USA TODAY appears to be the latest newspaper to make extravagant pronouncements about gloom and doom government actions in the war on terror, then retracts part or all of the story when they can't back up their original reports with hard facts upon closer examination.
One would have thought that they would have learned their lesson from works of fiction from CBS News and Time magazine among others.
They really need to go back to Journalism 101 with regards to sourcing and not relying too much on speculation or rumor as hard fact.
Friday, June 30, 2006
Supreme Court Rules That Military Tribunals Are Unconstitutional and al-Qaeda is Protected by the Geneva Convention: What Will Happen Next
Now that the U.S. Supreme Court has clipped the Administration's wings a bit by ruling that military tribunals are unconstitutional and that the Geneva Convention applies to al-Qaeda prisoners, look for one of these things to happen next with regards to the Geneva Convention itself:
The former would be a better solution, but it would very likely be rejected by other members of the U.N. who dislike current U.S. treatment of prisoners and want Camp Delta at Guantanamo Bay closed.
One question that concerns me a great deal: did the Supreme Court look to international laws to decide on the status of al-Qaeda prisoners under the Geneva Convention, or did they look to American law to determine that the prisoners deserved Convention protections?
The U.S. Supreme Court is NOT an international court. They can only look to American law and American precidence to judge American legal questions, not international standards which are sometimes contrary to our Constitution.
One would hope that they looked at American law to make their determination.
- The U.S. will attempt to modify the Geneva Convention so that terrorists captured on a battlefield are not prisoners of war since they are not uniformed members of a national army OR
- The U.S. will pull out of the Geneva Convention as they pulled out of the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty.
The former would be a better solution, but it would very likely be rejected by other members of the U.N. who dislike current U.S. treatment of prisoners and want Camp Delta at Guantanamo Bay closed.
One question that concerns me a great deal: did the Supreme Court look to international laws to decide on the status of al-Qaeda prisoners under the Geneva Convention, or did they look to American law to determine that the prisoners deserved Convention protections?
The U.S. Supreme Court is NOT an international court. They can only look to American law and American precidence to judge American legal questions, not international standards which are sometimes contrary to our Constitution.
One would hope that they looked at American law to make their determination.
Thursday, June 29, 2006
VA May Have Dodged HUGE Bullet: Missing Laptop With Veterans' Information Recovered
The Veterans Administration may have dodged a major bullet.
A laptop containing up to 26 million records containing former and active military veteran's addresses, social security numbers and other highly sensitive information has been recovered. Someone turned it in to the FBI and they are conducting intensive tests on the hard drive to see if the data was accessed.
Finally, some good news on this story.
A laptop containing up to 26 million records containing former and active military veteran's addresses, social security numbers and other highly sensitive information has been recovered. Someone turned it in to the FBI and they are conducting intensive tests on the hard drive to see if the data was accessed.
Finally, some good news on this story.
Israel Needs to Settle Down: Military Action is Targeting the Wrong People
What does Israel's bombing of the Gaza Strip's only power generating station have to do with rescuing their missing soldier? The Palestinan people will be feeling the effects of the power outage for many weeks to come, regardless of the outcome of the missing Israeli soldier situation.
Taking half the Palestinian government prisoner isn't the smartest idea either, nor is buzzing the Syrian President's summer home with Israeli Air Force fighters. All they've done is decapitate what remains of the Palestinian not-government and put half the Syrian Air Force into the air on high alert, raising tensions along the border.
Israel should probably fight one battle at a time.
Taking half the Palestinian government prisoner isn't the smartest idea either, nor is buzzing the Syrian President's summer home with Israeli Air Force fighters. All they've done is decapitate what remains of the Palestinian not-government and put half the Syrian Air Force into the air on high alert, raising tensions along the border.
Israel should probably fight one battle at a time.
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
New York Times Was Wrong to Publish Specific Details About Terror Finance Tracking Program: They Should Have Let It Go
The New York Times is under heavy fire from the Administration and GOP for publishing specific details about a federal surveilance program designed to watch where terrorist money is going.
Specific details about the program were published last week and revealed the entire program in detail, negating the government of another tool to track terrorist money around the world.
It's no secret that the government was watching specific transactions: it said so itself. But specific details about how they did it were kept under wraps to keep the terror money-handlers guessing as to how it was being watched. Now everyone knows the details if they read the Times.
It was enough to know that the government was watching, but that wasn't good enough for the Times.
