Much has been made about the death of a 15-year-old honor student, Hadiya Pendleton.

She died after being shot in a park near the Chicago home of President Barack Obama on Jan. 29, just days after she performed during his inauguration festivities in Washington. Her death was among dozens of homicides in Chicago last month, but her background and ties to Obama thrust her death into the national headlines and helped put Chicago at the center of a national debate over gun control.  (story)

Yesterday her killers were arrested. (more…)

Only in a liberal mind can all the dangers of the world be avoided, but that doesn’t stop them from turning their minds utopia into ridiculous rules to protect the children.

Given the fact that kids are now suspended from school for playing “imaginary games” the liberals deem psychologically dangerous, it should not be a surprise to find the kids are also verbÖtten from climbing on monkey bars the liberals determine too dangerous.

Safety is no longer just the avoidance of running with scissors, or the infamous sticks that can put your eye out; No, now safety and liberal safe-exercise means you must be limited to standing in place and flailing your arms in the existential air while worshipping teh Won. Let’s Mooove…. just not to, well, quickly or something;…. and under no circumstances can you simultaneously think about playing War, or Cowboys and Injuns.  *spit*

(Via Daily Mail) […] Parents had spent months raising $35,000 to  pay for new climbing frame outside Stratford Landing Elementary School, in Fairfax  County, Virginia – and claim they worked with authorities to ensure the site met  required standards.

But before a child could set foot in the playground,  authorities performed a last-minute U-turn and deemed it to be a  hazard.  Bright yellow caution tape now festoons the  apparatus to warn off any children.

The project, which was started by parents,  who raised funds with auctions and cake bakes in a bid to  give the 870  pupils a little more fun during playtime, now looks set to be mired in acrimony  and costly recriminations.  The school’s facilities department insists the  new equipment must be dismantled. […] (more…)

Use this thread as an open thread just for Zimmerman Case stuff. A place to just dump, collect, or discuss general information about the Trayvon Martin VS George Zimmerman Case.

“The sensationalized, fact-deficient coverage of this case has achieved the
desired results. The networks got their ratings. The politicians got their
talking points. And if it means innocent people get caught in the middle of the
racial enmity they’ve fomented, obviously it’s considered acceptable collateral
damage. Congratulations, geniuses. Job well done.” Jim Treacher, The DC Trawler

REMINDER – Please WATCH THE TONE and CONTENT of Commentary. Please be respectful, courteous and considerate of other readers and contributors. Please avoid hatespeak, angry rhetoric, vulgarity, personal attacks and condescension. If you wish to engage in vitriolic, racist, or bitter angry rhetoric, there are alternative sites on the internet more than welcoming to such considerations. But not here. Thank You.

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. THY WILL BE DONE, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but DELIVER US FROM EVIL.

For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen †

I’m not sure who this guy is, but y’all need to listen to the way he frames the conversation.   Finally someone puts the argument into perspective, AND as a bonus he hits on the law enforcement “affirmative responsibility” aspect to deconstruct the liberal fallacy.

Excellent – Must Watch Interview:

From Yankeeintx – I just returned from the Chris Kyle Memorial Service. It was an incredible send off to an incredible American hero. The service introduced us all to the real Chris Kyle. When his wife read a message, she started with “Chris always used to tell me that if your brain can think it, then your body can do it”, and said she was counting on that to be true today. She read a letter to her kids “what your dad would want you to know”, and there wasn’t a dry eye anywhere. I don’t know how she found the strength.

I didn’t realize until today that Chris donated the earnings from his book to the families of other Navy Seals that lost their lives. Joe Nichols sang “The Impossible”, Randy Travis sang “Amazing Grace”. Very touching service, very respectful, very patriotic. (more…)

Once again the appeasement POTUS fails on the international stage of influence.  Last week the White House announced it was willing to talk to Iran face-to-face.   Iran responds to President Obama telling him to change his attitude and they’ll think about granting him the privilege of their association.

IRAN – Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Sunday said the United States must change its attitude if it wants to hold direct nuclear talks with Iran, as he hit out at Washington for imposing sanctions on Tehran, AFP reports.

His comments, in a speech marking the 34th anniversary of the Islamic revolution that ousted the U.S.-backed shah in 1979, came just days after Iran’s supreme leader rejected U.S. Vice President Joe Biden’s call for direct talks.

They also come at a time when Tehran and six world powers are preparing to resume stalled talks over Iran’s nuclear programme in the Kazakh city of Almaty on February 26.

“The change of tone is necessary but not sufficient,” Ahmadinejad said at Tehran’s landmark Azadi (Freedom) Square amid chants of “Death to America,” according to AFP. (more…)

Vatican newspaper frontpage: "Benedict XVI leaves the pontificate" pic.twitter.com/PS3bwOR7

— Catholic News Service Rome (@CatholicNewsSvc) February 11, 2013

Vatican newspaper says Benedict made his decision to resign "many months ago" after his trip to Mexico & Cuba March 2012. He was tired then.

— Rachel Donadio (@RachelDonadio) February 11, 2013

(more…)

The President Obama White House has three current “priority issues” in the works.   Gun Control, Immigration Reform and Climate Change (energy reform) as current important objectives.

Compare those three to the Priority List of Americans in General.   Where do they fall?