While the Sioux tribe in North Dakota is fighting the use of “Fighting Sioux,” the Suing Sioux of South Dakota are in federal court with a rather novel (and in my view thoroughly frivolous) lawsuit of their own. The Oglala Sioux Tribe of South Dakota is suing the largest beer makers for contributing to the corruption and abuse of members of South Dakota’s Pine Ridge Indian Reservation by supplying alcohol through local stores. The tribe is demanding $500 million in damages for the cost of health care, social services and child rehabilitation.
Archive for the 'Politics' Category
The Suing Sioux: Tribe Sues Top Beer Makers For Contributing To Alcoholism Of Tribe Members
Published 1, February 10, 2012 Bizarre , Constitutional Law , Politics , Society 56 CommentsIslamic Teachers and Students Halt Television Show Over Period Customs Considered Indecent
Published 1, February 10, 2012 Constitutional Law , Free Speech , Media , Politics , Religion 10 Comments
Television producers in Egypt have been shooting the novel “Dhat” by Egyptian author Sonallah Ibrahim. The problem is that the novel takes place in the 1970s “when women wore short clothing.” That will not do for professors and students at Cairo’s Ain Shams University who forcibly stopped the shooting because the clothing was indecent during that period. Presumably, they could shoot the film so long the characters are dressed according to current Islamic standards — much like requiring a film on Woodstock to be filmed with women in prairie dresses.
OMG ADIH: Top Saudi Clerics Call For Journalist To Be Put To Death For Blasphemous Tweet
Published 1, February 10, 2012 Constitutional Law , Criminal law , Free Speech , International , Media , Politics , Religion 27 Comments
The top Saudi clerics have found another person to execute for free speech. We have previously seen a number of people accused of blasphemy for brief tweets or Facebook entries or even reading a book or speaking insulting thoughts at prayer. There is now a campaign to execute 23-year-old journalist Hamza Kashgari for a tweet that he sent to Mohammad on his birthday about Kashgari’s faith. There is no evidence that Mohammad is actually one of his followers but Mohammad’s followers are pretty ticked and labelled Kashgari an “apostate” who must be killed for his offense to Islam.
Federal Court Rejects “Lactation Discrimination” Claim
Published 1, February 9, 2012 Courts , Politics , Society 26 Comments
U.S. District Judge Lynn Hughes in Texas has rejected the claim of “lactation discrimination” as a form of employment discrimination. The claim was made by Donnica Venters who says that she was terminated by Houston Funding for using a breast pump at work. The company insists that she was not terminated but left on her own accord. However, Hughes (left) made that dispute moot by ruling that “Lactation is not pregnancy, childbirth, or a related medical condition.”
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University of North Dakota Defies NCAA and Resumes Use of “Fighting Sioux” As Mascot
Published 1, February 9, 2012 Academics , Politics , Society 38 Comments
The University of North Dakota has decided to challenge the NCAA and its threat of sanctions for using Native American names and symbols for its sports team. The UND is bringing back its traditional nickname of the “Fighting Sioux” and said that it will take whatever punishment is meted out by the NCAA. Various universities have withdrawn such names except schools like the the Florida State Seminoles and the Central Michigan Chippewas who received tribal permission to keep their nicknames.
Harvard Invades Cameroon: University Moves To Evict Embassy
Published 1, February 8, 2012 Bizarre , International , Politics , Society 6 Comments
Harvard appears to be moving to secure its borders against other nation states. In an interesting landlord-tenant dispute, Harvard has charged that Cameroon is squatting on its property on embassy row. The country has been the university’s tenant for two years but its lease expired a week ago. A week? That is not a lot of time for almost 19 million people to collect their stuff, get moving buddies, a truck, and find a new crib.
Continue reading ‘Harvard Invades Cameroon: University Moves To Evict Embassy’
Prop 8 Decision: Ninth Circuit Rules Same-Sex Marriage Proposition Unconstitutional
Published 1, February 7, 2012 Constitutional Law , Courts , Politics , Religion , Society , Supreme Court , Uncategorized 39 Comments
The Ninth Circuit has ruled 2-1 in the long-awaited sex-sex marriage case and affirmed the lower court in finding the law unconstitutional. Eighteen months ago former Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker struck down the ban on same-sex marriage. Judge Stephen Reinhardt wrote the lengthy opinion below upholding Walker and striking down the law. The Court ruled that “[b]y using their initiative power to target a minority group and withdraw a right that it possessed, without a legitimate reason for doing so, the People of California violated the Equal Protection Clause.”
Obama Embraces The “Threat To Our Democracy” and Endorses Use of SuperPac
Published 1, February 7, 2012 Congress , Politics , Society 169 Comments
President Barack Obama has pledged that he would not accept help from “super” political action committees — denouncing them as a “threat to our Democracy.” That pledge, like many of his civil liberties pledges, has now gone into the waste basket. Obama has now called on supporters to load up the Superpac funds — erasing any difference (again) between him and his Republican rivals.
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Something Wikipedia This Way Comes: Gingrich Campaign Accused Of Improper Editing Of Wikipedia Site
Published 1, February 7, 2012 Congress , Media , Politics 11 Comments
Newt Gingrich’s communications director Joe DeSantis is in a controversy with the editors of Wikipedia over dozens of edits he has made or requested of Gingrich’s wikipedia site, including the deletion of references to his three marriages.
Washington Post: Thirty-Three Members Push Through More Than $300 Million In Earmarks For Projects Near Their Own Properties
Published 1, February 7, 2012 Congress , Politics , Society 15 Comments
The Washington Post has an incredible article today on how thirty-three members of Congress have more than $300 million in earmarks and other spending provisions to dozens of public projects that are next to or within about two miles of the lawmakers’ own property. So much for the pledges from both Republicans and Democrats to clean up government.
Catholic Bishop: Hitler and Mussolini Would Love American Public Schools
Published 1, February 7, 2012 Academics , Bizarre , Free Speech , Politics , Religion 151 Comments
The Catholic bishop of Harrisburg, Pa., Bishop Joseph McFadden is being criticized for comments where he compares American public schools to the system that Hitler and Mussolini sought to create. I actually think that part of the criticism of McFadden is misplaced, though he is certainly worthy of criticism. McFadden’s controversial statements follow a call for Catholics to organize against President Obama and his health care program by leading Catholic leaders.
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Unforgiven: Rove Denounces Eastwood Super Bowl Commercial
Published 1, February 7, 2012 Bizarre , Politics , Society 35 Comments
Conservatives are lining up to take shots at another Hollywood celebrity. But this time it is movie icon (and Republican) Clint Eastwood for his role in Chrysler’s “Halftime in America” Super Bowl ad below. In our previous discussion of the best commercials many people picked the ad and I put it in the top four. Frankly, as a Cowboy film nut and Eastwood fan, I loved it. Eastwood, however, was left unforgiven by that paragon of good politics: Karl Rove. Rove (who runs a huge Super PAC and pumps millions into campaigns from undisclosed contributions) denounced the commercial as
“corporate advertising” of the worst kind . . . in other words, corporate money that could be viewed as supporting President Obama. Ironically, Eastwood was a critic of the bailout, but the segment praises American workers not federal bailouts.
Continue reading ‘Unforgiven: Rove Denounces Eastwood Super Bowl Commercial’
Legislating Under The Influence: Bar and Restaurant Group Opposes Drunk Driving Measure in Congress
Published 1, February 6, 2012 Politics , Society 22 Comments
There is an interesting story out of Washington where a powerful industry group is lobbying to kill legislation. Nothing new there. Lobbyists routinely kill bills in Congress and write other bills. However, this effort has raised a few eyebrows because the American Beverage Institute is opposing a drunk driving measure in the House Transportation bill — a measure calling for states to require in-car Breathalyzers for people convicted of drunk driving. So far, however, to the chagrin of the ABI, Congress has refused to yield to demands to eliminate the provision.
Teachers of the World, Unite! Cartoon Triggers Controversy In Iowa Over Depiction of Capitalism
Published 1, February 6, 2012 Free Speech , Politics , Society 26 Comments
This cartoon is causing quite a stir in Des Moines. The cartoon was handed out by a teacher in Roosevelt High School and local business people like Jeff Travis are irate that it is a propaganda demonizing capitalism and there are demands for discipline of the teacher. However, there is another side to the story and a legitimate concern for academic freedom.
It’s Déjà Vu All Over Again
Published 1, February 5, 2012 International , Media , Military , Politics 45 Comments-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger
Possible nuclear weapons capability, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspections, a threat to Israel, economic sanctions, fears of links to al Qaeda, and a compliant news media. Sounds like the hype leading up to war with Iraq, but this time it’s Iran.
Israel has been threatening to strike Iran’s nuclear enrichment plants unilaterally. Obama dispatched General Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to tell the Israelis that the US wouldn’t participate in a war against Iran begun by Israel unless Washington had given its prior agreement.
On the map on the left, each star indicates the location of a US airbase.
Catholics, Contraception & The Heretical 98%
Published 1, February 5, 2012 Constitutional Law , Politics , Religion , Society 156 CommentsBy Mark Esposito, Guest Blogger
Last Sunday, most U.S. Catholics heard a letter read from the pulpit imploring them to oppose the Obamacare provision requiring most healthcare plans to cover contraceptive services for women. The reason given was that Catholic hospitals and universities would have to “shutter their doors” in order to avoid heresy and be true to the faith. As part of the concerted effort, the chairman of the U.S. Bishops’ Committee on Religious Liberty announced that the Obama administration’s requirement goes against “the mandate of Jesus Christ.” Even though the earthly mandate contains an exemption for purely religious organizations, the all-male U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops is clearly on the offensive in this politically charged debate about women, privacy, and the right of families to decide for themselves the number of children they can support.