It's being said that the information was leaked, so there will be another costly investigation into who did it and why. Some Times people will probably go to jail to protect their sources.
And al-Qaeda money will go off the radar screen. It's too bad that this paper will publish anything to waylay the current government, including revealing information that has helped to monitor terrorist financial transactions. Their open partisanship is disappointing.
If this was a liberal Democratic government asking them to kill this story, they would have done it in a heartbeat, but because the government is under the control of the other side in an election year, they published in a heartbeat.
Specific details about the program were published last week and revealed the entire program in detail, negating the government of another tool to track terrorist money around the world.
It's no secret that the government was watching specific transactions: it said so itself. But specific details about how they did it were kept under wraps to keep the terror money-handlers guessing as to how it was being watched. Now everyone knows the details if they read the Times.
It was enough to know that the government was watching, but that wasn't good enough for the Times.
It's being said that the information was leaked, so there will be another costly investigation into who did it and why. Some Times people will probably go to jail to protect their sources.
And al-Qaeda money will go off the radar screen. It's too bad that this paper will publish anything to waylay the current government, including revealing information that has helped to monitor terrorist financial transactions. Their open partisanship is disappointing.
If this was a liberal Democratic government asking them to kill this story, they would have done it in a heartbeat, but because the government is under the control of the other side in an election year, they published in a heartbeat.
Limbaugh Viagra Flap: Some Privacy Issues Need to Be Addressed
As the national media has been reporting, Rush Limbaugh was stopped at a Florida airport and briefly detained for having Viagra in his carry-on luggage. The problem that the inspectors had was that Limbaugh's name wasn't on the bottle; the doctor's name was. According to news reports, doctors sometimes do this to protect a person's privacy as Viagra has only one function.
The question I have is this: why was this information released to the media? Viagra falls under a person's medical privacy rights and the media gleefully splashed it all over their news reports and web sites.
Even celebrities have medical confidentiality rights and the airport and the media stomped all over Limbaugh's.
The question I have is this: why was this information released to the media? Viagra falls under a person's medical privacy rights and the media gleefully splashed it all over their news reports and web sites.
Even celebrities have medical confidentiality rights and the airport and the media stomped all over Limbaugh's.
Monday, June 26, 2006
Accused Murderer and Rapist of Children Doesn't Want His Surviving Victim to Take the Stand
Revolting!
One year ago the attention of the nation was riveted on a horrifying murder/kidnapping in Montana. A family was attacked in their home, several members were beaten to death with a hammer, and their daughter and son kidnapped.
For seven weeks, the children were missing. The country prayed and hoped for the best, but were preparing for the worst. Then a miracle happened: the girl turned up at a restaurant with her presumed kidnapper and was positively identified by alert employees who called the police. The girl was rescued.
The joy at the return of the girl was tempered by news of the murder of her brother. She also reported that the both of them had been sexually abused by the accused (whose name I will not utter here) repeatedly.
A year later, the animal remains behind bars as he awaits trial. The girl's father, Steven Groene, has said that he will not allow his daughter to testify, which is probably a good idea. She went through so much and shouldn't be forced to relive the terror and the misery that this scumbag unleashed on her family, her brother and her. Her brother's remains were burned and dismembered; the animal may have videotaped the murder.
Now the accused has spoken up from jail, indicating he would prefer not to have her on the stand either, out of concern for her well-being.
WHO THE HELL CARES WHAT HE WANTS??! If he was so concerned about his victim's welfare, he shouldn't have done what he did. He should have gone back to Minnesota and faced the music there for stuff he had already done. And he would confess to whatever else he did while he was in other states as well.
One year ago the attention of the nation was riveted on a horrifying murder/kidnapping in Montana. A family was attacked in their home, several members were beaten to death with a hammer, and their daughter and son kidnapped.
For seven weeks, the children were missing. The country prayed and hoped for the best, but were preparing for the worst. Then a miracle happened: the girl turned up at a restaurant with her presumed kidnapper and was positively identified by alert employees who called the police. The girl was rescued.
The joy at the return of the girl was tempered by news of the murder of her brother. She also reported that the both of them had been sexually abused by the accused (whose name I will not utter here) repeatedly.
A year later, the animal remains behind bars as he awaits trial. The girl's father, Steven Groene, has said that he will not allow his daughter to testify, which is probably a good idea. She went through so much and shouldn't be forced to relive the terror and the misery that this scumbag unleashed on her family, her brother and her. Her brother's remains were burned and dismembered; the animal may have videotaped the murder.
