MatthewMaynard.net

GARY, DONALD ARTHUR

Rank and organization: Lieutenant, Junior Grade, U.S. Navy, U.S.S. Franklin. Place and date: Japanese Home Islands near Kobe, Japan, 19 March 1945. Entered service at: Ohio. Born: 23 July 1903, Findlay, Ohio. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as an engineering officer attached to the U.S.S. Franklin when that vessel was fiercely attacked by enemy aircraft during the operations against the Japanese Home Islands near Kobe, Japan, 19 March 1945. Stationed on the third deck when the ship was rocked by a series of violent explosions set off in her own ready bombs, rockets, and ammunition by the hostile attack, Lt. (j.g.) Gary unhesitatingly risked his life to assist several hundred men trapped in a messing compartment filled with smoke, and with no apparent egress. As the imperiled men below decks became increasingly panic stricken under the raging fury of incessant explosions, he confidently assured them he would find a means of effecting their release and, groping through the dark, debris-filled corridors, ultimately discovered an escapeway. Stanchly determined, he struggled back to the messing compartment 3 times despite menacing flames, flooding water, and the ominous threat of sudden additional explosions, on each occasion calmly leading his men through the blanketing pall of smoke until the last one had been saved. Selfless in his concern for his ship and his fellows, he constantly rallied others about him, repeatedly organized and led fire-fighting parties into the blazing inferno on the flight deck and, when firerooms 1 and 2 were found to be inoperable, entered the No. 3 fireroom and directed the raising of steam in 1 boiler in the face of extreme difficulty and hazard. An inspiring and courageous leader, Lt. (j.g.) Gary rendered self-sacrificing service under the most perilous conditions and, by his heroic initiative, fortitude, and valor, was responsible for the saving of several hundred lives. His conduct throughout reflects the highest credit upon himself and upon the U.S. Naval Service.

My feelings on the matter are quickly and easily summarized. He’s a one-and-a-half term legislator with no elected executive experience to speak of. When was the last time we elected such a person to the Presidency? He might make a good VP candidate, but he lacks the experience for the top slot.

The Constitution prohibits unwarranted seizure, but I can’t take Congress to court over their seizure of an entire hour from my life at approximately two in the morning today. It’s an hour that I won’t get back, despite their protestations to the contrary. By the time they decide to give it back to me, it will already have been cost-averaged over several months.

They say we switch our clocks twice a year for energy savings. This must be a lie that FDR came up with, like his Social “Security” scheme, designed to let us think we’re saving something when really we aren’t. Supposedly it will prevent us from turning on the light and burning extra energy, but what they fail to realize is that the hot water heater, the refrigerator, and the HVAC system are all still running, regardless of the time. These are the three biggest energy hogs in any house, and since they care about temperature and not time, DST doesn’t affect them.

No, DST (or Arbitrary Congressional Time, as I’ve taken to calling it) affects us more than it affects our energy consumption. We lose an hour of sleep (which is reacquired the next time we sleep in an hour) and we still have to get up to go to work at the same time. The only thing that comes into question is whether or not our coffee maker turned on at the right time, which, truth be told, is of far greater consequence than how many milliamps of current we prevented from flowing through our new higher-efficiency curly light bulbs.

If Congress really wanted to save energy, they would mandate we all switch to solar powered refrigerators and tankless water heaters, which would have several benefits. First, it would actually save energy. Second, it would apply year round, not just for an arbitrary amount of time. Third, and most importantly, we wouldn’t have to worry that our coffee maker hadn’t turned on – we would only worry that we hadn’t prepped it the night before.

Today I had to set not less than five clocks forward, one of which was the coffee maker. Oh, how I long for the day that Virginia realizes that the Sun comes up no matter what time we say it is, on its own schedule set in a fixed pattern that does not (appreciably) change over time. May the day come quickly when Virginia sees the light, like my birth-state of Arizona.

Ann Coulter calls Edwards a faggot and I complain. Bill Maher says Cheney’s death would have saved lives but I don’t do anything. I’m not trying to ignore the latter and pick only on Ann, I’m just slow. I should catch up, perhaps my blog would get more traffic.

Lets see, where’s my dictionary?

Treason – Treason is the highest crime of a civil nature of which a man can be guilty. Its signification is different in different countries. In general, it is the offense of attempting to overthrow the government of the state to which the offender owes allegiance, or of betraying the state into the hands of a foreign power. In monarchies, the killing of the king, or an attempt to take his life, is treason. In England, to imagine or compass the death of the king, or of the prince, or of the queen consort, or of the heir apparent of the crown, is high treason; as are many other offenses created by statute.

