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Newly Published: Blessed is the (Colt) Peacemaker

June 27, 2011 By Trey Garrison 3 Comments

My latest column is up at Guns.com. It deals with the issue of guns in church. Here’s a preview.church-jesus3

For many – especially gun control folks– churches and guns go together like, well, children and guns. Christians on both sides of the pew can cite dueling scripture verses.

Yes, Jesus said, “But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.” Matthew 5:39 (KJV)

Of course He also said, “Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take [it], and likewise [his] scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one.” Luke 22:36 (KJV)

I’m not walking on these waters, because all of that should mean jack and squat when it comes to writing laws on gun rights. Why? Well, I’d quote the First Amendment here and the implied separation of church and state, but that’s something I trust all our readers know.

Enjoy the full piece here.

Filed Under Culture, Flawless Victory, Guns

How Dallas Won the Cold War

February 18, 2011 By Trey Garrison Leave a Comment

dallas_feature_long_imageRemember the prime-time soap opera from the 1980s about a wealthy Texas family in the oil business? “Dallas” has been off the air for 20 years but it’s still considered one of the most successful television shows in history. Studio 360 listener Laura Detre nominated “Dallas” on our American Icons website, and we liked her idea so much, we sent Julia Barton to Southfork Ranch (and beyond) to understand how Dallas changed the way the world sees America.

“We wanted to believe that people live in skyscrapers and have beautiful cars and everything is shiny and glamorous.” — director Jaak Kilmi, on watching “Dallas” in Soviet Estonia

Full deal here.

Filed Under Boob Tube, Capitalist Superheroes, Culture, Flawless Victory, Fort Awesome

Anonymous Political Speech Has Honored History

October 18, 2010 By Trey Garrison 1 Comment

Unless you’re some kind of illiterate hack who hasn’t heard of Publius, Brutus and the other authors of the Federalist and Anti-Federalist Papers.

Filed Under Culture, Fort Awesome, I Kan Rede, Liberty

Obama Accomplishes What the Bush Republicans Could Not

September 27, 2010 By Trey Garrison 2 Comments

And he did it in less than two years.

Obama has driven Americans to start demanding a reduction in taxes, spending, regulation and government intervention.

Polls show that independents have moved right and are staying there,” she writes. “A recent one, conducted by VA - Laissez Faire LoungeDemocratic pollster Doug Schoen in late August for the conservative Independent Women’s Voice, calls it a “fundamental realignment” as independents now lean to the right by 2 to 1. The survey asked independents what they would like candidates to do. The list of answers is clear: ‘Decrease the size and scope of government, cut spending and taxes, balance the budget, reduce the federal debt, reduce the power of special interests and unions, repeal and replace the health care legislation, and decrease partisanship.’ Most Tea Partyers would agree with just about everything on that list. So would most Republicans. And they’d all agree with independents who said that they’re not getting those things from Washington.

Notice what’s not on that list: climate change, financial regulation, bank bailouts, auto bailouts, troop surges, lawsuits on immigration reform, and repealing ‘don’t ask, don’t tell.’ (The only reason health care reform made the list is because independents want it scaled back.) Notice too that these are precisely what we have been getting from Washington.

Source with a hat/tip to Mike Hashimoto.

People want neither the leftist agenda of Obama nor the big government compassionate conservatism of George W. Bush.

For the most part, they want life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Who would have thought?

Filed Under Culture, DMN Points and Viewpoints, Fort Awesome

How Team Left and Team Right Are Screwing Texas Education

September 1, 2010 By Trey Garrison 3 Comments

Both the left and the right are guilty of manipulating standards, textbooks and curricula to favor their own narrow view of American history, world history, social studies and all the other malleable subjects not math and hard science.

Zombie turns an angry eye towards both the Tweedledees and Tweedledums.

Great read. First in a series.

Filed Under Culture, Fort Awesome, I Kan Rede

Islamic Indignation is a Blast

March 10, 2010 By Trey Garrison 10 Comments

mohammed_cartoon

This is a cartoon of the violent 7th Century [edit] warlord and pedophile known as Mohammed.

I would (Don’t) hate to (throw) be reported (me) to one of (into) the local (that) Islamic organizations for (briar) perennial indignation (patch).

Because then I’d have to deal with the kind of cretins that the esteemed Christopher Hitchens eviscerates here.

Filed Under Culture, Free Speech

Friday Roundup: Lived Fast, Died Young, Left DVDs

June 5, 2009 By Trey Garrison 20 Comments

We have much to be thankful to the Japanese for. Robots. Anime more twisted than whiskey-valium weekend in Juarez. “Special purpose” vending machines.

But the greatest invention of the Japanese people has got to be the DVD. I assume they invented the DVD, because — who are we kidding?

Thanks to the miracle of DVD collections, I’m able to watch the entire short runs of those rare moments of television genius that are struck down, almost invariably in their first season, by the walking lobotomy cases that run Fox Network.

On tap now: “Action”

This is probably the best and filthiest comedy ever to grace the airwaves. Naturally, it didn’t make it past 13 episodes. Peter Dragon is the man I want to model my life after.

On tap pretty much any weekend I haven’t loaned them out — I’m looking at you, Tina — “Firefly”

On deck: “American Gothic” and “Profit.”