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Rodenticide Poisoning in Children and Wildlife Deemed an Acceptable Level of Societal Risk by Todd M. Wynn, Director of the ALEC Energy, Environment, and Agriculture Task Force
Published 1, February 4, 2012 Animals , Economics , Environment , Politics , Society 10 Comments
Submitted by Elaine Magliaro, Guest Blogger
Last September, the EPA released a statement about its plan to ban the sale of “the most toxic rat and mouse poisons and “rodenticide products that use loose bait and pellets.” Its reason for doing so was “to better protect children, pets, and wildlife.” The EPA had previously announced in 2008 that “rodenticide manufacturers would have three years to adopt limits on the sale of the products” after the agency had gone through “thirteen years of studies, hearings, reports and legal battles.”
According to PRWatch, the EPA became aware that rodenticides “were finding their way into the food chain” by the early 1980s. Poison control centers in this country had been receiving 12,000 to 15,000 calls annually regarding the exposure of children under the age of six to rat poison.
From PRWatch:
In 1998, the Clinton administration’s EPA deemed that rodenticides had to taste bitter, so kids wouldn’t eat the products, and be colored with a bright dye, so it would be obvious if they did. The EPA backed down from these requirements in 2001 after George W. Bush took office and made the measures “voluntary,” reportedly due to industry pressure.
After seeing no drop in the number of children being poisoned by rodenticides, in 2004 the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) filed suit to force the EPA to take action, and a New York district court criticized the agency for reversing itself and caving to pesticide manufacturers. The court wrote, “the EPA lacked even the proverbial ‘scintilla’ of evidence justifying its reversal of the requirement it had imposed, after extensive study, only a few years before.” In response, the EPA took steps to regulate the products. Those rules were intended to go into effect this year, but were delayed by the resistance of Reckitt Benckiser and two other rodenticide manufacturers, Liphatech and Spectrum Group.
The EPA estimates that the unreported child exposure rate may be four times as high as the 12,000-15,000 calls to poison control centers each year, and some believe the number to be ten times as high. Poisoned young children can experience internal bleeding, bloody urine, bleeding gums, and blood coming from their ears. African-American and Hispanic children living below the poverty line have been disproportionately affected. A New York study found that 57 percent of children hospitalized for eating rat poison between 1990 and 1997 were African-American and 26 percent were Latino.
Federal Court Rules Sister Wives Case Can Go Forward
Published 1, February 3, 2012 Constitutional Law , Courts , Criminal law , Politics , Religion , Society , Supreme Court 44 Comments
Despite widespread predictions to the contrary, a federal court in Salt Lake City has ruled that the Sister Wives challenge of the statute anti-polygamy law can go forward and denied the effort to dismiss the lawsuit. The long and detailed ruling of United States District Court Judge Clark Waddoups agreed with our arguments that we have standing to challenge the state law. The standing question has long been discussed as the most significant barrier for the family in seeking a ruling on the merits. Prior such challenges have been denied at the standing stage.
Continue reading ‘Federal Court Rules Sister Wives Case Can Go Forward’
Ambassador Apologizes To Her Children and Her Country For Signing ACTA
Published 1, February 3, 2012 Criminal law , Free Speech , International , Politics , Society 8 Comments
While some may view it as a little late, Slovenia’s ambassador to Japan has apologized to her children and her nation for signing Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) which has been condemned for opening the door to Internet censorship and government abuse. Helena Drnovsek Zorko appears not to have read the law very carefully and only later read the criticism from Slovenian citizens.
Continue reading ‘Ambassador Apologizes To Her Children and Her Country For Signing ACTA’
Can You Spot The Pig? Inmates Prank Police By Adding Swine Image To State Seal
Published 1, February 3, 2012 Animals , Bizarre , Criminal law , Politics , Society 28 Comments
Inmates at a Vermont correctional unit’s print shop decided to use some artistic license on the state police crest that appears on police cars around the state. They inserted the image of a pig. Can you find it? The answer is below.
Continue reading ‘Can You Spot The Pig? Inmates Prank Police By Adding Swine Image To State Seal’
The Stomp Speech and the Flip Flopper: Gingrich’s Staff Accused Of Assaulting Paul Supporter
Published 1, February 2, 2012 Bizarre , Politics , Torts 35 CommentsNewt Gingrich has made it known that he will not tolerate flip floppers like Mitt Romney. His staff, however, took that to a new extreme by allegedly assaulting Ron Paul supporter Eddie Dillard who appeared at a Gingrich event with an opposing campaign sign. According to witnesses, Gingrich staff yelled for “everyone to step on his toes.” Dillard was wearing flip flops and was injured after he said a security member used his heels to grind into Dillard’s foot. The case could present an interesting tort lawsuit and a question of respondeat superior where an employer is liable for the torts of his employees if they are acting in the scope of their employment.
Dutch Politician Proposes Ban On Dogs In Hague As “Unclean” Under Islam
Published 1, February 1, 2012 Animals , Bizarre , Politics , Religion , Society , Torts 45 Comments
We have previously seen stories of the banning or threatening dogs by Muslims who believe that all dogs are “unclean” and an afront to Islam. Now, Hasan Küçük, a Turkish-Dutch representative on The Hague city council for the Islam Democrats, has called for all dogs to be banned from The Hague, the third-largest city in the Netherlands.
Continue reading ‘Dutch Politician Proposes Ban On Dogs In Hague As “Unclean” Under Islam’
Race For A [Political] Cure: Komen Cuts Off Funding For Planned Parenthood
Published 1, February 1, 2012 Bizarre , Politics , Society 167 Comments
Susan G. Komen for the Cure has previously been ridiculed for its bullying of other charities and its lawsuit against any charity using “for the cure” in its name or advertising. Now it is receiving criticism for cutting off funding for Planned Parenthood affiliates and preventive screening services. It is the first time the organization has cut off such funding based on a new rule involving organizations under investigation by Congress.
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Mexican Official Detained With Almost $2 Million In Suitcase and Backpack . . . Treasury Secretary Assures Public It Is Perfectly Legal
Published 1, January 31, 2012 Bizarre , Criminal law , Politics , Society 8 Comments
This week, Miguel Morales Robles, a Mexican state official from Veracruz, was detained at an airport with $1.9 million stuffed into a briefcase and a backpack. However, Tomas Ruiz, treasury secretary for Veracruz state, assured the public that it was all perfectly innocent and legal — the official was just taking cash to Mexico City to pay an advertising firm to promote festivals.
Kansas To Get Your Little Dog Too: Legislator Moves To Make Toto Breed The State Breed
Published 1, January 31, 2012 Animals , Bizarre , Politics , Society 11 Comments
Kansas State Rep. Ed Trimmer is moving to correct a serious lapse in the state arrays of official insects, songs, and animals. He has a bill to proclaim the Cairn Terrier — the breed of Toto in “The Wizard of Oz” — the state dog.
South Africa Recalls Over One Million Defective Condoms Distributed As Part Of ANC Celebrations
Published 1, January 31, 2012 International , Politics , Society , Torts 6 Comments
The South African government has long been accused of mixed efforts in combating AIDS despite the country having one of the highest HIV infection rates in the world. Now the government is accused of handing out more than a million free condoms at the African National Congress centenary celebrations that are defective and leak.
United States Falls 27 Points In Ranking Of Press Freedom Behind Comoros and Taiwan
Published 1, January 30, 2012 Constitutional Law , Free Speech , Media , Politics , Society 15 Comments
The respected Reporters Without Borders has issued its annual report and ranking of press freedom. You might have some initial difficulty locating the United States . . . it is 27 points lower on the ranking due to the mistreatment of journalists in this country. You will find us just after Comoros and Taiwan and in the company of Argentina and Romania. In the recent column on “10 Reasons The U.S. Is No Longer The Land Of The Free,” I was not able due to space to include press freedoms and others. This report, however, should be a wake up call for civil libertarians.
The Enemy Expatriation Act: Learn How Your Government Could Strip You of Your Citizenship If This Legislation Becomes Law
Published 1, January 29, 2012 Congress , Constitutional Law , Politics 32 Comments
Submitted by Elaine Magliaro, Guest Blogger
In his Washington Post article titled 10 Reasons The United States Is No Longer The Land Of The Free (January 15, 2012), Jonathan Turley addressed the issue of indefinite detention of American citizens. He wrote:
Under the law signed last month, terrorism suspects are to be held by the military; the president also has the authority to indefinitely detain citizens accused of terrorism. While Sen. Carl Levin insisted the bill followed existing law “whatever the law is,” the Senate specifically rejected an amendment that would exempt citizens and the Administration has opposed efforts to challenge such authority in federal court. The Administration continues to claim the right to strip citizens of legal protections based on its sole discretion.
The next day on this blog, Professor Turley said that he had been heartened by the response to his column. He added, “a few commenters continue to suggest that the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) does not allow for the indefinite detention of citizens.”
Even people who believe that NDAA does not allow for the indefinite detention of citizens should be concerned about a proposed amendment to the Immigration and Nationality Act that would give our government “the authority to strip a person of their American citizenship if that person is accused or suspected of supporting ‘hostilities’ against the U.S. The amendment, known as the Enemy Expatriation Act (EEA), was introduced, in October, by Rep. Charles Dent, R-Pa., and Sens. Joseph Lieberman, I-Conn., and Scott Brown, R-Mass.
-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger
South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles director Kevin Shwedo testified before a House hearing that more than 950 dead people had voted. Shwedo and his staff used records from the State Election Commission, the state Department of Vital Statistics, and the Social Security Administration to calculate the number of zombie voters. Shwedo forwarded his list of names to state law enforcement.
