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December
11, 2006
Libertarian
Commentary on the 3-9 December 2006
Bill
of Rights Day is coming up this week (15 DEC), and we should be ready
to take advantage of it. How many people have you taken an opportunity
to point out how important it is that our liberty is, at least in part,
protected by the wisdom of a few men over 200 years ago?
This week,
looking at the news, imagine what things would be like WITHOUT a Bill
of Rights. If we have the huge degree of local tyranny that we clearly
do in the US today, then imagine what it would be like if people had listened
to those that said nothing was needed back in 1787.
Big Brother
in America:
WV: Woman pleads guilty to pollution charges
WVDEP Press Release
PT. PLEASANT - A West Virginia resident has pleaded guilty to littering
and open dumping charges after a hidden Department of Environmental Protection
camera caught her in the act. The hidden litter cam program is a part
of Governor Manchin's Rehabilitation Environmental Action Plan, REAP -
The Next Generation. There are currently covert cameras equipped with
low-light capabilities and night vision in every district in West Virginia.
For more information on REAP or to report an area with heavy open dumping,
call (800) 322-5530 and ask for the Pollution Prevention Open Dump program.
This isn't,
of course, about the silly woman littering - it is about Big Brother's
camera in every district in an entire state. Because it is for "environmental
protection" there aren't going to be the complaints that there would
be if these were traffic signal cameras or anti-street crime cameras,
but they are worse for that fact. Without the Bill of Rights, how much
more common would this sort of thing be?
Mama's
Note: One of the things that makes dumping and wholesale littering common
is, of course, the insane "rules" and inflated costs of landfill
or other disposal. The idiotic rules to "recycle" and sort trash,
along with the list of things you can't dispose of legally much of anywhere,
make this "problem" a guarantee. More government is not the
answer... it's the problem, as always.
Economy:
Universal
to challenge MySpace with lawsuit
Nashville City Paper
"Last month, Universal Music Corp. filed a copyright lawsuit against
MySpace, alleging that the social Web site has cost Universal as much
as $150,000 in damages per copyrighted work. Some industry veterans in
Nashville, however, say MySpace is getting a bad rap. The 'big' artists,
who have much to lose to any album sales competitor, stand to be harmed
the most by MySpace. But on the other end of the continuum, the business
model followed by up-and-coming artists has been revolutionized by the
social networking site. 'For the long term, I think more and more artists
are going to be taking control. The money goes to the artists. It doesn't
go through any intermediary,' said Dean Shortland, who hosts a monthly
showcase of popular MySpace artists at 3rd & Lindsley each month.
'I think it's bringing music back to what it was meant to be.'"
(12/04/06)
It is,
just like the entire mess made of the copyright laws, about money for
the big publishers and distributors, NOT about money for the artists or
writers. Imagine the buggy whip manufacturers suing Detroit for destroying
their industry; or something equally silly.
Free Speech
Battles:
OH: Sign case gets rare hearing
Cincinnati Enquirer
"The car Chris Pagan wanted to sell is long gone. But he kept
the 'for sale' sign, in case he might need it as evidence in a three-year
federal court battle over his right to use the sign. In 2003, Pagan parked
a 1970 Mercury Cougar with a 'for sale' sign in front of his Sharon Road
home. But Glendale police threatened to cite him under an ordinance forbidding
such signs on vehicles in public areas. ... Pagan filed a federal lawsuit,
launching a freedom-of-speech crusade against the village's half-century-old
sign regulation. 'This is not a trivial thing. Glendale was seeking to
throw me into the criminal justice system and subject me to jail time
-- and they can't do that when they're violating the First Amendment,'
said Pagan, who could have been fined up to $250 and spent 30 days in
jail. On Wednesday, Pagan's case will be debated in an unusual hearing
before all 14 judges of the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals." (12/04/06)
Supposedly,
the rewritten Federal constitution (after the War Between the States)
is supposed to help protect people from local tyranny, like this stupid
ordinance. I wish Chris the best - he has been able to afford to do what
many of us cannot afford to do, fight for free speech up a long series
of courts.
Free Speech:
Pediatricians want ad censorship
Lawrence Journal-World
"Inappropriate advertising contributes to many kids' ills, from
obesity to anorexia, to drinking booze and having sex too soon, and Congress
should crack down on it, the American Academy of Pediatrics says. The
influential doctors' group issued a new policy statement in response to
what it calls a rising tide of advertising aimed at children. The policy
appears in December's Pediatrics, scheduled for release today."
(12/04/06)
Funny -
when the advertising is showing aborted children or showing smoking, or
even drinking, everyone is all for censorship; but as soon as it is applied
to advertising targeting children, everyone is against it? Folks, censorship
is WRONG, no matter whether it is commercial speech or not; no matter
whose ox gets gored. At the same time, forcing someone - even an evil,
nasty, profit-grubbing corporation - to broadcast something they don't
want to is EQUALLY wrong.
Mama's
Note: Parents are the ONLY ones responsible for what their children see.
Hopefully, if they really object to what is shown on TV they will find
other things for their children to do. Ultimately, of course, this is
the only thing that will rightfully influence what is shown on TV. TV
reflects what people want to see, or at least are willing to tolerate.
When they no longer watch it, the programming will change - and not before
unless government takes over totally.
