Mountain Views News          Saturday, December 29, 2012

15

LEFT TURN/RIGHT TURN

 Mountain Views News Saturday, December 29, 2012 


GREG Welborn

WOLVES AMONGST THE LAMBS

The mass shooting at the Newtown school has saddened us 
beyond the ability of words to convey. But sad also has been the left’s knee-
jerk reaction to both remind us that this shouldn’t be politicized while they 
use the event to politic for more gun control laws. Their hypocrisy never 
ceases to amaze me nor does their denial of the one truth in this whole issue 
– a truth which would do more to prevent future massacres than any set of 
laws that could be crafted.

First, let’s deal with the assertion that guns have anything to do with this. 
To understand this, we need to understand the differences between gun 
homicide, mass killings and random killings. The overall homicide rate has 
fallen by over half in the last 30 years - we are safer now than ever before – and 
gun homicides have also fallen with the overall rate. Mass killings (defined 
as 4 or more fatalities) have fluctuated over the years, but there has been absolutely no long-term 
increase or decrease in mass killings. Random killings, however, show a different trend altogether.

Random killings are a subset of mass killings. They represent the killing of 4 or more people in 
which at least some of the victims are chosen randomly. The killer who returns to his old employer’s 
office is not targeting people randomly. A killer who goes to a school looking for victims who have 
no connection to him is committing a random killing. Random killings have increased over the last 
30 or so years, and we need to understand why they, as opposed to other murders, have increased.

The answer is not gun control. Gun control laws have become more extreme over the last half century. 
Before 1968, there were no federal gun restrictions in place, and very few states had restrictions. Our 
history prior to the 1970s is a history of gun ownership but very few random killings. Our history 
since has been one of increasing gun restrictions and increased random killings.

Some would argue that the type of weaponry is different. “Assault weapons” and/or larger magazine 
clips are somehow to blame. Here again, the facts don’t fit the claim. First of all, no assault weapon 
restrictions were in place until California issued one in 1989, yet the existence of these weapons 
before that date did not result in lots of random killings. Even the much maligned AR-15 semi-
automatic “assault rifle” was openly available to anyone prior to the 1970s but is heavily controlled 
today. Magazines which can hold 10 or more bullets are also not a new phenomenon. They’ve 
been around for a half century or so. Neither the existence of automatic weapons or of multi-round 
magazines can in any way be the cause of our increased frequency of random killings.

What can possibly be the explanation, then, of the increase in random killings? One reason is the 
existence of gun control laws in the first place. As professor John Lott has copiously documented in 
his book, More Guns Less Crime, guns are more often used for self defense and to stop violent crime 
than they are to kill innocent people. In fact, the more that states restrict gun ownership, the higher 
the crime rate goes. This flies in the face of the trend toward trying to create “gun-free zones”. Many 
of the attacks that we find so abhorrent are in fact being committed in gun-free zones for the very 
reason that the attacker knows his intended victims are unarmed. We rarely hear about the public 
venues where armed citizens actually stopped a would-be killer (Anniston AL 1991, Edinboro PA 
1998, Colorado Springs CO 2007), but they are compelling. Just last week, an armed citizen stopped 
a murderer who had just killed two people in an Oregon mall.

The difference in how guns are used brings us to the truth which so disturbs the left: the importance 
of morality – a sense of right and wrong. Could it possibly be that the reason we’re seeing more 
random mass killings – a particularly heinous act because the victims are truly innocent and 
unrelated to the killer – is because fewer people today subscribe to the traditional Judeo-Christian 
concept of a sovereign God who established absolute rules of right and wrong? Up until about the 
mid 1960s, our schools taught, and our culture widely accepted, a shared God-ordained meaning 
of right and wrong, and character development was an important part of education. Students at all 
levels were taught the virtue of self-control. Now they’re taught about the importance of their own 
self-esteem. Divorced from the concept that there is any absolute moral judgment of their actions, 
we shouldn’t be surprised to find that more people are willing to murder truly innocent victims just 
because they’re having a bad day. Nor should we be surprised by the fact that most violent criminals 
in prison have high self-esteems.

The last refuge of those who don’t want to acknowledge the importance of universal moral values 
is to ascribe these killings to mental illness. To my knowledge, we have no higher a percentage of 
mentally ill people in society today than we had 50, 100, or 200 years ago. Arguably, society was less 
tolerant of mental illness or extreme emotional distress in the past than it is today. Where are the 
statistics showing that more people “snapped” and murdered during the Great Depression or as a 
result of being sent to ghastly prison camps in WWII? 

No, the answer to our problem is that we have weakened our emphasis on morality. Too many of our 
elites buy into the leftist notion that there are no absolutes and/or that evil doesn’t exist. The truth is 
there are wolves among us, and we have become all too willing to allow them to roam amongst the 
lambs.