The Devil’s Fork
Published 1, January 29, 2012 Academics , Constitutional Law , Economics , International , Politics , Society 223 CommentsSubmitted by Mark Esposito, Guest Blogger
With apologies to Archbishop of Canterbury John Morton, I’m offering this version of his famous “fork”:
You’re a young idealist standing for the highest office in the land. Against many odds you’ve offered a candidacy of hope and change to an electorate tired of both war and the prior Administration that got them into those wars. There are rumors of widespread atrocities committed by that Administration in response to a horrific terrorist attack on American soil where thousands of your countrymen died. In your capacity as an US Senator, you’ve been briefed on several of these and you see a pattern developing. You’re a Constitutionalist; a lawyer; and a principled man, but you recognize the nation faces a real threat of nuclear holocaust at the hands of committed, well-funded terrorists supported and protected by renegade states and even some of our allies. These terrorists have a fanatical zeal and value martyrdom above self-preservation. You believe that if they acquire weapons of mass destruction the question will not be if millions of people will die, but which millions of people will die.
Stateside New Hampshire: The GOP War on Women Continues
Published 1, January 29, 2012 Politics , Society 45 Comments
Submitted by Elaine Magliaro, Guest Blogger
In the past year at the Turley Blawg, we’ve cast a spotlight on the GOP’s “war on women”—as well as on the low esteem in which some members of the Republican Party seem to hold women. (Note: At the end of this article, you’ll find links to a number of the previous Turley Blawg posts on the subject.)
In order to keep you updated on this gender war that appears to have no end in sight, I have a story out of New Hampshire that should make women who live there shudder. Members of the Republican Party have proposed legislation that would change the state’s domestic violence laws—which are said to be some of the toughest in this country.
According to the Concord Monitor, “New Hampshire has been a leader in the effort to make domestic violence a cultural taboo.” The Monitor reported that “House Bill 1581 would turn back the clock forty years to an age when a police officer could not make an arrest in a domestic violence case without first getting a warrant unless he or she actually witnessed the crime.” As the NH law now stands, the police can arrest an abuser based on probable cause.
Continue reading ‘Stateside New Hampshire: The GOP War on Women Continues’
Who in Hell is Saul Alinsky?
Published 1, January 28, 2012 Academics , Columns , Free Speech , Justice , Lawyering , Media , Politics , Religion , Society 53 CommentsSubmitted by: Mike Spindell, guest blogger
I’d actually halfway finished a blog on a different subject today, when I was spun in a different direction. Thursday night I had done something I never do and watched the Republican Debate in Florida. It was frighteningly enlightening to say the least, but what stood out for me was Newt commenting that our President was a disciple of Saul Alinsky. I thought then “How many people today know who Saul Alinsky was and what he represented?” On last nights Bill Maher’s show, Bill asked the question “Who was Saul Alinsky?” as part of his New Rules segment. This morning in HuffPost, Frank Mankiewicz addressed a variant of the same question: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/frank-mankiewicz/america-meet-saul-alinsky_b_1238953.html
The idea of following heroes to me has always seemed silly, yet there are people whose lives and work I deeply admire and to some sense try to emulate. My first was Clarence Darrow and it is therefore no coincidence that I am a denizen of this blog. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clarence_Darrow . Clarence Darrow’s picture is used above because it is in the public realm, while mysteriously Saul Alinsky’s isn’t. Obviously, Saul Alinsky is another person whose life I admire. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saul_Alinsky Alinsky was a radical in his methods, but one who eschewed the doctrinaire self assurance of an ideologue. When asked if he ever considered joining the Communist Party he famously replied”
“Not at any time. I’ve never joined any organization—not even the ones I’ve organized myself. I prize my own independence too much. And philosophically, I could never accept any rigid dogma or ideology, whether it’s Christianity or Marxism. One of the most important things in life is what Judge Learned Hand described as ‘that ever-gnawing inner doubt as to whether you’re right.’ If you don’t have that, if you think you’ve got an inside track to absolute truth, you become doctrinaire, humorless and intellectually constipated. The greatest crimes in history have been perpetrated by such religious and political and racial fanatics, from the persecutions of the Inquisition on down to Communist purges and Nazi genocide.”
His was a belief that has resonated with me since those radical days in the 60’s, with the Movement, when I was surrounded by and courted by various ideologies, mostly Marxist whose rigidity of thought and party line belief, actually disgusted me. Yet there was Alinsky, the man who literally wrote the book on community organizing, who felt similarly towards ideological rigidity. He was truly an America Patriot, whose guiding idea was to assist downtrodden people to gain power over their lives and give them a chance to decide their fates. Alinsky was a man who achieved great success, if you define success as achieving ones goals. The disdain and demonization again being heaped upon him today comes from the very real threat his methodology has towards the 1% elite and curiously that aim of his was the reinstatement of “The American Dream” of freedom, equality and social justice. Continue reading ‘Who in Hell is Saul Alinsky?’
A Response To Senator Carl Levin: Part II
Published 1, January 27, 2012 Congress , Constitutional Law , Politics , Religion , Society 111 Comments
After my recent column on “Ten Reasons The U.S. Is No Longer The Land Of The Free,” I ran a response to claims made by Senator Carl Levin (D., Mich.) who was the main sponsor of the legislation including the indefinite detention provisions. Levin has now run a letter to the editor in response to my column that I believe is highly misleading and leaves readers with a false impression of both the law and my column.
Continue reading ‘A Response To Senator Carl Levin: Part II’
Indiana Senate Moves Toward Teaching Of Creationism In Public Schools
Published 1, January 27, 2012 Academics , Constitutional Law , Courts , Politics , Religion , Society , Supreme Court 41 Comments
The Senate Education Committee of the Indiana Senate has overwhelmingly voted to approve a bill allowing for the teaching of creationism in the state’s public schools. The Sponsor is Senator Dennis Kruse.
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Santorum: Just Say No To Education
Published 1, January 26, 2012 Academics , Bizarre , Politics , Society 147 Comments
We have previously discussed the rising anti-intellectualism in the GOP race from the rejection of basic science principles to the demonification of academics and higher education. Rick Santorum this week ramped up on the attacks on colleges and universities with a speech that seemed to call for voters to avoid supporting — or even attempting — college. Santorum appears to be proudly embracing the pledge of Will Rogers that “America is becoming so educated that ignorance will be a novelty. I will belong to the select few.”
Gingrich Accused Of Violating 12th Commandment: Thou Shalt Not Speak Ill Of Reagan
Published 1, January 26, 2012 Bizarre , Politics 58 Comments
While Nancy Pelosi continues to warn Republicans not to nominate Newt Gingrich (which is being used by the Romney camp this week), the Republican establishment is doing a full court press against Gingrich. That has led to some curious moments like Ann Coulter denouncing Gingrich for “hotheaded arrogance”. However, the strangest came from Elliott Abrams who accused Gingrich of the greatest sin of a Republican. No it is not endorsing torture or promising to renew the Iraqi War or even wiping out the separation of church and state. It is the unspeakable act of criticizing Ronald Reagan. Reagan famously handed down the 11th Commandment “Thou shalt not speak ill of any fellow Republican.” However, that is merely a venal not the mortal sin of violating the 12th Commandment, “Thou shalt not speak ill of Reagan.”
One in Five Young Germans Do Not Know Auschwitz Was A Death Camp
Published 1, January 26, 2012 Academics , International , Politics , Religion , Society 30 Comments
We have previously discussed how history is being forgotten in the United States, England, and other countries. We can now add Germany to the list. While one would hope that there are certain historical facts that are indelible, one in five young Germans has no idea that Auschwitz was a Nazi death camp.
Continue reading ‘One in Five Young Germans Do Not Know Auschwitz Was A Death Camp’
Pelosi: Gingrich Unelectable Because “There Is Something I Know.”
Published 1, January 25, 2012 Bizarre , Congress , Politics , Society 66 Comments
I previously criticized Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi for suggesting that she has dirt on Newt Gingrich but would disclose it later. She has returned to that ignoble theme in an interview with CNN, saying that Gingrich will not be elected because “There is something I know.” I have been a vocal critic of Gingrich on this blog, but once again I view this low-grade form of politicking to be grossly unfair to Gingrich and a further degrading of our political system. If you want to attack Gingrich, then do it. Do not constantly suggest that you have severed heads in a duffel bag or some other evidence against the man.
Continue reading ‘Pelosi: Gingrich Unelectable Because “There Is Something I Know.”’
Get Shortey: Oklahoma Senator Faces Down Cannibals With Bill To Bar Use Of Human Fetuses In Food
Published 1, January 25, 2012 Bizarre , Politics 20 Comments
Oklahoma GOP State Senator Ralph Shortey is one politician who is not afraid to take on special interest groups. This month he has introduced a bill that will enrage that powerful lobby of commercial product cannibals who seek to use human fetuses to spice up food. Shortey’s bill would prohibit the manufacturing and sale of food “which contains aborted human fetuses.” First, however, you will have to find one.
Officer Pulls Over South Carolina Mayor For Speeding . . . Mayor Then Pulls Over Officer
Published 1, January 24, 2012 Bizarre , Criminal law , Politics 18 Comments
Norway Mayor Jim Preacher was not apparently happy about being pulled over by a South Carolina state trooper for speeding. After being given a ticket, Preacher proceeded to put on his own blue lights and pulled over the trooper in his capacity as Norway’s chief constable.
French Senate Makes Denying Armenian Genocide A Crime
Published 1, January 24, 2012 Constitutional Law , Free Speech , International , Politics 19 Comments
We have been following the rapid diminishing of free speech in the West in recent years. It is particularly disconcerting to see this trend in our close allies of England and France (For a prior column, click here). Now, the French Senate has added a new speech crime — denying the fact of the Armenian genocide by Turkey. While I commend the motivation, the legislation is blind to the implications to free speech by criminalizing certain subjects for debate. It seeks to force critics to be silent under threat of criminal prosecution — an approach that produces only the appearance of agreement while denying citizens the basic right to be heard on such controversies.
