Category Politics

Feb 18 2015

Reciprocity

Maine Senator Eric Brakey has introduced a Bill to the legislature that would make Maine a Constitutional Carry State. The idea behind this measure is an idea I support. Still, this bill must be approached carefully as to avoid unintended consequences, specifically in the area of reciprocity.

To date, Maine is an Open Carry State. This means a resident of Maine may carry a firearm exposed on their person without a permit. A resident may not carry a concealed firearm in this State without a permit. Senator Brakey’s bill would eliminate the need for a permit to conceal a firearm in the State of Maine.

Reciprocity is a political and legal term, which refers to process to where States honor, uphold, and enforce laws from other States within their sovereign borders. For gun owners, it means that possessing a concealed weapons permit in Maine also means that they can carry a concealed weapon in a State that reciprocates, or honors that permit. Therein lies the rub for gun owners in the State of Maine.

If Maine simply changes to a Constitutional Carry State, legislators may unwittingly nullify reciprocity for the many concealed weapon permit holders in Maine, who use their permits in their travels to other States. This makes them vulnerable to prosecution now in States that do not reciprocate Constitutional Carry in their borders. Hopefully, Senator Brakey has addressed this in his legislation.

If not, there is a simple solution. Amend the bill so it continues to allow for the Concealed Weapon process should the resident choose to apply, thereby maintaining reciprocity with those States that honor the permit. Clearly stipulate in the language that Constitutional Carry applies only to the borders of the State of Maine and its residents by their choice.

Common Sense dictates that not all States will agree with our stance on Constitutional Carry. With John Cornyn of Texas proposing legislation that will standardize reciprocity for concealed weapon permits for all 50 States, it is important that we maintain a pathway that allows Maine residents to provide for their personal defense wherever they may travel. A measured and thoughtful approach, as always, will yield the best solution for the people of Maine. Let’s Set Maine Free!

Feb 16 2015

Seashells by the Seashore

The Roman Army was gathered on the banks of the English Channel poised to invade Britannia. What happened next is one of the most perplexing moments in world history. The Emperor Caligula ordered his troops to dismount and pick up seashells in their tunics and helmets. These he brought back as trophies to Rome as spoils for conquering the sea.

Caligula’s brief four-year reign was as complicated as trying to find the facts of his reign, a convoluted web of paranoia, perversion, and psychosis. It highlights Rome’s political decline from within, as it still pursued its empirical conquest of the world. Caligula did much to accelerate this decline, due in large part to his inability to except criticism, his broadening of the Emperor’s powers, and the brutal obsession with his own selfish ambition.

Many are troubled by the direction our great Nation is headed. Recent events have only magnified the trepidation that so many feel. With all that faces the United States and the gravity of world events, our President seems to be content with picking seashells and conquering the ocean.

Two horrific tragedies have occurred in the War on Terror recently, which shocked and appalled us all. One was the burning alive of brave young Jordanian pilot. The other was the murder of a young humanitarian aid worker from the United States, Kayla Mueller. The leader of Jordan, King Abdullah, responded by strapping on a flight suit to lead a squadron of F-16s on strike against ISIS. The leader of the United States responded by strapping on a selfie-stick and taking pictures of himself, sticking his tongue out at himself, in a mirror. The White House posted these pictures, as they put it, to present an approachable, softer side of the President.

Theodore Roosevelt once accused the sitting President in his day of having the “backbone of an éclair”. I’m not sure what Roosevelt would have thought of this President’s backbone and I’m not sure how much the White House thinks they need to soften the President, but I think we have reached invertebrate status in the Oval Office. Yes, we may have found Darwin’s missing link.

Sarcasm aside, when this President cannot find the courage to admit that twenty-one Egyptian Christians publicly martyred for their faith are… Christians, then there is no leader in Washington. When the Egyptians respond to this gruesome mass murder with an air strike and our President goes golfing, there is no leader in Washington.   President Obama is transfixed and obsessed with the seashells on the seashore and it is destroying our Nation.

Feb 11 2015

Nose Cutting

It has reached epidemic proportions within the political realm.  Patience is no longer a virtue.  If the desired end is not reached immediately, if not sooner, then the foolish perpetrator of sloth and betrayal, who was foolish enough to offer to work towards that end, must be publicly excoriated, vilified and abandoned.  Who needs him, if he can’t microwave a miracle right now?

So it was last week, fresh off an air pressure sports scandal that wasn’t, we, the public, tried to conjure up another crisis that is just more hot air.  Bruce Poliquin made a vote that surprised many in a test vote, emphasis on test, in other words, not a real vote.  The Congressman used this test, not real vote, test vote as an opportunity to send his Republican colleagues a message that they should put some substance behind their symbolic votes.

How dare he???  He’s betrayed us!!!  We sent him down to Washington to stand against the status quo and….and…he’s doing it!  Who would have ever thought?  The travesty!!!  Heaven help us!!!

Meanwhile….Bruce Poliquin has been back at work doing what he promised he would in Washington, attacking ObamaCare. He’s just co-sponsored a bill to repeal the individual mandate.  He’s already supported bills to restore the full time worker classification back to 40 hrs rather than the 30 hrs and repeal the medical device tax.

Surprise!  There has been a flurry of proposals from Republicans for free-market solutions to healthcare.  It’s amazing what happens when the wheel very publicly squeaks.  And suddenly the congressional district, which was called the most insignificant in the United States, is very significantly impacting the healthcare debate.

Still, we are angry.  Why, because we want to be and we won’t let any explanations, facts, actions, and especially reasoning get in the way of our desire to be angry.  We prefer to listen to the statements of pathological liberal liars simply because we are invested in rage.

We are playing right into the designs of the left media here in Maine.  Columnists like Amy Fried have no qualms about lying to achieve their ends.  That end is to ensure that Bruce Poliquin is a one term representative.  She is well versed and proficient in her ability to toss false darts into the cauldron of those focused on fury and the melee ensues.

Her hope is to stoke enough rage, albeit misplaced, amongst Conservatives and Libertarians against Bruce Poliquin to ensure that Emily Cain is elected next election cycle.  Poliquin is doing the right thing by continuing to stay the course he has promised, and continue to visit Maine every weekend to talk to the people.  If Bruce has anything, he has courage.

It would be in our best interest here in the State of Maine to vacate this propensity to cut off our nose to spite our face just to make someone pay for a perceived offense.  This behavior does more damage than good. Given time and patience from his constituents, I believe Bruce Poliquin will do the job we sent him to do.