Russia Today is showing a less than positive image of the United States as a video shows its reporter trying to report on the protests in Baltimore last week only to be mugged on camera. Fortunately, police were in the area and apprehended the suspect. In the meantime, another disturbing video shows City Paper Photo Editor J.M. Giordano was tackled and beaten by Baltimore City police outside of Western District headquarters last night while covering the protests. The attack on a journalist by police was accompanied by the arrest and charging of another reporter for disorderly conduct.
Category: Society
By Darren Smith, Weekend Contributor
According to an Iraqi based aid worker, who identified himself only as Yousif, approximately two girls a day commit suicide in the aftermath of being raped by ISIS Terrorists. The news and other corroboration of reports of inhumanity directed toward women in girls are unimaginable. Compounding the horror experienced from gang rapes in open streets, being sold into sexual slavery, or subjected to other outrages is both the stigma and shame forced onto women and girls–a furtherance of ISIS’ crimes against humanity. It also shows a macabre window into a policy of ethnic cleansing by ISIS at several levels.
We have previously discussed the issues surrounding decisions to raise children according to their non-biological sex at a young age. Now, a Massachusetts couple has decided that their five-year-old daughter must be a boy and has decided to raise the child a such. I will readily admit that I am not an expert in this field, but as a parent of four I find such a decision to be highly troubling and premature. A five-year-old child seems far far too early to make such an extreme change. Indeed, this determination was made a year earlier.
We have previously discussed the income disparity in the country and the alarming lack of savings for a great percentage of our fellow citizens. Now a study shows that roughly one third of the population have saved less than $1,000 for retirement. Equally surprising is the estimate of what will be needed to live comfortably in the future.
Continue reading “Study: One-Third of Americans Have Less Than $1000 Toward Retirement”
There is good news for those of us who support same-sex marriage (as well as an indication in the remarkable turnaround in public attitude in a relatively short time). According to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll, 6 out of 10 Americans now support same-sex marriage and believe that states should not be allowed to define marriage as only between a man and a woman. That is a record showing for same-sex marriage.
Continue reading “Poll: Over Sixty Percent Of Americans Support Gay Marriage”
We have yet another example of how we are wasting billions of dollars in Afghanistan where a combination of incompetence and corruption continues to drain the U.S. treasury. This week, SIGAR released two reports showing how, an inspection of the $7.8 million Shorandam Industrial Park in Kandahar is an utter failure and how the money to create a sustainable source of power for Kandahar City has left the city literally in the dark. Once again, there is no indication of any discipline or action taken against those who approve such projects and oversee such failures.
The testimony at the penalty phase for Boston Marathon bomb Dzhokhar Tsarnaev could not be more damning in terms of the pain and suffering that he and his brother caused. Survivors detailed their suffering from injuries as well as lost loved ones with pictures that left many in tears. Such evidence is entirely appropriate as the jury debates whether to impose the death penalty on the 21-year-old defendant. One piece of evidence, however, is more controversial: the court allowed the prosecutors to show the jury a videotape of Tsarnaev flipping the bird at a camera shortly before his arraignment to show that he was not repentant after his arrest. The question is whether such a videotape is clearly probative or too prejudicial for the jury. It is a demonstration of how far the prosecutor is willing to go (even in the creation of an appellate issue) to secure a death sentence in the case.
Like many long-suffering Cubs fans, I have enjoyed this season immensely as the Cubs have found traction with our new line-up, including such news players as Kris Bryant and our new manager Joe Maddon. While our 150 million dollar pitcher, John Lester, appears better throwing his glove than the ball to first base, we are a lot happier with our second place position in the Central Division than our friends with the Cincinnati Reds — at least from the impressions left by Cincinnati Reds manager Bryan Price. Price gave a relatively brief interview about his team’s losing streak and managed to use the F-word 77 times as a noun, adjective, and what appears a conjunction. He added 11 versions of horse and cow manure. Some people are calling for him to be fired for the profane outburst but should a manager or player be fired for foul language?
Continue reading “Reds Manager Under Fire After Profanity Laced Interview”
A new story on life after the take over by the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in Mosul reveals the bizarre existence for academics at places like University of Mosul. ISIS has outlawed lessons on democracy and political thought in favor of concentrations on religious indoctrination and Sharia law. Not too surprising, ISIS also banned hotel management and tourism and archaeology.
