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November
28, 2005
Thanksgiving
Libertarian Commentary on the News for Week of 20-26 November 2005
For all our problems in the American Union today, I still count my blessings
and give thanks that my family and I are not in most of the rest of the
world. Curtailed as our freedoms are, and as fervently as we long for
and work for a new birth of liberty in this land, we cannot help but be
grateful that we have kept as much and lost as little as we have. This
week, we again need to remember that our liberties are dependent on our
efforts to keep them!
Government-run,
Taxpayer-funded Schools
A
few items to start out, today, tied with other news of interest.
Rhode
Island: Schools fail on recruitment notification
NBC 10 News
"Rhode Island school districts have been put on notice that they
must clarify their policies regarding military recruitment in schools.
NBC 10's Kelley McGee reported that a provision in the No Child Left Behind
Act gives military recruiters access to student information unless their
parents sign a form that allows students to opt out of the process. This
form is supposed to be sent home with every student, but a recent survey
of Rhode Island schools by the American Civil Liberties Union found otherwise.
'The one thing that's very clear is that the vast majority of parents
and students had no idea that this information about them was being released
to the military without their knowledge,' said Steven Brown, executive
director of the ACLU's Rhode Island affiliate." (11/22/05)
I know
I'm preaching to the choir, but you HAVE to get your kids out of these
schools. At the same time, if these parents pay so little attention to
the news and the world around them that they don't know military recruiters
can get the info unless they act, they are probably also too lacking to
get their kids out.
Colorado:
Charter student suspended for making gun comment
Durango Herald
"An Excel Charter School student has received a 10-day in-school
suspension for making a comment about bringing guns to school. The student
was frustrated with a teacher on Wednesday and said "this is why
kids bring guns to school," according to Deborah Uroda, spokeswoman
for Durango School District 9-R. Uroda wouldn't release the student's
age or grade level. Excel has 111 students enrolled in grades 6-12. After
the comment, an Excel secretary called authorities, and a Durango Police
Department officer spoke with the student. The student's father was also
called in. "They determined it wasn't an actual threat," Uroda
said. "If it was an actual threat, that becomes a law-enforcement
issue. If it's not, that becomes a school discipline issue.'"
(11/18/05)
No free
speech in schools, even charter schools, when they are government-run,
taxpayer-funded. Durango used to have people with common sense in charge
- and used to have teachers with some brains and understanding of children.
Notice how quickly they called in the cops - even though it wasn't supposed
to be "a law-enforcement issue."
Home Front
News
Our
internal wars against freedom (on the one side, described by some as a
"war on terrorism") and fighting FOR liberty continues:
California:
How rapists prey on vulnerable border crossers
Washington Times
"Among the thousands of women who will illegally cross into the
United States this year from Mexico, some will be raped by the same men
who demanded $1,500 to $2,000 for safe passage -- their underpants often
hung on a border fence as a trophy. 'I thought the wailings we heard at
night were the coyotes barking at the moon,' said Tim Donnelly, who headed
the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps border vigil here. 'I didn't know until
later that those sounds were the cries of women being raped in the Mexican
desert, some less than a hundred yards away from the border. There was
absolutely nothing anyone could do about it,' said Donnelly, grimacing
as he turned away to hide his emotions. 'It's something you never forget.'"
(11/21/05)
It is sickening,
and just who do we blame for this? Is it wrong to not be able to cross
the border to come to the aid of some woman being raped? Is it because
we make it so easy to cross the border that this happens?
Mama's
Note: And heaven forbid anyone even suggest that these women should be
armed so they can protect themselves. There are a lot of heavy issues
involved here, and none of what is going on is the right way to take care
of any of them, but I can fully understand the desire of the Mexican people
to get out of the corruption and misery caused by the Mexican government.
Too bad they don't understand just what it is they are coming into here.
Denver
Firefighter under suspicion
Rocky Mountain News
A Denver firefighter described as having "anti- U.S. sympathies"
is under investigation for possible ties to domestic terrorist groups
after his arrest early Tuesday for allegedly selling machine guns, a federal
arrest affidavit says. Stan Taran Ford, 34, has been charged with federal
firearms violations. He is being held without bond pending a detention
hearing Monday Ford joined the department in February 1999. Tuesday's
arrest comes after an investigation of the firefighter that lasted more
than two years, according to court documents.
A very
troubling case, as the feds and various locals bought stuff from this
guy, helping him try to buy various things from Fort Carson (70 miles
south), and generally seem to have led him on. There is not enough information
to see whether he really sold "machine guns" or just semi-automatic
weapons, although the prices quoted seem to be what full-auto would bring.
But he does appear to be a genuinely bad-actor.
Mama's
Note: Why? Because he bought and sold guns? I don't care what kind of
guns they were. Remember that anyone the government doesn't like can be
called a "terrorist." There simply isn't enough information
in that story to determine if he was doing anything morally wrong at all.
A BRIDGE
TOO FAR (Unable to locate a link for this item)
Wall
Street Journal (reprinted via Chuck Muth News)
"Congress limped out of town last week for its Thanksgiving recess,
and just in the nick of time. With its Iraq duck-and-cover, the failure
to extend expiring tax cuts, and the refusal to control spending, the
Members were doing more damage to the republic every day they stayed around.
Amid the carnage, however, there was one small triumph last week: Senate
Appropriations powerhouse Ted Stevens decided to pull funding for the
infamous $320 million 'Bridge to Nowhere' in his home state of Alaska.
