November 30, 2007

U of I. Security to Begin Packing Heat

No, you won't be seeing any displays like this on the Iowa River any time soon but the Iowa Board of Regents has voted to allow Campus Secutity to begin carrying firearms. Now if we can only convince the legistlature to allow citizens the ability to do the same.

Regents Policy: Here
Pictured: USS Iowa, firing its 16 inch guns.

November 29, 2007

Bill Clinton's Real Agenda

If Bill Clinton is truly the brightest, most astute, politician ever to grace us with his presence how could he make such obvious gaffs that could hurt his wife's chances to get his butt back into the White House? Or perhaps he really is brilliant. Always willing to buy into a good conspiracy theory, Victor Davis Hanson may be on to something here about old Bill.

"Things Not What They Seem; Hard Call" The $64,000 question—which is the greater incentive for him: to get Hillary Clinton elected so he can get back into the White House; or to subtly and insidiously cause her problems, so that history records there was only one Clinton, not two, and especially not one who was the first woman, might do a better job, and thereby overshadow Bill.

Triangulating on his own wife. Brilliant!

WWI Tribute Video

I am in the middle of a term paper on the developement of the aviation industry during World War I and came across this very well done tribute video.

November 28, 2007

Police Brutality?

I am reminded of the story about the guy from California driving through the south, and while passing through one town he did the California roll at a stop sign. When the local sheriff pulled him over and asked if he knew that he ran the stop sign he responded that he did slow down. The officer proceeded to pull the guy from the car and began beating him about the head and shoulders with his billy club and asked "Do you want me to stop or just slow down?"



A common theme from the readers at Hullaballo, and summed up by digby.
" Police in the country are now allowed to torture speeders by the side of the highway in order to get them to comply. The only difference between this officer slugging the speeder in the stomach and putting 50,0000 volts of electricity in him is that the latter doesn't leave any marks. The intent, the pain and the goose-stepping authoritarian message are exactly the same."

The first time I viewed this I may have agreed. Then you really have to question what the gentleman in the SUV was thinking, he certainly was an ass from the initial encounter. He did not follow the officers orders and quite frankly the fact that he walked beyond the officers control with his hand in his pocket and then tried to return to his vehicle was enough to warrant the officers response. Sorry, I don't have much sympathy for people stuck on stupid. I do have sympathy and admiration for those that put thier life on the line dealing with the dregs of society while pulling down 40K a year.

It sucks getting a ticket, but take it from a person that used to get one every trip through Iowa and has had the experience of looking down the working end of an officer's 45 one dark night, if you keep your hands on the steering wheel and answer the officers questions respectfully, you will probably drive away with a warning instead of 50,ooo volts lighting up your day.

Flotsam and Jetsam: Nature Running Wild


One of the things I miss about living in Alaska was the fact that wildlife was literally as close as your front door. Quite often moose would make camp in the front yard and chew the crab apple tree down to the nubs in the winter, and in the summer there would be the occasional bear strolling through the neighborhood. This video was sent to me by a friend in Anchorage. See it here
Thx Nette!




When I first saw this photo I was sure that sleg dog was on the menu. See the whole story here.

Thanks to Maggies Farm.


"The roughly 18-point buck he shot and killed was dragging with it a dead 10-point buck. The two deer had fought and their antlers had become irreversibly joined."They are locked," Willmsen said. Nice job Jim!

Thanks to the Gazette. Story and video here.

November 17, 2007

Earmark Reform


The democrats became the majority with a promise to change the way Washington operates but so far they have been long on promises and short on action. I know the obstructionist Republicans have foiled them at every turn.............Sorry, fell out of my chair laughing.
My one pet peave that they could resolve with support of the republicans would be earmark reform. Bringing home the bacon is a time honored perk of power that has grown so large and the handouts so outragous that it is time to end this corrupt practice.
On the side bar I have placed a petition for the reform efforts of Senator Jim Demint. Please take a second and fill it out.