Home Front:
12 million suburbanites live in poverty
Marion Star
"As Americans flee the cities for the suburbs, many are failing
to leave poverty behind. The suburban poor outnumbered their inner-city
counterparts for the first time last year, with more than 12 million suburban
residents living in poverty, according to a study of the nation's 100
largest metropolitan areas released Thursday." (12/07/06)
Denver's
alternative rag, "WestWord" had a good article last week that
explains what this is - and it is NOT "fleeing" the cities.
As many inner city areas are either demolished or converted into upscale
fashionable new digs for yuppies and such, their denizens are pushed out
into the old inner ring of suburbs (in Metro Denver these are places like
Wheat Ridge, Northglenn, and the older areas of Aurora), where the small
houses and lots common to the post-WW2 boom are not attractive to the
remodelers and not quite the crackerboxes of the '70s. Many of these are
marginal income earners, and are joined by (mostly) illegal immigrants,
also earning at or below minimum wage but, willing to live two, three,
or four families (or a dozen unrelated "singles") to a house,
can afford to pay rent but still be in poverty. Articles like this are
nothing more than propaganda to funnel even more federal welfare funds
into this inner ring - letting them compete with the inner cities for
money stolen from taxpayers - including those very same below-poverty-level
people.
Mama's
Note: Define "poverty." It is relative to many things, of course.
Most of these people have steadily improved their condition in life and
will continue to do so if left alone. Those from out of the country, illegal
and otherwise, have usually come from such poverty as most Americans can't
even imagine! The "poverty" here includes such unbelievable
luxuries as clean running water, usually both hot and cold, indoor plumbing,
heated living quarters, vast choices of foods and other goods simply not
available at all where they came from. These form the incentive to work
hard and earn the means to obtain them.
Home Front:
Justices rule against automatic deportation
USA Today
"The Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that a foreign national living
here legally should not be automatically deported if he is convicted of
a low-level drug offense that would be a misdemeanor under federal law.
The 8-1 decision could affect thousands of permanent legal immigrants,
often known as green-card holders, who, because of certain state convictions,
face deportation without a chance to plead their case before a judge."
(12/05/06)
Good news
or bad? I dunno. Yeah, we all know what a crock the War on Some Drugs
is, but all this is likely to do is cause cops and prosecutors to figure
out how to make the misdemeanors into felonies - to get rid of the immigrant.
And deportation without any appeal is clearly wrong, but the way this
is worded, it might make things worse all around.
Home Front:
X-ray
screening raises privacy concerns
USA Today
"The federal government plans this month to launch the nation's
first airport screening system that takes potentially revealing X-ray
photos of travelers in an effort to find bombs and other weapons. Transportation
Security Administration screeners at Phoenix Sky Harbor International
Airport will test a 'backscatter' machine that could vastly improve weapons
detection but has been labeled a 'virtual strip search' by the American
Civil Liberties Union. Backscatter can show clear images of nude bodies.
... In the upcoming airport tests, the machines will be used only on travelers
who require extra screening beyond a metal detector. Those passengers
will be offered the option of being photographed from the front and back
by the backscatter machine or undergoing the customary pat-down by a screener."
[Editor's note: And the other option ... refusing to fly - MLS] (12/01/06)
Mary Lou
has it right: either the patdown or the photo is just plain wrong and
sick.
Home Front:
GA: Senator's wife in hiding after
deportation threat
CNN
"State Sen. Curt Thompson has been a strong advocate of immigration
rights, once speaking in Spanish from the steps of the Georgia Capitol
against the adoption of some of the nation's strictest immigration controls.
Now Thompson's Colombian-born wife is in hiding as federal immigration
officials try to deport her. Sascha Herrera, 28, has been in hiding since
Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers arrived at her home November
28 with an order to remove her from the U.S. She was not home at the time."
(12/04/06)
Reports
later have stated that she has come out of hiding and been granted a reprieve.
The thing that bothers me most about is not the fact that ICE wants to
deport her (which is wrong, to separate a husband and wife), but that
it is her husband's status as part of a privileged elite that is keeping
her out of their hands - my own family members would not have such a reprieve
because we aren't politically connected.
Home Front:
MO, IL enter
sixth day of blackout
Fox News
"Temperatures rose to above-freezing in Missouri and Illinois
Tuesday as thousands of residents remained without power after a major
blackout caused by the first snowstorm of the winter season. The number
of deaths blamed on the storm that hit Thursday rose Monday to at least
23, with three more deaths reported in Missouri and one more in Illinois.
The causes included weather-related traffic accidents, fires, carbon monoxide
poisoning and exposure, officials said. The St. Louis-based utility Ameren
Corp. reported almost 190,000 homes and businesses still without power
Tuesday in Illinois and Missouri. The utility said it would be several
more days before power is fully restored to the region." (12/06/06)
Where is
the national outrage? Where are the front-page condemnations of FEMA for
not being able to instantly respond while people are dying? Where is the
pity and compassion? Doesn't anyone care about people just because they
don't live in New Orleans? (See the next story, and recall the story last
week about people STILL living off government handouts after more than
a year since Katrina.)
Home Front:
Investigators: Katrina aid still being
abused
USA Today
"The government continues to waste tens of millions of dollars
in its Hurricane Katrina relief efforts, including giving rent checks
to evacuees already living in free housing and student aid to ineligible
foreigners, U.S. investigators said Wednesday. The Government Accountability
Office also found that the Federal Emergency Management Agency has been
able to recoup only $7 million of the more than $1 billion in improper
payments identified by investigators months ago." (12/06/06)
Gee, who
would think that all these people would take advantage of this? Happens
with every welfare program, and frankly, that is what the New Orleans
bailout has been.
