Guns, Rape, and Government Insiderdom....

"Diverse weights and diverse measures,
They are both alike, an abomination to the Lord."
Proverbs 20:10

Update: It's also worth pointing out that Marc Ott is the same City Manager who held a training session earlier this year on how to handle female bosses.

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Remember these comments from February?!?



And what, pray tell, is happening now?!?

Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo will remain in Austin with a 5 percent pay raise and a new separation agreement should he be fired, Acevedo and City Manager Marc Ott said Wednesday.

Acevedo said he had withdrawn from the San Antonio Police Department’s search for a new police chief. Last month, he had announced that he was one of that city’s five finalists for the job, for which San Antonio had recruited him, Acevedo said Wednesday.

Ott told the American-Statesman he offered Acevedo the retention package as an incentive for Acevedo to withdraw from the San Antonio pool.

Under the agreement, Acevedo’s pay will rise to about $216,000 and he would receive three months’ severance pay should he be fired. If Acevedo didn’t find new employment within three months, he would receive another three months in severance pay. Acevedo’s current salary is $206,086.

....

“We’ve got the Black Lives Matter movement here in Austin; there’s a support march coming up for a fallen police officer,” Acevedo said. “I really want to put energy into bridging the gap and doing the best we can not to fall short. With the current tone of this discussion in the country, I didn’t feel good leaving my community and my department at the height of this discussion at the local and national level.”

Ott said he and the chief have a good working relationship, which is one of the reasons he wanted to keep him in Austin.

“I think that, in many respects, he’s accomplished what many had hoped he would, in terms of bringing transparency to the department — the way they do things and why they do things the way they do,” Ott said. “I think he’s brought structured discipline and accountability that resonates with the community and the people they serve. I do think we still have work to do.”

So if you make an outrageous comment about rape in pursuit of an anti-Second Amendment agenda you get...A BIG RAISE!!!

By contrast, in 2012 a United States' Senate candidate in Missouri made a similarly asinine statement about rape, but drew a pro-Life conclusion and was subsequently drummed out of polite society.

Bottom Line: It's not a secret that government insiders reward their cronies.  Art Acevedo getting a big raise following horrific pro-rape comments is simply the latest example.  Still, shame on City Manager Marc Ott....

Trolling for Offense at Calvary

"But avoid foolish disputes, genealogies, contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and useless."
Titus 3:9

Well, THIS is awkward; it's not often we agree with Bud Kennedy, but he reports the relevant detail of the H-E-B ISD Good Friday kerfuffle:

Some students thought Friday would be a holiday.

Now, thanks to the icy winter, it’s a school day.

....

Good Friday was one of two makeup “snow days” written into the H-E-B calendar more than a year ago, district spokeswoman Judy Ramos said.

(Many schools use Good Friday and Memorial Day as makeup days instead of adding school days on Saturdays or extending the calendar into June.)

Parents were notified in a January email newsletter that Good Friday and also a half-day of school on May 30 would make up for ice days Dec. 6 and 9, Ramos said.

....

“I was concerned why we were having a makeup day Good Friday, and they informed me this has been going on for years,” he said.

....

The district needs a parent’s note or some written proof to qualify for what little money the state of Texas provides.  [Emphasis added]

In other words, the root cause is strings attached to education funding that comes from Austin.  This is certainly a teachable moment for local control and parental choice in education.  But it's no assault on the free exercise clause.

There are plenty of genuine examples of government schools suppressing the gospel; just this morning, we learned about this case out of Missouri.  But this Tarrant County case isn't one of them.  Crying wolf over small potatoes isn't helpful.

Sigmund Freud is rumored to have said "sometimes a cigar is just a cigar."  Similarly, sometimes a bad decision by government school bureaucrats is just a bad decision by government school bureaucrats.  Get over yourselves....

Todd Akin can still Win

Mark Levin interviews the indefatigable Todd Akin:



Highlights:

•  One out of Six people in Missouri are in Poverty.