November 11, 2007

Thank a Vet


BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION
3071
Whereas it has long been our customs to commemorate November 11, the anniversary of the ending of World War I, by paying tribute to the heroes of that tragic struggle and by rededicating ourselves to the cause of peace; and Whereas in the intervening years, the United States has been involved in two other great military conflicts, which have added millions of veterans living and dead to the honor rolls of this Nation; and
Whereas the Congress passed a concurrent resolution on June 4, 1926 (44 Stat. 1982), calling for the observance of November 11 with appropriate ceremonies, and later provided in an act approved May 13, 1938 (52 Stat. 351) , that the eleventh of November should be a legal holiday and should be known as Armistice Day; and
Whereas, in order to expand the significance of that commemoration and in order that a grateful Nation might pay appropriate homage to the veterans of all its wars who have contributed so much to the preservation of this Nation, the Congress, by an act approved June 1, 1954 (68 Stat. 168), changed the name of the holiday to Veterans Day:
Now, Therefore, I, Dwight D. Eisenhower, President of the United States of America , do hereby call upon all of our citizens to observe Thursday, November 11, 1954 , as Veterans Day. On that day let us solemnly remember the sacrifices of all those who fought so valiantly, on the seas, in the air, and on foreign shores, to preserve our heritage of freedom, and let us reconsecrate ourselves to the task of promoting an enduring peace so that their efforts shall not have been in vain.
I also direct the appropriate officials of the Government to arrange for the display of the flag of the United States on all public buildings on Veterans Day.
In order to insure proper and widespread observance of this anniversary, all veterans, all veterans' organizations, and the entire citizenry will wish to join hands in the common purpose.
Toward this end, I am designating the Administrator of Veterans' Affairs as Chairman of a Veterans Day National Committee, which shall include such other persons as the Chairman may select, and which will coordinate at the national level necessary planning for the observance. I am also requesting the heads of all departments and agencies of the Executive branch of the Government to assist the National Committee in every way possible.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and cause the Seal of the United States of America to be affixed.
Done at the City of Washington this eighth day of October in the Year of our Lord nineteen hundred and fifty-four, and of the Independence of the United States of America the one hundred and seventy-ninth.
DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER

courtesy of Wikipedia.com

Some catching up to do.

Busy Busy Busy.... I was able to get the last of the windows replaced before the weather turned frosty. The fire wood project turned into a family affair as most of the wood I was able to scrounge this summer was too long to fit the splitter. While I ran the saw to shorten them up the wife ( bless her heart) loaded logs into the splitter and our daughter ran the power handle. A good time was had by all.
Lucky Find....The woman that lets me live with her got it in her head that the next project on my list would be to remove the 1970's carpet in the bedrooms and install laminate flooring. Knowing the best way to get a job done around here is to do it herself she pulled back the carpet in one of the rooms and low and behold the bedrooms of this shack have hardwood floors. Except for the fact that the last carpet installer had a party with the hammer tacker in our daughters room, which required a couple hours on hands and knees pulling staples, the floors are in great shape. Another job well done.
Continuing Education....Made it through mid terms with flying colors and with the exception of one American History paper that earned an 83, I have aced the first half of the semester. The remainder of the term will be focused on two research papers and a couple book reviews. Piece of cake between now and finals.
A conspiracy of objectivity....I wrote a few weeks ago that the liberal indoctrination in college you hear so much about has been surprisingly absent here at the U, but since I wrote that I have decided that it not that it doesn't exist but instead it flows just below the surface and occasionally, subtly, bubbles to the top. "Is there any comparison between the Alien and Sedition Act of 1798 and the Patriot Act" Our TA asks with a slight grin. When no one offered to bite on her obvious hook she tried to move on. Not being able to leave it lie I thrust my hand in the air in an Arnold Horshack moment and asked if she thought there was a parallel... Since she brought it up. "I can't answer that, that's it for today" she replied dejectedly. LOL
In the World Civ discussion we were to discuss the psychology of a historical figure. The first name suggested by the TA was George Bush with the same little grin of the last TA. Again no one would bite.
It's VJ Day you moron !!!!! In what has to be the latest in politically correct historical revisionism the Professor in my World Civ lecture said "World War II ended in two stages VE day Victory in Europe and VA day" VA I says what the hell is VA? Evidently reading my mind she then added "Victory in Asia" HUH??? Who the hell ever called it VA day? Even a Google search doesn't turn up a VA day although an equally insidious VP day shows up in Wikipedia (Victory in the Pacific). Lets try to keep a little historical accuracy in how the people of the times interpreted the events whenever the evidence is clear and leave the PC crap out of it.
She also went on to state that the Russians were the victors in Europe and the US was the victor in the Pacific. Although I would argue that is hardly accurate at least it is debatable.
Editorial morons.... I just want to thank the editorial decision makers at the Cedar River Rag for taking the opportunity to run an anti war, bush bashing polemic on Veterans Day! I have already reduced my subscription to week ends only and that's just a heartbeat away from severing the final tie to the newspaper bidness.

