Now, I have taken a little bit slack, not much, but a little for sure, for asserting that Andrea Yates deserved to die rather than be allowed to cop an insanity plea. IMO, if you’re capable of murder in a regular, semi-normal-function-as-yourself role, society has a right to defend itself from you and incarceration does not permanently assure society that right ro public welfare. Every so often, there is a situation where “temporary insanity” does occur that does not present a constant threat to society. Here, IMO, is a perfect example:
Every parent has a right, and some feel compelled, to defend their child. Granted, Edington did not have the right to take the law into his own hands, it can be argued that under the circumstances, Edington went temporarily insane upon being told his daughter had been molested. I’m quite sure I would as well. It could also be as easily argued, given his history, that this was a one time occurrance and as long another person doesn’t molest his daughter, society as a whole is safe.
The irony, or flip side, is that Edington, as a lawyer, probably knew full well that James most likely would not have been legally punished to any great degree otherwise. I can see that adding to Edington’s “insanity” real easy.
If Edington had known that James molesting his daughter would have been dealt with harshly by the legal process ( ie, James just needed killin in the worst way apparently ), he might not have gone “temporarily insane”.
October 19, 2006 UPDATE:
Oops.
30
Aug
Robert Samuelson of Real Clear Politics has written a piece that backs up something I have claimed more than once here. Basically, Walmart is a diversion. Most recently this issue raised its ugly head when Joe Lieberman and Ned Lamont were duking it out in the Connecticut primary. Both attended the same rally attacking Walmart. Both had accepted money from Walmart in one form or another, neither admitted it. Now, according to Samuelson, it’s taking on a nationwide attraction since it seemed to work for Ned ( regardless of the fact he’s now losing ). He cites several reasons why he thinks its a diversion. And, he’s right on all of them. Here’s the reason I have said so for a long time:
- Walmart has contributed $23,764 to Democrat candidates running for office and/or Democrat sponsored 527′s.
- Democrat organizations/candidates have accepted 64 contributions, including Lieberman at one point.
- America Coming Together has accepted nearly $10,000 in the last two years or so.
- Moveon.org as accepted money from Walmart
- The Democrat National Committee has accepted $1,400 from Walmart
Sure, the Republicans have benefited more from Walmart, but they’re not attacking Walmart at this time. If these Democrats are trashing Walmart to you, but are more than willing to take their money, that should tell ya something real quick.
What it tells me is, as Samuelson concurs, it’s a diversion because they know the anti-war platform championed by Kerry won’t win in that many places. And, it seems to have totally lost its steam in Connecticut already. Other than that, they haven’t come up with a platform that means anything. So, enter diversion, stage left.
Fresh on the heels of the right to publicly declare your stupidity for all the world to see, I get this…..
It’s the local government that’s supposed to protect people from harm, not the feds, not Bush. Anyone that’s spent five minutes researching knows that. Did she vote to impeach Nagin or re-elect him? If she got her wish, she’d be in just as much danger anyway. If you believe as I do, that doing something about terrorism in the Middle East has made us safer ( see the evidence ), then, if she got what she wanted, she’d be putting herself, and everyone else here as well, in more danger. However, she does have the right to publicly declare how stupid she is. And, those that have died that she cites in her protest, did so she can continue to publicly declare her stupidity for the rest of her natural life.
30
Aug
Things have changed in the US in a big way during my adult lifetime. And, it’s all the media’s fault. I have been a Republican my entire life. It wasn’t really a choice when I was young, but it has been for about 20 years. For about 100 years, there was a core seperation in what was Republican and what was Democrat. The difference was very simple. Republicans believed in lower taxes and smaller government intrusion, Democrats believed in social welfare ( not a slam, just a fact ). The two ideologies were very clearly separated. The Reagan revolution changed the Republican Party in that it had lost its identity during the Vietnam conflict and the Nixon resignation left it completely leaderless. Reagan did several great things as president. Primarily, he restored the two party system to some degree. He did this by attaching a moral code to what had otherwise been purely economic philosophies. This attracted certain very vocal elements to the Republican Party. This was a good thing IMO because the Democrats had grown comfortable in the fact the Republicans could not compete nationally. However, it has led to issues within the Republican Party that have annoyed me for some time. When debating issues, the “other side” always makes the assumption that because I am Republican, I am a Neo-Con. The two are not pre-requisite of each other. I am a person that believes in smaller government and lower taxes. That doesn’t mean I am for or against abortion or any other social issue. Period. Every now and then an issue comes along that I think allows me the perfect example to illustrate these conflicts.