In the United States, treason is confined to the actual levying of war against the United States, or in adhering to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort.

Sedition – A factious commotion of the people, a tumultuous assembly of men rising in opposition to law or the administration of justice, and in disturbance of the public peace. Sedition is a rising or commotion of less extent than an insurrection, and both are less than rebellion; but some kinds of sedition, in Great Britain, amount to high treason. In general, sedition is a local or limited insurrection in opposition to civil authority, as mutiny is to military.

Well, Maher doesn’t seem guilty of sedition, and convicting him of treason would require not only two witnesses (which seems easy to come by with the tape of his statement) but obtaining admissible evidence that his statement aided the enemy, or showing that his holding that position was adhering to the enemy. Though he might have been adhering to them, it seems that a conviction would be a stretch of possibility.

How about we call him the @$$4013 that he is and get him fired? Sounds good? Good. Hey, it worked (in a roundabout way) for Dan Rather.

Scooter Libby was convicted today on four out of five charges of lying to an investigation. It brings to mind Bill Clinton’s lies about his affair with Monica Lewinsky, and how he perjured himself under oath. The reactions to the verdict are much like the reactions to the prosecution of Bill Clinton – only the two political sides are reversed.

We on the right cannot object to the verdict even though Libby agrees with us in thinking it wrong. That cannot excuse lying under oath, if our country is to treat the law as ruling over all instead of over just some. Those on the left cannot celebrate, even though they agreed with the verdict. That cannot excuse the double standard they hold towards Bill Clinton, who lied under oath and refused to accept the penalties, political or otherwise.

So what of Bill Clinton? Was it wrong to prosecute him for his perjury? No. In like manner, it was right for Patrick Fitzgerald to prosecute Libby, once he discovered that he lied under oath.

However, it should not have gotten to that point. Once Fitzgerald learned that Richard Armitage was the source of the news story – a discovery made early in the investigation – he should have called off his investigation. He should never have gotten to the point of questioning Libby, and his pursuit of the convicted man, to my way of thinking, borders on entrapment.

He should be ashamed of himself. He should be relieved of his duties. He should be disbarred for conduct wholly unbecoming a professional of the law.

Personally, I believe Libby when he says he didn’t mean to perjure himself. Grand Jury Interrogations can be grueling things, and it is understandable that he may have misspoke. But if he wasn’t sure, he should have said “I don’t remember”. His recklessness makes it more difficult to defend the President against attacks by the Left. Fitzgerald’s recklessness has made witnesses all the more likely to say “I don’t recall exactly”, which makes their job of finding the truth of the matter at hand all the more difficult.

I would have voted to acquit Libby. But then, I wasn’t on the jury.

Coulter opened her mouth. Again.

For someone who complains that her opposition is Godless, she sure isn’t making very much of a distinction. Politeness is an inherently Christian behavior, so you have to wonder aloud why she is demonstrating such impolite behavior.

I’m reading Hugh’s new book on Mitt Romney, A Mormon in the White House? 10 Things Every American Should Know About Mitt Romney. The second thing to know about him: he is a turnaround artist. His experience has made him a billionaire as an investment fund CEO, and as a consultant he even managed to turn around the consulting firm he worked for.

This guy is interesting, to say the least, more so than the other candidates for President.

• Three more reasons my children will be homeschooled, not publicly educated.
• Rick Santorum has signed his own ABM treaty with the Republicans – Anyone But McCain. That’s one ABM treaty I would recommend against abandoning.
• Mixed messages from CBS, partly via Drudge. If Matt Drudge is correct, and the Comptroller really did say the Medicare(less) drug plan will cost $8 million million, we’re in a whole heap of trouble, and right now.
• Did anyone else notice that the rate of debt increase means we’ll hit the limit just before Flag Day this year? That will make for fun summer politics, to say the least.

And finally tonight, go read the story of Bruce Crandall (not to be confused with Bruce Campbell) who repeatedly put himself in the position of danger to see wounded men spared and fighting men resupplied.

In a few days I should have a review up of Hugh Hewitt’s new book, A Mormon in the White House? Ten Things Every American Should Know About Mitt Romney. First thing to know: he comes from a political family and has had experience in presidential campaigns with a hostile press.