Tuesday, January 31, 2012

This May Be a Real Problem

Under normal circumstances the government should have no say in what I own unless it is a real (not perceived) threat to the general population or the environment. Then it must be proven a threat before a law can be passed and the best way to prove a threat is to convert a number of skeptics.

We are not allowed to own lions or tigers in this state without a special license and the same goes with bears and elephants. (I think it's legal to tame foxes and raccoons and I know people who have.) There have been reported cases of black panthers and leopards getting loose in Michigan and they were probably escaped or abandoned pets. If you wish to own one of these creatures you must be able to restrain, control and care for it.

There used to be a "Big Cat Farm" about a half hour drive from here that cared for abandoned exotic pets and a co-worker of mine who had to do some community service worked there a bit. He said they were in many ways just oversized housecats that genuinely enjoyed having people around but they could do more damage to you by accident than a normal housecat could ever do on purpose - - and they tend to play rough. And if there are children nearby . . .

Actually it would be kind of cool to have a tiger, but I couldn't care for it or control it. . . darn

For a while it was quite popular to own large snakes and now the Everglades have a serious problem with them. Native animals, especially mammals, are being seriously depleted. The first thing to do is confirm the existence and magnitude of the problem. It appears to be real.

All it takes is for a few to find mates and they will start to spread.

First we don't add to the problem. These pets should be licensed and controlled with owners required to report if they disappear and have a proper system for containing them and disposing of one that is no longer wanted. Outlawing them entirely is probably not necessary.

Then we need to remove them, or at least seriously deplete them from the Everglades. The best way is to offer a bounty to those who want to hunt them which would pay the hunter by the foot (and maybe publish a few recipes.)

Dealing with problems that may require any curtailing of choice needs to consider several things. First how serious and dangerous is the problem? How many rights would have to be given up and how many people would have to give up their rights. Is it really a problem to begin with and cannot be resolved without sacrificing key human rights?

Global warming was a political hoax that would given great power to power-hungry maniacs at the expense of real human rights. This is something completely different.

Sunday, January 29, 2012

I Like the Idea

The Hiriko itself is a very good idea. For some people they would be very useful. (Small, compact, good mileage, perfect for 1 or 2 people with very short range travel needs.) For other people they would be completely useless (largely for most of the same reasons).

The cities owning them is a VERY bad idea. Due to human nature political corruption is inevitable and political powers and their cronies will find a way to squeeze every penny they can out of the economy and put it in their own pockets (or Swiss banks accounts.) The government that governs the best governs the least. (In reference to Jurassic Park: Corruption Finds a Way.)

I could envision myself wanting one under the right circumstances but I don't want the government at any level telling me this is what I must choose to have. (Under my current circumstances it would be just plain and completely useless but just because I don't need it doesn't mean others can't have it.) I do have to wonder though, will it come with a trailer that will allow you to pick up groceries?



And if the government wants us to consider buying cars like this - - - make them cheap and make them in America in a state chosen by the entrepreneurs who invest in the companies that build them. If it is a good idea, and I think it is a very good idea for the right people in the right circumstances, and the price is right, and the people like it - - many people will choose to buy it. It's all a question of the individual being allowed to decide what is best for them within their means and needs.

If you want one or could use one, by all means buy one. If you believe others should choose this car persuade them to do so, by appealing to their own self-interest in doing so. Don't violate the human rights of others by telling them what to buy.

Of course there will always be know-it-all elitists snobs who think they know what's best for me (and the world) and will insist on the government buying me one with my tax dollars and healthy cut for themselves.

Wednesday, January 04, 2012

A Human Right Vindicated

Sarah McKinley

I salute you. Having been devastated by the loss of a husband, you showed the grit to defend your home, your baby, and yourself from hoodlums. You probably never wanted to kill anyone and never thought you would have to but when push came to shove you came through for your baby and yourself and did it. You weren't looking for trouble . . . it came looking for you and you were ready for it.

There is no honest answer to the slogan "When guns are outlawed only outlaws will have guns."

There is real evil in the world and those who want you or your possessions or your family or perhaps just the thrill of the kill will usually target those who cannot or will not defend themselves. Wishful thinking has never saved a life or stopped a crime.

Mrs McKinley was talking to the police just before she shot. Had she waited for the police she could well be dead, or at least badly hurt or raped. Perhaps even her baby would be dead or gone.

The right to defend yourself, your family or your property is a human right and needs to be respected as such. Police are good, valuable and important but they can only be so many places at one time. There will be times when law-abiding citizens will not have the time to wait for the police and only they, and what tools they have, stand between them and a would be killer/rapist/kidnapper. Let them have and keep the tools they need.