Open Journalism NorthWet

COMMENT:

A friend who is more liberal than I pointed out that, after the Jim Brady affair, had the National Rifle Assocation (USA) become the champion of firearms safety and sought to ensure that, just as in Switzerland or Israel, every able-bodied American was capable of handling small arms safely and competently, they would have succeeded in pulling the teeth of the anti-gun establishment in the American congress. They instead dug in their heels and averred that any attempt to regulate was an attempt to eliminate as a public face, which only made things worse.

The NRA has enjoyed seven years of GOP-dominated federal government. By all indications, this is about to change. My friend posits that now would be a Good Time for the NRA to get on the safety bandwagon, to catch the boat they missed two administrations ago. While it may well be true that many Democrats would like nothing better than to whittle away at the Second Amendment until it vanishes into the night, a measured voice of reason carefully applied has the potential to render this effort untenable. Whether such a voice is forthcoming remains to be seen.

This was first reported last week, and promptly got buried. Your correspondent things it needs to be unearthed again, if for no other reason to subject it to the crucible of debate, "in order to form a more perfect Union," as it were.

The Lakota nation has seceded from the United States. According to this article, they've been planning to do so since 1974. They have written an outline for a constitution, based in Lakota spirituality. The form of government is quasi-parlimentary; there is to be a house of chiefs and headmen, and a house of commons. The executive committee is to be formed from four of the former, and three of the latter.

I will note that neither article quotes any US government official. No word as to whether said government officials had any trouble with sand in their hair the next day.

Many, many more links here, which is where I was originally pointed at the story.

(For those who are wondering and haven't clicked on the constitution link above, "Wolakota" is the Lakota way of life, which is a spiritual path. The Lakota are colloquially known as Sioux; your correspondent tends towards calling people what they call themselves, modulo linguistic difficulties.)