Life In The Republic (Pandemonium Edition)

Well, another fine late summer weekend has rolled through the marbled halls here at IM Central, and as is our wont in these dog days, we spent most of it blissfully out of touch with the activities of our betters, busily collecting shade and determinedly reducing the volume of Stoli extant in the world (please drink responsibly so we don't have to). Now however we find ourselves back in harness and the electronic computer machine haughtily insists on tattling on the activities of our countrymen in the previous 48.

First we hear of a fellow lover of freedom out exercising his Second Amendment rights.

The gunman who opened fire in a Sikh temple in Oak Creek, Wis., and killed six people has been identified as Wade Michael Page, an Army veteran who left the service with a less than honorable discharge.

Apparently making less than honorable discharges was a character flaw with which this gentleman was burdened. Single purpose mayhem is rather overdone though, don't you think? We need some of that good old American can do spirit. Witness this citizen who manages to assert his Second Amendment rights while--at the same time--commenting on the state of race relations in early 21st century America.

Authorities in Port St. Joe, Florida say a man charged with a hate crime felt inconvenienced by his arrest because he had “only shot a n*gger.” Walton Henry Butler, 59, was arrested by Gulf County Sheriff’s deputies on Monday night for shooting 32-year-old Everett Gant, who is black, in the head with a .22 caliber rifle.

Oh, we hear you Walton. Why the paperwork alone is enough to kill you, even if you just shoot a relative. We can imagine what it's like if you shoot one of those pampered minorities. Your mistake was probably calling the police to come and clean it up instead of doing it yourself.

And what kind of weekend would it be if somewhere, someone didn't reassert their support for that fundamental American principle, Freedom Of Religion? 

A Missouri mosque that had only weeks ago been targeted in an arson attack was burned down overnight. The FBI and ATF are investigating.

In other news, Curiosity landed safely on Mars. We're beginning to think we should have hitched a ride on that bad boy.