PRAISE THE LORD, AND PASS THE AMMUNITION

From the The Huffington Post:

People qualified to carry concealed weapons should be able to keep them strapped on in a church or temple as a way to enhance security, a [Louisiana] state House committee decided Wednesday (April 28).

The House Committee on the Administration of Criminal Justice voted 8-3 for bill that would allow a church to hire a security force or create its own by authorizing the church's board or pastor to tap parishioners who have concealed weapons permits to bring them to church.

I'm fairly certain that the bill will make its way successfully through the legislative process and be signed into law by Gov. Bobby Jindal. In the spirit of the new law, in churches which allow congregants to pack heat, the opening hymn for each and every service shall henceforth be "Praise the Lord, and Pass the Ammunition".

H/T to Andrew Gerns at The Lead and to Ann for sending me the link.

BOBBY JINDAL, THE HYPOCRITE?

The picture above is Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal at the press conference yesterday on the oil spill off the Louisiana coast. You can't see them in the photo, but Jindal is surrounded by the folks in picture below, Dept. of the Interior Secretary Dan Salazar, Dept. of Homeland Security Sec. Janet Napolitano, and Lisa Jackson, EPA Administrator.



Bobby Jindal fulminates against the over-sized federal government; he decries taxes to pay for the functions of the bloated federal government, but when he is in trouble, he's quick to call for help from that same federal government, admitting that some problems like Katrina and the federal flood and the oil spill are too big for a state to handle on its own. I know Jindal was not governor when Katrina struck, but he's asked for ongoing help with recovery. In my eyes, Bobby Jindal looks like a hypocrite. How will he run on shrinking the federal government, when he's had to call for help from that same federal government on many different occasions?

BP HAD NO PLAN

WWL-TV:

British Petroleum downplayed the possibility of a catastrophic accident at an offshore rig that exploded, causing the worst U.S. spill in decades along the Gulf coast and endangering shoreline habitat.

In the 52-page exploration plan and environmental impact analysis, BP repeatedly suggested it was unlikely, or virtually impossible, for an accident to occur that would lead to a giant crude oil spill and serious damage to beaches, fish, mammals and fisheries.

BP's plan filed with the federal Minerals Management Service for the Deepwater Horizon well, dated February 2009, says repeatedly that it was "unlikely that an accidental surface or subsurface oil spill would occur from the proposed activities."

And while the company conceded that a spill would "cause impacts" to beaches, wildlife refuges and wilderness areas, it argued that "due to the distance to shore (48 miles) and the response capabilities that would be implemented, no significant adverse impacts are expected."

So much for accuracy in BP's assessment. What's inconceivable to me is that the Minerals Management Service found the no-plan acceptable and permitted BP to move forward to build and operate the rig.

HUSBAND OF THE YEAR AWARDS

The honorable mention goes to

The United Kingdom

 

followed closely by...

The United States of America

 

and then...

Poland

 

but, 3rd Place must go to...

Greece

 

it was very close but the runner up prize

was awarded to....

Serbia

 

but the winner of the husband/partner of the year is...

Ireland, ya gotta love the Irish

The Irish are true romantics. Look, he's even

holding her hand....

 

My readers will hear a good deal about the oil spill in the near future, and I'm quite concerned about what will be, indeed is already, a tragedy of huge proportions, but I needed a humor break, and thanks to Ann, here is my offering.

"SUDDENLY EVERYTHING CHANGED"

From The Huffington Post:

WASHINGTON — Suddenly, everything changed.

For days, as an oil spill spread in the Gulf of Mexico, BP assured the government the plume was manageable, not catastrophic. Federal authorities were content to let the company handle the mess while keeping an eye on the operation.

But then government scientists realized the leak was five times larger than they had been led to believe, and days of lulling statistics and reassuring words gave way Thursday to an all-hands-on-deck emergency response. Now questions are sure to be raised about a self-policing system that trusted a commercial operator to take care of its own mishap even as it grew into a menace imperiling Gulf Coast nature and livelihoods from Florida to Texas.

The pivot point had come Wednesday night, at a news conference at an oil research center in the tiny community of Robert, La. That's when the nation learned the earlier estimates were way off, and an additional leak had been found.

On Thursday, President Barack Obama set in motion a larger federal mobilization, pledging to deploy "every single available resource" to the area and ordering his disaster and environmental leaders to get down there in person. Only a few days after the Coast Guard assured the country there was "ample time" to protect the coast if oil came ashore, warnings from the government were newly alarming.
....