Islamic
Imperial Wars:
Somalia:
Muslims pray or lose their heads
Fox News
"Residents of a southern Somalia town who do not pray five times
a day will be beheaded, an official said Wednesday, adding the edict will
be implemented in three days. Shops, tea houses and other public places
in Bulo Burto, about 124 miles northeast of the capital, Mogadishu, should
be closed during prayer time and no one should be on the streets, said
Sheik Hussein Barre Rage, the chairman of the town's Islamic court. His
court is part of a network backed by armed militiamen that has taken control
of much of southern Somalia in recent months, bringing a strict interpretation
of Islam that is alien to many Somalis. Those who do not follow the prayer
edict after three days have elapsed, 'will definitely be beheaded according
to Islamic law,' Rage told The Associated Press by phone. 'As Muslims
we should practice Islam fully, not in part, and that is what our religion
enjoins us to do.' He said the edict, which covered only Bulo Burto, was
being announced over loudspeakers throughout the town." (12/06/06)
There you
have it - "according to Islamic law" and "that is what
our religion enjoins us to do." Obviously, as far as "Sheik"
Rage (what an appropriate name for an evil priest of an evil religion)
is concerned, Islam is just like Aztec worship or the worship of Moloch
- demanding a form of human sacrifice. While some have claimed, in the
name of Christianity, to be able to demand the death of heretics or witches,
or whatever, they had NO justification whatsoever from the New Testament
- but the Quran and the Hadith have many passages that this murdering
monster can use to justify this proclamation.
Latin American
Front:
Latin American
voters go left, but not that far left
Christian Science Monitor
"The landslide victory of Hugo Chavez in Venezuela's presidential
election Sunday caps off 12 elections across Latin America since November
2005 that, taken together, reveal a broad electoral shift to the left.
The triumph of President Chavez, who rails against the 'imperialist' US
and calls President Bush 'the devil,' comes on the heels of victories
by former US foe Daniel Ortega in Nicaragua and Ecuador's Rafael Correa,
who called for a 'citizen's revolution.' But in many ways Venezuela stands
alone. 'There is no Chavismo across Latin America,' says Adrian Bonilla,
a political analyst at the Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences in
Quito, Ecuador. 'What we have is a lot of new governments with different
ideological trends. You don't have a continental leader,' he says."
(12/05/06)
Clearly,
Chavez is hoping to accept the mantle of the dying Fidel Castro, but according
to this article, that is not what is happening. It should come as no surprise
that Latin America has supposedly shifted to the left (although the Mexican
vote does NOT support that claim) since technically the US itself shifted
to the left in November. But as usual, the one-dimensional left-right
model is a failure at accurately describing the situation: more and more
Latin Americans are just fed up with what they've been having to put up
with - Venezuela seems to be the exception to that trend.
Mama's
Note: Once the US economy crashes they'll have no more excuse to blame
Americans for all of their troubles. Just maybe then they'll begin to
see that their own governments have kept them in poverty and turmoil all
this time, not evil Americans, regardless of US government involvement
in their problems.
Local Tyranny:
OH: Bars, patrons prepare for smoking
ban
Ohio News Network
"Bar and restaurant owners are throwing out ash trays and posting
no-smoking signs to get ready for Ohio's new smoking ban, which takes
effect Thursday. The law, backed by the American Cancer Society and approved
by 58 percent of voters on Election Day, prohibits smoking in nearly all
public buildings and work places. Exceptions include tobacco shops, designated
hotel rooms and enclosed areas of nursing homes. But some business owners
say they're confused about how the law will be enforced -- it's mostly
complaint-driven, according to state health officials." (12/04/06)
This is
yet another example of local tyranny which is becoming more common. But
don't worry - the battle against smoking is rapidly ending as the little
tyrants prepare for their next battlefront, as told in the next story.
Local Tyranny:
NY: Idiot pols ban trans fats at restaurants
Bridgerland Herald Journal
"New York on Tuesday became the first city in the nation to ban
artery-clogging artificial trans fats at restaurants, leading the charge
to limit consumption of an ingredient linked to heart disease and used
in everything from french fries to pizza dough to pancake mix. In a city
where eating out is a major form of activity -- either for fun or out
of hectic necessity -- many New Yorkers were all for the ban, saying health
concerns were more important than fears of Big Brother supervising their
stomachs." (12/05/06)
It seems
like hardly a week passes without some petty tyrant or nanny-wannabe calling
for local, federal, or state action to prohibit some foods. If trans-fats
are the target of choice right now, don't worry: white sugar, corn sweetener,
fat in general, and caffeine are all on the list for the future. And you
can see that many people don't care - they WANT government to tell them
what to do, because they have no guts to dictate to themselves what they
do or don't do. Funny, isn't it? This is the same city government that
decided, a few weeks ago, that you had the "right" to decide
whether you were male or female, no matter what your plumbing is - and
yet they don't trust their own citizens to chose what to eat (or drink,
or smoke, or shoot.) Frankly, this should make the drug warriors and mandatory-school
and blue-law advocates and seat-belt nuts tickled pink (although I'm sure
it won't): after all, they are the ones that keep saying that government
has to protect us from ourselves.