"...The one hero of this episode is Senator Tom Coburn (R., Okla.),
who sponsored an amendment to block funding for the bridge and use the
money to repair vital bridges on the Gulf Coast destroyed by Hurricane
Katrina. Mr. Stevens erupted on the Senate floor and threatened to quit
if the measure passed. The vote failed. However, Mr. Stevens threw in
the towel last Tuesday, announcing that he was taking this 'drastic action'
because his state had been 'so unfairly maligned in the national press'
in recent weeks."
Thanks
to Chuck for this one. Good news! Stevens needs to retire. For that matter,
getting rid of about 110 of the 100 senators would be a good idea.
Abu
Ali convicted in Bush assassination plot
Cincinnati Enquirer
"An American Muslim student charged with joining al-Qaida and
plotting to assassinate President Bush was convicted Tuesday on all counts.
The federal jury rejected Ahmed Omar Abu Ali's claim that Saudi security
officers whipped and tortured him into a false confession. Abu Ali, a
24-year-old U.S. citizen born to a Jordanian father and raised in Falls
Church, Va., could get life in prison on charges that included conspiracy
to assassinate the president, conspiracy to hijack aircraft and providing
support to al-Qaida. Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 17." (11/22/05)
This, at
least, was not by tribunal - and we should not be surprised that there
are at least some "Muslim-Americans" who seek to completely
wipe out not just our government but our entire society.
Katrina:
Evacuees in hotels get reprieve
Houston Chronicle
"Stung by charges it is pushing hurricane victims out before the
holidays, FEMA extended its hotel housing program today by a month in
10 states that have received victims of Katrina and Rita. Evacuees in
those states -- Texas, Louisiana, Georgia, Florida, Mississippi, Alabama,
California, Tennessee, Arkansas and Nevada -- now have until Jan. 7 before
the Federal Emergency Management Agency stops paying their hotel bills.
The deadline is shorter -- Dec. 15 -- for victims in all other states,
said FEMA acting director R. David Paulison." (11/22/05)
What seems
to be left is the most hardcore of the hardcore welfare class, and a very
few people who are too old or too handicapped to be able to do anything
for themselves with the change in conditions, although they were able
to subsist on their own in New Orleans in some way. I expect to see another
extension, or some version thereof, in January.
Mama's
Note: HOTELS? My hair stood on end when I read this earlier. This is totally
insane. There is most certainly something else that could be done to help
these people, but with the usual inefficiency of government, this is the
easy way out. The people in charge of this have no real incentive to do
anything else. It isn't THEIR money they are wasting here.
The
answer isn't to simply toss them out, of course! Some private charity
needs to take charge and find these people appropriate accomodations and
assistance. It's not rocket science, for crying out loud!
Report:
9/11-Iraq link refuted days after attack
MSNBC
"Ten days after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, President
Bush was advised that U.S. intelligence found no credible connection linking
the attacks to the regime of Saddam Hussein, or evidence suggesting linkage
between Saddam and the al-Qaida terrorist network, according to a published
report. The report, published Tuesday in The National Journal, cites government
records, as well as present and former officials with knowledge of the
issue. The information in the story, written by National Journal contributor
Murray Waas, points to an abiding administration concern for secrecy that
extended to keeping information from the Senate committee charged with
investigating the matter." (11/22/05)
Yet, other
information reported AFTER that time, indicated exactly the opposite.
As with so many things, these will be argued by lawyers, politicians,
and historians for centuries. To echo Buchanan, a pox on both their houses.
Mideast
Tarbabies
After
last week, it is actually a bit quieter this week regarding the mess in
the Old World, both events here in the USA and actually in that poor,
benighted region.
Iraq
Troop Withdrawals Driven By Politics
SpaceWar.com
Washington (UPI) Nov 22, 2005 - The U.S. military will recommend the
number of troops that can be prudently withdrawn from Iraq - if any -
but the final decision for the American military presence there will be
up to policy officials in Washington. And they will consider political
factors as well when they craft a final plan, a top U.S. general in Iraq
said Tuesday.
Don't you
just hate obvious headlines like this? I can hardly wait to see what DC
comes up with! (Sarcasm, folks.)
Iran
raises stakes on UN inspections
Cincinnati Enquirer
"Raising the stakes before a key vote by the U.N. nuclear agency,
lawmakers approved a bill Sunday requiring the government to block inspections
of atomic facilities if the agency refers Iran to the Security Council
for possible sanctions. The bill was favored by 183 of the 197 lawmakers
present. The session was broadcast live on state-run radio four days before
the International Atomic Energy Agency board considers referring Tehran
to the Security Council for violating a nuclear arms control treaty. The
council could impose sanctions." (11/20/05)
Iran still
continues to egg on the rest of the world.
A
deadly legacy: the cluster bomb
Independent [UK]
"Tony Blair is facing fresh fury over the use of controversial
munitions in the Iraq war. Campaigners lambasted the Ministry of Defence
over its use of deadly cluster bombs and shells during the invasion, warning
that they could contravene international law. MPs are to table a raft
of new questions today over the affair amid fears that thousands of bomblets
released during the war will leave a deadly legacy for Iraqi civilians.
They warned that any unexploded bomblets could kill or maim civilians
for years to come. The dispute over British use of cluster bombs will
be intensify this week with the publication of a report by the pressure
group Landmine Action, which raises questions over the efforts made to
ensure that the weapons did not harm civilians." (11/21/05)
This claims
yet another standard munition to be against international law - a straining
of gnats that distracts from the basic problems with the invasion of Iraq
in the first place - that it was a preventative war.