Now the accused has spoken up from jail, indicating he would prefer not to have her on the stand either, out of concern for her well-being.
WHO THE HELL CARES WHAT HE WANTS??! If he was so concerned about his victim's welfare, he shouldn't have done what he did. He should have gone back to Minnesota and faced the music there for stuff he had already done. And he would confess to whatever else he did while he was in other states as well.
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
If North Korean Missile Even Comes Close to U.S. or Allied Territory, It Should Be Blown Out of the Sky
North Korea seems to be getting ready to fire an ICBM as part of a ploy to escalate tensions between the communist regime and the U.S.
U.S. intelligence agencies have been watching the North Koreans get the launch pad ready, fuel the missile and make ready to launch it to destination unknown. In response the U.S. activated it's missile shield defense system and has moved military assets into the area to track any North Korean missile launch.
I am of the opinion that if the missile is launched and the trajectory analysis confirms that the missile will come within 1,000 miles of U.S. territory that the military should do everything in it's power to shoot the damned thing down.
Pyongyang says they have the right to fire their missiles over other people's back yards whenever they wish; if that's the case then we have the right to shoot their toys down whenever they feel the need to fire missiles over Japan or South Korea or toward us.
If it splashes down off our coastline or hits near Japan or South Korea, I think that the base from which the missile was launched should be turned into a parking lot. They're playing with fire and will get burned.
This is a no-win situation for North Korea. They ought to REALLY think about what they're doing and what they hope to accomplish with this foolishness.
U.S. intelligence agencies have been watching the North Koreans get the launch pad ready, fuel the missile and make ready to launch it to destination unknown. In response the U.S. activated it's missile shield defense system and has moved military assets into the area to track any North Korean missile launch.
I am of the opinion that if the missile is launched and the trajectory analysis confirms that the missile will come within 1,000 miles of U.S. territory that the military should do everything in it's power to shoot the damned thing down.
Pyongyang says they have the right to fire their missiles over other people's back yards whenever they wish; if that's the case then we have the right to shoot their toys down whenever they feel the need to fire missiles over Japan or South Korea or toward us.
If it splashes down off our coastline or hits near Japan or South Korea, I think that the base from which the missile was launched should be turned into a parking lot. They're playing with fire and will get burned.
This is a no-win situation for North Korea. They ought to REALLY think about what they're doing and what they hope to accomplish with this foolishness.
Sunday, June 18, 2006
Space Shuttle Launch Set for July 1; NASA Overrides Chief Engineer and Safety Engineer Who Wanted to Delay Launch
NASA is jumping the gun again, preparing to launch the space shuttle Discovery on July the 1st.
In doing so, they seem hell-bent on ignoring the chief engineer and the safety engineer who wanted to delay the problem to deal with the foam problem that led to the destruction of the Columbia in 2003 and the endangerment of the Discovery one year ago when foam broke off the solid fuel tank but missed hitting the shuttle.
As I understand it they've improved the foam, but not in the areas on the tank where it seems to be breaking off from.
If they insist on launching the shuttle, then perhaps they ought to take a chapter from the Soviet playbook and make the mission unmanned. The Soviets did it with their space shuttle Buran back in 1988. It did everything they wanted, including landing itself. And they ought to take a look at the foam system that the Soviets used too as the design may well have been superior to NASA's design on the shuttle fuel tank.
The head of NASA is saying he will do everything in his power to kill the shuttle program if another shuttle is lost. If that's the case, then why are they going to risk losing seven more astronaughts too?
No, they don't have their act together yet. They should delay the launch and fix the problems like they were supposed to before they launched the shuttle a year ago. They were lucky that the foam that came off during the launch didn't hit the shuttle like what happened to the Columbia.
Their chief engineer is right. Hopefully his fears won't come to pass; it'll be the end of the shuttle program if it does.
In doing so, they seem hell-bent on ignoring the chief engineer and the safety engineer who wanted to delay the problem to deal with the foam problem that led to the destruction of the Columbia in 2003 and the endangerment of the Discovery one year ago when foam broke off the solid fuel tank but missed hitting the shuttle.
As I understand it they've improved the foam, but not in the areas on the tank where it seems to be breaking off from.