Continue reading ‘French Senate Makes Denying Armenian Genocide A Crime’
Rushdie To Judgment: Muslim Groups File Police Complaint Over Reading of Book By Salman Rushie
Published 1, January 23, 2012 Bizarre , International , Politics , Religion , Society 8 Comments
We have followed the rising prosecution of people for blasphemy around the world, including the West. Now, Muslim groups in India are calling for the prosecution of organizers for reading from Salman Rushdie’s banned book “Satanic Verses” at the Jaipur Literature Festival. Abdul Latif, state secretary of All India Milli council refers to the mere reading from the book as “condemnable” and said that the groups are collecting evidence for prosecution.
Editor of American Jewish Magazine Calls For Israel’s Mossad To Kill Obama
Published 1, January 23, 2012 Bizarre , Politics , Society 58 Comments
Andrew Adler, the owner and publisher of the Atlanta Jewish Times, has apologized after running a column that lists three options for Israel to deal with its current threats that included killing Barack Obama. The column went out of its way to make sure that readers “read ‘three’ correctly” — “U.S. based Mossad agents” should kill the president. The column is just one more example of how religious writers and politicians use faith as a vehicle for hate and violent speech. Given our discussion of Santorum’s honorary campaign chairman (who denounced gays as making God want to vomit), one has to wonder about the intestinal fortitude of the Almighty during periods of sectarian extremism.
Continue reading ‘Editor of American Jewish Magazine Calls For Israel’s Mossad To Kill Obama’
Human Rights Report: Iraq Now A “Budding Police State”
Published 1, January 23, 2012 International , Military , Politics 23 Comments
Remember our plans to introduce a free and democratic nation in Iraq? We have been following the rampant corruption and increasing use of Sharia law in the country. Now, the Human Rights Watch has issued a report that our billions of dollars and many lives were spent to achieve . . . “a budding police state” where torture and abuse is widespread. In the meantime, we have spent ten years cutting back on essential services and programs in the United States to fund this shining example of American intervention.
Continue reading ‘Human Rights Report: Iraq Now A “Budding Police State”’
Meet Rev. O’Neal Dozier: Santorum’s Florida Campaign Chairman Under Fire For Saying Gays “Make God Want To Vomit”
Published 1, January 23, 2012 Bizarre , Politics , Religion , Society 26 Comments
Rick Santorum has long been ridiculed for his anti-homosexual views, but he appears to have someone who can actually extend the extreme of the spectrum to his right: Rev. O’Neil Dozier. Dozier has told his flock that gay “make God want to vomit.” He appears to know a great deal about things that make God vomit. His website describes him as “a prayer warrior who faithfully spends time in his own prayer closet and teaches his flock to pray.” This is one American who might be better off staying in the closet.
Submitted by Mark Esposito, Guest Blogger
The vote in South Carolina has propelled the lazy paced Republican race for its presidential nomination into high-gear. Gingrich’s convincing win against Romney has made what appeared just a few days ago as a Romney coronation into a two-horse race. Written off for dead last summer when his staff unceremoniously quit and the money dried up, Gingrich supporters are justifiably giddy by winning this ultra-conservative state, which has an undeniable track record of picking the eventual Republican candidate for the nation’s biggest political job. What makes this an even more impressive win is Gingrich’s lack of boots on the ground in these primary races and an almost indifferent attitude toward campaign infra-structure. Gingrich did say he was running a new kind of campaign, but what candidate hasn’t?
Blocking the Vote: A Look at Who Is Behind Republican Efforts to Erect Voting Barriers in America
Published 1, January 21, 2012 Justice , Politics , Uncategorized 100 Comments
Submitted by Elaine Magliaro, Guest Blogger
Last December, the NAACP released a report titled Defending Democracy: Confronting Modern Barriers to Voting Rights in America. The report reveals “direct connections between the trend of increasing, unprecedented African American and Latino voter turnout and an onslaught of restrictive measures across the country designed to stem electoral strength among communities of color.”
Benjamin Jealous, NAACP President and CEO, said, “It’s been more than a century since we’ve seen such a tidal wave of assaults on the right to vote. Historically, when voting rights are attacked, it’s done to facilitate attacks on other rights. It is no mistake that the groups who are behind this are simultaneously attacking very basic women’s rights, environmental protections, labor rights, and educational access for working people and minorities.” He added, “Voting rights attacks are the flip side of buying a democracy. First you buy all the leaders you can, and then you suppress as many votes as possible of the people who might object.”
I should add that African American and Latino voters aren’t the only people who are being targeted by the “block the vote” effort. Young people and the elderly in some states may also face hurdles if they hope to exercise their right to vote in the November elections.
“The Authoritarians”, A Book Review and Book”
Published 1, January 21, 2012 Academics , Columns , Free Speech , Justice , Media , Military , Politics , Religion , Science , Society 29 CommentsSubmitted by: Mike Spindell, guest blogger
This week I’m presenting something a little different as a blog. I’ve just read an incredibly interesting book that I was turned onto by either or both, Dredd and Anon Nurse. This book has added scientific clarity to a phenomenon that I’ve noticed for many years, with dismay. Why is it that some people, in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary, doggedly hold onto beliefs that they can’t logically defend? We can all agree that there are some issues that simply do not lend themselves to being categorized into absolutes of right and wrong. However, I will let the reader catalog those issues mentally, since there will be some who would no doubt take umbrage from any examples I would personally present. Yet I assert that there are some issues where despite probable protests, are not open to rational dispute. One of these is the age of the Earth and the Universe. The Earth is far older than Creationists/Intelligent Design advocates would set at six or seven thousand years. This is proven fact. I note that there are many religious people who accept this scientific fact and yet still believe in a creator and while not by any means a fundamentalist, I do believe that there is a creative force that informs the Universe. Whatever that force may be, it did its thing multiple billions of years ago.
I presented the above to illustrate the difference between a proven fact and an as yet, if ever, provable belief. The book “The Authoritarians” was written by Bob Altemeyer, Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada. Professor Altemeyer has spent more than forty years doing research as a Social Psychologist into the parameters and root causes of authoritarian behavior in human beings. John Dean, of Watergate renown, made Bob semi-famous by using Bob’s work as a framework for his book “Conservatives Without Conscience”. I call Professor Altemeyer “Bob”, not out of personal familiarity, but because one of the joys of this book is that though it is a serious socio-psychological work, it is written by a man who doesn’t take himself too seriously, while presenting a very serious subject. My original intent in writing this piece was to present my conclusions, using the book as backup. However, the book, though well-documented, is only 262 pages and at the end of this piece will be a link that allows you to download it for free and read it. Bob presents this important topic far better than I could ever condense it. I’ll just give you a taste, hopefully whetting your appetite and then let you read it for yourself and draw your own conclusions. Continue reading ‘“The Authoritarians”, A Book Review and Book”’
Just Say No To Idolatry: Hamas Shuts Down Program As “Indecent” Under Islamic Law
Published 1, January 20, 2012 Bizarre , Free Speech , International , Politics , Religion , Society 14 Comments
Those crazy guys in Hamas are at it again. After banning women from riding motorcycles and men working as hairdressers and other “immodest acts,” Hamas has shutdown the Palestinian version of “American Idol” as “indecent” under Islamic laws and values. However, it appears kid shows featuring dismemberment and camps for kids to learn kidnapping are perfectly decent.
Continue reading ‘Just Say No To Idolatry: Hamas Shuts Down Program As “Indecent” Under Islamic Law’
Atheist Arrested In Indonesia For Blasphemy For Writing On Facebook “God Does Not Exist”
Published 1, January 20, 2012 Constitutional Law , Criminal law , International , Politics , Religion , Society 11 Comments
We have been following the increasing abuse of the legal system in Indonesia, including the application of Sharia law. Now, an atheist (identified only as Alexander) has been arrested and faced five years in jail for questioning the existence of God on his Facebook page. It is the latest blasphemy arrest, discussed earlier in a column.
A Suicidal Pledge? Gingrich Reaffirms Pledge To Violate Constitution After Promising To Kill Enemies Of Our Nation
Published 1, January 19, 2012 Bizarre , Constitutional Law , Politics , Society 115 CommentsAfter pledging to kill our enemies, Newt Gingrich returned to one of his favorite themes: violating the United States Constitution. In Greenville, South Carolina, Gingrich again said that he would ignore Supreme Court decisions that he disagreed with. We have previously discussed the flaws in Gingrich’s legal and historical views, but my concern is that pledging to violate the Constitution would make Gingrich an enemy of our constitutional system. Does this mean that his first act would be to add his own name to the presidential hit list?
Bibles For Buncombe: North Carolina School Distributes Free Bibles But Refuses Donation Of Pagan Books
Published 1, January 19, 2012 Academics , Constitutional Law , Politics , Religion , Society 17 Comments
In North Carolina, students at the North Windy Ridge Intermediate School were told that they could pick up a free Bible, donated by the Gideons. When Ginger Strivelli’s son came home with a new Bible, she decided to offer her own free copies of sacred books. She is a pagan and brought pagan spell books to the office. She was turned away (though I expect spell books in the age of Harry Potter would be snatched up like Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans). The Buncombe County Board of Education now says that it will reexamine its policies. However, this only came after a non-Christian religion asked for the same access to schools.
