Arizona Politics for Conservatives: Sonoran Alliance
Arizona Politics, News, Commentary and Information with a Blatantly Conservative Worldview Presented by an Alliance of Writers, Activists, Consultants and Government Insiders.
Watch as various law enforcement agencies react to mass shootings across the country. (video is available on the Associated Press Youtube account.)
We seriously doubt that any of these law enforcement individuals have gone on Keith Olbermann’s show to blame and decry political rhetoric.
by Nick Dranias
Goldwater Institute
This year, I made just one New Year’s Resolution: to press for an Article V Amendment Convention.
Talk of a convention has brewed in political circles for years. But given the massive growth of the federal government in recent years, with spending nearly doubled from $2.1 trillion in 1995 to $4 trillion in 2010, an amendment convention cannot come too soon.
Under Article V of the U.S. Constitution, 34 states can call for a convention to amend the Constitution. This would be an effective way for the states to stand up against federal power. An Article V amendment convention would give the states the opportunity to introduce amendments that would restore the original meaning of our Constitution and put the federal government back within its constitutional limits. Amendments proposed at a convention of the states can include ideas such as the National Debt Relief Amendment, which would require a majority of state legislatures to approve any increase in the federal debt. That would be a solid constraint on the main source of growth in federal government power—its ability to spend money. The National Debt Relief Amendment is policy neutral enough to have bipartisan appeal. I think it can pass in 34 states and get ratified in 38.
Therefore, I resolve to do everything I can to help states embrace their Article V powers, call for a convention, and pass the National Debt Relief Amendment.
Nick Dranias holds the Clarence J. and Katherine P. Duncan Chair for Constitutional Government and is director of the Joseph and Dorothy Donnelly Moller Center for Constitutional Government at the Goldwater Institute.
Learn More:
Goldwater Institute: 10 Facts to Rebut the Mythology of a Runaway Convention
Goldwater Institute: Amending the Constitution by Convention: A Complete View of the Founders’ Plan
RestoringFreedom.org: Help us to solve our federal debt crisis
The following event is being organized by Smart Girl Politics:
Several of us (Smart Girl Politics) attended an organizational meeting tonight downtown regarding members of our community gathering in support of the family of Christina Taylor Green during her funeral on Thursday. As indicated in previous emails, Westboro Baptist is threatening to protest Christina’s funeral as well as the funerals of the other victims of Saturday’s tragic shooting.
Details for Thursday:
Location of the funeral: St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church, 8650 North Shannon (on Shannon north of Magee on the east side of the street) www.seastucson.org
Time of funeral: 1:00 p.m.
Recommended time of arrival: 11:00 a.m.
Location of gathering for supporters: We will be lining the street along Shannon Road
Please remember that we are there to support the community and family, but not as attendees of the funeral. Please do not park in the church parking lot or follow the procession when they depart the church.
Parking: DO NOT PARK AT THE CHURCH – WE ARE NOT ATTENDING THE FUNERAL AND THAT PARKING IS FOR THE FAMILY AND FRIENDS OF THE VICTIM. We are currently scouting parking locations. The location of the church is remote with very few places to park nearby, so we will be contacting other locations locally to get permission to park in their lots and shuttle people to the location where we will be assembling. More information to follow tomorrow. Shannon Road has plenty of parking along the road, but we are concerned that law enforcement will prohibit parking along the road due to the high profile nature of this funeral and the potential for conflict. Parking will be a problem, so please plan to carpool if at all possible.
Please be respectful to law enforcement and comply with their requests without question or challenging them. This is going to be a difficult day for law enforcement and our community.
We ask everyone to make sure that our overall tone is civil and respectful in accordance with the serious and somber circumstances of the day. Do not allow yourself to be provoked and bear in mind that our presence is about the victim and her family and loved ones and not about political ideology. The family has also asked for no media, so preserving the privacy and dignity of the family is our highest priority.
Please adhere to the following code of conduct:
*Please be peaceful with all other attendees and possible protestors at all times
*This is a non-partisan gathering of many members of our community, so please refrain from political discourse
*Please do not wear any clothing that has logos for political, activist or community groups. It has been requested that our community members that will be at the funeral to support the family all wear white.
*Please do not pass out any literature or use this gathering as an opportunity to promote a group or individual or religious viewpoint
*Please do not bring any signs. This is not a rally or protest, and signs and banners are not appropriate for a funeral.
Thank you for your willingness to support the Green family.
Jennifer Leslie & Chayah Masters
Smart Girl Politics
Guest Opinion: by Jim Kelley of The Cholla Jumps
Jared Loughner is a product of Sheriff Dupnik’s office
This is the report that Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik has been dreading since the tragic event on Saturday January 8.
The sheriff has been editorializing and politicizing the event since he took the podium to report on the incident. His blaming of radio personalities and bloggers is a pre-emptive strike because Mr. Dupnik knows this tragedy lays at his feet and his office. Six people died on his watch and he could have prevented it. He needs to step up and start apologizing to the families of the victims instead of spinning this event to serve his own political agenda.
Jared Loughner, pronounced by the Sheriff as Lock-ner, saying it was the Polish pronunciation. Of course he meant Scott or Irish but that isn’t the point. The point is he and his office have had previous contact with the alleged assailant in the past and that is how he knows how to pronounce the name.
Jared Loughner has been making death threats by phone to many people in Pima County including staff of Pima Community College, radio personalities and local bloggers. When Pima County Sheriff’s Office was informed, his deputies assured the victims that he was being well managed by the mental health system. It was also suggested that further pressing of charges would be unnecessary and probably cause more problems than it solved as Jared Loughner has a family member that works for Pima County. Amy Loughner is a Natural Resource specialist for the Pima County Parks and Recreation. My sympathies and my heart goes out to her and the rest of Mr. Loughner’s family. This tragedy must be tearing them up inside wondering if they had done the right things in trying to manage Jared’s obvious mental instability.
Every victim of his threats previously must also be wondering if this tragedy could have been prevented if they had been more aggressive in pursuing charges against Mr. Loughner. Perhaps with a felony conviction he would never have been able to lawfully by the Glock 9mm Model 19 that he used to strike down the lives of six people and decimate 14 more.
This was not an act of politics. This was an act of a mentally disturbed young man hell bent on getting his 15 minutes of infamy. The Pima County Sheriff’s Department was aware of his violent nature and they failed to act appropriately. This tragedy leads right back to Sherriff Dupnik and all the spin in the world is not going to change that fact.
