Indian Caste Leaders Praise Parents Who Kill Children For Honor

India flagWe have continued to follow the abuse and killing of women in countries like India, including so-called “honor killings” where parents murder their children to maintain their honor. Now Indian caste leaders have given a glimpse into the perverse perspective in such cultures with a submission to their Supreme Court.

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Dead Men Don’t Blow Whistles: Russians Prosecute Dead Lawyer

220px-Sergei_Magnitsky225px-Vladimir_Putin_official_portraitVladimir Putin has worked hard to maintain his carefully constructed image of a macho authoritarian figure, including sending away the members of Pussy Riot for speaking out against him and his alliance with the Russian Orthodox Church. However, he continues to distinguish himself among budding dictators. For example, anyone can prosecute whistle-blowing lawyers. China continually does it. Iran does it. However, Russia is prosecuting a whistle-blowing lawyer after he died. Now that is a tough guy.

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Washington Father Investigated After Posting Facebook Comment Calling For Someone To Massacre Opposing School After Close Basketball Game

The-Facebook-message-from-a-Skyline-father-that-started-a-police-investigation-Facebook-via-KATUWe have previously seen parents who appear less mature than their children in responding to sporting events. We would have to add a father of a student with Vancouver (Wash.) Skyview High basketball team who responded to a contentious game with a call for someone to massacre students at Camas (Wash.) High. There are calls for criminal charges and the father, who has not yet been identified, is barred from the school grounds.

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Anatomy of a DUI: Witness Takes Fifth In Bizarre Trial Of “Bubba the Love Sponge”

200px-Anatomymurder_trailer_2Who said law was boring? In the trial of shock jock Bubba the Love Sponge Clem in Tampa, an attorney has alleged that he was set up by the opposing law firm in a DUI arrest in the midst of the high-profile trial. The story has everything: an obnoxious defendant, a castrated pig, an attractive young female legal assistant, a missing briefcase filled with trial papers, and a double set-up plot. It is a DUI version of Anatomy of a Murder except the James Stewart never finishes the trial because he is found in a car inebriated with Lee Remick.

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Retreating Islamic Militants Burn Ancient Manuscripts And Destroy Temples

220px-Large_bonfireWe 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.

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Obama Reportedly Considering Intervention Into Syrian Civil War

PresObamaDuring 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]

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Minnesota Father Buys AK-47 To Avoid Obama Gun Control And Then Allegedly Uses It To Terrorize Daughter Into Studying Harder

Kirill+Bartashevitch290px-AK-47_type_II_Part_DM-ST-89-01131In 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.

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Philadelphia School Searches Elementary Student After Finding Paper Gun

20653505_BG1s-FIFTH-GRADER-PAPER-GUN-largeWe 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.

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Bridgeport Officers Suspended After YouTube Video Showing Them Beating Suspect

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.

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De Laudibus Stultitiae: An Open Letter to Rep. Paul “Skip” Stam

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”

The War on Women Continues in Ohio

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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”

Grace Under Pressure: Owen Groesser’s Long Shot

By Mark Esposito, Guest Blogger

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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.

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