AZ
Rep.hatched idea of "clarity of vision" vote
Arizona Republic
"The credit (or blame) for Friday night's vote to put U.S. House
members on record about whether deployment of U.S. troops in Iraq should
be terminated immediately goes to Rep. J.D. Hayworth, R-AZ. Not to mention
Hayworth's wife, Mary. It was Hayworth who hatched and then pitched the
idea of a vote on troop withdrawal from Iraq during a meeting Friday morning
behind closed doors with his GOP colleagues. More than 200 Republicans
were gathered in the room, talking about a tax bill, when Hayworth, a
member of the tax-code-writing House Ways and Means Committee, stood to
take his turn at an open microphone." (11/19/05)
Last week's
foofahrah (remember it) was typical politics as usual - trying to catch
your opponent with a pie on their face (or perhaps, just catch them with
egg on their face) and was ultimately meaningless.
Mama's
Note: Every single vote in either house of congress should be public record,
available immediately. Everything brought to a vote should be decided
on one at a time - after suitable discussion, not rubber stamped in massive
"bundles" of hundreds or thousands of things, most known to
only a few people. At this point, they shouldn't be allowed to pass any
new "law" unless they repealed at least two others. I know...
dream on.
Iraq:
At least 60 killed in bombings
CBS News
"Suicide bombers killed 52 worshippers at a Shiite mosque near
the Iranian border on Friday. In Baghdad two car bombs destroyed the blast
wall protecting a hotel housing international journalists and killed eight
Iraqis. ... Also on Friday, insurgents attacked U.S. and Iraqi troops
in western Iraq, setting off gunbattles that left 32 insurgents dead,
a U.S. military statement said. ... America's death toll rose Thursday
as the U.S. military reported a U.S. Marine killed the day before in Haditha,
140 miles northwest of Baghdad. An Army soldier died Thursday in a traffic
accident near Beiji, 155 miles north of Baghdad and a second soldier died
in another accident near Balad, the command said." (11/18/05)
Three major
attacks, and only one of the three on the forces that supposedly are the
enemy of everyone in Iraq - the Muslim-on-Muslim killing continues to
grow, despite Coalition attempts to keep (or establish) the peace.
Iraq:
GIs kill three in civilian vehicle
Las Vegas Review-Journal
"U.S. soldiers fired on a civilian vehicle Monday because they
feared it might hold a suicide bomber, killing at least two adults and
a child northeast of the capital, American and Iraqi officials said. The
troops fired on the car because it was moving erratically outside a U.S.
base in Baqouba, 35 miles from Baghdad, said Maj. Steven Warren, a U.S.
spokesman. 'It was one of these regrettable, tragic incidents,' Warren
said." (11/21/05)
The tone
of the news story and the media is evident in the headline and first sentence.
Sorry folks, but the murderers roaming the streets don't have special
markings on their cars - they are all "civilian" vehicles: technically,
all the "military" vehicles on Iraqi roads belong to the "good
guys." This kind of thing will just keep happening, again and again.
Iraqi
leaders call for timetable for US withdrawal
USA Today
"Leaders of Iraq's sharply divided Shiites, Kurds and Sunnis called
Monday for a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S.-led forces in the country
and said Iraq's opposition had a 'legitimate right' of resistance. The
final communique, hammered out at the end of three days of negotiations
at a preparatory reconciliation conference under the auspices of the Arab
League, condemned terrorism, but was a clear acknowledgment of the Sunni
position that insurgents should not be labeled as terrorists if their
operations do not target innocent civilians or institutions designed to
provide for the welfare of Iraqi citizens." (11/22/05)
This article
would appear to be the only thing that they could agree to. Notice that
even the Sunnis willing to participate in these negotiations condemn (albeit
indirectly) the Muslim-on-Muslim attacks - assuming you consider journalists
to be "innocent civilians."
Mama's
Note: I notice that nobody has even suggested asking the people of Iraq
if they want the US (and any of the others) to stay. Now that would be
a world demonstration of "democracy," for sure. Not going to
happen, of course, since the US government has no interest whatsoever
in what the people of ANY country really want.
Sharon
moves to dissolve Israel's parliament
Houston Chronicle
"In a bold gamble, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon asked Israel's
president today to dissolve parliament, pushing for a quick March election
just hours after deciding to leave his hard-line Likud Party and to form
a new centrist party. Sharon's decision to leave Likud sent shock waves
through Israel, redrawing the political map, finalizing his transformation
from hard-liner to moderate and boosting prospects of progress in peacemaking
with the Palestinians." (11/21/05)
The new
"Forward" Party is likely to lose the new election, and thus
send Israel into further confusion.
Mama's
Note: A "quick March election?" Does this mean there won't be
ANY government until after the election? I highly doubt it, but it would
be interesting to see what would happen if that's what happened. They
might discover they didn't really want to elect anyone in March.
The
spoils of war
Independent [UK]
"Iraqis face the dire prospect of losing up to $200bn (£116bn)
of the wealth of their country if an American-inspired plan to hand over
development of its oil reserves to US and British multinationals comes
into force next year. A report produced by American and British pressure
groups warns Iraq will be caught in an 'old colonial trap' if it allows
foreign companies to take a share of its vast energy reserves. The report
is certain to reawaken fears that the real purpose of the 2003 war on
Iraq was to ensure its oil came under Western control." (11/22/05)
More mainstream
media attempts to make purses out of pig's ears: this report is no less
biased than any report emerging out of either Congress or the US Administration
(or the British government) - but is accepted at face value, and supposedly
will be the cause of further fearmongering.
