We have another shocking act of cultural destruction by Muslim militants in Mali. As Islamist insurgents retreated from Timbuktu, they set fire to a library containing thousands of priceless historic manuscripts — some dating back to the thirteenth century. They also destroyed statues and temples in the name of Allah.
Continue reading “Retreating Islamic Militants Burn Ancient Manuscripts And Destroy Temples”
During President Obama’s first term, I represented members of Congress in challenging Obama’s unilateral intervention into the Libyan civil war without authorization of Congress. Our case was dismissed on standing grounds and, once again, an undeclared act of war went by without any opportunity of judicial review. Now, Obama is reportedly debating whether to intervene in yet another civil war — undeterred by the now superfluous constitutional limits on his war-making authority. Israel has also publicly stated that it is considering a preemptive strike on Syria and reserves the right to make such an attack if it feels threatened by events in that civil war. [Update: I discussed this issue as part of my column on the imperial presidency this morning on C-Span]
Continue reading “Obama Reportedly Considering Intervention Into Syrian Civil War”
In St. Paul, Kirill Bartashevitch, 52, was up in arms over President Obama’s possible gun control laws. To protect himself from such laws, Bartashevitch went out and bought an Ak-47 rifle. Soon thereafter, he was arrested for pointing the weapon at his high school daughter after she got two B’s instead of straight A’s.
We have been discussing the steady stream of absurd actions taken by school officials under “zero tolerance” policies. For a prior column, click here. The Philadelphia school district is adding its name to this ignoble list after standing by the decision to not only scold but to search a 5th grade student after Melody Valentin was found in possession of a paper gun.
Continue reading “Philadelphia School Searches Elementary Student After Finding Paper Gun”
Three Bridgeport police officers are suspended after a video was posted on YouTube showing them beating a suspect who had already been brought down with a stun gun. The ten-year-veterans — Elson Morales, Joseph Lawlor and Clive Higgins — are now under investigation.
Continue reading “Bridgeport Officers Suspended After YouTube Video Showing Them Beating Suspect”
By Mike Appleton, Guest Blogger
Dear Rep. Stam:
Two days ago I came across a story in The Huffington Post concerning your co-sponsorship of a bill to prohibit the sale of lottery tickets to North Carolinians who are bankrupt or on welfare. Since I am certain that your proposal will generate a great deal of criticism in the liberal media, I am writing to lend my support to your idea and to commend you on your political courage.
As we all know, the misuse of welfare assistance is widespread. In my state of Florida, Gov. Rick Scott attempted to address the problem by securing passage of a bill mandating drug testing of welfare applicants, only to have the will of the people thwarted through an injunction issued by an activist federal judge. There always seem to be corrupt forces opposing efforts to prevent our tax dollars from supporting drug addicts and gamblers. Continue reading “De Laudibus Stultitiae: An Open Letter to Rep. Paul “Skip” Stam”
Respectfully submitted by Lawrence E. Rafferty (rafflaw)- Guest Blogger
I just saw this article and I had to report on it here. A Chicago woman is grieving the loss of her 4th child to gun violence. Her child was one of Five people shot and killed overnight in Chicago. Continue reading “Women Loses Her Fourth Child to Gun Violence”
Respectfully submitted by Lawrence E. Rafferty (rafflaw)-Guest Blogger
Last week we read Prof. Turley’s article concerning a bill proposed in New Mexico that attempts to make it unlawful for a rape victim to have an abortion because it would be akin to destroying the “evidence” of the rape claim. While that bill is an insult to women and right thinking men everywhere, I submit that it is further evidence that the longest “war” on record, is still going strong in this country. One of the most controversial examples of how women in general and rape victims in particular, can be turned into the criminals by the public and even the police and prosecution is the case of an alleged gang rape in August, 2012, in Steubenville, Ohio.