October 25, 2007

Mail from Vets for Freedom

Pete Hegsdeth at Vets for Freedom has a rebuttal for General Ricardo Sanchez's "nightmare speach".

NO "NIGHTMARE"... WHY 'SURGE' IS WORKING

New York Post
Oct 23,2007

The former top commander in Iraq - Army Lt.-Gen. Ricardo Sanchez (ret.) - recently called the situation in Iraq "a nightmare with no end in sight." Citing insufficient prewar planning and a strained military, he painted a dismal picture of American prospects there.

War critics painted a similar picture when violence in Iraq peaked in '05 and '06 - using terms like "civil war" and "sectarian violence" - as they pushed for a rapid draw-down or immediate withdrawal of U.S. forces. An Iraq "at war with itself" shouldn't be America's problem, they argued. In fact, the existence of a "religious civil war" remains the chief antiwar talking point to this day.

Problem is, the new U.S. strategy has changed the facts on the grounds...



DREAM Act Smackdown

I guess I may have paniced yesterday when I heard that Harry Reid was going to bring the Dream act to the floor of the senate for a cloture vote yesterday. Turns out the head count Harry made was a little off. It's one thing to get punked by the republicans but he didn't even get the vote count right on his own side of the aisle. Captains Quarters has a recap of the action here.

October 24, 2007

Alien Amnesty Act

Once again the open border crowd is attempting to give amnesty to people that have entered this country illegally. Harry Reed plans to submit the "DREAM" Act to give amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants. It is time to once again fire up the immigration noise machine and deposit this bill in the shit can of bad ideas. Let your senator know that this plan is as unacceptable as that last piece of Immigration madness they tried to ramrod down our throats. In Iowa you can contact and Senator Grassley by email here or by phone at 202-224-3744.
Senator Harkin can be contacted by email here or by phone at 202-224-3254. You may want to remind the senator of his reversal in the last immigration bill. "Quite frankly, I'm hearing from a lot of Iowans," said Harkin after switching his stance on the legislation let him hear from us again.
NumbersUSA has a description of the legislation here.

October 20, 2007

U of I's Faculty

Iowa City is known as the most liberal city in Iowa so it should come as no surprise that the city’s largest employer is predominately infested with Democrats. Mark Moyar, a professor at the Marine Corp. University writes at NRO that the U of I History Department in particular is completely staffed by Democrats and because he is of the Conservative persuasion he was passed over for a position at the University. As I read this I got the impression that the article had a little tone of sour grapes. Mr. Moyar is an academic and should not be surprised that these things occur. Unfortunately being a conservative isn't a protected interest group in this state’s anti-discrimination laws (maybe it should be).
As a student at the College of Liberal Arts', (even the name should be a clue) I would have to say that for the most part the four History professors I have had my first semester have been objective with only hint of liberalism. I say that only because the choice of topics for the first essay assignment in one course was an interpretation of either socialism from the view of Marx and his infamous Manifesto, or how Josephine Butler addresses feminism in 19th century society. Even the TAs, which you would expect to be the young idealistic firebrands have been subdued in their indoctrination techniques.
Of course there were the occasional veiled references to how the capitalist white man exploited the world, killed its people, and stole their land, but I never had any professor come right out and say that as Americans "We Suck!" like occurred at Tall Corn College and Technical Institute and that’s a relief.