About the author: Gregory J. Welborn is a freelance writer and has spoken to several civic and religious 
organizations on cultural and moral issues. He lives in the Pasadena area with his wife and 3 children 
and is active in the community. He can be reached at gregwelborn2@gmail.com

HOWARD Hays As I See It


“Is this the math you do as a 
Republican to make yourself feel 
better?”- Fox News host Megyn 
Kelly, responding to Karl Rove’s 
claim it was too early to call 
Ohio for Obama

I heard a radio show where participants 
tossed out their “favorite” 
quotations of the year. (The 
above is a favorite of mine.) 
There was Mitt Romney’s allusion to the “forty-
seven percent”, and his infamous, “Corporations 
are people, my friend!”

There was New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R), 
and his response to Fox and Friends when, after 
having given President Obama an up-close look 
at the devastation of Hurricane Sandy, he was 
asked about arranging a photo-op for Mitt Romney: 
"I've got 2.4 million people out of power. 
I've got devastation on the shore. I've got floods 
in the northern part of my state. If you think 
right now I give a damn about presidential politics 
then you don't know me."

For President Obama, there’s “Proceed, Governor” 
and “Louder, Candy” – phrases which 
might puzzle future researchers, but for those 
who watched the second presidential debate, will 
recall the dispelling of any remaining doubts regarding 
the outcome of the election.

On that radio show, there was barely time for Primary-
season gems from Santorum, Cain, Gingrich, 
et al. (I have one filed away somewhere of 
Michele Bachmann asserting that a problem the 
president has going up against Romney is that average 
voters can’t identify with the Obamas’ great 
personal wealth. Yes, she really said it.)

Every fourth year is noted for two major events: 
a Summer Olympics and a Presidential Election 
(although for those my age, the Tokyo Olympics 
and LBJ’s landslide over Goldwater carry less 
prominence than the appearance that year of the 
Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show.) 2012 will be 
remembered for President Obama’s re-election 
(and Paul McCartney’s appearance at the London 
Olympics). 

It was the year Democrats expanded their majority 
in the Senate, and kicked out camera-obsessed 
tea-baggers from the House. Nation-wide, Democratic 
candidates for House seats got 1.5 million 
more votes than Republicans. The Center 
for American Progress notes other developments 
from 2012 that change history:

The War on Drugs is ending. Spurred by the success 
of marijuana decriminalization measures 
in Colorado and Washington State, leaders are 
emerging from a prohibition and incarceration 
mindset to shift enormous funds from an unwinnable 
“war” to focus instead on health, safety, and 
combating the cartels and true criminals.

New mileage standards issued under President 
Obama will nearly double fuel efficiency in 
Made-in-America automobiles by 2025. Consumers 
are helped by lower gas costs, our environment 
is helped by lower carbon emissions, 
and our auto industry is once again competitive 
with foreign manufacturers who’d assumed an 
advantage in fuel-efficiency. The big winners are 
American workers producing cars once again in 
demand the world over.

More than a million young people who live here, 
study here, obey the laws here, have families here 
and wish to contribute to our country and envision 
their futures here, need no longer fear deportation 
for being “undocumented”, and will instead 
be welcomed here to pursue their DREAM.

Throughout the country, voters rejected candidates 
who felt their having signed Grover 
Norquist’s “pledge” somehow relieved them of 
responsibility for seriously dealing with taxes, the 
budget and our economy. 

Candidates who sought to impose control over 
women’s choices, like Todd Akin (R-MO), who 
asserted women rarely get pregnant from “legitimate 
rape”; Richard Mourdock (R-IN), who 
referred to pregnancy from rape as “a gift from 
God”; Linda McMahon (R-CT), who characterized 
Catholic hospitals’ denial of emergency 
contraception to rape victims as a matter of 
“separation of church and state”; Tom Smith (R-
PA), who equated pregnancies from rape with 
his daughter’s out-of-wedlock motherhood; and 
John Koster (R-WA), who, in discussing “the 
rape thing”, said allowing access to abortion for 
rape victims would only “put more violence on a 
woman’s body” – these candidates all lost.

President Obama came out for marriage equality, 
the first sitting president to do so. From now on, 
any president who doesn’t will be seen as moving 
backwards.

Voter suppression laws were defeated at the polls 
and by the courts. It was made clear that however 
it is Republican strategists intend to win future 
elections, making it harder for people to vote is 
not an acceptable way of doing it. 

The Affordable Care Act has been upheld by the 
Supreme Court. The United States now joins the 
rest of the developed world in moving towards 
accessible health care for all.

Last week I was in Seattle for some not-fun court 
business. On an upper floor of the King County 
Courthouse, I found an assemblage of beaming 
adults and well-scrubbed children, lots of cameras, 
group posing, and hugging. An attorney 
explained to me that Friday is “adoption day” at 
the court.