SITES UNITE TO STOP SOPA
Published 1, January 18, 2012 Academics , Congress , Constitutional Law , Courts , Criminal law , Media , Politics 79 Comments
Sites like Wikipedia, Google, YouTube, and Reddit have gone black this morning in protest of The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), which threatens Internet independence and free speech as well as a host of other rights. We have long discussed the ever-widening array of criminal and civil penalties pushed through Congress by the powerful radio and television lobby as well as other industry groups. The Obama Administration has been particularly willing to carry the water for these groups over objections from public interest groups. SOPA reflects the power of this lobby and its hold over members of Congress and the Obama Administration. While the Obama Administration has now responded to the outcry by insisting that it will tweak the bill, such promises ring hallow given its past efforts to appease this industry and its dishonest statements recently in other areas like the indefinite detention controversy. Notably, the recent admission from the White House that it has some concerns over the bill did not come until the public rallied against the bill — another indication of the control of an industry group in the drafting of legislation. This lobby is not going to go quietly into the night. It is more likely that it will work with the White House and Congress to achieve the same purposes with an incremental series of laws — if it does not simply win outright.
Gingrich Pledges To Kill Enemies Of The United States
Published 1, January 18, 2012 Bizarre , International , Politics 57 Comments
I have previously questioned the historical and legal views of Newt Gingrich. However, we may agree on one recent historical claim: that Andrew Jackson tended to address enemies by killing them. As shown in the video below, Gingrich embraced this approach as a campaign pledge — eclipsing prior campaign pledges in the primary to bomb countries or torture detainees.
Continue reading ‘Gingrich Pledges To Kill Enemies Of The United States’
Laying Hands On The Faithful: Did Valerie Jarrett Trip The Wire In Using Atlanta Church To Stump For Obama
Published 1, January 17, 2012 Politics , Religion , Society 33 CommentsDemocrats and independents have often challenged the use of churches by GOP candidates for campaigning and voter registration drives. The same concern would appear raised by the remarks of senior White House adviser Valerie Jarrett this Sunday at Ebenezer Baptist Church where she appeared to be stumping for the President — followed by a voter registration drive at the church.
Indefinite Detention of Citizens: A Response To Senator Carl Levin
Published 1, January 16, 2012 Congress , Constitutional Law , Courts , Criminal law , Free Speech , International , Lawyering , Military , Politics , Society 219 Comments
Yesterday, my column “10 Reasons The United States Is No Longer The Land Of The Free” ran in the Sunday Washington Post. I have been heartened by response to the column. However, a few commenters continue to suggest that the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) does not allow for the indefinite detention of citizens. This claim is being advanced by Senator Carl Levin (D., Mich.) in emails and fax messages to voters. I wanted to respond to Senator Levin’s points which are detached from language of the law and the clear intent of the majority of Senators. I would also like to address those who have stated that our liberties are not at risk when such powers will not affect most Americans.
Continue reading ‘Indefinite Detention of Citizens: A Response To Senator Carl Levin’
English Citizens Increasingly Turning To Sharia Courts
Published 1, January 16, 2012 Constitutional Law , Courts , International , Politics , Religion , Society 20 Comments
We have spent considerable time on this blog discussing the dangers of Sharia system in various Muslim countries like Iran and Saudi Arabia, particularly in the treatment of women and girls. However, in any free nation, citizens should be allowed to resolve their own disputes through private mediation or religious adjudications. This is what is happening increasingly in England where Muslims are circumventing the court system in favor of Islamic courts and Sharia law. The growing influence of Sharia courts has raised concerns among women’s groups and such reliance should come with added vigilance to ensure that all of the parties are truly consenting to such faith-based adjudications.
Continue reading ‘English Citizens Increasingly Turning To Sharia Courts’
Did Martin Luther King’s ‘Dream’ Come True?
Published 1, January 15, 2012 Congress , Constitutional Law , Courts , Free Speech , Justice , Politics , Religion , Society 73 Comments
Respectfully Submitted by Lawrence Rafferty (rafflaw)-Guest Blogger
On Monday we celebrate the life of the Reverend Martin Luther King and honor him for his work with the Civil Rights movement. One of his most famous speeches was the 1963 “I Have A Dream” speech that he gave in Washington, D.C. to a crowd of thousands. In that speech he laid out his vision and hopes for the Civil Rights movement. I would like to review some of his words and discuss if his dream came true for African-Americans and minorities throughout our country. “I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.” ‘ Huffington Post Continue reading ‘Did Martin Luther King’s ‘Dream’ Come True?’
The DHS Wants to Know Who’s Spreading the News (or Expressing an Opinion), Your Rights Optional
Published 1, January 15, 2012 Constitutional Law , Free Speech , Justice , Media , Politics , Society , Supreme Court , Uncategorized 110 Comments
Submitted by Gene Howington, Guest Blogger
Freedom of speech is a well established right in this country and rooted in the 1st Amendment. ”Congress shall make no law [. . .] abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press”. The U.N.’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights Article 19 reads, “Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.” Within the United States and our jurisprudence there are some exceptions to this freedom, but by in large (up to this point in history) the restrictions are both reasonable and necessary: the Miller test for obscenity, child pornography laws, laws prohibiting speech that incites imminent lawless action, restrictions on fighting words, regulation of commercial speech such as advertising, copyright and patent laws protecting authors and inventors control over their work, and the prohibition of slander and defamation.
Let’s be clear here that the subject isn’t just free speech, but anonymous political free speech.
Here at Res Ipsa Loqitur, there is a long standing policy of allowing anonymous posting to comments and protecting poster’s anonymity. The decision to post under your own name or not is entirely yours. This policy encourages free speech while allowing that having an unpopular or minority point of view should not have negative political consequences for the speaker or unnecessarily complicate their lives simply for expressing their views. Many political insiders and Washington professionals have told Professor Turley that they enjoy reading this blog and have enjoyed posting anonymously. The only posters here required to use their real identities are the guest bloggers and the requirement is voluntary. None of us were coerced into using our real names. When offered the honor of being a guest blogger, it was simply (and I think I speak for all the guest bloggers when I say fairly) a requirement in assuming editorial responsibilities. However, all of this raises an important question.
Do you have a right to anonymous political free speech?
According to the Supreme Court, you do. According to the Department of Homeland Security, you don’t. They’ve hired General Dynamics to track U.S. citizens exercising this critical civil right.
10 Reasons The U.S. Is No Longer The Land Of The Free
Published 1, January 15, 2012 Academics , Columns , Congress , Constitutional Law , Free Speech , International , Media , Politics , Society , Supreme Court 393 Comments
Below is today’s column in the Sunday Washington Post. The column addresses how the continued rollbacks on civil liberties in the United States conflicts with the view of the country as the land of the free. If we are going to adopt Chinese legal principles, we should at least have the integrity to adopt one Chinese proverb: “The beginning of wisdom is to call things by their right names.” We seem as a country to be in denial as to the implications of these laws and policies. Whether we are viewed as a free country with authoritarian inclinations or an authoritarian nation with free aspirations (or some other hybrid definition), we are clearly not what we once were.
Continue reading ’10 Reasons The U.S. Is No Longer The Land Of The Free’
Robot Love?
Published 1, January 14, 2012 Academics , Bizarre , Columns , Courts , Economics , Justice , Lawyering , Media , Politics , Religion , Science , Society , Torts 50 CommentsSubmitted by: Mike Spindell, guest blogger
Almost four weeks ago I read an article in Huffington Post entitled: “Can Loving A Robot Lead to Divorce?” by Vicki Larson, a journalist. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/vicki-larson/robots_1_b_1150679.html Ms. Larson introduces her piece by quoting the claims of a current manufacturer of anatomically correct “sex robots”, who presumably speak and move in sexual ways. I followed the article’s link to the website of the robots inventor, Douglas Hines, who enthusiastically discusses his creation and has a few videos (non-explicit) that demonstrate the robot’s “capabilities”. While the HuffPost article links the Company’s website, I’m not doing it here, since publicizing this device is not my aim. Should you want further information it is available at the articles link. The “sex robot” being produced now is but an update on inflatable sex toys, though with a “skeleton”, rudimentary movement and speech added. It therefore is only an opening reference to a real issue that will shortly become scientifically possible.
The next part of this short article is an overview with of the opinion of Artificial Intelligence Expert David Levy http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=humans-marrying-robots “It also may be the future of love and marriage, if you believe artificial intelligent (AI) expert David Levy, author of Love and Sex With Robots. According to Levy, human-robot sex, love and marriage is inevitable — perhaps as soon as 2025. He predicts that robots may not only be more lovable and faithful than many humans, but they may even be more emotionally available than the “typical American human male.” Not only will they make us become better, more creative lovers, but they also will offer those singles who feel a void in their emotional and sexual lives and married couples with differing sexual needs new, nonjudgmental ways to be happy and healthy. Although Levy believes that the “availability of regular sex with a robot will dramatically reduce the incidence of infidelity as we know it today,” he also acknowledges there may be some potential sticky points. “Some human spouses and lovers might consider robot sex to be just as unfaithful as sex with another person.”
Levy’s view naturally flows into the conclusion of the article which is an E Mail interview with Sonya Ziaja, a San Francisco Bay Area attorney who blogs at numerous law and policy media outlets as well as her own, Shark. Laser. Blawg.
“And what could be more fraught with legal dilemmas than a love triangle among a married couple and a sexbot? How that might impact a divorce? That’s what Ziaja explores in her paper, “Homewrecker 2.0: An Exploration of Liability for Heart Balm Torts Involving AI Humanoid Consorts,” which she presented at the 2011 International Conference on Social Robotics that took place in Amsterdam at the end of November.
“If the doll’s owner becomes enamored with the doll, and leaves his spouse, can the spouse sue as she or he would be able to if the interloper had been human? And who would be sued? The manufacturer? Inventor? The AI itself?” she questions. “So long as we’re intent on adding socially interactive AI into situations that would ordinarily be only human. … socially interactive robots need to be ‘safe to play with’ in a way that manufacturers of toaster ovens never had to imagine.”
Thus we are presented here with a legal quandary instigated by the advent of revolutionary technology affecting serious legal, moral and ethical issues. How should we view this inevitability and how shall we deal with it as a society? Continue reading ‘Robot Love?’
