C&C Bill Showdown

The conceal & carry bill is in limbo. It has passed both houses, but not yet gone to the Governor. Taft is threatening a veto:

Taft has threatened to veto the bill over public access to records of who has applied for a permit to carry a concealed weapon. He thinks the public should have the right to find out who is carrying concealed guns. But the House has refused to go that far, instead allowing only journalists to request permitting records by asking for individual names.

I again have to wonder why the gun owner has more rights than I do. Why can a gun owner carry around a gun in public, but I can't find out about? Why can a gun owner "protect" themself from me (quell their irrational fears to put it another way), but I can't protect myself from them? Why can't I know who has the right to carry around an machine made to kill? Why can't I know who fears me, or people like me, and then keep away from people who think I might try and commit a crime against them. I would prefer keeping away from people that I might judge as being a few cards short of full house who also are carrying around a gun, maybe in my home.

Why deny property owners the right to screen gun carriers from their property? If I am having a children's party, do I not have the right to keep parents of kids who carry a gun off my property?

Why do gun owners deserve "special rights?"

Rose Bet on Baseball

Well, this is not new information to everyone else, just Pete. I am glad he finally fessed up to what was fact to those not deluded by his bowl hair cut. I hope Pete can get into the Hall of Fame, but I hope he does not manage a team. I could stand him as a low tier coach, but not in charge of the team.

I mostly hope that once Pete gets into the Hall of Fame, his rabid fans (read Wildman Walker) will finally shut the hell up about Pete. Pete is not someone who will do much for baseball. He might fill some seats locally for a season, but the shine will wear off fast. I wonder how long he could stay out of trouble if he was highly involved with the Reds. That would be entertainment. That would not be good for the Reds though.

UPDATE: I forgot to mention that this whole affair is one of the best uses of PR to sell a book in a long time. Who ever is Pete's PR person, give them a raise.

New KY Blog: Can You Hear Me Now?

I ran across another local blog Can You Hear Me Now?. The blogger lives in Kenton County and is a young 63 years old.

Back Pages?

A U.S. GI dies as his copter is shot down in Iraq and we hardly hear about it. Are people on vacation? Do we not want to disrupt the Fiesta Bowl? Is everyone just numb to soldiers dying?

No. 1

700 WLW is reporting the first murder in Cincinnati for 2004. We went just over a day and a half before the first murder. Just great.

This murder reportedly had many witnesses along Liberty Street. The victim reportedly was shot in the back twice while being chased down the middle of the street.

UPDATE: Story from the Enquirer and WCPO.

Cornhole, an Olympic Sport?

Well, not yet, but "The Inaugural Cincinnati Cornhole Classic" is a start. Mark February 20th on your calendars!

I just hope Phil Burress does not think this a Hustler sponsored event.

"Black on Black Crime" Plan

What can best be called the Cincinnati City Council "Black Caucus" has announced a plan to try and address what they are calling "black on black crime." They cite the fact that 84% of the 75 (63 of 75) were blacks. Couple that with the police chief’s contention that 90% of the murders were drug related and you see where this plan focuses. They have four main initiatives:

It proposes expanding a Children's Hospital gun violence education program into more schools and recreation centers, reinstating the police department's gang unit, choosing a Sunday for clergy to preach against violence and starting a job-finding effort for convicted felons.

The only one that will have any short term effect is getting the gang unit going again. Why did it ever go away?

The other programs are long term, but they are the just pissing in the wind, especially the special preaching by clergy. Everyone knows that drug gangs go to church and actually listen to their preacher....cough, cough.

What I don't like here is that the "Black Caucus s" is doing this on their own. They have segregated themselves into a group and are acting on their own. Now, some might see this as good. I don't see this as good. I see this as a sign that in this city blacks don't trust or just don't want to work with non-blacks. I am not say that these four believe that, but I think they are acting on their own as a "black group" because many in the "black community" would have a hissy fit if this same plan came from a white person. The status of messenger matters way to much. If people dislike or hate white people that much, then no, race relations will never improve.

Councilman David Pepper gives his solution to this problem in a guest column in the Enquirer. His ideas might actually have an impact.