I was particularly drawn to a close quartet of four 
ladies whose smiles were radiant, whose joy was 
palpable. Two appeared to be a couple in their 
mid-late-30s. The other two appeared to be sisters, 
maybe 5-6 years old. The older ones got two 
new daughters. The younger ones got two new 
mommies.

The older ones were bundling up the younger 
ones for Seattle weather. As I walked past, I overheard 
something about picking up hot cocoa and 
going home to decorate a tree. I said to them the 
two words that seemed most appropriate: “Merry 
Christmas!”

I left the courthouse, turned on the car radio and 
heard Wayne LaPierre of the N.R.A., who’d called 
for arming teachers in the wake of the Sandy 
Hook massacre, described as “crazy”, a “loon” and 
dangerously out-of-date – by Republicans.

LaPierre and the gun fetishists he represents were 
being discarded as unlamented anachronisms. 
The new families I’d seen a few minutes earlier, 
especially those four ladies heading off for hot 
cocoa and an afternoon of tree-decorating, were 
being embraced as representing a joyous future. I 
said to myself the three words that seemed most 
appropriate: “Happy New Year!”

We’d like to hear from you! 

What’s on YOUR Mind?

Contact us at: editor@mtnviewsnews.com or www.facebook.com/
mountainviewsnews AND Twitter: @mtnviewsnews


THE TOP TEN COMEDIC NEWS STORIES OF 2012

Raging Moderate, by Will Durst

First a disclaimer: The Top Ten Comedic News Stories of 2012 should not under any 
circumstances be confused with the Top Ten Legitimate News Stories of 2012. They 
are as different as red satin cummerbunds and Liar’s Dice. Duck liver and Spanish 
moss. Matched pearl necklaces and motorcycle handlebars. 

For those of you itching to point out that some stories, especially those involving 
death, destruction, devastation and disaster are not proper subjects for this sort of fanciful folderol 
-- way ahead of you. Totally agree. Exactly why the Aurora, Colo. movie theater massacre, Hurricane 
Sandy, Jerry Sandusky and the movie John Carter failed to make the cut. 

Also left off the list are a few of the fiendishly frivolous footprints despoiling the sands of this annus 
horribilis such as Lindsay Lohan’s continuing struggles with sobriety, that curious craze called 
Gangnam Style, the introduction of the iPhone 5 and Facebook’s roller-coaster IPO. 

That said; here they are, the key stories from the past year providing the purest opportunities for 
major mocking and scoffing and taunting as determined by the executive council of the Comics, 
Clowns, Jesters & Satirists Union. Me. 

10. Donald Trump. Assumes figurehead post of Birther Movement. Then refuses to shut up all year 
long, including several embarrassing tweets on Election Day. An ever-gushing political comedy 
material fountain with all the grace and elegance of tumbling dumpsters.

 

9. First Presidential Debate. Turned what was becoming a slam-dunk into a horse race. Seventy 
million Americans tuned in. But for some unknown reason, President Obama was not among them.

 

8. The entire GOP primary campaign. Party plays Candidate Whack-A-Mole for five months. 
Everybody takes turns beating Romney like a red-headed stepchild, including some folks who aren’t 
even running.

 

7. London Olympics. Ann Romney’s horse Rafalca competes in Dressage. Event where the horse 
and the rider perform predetermined movements. Which you would think would be illegal in Utah. 
But horse fails to medal and probably gets shipped home strapped to the fuselage of a 747. McKayla 
Maroney remains unimpressed.

 

6. Vice Presidential Debate. Joe Biden goes all Malarkey on Paul Ryan. Two words -- decaf. Bold 
Choice Ryan blames Obama for GM plant closing in ‘08. Fails to implicate POTUS in fall of the 
Roman Empire. But just barely.

 

5. Barack Obama comes out in support of gay marriage. Emerges from his own personal policy closet 
like a butterfly emerging from a conflicted cocoon.

 

4. Mitt Romney vows to get rid of Big Bird, losing him pivotal pre-adolescent vote.

 

3. Democratic National Convention. Specifically, Bill Clinton laying out the precise reasons why 
America should re-elect as president… Bill Clinton.

 

2. Republican National Convention. Specifically, Clint Eastwood upstaging the nominee’s acceptance 
speech by getting into an argument with an empty chair. Which he proceeded to lose. Probably upset 
him so badly he rushed back to the hotel room where he got into a squabble with his armoire.

1. Mitt Romney. All the charisma of a plastic picnic fork with three of the tines snapped off. May have 
run the worst campaign ever. And that includes New Coke, McCain/Palin and France in ‘39. 

Five-time Emmy nominee Will Durst’s new e-book, “Elect to Laugh!” published by Hyperink, now 
available at Redroom.com, Amazon or any fine virtual book retailer near you. 

