Category Archives: Rally

Gang aft agley

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agley: adverb \ə-ˈglā, –ˈglē, –ˈglī\

Definition of AGLEY chiefly Scottish :  awry, wrong <the best-laid schemes o’ mice an’ men gang aft agley — Robert Burns>

Origin of AGLEY

Scots, from 1a- + gley to squintFirst Known Use: 1785

That pretty much describes yesterday. I, with two friends, John and Curt, went to Jefferson City to attend the annual 2nd Amendment Rally in the Capitol’s Rotunda. Wednesday night it rained…and rained…and rained. So much rain that the local weather bureau issued flash flood warning for western Missouri.

We met in the parking lot of a local supermarket. It was raining. John and Curt piled into my Tahoe and we left for Jefferson City at 6:45am. It was raining like an upended bucket.

The drive to Jefferson City should be two and a half hours, more or less. We had planed to arrive at 9:15am to get some covered parking. That, like our other plans, didn’t happen.

If you look at the Missouri road map, there are only two major routes from the Kansas City area to Jeff City. The first is to follow I-70 east to Columbia and then south on US63 to Jefferson City. The other route, the one we were following, was US50 east from Kansas City directly to Jefferson City. It’s that route I follow whenever I go to Jeff City to harangue the legislators.

All was well, except for the unending rain, for forty minutes. That is, it was well until we reached the Blackwater Creek a mile west of Warrensburg. The creek was over its banks spreading across the adjacent farmland for more than half-a-mile. It was also over US50.

Blackwater Creek curves around the western edge of the city heading north towards the Missouri River. I drove over a rise a mile or so west of Warrensburg and saw nothing but taillights. A MODOT pickup was parked across the eastbound lanes. The MODOT people were turning everyone back west. After a quick glance at the map, we decided to detour north to I-70 and follow that alternate route. I found a paved county road heading north and followed it to state route M. Forty-five minutes later we were on I-70.

We did make it to Jeff City, slightly more than a hour late. Our covered parking was full. Fortunately, the rain stopped just as we rolled into town. I dropped off Curt and John next to the Capitol steps and went in search of parking.

By the time I arrived in the Rotunda, the rally was over. It wasn’t well attended, I was told, due to the rain and flooding. We did, at least, provide a presence.

Curt, Ed, John, Mike on 4-3-2014-1

Curt, Ed, John, Mike, April 3, 2014

The House and Senate was in session. John and I live in Senator Ed Emery‘s district. He is a strong conservative and embodies all those virtues we would want in a strong, conservative leader in the Legislature. He took time from the Floor to spend a few minutes with us updating us with some last minute actions concerning Pay Check Protection. There was some arm-twisting going on behind the scenes but he was optimistic the bill would pass the Senate. It had already passed the House. Pay Check Protection prevents unions from extorting dues from non-members. It is one part of Right-to-work.

Ed had to leave for a floor vote. The three of us left Jeff City heading west on US50. By the time we reached Warrensburg, the Blackwater Creek was back into its banks and the highway was open again.

We were too late for the 2nd Amendment rally but we did do some politickin’ and show of support for those conservative bills working their way through the Legislature. All in all, it was a good day with friends.

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On the road again…

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Today is the annual 2nd Amendment Rally in Jeff City. I, along with some buds, will be there. Y’all have a great day.

The forecast calls for rain. 😥

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Friday Follies for June 21, 2013

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I was going to make a FB post yesterday and was distracted. It’s a little thing, personal only to me and my sister. Yesterday was my father’s birthday. If he were still alive, he would be 111.

Happy birthday, Dad.

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An item was disclosed this week about the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) that appears to violate the Constitution’s 4th Amendment.

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized. — 4th Amendment to the US Constitution.

It now appears that FISA modified part of the 4th Amendment.