Throughout last week and into this one, the government was deferring to BP on what was being done at the site and on assessments of progress.

The Coast Guard was not doing its own independent, firsthand assessment of the seabed rupture. Landry repeatedly asserted that BP was the responsible party and would shoulder the costs and organizational duties associated with the cleanup effort while the Coast Guard monitored things and approved the numbers of vessels working the scene and the methods of control.

On Monday, Landry offered assurances that the Gulf Coast should be safe. "This is ample time to protect sensitive areas and prepare for cleanup should the oil impact this area," she said. And at sea, BP officials were "doing their best."

That the government agencies deferred to BP to assess the situation on their own is quite troublesome. Perhaps the federal agencies would have come to the same conclusion at the time, but to rely only on the investigation and reports by the oil company seems far from wise. Is it possible that the president and the federal agencies learned a lesson about trusting oil companies?

President Obama said that the Interior Department would be sending SWAT teams to inspect all 30 deepwater rigs in the Gulf, and the inspections would be completed within a week. That seems rather fast for a thorough inspection, but what do I know?

LOCAL FISHERMEN WANT TO HELP

From WWL-TV:

SHELL BEACH, La. – British Petroleum workers are heading out on boats with oil booms and taking them into sensitive marsh and coastal areas in an effort to protect the area from a huge oil slick headed towards the coast, but some fishermen say they are frustrated they aren’t being used more.

Many of the parish's 330 commercial fishermen said Thursday they were ready to fight the spread of the oil spill, and help clean up the damage. Over 200 offered their boats, docks and other aid. Gov. Bobby Jindal showed support for the initiative, saying the fishermen know the marshes better than anyone.

But while St. Bernard officials say they turned over the list of volunteers over to BP, they say their hands are tied, since BP is the company handling the oil spill and it’s up to them to decide whether or not they want to use the volunteers.

“People around here, they know the marsh. This is what they do here every day,” said Kevin Heier, a fisherman in St. Bernard. “They know how to get from one place to another using the safest route with the weather condition. Why waste your time with people who don’t know the area trying to do the work, while we can get you there and back without a problem?

“We have all these boats available, people will be out of work – the fishing industry I’m sure is going to go to hell – we just don’t understand why they’re going to get outside contractors to do the work.”

Nor do I understand why the local fisherman are denied the opportunity to help and, at least, work with the outside contractors. The fishermen are out of business for now and perhaps for a long time because of the failure of BP equipment, so the least BP can do is put the local folks to work and pay them for their efforts.

OIL SPILL MAY HAVE REACHED LOUISIANA COAST

From WWL-TV:

VENICE, La. -- Plaquemines Parish President Billy Nungesser said based on his observations from a Coast Guard helicopter just a short while ago, the spill could be hitting the Mississippi River Delta now.

Responders played beat the clock Thursday, trying to get as much containment boom out in the marsh before the oil hits the Louisiana coast.
According to the Coast Guard, all of the oil spill fighting equipment they could muster is now on the Gulf Coast being deployed as soon as it hits the dock.

Read more at the link.

DISASTER LOOMS FOR LOUISIANA COAST

From the Advocate:

Louisiana agencies are preparing for the worst from an oil slick steadily heading toward the state’s shoreline and marshlands.

Some experts estimate it could reach Pass a Loutre wildlife management area as early as Friday and Breton Sound on Saturday, Gov. Bobby Jindal said Wednesday.

“Just like we do in a hurricane, we are preparing for the worst and hoping for the best,” Jindal said at an afternoon news conference.

Earlier in the day, Jindal said he had been briefed by the U.S. Coast Guard, the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration and BP who are involved in the cleanup and containment of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

About 42,000 gallons of oil a day are leaking into the Gulf from the Deepwater Horizon oil rig which exploded April 20, burned and then sank two days later. Eleven workers are missing and presumed dead.

Jindal said federal and state officials are scrambling to do what they can to prevent the oil from reaching the state’s fishing and wildlife areas, but on Wednesday predictions had the oil headed toward the state.

“It’s still early and these tracks could change,” Jindal said. “We will know more tomorrow.”

Pass a Loutre and Breton Sound where the oil slick could hit are home to concentrations of wildlife, especially nesting birds, Jindal said.

