CENTRAL VIEW for Monday, April 22, 2013

A Tale of Two Cities: Boston and Texas

Last week, the nation was rocked by two explosions: One in Boston and one near the town of West, Texas. As usual, the east-dominated mainstream media focused on the three initial fatalities in Boston and gave little attention to the 14 fatalities in Texas. Such is the power of demographics. Such is the power of an atrocity caused intentionally by Islamic jihadists versus what appears to be an unfortunate workplace accident devoid of evil intent.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Senate voted down Senator Diane Feinstein’s gun-control legislation. Why? If the legislation had done something to prevent insane killers from getting into schools like Newton, CT, it would have been adopted. Unfortunately, it did not. Instead, her amendments and even the so-called "compromise" amendments assaulted the 2d Amendment rights of millions of honest, law-abiding gun owners, the very people who are not the problem.

Now, let’s apply Senator Feinstein’s logic to the Boston Marathon which, of course, would call for the banning of backpacks and pressure cookers. Joking aside, no one’s Constitutional rights would have been violated if a temporary "exclusion area" for backpacks and similar items had been set up around the finish line. Granted, the Islamic jihadists could have planted their bombs farther back up the route. But the finish-line area was the most tempting target.

Since 9/11/2001, when you travel on the airlines, you must enter an exclusion area in which all kinds of potential harmful objects are prohibited. Your airline ticket is a contract between you and the air carrier by which you agree to waive (temporarily) certain 1st, 2d, 4th and 5th Amendment rights in exchange for an airplane ride. For example, you agree to allow your person and your possessions to be searched. If we don’t like that contract, our options are to find some other means of transportation or stay home. We have those choices.

Note also the armed security personnel in airline terminals. Some aircraft carry armed air marshals and some pilots have firearms inside the flight deck. All of these armed-security concepts could be applied to our schools and some other venues without infringing on the Constitutional rights of honest-law-abiding citizens. Best of all, they have been proven to be effective.

Also last week, and before the two explosions, Gallop asked 1005 adults: "What do you think is the most important problem facing the country today?" The results: "The economy, 24%; Jobs, 18%; Bad government, 16%; Federal debt, 11%; Healthcare; 6%; Immigration, 4%; Education, 4%; and Gun control, 4%. (Doubtless, the percentages would be different if jihadist terrorism and workplace safety had been included in the poll.)

Even so, the U.S. Senate has been spending virtually all of its time on two issues: gun control and immigration which, taken together, only add up to eight percent. Obviously, there is a disconnect between the interests of the people and the agenda being pushed by the U.S. Senate and the White House.

Finally, we note with sadness the passing of Allen H. "Al" Neuharth, the founder of USA Today. The South Dakota-born-and-raised Neuharth was one of the great figures in American journalism. Next week, more about this remarkable man and his connection to "Central View."

Nationally syndicated columnist, William Hamilton, was educated at the University of Oklahoma, the George Washington University, the U.S Naval War College, the University of Nebraska, and Harvard University.

©2013. William Hamilton.

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Email: william@central-view.com