Mark Danziger points out the difference between “blaming the victims” and blaming the flawed doctrine that made them victims.

…is no Harry Reid:

We should not surrender in the face of barbarism.

Can someone explain to me how a man with as much negative charisma as Reid ended up being Senate Majority Leader? I mean, it’s like he almost sucks the charm out of a room.

I’m pretty sure that JSC is a gun-free zone.

Professor Volokh has some thoughts:

I want to claim that this echo of Weber (who said “Today … we have to say that a state is a human community that (successfully) claims the monopoly of the legitimate use of physical force within a given territory”) is utterly inapt in gun control debates, at least such debates in a Western country.

To begin with, note that, read literally, my friend’s proposal is not “old-fashioned.” It’s not new-fashioned. It has never been the fashion in any jurisdiction in America.

Professor Volokh has some thoughts:

I want to claim that this echo of Weber (who said “Today … we have to say that a state is a human community that (successfully) claims the monopoly of the legitimate use of physical force within a given territory”) is utterly inapt in gun control debates, at least such debates in a Western country.

To begin with, note that, read literally, my friend’s proposal is not “old-fashioned.” It’s not new-fashioned. It has never been the fashion in any jurisdiction in America.

Professor Volokh has some thoughts:

I want to claim that this echo of Weber (who said “Today … we have to say that a state is a human community that (successfully) claims the monopoly of the legitimate use of physical force within a given territory”) is utterly inapt in gun control debates, at least such debates in a Western country.

To begin with, note that, read literally, my friend’s proposal is not “old-fashioned.” It’s not new-fashioned. It has never been the fashion in any jurisdiction in America.

Peggy Noonan wonders (sorry, the Journal doesn’t seem to believe in permalinks for current articles):

The last testament Cho sent to NBC seemed more clear evidence of mental illness–posing with his pistols, big tough gangsta gonna take you out. What is it evidence of when NBC News, a great pillar of the mainstream media, runs the videos and pictures on the nightly news? Brian Williams introduced the Cho collection as “what can only be described as a multi-media manifesto.” But it can be described in other ways. “The self-serving meanderings of a crazy, self-indulgent narcissist” is one. But if you called it that, you couldn’t lead with it. You couldn’t rationalize the decision.

Such pictures are inspiring to the unstable. The minute you saw them, you probably thought what I did: We’ll be seeing more of that.

I hope that this puts to rest any insanity about nominating Alberto Gonzales to the Supreme Court. If they are going to have an Hispanic affirmative action nominee, he should at least display some level of intelligence and competence.

Amidst the discussion about whether or not professors are capable of protecting their students with guns, we have the example of one professor who saved his students without one.

Boris Johnson says that it’s time for England to reconquer France (“reconquer”? Is he referring to Waterloo?).

A couple months ago, I’d have thought it a trivial exercise, what with the several reverse speeds on the French tanks and all, but with the wimpy performance by the Royal Navy in the Shatt al Arab and the ensuing response from Whitehall, it’s not clear who would win the rush to surrender.