Super Bowl Betting tips for non-football fans

The Government is Violating Your Second Amendment Rights (If You Don't Really Think About It)

[caption id="attachment_1874" align="alignnone" width="500"] This guy was incinerated by a Predator drone five seconds later. The Predator operator then went to lunch.[/caption]

I’ve learned over the years that engaging in arguments on Facebook is rarely productive. Most effective points cannot be made in a few sentences, and most people tune out when a Facebook comment reaches the second sentence. Therefore, these arguments turn into a slightly-more-mature-but-not-much version of the comment sections on YouTube.

I do, however, feel that people are making incredibly ill-informed and poorly thought-out arguments in regards to the gun debate now taking place in America. I will attempt to take these on one at a time and explain why each makes no sense. As I said in my article about putting armed guards in schools, these arguments fall apart when you examine them closely.

I am not against guns in general. I legally own a gun, and I’ve been highly trained in how to use it safely and effectively. I used to teach people how to shoot small arms in the Navy, and I used to carry a handgun as part of my job. I don’t believe there should be a blanket ban on all guns, and even if I did, I know that it would be impossible to enforce. So, let’s talk about the arguments being put forth against regulations that are actually being proposed.

“They’re taking our guns.”

Short answer: No they’re not.

Longer answer: This has been the mantra of the NRA since President Obama was elected. If the Obama administration has been planning for over four years to take your guns, they are so laughably inept at taking your guns that you have nothing to worry about. Let’s take a look at the Obama administration’s cunning long-term plan to take your guns.

Step 1. Do nothing for four years to take guns.

Step 2. Stand for a democratic election, in which many people think you will be voted out.

Step 3. Do nothing when mass shootings happen for years.

Step 4. Propose Congress re-institute regulations that were in place a decade ago and issue executive orders, none of which will take any guns.

Step 5. Take everyone’s guns*

The * indicates that this has not happened, and will not happen, because “They’re taking our guns” is an empty slogan, devoid of any connection to reality.

So basically, either the Obama administration is so horribly inept at “taking your guns” that you should not be worried or, you know, it’s bullshit. Your call.

The stamp that every teacher wants for grading papers

A guide to using analogies to explain complex political issues

Last week, people started sharing an image on Facebook that claimed to put the budget issues facing our country in perspective by comparing the numbers to a household budget. Just like my last post, that makes sense if you don't really think about it.

The problem with this analogy is that the situation is far more complex than the comparison allows. For starters, a worker cannot raise his household revenue in the same way a government can. Yes, a family member could work more hours or get a second job, but that's assuming that the hours or job is available. As many people today will tell you, getting a job, let alone a second job is far from a sure thing. A government, meanwhile, has many ways to raise revenue that are guaranteed.

On the other side, government debt and household debt are vastly different. A government can borrow money at a rate close to zero percent, while a household has to pay a much higher rate. In addition, a government can get far more value for their borrowing than a household can.

That's not to say that our government does not need to spend less. I'm simply saying that the comparison between a household budget and a government budget is so flawed as to render such a comparison meaningless.