We previously saw how police charged atheist activist Ellen Beth Wachs, 48, with unauthorized practice of law after she confronted local politicians over prayer at public meetings. Now, Wachs (the legal coordinator for the Atheists of Florida) has been arrested with a sexual performance in the presence of a child. The police, however, admit that no one saw any sexual act. Rather, she is accused of making sexual noises.
Continue reading “I’ll Have What She’s Having: Leading Atheist Arrested For Making Sexual Noises”
Category: Politics
In a little noticed action, the Virginia bar has reprimanded Monica Marie Goodling, the attorney at the center of the allegations of politicization of the Bush Justice Department. Many are complaining that the reprimand shows that the bar has little teeth in enforcing such ethical rules. On the other hand, the reprimand is still more punishment that John Yoo, Jay Bybee and others received for their support of alleged war crimes over the torture program. (Actually, Bybee was not just spared punishment by the Obama Justice Department but he was previously given a lifetime appointment as a federal judge).
Continue reading “Monica Goodling Reprimanded By Virginia State Bar”
Bingu wa Mutharika, the president of Malawi, sure showed his critics. After a cable was leaked showing that British High Commissioner Fergus Cochrane-Dyet was concerned about Mutharika’s intolerance of criticism, Mutharika responded by ordering the High Commissioner of Malawi to leave the country for the first time in history. That will show him for saying Mutherika cannot handle criticism.
Continue reading “Malawi President Responds To Claim That He Is Intolerant of Critics By Expelling Critical British High Commissioner”
For civil libertarians, there are few heroes who can match Baltasar Garzón, the Spanish judge who ordered the arrest of former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet in 1998 and later worked to identify human rights violations committed during the Spanish Civil War and the Franco dictatorship. He will be the first recipient of ALBA/Puffin Award for Human Rights Activism. I will have the honor of serving as the interviewer of Judge Garzón at the award luncheon on Saturday, May 14th, and to explore his views of contemporary civil liberties issues as well as his famous career.
Continue reading “Baltasar Garzón To Receive Human Rights Award and Speak in New York”
Two Muslim religious leaders were tossed off a Delta flight in Memphis after a pilot refused to take off with the men on board. Imam Masudur Rahman and Imam Mohamed Zaghloul, of the Islamic Association of Greater Memphis were told that they could not reboard the flight after it returned to the gate. It is the latest example of discrimination against Muslims due to their appearance.
Continue reading “Flying While Muslim: Two Imams Thrown Off Flight To Conference To Discuss Islamophobia”
I have previously written about the roughly two dozen states with criminal adultery or immorality provisions still on the books. Colorado joined the states refusing rescind such laws despite their presumptive unconstitutionality after Lawrence v. Texas. A Colorado committee refused to rescind two such laws by a one vote margin — a vote supplied by Democratic Rep. John Kefalas (D-Fort Collins) who joined the Republicans (except for one Republican member) in defeating the measure.
There are so many reasons to investigate Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad from the killing of protesters to the support of terrorism to the backing of countries like Syria in crushing its own citizens. Iranian legislators, however, have accused Ahmadinejad’s aides of working with genies. Various aides have been arrested this month for magic and calling forth gjinns or spirits, including chief of staff, Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei.
Continue reading “Iranian President Ahmadinejad’s Aides Arrested For Sorcery and Consorting With Genies”
In another example of the depths of anti-Muslim sentiment in this country, a Texas high school teacher has been placed on administrative allegedly telling a 9th grade Muslim girl in his algebra class “I heard about your uncle’s death” and “I bet that you’re grieving” the death of Osama bin Laden.
Continue reading “Texas Teacher Suspended For Allegedly Taunting Muslim Girl About Death of Her “Uncle” Osama Bin Laden”
One would hardly relish the position of Jim Andrews, owner of Felony Franks on the Near West Side of Chicago. Andrews is suing after city officials refused to allow him to hang his sign as offensive. He has named not just the city by 2nd Ward Alderman Bob Fioretti (2nd) for what he claims is a denial of his free speech. He may have a point.
Continue reading “Felony Franks Sues City Over Misdemeanor Message”
A report out today includes a “highly placed source” as saying that part of the reason George W. Bush is not appearing with President Barack Obama at ground zero is that he feels he is not getting part of the credit in the killing.
Current members of the Obama Administration (as well as former Bush officials) are claiming that all that torture under President Bush finally paid off in supplying the leads to eventually finding Osama bin Laden’s hideout. What is striking is not only the lack of any support for the claims, but the immediate effort of Obama officials to justify torture. No doubt these are the same officials supporting Obama’s decision to bar prosecution of individuals who carried out the torture — and later barring the investigation of those who ordered the torture.
Continue reading “A Victory For Torture? Obama Officials Attempt To Justify Torture in Claiming False Credit For Bin Laden Killing”
We have another addition to our series of American Taliban, religious and political leaders who seem to struggle to match our enemies with their own brand of religious extremism and hateful speech. A blog on People for the American Way has an astonishing quote from former prosecutor and Tea Party founder Judson Phillips. Phillips wanted to tell the world that Bin Laden was wrapped in pig fat before he was buried and then questioned whether the President waited to announce the killing during Donald Trump’s The Apprentice out of spite.
Continue reading “Tea Party Founder Objects To Obama Interrupting The Apprentice For Bin Laden Announcement and Wanted Bin Laden Wrapped In Pig Fat”
Harry Alford, president and CEO of the National Black Chamber of Commerce, really needs to work a bit harder on his historical references. On The Laura Ingraham Show, Alford labeled the administration “Marxist” and “fanatical” and added that they “might as well put on the brown shirts and swastikas.”
Continue reading “Fascist Confusion: Head of National Black Chamber of Commerce Calls Obama Administration A Bunch of Brown Shirted Marxists”
Below is today’s column in USA Today on the death of Osama Bin Laden.
Continue reading “Bin Laden: A Time To Reflect”
Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli has severed his office’s relationship with King & Spalding after the firm abandoned its representation of the House of Representatives in the challenge to the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). In my view, Cuccinelli is right to do so. While I have long been critic of DOMA, I have been highly critical of the firm’s handling of the case and dumping a client under pressure. Paul Clement has now left the firm and will represent the House of Representatives as part of Bancroft PLLC.
Continue reading “Virginia Severs Ties With King & Spalding”