• McCaskill's Ethical Problems haven't gone away.

• The New York Times knew about McCaskill's ethical problems and covered them up.

• Akin voted no on No Child Left Behind and TARP

• Levin: "Anytime I hear the word stimulus, it makes me want to hand onto my Wallet."

Donate here.

The Coming Democrat Akin Overreaction

Todd Akin is an idiot.  While I agree that he's getting a raw deal, the bottom line is that he flubbed a predictable question for which any pro-life male has to prepare.  Akin's comment, however, is paving the way for a Democrat overreaction that will hurt Democrats far more than Akin's comment will hurt Republicans.

In reaction to Akin, Democrats have already turned their convention into abortionpalooza.  They're going to feature the heads of Planned Parenthood and NARAL; they've even managed to draw Marxist skank "Reproductive Rights Activist" Sandy Fluke back from whatever rock she originally crawled out from under. This won't end well for Democrats.

Abortion isn't popular.

What Democrats fail to understand is that the Sexual Revolution was a massive lie, and that women bore the brunt of its consequences.  When wealthy liberals like Sandy Fluke promote the doctrine of consequence-free, government-subsidized fornication, normal women see through that lie.  Normal women are concerned about the economy, not in having the government protect either gender from the consequences of poor sexual decisions.

The frustrating thing is that there's a major economic issue embedded in this discussion.  Sexual promiscuity often leads to welfare, which leads to government spending and debt, with predictable consequences for economic growth and employment.  Unfortunately, Republicans would never have the cojones to argue that promiscuity begets poverty.

Sandy Fluke is a uniquely unattractive figure, and that's not a dig at her physical appearance.  Sandy Fluke is protected from the consequences of the lifestyle she promotes.  Normal women aren't.  Normal women understand poor sexual choices lead to horrific consequences.  Government subsidies cannot alter the wages of sin.

Todd Akin messed up.  He flubbed an obvious and predictable question, and he deserves to suffer the consequences.  That being said, if Democrats want to turn this into a fight between Todd Akin's inartful attempt to save lives, and everything Sandy Fluke represents; I'm not afraid of that fight.

On Todd Akin

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you;
Before you were born, I sanctified you;
I ordained you a prophet unto the nations."
- Jeremiah 1:5

I have two thoughts on the Todd Akin kerfuffle; one moral, one political.  On a moral level, Claire McCaskill's willingness to murder unborn babies is far more offensive than Todd Akin's in-artful comment.  On a political level, however, Akin fell into an obvious trap, which questions his competence.

No politician who supports murdering unborn babies should get to claim the moral high ground on anything.  Unborn babies deserve to live.  Claire McCaskill wants to murder unborn babies.  Todd Akin, as in-artfully as he may have said it, wants to save lives.  Which is worse?!?

Upon hearing about this incident, my first instinct was to circle the wagons around Akin and indignantly counterattack.  That does not, however, strike me as the prudent course.  This comment illustrates an inability to focus on the basic moral issue.

When you run for office on a pro-life platform, especially as a male, you need to prepare for the 'abortion in the case of rape question.'  During his Presidential campaign, Rick Santorum gave the model response: "the rape isn't the baby's fault."  You then direct follow up questions to James Robison.  Todd Akin, by contrast, gave a meandering answer about 'legitimate rape' (whatever that is) and the likelihood of conception.  By falling into such a predictable trap, I worry about what trap Akin falls into next.

Todd Akin allowed irrelevant contingencies to distract from the question of murdering unborn children.  Claire McCaskill, like all Democrats, needs to be hammered on this issue.  Unfortunately, I no longer trust Todd Akin to competently challenge her on this, or any, issue.  God is just.  If Todd Akin falls on his sword now, he will be rewarded in the future.

Update: It looks like Akin's staying in; he better go on offense against "Claire McCaskill Child-Murderer."

"Admit nothing, Deny Everything, Counterattack." Roger Stone

Update II: Welcome Caffeinated Thoughts readers.