Over at Keep and Bear Arms, Barbara Renner writes movingly of the case of Ronyale White, and how too often the options touted as superior to armed self-defense fail:

Women are repeatedly advised to obtain court orders to protect them from potentially violent former partners and others who may do them harm. But protective orders do not stop bullets, or knives, or clubs, or any other implement that can inflict bodily harm. Protective orders do not barricade windows and doors, nor do they prevent violent individuals from entering a home. They don’t shield women (or men) from physical attack. They are what they are — pieces of paper.

Likewise, women are told to dial 9-1-1 when danger is lurking. They are led to believe that authorities will arrive, take charge and diffuse the situation before any substantial harm is inflicted. It is shameful propaganda that costs innocent lives. Waiting on a response to a call for help can literally take the rest of your life — as it did for Ronyale.

White was the mother of three.

The Chicago Tribune’s Adam Kovac reports that Gov. George “Safe Highways” Ryan will ask for higher taxes on cigarettes and riverboat gambling on Monday.

I am shocked, shocked that the Gov wants to increase taxes. The GOP seems to think the stench from the governor’s licenses-for-bribes scandal will hurt Jim Ryan’s chances against Blagojevich. Let me tell you what. Raising taxes — actually seeking to raise taxes, will do much more harm.

The idea that Illinois Republicans actually oppose tax increases is a tragic joke. Most people don’t expect much from state government, and they certainly don’t expect that the budget will be so mismanaged shortly following a period of tremendous economic growth and skyrocketing revenues that a tax increase will be required.

Can moderate Democrat Rod Blagojevich capitalize on this budget mess?

I guess Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld’s announcement that Iraq won’t be attacked anytime soon is the best that could be expected from the Bush administration. Here are some scary figures reported in the Tribune story:

Military analysts say an invasion of Iraq could take more than 200,000 troops, involve risks of high casualties from possible biological and chemical attacks, and require a lengthy buildup in the region.

Yikes. Now, I don’t doubt that regime change in Iraq could eventually be accomplished, but the first question is whether it is necessary and the second question is what other anti-terrorist efforts would be sacrificed or put on hold in order to do it. This seems to be the concern of some top people in the military as well.

After all of the chatter, the fact is that Iraq and Saddam Hussein are not much of a threat to anyone but their own people, and they’re certainly not a threat to the United States. There’s still no link between Hussein and Al Qaeda or other anti-American terrorist groups, and there’s no reason to think that the United States’ overwhelming nuclear power isn’t enough to deter any hypothetical Iraqi deployment of weapons of mass destruction.

But Dubya will plunge ahead, anyhow. Unfortunately, it’s a matter of when, not if. Though I think the current hoopla over who knew what when regarding Sept. 11 is overblown and won’t in the end really do much to improve American intelligence operations, perhaps it will hurt Dubya enough to put a hold on his foolish plan to attack Iraq.

Brian Carnell asks, “Why do I pay taxes again?” He makes some good points.