April 04, 2005

Gangstas R US! So Sayeth The Judge
By Ted Lang © 2004

Constitutional Chaos: What Happens When The Government Breaks its Own Laws, is the title of a book written by former New Jersey Supreme Court Justice, Andrew P. Napolitano. In the introduction to this well-written, hard-hitting, factual account of monumental and ever-expanding freedom-destroying government wrongdoing, Judge Napolitano offers: "It should be against the law to break the law. Unfortunately, it is not. In early twenty-first century America, a long-standing dirty little secret still exists among public officials, politicians, judges, prosecutors, and police. The government – federal, state, and local – is not bound to obey its own laws. I know this sounds crazy, but the events recounted in this book prove it true. Constitutional Chaos should be a wake-up call for every American who prizes personal liberty in a free society. Because it breaks the law, the government is not your friend."

I was invited to attend Judge Napolitano's book-signing promotion and talk at my alma mater, Ramapo College, Mahwah, New Jersey, just a few weeks ago. My friend, Dr. Murray Sabrin, is Executive Director of the Center for Business and Public Policy at the college and sent me the invitation. Judge Napolitano proved to be a very effective and articulate speaker, and extremely knowledgeable in constitutional law. (Read the rest here)

The Rise Of Big Sister-ism
By Carey Roberts

I have seen their shell-shocked eyes and unbelieving expressions.

Men saddled with crushing child support obligations, forced to live on scraps or else fall into a desperate sea of mounting debt. A few of them are white-collar guys who once held respectable jobs and lived in comfortable houses.

Time marches forward, and the cases only become more bizarre.

Steve Barreras paid $20,000 to support his daughter, a girl he had never met. In fact, she didn't even exist. His ex-wife Viola Trevino took another family's daughter to court and claimed the child as hers. New Mexico governor Bill Richardson has now ordered an investigation. (Read the rest here)

Libertarian Commentary on The News
By Nathan A. Barton © 2004

Obviously, the lead story today must be the death of the leader of one billion Catholics - the passing of John Paul II on Saturday after several days of growing distress. My sympathy is extended to all those of the Catholic faith who have lost a beloved brother and leader, and my prayers that this may as always lead to the greater glory of God. I hardly need to provide any references or summaries of news stories of this sad event.

At the same time, we should not let the one death distract us from the earlier death of Terri Schiavo, nor of the rest of the news - which is not all good. In fact, today's news articles frequently demand some serious answers, and we need to get them, in some way. At least, that is my view, and like everything in this commentary, it is not necessarily the view of anyone else, including TPoL, FND, RRND, or any other organization!

Montana: House condemns Patriot Act
Billing Gazette
"Montana lawmakers overwhelmingly passed what its sponsor called the nation's most strongly worded criticism of the federal Patriot Act on Friday, uniting politicians of all stripes. The resolution, which already galloped through the Senate and passed the House 88-12 Friday, must survive a final vote before it officially passes. Senate Joint Resolution 19, sponsored by Sen. Jim Elliott, D-Trout Creek, says that while the 2005 Legislature supports the federal government's fight against terrorism, the so-called Patriot Act of 2001 granted authorities sweeping powers that violate citizens' rights enshrined in both the U.S. and Montanan constitutions. .... Elliott, a Democrat and rancher from northwestern Montana, sponsored the resolution, but it garnered support from Republicans on the far right of the political spectrum. .... Twelve representatives - all Republicans - voted against the measure." (04/02/05)

Many local governments have done so, but this is the first time a state has, to my knowledge - and a reasonably conservative, Western state, to boot. I hope that other states will follow - and conservatives in Montana better mark the 12 GOP types who did not support this carefully - lest they become the Imperial legates that reduce Montana back to the level of a territory. (Read the rest of the commentary here)

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