2013 June


guns-4

‘Responsible gun Owner’ Opens fire on Car Full of Kids Because Dad Tried to Turn Around in Her Driveway

I don’t know how true this story is but I did find it also at The Gawker, whose article included a link to the newspaper originally covering the story, the Kingsport Times News so I’m feeling pretty confidant about repeating it here.

You, of course, are free to read whichever post you choose – I found I needed to read them all just to wrap my head around the fact that this actually happened.

A grown woman, supposedly a responsible gun owner to boot, who lives at the top of a road that ends further down from her house, turning into a logging road, sits on her porch cradling a rifle.

A family of 7 on an outing o Bays Mountain Park – well here… I’ll let the driver, Oscar Scott tell it. This is from the Times Nesws:

Oscar Scott of Rose Hill, Va. told the Times-News that he and his family decided to explore a scenic way back into Virginia through Hawkins and Hancock counties.

Almost immediately after crossing the Hawkins County line, however, they came upon Bays Mt. Road which runs adjacent to the Sullivan County line.

“We came around the side of the mountain and saw a road that turned to the right that said Bays Mt. Road,” Scott said. “We figured we’d take it and see if it came out at Bays Mountain Park. We got pretty far down that road and you could see where it turned into an old log road, so I put the vehicle in reverse to turn around.”

Scott added, “Just as I got it into reverse she started shooting at us.”

Scott said a woman setting on her porch about 150 feet from the road fired two shots at the 1999 Chevy Tahoe he was driving. One shot actually hit the running board on the passenger side just a few feet from where his five children, ages 4-12, were seated.

The alleged shooter was identified as Margie Rhea Ramey, 72, 652 Bays Mt. Road, Rogersville.

Scott reported the shooting to the Hawkins County Sheriff’s Office, and Sgt. Michael Allen responded to the scene.

“During a field interview Mrs. Ramey openly admitted to shooting her rifle towards the vehicle because she has had a continuous problem with people tearing up her driveway,” Allen said.

He said he had no choice but to use her driveway to turn around because the road is so narrow.

Scott said there were several people setting on the porch beside her when she fired.

“I hadn’t even begun to turn my wheels to pull in her driveway,” Scott said. “I just put my vehicle in reverse, and just as quickly as I put it in reverse I heard her hollering and my little boy said, ‘does she got a gun’. About that time she started shooting.”

Scott said the house was on the right side of the road and the bullet hit the passenger side of the vehicle, which he said shows he wasn’t even in her driveway when she fired.

“She fired one shot and my wife hollered and told her we’re just turning around, and then she shot again,”

She was charged with 7 counts of felony reckless endangerment but I’m sure some slick lawyer from the NRA will get her off – and then throw her a nice party and buy her a bigger gun. Just like Zimmerman.

guns

guns-3guns

 

Full story here:

Pierce Brosnan has lost his daughter Charlotte to ovarian cancer just  twelve years after losing his first wife to the same ugly disease.

I cannot imagine the grief he must be shouldering.

I wish our politicians would focus more on funding things like stem cell and cancer research than giving themselves pay hikes and spending tonnes of money on fighting things like abortion awnd a woman’s right to choose her own destiny. It all seems so ridiculous on a day like today.

Australia has made some progress. Here is the fact sheet on the HPV Vaccine available in Oz.

NO MORE NAMES is an Organization for Reducing Gun Violence.
Add your name, and/or follow their tour across the US here.

THIS VIDEO CLIP at Upworthy pretty much says it all.

 

A few of my favourite Facebook posts of the week…

tears of joy

alligottodasyisrainbows

howthesenateworks

favpartofthebible

signedcopy

I wonder how many people believe they now own an authentic, signed copy of the bible…

 

Click here for full story at The Daily Kos.

It was bound to happen. Employees of Clear Channel, present and past are feeling empowered by public support and letting loose the skeletons in the radio stations bigotry closets. Guess the Clear Channel Execs can’t hide behind the facade of pointing to Rush and saying IT’S ALL HIS FAULT! HE DID IT!

You just can’t pass racism and bigotry off as plump, fresh apples forever. Eventually the fake colouring starts to run, exposing the rotten fruit inside for what it really is.