No matter how much I have grown to hate drugs, the kid did have the right to display to the world how stupid he is. He did not do it on school property, so there is no issue here at all. When Deborah Morse took down his sign, she violated his most basic Constitutional Right, the right to declare to the world how stupid he is. This doesn’t need to go any further in court. It’s that clear.
And, the fact the kid insulted Jesus, ergo Christians worldwide, in his declaration of stupidity, is totally irrelevant. An appeals court has protected his right to publicly declare his stupidity, that’s as far as it needs to go. That should be the end of government involvement in this issue.
Mayor Ray Nagin has been busy this week. First he attacked the very serious issue of rebuilding the World Trade Center. Then he has to address the issue of who sits where on schoolbuses.
What I’ve not seen one peep from Nagin about is this:
On practically the one year anniversary of Katrina, nothing about Nagin has changed. Why you all voted for this idiot is beyond me.
New Orleans, you’re screwed. While Nagin’s playing political prima donna, I’ll do what he’s supposed to be doing, If he won’t say it, I will. GET OUT! If that path holds, you’ve got till next Thursday or so and then we’ll see if all those levees Nagin says are crap truly are or not. I for one would rather see who’s right sitting in Lafayette than the Sixth Ward.
- Michelle Malkin has more on Nagin. Without the infrastructure in place, or the levees fully repaired, he’s urging people to return to New Orleans just in time for hurricane season. She does get one thing wrong, “his” constituents apparently don’t think he’s an ass. They voted for him enough to get him back in as mayor.
21
Aug
Independent Sources notes a phenomenon I have noticed for a long time on the internet:
Majority of Digg Commenters Appear to Believe that Latest Terrorist Scare is Propoganda
It’s not restricted to terrorism. Pick any topic you want, and there will be a ton of people advocating non-sensical opinions based on nothing but pure speculation fueled by nothing but pure speculation of others. 911? That was a government action, not terrorists. Global warming? The fact that the Earth has heated and cooled for a million years is irrelevent. More hurricanes? The result of Global Warming. Fewer hurricanes? The result of Global Warming. It goes on and on and on. Even in my little neck of the woods, people are speculating that my Congressman will personally benefit from a new road. That the local bid to attract the new BSL-4 livestock lab will only benefit a handfull of people ( it will employ about 300 with taxable revenues of about $30 million ). And, regardless of legislation and documentation, it will be creating wild new bugs for weapons. Nevermind the fact it’s only supposed to find cures for existing diseases that affect our food supply. It just never stops. Especially on the internet.
Now, I have often wondered why it’s so easy to find all kinds of web pages supporting outlandish conspiracy theories, and more often than not, nearly impossible to find web pages supporting the OBVIOUS truth. I think I got it figured out tho. People who exist in a realistic manner don’t really worry so much about a conspiracy theory behind every door. They’re just confident knowing that what is black is black. Unless of course, it’s white. Other people see a million shades of gray rather than whether it’s black or white. Those people who see things in black and white don’t feel the need to re-assure themselves that what is black truly is black. Those people who see a million shades of gray have too many options which lead to indecision and questions. For instance, is it more black than white in that gray or more white than black? If it is more gray than white, there has to be some reason for that. Enter the theory as to why that is. However, since more often than not, it is simply black, there is no logical support for why there is more black than white. So, they seek out support for the conclusion they’ve come to that it is indeed more black than white. If it can’t be found, they voice that theory to the world. If anyone else agrees, then they have that support and they feel much better knowing that someone else truly believes it is more black than white.
It’s a mob rule sort of thing. It doesn’t matter if she floats like a small rock or not, she’s a witch!
FIRST VILLAGER: We have found a witch. May we burn her?
ALL: A Witch! Burn her!
BEDEVERE: How do you know she is a witch?
ALL: She looks like one. Yes, she does.
BEDEVERE: Bring her forward.
They bring her forward – a beautiful YOUNG GIRL (MISS ISLINGTON) dressed up as a witch.
