March 2008

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The thing to remember about freedom is that it is not given, it is taken

-Scott Adams

March 19, 2008

New Black Panthers Endorse Obama?

I fear writing this on the basis of sounding like a racist, but it is too good to pass up. The New Black Panther Party has officially endorsed Barack Obama on his campaign's website. I think that everyone is entitled to choose which of the candidates to support this year, and organizations go through a lot to decide which candidate to endorse. I just have a small issue with this one.

How can a group that is self-proclaimed anti-government officially support a candidate for President? Wouldn't that be like the NRA supporting the ban of firearms? I don't get it.

Another interesting tidbit about the New Black Panther Party. If you look at their Ten Point Platform, which is what the Party stands for, number six is quite interesting:

We want all Black Men and Black Women to be exempt from military service. We believe that Black People should not be forced to fight in the military service to defend a racist government that holds us captive and does not protect us.

Hey guys? You do realize military service is voluntary, right? In effect they are already exempt.

My message to the New Black Panther Party? Do what you have to do. When you do it, just make sense doing it, okay?

Posted by G-Dawg | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

April 28, 2007

Hippocrates Shrugged

I don’t read the Volokh Conspiracy, mostly because I find his format unwieldy and distasteful. And that’s a shame, because my understanding is that Mr Volokh puts out some good content. But I sometimes run across his work by proxy, as was the case today. Inspired by one of Mr Volokh’s posts, Coyote Blog ponders, Does the Hippocratic Oath Make Doctors Our Slaves?

(The text of the Hippocratic Oath can be found here, if you’re the type to do research from the primary source.)

Coyote’s post is one that explains well the general libertarian philosophy as it applies to a specific situation. Libertarians (as he notes) are often written off in policy debates, because our positions come across to the average person as extreme and unworkable. And in our society, in the short term, maybe they are. But these aren’t knee-jerk, anti-social obstructionist positions. They are principled positions, stemming directly from classical liberalism. Most of our opponents are not willfully authoritarian, e.g. monarchists or the like. They are simply ignorant of how to draw political conclusions from philosophical values. They don’t recognize their own inconsistencies. And occasionally, when confronted with the issue in the simplest of terms and with the underlying philosophies and values, they recognize what’s going on.

So here it is: Just because a person has something that you want, or even something that you legitimately need, does not mean that you have a right to it. The only way to deny this fact is to reject egalitarianism* at its core – and who is willing to do that, explicitly? Most people – even those who support government medicine – will not. The failure of the collectivist philosophy that is so popular among intellectuals is not a failure to recognize that all men are created equal, but a failure to understand that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, and that your right to life is not to come at the expense of my right to liberty.

Often, I feel like I am preaching to the choir here at AtlasBlogged. Occasionally, I figure there is little value in doing so. But sometimes people are able to break down an issue so clearly that it is of great value to share it. Does the Hippocratic Oath make doctors our slaves? I know people who have taken that oath and believe in government health care – a “right” to medical treatment. They would never advocate their own slavery, if they recognized it for what it was. But they don’t see the issue in those terms, and they don’t fear for their own liberty. They just feel overwhelmed by hospital administrators and insurance companies. They feel badly for sick people. They know there is a better way than the current way, and they want to bulldoze everything that impedes their ability to give the absolute best treatment to everyone. What better bulldozer than the federal government?

My father would never count himself a libertarian. But he understands this issue very clearly. He took the Hippocratic Oath, and he took it seriously. And when the hospital administration asked too much of him, and he felt that the insurance companies limited him, he faced a serious clash of values. He is a man who gives of himself relentlessly. He has literally given the shirt off his back – to strangers. But he will not be enslaved, and he knew his slaver when he saw him. He quit medicine several years ago. He wasn’t eligible for retirement, but he stood by his principles and shrugged the expectations (and chains) right off. I’ve been proud of him my entire life, but never more than on this issue.

* I use the term “egalitarianism” to mean a belief in human equality especially with respect to social, political, and economic rights and privileges, definition 1 at Merriam Webster. The term is sometimes ignorantly hijacked to mean equality in results – redistribution of wealth or something even more reminiscent of the short story Harrison Bergeron. People who do so are jackasses.

Posted by Wulf | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

September 21, 2006

All Your Conservative Base Are Belong To Us

The Godfather of Conservatism was actually a progressyve prophyt.

