By Nathan Barton

Good morning.  Here is a brief posting of some stories and commentary from this weekend.

According to a recent Rasmussen poll, 37 percent of likely U.S. voters say that they are afraid of the Federal government and 54 percent say that it is a threat to individual liberty. That’s compared to 47 percent who don’t fear the government, 17 percent who aren’t sure and 22 percent who feel government protects their liberty.  Hmm.  That is more than 1 in 5 people who have a SERIOUS problem dealing with reality, and 1 in 6 who apparently were concerned that (a) their phone was tapped and/or (b) that the guy up in the tree (or in the upstairs window across the street) with a sniper rifle might be telling them “I’m here from the government to help you.”

In what may be the first arrest in Connecticut under the new unconstitutional laws signed by Governor Malloy in December, a 65-year-old Milford man was arrested after he allegedly shot at a squirrel in his yard on Monday morning. He was found to have an unregistered “assault weapon” (which he was NOT using to shoot the squirrel), and several illegal (over-capacity) magazines. Frankly, the man was an idiot for shooting the squirrel with a firearm, but the over-response to his doing so, combined with the gross violations of civil rights, was not justified by this.  At the same time, this was inevitable, and perhaps he will be the poster child for the fight against Connecticut’s insane and immoral laws.

Lies and more lies:  the various governments and big business are not the only ones who can and do lie frequently.  We saw an example of that, this week, when a website called “National Report” ran an article stating that multiple militia members had been arrested at the Bundy Ranch on Wednesday.  Since then, I’ve seen this story pop up a dozen times, but everyone seems to lead back to the National Report story.  There is NO other evidence that such a thing happened.  A few sites and articles have now appeared to refute it, but at least one blames government for it, calling it part of a propaganda effort to discourage people from aiding the Bundy family.

The Fuehrer has postponed his fuehrerbefehl (executive order/decision) on the Keystone XL pipeline until after the November elections, giving rejoicing to Greens and Luddites and those they’ve hoodwinked.  Canadians are justifiably upset over this, as are many people in the Dakotas and Nebraska. Even SOME opponents are upset as they see it as inevitable that AFTER the elections it will be waved through.  I don’t think that is assured: alternatives are being sought.

Mama’s Note: The major reason I would oppose this pipeline, as currently proposed, is the use of eminent domain to secure the property necessary to build it. Even if the landowners were truly compensated at market value, they would have no choice – not to mention that much of the compensation could well come out of taxpayer pockets. There has to be a better way to move the oil.

Congresswoman aims to crack down on campuses’ sex assault ‘epidemic’: Rep. Jackie Speier met with UC Berkeley students to announce a push for tougher laws against sexual assault on college campuses this week.  As MamaLiberty noted, nobody is talking about the only rational solution, of course: offer basic pistol and armed self defense classes, and actually ENCOURAGE people to effectively defend themselves.   More laws will do nothing.  In addition to arming themselves (and perhaps putting up posters of those who are shot attempting rape, as a reminder), getting rid of these mega-campuses and mega-universities is essential.  They really teach very little: perhaps 1 in 20 graduates accomplished much: more like 1 in 40 who attend.  By “accomplished much” I mean other than getting indoctrinated in Tranzi worldviews.