UK:
Legal gag on Bush-Blair war row
Guardian [UK]
"The attorney general last night threatened newspapers with the
Official Secrets Act if they revealed the contents of a document allegedly
relating to a dispute between Tony Blair and George Bush over the conduct
of military operations in Iraq. It is believed to be the first time the
Blair government has threatened newspapers in this way. Though it has
obtained court injunctions against newspapers, the government has never
prosecuted editors for publishing the contents of leaked documents, including
highly sensitive ones about the run-up to the invasion of Iraq. The attorney
general, Lord Goldsmith, last night referred editors to newspaper reports
yesterday that described the contents of a memo purporting to be at the
centre of charges against two men under the secrets act. Under the front-page
headline 'Bush plot to bomb his ally,' the Daily Mirror reported that
the US president last year planned to attack the Arabic television station
al-Jazeera, which has its headquarters in Doha, the capital of Qatar,
where US and British bombers were based. ... Charges under the secrets
act have to have the consent of the attorney-general. His intervention
yesterday suggests that the prosecution plans to ask the judge to hold
part, if not all of the trial, in camera, with the public and press excluded."
(11/23/05)
Clearly,
Blair is feeling pressure and taking a harder line, which only lends credence
to the absurd claims of the Mirror: if the US president wished to shut
down Al-Jazeera, there are dozens of ways other than bombing a friendly
capital to do so. Both sides of the "war" issue demonstrate
more and more stupidity.
Investigator
probes alleged CIA prison flights
USA Today
"The head of a European probe into alleged secret CIA prisons
in eastern Europe is investigating 31 suspected flights that landed in
Europe and is trying to acquire past satellite images of sites in Romania
and Poland, according to a report obtained by The Associated Press Tuesday.
Dick Marty, a Swiss senator leading the investigation for the Council
of Europe, presented a first report on his work at a closed meeting of
the human rights watchdog's legal affairs committee in Paris." (11/22/05)
Perhaps
a Swiss investigator can find some truth, but what he has so far is a
bunch of unsupported claims, similar in tone to rumors that periodically
sweep the Third World that their children are being stolen by the US to
be harvested of their organs.
Iraq:
Possible troop cut coming
MSNBC
"Barring any major surprises in Iraq, the Pentagon tentatively
plans to reduce the number of U.S. forces there early next year by as
many as three combat brigades, from 18 now, but to keep at least one brigade
'on call' in Kuwait in case more troops are needed quickly, several senior
military officers said. Pentagon authorities also have set a series of
'decision points' during 2006 to consider further force cuts that, under
a 'moderately optimistic' scenario, would drop the total number of troops
from more than 150,000 now to fewer than 100,000, including 10 combat
brigades, by the end of the year, the officers said." (11/22/05)
At least
a part of this drawdown has been planned and announced for months, as
to follow the December 2005 elections; a slight addition to the number
of troops returned is also surely due to the impact on the troops themselves,
but will surely be claimed as a "victory" by "anti-war"
groups. Opposition in Congress might have a very small amount to do with
this, but not what the commentators are making it out to be.
General:
Iraqi army can't be rushed
CNN
"Despite calls in Washington and Iraq to pull out foreign troops,
the U.S. general in charge of helping Iraq create an army says training
troops to replace coalition forces cannot be rushed. 'We are moving at
a measured pace,' Army Gen. Martin Dempsey told CNN. 'We want this army
over time to be representative, to be cohesive, to be a role model for
the potential of what could work for the rest of society,' he said."
(11/22/05)
Words that
would seem to be both reasoned and calm, and which will be ignored, therefore,
by everyone.
Mama's
Note: Given what they have to work with, the massive tensions between
the different ethnic groups and so much more, it is probably not possible
to produce any kind of "cohesive" or "representative"
armed force in Iraq, no matter how much time they put into it. The real
question, however, is why bother? Let these people separate into their
natural divisions and then let them alone to build their own society,
each to suit themselves. They are never going to wear the Washington DC
straight jacket willingly, and they can't ever be an effective armed force
the way they are.
The Coming Fall of Europe
More
strange news and scary events from Europe.
Last
Scots WW1 Vet dies at 109
The Scotsman
SCOTLAND'S last surviving veteran of the First World War, and the country's
oldest man, died peacefully at a nursing home yesterday aged 109 - severing
the last tangible link between the nation and the 690,235 Scots who served
in the Great War
The man, a veteran of the Black Watch Regiment, participated in the 1914
Christmas truce, sometimes called the last civilized act of war in history.
Today is 2005, and World War I ended with the Armistice 87 years ago.
There are still some American Veterans of the "War to End All Wars"
left, but not many, and this is a good time to think about how long it
takes to really get to the end of an era.
Sadly,
Scotland, the UK, and Europe have forgotten the lessons learned long before
the survivors passed on.
UK:
Lords threaten rough ride for anti-terror bill
Guardian [UK]
"Tony Blair warned the House of Lords last night not to defy public
opinion by moving to wreck the government's terror bill today as further
objections to the measures emerged from chief police officers and the
civil liberty lobby. On the eve of the second reading in the Lords, leaders
of the Conservative and Liberal Democrat parties gave Downing Street notice
that they would give the bill "a thorough going-over" and scrutinise
its provisions line-by-line before sending it back to the Commons. After
a revolt by 49 Labour backbenchers, MPs have already modified a central
clause of the bill. It would now permit the police to hold terrorist suspects
for 28 days without charge pending further investigation - instead of
the current 14 and the 90 days initially proposed. But the much-trumpeted
support senior police officers gave that clause does not extend to the
entire bill, the Guardian has learned. The Association of Chief Police
Officers (Acpo) privately opposed four of the government's 14 main proposals
announced after the July 7 London bombings. Other proposals could damage
community relations, Acpo believes." (11/21/05)
It seems
to me that it is Blair who is bucking public opinion, right AND justice.
