Texas state Rep. Leo Berman (R) has finally acted to combat one of the biggest threats to Texans. No it is not pollution, unemployment, or crime. It is Sharia law. Following 15 other states, he has introduced a bill to ban state court from considering religious or cultural law — an ill-conceived legislative initiative advanced by counterparts in Oklahoma.
Berman is a self-professed birther who has been the subject of demands for his censure in the past. He previously called President Obama “God’s punishment.”
His evidence of the threat is rather hard to follow. He cites the fact that Dearborn, Michigan is home to one of the largest Muslim populations and the largest mosque in North America. Where there are Muslims, he reasons, there is Sharia. Somehow that concentration of Muslims in Michigan is now a direct threat to Texas. When pressed, he explained “I don’t know Dearborn, Michigan but I heard it (Sharia is accepted law here) on the radio. Isn’t that true?“
There you have it. A regular Disraeli of a legislator.
Source: Think Progress
Jonathan Turley
I’m glad I didn’t bother to get board certified in sharia law.
Not to be outdone, a similar proposal has been filed in Florida. One of its co-sponsors is a local trial lawyer with over 20 years of experience, i.e., someone who ought to know better. I’m convinced that there is a Republican playbook that has been distributed to every state legislature containing a Republican supermajority. I do not ever recall so many states simultaneously adopting so many pieces of facially absurd legislation.
On the other hand, I probably wouldn’t object if carefully selected sharia provisions were incorporated into Rule 11.
Anonymously Yours
1, April 14, 2011 at 12:59 pm
Wrong thread sorry…
————————–
AY – I am not technically qualified to diagnose mental illness, but, um, maybe reasoned arguments aren’t, um, going to get much traction in this case…
rafflaw,
“I too would have thought that Berman was a Jewish name.”
At first blush, absolutely. As I stated above, it wouldn’t be too surprising if the Berman family did have some Jewish blood and being who they are (and I’m basing this on Leo’s past aggressive campaign against a Jewish Speaker of the House), ran away from it. It certainly isn’t unheard of …
OT but I meant to ask you this the other day … did you recently say that you are currently in the Rockford area?
Ha! I was at the Skokie courthouse this morning.
Stamford,
Growing up in Skokie, IL, I too would have thought that Berman was a Jewish name.
I don’t know. From what I’ve found the proposed legislation is nuetral to which religious laws are banned. I’m too lazy to read the Texas Constitution, but I think this law could actually be used as a basis for making gay marriage legal, getting ride of dry countys, prohibited liquor sales on Sunday, pre-class moments of silence, and a bunch of other crypto-religious bullshit.
If they really are going to take religious considerations completely out of the law, and I mean all forms of religion, this ass-hat may be inadvertantly proposing the most progressive legislation Texas has seen in a hundred years.
Certainly people could still practice thier religeons. But purley religeous contracts and prohibitions would legally uneforcable. It might cause a problem for those who want to circumsize thier kids. I know most states have a specific exception in thier ritual mutilation statutes ( I know we do here in Illinois)
I’m sure there’s some form of an equal protection clause in the Texas Constitution. Hello gay marriage!! Using religeous or cultural justification to ban it is out.
You’ve got to think like a judo master on this one and use this pea-brain’s own momentum against him.
HenMan,
Yeah, I got that it was fictional but living in an area that has one of the largest Jewish communities in the country (NY Metro), the name Berman screams Jewish.
With a name like that, it wouldn’t surprise me if he did have Jewish lineage and being from the South, the family would like to keep it a family secret …
Stamford Liberal-
My bumper sticker gag is entirely fictional- according to Wickipedia, Berman is Episcopalian. I always thought Episcopalians were nice dignified folks with impressive Richardsonian Romanesque cathedrals, who are not given to red-neck yahooism. Must be a new Southern branch.
HenMan,
“LEO BERMAN”
Leonard Berman … certainly sounds Jewish to me … perhaps while researching his family tree, he, or one of his forefathers, found Jewish ancestry and converted …
HenMan,
this guy is a real dirtbag.
Leo Berman was elected to the Texas Legislature by a landslide due to the name recognition achieved by his now famous bumper sticker:
ELECT LEO BERMAN
(NOT A JEWISH NAME!)
Swarthmore Mom,
thanks for the update. I am surprised that Texas got beat in the race to add an anti-Sharia law to the books, seeing how dangerous and rampant the use of Sharia Law is in the States! 🙂
rafflaw, Texas is behind on this. This legislation has already been introduced in fifteen other states.
Can’t we have a referendum to do a forced secession of Texas from the Union? Maybe we should add Tennessee and Arizona to that list as well!
I gave the wrong information on Leo Berman. He formerly lived in Arlington but he now lives in Tyler in East Texas where only a few Muslims reside. He tried to oust the Speaker of the Texas House because he is Jewish. Berman was born in NYC.
This proposed Law comes from the state that executes the highest number of innocent people as well. Documented and proven. One has to consider the source and the state.
Wrong thread sorry…
Kay,
Have you noticed that when someone attempts to answer one of your queries, you change facts, give new information and then become very argumentative. I don’t really care what you do or how you accomplish your aims or don’t. Just quit being a bitch about it. If your conduct and or attitude is the same in court as they have been exhibited on this site I can see where the judge became upset and granted the ultimate sanction and dismissed your case. You did not get the ultimate penalty until you refilled the same suit in contemeranious jurisdictions. Then you felt the financial burden and weight of the 800 pound gorilla. The contempt is civil in nature as it was a civil action. The criminal aspect came because the judge had no other course of action to force compliance.
Your goal is not clear to anyone including yourself except to vindicate the wrong you feel. Sometimes it’s best to cut your loses and move on. You on the other hand apparently are nor going to stop until you get the redress you want. I hope you enjoy the catered meals…:
Blouise,
“ha, excellent word play … I congratulate myself.”
Allow me to congratulate you as well!
Rep. Berman has several mosques in his district.