Pat and Keith’s Excellent Adventure: Pundit Soap Operas
Published 1, January 14, 2012 Media , Politics 41 CommentsSubmitted by Mark Esposito, Guest Blogger
Venerable daytime soap One Life To Live may have signed off for the last time Friday after 44 years, but the tales of two political pundits are poised to take up the slack. msnbc reports that uber-conservative Pat Buchanan has been granted leave of absence from the cable network after coming out with his new screed book, Suicide of a Superpower. With tantalizing chapter titles like The End of White America and The Death of Christian America, network chief Phil Griffin pulled the plug on msnbc’s version of the “Wild Man of Borneo” in October saying he “didn’t think it should be part of the national dialogue much less part of the dialogue on MSNBC.” Amen to that brother, but shouldn’t we at least get a little sample like this beaut:
Back then, black and white lived apart, went to different schools and churches, played on different playgrounds, and went to different restaurants, bars, theaters, and soda fountains. But we shared a country and a culture. We were one nation. We were Americans.
Continue reading ‘Pat and Keith’s Excellent Adventure: Pundit Soap Operas’
British Find That Detainee Was Tortured As Part Of American Interrogation . . . Obama Administration Threatens To Cut Off Intelligence To England
Published 1, January 13, 2012 Criminal law , International , Politics 78 CommentsWhile the Obama Administration continues to block any independent investigation in this country or by other countries, Britain has angered Obama officials by confirming that a suspect was tortured as part of his interrogation by the United State in Morocco. The use of other countries to torture U.S. detainees through “extraordinary renditions” is well documented. However, the Obama Administration reportedly threatened to cut off Britain from access to intelligence if the country told the truth about the torture of Binyam Mohamed. Thus, while publicly condemning the desecration of dead Taliban as “deplorable” and promising an investigation (after the photos were published by the media), the Administration continues to use classification laws to prevent the truth from being revealed about American involvement in potential war crimes. What is particularly disturbing is that this story has received relatively little attention in the United States media, which appears to have “moved beyond” torture in favor of Tebow as a worthy subject of coverage.
Brava, Jessica Ahlquist: Rhode Island High School Student Wins Separation Lawsuit
Published 1, January 12, 2012 Academics , Constitutional Law , Politics , Religion , Society 124 Comments
Rhode Island high school student Jessica Ahlquist has taught her school officials a useful lesson on civics this week. The Cranston High School West student won her challenge to a large prayer mural displayed at the school with a federal judge ordering its removal as a violation of the separation of church and state.
Continue reading ‘Brava, Jessica Ahlquist: Rhode Island High School Student Wins Separation Lawsuit’
Tennessee City Manager Criticized For Ending Regular Prayer Meetings For City Employees During Work Hours
Published 1, January 12, 2012 Politics , Religion , Society 19 Comments
Michelle Williams, was the city manager of Mt. Pleasant, Tennessee for only one full week when she tackled a controversial practice: prayer services during office hours of the employees at City Hall. For years, the local chaplain has been holding prayer services during work hours and Williams pointed out that such observations violated the separation of church and state. She got the local chaplain to agree to hold the daily prayers either before or after work hours. This manifestly reasonable request has led to opposition from some, including City Commissioner Bob Shackelford who wants the prayer sessions to continue.
Continue reading ‘Tennessee City Manager Criticized For Ending Regular Prayer Meetings For City Employees During Work Hours’
Too Sooner For Sharia? Tenth Circuit Rules Against Oklahoma’s Anti-Sharia Law
Published 1, January 11, 2012 Constitutional Law , Courts , International , Politics , Religion , Society , Supreme Court 21 Comments
We previously discussed the law passed in Oklahoma barring state judges from considering Islamic and international law in their decisions. Now the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit has blocked the law. The three-judge panel upheld an injunction barring certification of Question 755. The decision has some important language for both standing and free exercise claims.
Continue reading ‘Too Sooner For Sharia? Tenth Circuit Rules Against Oklahoma’s Anti-Sharia Law’
Women Barred From Speaking At Gynecological Conference in Israel Due Pressure From Orthodox Jewish Groups
Published 1, January 11, 2012 Constitutional Law , International , Politics , Society 69 Comments
A conference on “Innovations in Gynecology/Obstetrics and Halacha [Jewish law]” will be held this week to discuss such things as “how to choose a suitable contraceptive pill” but women will be barred as speakers. Bowing to ultra-Orthodox Jewish leaders in Israel, the Puah Institute has barred female speakers and ordered that women are to be segregated in female-only areas. With the ongoing protests over the mistreatment of women and girls by Orthodox Jews in some areas, the conference only magnifies the tensions in the country.
Hindus Protest Move To End Ritual Of Low Caste Indians Rolling In The Leftover Food Of Higher Caste Indians
Published 1, January 10, 2012 Bizarre , Free Speech , International , Politics , Religion 28 Comments
Made Snana is a century-old ritual in India where low-caste Hindus roll in the leftover food from the meals of higher caste Brahmins. It is believed to be cure of such things as skin disorders and fulfillment of wishes, but a group of religious leaders have called for a ban on the practice. That has prompted violent attacks from those insisting on the continuation of the ritual.
Bravo, Colonel Bruno, Bravo
Published 1, January 10, 2012 Constitutional Law , Politics , Religion , Society 57 Comments
We are often discussing stories of religious intolerance and sectarian prejudice on this blog, so it is refreshing to report an act of kindness and tolerance on occasion. Despite opposition from Christian groups, the United States Air Force Academy has established an area for pagans to pray in Colorado called the Falcon Circle. The academy’s senior chaplain, Col. Robert Bruno, insisted that freedom of religion means that cadets should be able to practice their religion — a novel concept to some who later desecrated the religious site.
Catholic Cardinal: UNESCO Plots To Make “Half The World Population Homosexual”
Published 1, January 9, 2012 Bizarre , Politics , Religion 20 Comments
For some people, a dark global conspiracy evolves around the trilateral commission or the military-industrial complex or even fluoride in the water. For some in the Vatican, it appears to be that sinister group in United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and their insidious plan to make “half the world population homosexual.” It is not clear who our overlord in the new gay regime will be, but I see the hand of Harvey Fierstein who has secretly longed for global domination.
Continue reading ‘Catholic Cardinal: UNESCO Plots To Make “Half The World Population Homosexual”’
Perry Outdoes Opponents and Appears To Suggest the Re-Invasion of Iraq
Published 1, January 9, 2012 International , Politics , Society 37 Comments
Even with Ron Paul shredding Newt Gingrich as a “chickenhawk,” Rick Perry outdid a field of candidates who appear to be running on promises to invade or bomb other countries. However Perry is the only guy who is not only eager to start another war but willing to restart a prior war. Top that Newt.
Continue reading ‘Perry Outdoes Opponents and Appears To Suggest the Re-Invasion of Iraq’
How the Bankers of Wall Street Are Helping to Bankrupt America
Published 1, January 8, 2012 Economics , Politics 114 Comments
Submitted by Elaine Magliaro, Guest Blogger
I’ve heard many politicians talk about what they believe were the causes of the financial meltdown of 2008 and the money problems facing our federal, state, and local governments today. These causes include: collective bargaining, pensions, healthcare costs for public workers; subprime mortgages taken out by poor people who couldn’t actually afford to buy homes; the high costs of Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. Many of these same politicians rarely put the blame for the financial crises we are experiencing in this country today on the cost of waging two wars—or on the financial shenanigans of the big banks of Wall Street.
In February of 2010, Mike Elk wrote an article for the Huffington Post titled How Big Banks’ Greek-Style Schemes Are Bankrupting States Across the U.S. In it, he talked about a financial instrument called the “interest rate swap”—which is a kind of unregulated derivative.
Here’s an excerpt from Elk’s article:
Just when you thought Wall Street couldn’t get any more clever in their attempts at predatory lending, they have.
Big Banks have created an exotic financial instrument that is the equivalent of a payday loan for cash-strapped state and local governments, innocently labeled an “interest rate swap.”
In the United States, states and local governments cannot run deficits. This year states face a $357 billion budget shortfall and local governments are facing an additional $82 billion budget shortfall. States have begun cutting basic services like snow removal, reduced garbage pickup, and in Colorado Springs they went to the pawn shop – selling police helicopters on the Internet.
In a desperate effort to meet budget needs, states and local governments over the last decade have gone to the big banks to ask for exotic instruments known as interest rate swaps. These desperate state and local governments were taken advantage of in the same way that Greece was by Goldman Sachs. Likewise, these swaps are threatening the economic health of local cities and states.
Continue reading ‘How the Bankers of Wall Street Are Helping to Bankrupt America’
America’s Transcendent Issue
Published 1, January 7, 2012 Columns , Congress , Constitutional Law , Courts , Criminal law , Economics , International , Justice , Media , Military , Politics , Religion , Society , Supreme Court , Uncategorized 239 CommentsTags: America, congress, corruption, defense, democracy, economics, government, politics, prisons, religion, society
Submitted by: Mike Spindell, guest blogger
When you contemplate all of the problems that beset us in this election year it is hard not to feel daunted by the task of finding solutions. Many millions of American’s are without jobs, with the prospect of future employment seeming illusory. The top 1% of the American population controls vast amounts of the country’s wealth. http://www.businessinsider.com/15-charts-about-wealth-and-inequality-in-america-2010-4?op=1 Wages of average Americans have stagnated for the past 40 years to such an extent that our middle class is shrinking rapidly. The housing boom of years past has become a bust of monumental proportions and foreclosures are destroying formerly viable neighborhoods. Our once barely adequate “safety net” has been shredded and there are attempts to destroy both Social Security and Medicare as we know it. Despite a weak attempt at Medical reform millions of Americans find health care unaffordable, with many dying and others forced into bankruptcy to stay alive. Due to lack of money America’s once magnificent infrastructure is rotting and solutions are not on the horizon.
