03 April 2014

Current Events

I'm going to blurt out some quick thoughts about some things happening in the news right now. They're in order that I became aware of them over the last several days, not in order of importance.

1. The crowdsourcing campaign for the Gosnell Movie: Give to it. Kermit Gosnell has to be the worst mass murderer in United States history, and his trial was largely ignored by the media. Too many people have no idea of the scope and horror of this story, and that needs to change. Give whatever you can; no amount is too small. Even a $1 donation will be helpful and appreciated by the filmmakers.

2. Shooting at Fort Hood, TX: Yes, another one. Three people were killed and sixteen more wounded yesterday, on an Army base where soldiers are not allowed to carry guns. If anyone can explain to me why on Earth anyone thinks it's necessary or smart to disarm trained soldiers at their base of operations, I'm happy to hear it. (And then I shall refer you to psychiatric help, because that is insane.) If the SOLDIERS on the ARMY BASE had not had to call the LOCAL POLICE for help -- yes, I'm shouting in all-caps -- then the death/wounded toll would surely be lower. It's just suicidal. Furthermore, while the poor, frightened, disarmed citizens of the base at Fort Hood were still sheltering in place, there was a large outcry from opportunists calling for more gun control. They would actually disarm the military because of their personal fear of firearms. Think about that for a minute.

3. Brendan Eich ousted at Mozilla: The CEO of Mozilla, the software company who provides Firefox, a truly abysmal web browser, has been removed from his position. This move comes after the news was made public that Eich donated $1,000 to support Proposition 8 in California in 2008. So six years ago, a private citizen made a constitutionally-protected donation to support a cause, and now he has lost his job. He has been fired for supporting traditional marriage, which is surely his right. I don't care which side of the issue you come down on, this should outrage you. If you don't have the right to your opinions, if your boss can fire you because you think something different than he does, then no speech is safe. Basically, Mozilla is a real-life version of the novel 1984, and Eich has been fired for a thoughtcrime. Shame on you, Mozilla.

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