Authorized by Section 702 of the amended Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), the program did away with the traditional individual warrant for each foreign suspect whose communications would be collected in the United States. In its place, the FISA court, which oversees domestic surveillance for foreign intelligence purposes and whose proceedings are secret, would certify the government’s procedures to target people overseas and ensure citizens’ privacy. — The Washington Post.

Instead of individual warrants as required by the 4th Amendment, NSA was given a blanket certificate—a hunting and fishing license, so to speak, that allowed them to search anyone, everyone, whether hard evidence for probable cause existed, or not.

A comment posted on the Washington Post article above said, “I’m beginning to think the FISA court was set-up by the executive branch to rubber stamp all executive branch demands. The world’s most secret self-licking ice cream cone.” (Panhandle Willy, 6/20/2013 8:03 PM CDT)

 

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Today is the anniversary of the ratification of the US Constitution. It received its 9th approving vote 225 years ago today by New Hampshire.

On June 21, 1788, New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify the document, and it was subsequently agreed that government under the U.S. Constitution would begin on March 4, 1789. — www.history.com

Virginia and New York followed New Hampshire later in June but New Hampshire’s vote was sufficient to actually getting the new government running.

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The Tea Party was out in force, yesterday, with a rally in Washington DC to protest the actions of the IRS. A number of Congressmen attended as well, Sens. Mike Lee (Utah), Rand Paul (Ky.), Ted Cruz (Texas), Reps. Michele Bachmann (Minn.) and Dave Camp (Mich.). The question now is whether any of our Missouri Senators and Representatives were there?

I’ve not seen any of the Missouri delegation post about their presence at the rally. I’ve asked Vicky Hartzler and Jason Smith that question but I’ve received no answers yet.

We must remember those absences when the primaries come next year and candidates want Tea Party endorsements.

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Unsatisfied with the bureaucrats in your state and federal government? That makes you a terrorist says a Tennessee bureaucrat.

Unsatisfied with the quality of your water and eager to let the government know about it?

You might be a terrorist, according to the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation.

“We take water quality very seriously. Very, very seriously,” deputy director of TDEC’s Division of Water Resources Sherwin Smith told a baffled and outraged audience in Maury County, Tennessee. “But you need to make sure that when you make water quality complaints you have a basis, because federally, if there’s no water quality issues, that can be considered under Homeland Security an act of terrorism.”

Audience members saw the official’s answer as a means of deterring complaints from the public, according to a report in The Tennessean. — The Daily Caller.

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Recap: 2013 Gun Rights Rally — Jefferson City, MO

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Yesterday was a full day. It was raining like an upended bucket when we left the house at 6:30am. Visibility could be measured in feet—not yards.

We picked up a friend and headed out on US-50 to Jeff City. It rained all the way—heavy, heavy, rain for the first 40 miles. I was concerned with hydro-planing and made sure I followed in the tracks of a large truck a hundred yards or so ahead of me.

It’s a 2 1/2 hour drive, for us, to Jeff City. That is, when it’s in good weather. We parked about three blocks away from the Capitol and walked, uphill—a steep hill, to arrive in the Capitol’s Rotunda right a starting time. We were able to find seats but not together.

Gun Rights Rally, April 18, 2013, Missouri Capitol Rotunda

Gun Rights Rally, April 18, 2013, Missouri Capitol Rotunda

Did I say it was crowded? When the rally started, it was standing room only. The two upper observation levels that surrounded the Rotunda was ringed, shoulder-to-shoulder, as well.

I sat on the second row in one seat next to some friends. Shiela Stokes-Begley, the President of the Western Missouri Shooters Alliance, was one of the speakers. I sat next to her hubby, Dennis. Mrs. Crucis and our friend found two seats together further back. I’m not good as estimating the size of crowds. My best guess is that several hundred people were there. The photo above was taken before the rally started. It was MUCH more crowded after the start.

Mark Perez organized the event. Beth “Ann”, from CSC Radio, was the MC.

