David Frum's Blog, page 124

America's Most Innovative Cities

John Avlon puts forth five city halls as examples worthy of emulation by American leadership:

The Danger of Carrying Firearms

A Twitter follower forwards a link to a study showing that people who carry guns are much more likely to be shot and killed than people who do not carry. The study is based on after-the-fact analysis by a University of Pennsylvania team of 677 lethal shootings. The team found

Pareene's Grumpy 'Hack List'

Alex Pareene's annual "hack list" may be the longest exercise in sustained public grumpiness by any media figure under the age of 60.

Marijuana's Victims

Skill-testing question: how many people are serving time in jail for marijuana possession right now? Here's the surprising answer, in chart form:

Virginia's Arms Race

The gun debate in Virginia.

No Lobby is More Powerful Than the People

Douglas Anthony Cooper recounts the heartbreaking saga of Tom Mauser, whose son was killed at Columbine. Mauser was arrested for trespassing when he went to protest at the NRA headquarters in Virginia, and despite his best efforts, he never received a reply to a letter he wrote Charlton Heston. Cooper, while angered, suggests the American people cannot remain cowed by lobby groups that would treat grieving parents with such callous indifference.

The Barackalypse is Coming!!!

Mother Jones' Timothy Murphy spent time with "preppers," a euphemism for the category of folk that believe the end of civilization is near.

Robert Bork, RIP

Robert Bork's contributions to American law were vast and varied, and yet in this sad hour of his passing, I find myself thinking first of his jokes. Despite their reputation, lawyers can be funny. Robert Bork may have been the only lawyer ever, however, to set a funny law school exam: "A Congress dissatisfied with the president's management of military affairs has decided to vest control of the armies of the United States in an Independent Colonel. Is this constitutional? Expl...

Who Was the Real Cato?

What on earth filled the minds of those brilliant men we call the Framers?

Explaining the Filibuster

Patrick Sharma explains the filibuster with a very cool graphic. I can't embed it here, but clicking on the image will take you there. It's well worth your time.