Ironically, much as I lament the short, brilliant runs and wish for an alternative universe where they would have had long runs and the execs who canceled them to get ebola of the anus, it also makes me realize that maybe it’s better they went out James Dean style. I mean, “Heroes” would have been considered brilliant if it had died after the first season, and “24” sadly should have have ended on the third day instead of both becoming the Fat Elvis’s of the small screen.

About the only consistently brilliant shows cut short but that made it to three seasons or more that are also in the DVD pile — “Arrested Development” “Larry Sanders” “Justice League” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm”

(Honorable mention to current shows “Fringe” “Family Guy” and “Dexter.”)

Any I’m missing?

And if anyone names any medical drama, self-serious lawyer show, or any show with a laugh track, I will ban you from the Internet.

PS — Thank you, Mrs. Trey, for finding “Action.”

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Roundup Part Two

It’s all Rawlins, all the time here: see the print version of the Dallas Morning News Monday. Local legend Rawlins Gilliland has an June 8 op-ed coving 60 years in Dallas on how 20 percent of the city became called by the wrong name and in the process countless crimes, etc. became credited to the wrong place.

Also, later this afternoon on KERA 90.1 Rawlins will have a replay on ALL THINGS CONSIDERED between 4 and 6:30 p.m. of his morning commentary on how we are all judged by our faces — a largely lamentable dynamic of which I’m really grateful since aside from my Adonis-like physique my countenance is my best feature.

Filed Under Boob Tube, Culture, Fort Awesome

Monday Roundup: Can I Borrow Your Towel? Just Hit a Water Buffalo

June 1, 2009 By Trey Garrison 3 Comments
  • When most Democrats, Republicans, the media, and right-thinking people are behind something big, expensive and grand — like they are the commuter rail scheme (or the hotel, or the Trinity Parkway) — you just know it’s probably a bad idea. I’m just going to sit here maturely and sup upon the bitter disappointment from everyone who wants to tax drivers for the benefit of a single digit percentage who feel good about themselves for taking public transportation. Muhahaha.

Filed Under Culture, FAIL, Friendly Police State, Immigration, Liberty, Media, Media Driven Panics, Novelty Cake Toppers

Friday Roundup: I’m Going to the Special Hell for Item One

May 1, 2009 By Trey Garrison 17 Comments
  • Yeah, it’s real fun to be the guy who “defends” a convicted sex offender. This is going to make me real popular. But I’m just a little troubled that this guy is facing 10 years not because the law regards what he did as a danger to children, but rather because of a technicality. “John Joseph Stuart…faces a felony registration-violation charge that could send him back to prison for up to 10 years. Stuart, 32, wouldn’t have had any trouble with police if he had disclosed his job at the SAT and ACT Prep Center, which he co-owns with his wife, Frances Stuart.” If a sex offender is an imminent threat he shouldn’t be let out at all, but the sex offender registration laws go way overboard and do almost nothing but make the state pols who pass them sound tough on crime. They’re ineffective mainly because 95 percent of child sex abuse victims know the perpetrator, i.e. Uncle Don, not the stranger in the trench coat with a pack of Smarties on the end of a fishing line.
  • Conflicting reports on how the Richardson city council race for Place 4 is getting a little ugly, which means it’s suddenly interesting to me. In a race pitting a more hardcore conservative against an Establishment country club type Republican, I hear it two ways. Ed Cognoski — the classic example of the guy who can’t believe McGovern lost since “everyone I know voted for him” but who’s been following the races in his ‘burb closely — says the unfortunately named Tom Bache-Wiig is acting all douche-baggy. A trusted friend who is also following the race tells me it’s the other way around: “The ‘Richardson Coalition’ PAC sent a mailer with some really shitty remarks about Tom Bache-Wiig. The RC supports Gary Slagel, the former mayor, and class-A elite jackass. TBW is a true conservative, and quite frankly, his mere appearance in the race scare the country club set to death.” Is this Richardson’s version of Huckabee vs. McCain?
  • Good. Because I don’t care what you think about illegal immigration, national security, the need for a border fence, the environmental impact, or any other issue except this: the government needs to respect private property rights. Period. Full Stop.
  • Finally, from a dear friend Down Under:

    • 1

Filed Under Creepy Guys in the Park, Culture, FAIL, Humor, Liberty, Media Driven Panics, Politics, Swine Flu, The DFW, The Market, Zombies

Monday Roundup: We’re All Gonna Die, Part 19

April 27, 2009 By Trey Garrison 14 Comments
  • The scores of ads for erotic services that are posted daily on Craigslist are taking a lot of time and effort for police in the Dallas area. And nationwide, for that matter. It’s a serious challenge for law enforcement. Oh so serious. But say, here’s a thought: how about stop wasting time criminalizing acts between consenting adults, and instead go after real criminals instead? Why the Sam Hill is it illegal to charge someone for something that’s legal if you give it away? The damn vice laws are downright anti-capitalist, by gum.
  • Dallas DNA premiers this week on Investigation Discovery channel. It’s nice to have a DA focused on justice for a change, and not just phony conviction numbers.

Filed Under Creepy Guys in the Park, Culture, Media, Politics, The DFW, Zombies
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