Mama's
Note: None of the governments in the world are even considering any of
the things that would truly reduce the threat of terrorism, of course.
None of these "bills" and restrictions or detentions will have
the least affect on the real causes and operation of people who want to
kill others, for any reason - but can certainly up the ante. Truly free
people could defend themselves and eliminate the threats in no time. How
sad so few people can even contemplate such a thing.
Germany:
Protestors halt nuclear convoy
Yahoo! News
"Anti-nuclear protestors repeatedly halted a controversial shipment
of highly radioactive nuclear waste from France bound for a temporary
storage facility in northern Germany. The activists said the train with
12 containers carrying more than 170 tonnes of treated nuclear power plant
waste was stopped in the city of Goettingen for about 30 minutes and then
later in the village of Bienenbuettel en route to the Gorleben site. Eighteen
demonstrators were briefly detained in Goettingen. In the town of Harlingen,
police removed 150 activists staging a sit-in on the tracks and detained
23. Demonstrators later set fire to bales of hay placed next to the tracks
and police had to move in with water cannon. Thick plumes of smoke were
still rising when the train rolled by at a snail's pace. Police also cleared
a blockade of 160 tractors near the town of Klein Gusborn late Sunday,
on the last leg of the 600-kilometer (370-mile) trip, where more than
600 people joined the protest following demonstrations throughout the
weekend. Authorities had to forcibly clear the blockade, with more than
70 of the tractors seized and taken to a nearby field." (11/21/05)
The German
government, in large part, brought this on itself - it has created such
fear-mongering that this kind of protest is all but encouraged by the
Government. But if Europe wishes to improve their environment and maintain
a high-tech society, they will have to understand that nuclear power is
often the least undesirable of the options.
UK:
Peers fight planned "glorifying terrorism" ban
Guardian [UK]
"Opposition peers called on the government last night to scrap
its proposed new offence of glorifying terrorism, as a Home Office minister
confirmed that it had abandoned its proposal to extend the maximum pre-charge
detention period to 90 days. ... Lord Hurd, the Tory former home and foreign
secretary, added: "We need not to worry so much about the loudmouths
as about the quiet acts of subversion and training by dangerous people,
up and down the country, who on the whole keep their mouths shut.'"
(11/21/05)
In reality,
all the Lords can do is "jaw-jaw" and not really stop this stupid
law from passing. Sadly.
Germany:
Professor stopped on motorway [autobahn] in wheelchair
Ananova [UK]
"An 'absent-minded' professor was stopped by police as he tried
to drive 110 miles down a German motorway in his wheelchair. Police stopped
Wolfgang Hain, 67, on the A43 motorway near Herne in North Rhine Westphalia
driving six mph in his electric wheelchair -- in traffic travelling at
speeds above 100 mph. Officer Peter Feldkirch said: 'He seemed a bit absent-minded
but was fully aware of who he was and where he was going. But I'm not
sure if he realised that it would take him 20 hours to get home.' Hain
was given a fine and escorted to the nearest B road where he was allowed
to continue his journey." (11/21/05)
Whew! You
don't think that people at his university would have wondered about him
heading out on the street and up the on-ramp?
Britain:
Nestle under fire for "sexist" TV ad
News.com [Australia]
"Confectionery giant Nestle is under fire in Britain over chocolate
bar adverts suggesting football is 'not for girls.' The company is promoting
a bar called Footie with wrapper slogans including: 'It's definitely not
for girls,' 'no passes to lasses' and 'no wenches on the benches.' Wrappers
also contain an image of a woman holding a handbag framed in a no-entry
road sign. The Women's Sports Foundation said such advertising undermined
attempts to encourage girls to play more sport and improve fitness levels
in teenage girls. 'We'd rather not see this kind of advertising,' she
said. 'Research shows that 40 per cent of girls have dropped out of sport
by the time they reach 18. It's a serious problem with implications for
health and fitness.'" (11/21/05)
Put this
in the stupid people tricks in Europe category: these people need to get
a life, and stop taking adverts so seriously.
Privacy
Issues and News
More
news of interest regarding the defense of our privacy, just as important
as the defense of our persons, homes, and other liberties.
Lie
detectors may be next step in airline security
CNet
"A new walk-through airport lie detector made in Israel may prove
to be the toughest challenge yet for potential hijackers or drug smugglers.
Tested in Russia, the two-stage GK-1 voice analyzer requires that passengers
don headphones at a console and answer 'yes' or 'no' into a microphone
to questions about whether they are planning something illicit. The software
will almost always pick up uncontrollable tremors in the voice that give
away liars or those with something to hide, say its designers at Israeli
firm Nemesysco." (11/17/05)
Of course,
the number of false positives will be spectacular, as people cheating
on their spouses (illegal in many countries, still, and at least recognized
as immoral by most people), people who just walked off with the damask
napkins from the airport restaurant, and people planning to sneak Cuban
cigars home to the US will all get caught by this pretty piece of expensive
machinery. It isn't just drug smugglers and hijackers that have something
to hide - and remember that for many fanatics (Islamic and otherwise),
their action in hijacking or bombing is NOT going to be "illicit"
in their own mind.