That's right, like Ronald Reagan before him, the Left is now attempting to claim Barry Goldwater as one of their own. That's how HBO's Mr. Conservative: Goldwater On Goldwater portrayed the five-time U.S. senator and former presidential candidate in a biographical documentary produced by Goldwater's grand-daughter.

I am not sure when and where this trend started, nor am I completely sure the reasoning behind it. I can only assume that by pointing to revered conservative icons and saying 'they're not so bad,' the Left has a basis for justifying that George Bush is El Diablo. But it's annoying, and I'd wish they'd stop.

The Officious Intermeddler sums up my feelings:

Interpretation is a necessary part of the art of writing history; in fact it's what [separated] good historians from mere clerks. However, there appears to be a growing [tendency] to re-interpret history to suit the political views of the historian. Perhaps Marxists historians are most guilty as they attempt to posit all history in terms of class struggle. What set off this particular rant is the recent HBO special on Barry Goldwater. Recently, the Senator has become something of an icon of the left/liberal contingent [and] is bandied about as something of an indictment against the "neo-cons". This special made the reason for that pretty clear. Barry favored abortion rights, had no problem with gays in the military and hated the "religious right". If there's anything that sums up the core values of the modern Democratic Party, it's abortion, gay rights and anti-religion.

So there you have it. Never mind that he opposed all civil rights legislation, never mind that he considered the use of nuclear weapons in Viet Nam to be legitimate, and never mind that he favored states rights when that was still a pseudonym for bigotry. Barry was OK with abortion and for your modern Democrat that's all that matters. As a result, Barry is no longer a bad guy.

Take heed Rush Limbaugh: Change your stance on abortion and you too may have your own HBO documentary someday. It's not liberal TV, it's HBO.

Posted by Rammage | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

September 18, 2006

Skip Class? Be Prepared To Pay For It.

There is a new program in place in Hunterdon County, NJ that will now allow students to pay $100 per course per day missed. Translation? You skip a day of school, it could cost you $400 (their system is set up as four blocks of courses per day). Hey parents? Want to take your kids on a long weekend vacation to visit Grandma? Add an extra $400 to your expenses for the trip for each day you plan to take your child with you.

The school’s theory is that this will promote responsibility in the kids to not have absences from class. The money is not going to the school, but to an online service which the student will be required to use in order to make up classes this way. Gone are the days of asking for make-up work I guess.

In defense of the school, this is just another option they have added. Students can still either go to summer school or redo their year. If students want to graduate on time (if they are seniors) then the online makeup classes are all they can do. Great options, huh?

In my opinion this is just silly. The residents of this county are already paying school taxes which aids in the “payment” of their child to go to school. Now they are going to have to pay if their child does not go to school? How does this make sense?

Homeschooling is starting to look better and better now.

Oh, the whole article on this is here if you care to read more than my explanation.

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June 25, 2006

Insomnia-Induced Ruminating

I don't have too many prognostications about the 2008 political year - save one. The Democratic Primaries are going to be among the most explosive of my lifetime, and I'm looking forward to the fireworks.

To add to the fun, John Edwards appears to be throwing his hat into the ring as well.

Ex-Sen. John Edwards (D-NC), evolving his pitch ahead of an anticipated presidential run in 2008, will propose to cut poverty by a third in 10 years, eliminate it in 30, and put in its place a "Working Society " where Americans are rewarded for hard work with a livable safety net of health and welfare incentives. [...]

Notably, the speech advances beyond Edwards's "Two Americas" concept. One aide described that phrase as his identification of the problem -- a society where the wealthy are rewarded and the poor are ignored. This speech inaugurates a new phase -- solutions -- and a new phrase -- a "Working Society."

A copy of his speech distributed to reporters and embragoed [sic] until this morning shows that Edwards proposes to "radically overhaul" the Dept. of Housing and Urban Development; to create 1 million "stepping stone" jobs over the next five years, to raise the minimum wage, and to refocus the American education system.

In all fairness, my mind may be muddled with an inability to sleep tonight. But for some reason, reading this snippet above reminds me of this quote:

What is my joy if all hands, even the unclean, can reach into it? What is my wisdom, if even the fools can dictate to me? What is my freedom, if all creatures, even the botched and the impotent, are my masters? What is my life, if I am but to bow, to agree, and to obey?

