It’s Time to Review the Usage of the Patriot Act
tda says:
"It’s refreshing to find our legal system reviewing some of the Bush Administration’s well intended, but grossly abused by implementation laws, such as the Patriot Act, to protect us against terrorism.
An offered example of such abuse can be sited in this news wire article published by the ACLU, regarding the lifting of a “gag” order involving a case between the FBI and Internet Archive . The case was brought to the forefront by both the ACLU and the Electronic Frontier Foundation .
The article is entitled and may be found at this link Gag Lifted, Brewster Speaks!"
Actually my friend, we have been reviewing the Patriot Act's constitutionality for over four years. Now it's time to just discard that distasteful law althougher!
Dobson accuses Obama of 'distorting' Bible
bethany says:
"Here's a comment to stir up some controversy: They are both ridiculous. Believing that a boat that holds 2 of every animal is totally real, but then rejecting some of the other stories and teachings that are equally absurd. Believers interpret some things literally and other things metaphorically. When everything is sufficiently vague, outdated, or defies the laws of science, who gets to decide? Answer: Jerry Falwell and Benedict XVI."
Yes Bethany, and this -- human decision-making -- is why organized religion has been a sham from day one.
Dobson accuses Obama of 'distorting' Bible
ronaldvandevender says:
"Where does Dobson have the place to talk about anyone distorting the bible? He has one of the most warped views on biblical teaching of anyone I have ever listened to or read in their books."
You are right; he had no place whatsoever spewing his sanctomonious comments in the political domain!
HAVE YOU EVER NOTICED how Fundamentalist leaders, and their brainwashed followers, have the greatest difficulty understanding the Constitution’s clearly-defined separation between church and state.
Obama Pivots Again: Opts Out of Public Funding.
OneVoteOneBrick says:
"......The point is that the basis for taking his orginal stance was that he was NOT an old style politician, he was the "Candidate of Reform" and the "Candidate that makes the right decisions first time out" based on his highly developed good judgement. So much for sound decision-making and good judgement, and frankly, he's a quick learner - no doubt - but still a neophyte at old style politics....."
Actually my friend, the thrust of Sen. Obama's promise was to stay clear of monies from special interest groups, who always expect poitical favors in return.
All of Obama's funds come from private citizens like you and I, who contribute roughly $50 per piece. This is not a corrupting sitution -- except to the GOP, who want to make it one. And the irony is the omission by them of the recent flip-flops by "McBush" on much more pervasive issues like immigration, off-shore oil drilling and his recent opposition to veterans' benefits legislation.
A war that we're really losing
I am completely against the "War on Drugs, " which has wasted billions of taxpayer dollars and has been based on complete ignorane.
Of all controlled substances, I believe, marijuana warrants the most consideration for legalization.The best argument I've heard thus far is the Prohibition analogy used as far back as the '60s:
'All Prohibition did was create more crime and jail many decent citizens. Once it was repealed, the mob lost a great deal of their illegal revenue, killings decreased, and the government's treasury expanded noticeably -- both by the new taxes on alcohol and the freeing up of law enforcement funds once dedicated to stopping its production and use. Given this, why would the government make the same mistake all over again, this time with marijuana -- which has been medically proven to be far safer than alcohol, nicotine and caffeine.'
In addition, most people I've met over the last 40 years who oppose legalization are those who never tried weed themselves -- generally people who smoke heavily and consume a great deal of alcohol and coffee.
DNA Testing Holds Unique Promise Of Justice
I certainly agree that DNA is extremely useful when there is physical evidence to necessitate it. Unfortunately, that is not always the case, as many of innocent people have gone to prison or Death Row on solely circumstantial evidence! Let's face it, juries are not always comprised of the most intelligent, independent-minded people. It's not that difficult for a prosecutor with a weak case to play on the emotions of gullible jurors, many of which were the same fools who were conned into putting the Village Idiot and his Nazi veep in the White House for the past 7.5 years.
