End the War on Freedom

From The Federalist:

"President Bush addressed National Guard troops at the National Guard Association in Las Vegas [last week]. President Bush told the troops he's proud of his time in the National Guard, he said it was the best weekend of his life." -- Jay Leno

From whatreallyhappened:

"I remember as a child listening to the stories of the Nazi horrors from those members of my family who had fought in Europe and lived to tell the tale. And I remember wondering at the time just how it was that the entire German people sat still, did nothing, and let their nation be led into ruin. Never once as I was growing up did I ever anticipate that I would learn the answer by watching my neighbors here in this country." -- Michael Rivero

From villagevoice:

"If large numbers of people believe in freedom of speech, there will be freedom of speech even if the law forbids it; if public opinion is sluggish, inconvenient minorities will be persecuted, even if laws exist to protect them." -- George Orwell

Steve Bell - George Bush's Speech to the UN - cartoon commentary. Oh my.

# Mark Fiore at The Village Voice - The Assault Weapons Sale Extravganza! - Flash animation from a guy with no comprehension whatsoever of what was banned by the "assault weapons" ban. [scopeny]

# Andrew Lipson and Daniel Shiu - Escher's "Relativity" in LEGO® - one of a number of Escher and other Lego® creations on Mr. Lipson's Lego® page. [smith2004]

# Timothy Bancroft-Hinchey at Pravda - Bush running scared - skewers Bushnev's speech to the United Nations General Assembly. [whatreallyhappened]

George Bush delivered a puerile, simplistic and shallow speech at the 59th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, the very Organization whose Charter he broke when he decided to deride, disregard and insult its institutions, launching his shocking act of butchery in Iraq.

# Nat Hentoff at The Village Voice - Bob Barr vs. the FBI - Mr. Barr proves again that he's serious about civil liberties (as long as there are no evil vegetables involved). [trt-ny]

The Department of Justice memo sending forth the FBI on its visits to potential agitators, Bob Barr adds, concluded that "even if, hypothetically, such activities did raise concerns, any 'chilling' effect would be 'quite minimal' and would be far outweighed by the overriding public interest in maintaining 'order.' "

Then Barr notes mordantly: "The FBI, seemingly, takes an absurdly narrow view of what kind of tactics would, in fact, chill speech. . . . For instance, Joe Parris, an FBI spokesman, told The New York Times that, because 'no one was dragged from their homes and put under bright lights,' interviews of potential demonstrators are not chilling.

"So," says Barr, "now we know the administration's new First Amendment standard: So long as the government agents don't 'drag you from your home' and interrogate you 'under bright lights,' you have nothing to complain or worry about . . . such tactics usher in an era of intolerance and fear that has no place in American politics."

Obviously, this is not just the First Amendment standard of FBI agents. It's set by FBI director Robert Mueller, who serves in the Justice Department under John Ashcroft, who serves under George W. Bush.

# Jeff Cooper's Commentaries - September 2004: Turning Leaves - mild summer; Rifle Project (20x20x20 at 1000) moving slowly; riflemen in Iraq; Larry Mudgett retires; Frederick Astaire quote; bison in Alberta; glass sights vs. ghost rings; Gerhard Blenk double rifles; meat as currency in Mugabestan; rifle readiness; shooting from a blind; practice makes for better hunting; envy is the root of all evil; Cooper's daughter may reprint some of his old publications; Gunsite Rule 3 now observed by Marines; liberty vs. freedom; camouflage; the Mateba automatic revolver; John Hancock considered not egalitarian; John Gannaway and Tom Russell in Africa; berating the press on their reporting of the war; shutgunnery gold medal winner practiced by shooting BBs at frisbees; military awards; Olympic games used to focus on individuals, not countries; Canadian killed by a buffalo; Steyr Scout rifles popular in Africa; the proper age to introduce children to firearms; the 376 Steyr cartridge; this peculiar war; "The sound of the good guys learning how to kill the bad guys"; annoyed by shooting sticks; Bob Young war play at Gunsite; the importance of winning this war.

Clinton's egregious gunban subsided, as we hoped it would. It was a dismal example of a weakness of democracy - acting frivolity into law. Banning instruments rather than acts indicate a belief that man is not worthy of his own free will. Well, some men are not, but that is no justification for whimsical legislation. The Founding Fathers struggled for the principle that man could and should be trusted with his own destiny. Our current domestic enemies, against whom those Americans in uniform are sworn to defend, do not believe in this principle, but we have again won a round in the endless fight against them.