Australia:
Suburban spies raise privacy fears
Sydney Morning Herald [Australia]
"Prying neighbours have been setting up video cameras outside
their homes -- ostensibly to catch thieves -- and then using them to spy
on bathrooms and bedrooms in the house next door, according to 'disturbing'
complaints received by the State Privacy Commissioner. The acting commissioner,
John Dickie, said much of the spying had occurred in northern Sydney and
followed disputes between neighbours. Mr Dickie said many complaints involved
multiple cameras, including one incident in which a household set up six
cameras to spy on the neighbouring property." (11/22/05)
Hmmm. Go
look in your neighbors' trees and on their utilities poles!
Religious
News
A
couple of items today, with p
Vatican
astronomer: Intelligent design not science
Fox News
"The Vatican's chief astronomer said Friday that "intelligent
design" isn't science and doesn't belong in science classrooms, becoming
the latest high-ranking Roman Catholic official to enter the evolution
debate in the United States. The Rev. George Coyne, the Jesuit director
of the Vatican Observatory, said placing intelligent design theory alongside
that of evolution in school programs was 'wrong' and was akin to mixing
apples with oranges. Intelligent design isn't science, even though it
pretends to be,' the ANSA news agency quoted Coyne as saying on the sidelines
of a conference in Florence. 'If you want to teach it in schools, intelligent
design should be taught when religion or cultural history is taught, not
science.' His comments were in line with his previous statements on 'intelligent
design,' whose supporters hold that the universe is so complex that it
must have been created by a higher power." (111/9/05)
The RC
Church for decades has (wrongly in my opinion) been willing to accept
evolution, but theistic evolution - that is, God-directed evolution. If
this is indeed an official position of the Vatican, it indicates a further
erosion of the RC Church's acceptance of Scripture. As well, it indicates
that (as is often the case through history) respected scientists are often
wrong, for Coyne obviously does not understand just what "intelligent
design" is all about.
Vatican
closes door on gay seminarians
Detroit Free Press
"The Vatican is toughening its stand against gay candidates for
the priesthood, specifying in a new document that even men with 'transitory'
homosexual tendencies must overcome their urges for at least three years
before entering the clergy. A long-awaited 'Instruction,' due to be released
next week, was posted Tuesday on the Internet by the Italian Catholic
news agency Adista. A church official who has read the document confirmed
its authenticity; he asked that his name not be used because the piece
has not been published by the Vatican." (11/22/05)
Given the
RC Church's position (which does agree entirely with Scripture), this
is only logical. The exact same position might be taken regarding an axe
murderer who wished to become a priest: it is not necessarily enough for
him to say that he's stopped killing people with axes - a few years' evidence
that he has indeed repented would be reasonable.
Mama's
Note: A large body of hard evidence shows that 99% (or close) of the sexual
scandal in the church was caused by homosexuals, both in the priesthood
and in other positions of trust with children. (That does not excuse the
Bishops who did nothing to eliminate this abomination!) I'm afraid there
is NO indication that homosexuals would ever be stable enough to be trusted
this way, and it's a very bad idea to even consider them for admission
no matter how long they wait. The formation time for the priesthood is
already many years, and if these people couldn't be weeded out before
as unsuitable there is nothing to indicate those in charge would be any
more successful in the future. The children are just too precious to take
a chance. And that goes for homosexual women who would enter religious
orders too.
Thousands
celebrate teen as new Buddha
Washington Times
"Thousands of pilgrims are pouring into the dense jungle of southern
Nepal to worship a 15-year-old boy who has been hailed as a new Buddha.
Devotees say that Ram Bomjon, who is meditating silently beneath a tree,
has not eaten or had anything to drink since he sat down at his chosen
spot six months ago. Witnesses say they have seen light emanating from
the teenager's forehead. 'It looks a bit like when you shine a [flashlight]
through your hand,' said Tek Bahadur Lama, a member of the committee responsible
for dealing with the growing number of visitors from India and elsewhere
in Nepal. Photographs of Ram, available for about 10 cents from his makeshift
shrine, have become ubiquitous across the region. 'Far and wide, it's
the only topic of conversation,' said Upendra Lamichami, a local journalist.
He said no claim had emerged of Ram breaking his fast or moving, even
to relieve himself." (11/22/05)
This kind
of rumor periodically sweeps the East, just as other visions periodically
have swept the West for centuries as well. Today, we hear about them much
more quickly. Of course, those of us with a more suspicious mind might
wonder (a) is he really still alive or even actually a human or just a
manikin, or (b) are there reliable observers on duty 24 hours to see,
or does he sneak to the nearest Burger King just before midnight closing
to relieve himself and stoke up on Whoppers and Cokes?
Mama's
Note: Who cares? Any rock can sit forever dumb and need nothing to eat
or drink. That has nothing to do with holiness. Our Lord was called a
drunkard and a glutton.
Our
Right to Defend Ourselves
Some
bad news and some good news in this field today.