Mama's
Note: I suspect this is one they're not going to be able to enforce very
well at all. All of the alternative fats are just as unhealthy in the
long run, but most of the "acceptable" ones are not commercially
viable. Trans fats were invented to prolong shelf life and increase marketability
(reduce cost). Replacing them will mean incredibly higher prices or outright
shortages of many things, including commercial bread. There is serious
question whether or not sufficient alternatives even exist now.
Of course,
the "enforcers" will do their best and we'll probably soon see
the midnight SWAT raids on helpless corner bakers and grocery stores to
remove this dangerous contraband from the shelves. Ah, Orwell would be
so proud.
Mesopotamian
Front:
Saudis & Iran prepare to battle
over Iraq [sic] corpse [Mesopotamia]
London Telegraph
"The gulf's two military powers, Sunni-Muslim Saudi Arabia and
Shia Iran, are lining up behind their warring religious brethren in Iraq
in a potentially explosive showdown, as expectations grow in both countries
that America is preparing a pull-out of its troops. A pool of blood and
a damaged vehicle after a bomb blast in Baghdad The Saudis are understood
to be considering providing Sunni military leaders with funding, logistical
support and even arms, as Iran already does for Shia militia in Iraq.
The strategy -- outlined in an article last week by Nawaf Obaid, a senior
security adviser to the kingdom's government -- risks spiraling into a
proxy war between Saudi and Iranian-backed factions in the next development
in Iraq's vicious sectarian conflict." (12/03/06)
Actually,
according to a number of sources, the Saudis are already doing so, and
have been all along - this competition is only to be expected, since the
fall of Baghdad: Saudis and Iranians are fighting to be the new undisputed
rulers of the Ummah - a position basically vacant since the Turks gave
up most of the empire business and got out of the theocracy racket. Another
reason to dismember the entire area.
Mesopotamian
Front:
Saddam's lawyers appeal
death sentence
MSNBC
"Saddam Hussein's lawyers on Sunday formally appealed the death
sentence against their client for the killing of 148 Shiites, a court
spokesman said. Five Iraqi judges sentenced Saddam and two other senior
members of his regime to death by hanging on Nov. 5 for the killings in
the town of Dujail, north of Baghdad, following a 1982 attempt there on
the life of the ousted leader." (12/03/06)
Any bets
on whether the Butcher of Baghdad will hang? Much less when. No doubt,
he should be grateful that he was not an Islamic ruler in the 12th or
15th century, when he would have had his head lopped off as he climbed
out of his hidey-hole. A thought - the "Iraqi" government could
contract with the US to give him a suspended sentence and put him in prison
for life as a next-door cellmate of former Panamanian dictator Manuel
Noriega.
Mesopotamian
Front:
Nouri to call for regional meeting
Nevada Appeal
"Iraq's prime minister reversed course Tuesday and said his envoys
will talk with Iraq's neighbors about the possibility of a regional conference
on quelling the violence here, despite opposition to the plan by some
key political allies. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki made the announcement
as more than 100 people were killed or found dead in and around Baghdad,
underscoring the urgency of finding a solution to the bloodshed."
(12/05/06)
I suspect
he is under pressure from the US; but his panning of the Iraq Surrender,
excuse me, Study Group report is a good indication: he is not necessarily
bowing down to the US pressure. Having the neighbors come in and get officially
involved in the squabble doesn't work in a domestic violence incident
in a suburb, and it won't work in Mesopotamia, either. Picture Austro-Hungary's
neighbors, after WW1, trying to put the empire back together.
Mesopotamian
Front:
Panel: Bush's Iraq [sic] policies have
failed
Allentown Morning Call
"President Bush's war policies have failed in almost every regard,
the bipartisan Iraq Study Group concluded Wednesday, and it warned of
dwindling chances to change course before crisis turns to chaos. Nearly
four years, $400 billion and more than 2,900 U.S. deaths into a deeply
unpopular war, violence is bad and getting worse, there is no guarantee
of success and the consequences of failure are great, the panel of five
Republicans and five Democrats said in a bleak accounting of U.S. and
Iraqi shortcomings. The implications, they warned, are dire for terrorism,
war in the Middle East and higher oil prices around the world."
(12/07/06)
Leave it
to the mainstream media to simplify this report to a single, inaccurate
phrase. More able commentators than I will be able to parse and analyze
this piece of work, but as many of them predicted, it essentially boils
down to rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic - there is nothing
in it that will help Mesopotamia or the US.
Mesopotamian
Front:
Iraqi leader [sic] rejects international
talks
Concord Monitor
"Iraq's president on Sunday rejected suggestions that an international
conference be held to address the violence wracking his country, echoing
sentiments expressed by other leading politicians. 'We are an independent
and a sovereign nation and it is we who decide the fate of the nation,'
President Jalal Talabani said after meeting with Rep. Christopher Shays,
R-Conn." (12/03/06)
Well, it
is NOT an international problem, just because it has international implications
- a point the US Supreme Court has forgotten for a century in their definition
of "interstate commerce."
Mesopotamian
Front:
Hadley: Bush knows changes needed
in Iraq
CNN
"White House national security adviser Stephen Hadley said Sunday
that President Bush realizes 'we need to make some changes' in Iraq policy.