-Ayn Rand, Anthem

John Edwards' political vision for the future certainly seems to add credence to the Geraghtyites.

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June 20, 2006

The Honorable Way Out

From the Economist:

Signing Hank Paulson, chief executive of Goldman Sachs, as America's treasury secretary was a coup for George Bush. The mystery was why Mr Paulson wanted the job. At Goldman, he probably had as much impact on the global economy as he will have in his new job. He certainly had less bureaucracy to put up with and was paid more.

When his appointment was announced, Mr Paulson explained that he was motivated by the “honour” of service. Doubtless he was, but the price of honour looked pretty high. His pay would drop from around $40m a year to $183,500 and he would have to sell his $700m-worth of Goldman shares—meaning, on the face of it, a gigantic bill for capital-gains tax.

Ouch. Which hurts more? Find out by reading the article, here. Here's a hint: The story ends with the line, At least someone in Washington understands the link between taxes and employment.

Posted by Wulf | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

May 28, 2006

An Everest Dilemma Gone Bad

Merriam-Webster defines humanity as the quality or state of being humane. So I go to humane and get this definition: marked by compassion, sympathy, or consideration for humans or animals. I’m sure all of us have some humane traits in us. Sure, we don’t always give change to beggars. Not all of us volunteer our time to help those in need. But the latest natural disasters, the tsunami in the Indian Ocean, Hurricane Katrina, and now this earthquake in Indonesia (they can’t get a break out there) have shown an outpouring of support (no Katrina jokes) from people from all over the world who donate time, money, and in some cases their own lives to try to help those in need. Then you find those who are the extreme opposite and can think of no one but themselves.

David Sharp, a 34 year-old man from England, died while making his descent from the summit of Mount Everest. It has been reported that more than 40 climbers may have walked past him while he lay there still alive, but were unwilling to offer their assistance as they continued to the top of the peak. Sir Edmund Hillary, Everest’s first victim back in 1953, has shown his outward disgust for those who passed Sharp so that they themselves wouldn’t miss out on their chance to reach the summit.

I understand that we are dealing with extremes here. The cold, the wind, the terrain, all things that makes it extremely difficult to survive on your own let alone if you are trying to help someone else. Stopping to help someone would probably mean the end to your own attempt at the peak. What used to be a close-knit circle of people, high-altitude climbing has become a commercial endeavor for some. People pay thousands of dollars to guides just to get to the top of peaks such as Everest. I guess it would be too costly to help keep someone from dying [/end sarcasm].

I’m not trying to say that I’m the type of person that goes out of their way constantly to help others. Let’s be honest, none of us do. But I would think that a climber who sees a fellow climber in trouble would do all he could to help. Don’t you think that he would want that same respect shown to him in case he should get into trouble? Apparently it used to be that way. The “never leave a man behind” attitude. Personal satisfaction has gotten in the way of that I guess. I don’t think I could live with myself if I was one of those climbers who walked past and let this man die.

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Memorial Day Plans

Do you have plans for tomorrow? Allow Ralph Kinney Bennett at TCS Daily to make a suggestion:
Go and find a soldier's grave.

Posted by Wulf | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

May 25, 2006

At A Loss

I don't know what to say. I'm speechless. Literally. I have no idea what to write about. It's been awhile since I've posted something, and right now there is nothing out there that is really motivating me. I'm all about quality, not quantity with my posts, so this poses a big problem for me. Sure, there's the whole illegal immigration debate, but everybody is talking about that. The DiVinci Code? New movie, old news. I'm still waiting for the crowds to thin out some before I go see it. American Idol? No thank you. The NBA playoffs are about as good as they've been in awhile, but I still can't get into it. The NHL playoffs? The same, although Edmonton's run is rather impressive.

So until I can find something decent to write about, you are stuck with this empty post about...nothing. Sorry. Just wanted some company for a bit.

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April 19, 2006

Michelle Malkin - Center of Blogosphere

I am a big fan of Michelle Malkin.

Her website, to me, is the center of the blogosphere. When I want to do a quick search of the web, I go to Google. When I want to do a quick search of the blogosphere, I go to Malkin. My desire to write for a political blog, the impetus behind Atlas Blogged, the use of Movable Type as a content management system, and even the clean interface of Atlas Blogged all derive inspiration from Michelle Malkin's blog. She was the first link added to our blogroll, and the first major blog to link to Atlas Blogged. If two hours go by without a new article posted, I actually get a little impatient - as if I were paying for a "Malkin Newswire Service" or something.