 

Hey Rush – I got a message for you:

clear channel bigots

 

In response to the Supreme Court’s ruling on Marriage Equality today Michelle Bachman was quoted as saying:

“Marriage was created by the hand of God. No man, not even a Supreme Court, can undo what a holy God has instituted.”

Oops…No Doma

The new banner above is San Francisco City Hall during the last Gay Pride Week. I’m pretty sure it’s a look that’s coming back real soon.

***Update

It seems another female senator was responsible for actually getting the vote delayed past the midnight deadline, as Lt. Gov. Dewhurst successfully ended Wendy Davis’ epic filibuster prior to midnight (by claiming she’d gathered a third breach) in enough time to call for a vote. But Wendy Davis was not the only female senator in the room…

State Senator Leticia Van de Putte stood up and posed this question:.

“At what point must a female Senator raise her hand or her voice to be recognized over her male colleagues in the room?”

The crowd cheered for fifteen minutes – just long enough for the clock to run past midnight nullifying any hope of a senate vote.

The Daily Beast has the full story here.

**Update
Buzzfeed has the story on the timestamp swap – yes – it actually happened. Republicans actually tried to change the timestamp to make the senate vote valid. (Click Bussfeed above for link to full story.) And just to be clear. this is tampering with official documents – and completely illegal. If Texans don’t prosecute the culprits most of us will be very disappointed.

Texas-timestamp[Click image to enlarge]

*Update

From the NYTimes:
AUSTIN, Tex. — Hours after claiming that they successfully passed some of the toughest abortion restrictions in the country, Republican lawmakers in Texas reversed course on Wednesday and said a disputed late-night vote on the bill did not follow legislative procedures, rendering the vote moot and giving Democrats a bitterly fought if probably short-lived victory. 

Original post:
From Facebook:

Texas-Midnight

Because when the cries of the people go against your personal party loyalties, well it’s only right that you tweak the rules to fit what the party wants – right?

]Texas 2

…for moments like this:

Shameful Supremes

Someone on Facebook got it right…

SCOTUS-kkk

 

1003131_592998834067390_1321609897_n

Image courtesy of…goleftLike the Go Left page to get in on their daily feed

Scarey thought…

train wreck 2

Kim Kardashian bombs again.

Naming your brand new daughter North because her father’s last name is West should be grounds for child protective services to step in and smack both parents upside the head with restraining orders.

I’m just saying.

Bad Wedding Photo

“And we shall name our first daughter Lotta Horse, after my bride, her mother…”

This is a coherent, intelligent and fair look back at how religion has affected the face of not just America but of the entire Western civilization. It’s a wonderful fifty minute crash course in how to stand up to the religious moral majority who have decided *their* belief is more valid than yours or mine.

Make a sandwich, pour a cuppa and settle in. You won’t be disappointed, I promise.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=vquOuWx6NlA

 

If you don’t have time to watch the entire lecture, at least skip to 42:54
This is the beginning of AronRa’s unveiling of the true nature of the Tea Party and the segment opens with this very uncomfortable yet accurate and compelling rationale:

Before you say your country would never do that… take a look at what your country has already done

Gave me goosebumps.

James Gandolfini of the Sopranos fame, dies at age 51. I found this interview to be a fitting send-off.

Interview pt 1

interview pt 2

Full Story Here:
(If you can stomach it, there’s a video of his remarks to the House at the end.)

Just when you thought it couldn’t get any weirder in Texas…

Idiotic Abortion Argument

Oh and here’s the thing. The subject of masturbation in the bible was interpreted at one point in history as a death penalty offense. At another juncture, it was considered a sin that would send one straight to hell.

So here we are at that same crossroads we find ourselves so often when trying to work out a Bible-thumping Republican argument:

Save the fetus. Kill the man.

Perhaps this bizarre thinking is what has led to this:

Republicans Coming Apart

One can only hope.

Jason Easley is my new hero.

What’s the fuss? Evidently, during a Live, unrecorded, un-taped, un-videod Las Vegas performance, Bill Maher did it again by referring to Trig Palin as the ‘R’ word. This got back to Palin who donned her mamma bear outfit (presumably better looking than her current set of wigs) and tweeted a series of threats to the unsuspecting comic and of course – blamed every person to the left of her party.

Politicus USA has the full story – click the link at the top. It’s a brilliant take-down and one she wholeheartedly deserves 🙂