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Brazilians Reject Proposed Gun Ban

Brazilians soundly rejected a proposal to ban the sale of guns in a national referendum Sunday, striking down the bid to stem one of the world's highest firearm murder rates following a campaign that drew parallels to the U.S. gun control debate.

With more than 92 percent of the votes counted, 64 percent of Brazilians were opposed to the ban, while 36 percent backed it, said election officials, giving the 'no' position an insurmountable lead. The proposal would have prohibited the sale of firearms and ammunition except for police, the military, some security guards, gun collectors and sports shooters.

There are a number of interesting ramifications and issues associated with this - aside from the primary fact that the Brazilians were not willing to cede full responsibility for personal protection to an all too ineffectual governmental system.

Some Brazilians said they resented the referendum because they feel the government is ducking its responsibility to keep the peace. "It's immoral for the government to have this vote," said Pedro Ricardo, an army officer in Sao Paulo. "They're putting the responsibility on us, but ... the way to cut down on violence is to combat the drug trade and patrol our borders."

Hmmmm. Sounds sort of familiar doesn't it!? Enforce borders? What a concept!

About 39,000 people in Brazil are killed by guns each year, compared to about 30,000 people in the United States, although the U.S. population is about 100 million more than Brazil's, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Hello? Come again? Does anybody know what the US Centers for Disease Control is doing collecting data on gun deaths in Brazil? One shudders to learn the answer.

Oh, this is absolutely delightful: Sheehan thrashing 'war hawk' Hillary. Cindy Sheehan, the so-called "peace mom" on a crusade to end U.S. involvement in the Iraq war, is publicly blasting Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., for her continued support of the...

China and Russia Challenging Space Leadership of the United States

In yet another case of the United States Intelligence community?s failure to recognize the world around them has been revealed due to recent developments in space.

One day we may wake up and realize that with little warning China has launched a precursor un-crewed earth orbital rendezvous EOR lunar circumnavigation mission. To be promptly followed by a manned lunar circumnavigation. After that a lunar orbital mission is quite possible, because once the LM-5 booster becomes operational after 2010, the Shenzhou spacecraft has an already built in design for earth orbit and can also orbit the moon. It could with proper equipment also support a manned lunar landing mission either through EOR or through the introduction of a new booster beyond the capability of the LM-5 which they have only in the last few days hinted at as required after the next Five Year Plan.

THIS is why the Chief thinks the current NASA plan for a return to the moon by 2018, while moving in the right direction, could well prove to be too little, too late to maintain our leadership, and ceding the "high ground" could ultimately prove to be fatal.

From NewsMax: The mood was unpleasant, a source familiar with that grand jury's proceedings tells the Associated Press. The source revealed that Earle tried to convince the grand jurors that DeLay had guilty knowledge of a money laundering conspiracy by...

The Boss still has faith. After meeting with Steinbrenner for 45 minutes to an hour in Tampa, Fla., Torre was sure he wanted to return for his 11th season as Yankees manager. "We didn't use the word love, but it...

A reader commented on the recent votes of Tim Johnson and Stephanie Herseth, both of which regarded the high cost of gasoline. Johnson's refusal to open up ANWR for drilling and Herseth's nay vote on the establishment of new refineries...

This piece from the intrepid Sam Leith at the London Telegraph alerts us to a threat to public safety.The latest menace in my corner of south London, I read this week, is the emergence of a community of crack-addicted...

Insiders see hint of Miers pullout

The beginning of the end on this nomination?

The White House has begun making contingency plans for the withdrawal of Harriet Miers as President Bush's choice to fill a seat on the Supreme Court, conservative sources said yesterday. "White House senior staff are starting to ask outside people, saying, 'We're not discussing pulling out her nomination, but if we were to, do you have any advice as to how we should do it?' " a conservative Republican with ties to the White House told The Washington Times.

Of COURSE not! Why think that?

The White House denied making such calls.

Ooops! As soon as ANYONE is called, the cat's out of the bag, especially in DC. As no less than Benjamin Franklin writing as the esteemed Bon Homme Richard noted: "Two can keep a secret, if one of them is dead."

But the conservative political consultant said that he had received such a query from Sara Taylor, director of the Office of White House Political Affairs. Miss Taylor denied making any such calls.

A second Republican, who is the leader of a conservative interest group and has ties to the White House, confirmed that calls are being made to a select group of conservative activists who are not employed by the government. "The political people in the White House are very worried about how she will do in the hearings," the second conservative leader said. "I think they have finally awakened."

There MAY be a better example of the Byzantine nature of political hardball as it's played Inside the Beltway, but the Chief would be hard pressed to name it.

One just KNOWS there will be more, MUCH more, to follow.

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