Bush is willing to listen to proposals for a change, Hadley said on NBC's
'Meet the Press,' and will receive some proposals Wednesday when the Iraq
Study Group presents its report. But Hadley downplayed the opinion of
former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, who said in a November 6 memo
that a 'major adjustment' was needed." (12/03/06)
Yes, it
is time to split up the failed nation into four or five different nations.
And probably do the same to the world's longest-surviving empire, Iran.
Our British
Cousins:
UK:
Calls to pardon "UK's last witch"
BBC News [UK]
"The family of the last person in the UK to be prosecuted under
the Witchcraft Act will mark the 50th anniversary of her death by calling
for her pardon. Medium Helen Duncan, who was born in Callander, Perthshire,
was imprisoned using the law during World War II. She was targeted by
the government after revealing to a seance audience that a warship had
sunk before the news had been released to the public. ... She was arrested
in 1944 and sentenced to nine months in prison at the Old Bailey for crimes
under the Witchcraft Act of 1735." (12/06/06)
It sounds
very much like the charges under the Witchcraft Act were simply the easiest
to use - a charge of treason might have been justified. But even betraying
information to the enemy is no longer considered a crime in modern UK
society - just sweeping up leaves that the road crews don't (next story)
or having something to defend yourself with.
Our British
Cousins:
UK:
You just couldn't rake it up
The Sun [UK]
"A tearful woman was accused of littering -- for sweeping leaves
from a council tree into a pile. Streetsweepers refused to remove the
heap at the end of Sandra Pote's drive because some had fallen into her
garden. Sandra, 61 -- who for years has brushed leaves into a pile in
the gutter -- thought she was doing the cleaning truck crew a favour as
they drove down the road in Torquay, Devon. But she was accused of fly-tipping.
Furious husband Malcolm, 61, said yesterday: 'She was in tears.' Torbay
council insisted the couple should have taken the leaves to a tip. A spokesman
said: 'Householders have a responsibility to deal with leaves on their
property.'" (12/06/06)
"Work
to rule" - this reminds me of the photo circulating on the internet
from the AZ DOT: showing the dead porcupine with the double-yellow stripes
across the carcass. And then to sic the bobbies on them.
Our British
Cousins:
UK:
School or training plan for all under-18s
Guardian [UK]
"Moves to compel teenagers to stay on in school or training until
18 have been set in train by the government, the Guardian has learned.
Alan Johnson, the education and skills secretary, a strong supporter of
raising the minimum school leaving age from 16, is understood to have
asked officials to begin work on a green paper examining ways to implement
the change, for publication next year. The paper will not propose forcing
pupils to stay in the classroom behind a desk after 16, but is likely
to seek to ensure that if they leave school they move into training, study
for a new diploma or take a job with training and a qualification attached.
Mr. Johnson has been inspired by reforms in Ontario, Canada, where children
now face a legal requirement to stay on full-time at school or college
or enter formal training until 18." (12/05/06)
And here
we thought that slavery had been abolished in the UK in the 1830s?
Our British
Cousins:
UK:
Asbos failing to rein in persistent offenders
Guardian [UK]
"Antisocial behaviour orders are ineffective with a hard core
of persistent offenders whose behaviour is blighting communities across
Britain, according to a report by the government's official spending watchdog
published today. Over 55% of those given an Asbo did not comply with its
conditions and a hard core of 20% breached them more than five times,
the National Audit Office report said. One youngster breached his Asbo
25 times. Edward Leigh, the chairman of the Commons public accounts committee,
said the report revealed that, for a hard core of persistent offenders,
the measures were not working." (12/06/06)
Asbos might
be better referred to as "get out of jail free" cards for the
thugs that go around mugging people, spraypainting virtually everything,
stealing lunch money from children, and similar crimes.
Mama's
Note: This will only continue to get worse as these thugs grow up, of
course, since the people are helpless to defend themselves.
Our Imperial
Courts:
MD: Court to consider pro-family [sic]
suit
Baltimore Sun
"The divisive national debate over same-sex marriage reached Maryland's
highest court yesterday with pointed arguments confronting questions of
civil rights and who is entitled to the legal rights and emotional benefits
of marriage. Attorneys for 19 gay and lesbian plaintiffs framed their
argument before the Court of Appeals in classic civil-rights terms, saying
Maryland's 33-year-old statute defining marriage as a union between one
man and one woman infringes upon their clients' constitutional rights."
(12/05/06)
Mass, Jersey,
now Maryland: the stupidity spreads. Once the courts have redefined marriage,
the rest of the dictionary is fair game, I guess. And the cause of liberty
is damaged beyond imagining.
Persian
Front:
France: Iran facing UN sanctions
CNN
"Iran will face U.N. Security Council sanctions for refusing to
halt its nuclear program, France's foreign minister said Wednesday, but
major powers are still divided on exactly how far punishment should go.
'The question is about the scope of sanctions but there will be sanctions,'
Philippe Douste-Blazy said on RTL radio. The measures would fall under
Article 41 of Chapter 7 of the U.N. Charter, Douste-Blazy added."