The victim was a 16-year-old girl who after passing out at a party from drinking and/or date rape drugs was allegedly repeatedly raped and abused by members of the Steubenville Big Red football team. The details of what the victim endured are both heartbreaking and disgusting. I apologize in advance for the lurid details, but they are necessary to fully understand how egregious the attacks were and how egregious the post crime attacks on the victim and her family were. Continue reading “The War on Women Continues in Ohio”
-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger
The Revisionaries, a documentary about Texas, textbooks, and the state’s Board of Education’s attempt to inject creationism into schools, will be shown on Monday, tomorrow, on the PBS show Independent Lens. Check your local listings.
H/T: NCSE, The Panda’a Thumb.
By Mark Esposito, Guest Blogger
The stat line read: MIN PLAYED: 2 3FGA: 4 3FGM: 2 PF: 0 TP: 6. Not bad for a basketball player but hardly Lebron-esque.
But for former equipment manager turned basketball player Owen Groesser it was indeed remarkable. Owen plays for Coach Jeff Howell’s Van Hoosen Middle School seventh-grade team in Rochester Hills, Michigan. In the final home game of the season, Howell asked Owen to put down his stat sheet and suit up for the game that would decide the city championship. Owen was ecstatic especially since he’d been practicing at home with his dad all year just to enjoy shooting around with the guys during the practice sessions. Now he had a chance to play in a real game before his friends and teachers.
Continue reading “Grace Under Pressure: Owen Groesser’s Long Shot”
By Mark Esposito, Guest Blogger
The Quake of 2012
We had a big earthquake in Virginia last November. No, not the famous one about a year earlier that almost swamped poor Louisa County and rattled walls all the way to Washington, D.C. This one was political not seismic and it sent Barack Obama back into the White House for round two of a historic presidency. Once a reliably Red State, the Oldest of American Dominions and former Capitol of the Confederacy hadn’t voted for a Democratic candidate for President since ol’ “Put a Missile in the Kremlin Bathroom” Barry Goldwater scared his way out of the 1964 election to molasses-mouthed Texan, LBJ. 2008 seemed to break the trend, but the close election was explained away by Virginia Republicans as a sort of a once in a lifetime reaction to the nation’s first viable African-American presidential candidate and some incredibly magnificent missteps by John McCain. Read that as picking Sarah Palin and the senator’s disjointed response to the fiscal crisis.
Submitted by: Mike Spindell, guest blogger
One of the main concerns we Americans should have is about the state of our criminal justice system. How a society deals with the issue of criminality is one of the ways that we all can judge its freedom from oppression. This country has been selling our “democracy” to the world for 8 decades now as an example of how a modern nation should operate. Continue reading “Carmen Ortiz: Prosecution for Political Ego?”
-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger
On New Year’s Day 2006, 31-year-old Lori Stodghill, seven months pregnant with twin boys, was vomiting and out of breath. She called her obstetrician, Dr. Pelham Staples, and he instructed her to go to the emergency room at St. Thomas More Hospital in Cañon City, Colorado. Her husband Jeremy, drove her to the hospital where Lori later suffered a cardiac arrest and stopped breathing due to a pulmonary embolism. Staples never ended up coming to the hospital. Lori’s unborn sons stayed with her.
-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger
The dolphin had a hook embedded in its mouth and fishing line wrapped around one of its pectoral fins, and it was wound so tightly that it had cut into the creature’s tissue. The dolphin seems to know the diver is helping it.
H/T: Raw Story.
A year ago, I testified in Congress that the recess appointments of President Barack Obama were unconstitutional. Those four appointments by President Obama included Richard Cordray, who had been denied confirmation to a consumer protection board in a Republican filibuster. While I liked Cordray, I testified that the appointments were in my opinion clearly unconstitutional. The D.C. Circuit has now agreed with that view and the panel unanimously ruled that Obama violated the Constitution with his circumvention of Congress.
Continue reading “Court Rules Obama Appointments Violated The Constitution”