Mark Perez, Gun Rights Rally Organizer

Mark Perez, Gun Rights Rally Organizer

Beth Ann, Gun Rights Rally MC

Beth Ann, Gun Rights Rally MC

Missouri House Speaker, Tim Jones (R-Eureka), speaks before the Gun Rights Rally, April 18, 2013

Missouri House Speaker, Tim Jones (R-Eureka), speaks before the Gun Rights Rally, April 18, 2013

While the Rally progressed, MO state Representatives and Senators arrived, spoke briefly and left. Both Houses were in session. A bill, a consolidation of a number of gun rights bills, was being voted upon—it eventually passed by a large margin. However, there’s always a however, democrats were doing their best to delay the inevitable. One dem rep, who has proposed a bill to confiscate guns in Missouri, was speaking against the bills. It was a blatant attempt to delay the vote.

Gun advocates rally as Mo. House backs gun bill

By JORDAN SHAPIRO, Associated Press, Updated 6:17 pm, Thursday, April 18, 2013

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Several hundred gun-rights advocates rallied at the state Capitol on Thursday as the Missouri House passed a bill that would greatly expand who can legally carry a weapon and allow certain school personnel to carry concealed weapons on school grounds.

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The House lived up to the energetic crowd’s expectations shortly after the rally ended by passing one of the largest expansions of gun rights since the Legislature passed a law allowing concealed weapons in 2003. The measure sponsored by Republican Rep. Doug Funderburk would allow appointed school “protection officers” to carry concealed weapons, as long as they have a valid permit and register with the state Department of Public Safety.The bill was passed with a 115-41 vote, one day after a small group of U.S. Senate Democrats from rural states joined with Republicans to reject more extensive background checks for gun purchasers and proposed bans on assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines.

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“This is too big of a country to have a one size fits all approach,” said Spellman, who works in the financial services industry.The Missouri House measure would also declare federal gun laws to be unenforceable within the state’s borders, a component that Democrats chided as unconstitutional. Rep. Chris Kelly, D-Columbia, said the bill won’t be enforced but “to do so would be literally secession” from the United States.
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Missouri law currently allows concealed guns to be carried by people age 21 and older who haven’t been convicted of a felony or deemed mentally incompetent, and who pass a firearms training course and background check. But the House legislation would lower the age requirement and allow people age 19 to apply for a permit. The measure also allows concealed weapon permit holders to openly carry firearms that are less than 16 inches long.Rally-goer Debbie Dickson said she supports the minimum age reduction for concealed weapons permits. She said it was the role of parents, not the government, to educate about guns and safety.

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The bill also includes a provision that would prohibit health professionals from being required to ask people about firearm ownership or documenting it in medical records.While gun control proposals at the federal level may have prompted the House legislation, Republican lawmakers are also looking to ease privacy concerns within the state. Republicans are concerned about a new Revenue Department procedure that scans personal documents of license applicants to be kept on state computers and have criticized the Highway Patrol for providing data on concealed gun permit holders to a federal Social Security fraud investigator.”I don’t want any private records to be spread when everyone can see them,” Dickson said.The bill would also make it illegal to publish any identifying information about a gun owner or a person applying for a permit to own or carry a firearm. A person or entity publishing such information would be guilty of a class A misdemeanor.

We arrived home, after making a few stops along the way, about 8:30pm. The cats were happy to see us. One had barfed on the carpet in the family room, a joy of living with cats. Mrs. Crucis spent some time catching up on her e-mails and surfed a bit. Me? I crashed.

A long day, but one well spent.

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Taking the day off

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Mrs. Crucis and I are going to an Anti-Obamacare rally in Jeff City today.  We may even stop by a pawn shop or three on the way back.  We like doing that.  I found my 1972 Colt Combat Commander last summer at a pawn shop.  Usually you don’t find anything. Sometimes you’ll find a jewel.

If I have time and opportunity, I’ll post a quick update.


We’ll be back tomorrow. Y’all have a great day.