What’s in Paul’s grab bag? Unconnected thoughts and short observations which don’t rate separate blog posts, but when aggregated together might amount to something:
A Society of Snitches?
One of the more worrisome things about Arizona’s anti-immigrant law, which takes effect two weeks from now, is the provision that “allows a person to bring an action in superior court to challenge an official or agency” for not enforcing the law to the fullest extent. This is an open invitation to snitches to rat out those they suspect of being here illegally, then sue city and state law enforcement agencies when they don’t round up and jail brown-skinned people fast enough.
Oh, you don’t think it’ll happen? It’s already happening in Utah, where vigilantes are circulating detailed lists of suspected illegals, with names, addresses, even Social Security numbers. If they’re doing it in Utah, they’re doing it in Arizona.
Toyota, Meet Audi. Audi, Meet Toyota
Oh what a surprise . . . someone please pick me up off the floor. Those Toyota “unintended acceleration” incidents? Turns out they were caused by the same problem that affected Audi back in the 1980s — idiot drivers. And, I might add, greedy lawyers and a sensationalist press.
Another Reason You Shouldn’t Believe Anything You Read
It is perhaps more obvious in automotive journalism than elsewhere, but reporters live and die at the direction of advertisers. If sponsors don’t want certain stories written, they have ways of making sure those stories aren’t written. Do you really think it’s different in the mainstream media? Why do you think we’re seeing such a dearth of environmental reportage and photography from the Gulf of Mexico?
What Happens After the Supreme Court Repeals Roe v. Wade?
You know it’s coming. And when it comes, what will the pro-lifers do? They’ll start agitating against contraception. Actually they’ve already started. And they won’t stop until all the women are back in the kitchen, where they belong.
What Happens After Our Socialist President Allows Guns in School?
Think the NRA will be happy then? Think they’ll stop there? Think again.
Malingerers
My inner skeptic is most active in the presence of malingerers and welfare scammers. I’m a veteran myself and an advocate of improved health care for veterans. But I worked for the VA for two years in a position where I was directly involved with patients, and let me tell you, there are plenty of cheaters in the system, either jockeying to get on the disability gravy train or increase their share of it. So this new deal, where the VA relaxed standards of proof for PTSD disability claims, concerns me. A lot of the PTSD patients I worked with at the VA were scamming the system. I spent 24 years in the military, and I know shitbirds when I see ’em. They’ll milk this to death.
New Dog? Maybe.
The neighbor lady two houses up the street told us she had a seven-week old female dachshund puppy for us. She volunteers for an animal shelter, and said the dog would be ready for adoption soon. Donna and I had been talking about getting Schatzi a playmate, so we said yes, and the lady said she’d call. She didn’t, so a few days later I called her. Yes, she still wanted us to have the dog, and this time she said she’d email photos. Nothing.
One of two things is going to happen now: she’ll turn out to be a flake and there’ll be no dachshund; she’ll show up at our door with a puppy. I wonder which.