If they insist on launching the shuttle, then perhaps they ought to take a chapter from the Soviet playbook and make the mission unmanned. The Soviets did it with their space shuttle Buran back in 1988. It did everything they wanted, including landing itself. And they ought to take a look at the foam system that the Soviets used too as the design may well have been superior to NASA's design on the shuttle fuel tank.
The head of NASA is saying he will do everything in his power to kill the shuttle program if another shuttle is lost. If that's the case, then why are they going to risk losing seven more astronaughts too?
No, they don't have their act together yet. They should delay the launch and fix the problems like they were supposed to before they launched the shuttle a year ago. They were lucky that the foam that came off during the launch didn't hit the shuttle like what happened to the Columbia.
Their chief engineer is right. Hopefully his fears won't come to pass; it'll be the end of the shuttle program if it does.
Thursday, June 15, 2006
$1.4 Billion Stolen From Hurricane Relief Funds By Idiots
I cannot believe this. Click to read.
As much as 16% of all FEMA money that was designated to help in hurricane relief operations for those whose lives were disrupted by the hurricanes was stolen by people who didn't need the assistance or misused it.
Would someone please post the names and addresses of these people so that everyone can send mail to every last one of them?
People who REALLY got hurt got hurt again by their fellow Americans. What a damned shame.
As much as 16% of all FEMA money that was designated to help in hurricane relief operations for those whose lives were disrupted by the hurricanes was stolen by people who didn't need the assistance or misused it.
Would someone please post the names and addresses of these people so that everyone can send mail to every last one of them?
People who REALLY got hurt got hurt again by their fellow Americans. What a damned shame.
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
It's Happening: Armed Robber Sues His Victims for... "Restraint of Trade"---??!
This just takes the cake.
In the last couple of days a story came across the news wires that a convicted felon failed to rob his intended victims by gunpoint, so is trying to collect from them through his attorney.
DUH!!
The story is that he walked into an Auto Zone, held up employees at gunpoint and demanded money. They instead chose to turn on him and beat him with a pipe, causing him to lose his gun and run for his useless life. He was captured within a week by police, was prosecuted and sentenced to a long term in prison.
Now he's suing them for emotional pain and suffering from behind bars. Hey, pal, live by the sword, die by the sword.
It could be argued that the Auto Zone employees were trying to effect a citizens arrest outside the store but he resisted them.
This case really needs to get thrown into the garbage can by the judge.
In the last couple of days a story came across the news wires that a convicted felon failed to rob his intended victims by gunpoint, so is trying to collect from them through his attorney.
DUH!!
The story is that he walked into an Auto Zone, held up employees at gunpoint and demanded money. They instead chose to turn on him and beat him with a pipe, causing him to lose his gun and run for his useless life. He was captured within a week by police, was prosecuted and sentenced to a long term in prison.
Now he's suing them for emotional pain and suffering from behind bars. Hey, pal, live by the sword, die by the sword.
It could be argued that the Auto Zone employees were trying to effect a citizens arrest outside the store but he resisted them.
This case really needs to get thrown into the garbage can by the judge.
Thursday, June 08, 2006
Iraq's Most Wanted Terrorist----Dead
A great day for Iraq and the coalition. Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was killed in a U.S. air strike yesterday north of Baghdad. The most brutal killer in Iraq is no more. Seven other leaders of al-Qaeda in Iraq were with him and also perished.
One of his own men may have betrayed him.
Good riddance al-Zarqawi. How far behind is bin-Laden?
One of his own men may have betrayed him.
Good riddance al-Zarqawi. How far behind is bin-Laden?
Wednesday, June 07, 2006
U.N. Official Launches Assault on U.S. Bill of Rights, Limbaugh, Fox News and Middle America in One Speech
What was this guy thinking?
The deputy UN Secretary General screwed up very badly when he attacked the First Amendment, Rush Limbaugh, Fox News and Middle America in general in a speech he made on Tuesday.
Someone needs to explain to him that the U.S. Constitution reigns in this country and that the First Amendment right to free speech allows for citizens to criticize the government openly and freely, as well as NGO (non-government organizations) like the United Nations.
If he wants to stop criticism of the U.N., then perhaps they ought to quit screwing up. If he doesn't like that, he can go home to momma and cry. Waaaaah! Or perhaps he should quit crying and kick some tail at the U.N. and get things straightened out over there.
Americans want to see results, not listen to bellyaching. We get enough excuses from our own people; why in the hell should we listen to U.N. bellyaching too?