(12/06/06)
Sometimes
the liberal left just sickens me in their inconsistency. On the one hand,
they claim that the US is seeing pink elephants when it claims that the
Iranian theocracy is developing nuclear weapons, but ignore the fact that
apparently France, Germany, and a lot of other nations not exactly in
love with Bush and company seem to think the same thing. They are afraid
that the US and Israel will attack Iran, but don't seem to care that France
is apparently trying to goad Iran into doing something to trigger that
attack. What they should be doing is condemning France and Germany and
the rest of the UN for the baiting of Iran in the first place.
Our Right
of Self Defense:
SAF lawsuit defends rights
of citizens living abroad
Liberty For All
"The Second Amendment Foundation today filed a lawsuit in federal
court in Ohio, challenging the 'sporting purpose' limitation for firearms
sales in this country, and supporting the constitutional right of American
citizens living abroad to legally purchase firearms while in this country.
SAF and co-plaintiff Stephen Dearth of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, a native
citizen of the United States, are represented by the law firms of Gura
& Possessky (Virginia) and Squire, Sanders & Dempsey (Ohio)."
(12/05/06)
A lawsuit
very much overdue. The same thing applies to people on military duty:
as I discovered recently, in many states, if you do not have a drivers
license issued in that state, you cannot purchase a handgun, even if you
live there, as do many military members and their families, who are not
expected to have a local drivers license, since they are actually citizens
of another state.
Our Right
of Self Defense:
UN OKs weapons trade treaty resolution
Waco Tribune-Herald
"Over U.S. objections, the U.N. General Assembly approved a resolution
Wednesday that could lead to the first international treaty on controlling
the trade in assault rifles, machine guns and other small arms. The nonbinding
resolution asks the secretary-general to seek the views of the 192-member
General Assembly on the feasibility of a comprehensive treaty 'establishing
common international standards for the import, export and transfer of
conventional arms.'" (12/07/06)
Actually,
this little slice of stupidity may be good, in a way: it will convince
just a few more Americans that the best thing about the UN would be getting
the US OUT of the UN, and the UN out of the US. People need to remember
this the next time someone comes around for UNICEF donations. As for "common
standards" - how about these: (1) All humans have the individual,
personal right to defend themselves and to keep and bear arms of any type
necessary for their defense as individuals or as a voluntary group. (2)
No government has any authority to disarm any person except as punishment
for a crime of violence, and only for a limited time necessary for punishment
and protection of others, keeping in mind that those others deserving
of protection themselves are expected to be armed. (3) No government has
any authority to prohibit the import or export of any weapon, ammunition,
parts, or components. (4) No government has any authority to seize any
weapon unless that weapon was used to commit a crime, that is, an act
of unjustified violence or threat thereof.
Our Right
of Self Defense:
Study: School killings up slightly
Tallahassee Democrat
"At least 21 people were killed at school during the 2004-05 academic
year, a slight increase from the year before, the government reported
Sunday. The study by the Bureau of Justice Statistics does not include
data from fatal shootings in Wisconsin, Colorado and Pennsylvania this
fall. " (12/03/06)
And killings
will remain common as long as we allow school teachers, staff, and students
to be unarmed.
Our Right
of Self Defense:
Cayman Islands: Gun owners must license
weapons
Cayman Net News
"The Royal Cayman Islands Police Service, (RCIPS) said all owners
of firearms permits that expire on 31 December need to apply for renewal
forms well in advance. The step-by-step process is fairly straightforward
and should be considered a priority for all holding these permits, the
police said. Officers also noted that all firearms owners should check
the security of their safes, which need to be bolted to a sturdy wall
or floor. An essential requirement that is contingent to all firearms
licensed holders is to have a secure safe that cannot be breached. An
alarming device is also recommended. The safe should have two independent
means of opening, whether by key or combination key and dial. ... Should
the police officer be unsatisfied with the security measures in place,
any firearms will be confiscated and kept in police custody until the
criteria is met." (12/01/06)
Do I detect
a tightening of the screws here? Now that (presumably) everyone has complied
with the laws for a while, it is time to make them tougher and make it
harder for more and more people to follow, thus giving an excuse to the
state to seize them.
Our Right
of Self Defense:
NJ: Judge -- man isn't violating gun
laws
Express Times
"District Judge Diane Repyneck threw out 17 citations Monday against
a 62-year-old township man accused of violating local gun laws. The judge
ruled Richard Seruga of the 3800 block of Bee Line Drive was guilty of
one count of disorderly conduct but was not in violation of any other
township laws when he repeatedly fired his gun at a target behind his
home..... 'chiding the township for continuing to cite Seruga even after
Repyneck threw out Seruga's previous citations based on the argument that
the law allows an exception for property owners to fire on their own land.'
... Repyneck wasn't persuaded by the prosecution's arguments. She also
dismissed another charge against Seruga of using an illegal backstop in
his backyard firing range. The only charge that stuck was the disorderly
conduct charge stemming from Seruga's interaction with [Township police
officer] Jones. " (12/05/06)
Frankly,
the judge should have dismissed the disorderly conduct charge - I think
he had more than enough justification to be rather short-tempered with
the cops.
Our Right
of Self Defense:
PA:
Philly victim disarmers will ask to search
Centre Daily
"After an uptick in city homicides this year, the vast majority
of them involving guns, law-enforcement officials have created a task
force to try to rid the city of illegal guns. The unit, funded with $5
million from the state, will hire retired Philadelphia homicide detectives
and others to target neighborhoods where gun violence is most pervasive.