The collapse and bailout of our banking industry has cost us trillions and appears to have been brought about by fraudulent practices on the part of the industry, yet no one has been indicted. In fact the remuneration of top executives in this duplicitous industry has actually increased. Efforts to impose stiff controls ensuring that these artificial crises don’t happen again and that these huge financial entities do business ethically, have failed to pass the Congress. We see that the fallout from the American banking crisis has undercut the world’s economy and that economic crises in other industrialized nations appear regularly. Please notice I’m only referring to the economic problems we face and only producing a partial list of those economic problems.
We have seemingly come to the conclusion of an unnecessary war in Iraq, where trillions were spent and perhaps a million were killed, yet the withdrawal of troops is to bases that surround Iraq. We are leaving about 40,000 Americans in country, many as mercenaries (contractors is a euphemism) as we support the largest diplomatic infrastructure in any foreign nation. The war in Afghanistan still rages in a land that has never been significantly shaped by any outside empire, this despite the killing of Osama Bin Laden and the virtual destruction of Al Qaeda. Hundreds of billions are being spent and the lives of our troops are put in danger, in an exercise with little hope of success. Billions are going towards building Afghanistan’s infrastructure as ours is falling apart. Yet these instances fail to raise the broad spectrum of the military/foreign policy problems continuing to plague us. These issues include a military budget that far greater than that of all other nations. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_military_expenditures
However, these three paragraphs still do not encompass the broad range of problems we Americans face. There is more to be touched on before we come to the conclusion that I’ve reached, that there is one problem that not only transcends all of these, but its need for immediate solution supersedes any of the others in importance. Continue reading ‘America’s Transcendent Issue’
Is the Cordray Recess Appointment Constitutional?
Published 1, January 6, 2012 Congress , Constitutional Law , Politics , Society 98 CommentsThe recess appointment of Richard Cordray has produced what appears to be the intended political response. The White House wanted to highlight the GOP blocking not just the head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and three members of the National Labor Relations Board. Over the last few days I have been called by various media outfits for a supporting view of the recess appointment of Cordray. However, I do not support the appointments and believe they raise serious constitutional problems.
Continue reading ‘Is the Cordray Recess Appointment Constitutional?’
Is Ron Paul A Clear and Present Threat To War Correspondents?
Published 1, January 6, 2012 Media , Military , Politics 69 Comments
We have yet another live mike mishap. While reporters were waiting to hear from President Obama on his reform of the military, a C-Span mike picked up on reporters saying “See this room? Two-thirds of us laid off when Ron Paul is president.” It is a far point. How can Paul claim to be serious about creating jobs when fewer wars mean fewer war correspondents? In the meantime, President Obama should be credited with taking an unpopular step in calling for a reexamination of our long-standing “two-war” strategy of maintaining an army ready to fight two conventional wars.
Continue reading ‘Is Ron Paul A Clear and Present Threat To War Correspondents?’
Santorum Instructs Students On Same-Sex Marriage and Health Care
Published 1, January 5, 2012 Bizarre , Politics , Society 64 CommentsWe previously discussed the unease of civil libertarians over Rick Santorum, particularly his privacy positions. His appeal to evangelical and faith-based voters was evident in a remarkable appearance in Sioux Center, Iowa. Santorum has a tense exchange over his position on same-sex marriage and health care — making the factual representation that no one has ever died from lack of health care protection and same-sex marriage would have horrific consequences for the nation.
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Turley Blog Hits 10 Million Viewers
Published 1, January 5, 2012 Academics , Animals , Bizarre , Columns , Congress , Constitutional Law , Courts , Criminal law , Economics , Environment , Free Speech , International , Justice , Lawyering , Media , Military , Politics , Religion 20 Comments
Last night, we received word of two considerable accomplishments. First, we won the ABA Journal’s selection as the top opinion blog. Second, we hit our 10 millionth viewer on the blog. We are routinely ranked as one of the most visited legal blogs by AVVO. As our viewership has grown in only a few short years, we have reached a wider and wider international audience.
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TURLEY BLOG PICKED AS TOP OPINION LEGAL BLOG IN 2011
Published 1, January 5, 2012 Academics , Animals , Bizarre , Congress , Constitutional Law , Courts , Criminal law , Economics , Environment , Free Speech , International , Justice , Lawyering , Media , Military , Politics , Religion , Science , Society , Supreme Court , Torts 27 Comments
Last night the editors of the ABA Journal informed us that we have voted the top opinion blog of 2011 in the ABA Journal competition. It is our second such top award in the annual competition and it is an honor shared equally by all of our contributors and readers.
Continue reading ‘TURLEY BLOG PICKED AS TOP OPINION LEGAL BLOG IN 2011′
Rick Santorum: Will Anti-Romney Voters Embrace Anti-Privacy Values?
Published 1, January 4, 2012 Constitutional Law , Politics , Society 74 CommentsThe close second place victory of Rick Santorum in Iowa has elevated the latest choice of Republican for the anti-Romney candidate. Civil libertarians, of course, are well acquainted with Santorum who lost his Pennsylvania seat due to his extremist views. Santorum has outdone his opponents in appealing to evangelical voters by not just virtually promising to go to war upon being elected but is opposed to the Griswold decision.
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Saudi Morality Police Set To Crackdown On Lingerie Stores and Bette Davis Eyes
Published 1, January 4, 2012 Bizarre , Criminal law , Politics , Religion , Society 25 Comments
We previously discussed how the Saudi government has ordered that men can no longer work in women’s lingerie or cosmetic departments or stores. Such work is viewed as an insult to Islam and, on Thursday, the infamous Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice (Haia) will be sweeping through stores looking for any male workers. The religious police also recently announced that they will be cracking down on women with “sexy eyes.” So covering up in a burka is not enough if you have Bette Davis eyes. Sheikh Motlab al Nabet, spokesman of Saudi Arabia’s religious police, declared that “[t]he men of the committee will interfere to force women to cover their eyes, especially the tempting ones.”
Continue reading ‘Saudi Morality Police Set To Crackdown On Lingerie Stores and Bette Davis Eyes’
Obama Given Low Marks In Annual ACLU Report For Civil Liberties — Ranked Lower Than Paul
Published 1, January 3, 2012 Constitutional Law , Politics , Society 46 CommentsWhile this is unlikely to surprise many civil libertarians, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has issued its annual report card called “Liberty Watch 2012” and gave President Obama a failing report (earning the full four “torches” only on the issue of the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy). The Republican candidates were equally dismal but it is rare for the Democratic candidate to be on par or lower than his GOP counterparts on civil liberties. Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson secured the top civil liberties spot while Republican Ron Paul came in second ahead of Obama.
Continue reading ‘Obama Given Low Marks In Annual ACLU Report For Civil Liberties — Ranked Lower Than Paul’
Final Curtain: Obama Signs Indefinite Detention of Citizens Into Law As Final Act of 2011
Published 1, January 2, 2012 Constitutional Law , Politics , Society 655 CommentsPresident Barack Obama rang in the New Year by signing the NDAA law with its provision allowing him to indefinitely detain citizens. It was a symbolic moment to say the least. With Americans distracted with drinking and celebrating, Obama signed one of the greatest rollbacks of civil liberties in the history of our country . . . and citizens partied only blissfully into the New Year.
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Ron Paul And The Separation Of Church And State
Published 1, January 1, 2012 Constitutional Law , Politics , Religion 96 Comments-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger
Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) sees a war on religion being waged by the elitist, secular Left. Paul claims the “separation of church and state” is a phrase taken out of context from Jefferson’s letter to the Danbury Baptists. According to Paul, courts have misread and distorted the meaning of the first amendment so that children are banned from praying in school, courthouses are prohibited from displaying the Ten Commandments, and citizens are prevented from praying before football games.
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“Satan’s Little Helper”? Christian Group Calls For Boycott Of Movie “Hobbit”
Published 1, December 30, 2011 Bizarre , Politics , Religion , Society 61 Comments
Christians For A Moral America really do not want you to see the Hobbit. It appears that really bad things come in really small packages. Producer Sir Peter Jackson is a self-proclaimed atheist. It would appear that he would have been better off proclaiming that he was an orc.
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The Day Happy Died: New Year To Bring End To Happy Hours In Utah
Published 1, December 30, 2011 Constitutional Law , Criminal law , Free Speech , Politics , Religion , Society , Uncategorized 31 Comments
The New Year brings a host of new laws that kick in on the first. For citizens in Utah, the New Year will bring an end to Happy Hours. That’s right, the heavily Mormon state has continued its harassment of citizens who drink and outlawed “drink specials.”
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Paul’s Preacher Probem: Meet Phillip G. Kayser
Published 1, December 30, 2011 Bizarre , Constitutional Law , Media , Politics , Religion , Society 90 Comments
It seems like every election we have another extreme religious figure who becomes a campaign issue for a candidate. Obama had Rev. Wright and McCain had Rev. Hagee and Parsley. Sarah Palin has an actual Kenyan witch hunter. Now Ron Paul has his own embarrassing association. The preacher is Rev. Phillip G. Kayser, a pastor at the Dominion Covenant Church in Nebraska, who has a following in Iowa. The Paul campaign issued a press release (that it later removed from its site) heralding the endorsement of Kayser. The problem is that Kayser believes that gays should be executed according to biblical law. It was a a highly destructive endorsement for Paul who is attracting civil libertarians to his campaign. No one can stop someone from endorsing you, but the campaign clearly sought this endorsement from an extremist with reprehensible views. Unlike Wright, Kayser is not Paul’s personal minister, but the press release made him Paul’s problem in reaching out to civil libertarians.