Education Update: I have made it through the dreaded midterms and have submitted at least one short paper (6 pages) in three of my classes. Some grades should be forthcoming this week. The fourth class consisted of getting familiar with the various arguments about WWI and now the rest of the semester will be dedicated to a topic of my choosing and a 15 page research paper.

September 30, 2007

Clinton School of Acting

I always got a kick out of Bill Clinton's ability to stick out that poutty lower lip and squeeze out a little tear when ever he felt your pain, or those moments of angry indignation that he could turn on and off with the flip of a switch. I always imagined Bill in front of the bathroom mirror practicing his repertoire of facial expressions. Hillary on the other hand has all the smoothness of fingernails on the chalkboard.

September 29, 2007

A Foster Brooks Classic

Love Those Aussies

Caution: Adult Languange

September 28, 2007

Flotsam and Jetsam


We spend so much time making sure that no child is left behind that we have forgotten that the reason education is important is so people can also be good citizens. Unfortunatley Civics is no longer emphasized. Test your civics knowlege HERE. See how you stack up here. ( I got an 89).




Dont Tell Me We Don't Have Enough Money! Iowa tax collections up.





Truther Alert! What happens when you fly a jet liner into a skyscaper at high speed.? ... It falls the .....Down!!!!

"An analysis of the World Trade Center collapse has challenged a conspiracy theory surrounding the 9/11 attacks." Story Here.



I knew this Bloging thing would pay off. This site estimates what your blog is worth. The Salmon is up to $564.54 if there are any takers out there.

Just keeping the head above water.

It has been a busy few weeks here at the Salmon shack. Classes at the "U" began just about a month ago and I have been working in overdrive ever since. A quick update...
It took about a week to realize that we ain't at Tall Corn College anymore Toto. The workload the first four weeks was a little daunting. This may be somewhat Darwinian but I think they have a plan to kill off the weakest and I do have to say that class sizes were suddenly smaller this week.
In between cramming several hundred pages of material a week into this mushy head, attending lectures,and commuting down I-380 t0 Libsburg I have had to fit in the rest of this thing called life.
After two winters here at the Salmon shack we decided to replace the windows before the Iowa snow flies this year. That little project is about half done. Come to think of it, its progress has quickly reached the same completion level as the other six projects in the pipeline, but I don't think the woman that lets me live here will allow this one to slide.
One week end was spent making a couple minor repairs to the camper and getting it cleaned and winterized for its long winter nap. And lastly, four days were spent in Madison, Wisconsin for my sister in law's "I Do's".
Just a word about the wedding. The procession began with the minister, victim and his entourage entering the sanctuary followed of course by the brides crew. Next down the aisle was the flower girl who was adorable and performed her duties to perfection. ( OK it was my daughter so I can be a little doting.) Fast forward... Standing hand in hand before the minister the guests were expecting the wedding to precede when suddenly two screens dropped from the ceiling of the sanctuary and there Eric Idol in his role in "The Princess Bride" regaled the audience with "Marriage...." I think everyone was at first was a bit stunned, then the laughter began and all tensions ebbed from the event. Fantastic and Congratulation Steve and Lisa.
Mid terms are in a couple weeks and its all down hill from there. Then all I have to do is get the rest of the windows installed, the firewood cut, and ..........