JMJ says:
"ok then leave the definition of marriage to the church. The government should not redefine marriage. The institution of marriage was defined since the beginning of time."
Your position would leave absolutely no room for either society or the human mind to evolve, as ancient beliefs would still dictate life in a 21st Century nation whose Constitution prohibits that practice!
NOMOREWelfare? GET UP GET A JOB
Two of the greatest programs in the history of this country was FDR's New Deal and LBJ's Great Society. Both enabled many underpriviledged people, with government help, to get the training and education necessary to become self-reliant.
Conversely, both Bush and Reagan before him showed no compassion for the needy, while giving the affluent and Corporate America free reign. The justification in both cases was to make life easier for the rich, who in turn would pass on the prosperity to those below them. Needless to say, the greedy bastards balked.
Now it is time to employ governemnt programs again that will truly stimulate the economy and allow us all to stand on our feet. One way to do this is to put the clamps on the Corporations, who will still make a decent profit -- as they always have.
Herbert Hoover was once asked why he hated Capitalism. His response: "I don't hate capitalism at all. It's capitalists I can't stand!" Who today can argue with that?
Obama Pivots Again: Opts Out of Public Funding.
AMP says:
"Of course McCain says it's a bad move, of course he says that Obama betrayed his own statements. Obama made the best choice available to him, and if it's a good choice for Obama's campaign, it's a bad situation for McCain. Reminds of a an 8 year old yelling at a computer game saying it's unfair since he can't win..."
Right on the money AMP!
Have you noticed McCain's recent change of heart on domestic oil drilling and immigration, as well as his stand against the current bill in Congress that would pay the full college or trade school tuition for all veterans. Yes, we're talkng about Mr. War Monger himself.
andy says:
"Some people find it fun to go to the shooting range with a high powered gun and see what firing one is all about. Other folks enjoy collecting weapons of all kinds. I'm largely not in favor of banning assault weapons because I don't believe it will have that great of effect, except on those who aren't causing any trouble with them. Look at the "war on drugs". It's really the same thing. People die from OD'ing on heroin and cocaine all the time, and they're illegal -- they still manage to be bought and sold. Point is, if people want something bad enough, they'll find a way to get it."
As much as I'd like to completely eliminate guns from our society, as most European countries have, I'm afraid you are completely correct Andy. Based on both Prohibition and the "War on Drugs" -- now in it's fourth decade with little to show for the billions spent -- when people are committed to having something badly enough, they will always find a way.
Intelligent Design out of public schools
perm735 says:
"I don't think its something that should be regulated by federal government. Each region needs to make their own decision on what to do. What makes perfect sense in Memphis is not the same as what makes sense in San Francisco. I personally don't believe it should be taught in public schools, and if I lived in a region where it was being done, I would probably leave that area. The last thing I want is a blanket statement by the government saying that it should not be taught in the US, cause there is no way I'm leaving the country."
My friend, State Rights is always trumped by the Constitution. And given the law of the land guarantees seperation between church and state, the biblical perspective does not belong in the public schooling system.
I attended college in the Deep South during the Moral Majority's heyday. But the Biology department only taught evolution. They explained to the concerned fundamentalist students there was no scientific foundation to Creationism. And after completion of the class, the vast majority of those evangelical students didn't have a problem with the "Big Bang Theory." They now had a choice what to believe in themselves, rather than what their churches imposed on them.
Bloomberg defends Obama before Jewish audience
Spike,
Historically, American Jews have been the greatest allies of the Black people. Most of the white people who marched with Martin Luther King were Jewish.
You see, Obama opponents spread ugly rumors in the Jewish Community that the senator had Anti-Israeli sentiment . Mayor Bloomberg, himself a Jew, was the perfect individual to clarify matters for his people.