That being said, it's sad to see these UC Santa Cruz idiots resort to intimidation and threat. There was little doubt in my mind that this day was coming - the day that someone posted her home address and phone number accompanied by implicit threats. I only wish it had been a more worthy adversary than these snot-nosed, spoiled-brat punks who weren't imaginative enough to find something legitimate to protest about, so they decided to obey the orders handed down to them by Jon Stewart and The Daily Show. Ironic that they would protest other soldiers. I've got two words for you: Solomon Amendment.

Regardless, what's done is done. I only hope that Malkin sticks to her convictions and continues to blog with impunity. It is the opinion of this Atlas Blogged writer that Michelle Malkin is a modern day Atlas, who has decided against shrugging.

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April 7, 2006

Atlas Blogged Asks...

...What are the three words?

http://www.dansimmons.com/news/message.htm

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February 23, 2006

The Sudoku Craze

I’ll admit it. I’m hooked. Something to do to pass time while I travel I suppose. All I know is, I don’t know whether to thank or slap the person responsible for introducing this to me. The way Sudoku caught fire last year in the States, and everywhere else in the world apparently, resistance would’ve been futile.

According to Wikipedia:

The puzzle was designed anonymously by Howard Garns, a 74-year-old retired architect and freelance puzzle constructor, and first published in 1979. Although likely inspired by the Latin square invention of Leonhard Euler, Garns added a third dimension (the regional restriction) to the mathematical construct and (unlike Euler) presented the creation as a puzzle, providing a partially-completed grid and requiring the solver to fill in the rest. The puzzle was first published in New York by the specialist puzzle publisher Dell Magazines in its magazine Dell Pencil Puzzles and Word Games, under the title Number Place (which we can only assume Garns named it).
The puzzle was introduced in Japan by Nikoli in the paper Monthly Nikolist in April 1984 as Suuji wa dokushin ni kagiru, which can be translated as "the numbers must be single" or "the numbers must occur only once" literally means "single; celibate; unmarried"). The puzzle was named by Kaji Maki, the president of Nikoli. At a later date, the name was abbreviated to Sudoku, pronounced SUE-dough-coo; sū = number, doku = single); it is a common practice in Japanese to take only the first kanji of compound words to form a shorter version. In 1986, Nikoli introduced two innovations which guaranteed the popularity of the puzzle: the number of givens was restricted to no more than 32 and puzzles became "symmetrical" (meaning the givens were distributed in rotationally symmetric cells). It is now published in mainstream Japanese periodicals, such as the Asahi Shimbun. Within Japan, Nikoli still holds the trademark for the name Sudoku; other publications in Japan use alternative names.

Now that I got the history out of the way let me explain the phenomenon. It started in November 2004 in “The Times” in Britain after Wayne Gould created a program to develop the puzzles quickly. It caught like wild fire from there, eventually reaching the States in May 2005 when the “New York Post” first published it. Now almost every city’s newspaper features the puzzle. I noticed it began being published in the Continental Airlines in-flight magazine last month as well. The question is, is it a fad? Or is Sudoku here to stay?

A friend of mine thinks it is a phase. Then again, he can complete the USA Today crossword puzzle every day whereas I’m lucky to get 1/3 of it done (I’m really not that strong in vocabulary). He claims, “It’s reached its peak. People will get tired of the lack of variety in the puzzles.” Maybe so. But maybe he’s just jealous that the puzzle is infringing on his precious crossword space in the paper. I don’t know for sure.

I think it is going to be around for quite awhile. Why? Because it is a logic puzzle. The people (like me) that are not linguists can look at this and solve it. You don’t have to know the dictionary nor the silly little puns that these crossword publishers like to use. If you can write the numbers one through nine, you can solve this puzzle. Granted some may take longer to solve, but they can be done. So from me to you…happy solving!