Continue reading ‘Paul’s Preacher Probem: Meet Phillip G. Kayser’
Former and Current Members of Congress Contradict Gingrich Claims That He Did Not Lobby Congress After Leaving As Speaker
Published 1, December 29, 2011 Congress , Politics , Society 13 CommentsOn the heels of the release of papers that contradict him on his claims regarding his first divorce, Newt Gingrich is now being challenged by a former and a current member of Congress who say that it is not true, as Gingrich has claimed, that he did not lobby Congress after leaving as Speaker of the House of Representatives in 1998.
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Catholic Church In Illinois Closes Adoptions Centers To Avoid Anti-Discrimination Laws
Published 1, December 29, 2011 Constitutional Law , Free Speech , Politics , Religion , Society 47 Comments
Catholic bishops in Illinois have followed their colleagues in other states and shutdown adoption centers rather than comply with anti-discrimination laws requiring equal treatment for gay couples. Despite my support for gay rights and same-sex marriage, I have previously written that anti-discrimination laws are threatening the free exercise of religion. There is a possible distinction between areas like tax exempt status as opposed to contracting with the state. While I strongly disagree with this tenet of Catholic faith, I do not believe that religious organizations should be forced to abandon such principles under anti-discrimination laws as a general matter. Yet, it becomes a more difficult argument in the context of a state contract where the church has decided to compete for government contracts.
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Pakistani Police Arrest Christian For Blasphemy in Church on Christmas
Published 1, December 29, 2011 Constitutional Law , Criminal law , Free Speech , International , Politics , Religion , Society 11 CommentsIn Lahore, Pakistan, police arrested Amanat Masih while he was in church on Christmas day. Masih, 50, was arrested for blasphemy — the second such arrest based on what he insists are trumped up charges by one man. He was previously sent to jail for more than three years for blaspheming Islam.
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Men Who Pray At Goats? Government Spends $1.4 Billion On Such Questions As Whether Remote Prayer Can Heal AIDS
Published 1, December 28, 2011 Academics , Bizarre , Congress , Politics , Religion , Science , Society 45 Comments
The Chicago Tribune is reporting that the federal government has spent almost a billion and a half dollars to explore politically popular but scientifically dubious claims such as $666,000 to determine if distant prayer could heal AIDS. It didn’t. I would be interested in how this was tested. I cannot get the image of Lyn Cassady praying at a goat in a secret military lab.
Just Two Days Left In The ABA Competition: We Need Your Vote!
Published 1, December 28, 2011 Academics , Animals , Bizarre , Congress , Constitutional Law , Courts , Criminal law , Economics , Environment , Free Speech , International , Justice , Lawyering , Media , Military , Politics , Religion , Science , Society 18 CommentsJust as Henry V rallied the thin, tired troops on the eve of the Battle of Agincourt, it is time to make that final call for votes in this year’s competition for the top opinion blog by the American Bar Association. There are now just two days left and, while we have pulled ahead in the last week, the contest remains very close with one of the top five largest legal blogs. If you like our blog, it is time to pony up and vote.
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Orthodox Jews Clashes With Police Over Segregation of Women
Published 1, December 27, 2011 Constitutional Law , Free Speech , International , Media , Politics , Religion 29 CommentsThe previously discussed tension between Orthodox Jews and the Israeli government has reached a flash point with violent clashes in the town of Beit Shemesh near Jerusalem. Reporters have been attacked by Orthodox Jews in filming the town.
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China Gives Human Rights Dissident 10 Years As “Repeat Offender” For Blogging
Published 1, December 27, 2011 Constitutional Law , Free Speech , International , Politics 18 Comments
China has continued its assault on free speech with the sentencing of human rights dissident jails dissident Chen Xi for 10 years. This week, another human rights advocate, Chen Wei, was sentenced to nine years.
Continue reading ‘China Gives Human Rights Dissident 10 Years As “Repeat Offender” For Blogging’
Court Papers Reportedly Contradict Gingrich On First Divorce
Published 1, December 26, 2011 Politics , Religion , Society 241 CommentsOne of the most difficult problems faced by Newt Gingrich in appealing to religious voters is his record of adultery and three marriages. His campaign insists that it was his first wife, Jackie, not Gingrich, who wanted the first divorce. However, recently released papers contradict that claim and indicate it was Newt Gingrich who wanted the divorce.
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U.S. Loses Fight To Block Pollution Tax of Airlines in Europe — Promises An “Appropriate Action” In Response
Published 1, December 26, 2011 Congress , Environment , International , Politics 20 Comments
We previously discussed the ignoble effort of the Obama Administration and U.S. airlines to claim an exemption to the European pollution taxes that applies to all other airlines. They have now lost their case before the European Court of Justice — and the Obama Administration is promising to retaliate.
Montana Voters Move To Recall Senators Over Votes Allowing Indefinite Detention of Citizens
Published 1, December 26, 2011 Constitutional Law , Courts , Politics , Society 62 Comments
We have been discussing the disconnect between citizens who have repeatedly opposed continued rollbacks of civil liberties and the Democratic and Republican leadership pushing for such rollbacks, including the recent provision allowing indefinite detention of citizens under the National Defense Authorization Act of 2011 (NDAA). Now Montana citizens have decided to try another approach given the non-responsive attitude of our leaders — they are moving to remove their two Senators from office over their votes in favor of indefinite detention powers.
Merry Christmas To All
Published 1, December 25, 2011 Academics , Animals , Bizarre , Columns , Congress , Constitutional Law , Courts , Criminal law , Economics , Environment , Politics , Religion , Science , Society , Supreme Court , Torts 32 Comments
Best wishes to everyone celebrating Christmas and Hanukkah. Continue reading ‘Merry Christmas To All’
The Real Insurance Frauds
Published 1, December 24, 2011 Columns , Congress , Courts , Criminal law , Economics , Justice , Lawyering , Media , Politics , Society , Uncategorized 29 CommentsSubmitted by: Mike Spindell, guest blogger
It’s Christmastime again and since my childhood, long ago, the Frank Capra film “It’s A Wonderful Life” has been shown time and again in this season, providing a message of redemption, hope and joy that we associate with this time of year. You all know the plot about selfless George Bailey (James Stewart) a man who has sacrificed his dreams for others and because of his selflessness winds up running the Bailey Building and Loan Association, of Bedford Falls, NY. Because of George this institution has provided home loans for the poor of this rural community and serves as its bank. With the Company on the verge of bankruptcy, through duplicity, George is on the verge of suicide distraught over the losses to those he loves and worried by needs of the average people of his town. You all know this plot and if you don’t its summary is here. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It%27s_a_Wonderful_Life#Plot . I must warn you, perhaps it’s the time of year but I choked up reading the plot, yet again, as I do every time I see this beloved movie.
This introduction has not been made because I’m about to write about banks, or the depredations of the banking industry. Others here and our host have already written extensively on the predatory nature of the banking industry and the harm it has caused to our country. My point of this opening is that we have all grown up with certain mythologies about businesses that provide financial services to the public. This film has had a place in defining that American mythology, in this instance about a bank of sorts, whose leader believes in aiding the community first and profits second. Myths shape our thinking and from my youth I still remember the ad slogan “You have a friend at Chase Manhattan”.
We’ve discovered that banks are anything but our friends. Their bottom line has surpassed service to the point that each customer is looked at as a “cash cow”, to be plundered incessantly with usurious interest and fees for what should be free services. But what about “You’re in Good Hands with Allstate”, “Nationwide Is On Your Side”, or “Like A Good Neighbor State Farm is There”? Surely the Insurance industry supplies the safety net we want for our homes and cars. Do they? Last week I was sent an article by the Independent Claims Adjuster handling my interminable case for mold damage to my home. He’s helping greatly so this isn’t about me, but the article he sent certainly puts into context all the delays in the process and how property insurance companies are maximizing their profits at the expense of their customers. Continue reading ‘The Real Insurance Frauds’
Submitted by Mark Esposito, Guest Blogger
Gingrich At Republican Breakfast With Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell. Is that a little egg I see on you face, Newt?
A Wednesday breakfast attended by the cream of Virginia’s Republican Party apparently won’t substitute for the required 10,000 signatures needed to qualify for this year’s Virginia Presidential Primary. Gingrich had assured the assembled dignitaries, including Virginia governor Bob McDonnell, that he had 12 to 14 thousand signatures granting him a ticket along with Mitt Romney and Ron Paul to the sweepstakes. Apparently, he doesn’t.
The lapse is a bit curious since Gingrich and his wife Callista are long-time McLean, Virginia residents, and are active in all things Northern Virginia including both politics and the community band. Callista plays the French Horn. No word on Newt’s musical talent. (I think he plays the gong.)
Virginia election officials rejected the petition since the required 10,000 signatures were lacking. The move is particularly embarrassing since Gingrich had been privately assuring Virginia Republican Party donors that his organizational troubles stemming from a very public exodus of staff in June were over and it was full steam ahead.
Rick Perry’s petition met the same fate as Newt’s with the numbers lacking. For his part, McDonnell has been mum on his endorsement. Often mentioned as a Republican Vice-Presidential candidate (which he has done nothing to quash), the Governor has been courted, but is yet to pick a horse in the field. With this latest political turn, it’s a better than even bet he won’t be selecting a favorite son candidate.
The news is particularly devastating for Newt who’s been touting his broad appeal among conservative voters beyond Iowa. It seems even paid staffers weren’t enough to canvass the Old Dominion in search of 10,000 signatories, and in Virginia that’s strange.
Once regarded as a reliably red state, Virginia has been trending purple as it propelled Obama’s election to the presidency in 2008 and has elected two moderate Democratic US senators. This latest snafu could be an organizational lapse, or it might be that the winds of changing are blowing in this bellweather state, or it may simply be that the folks who know Newt best aren’t buying.
Source: CNN
~Mark Esposito, Guest Blogger
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