Yesterday, I wrote about the restaurant industry rebound in New Orleans after Katrina and the federal flood. A major disaster for the Louisiana coast looms with the approach of the oil slick. What about the oysters, shrimp, crabs, and fish in the coastal waters and marshlands? What about the birds and animals? What about those who make their livings from fishing and harvesting seafood?

We can point fingers at the oil companies and the oil supply companies. We can blame the federal and state governments for permitting offshore drilling. But, in the end, we must point to ourselves, and our greed for energy, and our failure to seriously address conservation and demand that our government do the same, and our failure to pressure our leaders to implement policies to find and subsidize the development of safer alternative sources of energy.

JESUS AND MO AND BOOB-QUAKE

From Paul (A.):

I don't know if you have been following this story over the last week or so,
but . . .

An Iranian cleric announced that immodestly dressed women caused
earthquakes: ABC News."

"Many women who do not dress modestly ... lead young men astray, corrupt their chastity and spread adultery in society, which (consequently) increases earthquakes," Hojatoleslam Kazem Sedighi was quoted as saying by Iranian media. Sedighi is Tehran's acting Friday prayer leader.

....

A student, Jennifer McCreight, decided to test this by experiment on Monday of this week, promulgated via her blog Blag Hag (several entries).

It was picked up on by the news media: (e.g.) ABC News.

To test an Iranian cleric's claim that immodestly dressed women are responsible for earthquakes, tens of thousands of women around the country plan to show off an extra bit of skin todayTo test an Iranian cleric's claim that immodestly dressed women are responsible for earthquakes, tens of thousands of women around the country plan to show off an extra bit of skin today.

But not much resulted.

An earlier study (inspired by Pat Robertson's association of gay people and
hurricanes) used statistics to undermine the thesis Christians Gays.

Pat Robertson, founder of the Christian Coalition, recently warned Orlando, Florida, that it was courting natural disaster by allowing gay pride flags to be flown along its streets. "A condition like this will bring about ... earthquakes, tornadoes, and possibly a meteor," he said, apparently referring to his belief that the presence of openly gay people incurs divine wrath and that God acts through geological and meteorological events to destroy municipalities that permit gay people the same civil liberties as others. (Robertson also warned Orlando about terrorist bombs, suggesting the possibility that God may also employ terrorists.)

Food for thought.


More food for thought from Jesus and Mo.

"JUSTICE, JUSTICE YOU SHALL PURSUE"

Servicemembers Legal Defense Network: "Stories From the Frontlines: Letters to President Barack Obama".

Below is a portion of a letter from a chaplain who serves in the military to President Obama on the present DADT policy. Because of active service, the name of the writer is withheld.

Over the years some of us have buried our closest friends -- officers and enlisted, African American, Latinos, Native Americans, Asians, Whites, rich, poor, Protestants, Catholics, Muslims and Jews. They had the courage to make the supreme sacrifice in order for us to reap the bounties of freedom. We owe them a debt of gratitude which can never be repaid.

What is remarkable about these Marines, Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Coastguardsmen is they understood the personal risk when they answered the highest calling of our nation. What could be a nobler act then to give one’s life to one’s country, knowing that in their lives many freedoms would be denied them?

And when their story is told a significant piece of their life would be missing.

As they sleep under the crosses, the stars of David and the crescents there is no bigotry. There is no prejudice. There is no hatred. And within the sacred confines of their resting place there is no law of “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell.” There is only purest democracy.

When the final cross has been placed in the last cemetery, will it only be then that we as a nation acknowledge our gay brothers and sisters who took the risks of life and truth to answer their nation’s highest calling? How many of these brave men and women lie in military graves and still hide in death?

They are among the unknown soldiers.

There are only a few who know the truth of those who lie in these graves. There are only a few who know the suffering and sorrow of those who mourn them in silence and fear. The nation remains silent and owes no allegiance to who they truly were nor does it honor their loved ones. What does that say of our sacred values?

If one gay person was killed in defense of America, issues such as the destruction of unit morale or the fear of people not wanting to join the military devalue their sacrifice. This is not about appeasing the uncomfortable feelings of a minority; this is a universal and transcendent matter of justice. America was built on the common Jewish and Christian heritage of justice when the Bible commands: “Justice, justice you shall pursue” (Deuteronomy 16:20).

I have nothing to add to the chaplain's eloquent testimony.

H/T to Jim Burroway at Box Turtle Bulletin.