WITCH: I am not a witch. I am not a witch.
BEDEVERE: But you are dressed as one.
WITCH: They dressed me up like this.
ALL: We didn’t, we didn’t!
WITCH: This is not my nose, It is a false one.
BEDEVERE takes her nose off.
BEDEVERE: Well?
FIRST VILLAGER: … Well, we did do the nose.
BEDEVERE: The nose?
FIRST VILLAGER: And the hat. But she is a witch.
ALL: A witch, a witch, burn her!
BEDEVERE: Did you dress her up like this?
FIRST VILLAGER: … Um … Yes … no … a bit … yes… she has got a wart.
BEDEVERE: Why do you think she is a witch?
SECOND VILLAGER: She turned me into a newt.
BEDEVERE: A newt?
SECOND VILLAGER: (After looking at himself for some time) I got better.
ALL: Burn her anyway.
BEDEVERE: Quiet! Quiet! There are ways of telling whether she is a witch.
ARTHUR and PATSY ride up at this point and watch what follows with interest
ALL: There are? Tell up. What are they, wise Sir Bedevere?
BEDEVERE: Tell me … what do you do with witches?
ALL: Burn them.
BEDEVERE: And what do you burn, apart from witches?
FOURTH VILLAGER: … Wood?
BEDEVERE: So why do witches burn?
SECOND VILLAGER: (pianissimo) … Because they’re made of wood…?
BEDEVERE: Good.
PEASANTS stir uneasily then come round to this conclusion.
ALL: I see. Yes, of course.
BEDEVERE: So how can we tell if she is made of wood?
FIRST VILLAGER: Make a bridge out of her.
BEDEVERE: Ah … but can you not also make bridges out of stone?
ALL: Ah. Yes, of course … um … err …
BEDEVERE: Does wood sink in water?
ALL: No, no, It floats. Throw her in the pond Tie weights on her. To the pond.
BEDEVERE: Wait. Wait … tell me, what also floats on water?
ALL: Bread? No, no, no. Apples …. gravy … very small rocks …
ARTHUR: A duck.
They all turn and look at ARTHUR. BEDEVERE looks up very impressed.
BEDEVERE: Exactly. So… logically …
FIRST VILLAGER: (beginning to pick up the thread) If she … weighs the same as a duck … she’s made of wood.
BEDEVERE: And therefore?
ALL: A witch! … A duck! A duck! Fetch a duck.
FOURTH VILLAGER: Here is a duck, Sir Bedevere.
BEDEVERE: We shall use my largest scales.
He leads them a few yards to a very strange contraption indeed, made of wood and rope and leather. They put the GIRL in one pan and the duck in another. Each pan is supported by a wooden stave. BEDEVERE checks each pan then … ARTHUR looks on with interest.
BEDEVERE: Remove the supports.
Two PEASANTS knock them away with sledge hammers. The GIRL and the duck swing slightly but balance perfectly.
ALL: A witch! A witch!
WITCH: It’s a fair cop.
All: Burn her! Burn her! Let’s make her into a ladder.
21
Aug
At first, this headline just struck me as another shock and awe headline about nothing:
It then goes into a tale about a raid in New York City where they “freed” 70 sex slaves in brothels. In this case, the “girls next door” were all Korean. It then goes into a little more detail provided mostly in part by an organization called Free the Slaves. They talk about how prevelant the problem has become, especially in the Northeast. And finally, they get to the big picture, there are possibly 10,000 “slaves” in the US right now. They wrap it up by stating the US needs to change its attitude and accept the fact that slavery is still a problem in the US.
This just ain’t quite right IMO. Now, 10,000 people doing something they don’t like is sort of a bad thing, but this article gives us no idea whatsoever how they got here. We don’t know that they agreed to prostitute for some time just to get on the boat. Now, that sounds bad by our cultural norms, but it’s not that big deal in many other parts of the world where prostitution isn’t regarded as lowly as it is here. The article mentions that many “victims” are reluctant to discuss their situation. I’d guess there’s some cultural reasons for that. They probably in a lot of cases came to the US with a vision of better things to come, only to find out the “career” they chose is shamed by most people in the US.