September 15, 2007

The Single Payer System

In a recent alcohol fueled debate with a friend of mine about the absurdity of socialized health care I argued why stop at health insurance, I demand socialized auto insurance. Why should I have all the advantages of first class auto repair whenever the hood of the Dodge Ram 4x4 climate heating heathen decides to pop open while speeding down Highway 30 at 70 per. Certainly everyone should be entitled to be made whole again whenever something pops up and smacks them in the windshield of life. Deductibles? There wont be no stinkin deductibles.
Jim Bass has taken my argument a step further in "Embracing My Single Payer Life".

September 14, 2007

How the hell would I know what's going on in Iraq?

From Maggies Farm:

That is to say, I've seen the cooter of every trashy teenage "singer" getting out of car and going to a party. I've seen all I need to see of Brangelina and the football team of children they're trying to purchase wholesale instead of doing it retail like we all do. I've seen drivel and piffle and nonsense; I know that Anna Nicole Smith's "anus is unremarkable," since I've read her autopsy. WTF is going on in Iraq? Are there any paparazzi there?
Don't get me wrong. The media has not fallen asleep or anything. I know, for instance, that Bush is Hitler. I know every permutation of his brownshirt perfidy. I've seen and read and heard eleventy billion soliloquies, with photoshopped picture learning aids, exquisitely detailing his crimes against humanity, nature, and God-- except there isn't a god, of course. Silly me. And I'm beginning to supect Helen Thomas doesn't like him much, either. And yes, I understand that Bushitler had a ninja army of mercenary big tobacco executives and Enron jacklegs and someone named Scooter precisely plant explosives during lunchtime when the buildings are empty to blow up the World Trade Center to start his illegal war for oil. I get all that.

You can read the whole thing here.

More from Alexis de Toqueville

Never before, in my memory at least, have the leftist forces, the dark side if you will, sensed an opportunity to openly push forward an agenda that would be ruinous for the United States. Until now they were forced to nibble away at the edges of our social and political culture. We have seen it in the push for "multiculturalism". Classes in diversity in schools and the workplace. The push for equality, not in the sense of equal access and protection under the law that drove the civil rights movement, but instead an equality of outcome, regardless of input.

You can see it in the political rhetoric of the current democratic candidates that promote equalization of income, co-opting the health insurance industry, the nationalization of revenues from one industry particularly oil to protect us from global warming. Openly promoting a socialist agenda.

The following is an excerpt from the second volume of Alexis de Toqueville's "Democracy in America" that gives a chilling 19th century prediction on what tyranny would look like in a democratic nation. You could argue from Toquelville's definition that we have already made the transition from democracy to tyranny. I on the other hand I like to remain optimistic that what damage has been incurred can be repaired and that the lefts new push may be a "Bridge Too Far".

""Democratic governments may become violent and even cruel at certain periods of extreme effervescence or of great danger, but these crises will be rare and brief. When I consider the petty passions of our contemporaries, the mildness of their manners, the extent of their education, the purity of their religion, the gentleness of their morality, their regular and industrious habits, and the restraint which they almost all observe in their vices no less than in their virtues, I have no fear that they will meet with tyrants in their rulers, but rather with guardians.
I think, then, that the species of oppression by which democratic nations are menaced is unlike anything that ever before existed in the world; our contemporaries will find no prototype of it in their memories. I seek in vain for an expression that will accurately convey the whole of the idea I have formed of it; the old words despotism and tyranny are inappropriate: the thing itself is new, and since I cannot name, I must attempt to define it.
I seek to trace the novel features under which despotism may appear in the world. The first thing that strikes the observation is an innumerable multitude of men, all equal and alike, incessantly endeavoring to procure the petty and paltry pleasures with which they glut their lives. Each of them, living apart, is as a stranger to the fate of all the rest; his children and his private friends constitute to him the whole of mankind. As for the rest of his fellow citizens, he is close to them, but he does not see them; he touches them, but he does not feel them; he exists only in himself and for himself alone; and if his kindred still remain to him, he may be said at any rate to have lost his country.
Above this race of men stands an immense and tutelary power, which takes upon itself alone to secure their gratifications and to watch over their fate. That power is absolute, minute, regular, provident, and mild. It would be like the authority of a parent if, like that authority, its object was to prepare men for manhood; but it seeks, on the contrary, to keep them in perpetual childhood: it is well content that the people should rejoice, provided they think of nothing but rejoicing. For their happiness such a government willingly labors, but it chooses to be the sole agent and the only arbiter of that happiness; it provides for their security, foresees and supplies their necessities, facilitates their pleasures, manages their principal concerns, directs their industry, regulates the descent of property, and subdivides their inheritances: what remains, but to spare them all the care of thinking and all the trouble of living?
Thus it every day renders the exercise of the free agency of man less useful and less frequent; it circumscribes the will within a narrower range and gradually robs a man of all the uses of himself. The principle of equality has prepared men for these things;it has predisposed men to endure them and often to look on them as benefits.""