Police also plan to ask home owners at times for consent to search their
homes without a probable-cause warrant, District Attorney Lynne M. Abraham
said Monday. 'If we go to a house, we're going to ask the owner of the
house if they will consent to a search for illegal weapons,' Abraham said
at a news conference. 'Any gun that we can find that way is one more gun
we can get off the street.'" [Editor's note: Oh, of course, officer,
DO come in and search to see if I have any illegal guns - MLS] (12/04/06)
Frankly,
this is a lot of fluff - no criminal is going to "invite" the
cops inside. What they are likely to get is "invitations" from
parents who are afraid of the thugs they've helped their kids to become,
afraid to tell their hoodlum kids to get out of the gang and straighten
up. I'm not sure of Pennsylvania law, but if "renters' rights"
match that of most states, landowners and landlords won't be able to allow
cops to enter tenants' premises, either. So what is left? A lot of crowing
about "cleaning up guns." And eventually (like the 92-year-old
woman in Georgia) a dead innocent man or woman whom police claim "invited
them in" and then "changed her mind."
Our Right
of Self Defense:
AR: Woman shoots
estranged husband
KTBS News
"Howard County officials are awaiting autopsy results on a man
who died from a gunshot wound to the head at his estranged wife's house.
Around 7:30 p.m. Sunday, deputies got a call from 52-year-old Charles
"Danny" Sullivan's wife. The two were in the process of a divorce
and the woman told deputies Sullivan had shown up at her house with a
gun. Officers got to her home, just in time to hear a gunshot. They saw
Sullivan in the backyard with the gun, before he ran out of their line
of sight. Then, deputies heard one more shot. Sullivan was found with
a gunshot wound to the head." (12/04/06)
I suppose
they'll have to interview the Widow Sullivan, even though they saw her
ex-husband waving his gun?
Our Right
of Self Defense:
TX: Customer shoots robbery suspect
Dallas Morning News
"Dallas police were seeking a customer at a retail store who shot
a robbery suspect and fled before police arrived. Police said Jonathan
Coleman, 19, was carrying a shotgun when he entered Fashion Avenue in
the 2800 block of North Buckner Boulevard on Saturday night. He ordered
an employee and customer to the ground, authorities said. Police said
the customer shot Mr. Coleman and left the store. Mr. Coleman was treated
at an area hospital and released before being arrested and charged with
aggravated robbery." (12/04/06)
I would
like to think that they want to find the customer to give him a medal
and a reward for putting a piece of scum out of action for a while, and
preventing a crime. But what if he didn't "have a permit?"
Our Right
of Self Defense:
IL:
Gunman, 3 others killed in Chicago tower
Yahoo News
CHICAGO - Carrying a cache of weapons into a bustling downtown office,
a man chained a law firm's doors closed and fatally shot three people
before a police sniper killed him as he held a hostage at gunpoint, authorities
said. The standoff at the 43-story Citigroup Center, which also houses
a train station, sent office workers fleeing and stranded commuters Friday
as the work week drew to a close.
Mama's
comments: Once again the keystone kops were at it. If one person in that
office had been armed properly, the only one killed would likely have
been the criminal. Just what is it going to take before people begin to
get the message? sigh... Nathan: To say nothing of the people in the lobby
of the building, or the elevator, or a few other places.
Our Right
of Self Defense:
IN: Woman
fears for life after son kills intruder
Post Tribune
"One day after an her son killed one of two intruders who forced
his way into her house, a Gary mother says she fears for her life. "I'm
fearful because I don't know who that guy was and I don't know who his
people are," she said. .... The homeowner, a truck driver for the
city of Gary, was eating pizza with her 21-year-old son and his friend
about 5:40 p.m. Friday when someone knocked on the door. When her son's
friend opened the door to see who it was, two men forced their way and
put a gun to his head. Immediately, her son ran downstairs to grab a gun
while she took refuge in a first-floor bedroom. Scott asked where everyone
was and then said he was going to kill everyone there. That's when her
21-year-old son emerged from the basement and started firing his weapon,
striking Scott. The second intruder fled." (12/03/06)
Maybe if
she had a gun and knew how to use it on her own, she wouldn't have to
be so afraid. And would she rather that her son HADN'T killed the one
guy, so that all of them were dead and had no more fears?
Our Right
of Self Defense:
TX: Store clerk shoots robbery suspect
Ft. Worth Star Telegram
"An employee of Bennett's Grocery Store shot and wounded a Cleburne
man as he attempted a robbery Tuesday night, Burleson police said. ...
According to police reports, Baxter, who carried a large hunting knife,
walked around the counter and demanded money from the clerk. The store
owner yelled from the office, but Baxter refused to leave and was shot
twice, police said. The suspect fled in a Ford F-150 pickup along with
another suspect, Justin Wade Germain, also of Cleburne. The two men then
stopped at the Wal-Mart on S.W. Wilshire Blvd. to buy bandages, Aaron
said. They made an illegal left turn, and were pulled over by state troopers
until police arrived." (12/06/06)
Now some
folks would say that it is wrong to shoot a guy with just a knife, but
a knife can kill just like a gun - the would-be robber deserved what he
got.
Our Right
of Self Defense:
UT:
U redirects gun fight
Deseret News
" University of Utah leaders are taking their gun fight to the
Legislature, hoping to keep at least part of the school's controversial
gun ban intact. After losing a lengthy and costly court battle, U. President
Michael Young is working with legislators to find if the no-guns rule
could work in limited circumstances such as in residence halls and athletic
venues." (12/02/06)
Right!
