their communities for that matter." Freedom of religion doesn't mean freedom from religion? So, everyone is free to practice the religion of their choosing, except for those whom don't believe in any religion? How does that work exactly? Christian: "I believe in Jesus!" Perry: "Right on! Me too, brother!" Buddhist: "I believe in Buddha!" Perry: "Alright, well, you're free to believe that too." Muslim: "I believe in Allah!" Perry: ::pauses...

Texas really is a country of its own. Just yesterday, 30-year old Ezekial Gilbert was acquitted in the murder of 23-year old escort Lenora Ivie Frago, who he shot and killed because she wouldn't have sex with him. Since it was late and by Texas law, a person can use deadly force on another during a nighttime theft, the Bexar County jury acquitted Gilbert of the charge. Gilbert found Ms. Frago on Craigslist, gave her $150, thought sex was part of the deal, but shot and killed her after she didn't engage in intercourse with him and she went outside to give her pimp the money. As the prosecuting attorneys on the case Matt Lovell and Jessica Schulze contended, "The Texas law that allows people to use deadly force to recover property during a nighttime theft was put in place for 'law-abiding' citizens. It's not intended for someone trying to force another person into an illegal act such as prostitution." Prostitution in Texas? Illegal. Killing in Texas?...

I've had to shake my head and give the look of a man who has been just told he's pregnant (yes, that confused) whenever I've read about a state making it legal for people to carry firearms into bars. Alcohol lowers our inhibitions, slows our reaction time, leaves us more apt to saying and doing things we wouldn't normally, and even prompts some to become angry and violent. Being in the possession of a gun, let alone handling one isn't the wisest of moves for a person who has been drinking. Sadly, this very point was proven just recently, as after drinking vodka and lemonade for several hours this past Saturday, Michelle Wanko of Pennsylvania accidentally shot and killed her husband Michael when he was giving her a gun lesson. Obviously this couple wasn't thinking properly during this time and as much of a gun control proponent as I am, I have a hard time believing any kind of legislation could have prevented this tragedy. However, I'd like to believe mos...