Mall
Shooter Confronted by Armed Man, Surrenders to Soldiers
The Seattle Times, C-News
The man who was critically wounded during Sunday's shooting rampage
at Tacoma Mall drew a pistol and confronted the gunman before he was cut
down by gunfire, his family said Tuesday. Brendan "Dan" McKown
was delivering a bank deposit for a mall gift store when gunshots scattered
shoppers at around noon. McKown was among six people hit.Police say Dominick
Sergio Maldonado, 20, of Tacoma, marched through the mall shooting randomly
at shoppers before taking four hostages in a Sam Goody music store. He
surrendered about four hours later. Police on Tuesday were still trying
to determine how Maldonado, a convicted felon, had obtained the two weapons
he allegedly carried into the mall. The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco,
Firearms and Explosives was helping Tacoma detectives trace the history
of the weapons, Fulghum said. Police searched Maldonado's car and bedroom,
finding a formula for making the deadly poison ricin, as well as bomb-making
diagrams and materials, and body shooting targets. Two of the hostages,
both. military., eventually helped disarm Maldonado and walked him out
of the store. "The look in his eyes toward the end was a scared kid,"
said Jon Black, 32, an active-duty army soldier[from nearby Fort Lewis].
"He had tears in his eyes when we were taking the weapons away from
him and he was in tears as we were taking him out." A second hostage,
Joseph Hudson, who served as an army medic in Iraq, told police "that
he was more frightened inside the store than he ever was in Iraq."
This sounds
like a very disturbing situation, which could influence things in Washington
State in many ways. First, the man was obviously deranged, and claimed
that his rampage was due to "child abuse" at a police volunteer-run
camp 8 years ago. Second, McKown apparently thought that he could deter
the shooter by warning him off with a hand-gun, instead of shooting immediately
- and lost his bet (a reminder to us all - TRAIN and PRACTICE!). Third,
it is claimed that one of the "assault weapons" was sold through
a want ad (which will add fuel to efforts to get newspapers to stop such
weapons want ads, and to tighten down on "third-party" sales.
Fourth, it may make more active-duty (and reserve!) soldiers decide that
they need to be armed for their own defense and that of their families,
even in the homeland. One man (McKown) wasn't able to stop the shooter
(but I am disturbed by the tone of some of the news stories that somehow
McKown "deserved" to be shot since he was carrying a weapon
of his own), but if three or four people had been carrying weapons, it
would have been different - without wounding five more people. At the
same time, for all his mistakes, McKown should be HONORED because he was
willing to put his life on the line for others, as were the two soldiers.
Missouri:
Intruder cuts man, runs from pistol
Springfield News-Leader
"Police said the 24-year-old victim was on the telephone when
he heard noises in the house. When he hung up, he saw an intruder with
a knife. The victim was cut in the arm before he went into his bedroom
to get a pistol. The victim fired at the intruder, who was running out
the door. It was unknown if the suspect was hit." (11/20/05)
A bizarre
little business, indeed. I suspect there was a bit more to it than "excuse
me, Mr. Burglar, but since you've cut my arm, let me go into the bedroom
and get my pistol, please?"
Cowboys
take up AK47s to combat drug runners on Mexican frontier
Telegraph [UK]
"Welcome to the Wild West 2005, where modern-day cowboys still
guard their land from interlopers - but using AK47s and four-wheel drives
instead of Winchester rifles and horses. Mr McCaslin's small mine sits
on a knoll of red earth and scrub near the Mexican border. Like his 19th-century
predecessors, he is sure there is money in "them thar hills"
after a geological survey indicated there may be rich veins of silver.
Today, however, he has other priorities. For the mine also sits in the
middle of a network of trails used by heavily-armed Mexican trafficking
gangs to smuggle people and drugs into America." (11/20/05)
Typical
media attempts to portray people who use or have weapons to defend themselves
as nothing but nut-cases. This seems to be a good example of properly
preparing for a likely situation, since we know that wetbacks have frequently
been known to steal from homes, ranches, and industrial sites, and since
drug dealers are known to be armed, usually heavily.
Los
Angeles: Police recruits take to sidewalks
Christian Science Monitor
"With her factory-fresh police belt holding revolver, mace, two
nightsticks, and one radio, Jeanine Giordano strides into Hollywood Star
Market. 'Sir, we are just walking a foot beat up and down the street.
... I'm sure you've seen us,' says the young police recruit to a Korean
working behind displays of beef jerky and pen lighters. 'If you have any
problems or questions,' she adds after a conversation, 'go ahead and let
us know.' The clerk's nervous frown melts into a broad smile. Score one
for the new attempt by the Los Angeles Police Department to repair one
of the most tarnished, adversarial images of any police force in the country."
(11/18/05)
It would
be amazing if the LAPD can reform itself and its image, but if I were
the storekeepers of LA, I'd trust more on that S&W or Kaer under the
checkout counter than on the LAPD to do anything to protect an individual
store or business.
Group
ranks most dangerous US cities
CNN
"For the second year in a row this destitute city of Camden, New
Jersey, has been named the nation's most dangerous, according to a company's
annual ranking based on crime statistics. Last year, the distinction seemed
to hurt city boosters' feelings more than it harmed revitalization efforts.
This time, city leaders are offended by the ranking, calling it unfair.
'We're doing so many nice things now. It's unfortunate that somebody always
wants to bad-mouth Camden,' Mayor Gwendolyn Faison said." (11/21/05)
Statistics
do lie, but these are pretty clear, and it is hardly bad-mouthing Camden
to quote statistics to show what cities are more dangerous or not. If
you want to hear what bad-mouthing Camden is: "Camden is a pitiful
excuse of a town, has been completely absorbed by slums, resembles an
asylum run by the inmates, and is one of the few cities of which it can
be said, it is an improvement to move to Philadelphia." That is running
down Camden.
Spain:
Belgian arrested for shooting burglars
SUR [Spain]
"Following a shooting in a villa in Vélez-Málaga
police arrested a Belgian and four Romanians. The Belgian (C. H.) is accused
of shooting two burglars who had broken into his neighbours' house. After
being detained, 47 year old C.H. gave his version of events. Apparently,
he saw a small moving light on the second floor of his neighbours' house
and as they had gone on holiday a few days before, he became suspicious.