Let's just make SOME areas gunfree zones so the nut-cases and the bloody
butchers can have it easier - especially when there are victims assembled
in large numbers. And let's discriminate against those who have to live
in the beehives - while profs and staff can defend themselves.
Our Right
of Self Defense:
PA:
Homeowner opens fire on intruders
WPXI News
"A homeowner opened fire after intruders entered his home on Monday,
police said. .... The man and his 1-year-old baby were home at the time
of the invasion. Police said several people kicked in the front windows
of the home. According to officials, the homeowner then shot one person
with a high caliber weapon, injuring that person severely. The intruder
fled in a vehicle. Police are now searching for the intruders."
(12/04/06)
The man
should be very gratified that he was able to protect his child in a dangerous
situation - because he was ARMED!
Our Right
of Self Defense:
Thailand:
Schools reopen with armed teachers
People's Daily
"Schools in parts of Thailand's violence-plagued southern province
Pattani reopened Monday. Teachers were allowed to take weapons to protect
their own safety. ... Education Minister Wijit Srisaarn said he believed
self-defense measures, including allowing teachers to carry guns, will
be effective in protecting the teachers. The educators themselves will
also help security officials look after their colleagues, according to
Wijit." (12/04/06)
Watch this
experiment with care - in part to make sure that it is not twisted to
demonstrate exactly the opposite of what most defenders of the right to
defend ourselves expect.
Our Right
of Self Defense:
IN:
Home invader shot
Indy Channel
"Police said a man who broke into a home in a robbery attempt
was killed by an occupant of the home early Monday morning on Indianapolis'
west side. The shooting happened at about 2 a.m. at the home in the 200
block of North Tremont Street at Turner Avenue in what police called a
home invasion and attempted robbery .... Police said there were two people
inside the home at the time of the shooting."We're still putting
that all together, but it appears that this was an attempted residence
burglary or residence robbery and we'll have to wait on interviews to
determine exactly what that was," said Indianapolis police Detective
Jeff Patterson. Police said the prosecutor's office will decide if the
home's occupant acted in self-defense in the shooting." (12/04/06)
What? They
enticed the goons into their home so that they could shoot them? Please!
The approach here should be standard: "We assume that the residents
of the home were just defending themselves when they shot these scumbags,
although we will of course verify this by interviews and evidence collected
on-scene. But we are presuming that they are innocent of any crime."
Our Right
of Self Defense:
TX: Robbery attempt nets suspect a
wound in the leg
My San Antonio
"A suspect had the tables turned on him this morning, as was shot
by the man he was attempting to rob at a convenience store. Police say
around 1 a.m. Monday, the 31-year-old suspect pulled an knife and demanded
money from a customer at a Valero Cornerstore in the 5400 block of Babcock
Road. Authorities say the customer warned the suspect that he had a gun.
The robber lunged and the customer pulled his gun and shot the suspect
in the leg. The suspect was taken to a local hospital with non-life threatening
injures. Police say the man with the gun is ex-military and had a permit.
No charges will be filed against him." (12/04/06)
Why should
an ex-soldier in the once-free Republic of Texas have to have a "permit"
in order to carry a weapon to defend himself, his friends, his family,
his neighbors, and his community? At least this isn't like Indiana where
they have to "decide."
Mama's
Note: Memo to criminals in Texas... even though the state has done a great
deal to damage the ability of ordinary people to defend themselves, the
long standing traditions of Texas would indicate that it is still very
stupid to take a knife to a potential gunfight!
Our Right
of Self Defense:
PA: Calling citizens to arms
Triubune Democrat
"Statkowski is a councilman in Cherry Tree Borough in Indiana
County. He is proposing -- and borough council is considering -- an ordinance
recommending that households in Cherry Tree have at least one firearm
with ammunition for self-defense purposes. But, Statkowski said, this
is not only a message for residents urging them to take precautions. This
is as much a message to would-be criminals who think Cherry Tree might
be a good place to break into someone's home." (12/04/06)
Yet another
town urging this kind of action - the recent publicity of home invasions
seems to finally get some people to think!
Mama's
Note: It WOULD be nice if PA (and other states) were more consistent.
All of the "laws" and legal hoopdance required to own and use
a firearm make this kind of ordinance pretty silly. Repeal the laws against
honest self defense and this would be moot.
Page
2 Click HERE Link checked!
Stupid Government Tricks and
other good stuff on page 2!
Nathan
Barton is writing this from a wonderful place in the West, which might
be in the Black Hills of South Dakota or Wyoming, or might be in one of
the Four Corners States. Exactly where it is, the breezes blow with the
scent of liberty, and the sound of the pines or the pinions is the sound
of freedom. For thousands of years, people have fought and died for the
liberty that Americans in the great spaces of the West enjoy, and he writes
these commentaries in the hopes that continued generations will be able
to do so, until the end of Time.
Be sure
to visit my blog, Liberty's
Outpost.
Special
Feature! Add your signature to the NEW
Declaration of Independence
By Robert Greenslade
Several
people have asked about buying Gadsden Flags (the rattlesnake "Don't
Tread on Me flags used by the June 23d Movement and other Property Rights
Organizations: you
can get them for $10.00 plus shipping here.
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