Bottom line, I’m sure it happens in the US. But, to compare it to what was happening pre-1861 in the US is not a real comparison. And, since we’re only given small pieces of the picture, I kind of question what is really going on here. In the US, when someone resorts to prostitution, it’s usually because they know it’s an easy way to make an easy buck. And, there’s plenty of consumers out there for that product. I don’t really buy the argument that someone has to be mentally broken in every way to come to the conclusion it’s an easy way to get what they want. So, bust the pimps or whatever for human trafficking, that part’s fine. But, I don’t see the logic in treating the prostitutes as victims unless there is a compelling reason to do so. The rules in the US are pretty easy to understand and just as easy to find out. And, an even more radical thought, if they REALLY want to end “slavery” in the US, legalize the world’s oldest profession.
18
Aug
In July 2005, Congress was debating the Central America Free Trade Agreement. It was a contentious debate falling pretty much along party lines. The AFL-CIO lobbied heavily against it. In the end, fifteen Democrats went against party lines and voted for it. Because of that, it passed, 217-215. The AFL-CIO was so incensed at the CAFTA 15 that they swore revenge come election time. Those fifteen are:
- Bean, Melissa
- Cooper, Jim
- Cuellar, Henry
- Dicks, Norman
- Hinojosa, Ruben
- Jefferson, William
- Matheson, Jim
- Meeks, Gregory
- Moore, Dennis
- Moran, James
- Ortiz, Solomon
- Skelton, Ike
- Snyder, Victor
- Tanner, John
- Towns, Edolphus
As of this date, 11 of the 15 have already won their primaries. Two of the remaining four don’t have primary opposition. Only one, William Jefferson, is in trouble, for other reasons. Most likely scenario, all fifteen will be running in November.
Which leads me to wonder, what will the AFL-CIO do in November? As of the total washout by the AFL-CIO that has been the primaries, the AFL-CIO’s apparent official position NOW is "to sit this one out". They’d rather be shot down in flames than endorse any Republican apparently.
I have no doubt most or all of those fifteen will win in November. What I do doubt is that AFL-CIO had anything to do with them getting there in the first place. And this November will prove it.
I’d love to have given AFL-CIO more credit and speculated the ramifications of them following through on their threat and pushing out the organized labor vote for Republicans in the fall, which would definitely cripple the Democrat chances of taking the House. But, it won’t happen. The AFL-CIO is pretty much a toothless tiger that can only support one party or not. And when they don’t, it’s meaningless because they can’t in their soul of souls go against that party. Since their members know that it’s one party or nothing, they’ll vote the same way regardless of what the AFL-CIO lobbyists do or say.
Only when the AFL-CIO starts examining candidates on their positions instead of whether or not they are Democrat or not, will the AFL-CIO become a viable political force again. And, I don’t see that happening.
17
Aug
Not only did she rule on the merits of the case she asked to judge, she went above and beyond the call of duty to demand a halt to the wiretap program entirely, immediately, as in, right now.
This just raises all kinds of worms.
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Taylor was appointed by Jimmy Carter, whose presidency was ended by the terrorist storming the American embassy in Tehran, and, more recently has been harder on President Bush than any terrorist organization. She was promoted twice during the Clinton presidency. Clinton’s legacy was marked by repeated terrorist attacks with no real response. Now, apparently, she feels we need to return to those days.
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Although wildly liberal, the 6th Circuit is predominantly conservative. Her decision will most likely be immediately overturned.
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She cites the "right to privacy" in the Constitution as the underlying violation. Here’s the Constitution as The Founders wrote it: "We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America." — Nowhere does it give the rights Judge Taylor cited. And, not only that, it does assure what President Bush was trying to do. Ohhhh kaayyyyyy. Kinda scary to me that Judge Taylor is interpreting the Constitution to be what she wants as opposed to what it is.
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Dearborn, which is in her district, has the highest concentration of Muslims in the US.
- The ACLU could have filed this case anywhere, why Detroit?
- Democrat Judge Taylor is just more nails in the Democrat we’re-not-soft-on-terrorism coffin.
It goes on and on. I’m sure the happiest people in the country right now are the Republican candidates for national office this fall. And, I’m quite certain this will be an ’08 issue as well.
17
Aug
Uh, I don’t think so. Just don’t look quite right to me. Maybe it’s the suit?