Capital Punishment Requires Belief In Absolutes
icmthejudge says:
"politicalscribe & bethany considering your mind sets im not surprised abit, chances are your probably the poster children for late 1960's drug abuse i mention in my posting and therefore couldnt read between the lines of truth if it were to slap you in the face(your to hung-up on your ivy league education). However i know you both got the point, or you 2 bumms wouldnt have even replied.... Please dont reply again to my post it makes you both look like ya eatup with THC...go get your heads examined and give it a rest already...it may not be to late????Sheeze made a simple comment post and already insulted, this generally meaning that the egnorant "YOU 2" usually bark first????"
Perhaps I came on a little too strong. I apologize for that. I responded impulsively to your anger. That is an issue I can improve myself on!
Obama Pivots Again: Opts Out of Public Funding.
Obama made the smart move. He realized he could raise millions more from his private supporters -- not lobbyists -- than the mere $85 million public funding offers; McCain cannot.
When a person gains more information or better insight of an issue, they should change their minds. That is the mark of intelligence. Demanding people don't shift is rigidtiy underscored by stupidity. CNN's Wolf Blitzer wrote a column on this very subject today:
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/06/20/blitzer-whats-wrong-with-a-politician-who-changes-views/
Capital Punishment Requires Belief In Absolutes
icmthejudge says:
"Fact of the matter if ya dope smoker from the 1960's your probably in late stages of head and neck cancer and therefore cant possible comprehend concepts of anything reletive to reality let alone Capital Punishment. However capital punishment is still carried out all over the world except in countries that have adopted blinding socialist utopist idiologies. Take the Arabic and Asian countries lowest crime rates in the world why??? get caught stealing the first time you lose a hand, get caught stealing the 2nd time, you lose the other hand, get caught stealing 3 times and its game over???and you dont even want to know what happens if you get caught cheating on your spouse ecspecially if its an act of homosexuality. Unlike our Asian and Arabic brothers we have grown totally stupid and botched in America...Oh that little scripture that some of the commies like to use in reference to Capital Punishment from the Ten Commandments that theyve banned just about everywhere in the USA you know the one "THOU SHALT NOT KILL" lol Sorry cant use that reference, supposively "Seperation of Church and State???"Seperation of Church and State??? is a blatent lie congress would have to totally ban the first amendment...funny how what comes around does go around its just that when your brains eatup with TCH you cant read between the lines.....and ruin an entire nation......DNA testing does no good for someone thats been on death row 10 -20 years DNA testing has just begun to prove worthy thru the modern advent of super computing. Evidences including "DNA" can be lost and replaced, switched out, and even plotted, framed or even setup, its been done and proven. Remember evil works for evil and always will...but what the hell lets pile up the prisons until we have a prison system the size of a small country, burden the already overtaxed citizen, then when a major catastrophy hits and they all break out Bad Boys Who You Gonna Call???Hell ive digressed waaaay to long you get the point"
I have to completely go along with Bethany's take on this! When I read the above quote, my stomach turned and head just shook in complete disbelief. We do, indeed, have to reestablish our priorities completely. Yes, let's first get committed to making a full, comprehensive, mind-broadening education for our children the standard. Once we accomplish this, then we can deal with hard-core issues like Capital Punishment. Until then, our public schools will continue to produce more misguided fools like the imbecile quoted above.
THIS IS MY BIBLE
With all due respect, I'm afraid the Bible is not my authority on living. I've seen much harm done to others in its name.
I do, however, believe strongly in the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment provision for the separation between church and state. We are a government of the people, not just some of the people. And I believe it's high time we just learned how to live and let live.
Judge George was doing his job, rendering a ruling based on the Constitution. It is not his job to offer opinions predicated on religious doctrine!
Capital Punishment Requires Belief In Absolutes
YES, THIS ACTUALLY HAPPENED!
John,
Believe it or not, I just saw your post for the first time, as it was written long before I got to this site.
I have struggled with the entire concept of Capital Punishment since I was a child; I am now 55. I honestly have difficulty with the notion of teaching people murder is heinous and then murder the killers ourselves. Doesn't that make the executioner a contract killer of the state?
Second, the fact that we are the only Western industrialized democracy that still carries out this practice makes an enormously powerful statement about our own moral evolution -- or lack of it. Europe has written it off as barbaric over 30 years ago. And it doesn't exist in one South American nation.