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January 6, 2006

The Truth About Another Possible Terrorist Attack

For those of you who weren’t in the loop in July 2004, there was a Northwest flight from Detroit to Los Angeles that got a lot of media attention thanks to one of the passengers, Annie Jacobsen. Mrs. Jacobsen is a writer at WomensWallStreet.com. She took the initiative to go way beyond the call of duty to get to the bottom of what happened on that flight. After more than a year of investigations, nothing is still certain except for the fact that the government doesn’t want you to know everything that is happening with regards to the possibility of another terrorist attack on an airplane in the United States.

You can read her whole series “Terror in the skies, again” here. I also encourage you to read her book.

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November 23, 2005

The Mysteries of Blogging Solved

I’ve figured it out! Call me a genius, or call me too slow to realize it, but I finally figured out what the big secret about blogging is and why it has become so popular. Let me give you a quick background first to set you up for it (gotta hold you in suspense).

It all happened yesterday believe it or not. It started out with that comment from Newman on my Colts piece. He is a member of the “Shadow Platoon,” an ESPN Fantasy Sports Über Group of which I am lucky and proud to be associated with. Maybe not the best in total points (currently sixth in the Nation, not too shabby I'd say), but the best in people. Anyway, after his post here on the website he sent an email to the group claiming, “My comments have been blogged!!!!” In a way I found it kind of funny how he got excited over it. Well, maybe not excited, but that he would have even mentioned it to the rest of the group. Until…

Enter the addition of Boon as an author for Atlas Blogged (welcome aboard Boon!). In a side email discussion with Wulf and Rammage (the other authors on this site for those non-faithfuls) the four of us were discussing the mysteries of the blog. Rammage discussed writer’s block based on this tidbit about writing up an entry for Atlas Blogged:

“And this was going to be a great article, too. I am utterly fascinated how easy it is for me to sit down and pound out a thousand-word letter to the [email] List - to all of youins - but when I go to write an article for AB, I suddenly freeze up.”

Boon humorously suggested:

“Happens all the time man. Best thing to do is to go through it in your mind and not try to write it down. Let it work on you for some time until you have no choice but to write it to get it out of your system.
And if that doesn’t work, try penicillin."

But Wulf nailed it when he said:

“It's because you feel like you have to have a point. Writing for an audience.”

AHA! That’s it! The big secret is solved!

People just want to be heard! I liken blogging to people calling into a radio show. Except with a blog you don’t have to sit on hold for hours waiting for your one minute on the show with the host talking over you and not really letting you get your point across anyway. Here, you have an uninterrupted medium where you can say whatever you want, without the obnoxious host talking over you. You get to be heard, and it doesn’t stop there. The people who comment are doing it too. That is their way of “calling in” to the blogger's show and letting you know how they feel, without interruption.

So Newman…thanks for the call. Rammage, Wulf, and now Boon…thanks for letting me host my own show. I promise not to write over anyone’s comments or keep them on hold for hours on end. I just hope I can provide some quality entertainment when people tune in.

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September 29, 2005

Never A Break

It’s just my luck. Hurricane Rita makes a turn to the north to spare our house from any water damage and yet when we get back, a pipe bursts under the bathroom on the second story and ruins a portion of the ceiling below. [sigh]

It just figures.

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September 16, 2005

Minutemen Go Home

As my County is about to be bombarded by the group of people that call themselves the Minutemen, I have to speak out. As part of the minority in the Rio Grande Valley (I am a white male, one of the few here) I feel that this is an outrage, and groups like these need not apply. Apparently my County feels the same way. I am not advocating illegal immigration by any means. We have a Border Patrol set up by the US Government that does an excellent job in controlling our US/Mexico Border. I see them every day. Very visible.

What these groups need to be doing is not focusing on those crossing illegally, but the ones hiring them to do the daily work that no one else will do for the money they are paying them. Go to the source, right? Most of these illegals on the border are farm workers trying to earn dollars instead of pesos so they can feed their families a little bit better. This is hurting the US economy because the money they are earning (illegally) is being taken out of the country and being spent across the border instead of being fed back into our own economic system. It all comes down to trying to save an extra buck or two, and it is the root of the problem. These are the same people that since they are paying these immigrants to work, they are not paying taxes on these wages, which also takes away from our own economy. They are the criminals here, not the ones looking for work.

If we can stop the people hiring them, then the incentive to come across illegally will be diminished. They wouldn’t have the need to come across if they can’t find work when over here. And yes, my Mexican wife feels the same way about this.