He approached the house wielding a gun and found the gate open and everything
ransacked inside. When he was in the living room, he heard footsteps behind
him and when he turned around, he supposedly started pullling the trigger.
... According to the inquiry, the two Romanians lived together and supposedly
had broken into the house on Monday November 7th. The following day, police
went to the villa in the carretera de Bentomiz, and found the door open.
They checked that there was no-one inside and in the living room, discovered
blood stains and bullet marks in the furniture. Police then found out
that the owners of the villa had gone to Belgium a few days previously
leaving the care of the house in the hands of a relative, also Belgian,
who lived closeby." (11/21/05)
Clearly
he did not report the incident for the same reason that a hiker in the
backwoods of the Rockies does not report it when he has to shoot a lynx,
a mountain lion, or a bear which is attacking him or his animals: you
don't get praise for defending yourself, others, or property, you get
arrested.
New
Mexico: Woman recounts attack
Rio Rancho Observer
"Melissa O'Connell will be the first to tell you she's the exception,
not the rule. Among women who become victims of violent crime she is an
anomaly. Three years after waking up around midnight with a masked male
intruder on top of her, shining a flashlight in her eyes and holding a
gun and preparing to rape her, O'Connell is alive to talk about it. The
serial rapist, who had gained entry into her house that July evening through
a window or the sliding glass door, is dead. He's dead because O'Connell
managed to wrestle his gun away and shoot him at least twice. O'Connell
survived to tell her story many times to many people, including a national
television audience when she appeared on the Oprah Winfrey show to accept
a 'Chutzpah award,' given to women who show extraordinary amounts of bravery
and courage in threatening situations. O'Connell told her story again
to the Women Against Crime (WAC) class Monday evening." (11/21/05)
She was,
indeed, lucky. I hope that she learned her lesson and now keeps a weapon
by her bed or under her pillow, like smart people do.
Mama's
Note: "Under her pillow?" You've got to be joking. That's not
possible, unless maybe you have an incredibly large pillow or a very hard
head. Besides being too lumpy to sleep on, the darn thing would be running
around loose in the bed half the time if I tried to keep it there. The
bedside table is plenty close enough, and much safer for everyone.
South
Africa: Gun owners in for shock
News 24 [South Africa]
"Owners of firearms are set for a rude awakening early next year.
According to the Central Firearms Register those who fail to comply with
the act on the control of firearms will be arrested, their weapons confiscated
and they'll have to appear in court. Statistics have shown that are more
than 500,000 firearms licences countrywide need to be renewed before December
31. ... Van Tonder said gun owners had to fill in numerous forms and make
statements. These include SAP 517 and SAP 517E forms. They also had to
make statements and write motivations. They had to hand in four colour-identity
photographs and a number of certified copies of, among others, their identity
document, arms licence and proficiency certificate. 'The paper war is
just too much for the older gun owners in particular,' he said. ... Director
Phuti Setati, national police spokesperson, said gun owners who refused
to renew their licences, could be sentenced to up to 12 months in prison."
(11/22/05)
For years,
the warning has been sounded around the world: registration leads directly
to confiscation. This latest example shows just how it works. South Africa
continues to decline.
Texas:
Homeowner fatally shoots intruder
Click2Houston
"Police said a couple was sitting inside their home when someone
broke into the home on Lacy Street at Detering Street in the Rice Military
area at about 9 p.m. 'He came in armed with a bat, went through a side
door, shattered the glass to make his way into the residence,' Houston
Police Department Homicide Detective Mike Walker said. The husband told
the intruder he had a gun and to leave, but police said the intruder persisted
up the stairs, forcing the homeowner to shoot him. The suspect was pronounced
dead at the scene." (11/22/05)
It does
not appear that the homeowner was arrested. Good!
Indiana:
Homeowner's brother shoots teenage intruder
Northwest Indiana Post-Tribune
"A teenager who apparently broke into a Glen Park home Monday afternoon
was seriously wounded when the resident's brother fired at him with a
shotgun, police said later. ... The homeowner's brother, Johnny Yarbrough,
34, told police he shot Walker after the teen broke into the house, pointed
a gun at his sister and demanded money." (11/22/05)
Another
example of the right thing, at the right time and place.
Arkansas:
Woman shoots intruding ex-husband
KARK News
"A Little Rock man continues to recover after Police say his ex-wife
took a gun and shot him in self-defense. The incident happened Monday
morning at 7105 Fourche Dam Pike in Little Rock. Police say 50 year old
Judy Melton shot her 50 year old ex-husband Eddie Melton. According to
Little Rock Police, Melton showed up at the residence, got very angry
because his ex-wife wouldn't let him in, and then he proceeded to kick
in the door, and she shot him. ... Judy Melton is not facing charges at
this time, but the case will be reviewed by the prosecutor." (11/21/05)
Again, this seems to be a simple case, easily proven, and more suitable
for a coroner's jury than anything - except, unfortunately, the aggressor
did not die of his stupidity.
More
News and Commentary on Page 2
Nathan Barton is a libertarian engineer and writer, enjoying the cooling
evenings in the Rockies and the Four Corners, where "monsoon"
rains cause some creeks to overflow their banks, but nothing like the
mess down in the South. His views are his own and do not necessarily represent
the views of anyone else, including the sources of his news and other
libertarians! Be sure to visit my blog,
Liberty's Outpost.
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