By Laurie Baron
SAN DIEGO―He thought the world was out to get him. Consequently, he legally purchased semi-automatic guns and high capacity ammunition clips despite the crazy things he had said in the past. His name is Wayne LaPierre. His job is that of executive vice president of the National Rifle Association.
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U.S. Senators John McCain, Lindsey Graham, and Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) criticized President Obama’s announcement to withdraw all U.S. troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2016: Their denunciation concluded with a plea to keep US troops stationed there for another decade just to make sure that the first decade wasn’t a fluke.
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A whale carcass washed up on a San Diego beach. Attached to it was a note that read: “Dear Humans, The water is getting too warm and dirty for whales to survive in it. We know climate change is occurring. Why can’t you figure it out?”
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The US Supreme Court ruled that states cannot automatically execute convicted killers if their IQ is a few points above the minimum score that would exempt them from the death sentence. The Oklahoma prison officials who botched the lethal injections to a condemned murderer last month breathed a sigh of relief.
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Pope Francis has agreed to facilitate peace talks between Israeli and Palestinian leaders. What a difference a millennium makes!
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Baron is professor emeritus of history at San Diego State University. He may be contacted via lawrence.baron@sdjewishworld.com