Third, juries can't be trusted with applying the 14th Amendment (equal justice for all), as we continually see the white and wealthy avoid Death Row and the impoverished minorities sent there by the droves.
Finally, all capital murder cases do not contain DNA, or any physical, evidence. Again, discrimination.
Prison without parole has changed many former advocates minds. It does keep the violent criminal isolated from the civilized world, while preventing us from playing God with others lives.
Just as America might be moving toward the European Socialist-Democrat model -- which is clearly working, China has shifted from a complete Totalitarian-Communism to a Totalitarian-Capitalist modality.
There's no turning back now. But I do believe we need to curb our end of these global trade agreements that have our economic fanny in a sling -- thanks to Corporate America and its insatiable greed for profit.
Cheney, Others OK'd Harsh Interrogations
I HAVE WRITTEN CRITICALLY about the Bush/Cheney White House for over seven years now without a letup. And why not? The most corrupt administration in American history, without a doubt, has clearly defined itself with each and every revealed scandal surrounding it since its inception.
But how about those crimes yet to be exposed to the public. What other transgressions have they committed against the Constitution and the people it protects, as well as the brotherhood of man across the globe? Is there even worse that has yet to be revealed?
The answer is a resounding yes!
This became readily clear last Wednesday when ABC News disclosed that several key administration figures, led by Cheney , have had several meetings since 9/11 in the White House Situation Room to endorse heinous interrogation methods against suspected terrorists, including Waterboarding. Even more troubling was the revelation that had the White House seeking Justice Department support — which it essentially has received.
The disclosure was verified by a top former U.S. Intelligence official who spoke with the Associated Press the following day. Needless to say, the official had to request anonymity, fearing the brand of retribution Bush and company has made famous, beginning with the Valerie Plame affair.
According to the source, those who attended the meetings in addition to Cheney included former Attorney General John Ashcroft, CIA Director George Tenant and Secretary of State Colin Powell, as well as his eventual successor Condi Rice, who at the time held the position of national security advisor.
In an ironic twist just prior to the revelations, rumors began spreading rapidly throughout Washington that Rice had contacted GOP presumptive nominee John McCain for consideration as his running mate this fall.
In a Watergate-style attempt to protect the president, Bush was left out of the meetings, as I’m sure has become the standard operating procedure at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. since day one! Maintaining the tight-lipped policy of this administration, spokespeople for the White House, Justice and State Departments and the CIA refused comment, as did a spokesman for Tenet. Ashcroft failed to return a message left for him.
So finally we know who masterminded the atrocities at Abu Ghraib and Guantanomo Bay. Not only was the White House behind this all along, but they allowed low-ranking soldiers — most of whom are now serving time at military prisons — to become their sacrificial lambs.
And why wasn’t this president and veep not impeached and eventually casted out of office by Congress a few years ago? Because with only a bare-bones majority of just 51members in the Senate, the Democrats — regardless of what happens in the House — are 16 votes short of the required 67 needed for expulsion. What has that meant? Simply that Bush and Cheney pretty much have the partisan support of their fellow Republicans on Capitol Hill — regardless of what they pull.
I realize this administration expires in just 9.25 months. But I’m really getting the feeling lately that this could be like the last nine months of a prison sentence to an inmate. Bush and Cheney will be running this final stretch like a marathon built on a corrupt course.
I have argued against impeachment for a long time do to its mathematical impossibility and the waste of taxpayer money, which Bush has already squandered billions on his rogue war.
But now I believe the Democrats need to take a stand. They need to hold live televised House- and Senate- Judiciary Committee hearings on C-Span and all the major broadcast and cable networks. Even if impeachment isn’t a remote possibility, the people of this nation have a right to be edified as to how unsavory this administration and its followers has truly been and how Congressional GOP leaders have turned a blind eye to it.
And they need to hear it before the November elections — when they have the power to essentially put the Grand Old Party out of business for some time to come.