The deputy UN Secretary General screwed up very badly when he attacked the First Amendment, Rush Limbaugh, Fox News and Middle America in general in a speech he made on Tuesday.
Someone needs to explain to him that the U.S. Constitution reigns in this country and that the First Amendment right to free speech allows for citizens to criticize the government openly and freely, as well as NGO (non-government organizations) like the United Nations.
If he wants to stop criticism of the U.N., then perhaps they ought to quit screwing up. If he doesn't like that, he can go home to momma and cry. Waaaaah! Or perhaps he should quit crying and kick some tail at the U.N. and get things straightened out over there.
Americans want to see results, not listen to bellyaching. We get enough excuses from our own people; why in the hell should we listen to U.N. bellyaching too?
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
Military Identity Theft Nightmare: Info on 80% of All Active Military Personnel Files Compromised by Theft
Would the party who stole a CD with the identities of 2.2 million active military personnel please return it unmolested, please?
The Veterans Affairs data theft story continues to worsen as the days go by. Now the VA is saying that files on at least 2,200,000 active duty soldiers was stolen, not 50,000 as was first reported.
This is in addition to files of 26.5 million soldiers and sailors who have been discharged from the military since 1975 which were also stolen in the same incident.
The VA has really fallen down on the job in protecting their data files. Now all of these names, birthdates, social security numbers and other critical information is in the hands of people who may not know what he or she or they has/have. And they can start leeching off the hard work of others.
The gloves need to be taken off and some severe punishments need to occur and SOON! And some major changes need to happen so that this NEVER happens again!
The Veterans Affairs data theft story continues to worsen as the days go by. Now the VA is saying that files on at least 2,200,000 active duty soldiers was stolen, not 50,000 as was first reported.
This is in addition to files of 26.5 million soldiers and sailors who have been discharged from the military since 1975 which were also stolen in the same incident.
The VA has really fallen down on the job in protecting their data files. Now all of these names, birthdates, social security numbers and other critical information is in the hands of people who may not know what he or she or they has/have. And they can start leeching off the hard work of others.
The gloves need to be taken off and some severe punishments need to occur and SOON! And some major changes need to happen so that this NEVER happens again!
6/6/06 is Just Another Day: Get Over It
It's really offensive that people seem to be glamorizing the fact that it's 6/6/06.
So what? Get over it. It's just another day. The fact that three sixes appear in the date is a bah humbug event. The only thing of interest today related to the numbers is the fact that they're releasing a new version of "The Omen." I'm not going to see it in any event. There is another "Left Behind" book coming out today, too, but I haven't read any of them before, and I see no reason to start now.
By the way, civilization has survived other 6/6/06's in every century since time began.
666 is a reference to Emperor Nero. It was common practice to use code numbers instead of names to attack people in writing in those days. For instance, if I decided to criticize Willowby the Gorilla in writing, I'd give it the number....314. And then I'd write that 314 was heard belching and farting in her cage and that it was probably loud enough to scare the feathers off every bird in North America and the air so foul that it caused the paint to peel off the walls in Chicago.
The article above says that the actual number of the beast may be 616, which was a reference to Emperor Claudius, who put a statue of himself in the Temple of Jerusalem, and was harshly criticized for it.
The Book of Revelations is wide-open to interpretation. Don't buy into the hysteria just yet. People seem to forget that Revelations establishes that good triumphs over evil and that a golden age of peace follows. If people strive to live their lives according to the Bible, proclaim the Gospels and keep their faith in God, good things will follow.
Revelations is the beginning, not the end. So in the big picture, 6/6/06 isn't in it.
So what? Get over it. It's just another day. The fact that three sixes appear in the date is a bah humbug event. The only thing of interest today related to the numbers is the fact that they're releasing a new version of "The Omen." I'm not going to see it in any event. There is another "Left Behind" book coming out today, too, but I haven't read any of them before, and I see no reason to start now.
By the way, civilization has survived other 6/6/06's in every century since time began.
666 is a reference to Emperor Nero. It was common practice to use code numbers instead of names to attack people in writing in those days. For instance, if I decided to criticize Willowby the Gorilla in writing, I'd give it the number....314. And then I'd write that 314 was heard belching and farting in her cage and that it was probably loud enough to scare the feathers off every bird in North America and the air so foul that it caused the paint to peel off the walls in Chicago.