AlanDP over at The Blogonomicon has an interesting look at this here.

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September 14, 2005

Beware of Relief Scams!

You knew it was going to happen. There are always the bad people in this world who just like to take advantage of every little thing they can. It has been reported that there are over 4,000 websites that have been created for helping with the relief effort that the FBI have deemed as scams. Be careful of where you are planning to send your money to for helping.

You can read the official warning from the FBI here.

There is also a good article about this from internetnews.com here.

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September 12, 2005

WalMart's Response to Hurricane Victims

WalMart, that much-maligned Atlas of the Retail world, the largest private employer in the United States of America, has been responding from the beginning to the victims of Hurricane Katrina. I have been catching snippets of it here and there on the radio or occasionally on line, but most mentions of WalMart have been about how its outlets were looted in the chaos after the storm.

In The Agora has a great if incomplete listing of the ways that WalMart has aided the communities affected by the hurricane. They also have a predictable litany of ungrateful socialist complaints after the article, begrudging the wealthy of every dollar that is not donated. Please stop by and give them a piece of your mind.

Thank you, WalMart. For this and all that you stand for.

Posted by Wulf | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

September 3, 2005

Cindy, Please Stop The Madness!

Okay, I think I’ve had enough of Cindy Sheehan. I understand that any time a parent loses a child it is a devastating event in one’s life but this is getting ridiculous. I just want to make one thing clear.

Military service is strictly voluntary except when a draft is in place, and we haven’t had that for forty years.

I would be willing to bet that there is a photo in the Sheehan household the day that her son Casey graduated from boot camp, with smiles on all their faces. Where was her concern then if she is so devastated now? Becoming a member of our Armed Forces is a risk. It doesn’t matter if it is peacetime or not.

I am sorry she lost her son, as I am sorry that any lives are lost. But her son died for our Country, and that is a very honorable thing. He died to protect the freedoms that we all enjoy and take for granted at times. For her to ridicule our Nation in this way is truly un-American, and I think it’s about time for her to grieve quietly on her own, and let our President go back to running this country. It’s not like he doesn’t have enough on his plate now that Katrina devastated the whole gulf coast of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, as well as other states along the path of its destruction.

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September 2, 2005

The Michellanche Phenomenon

Observe what a reference from Michelle Malkin will do for a blog:

Hat tip to Michelle Malkin for the reference that resulted in Atlas Blogged's first ever "Michellanche."

Posted by Rammage | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

From Dome to Dome

Section 132, Row 11, Seat 3. This could be the ticket you are holding for the opening weekend of football to see your favorite team. Unfortunately it could also be the ticket for some 20,000 people stranded from Hurricane Katrina that are being transported to the old Astrodome in Houston. How could this happen? Was it because whoever was in charge was thinking, “Hey, they were already in one dome, let’s just move them to another! What a great idea! We’ll just ship them over to Houston and they’ll be plenty happy there!” I don’t know about you but I’ve seen a few football games in domed stadiums and the four hours I spent in there was enough for me, and I chose to go. These people are almost forced. Well, forced if they want to survive on the government’s help, which in some if not all cases is all they have left. It could be months before any of these people will be able to go back to New Orleans, and to what they are going back to is uncertain. Has anyone thought this through? Are they going to transport all these people back by bus to New Orleans once the city is dried up and drop them off at the Superdome and say, “Thanks for playing!”

But again, why the Astrodome? Why a dome at all? What is it about a dome that makes it an appealing thought to house 20,000 people for who knows how long? Is it because they were already stranded in one, so why not another?

I don’t see why the government can’t put them up in one of the numerous military bases that have been shut down the over the past few years. They’ve shut down so many the choices are out there. The infrastructure is already in place for a somewhat civilized living arrangement. There is housing, a mess hall, and probably room to run around if that is what is desired, and it would beat living in a dome for a few months I could guarantee that. It just makes too much sense to do this, I guess that is why it was overlooked.

I feel for these people, I really do. Having your whole life taken away from you in one morning is a devastating thought to me, but it is a reality to many. I can somewhat empathize with the looters. Well, let me clarify that. I can empathize with the ones who are taking food and water. They are in survival mode. As for the ones that are taking whatever they can get their hands on, that’s a whole different story.

Mike McConnell over at Kokonut Pundits also has a similar view.

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