 

And don’t forget the 20th Annual Big Fat Year End Kiss Off Comedy Show, Dec. 26-Jan. 1. 6 comics. 
7 cities. 8 shows. Details at facebook or willdurst.com.

Copyright ©2012, Will Durst, distributed by the Cagle Cartoons Inc. syndicate. Call Cari Dawson-
Bartley at 800-696-7561 or e-mail cari@cagle.com. Will Durst is a political comedian who has 
performed around the world. He is a familiar pundit on television and radio. E-mail Will at durst@
caglecartoons.com. Check out willandwillie.com for the latest podcast. Will Durst’s book, “The 
All-American Sport of Bipartisan Bashing,” is available from Amazon and better bookstores all 
over this great land of ours. Don’t forget to check out his rooftop comedy minutes at: http://www.
rooftopcomedy.com/shows/BurstOfDurst.


JOE GANDELMAN Independent’s Eye


THE BEST, WORST AND MOST OF 2012

Here’s my annual list 
looking at 2012:

Worst Political Primary 
Performance of 
the Year: Texas Gov. 
Rick Perry’s run for 
president. It wasn’t 
just his lackluster performance, 
forgetting 
his own program during 
a debate, or that 
video suggesting he had either an attack of giddiness 
or more than a few drinks. Perry never lived 
up to his advance mainstream and conservative 
media hype. He was not ready for the national 
stage. There are signs he will try it again in 2016 
and maybe by then he will.

Best Political Comeback: California Gov. Jerry 
Brown. He was once California’s youngest governor, 
and if he’s re-elected will be its oldest. Some 
considered him a political goner as his referendum 
to raise taxes seemed sagging, but it won. 
The Politico notes that Brown “has staged a comeback 
this year that Bill Clinton could appreciate.” 

Worst Political Pundit Since the Time of Moses: 
Fox News’ Dick Morris. He has no shame.

The Best TV Show: “Breaking Bad.” Better than 
The Sopranos. A work of art on several levels.

The Second Best Political Comeback: Former 
President Bill Clinton, who laid to rest perceptions 
that he might have lost his political chops. 
His Democratic Convention speech confirmed 
him as one of the most talented politicians of his 
generation.

 

The Most Obnoxious Phrase of 2013: “Thanks for 
having me,” uttered like a mantra by cable news 
and ideological talk show guests. I’ve said that to 
my mother on Mother’s Day.

The Talk Show Hosts with the Most Annoying 
Habits: Both on MSNBC. Rachael Maddow 
seems to think she needs to repeat a phrase or 
idea four or five times before going onto the next 
one. Four or five times she’ll say the same phrase 
but repeat it. A phrase – she’ll take it and repeat it 
four or five times. Runner up: Martin Bashir (increasingly 
the left’s equivalent of Fox News’ Sean 
Hannity) who constantly uses the word “indeed” 
like a parrot. (Indeed.)

The Best Example of a Serious Problem-Solver: 
Mitt Romney surrogate New Jersey Gov. Chris 
Christie’s willingness to actually say something 
nice about President Barack Obama. Christie’s 
working with him in Hurricane Sandy’s devastating 
aftermath is how our politics used to work 
-- when partisan hackery was put aside during 
crises. 

The Most Clear-cut Examples of Trying to Get 
Someone Because They Disagree: More than 
30,000 Americans signed a petition to try and 
get CNN’s Piers Morgan deported because of his 
strong gun-control stand. Some conservatives 
suggested NBC’s David Gregory should be arrested 
for violating D.C.’s ban of possession of a 
high capacity ammunition magazine by showing 
one during his aggressive interview NRA bigwig 
Wayne LaPierre. So they want Morgan out of the 
U.S. and Gregory in jail. This does seem a bit of a 
shift from how we used to conduct our political 
debate — doesn’t it?

 

The Worst Thing to Happen: The murder of virtual 
babies and dedicated educators at Sandy 
Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn.

The Most Predictable Thing to Happen: The 
Newtown massacre spawned statements decrying 
the butchery, and vows that assault weapon laws 
would be adjusted. The NRA kept mum until 
LaPierre gave a guns-are-blameless, caricature-
affirming, press conference saying no to changing 
laws. Now the political class may be getting back 
to “normal”: pro-NRA politicians are falling into 
line and little or nothing may be done. The answer 
to “how quickly they forget” may be: “Very.” 
The American public’s will be: “Never.”

The Best Pizza: STILL Pepe’s Pizza in New Haven, 
Conn..

Joe Gandelman is a veteran journalist who wrote for 
newspapers overseas and in the United States. He has 
appeared on cable news show political panels and is Editor-
in-Chief of The Moderate Voice, an Internet hub for 
independents, centrists and moderates. CNN's John Avlon 
named him as one of the top 25 Centrists Columnists 
and Commentators. He can be reached at jgandelman@
themoderatevoice.com and can be booked to speak at 
your event at www.mavenproductions.com.