The New York Times on Freedom and Equality, 1860 edition

This post at Protein Wisdom, about the bipolar interpretations of the Constitution (Shorter Fareed Zakaria: If a document ever changes, then any change is a good one), brings up the old canard, that "The Constitution said blacks were three-fifths of a person." In the comments, dicentra points out this:

Three out of five SLAVES were counted for apportionment.
Free blacks in the north were counted normally.
Important distinction

This led me to Google "free blacks in the south" to see what popped up. I found a few historyish web sites that made various claims (free black property owners in some northern cities could vote, free blacks in the South lived in fear, but a few became plantation owners) without showing their evidence. But then I stumbled upon this February 17, 1860 editorial in The New York Times (interesting to note just how old the New York Times is). As an expression of a thoroughly middleground viewpoint between slaveholders and abolitionists, it fascinates.

Here, the beginning:

49 States Permit Concealed Carry! Except They Don't.

Everybody's all excited that Wisconsin passed its Concealed Carry Law, with the accompanying statistic that it joins 48 other states, leaving only poor Illinois the ugly girl at the party. As Frank Fleming puts it:

Not surprising that Illinois is the last total hold out on conceal carry. When you have whole cities run by criminals, last thing you want is honest citizens being armed.

Unfortunately, like most statistics, this one is hogwash. How do I know this? Because I live in The People's Republic of Greater Baltimoria Maryland, where concealed carry is marginally more legal than medicinal marijuana.

Here's the skinny:

The "may issue" is more often "no way". The categories for "may issue" are: making deposits; receiving money or cash flow; professional activities like doctors or pharmacies; correctional officers; former police officer; private detective and personal protection. For personal protection there must be documented evidence of recent threats, robberies, and/or assaults, supported by official police reports or notarized statements from witnesses. This state also requires permits for body armor.

For all practical purposes, that means no concealed carry. Let's not get all worked up in our triumphalism, shall we?

The Once and Future Governor: Ehrlich Rally, Bel Air, MD

I am told that I live in a deeply blue state. The outward evidence for this abounds: our House of Delegates and State Senate has been dominated by Democrats for a long time, controlling almost 3/4 or the lower house and 2/3 of the Senate.

With Republicans Like This...

Living in the People's State of Baltimorea (which some call Maryland), generally one appreciates Republicans where one can find them, especially as I live in one of the Republican counties of that state. So you can imagine my dismay to discover that my Congressman, Wayne Gilchrest (R-1st Dystrict) voted for the Non-Binding Declarlation of Political Expediency.

Money Quote:

We need a sense of urgency to end our presence there and stop the violence
that has left over 3,100 American soldiers dead, and many more thousands
wounded. If sending more troops was the answer, I would be the first to support
that effort. But the Iraqi people have suffered enough and the military
families who have loved ones in harm’s way have sacrificed enough.

Meaning what? That we should retreat and say the hell with it? Or do something else, unnamed and so far, unpondered, but not surge?

In a war, someone wins and someone loses. Is Wayne saying we've already lost, or is he suggesting that we might have lost, pending the outcome of the surge that's happening regardless of this resolution.

This is sickening. For a man to cross the aisle like this, to vote for something that changes nothing, accomplishes nothing but a theoretically crowd-pleasing "truth to power" moment, against a war that he has thus far consistently supported, is either an act of gamesmanship or a massive act of Vietnam Syndrome flash-backing by a decorated Marine Platoon Seargent.

You can bet that there's a letter getting shot off. Will post when I compose it.