Toqueville, Alexis, "WHAT SORT OF DESPOTISM DEMOCRATIC NATIONS HAVE TO FEAR" (Volume II, Sect. 4 Chapter VI) "Democracy in America"

" A Bridge Too Far" ""On 17 September 1944 thousands of paratroopers descended from the sky by parachute or glider up to 150 km behind enemy lines. Their goal: to secure to bridges across the rivers in Holland so that the Allied army could advance rapidly northwards and turn left into the lowlands of Germany, hereby skirting around the Siegfried line, the German defence line. If all carried out as planned it should have ended the war by Christmas 1944.
Unfortunately this daring plan, named Operation Market Garden, didn't have the expected outcome. The bridge at Arnhem proved to be 'a bridge too far'. After 10 days of bitter fighting the operation ended with the evacuation of the remainder of the 1st British Airborne Division from the Arnhem area.""

September 11, 2007

The 9/11 Flashbulb Memory

My route to campus usually takes me down Iowa Avenue, leading directly to the Old State Capital Building. This morning I was greeted by the morning sun glowing brightly off the Capital's golden dome with a backdrop of a crystal blue sky. Today though, the flag was flying at half mast and a bell forlornly tolled for the souls lost six years ago. On that day we experienced one of those rare flashbulb memories , the images of evil personified, forever seared into our minds. Natures way, I hope, of preserving those moments that should never be forgotten.

Sept. 11 2001: Five AM and I was just getting out of the shower in our Anchorage home when my wife somewhat causally told me that a plane had run into the World Trade Center. Being a pilot myself I imagined that I would see the empendage of a Cessna sticking out the window of the skyscraper. I grabbed a cup of coffee and was stunned to see the top of the tower in smoke and flames. A moment later I caught a split second glimpse of something shooting across the bottom of the screen and an explosion from the second tower. Realization, this was no accident. Another cloud of smoke and it took me a moment to realize that the South Tower was no longer visible. Working in the newspaper business at the time I knew this was going to be a busy day. The crew and I took turns strolling down to the TV in the break room and returning with updates as we prepared to produce a special edition that afternoon. At one point that morning we all went to the roof and searched the skies when rumors spread that an overseas flight was out of contact and possibly headed towards Anchorage...

Then as now I question how we could have let this happen when the danger was, to steal the aphorism "clear and present." But six years later it does little good to rehash the failures of the past but its more important that each of us question.

Question the motives of those that would downplay the threat as a bumper sticker slogan.

Question those that demean the ones, that six short years ago, we collectively asked to risk their lives to preserve the things we all hold precious.

Question those that have made a total disconnect with the war in Iraq and the war with extremist Islam but at the same time refuse to make the moral stand to achieve what they believe in.

Question those that claim we were powerless to do more prior to 9/11 because there wasn't support, when in fact leadership is the ability to build support from those that you are charged to lead and sworn to protect.

Question those that would return to the failed policies of the past.

Finally, and maybe most important, question how that flashbulb memory could have been so quickly erased from their mind.