Precious Richardson Coleman, 29, is facing a particularly strong prosecution case in a remarkably disturbing criminal case. Coleman is accused of purposely running over Beatrice “Dee Dee” Spence, 24, and her uncle Damon Watson, 37. She allegedly targeted Spence with her 2004 white Dodge Durango in a jealous rage — resulting in the amputation of Spence’s leg. A video before shows her speeding up in the Nicetown neighborhood of Philadelphia, jumping the curb, and then backing up on the street before fleeing. She is charged with two counts of attempted murder and related offenses. The attack also left Spence without a home after her mother ran out to help her with fried chicken cooking on the stove. [Warning: the story below has foul language]
Continue reading “Police Arrest Precious In Nicetown For Vicious Hit-And-Run”
We have previously discussed violence and legal measures targeting dogs by some Muslims who view canines as “unclean.” Even postcards with dogs and service dogs (and here) have raised the ire of some Muslim groups. Now this issue is getting some long-needed attention in Iran after a short film that showed stray dogs being tortured and killed by having acid injected into them.
We have another Rosie Ruiz controversy of someone who took credit for winning a major marathon only to be accused of skipping much of the race. Kendall Schler celebrated her victory at the St. Louis Marathon on April 12th only to have her title taken away after marathon officials discovered that she cheated. Officials say that they believe that she slipped onto the course after the last checkpoint — a conclusion reinforced by the fact that Schler did not register any times on the route. It is interesting that there is no threat of a lawsuit either by the race or by Schler, who would presumably sue in defamation if she had indeed run the race.
Continue reading “St. Louis Marathon Officials Strip Woman Of Victory After Allegations Of Cheating”
We have yet another horrific “honor killing” — this time in Pakistan. Muhammad Siddique became outraged when he learned that his wife, Shabana Bibi, 25, had not asked him for permission to leave the house to visit her sister so he and his father beat her, doused her with gasoline, and burned her alive. The only good news is that the authorities have arrested the father and son and charged them with murder as well as terrorism.
Respectfully submitted by Lawrence E. Rafferty (rafflaw)-Weekend Contributor
Over the last few years we have seen many stories and articles that discuss the problems States and Municipalities are having in paying their public pension payments and how various politicians propose to fix those “problems”. The politicians almost always seem to blame the pension problems on the overpaid government workers and their unions. The idea that Wall Street might have something to do with these government pension plans being underfunded is rarely discussed. Until now.
A significant portion of the funds deposited in government employee pension plans is invested with Wall Street. According to one recent study, the public pension plans are paying at least $5.4 Billion dollars each year to Wall Street. Continue reading “Follow The Money”
By Mike Appleton, Weekend Contributor
“Those situations in which the Court may require special treatment on account of religion are, in my view, few and far between, and this view is amply supported by the course of constitutional litigation in this area.”
-Sherbert v. Verner, 374 U.S. 398, 423 (1963) (Harlan, J., dissenting)
Were Maurice Bessinger still alive, he would undoubtedly be a strong supporter of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. Had that law been available in 1964, history might well read differently.
Mr. Bessinger owned a small chain of barbecue restaurants in South Carolina known as “Piggie Park.” As a matter of company policy, African Americans were prohibited from consuming food on the premises of his restaurants and were required to place and pick up orders from the kitchen window.
When a class action was filed against Mr. Bessinger under the public accommodations provisions of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, among his defenses was the claim that the Act violated the First Amendment because “his religious beliefs compel him to oppose any integration of the races whatsoever.” Newman v. Piggy Park Enterprises, Inc., 256 F. Supp. 941 (1966). The court had no sympathy for his defense. “Undoubtedly,” it said, “defendant Bessinger has a constitutional right to espouse religious beliefs of his own choosing, however, he does not have the absolute right to exercise and practice such beliefs in utter disregard of the clear constitutional rights of other citizens. This court refuses to lend credence and support to his position that he has a constitutional right to refuse to serve members of the Negro race in his business establishments upon the ground that to do so would violate his sacred religious beliefs.” 256 F. Supp. at 945.
Mr. Bessinger partially prevailed at the trial court on interstate commerce grounds, but lost on appeal and was assessed attorney’s fees for his trouble, the Fourth Circuit finding that in view of a prior Supreme Court ruling upholding the constitutionality of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the assertion that he was not bound because the law “contravenes the will of God” and constituted interference with “the free exercise of the Defendant’s religion” was legally frivolous. Newman v. Piggy Park Enterprises, Inc., 377 F.2d 433 (4th Cir. 1967), aff’d, 390 U.S. 400 (1968).
Had the Religious Freedom Restoration Act been in effect when Mr. Bessinger was sued, might he have prevailed? Perhaps.