September 09, 2007

Cool Video

September 05, 2007

Armed Security at the U

As I wrote a few days ago the U of I faculty Senate will be taking up the issue of arming campus security. In a prelude to the vote scheduled next Tuesday, the Faculty council voted 12-3 to recommend allowing security to carry guns. From the CR Gazette.

IOWA CITY - University of Iowa faculty leaders support a recommendation to arm UI campus police officers.The UI Faculty Council, the leadership group of the Faculty Senate, voted 12-3 today to support the recommendation to make guns standard equipment for UI police. The recommendation comes from the directors of public safety and vice presidents at the UI, Iowa State University and the University of Northern Iowa.

This was an encouraging first step and I hope that the full Senate follows through on the recommendation. I am not sure of the make up of the Senate at this time but lets hope that it isn't dominated by the English and Philosophy departments.

September 01, 2007

Gay Marriage Legal In Iowa!

Hehe! Just kidding. The Polk county judge that found the states marriage law unconstitutional had a chance to sleep on his decision ,or sobered up, and stayed his own decision pending appeal.
Dafydd at Big Lizards has all the details here.

Vote Yes for Armed Campus Security

In the aftermath of the Virginia Tech shootings the Iowa legislature ordered a feasability study of arming campus security at the states university's. The Dean of the University of Iowa like the other university's in the state is asking for feedback from campus leaders. At UNI Public Safety Director Dave Zarifis recommended that officers be armed but Friday night the faculty spiked his recommendation 11-3. From the Waterloo Courier:

The senate debated the issue for nearly an hour late in the afternoon as the campus emptied for the long holiday weekend. Ultimately, it decided the university would be safer if campus police did not carry guns....Several professors spoke against arming police, citing a low violent crime rate on campus, the Cedar Falls Police Department's ability to quickly respond to the campus and concerns over the impact of putting more guns on campus.

You mean there are already guns on campus? As a security officer I would feel a little naked knowing that I would be unable to defend myself or others in the event I encountered the working end of a S&W. They should have at least suggested they can have a gun but they have to keep the bullet in their pocket. It gets better, as we hear from the touchy feely wing of the faculty senate.
"This proposal is a knee jerk reaction to what happened at Virginia Tech," said religion and philosophy professor Jerry Soneson, referring to a recommendation by UNI's director of public safety to arm campus police. "We ought to be a model in how to react to social crises in a thoughtful manner." (I just get all tingly when they talk that way.) ...Social work professor Katherine van Wormer said UNI regularly rates as one of the safest campuses in the country, and murders at colleges nationwide are extremely rare. She added that (Insert Race Card Here) national statistics show African Americans are more likely to be shot by police than a white suspect. "It explains why people from the black community are very concerned about this," she said.
This is not about reacting to a "social crisis" its about the ability to react to the next mental crisis of some emotional cripple that got razzed during 9th grade dodge ball and has promised revenge on the bullies of the world ever since. There were a couple voices from the right wing radicals on the panel however.

Jerry Smith, a professor at the business school, spoke forcefully in favor of arming campus police."To me, we're more likely to have lives lost as a result of campus police not being armed, than we are if they are," (Amen professor) ... Political science professor Michael Licari didn't cast a vote as chairman of the Faculty Senate, but spoke in favor giving guns to campus police because they do the same work as municipal officers."We ask them to do the same police work as any officer in Iowa without the same tools," he said.

Under normal circumstances this issue would probably have glanced off the radar screen, but since I am now a part of the college "community" I would urge the University of Iowa to take a stronger stand on this issue than their counterparts in Cedar Falls. I have been witness to a shooting spree and there is no more helpless feeling than waiting to hear the sirens of your saviours as gunshots are filling the air. Arming security will not put students in danger and may someday save innumerable lives. Who will be the one to answer to my wife or to the parents of some slain teenager if the day comes that security does not have the means to save them. If for nothing else we need to "do this for the children"! Or better yet enact CCW in Iowa and I can have the means of protecting of myself.