The article above says that the actual number of the beast may be 616, which was a reference to Emperor Claudius, who put a statue of himself in the Temple of Jerusalem, and was harshly criticized for it.
The Book of Revelations is wide-open to interpretation. Don't buy into the hysteria just yet. People seem to forget that Revelations establishes that good triumphs over evil and that a golden age of peace follows. If people strive to live their lives according to the Bible, proclaim the Gospels and keep their faith in God, good things will follow.
Revelations is the beginning, not the end. So in the big picture, 6/6/06 isn't in it.
Sunday, June 04, 2006
Kids Endanger Themselves By Revealing Personal Information in Chat Rooms
I just got off the tanks247 multiplayer flash wargame site, which features moderated chatting along with two dimensional tank shooting, in the vein of the popular game Scorched Earth.
The players choose between several rooms from Newbies to a specific area of the world, such as Africa, Pacific, etc. I chose Newbies since I was a newbie to that particular game, and was taken to the general chat area of that particular room.
Then the instant messages started appearing. The names were what I would have expected from college students or at least high school students. BIGBOOBS. SEXYGIRL. SUICIDE. And forty other various names, some more nasty than others. The language was as harsh as any flame war chat room that I've ever been on.
I was almost immediately challenged by someone with the handle of "KILLERS." He was very polite and started volunteering information (I didn't ask him anything). He wanted to be friends. My shields went up and I told him that I was way too old. He asked how old I was and I said "30+" and he said he was nine years old. NINE and he's in a chat room like that with that kind of vile language being thrown around??!
I politely said goodbye and logged off.
A short time later I logged in under another handle and was challenged by someone handled SEXYGIRL. My shields went up again and she volunteered that she was 13. I said "bye" and logged off the site immediately.
PARENTS!!! PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT YOUR KIDS ARE DOING AND SAYING ONLINE!!
If these were kids, they're making very bad mistakes by giving out e-mail addresses, phone numbers, addresses and other pertinent information that someone with bad intentions and half a brain could use. And in plain sight too, where everyone can see and read the information. At least one person gave out their e-mail address for all to see.
I hope law enforcement is monitoring sites like this.
I'll stick to Scorched Earth, thank you very much.
The players choose between several rooms from Newbies to a specific area of the world, such as Africa, Pacific, etc. I chose Newbies since I was a newbie to that particular game, and was taken to the general chat area of that particular room.
Then the instant messages started appearing. The names were what I would have expected from college students or at least high school students. BIGBOOBS. SEXYGIRL. SUICIDE. And forty other various names, some more nasty than others. The language was as harsh as any flame war chat room that I've ever been on.
I was almost immediately challenged by someone with the handle of "KILLERS." He was very polite and started volunteering information (I didn't ask him anything). He wanted to be friends. My shields went up and I told him that I was way too old. He asked how old I was and I said "30+" and he said he was nine years old. NINE and he's in a chat room like that with that kind of vile language being thrown around??!
I politely said goodbye and logged off.
A short time later I logged in under another handle and was challenged by someone handled SEXYGIRL. My shields went up again and she volunteered that she was 13. I said "bye" and logged off the site immediately.
PARENTS!!! PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT YOUR KIDS ARE DOING AND SAYING ONLINE!!
If these were kids, they're making very bad mistakes by giving out e-mail addresses, phone numbers, addresses and other pertinent information that someone with bad intentions and half a brain could use. And in plain sight too, where everyone can see and read the information. At least one person gave out their e-mail address for all to see.
I hope law enforcement is monitoring sites like this.
I'll stick to Scorched Earth, thank you very much.
Saturday, June 03, 2006
Constitutional Amendment to Ban Gay Marriage is Unnecessary: Let the States Decide for Themselves
President Bush is calling for a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage.
It's not necessary. Constitutional amendments to restrict personal freedoms of Americans should be opposed, no matter what form they take.
What they should be pushing for is a constitutional amendment that guarantees each state has final say as to whether or not gay "marriage" is permitted within the individual state's borders or not. This is a state matter that the federal government should allow the states to deal with as they please.
Any amendment should make it clear that the state Supreme Court has final jurisdiction and that federal courts have no say. It'll keep future administrations, Congress and activist federal courts from tampering with the definition of marriage as being a union between a man and a woman and forcing other definitions of marriage on those states which stand by the conservative definition of marriage (and have voted that way).
Setting rules for marriage is a reserved power for the states as it isn't mentioned in the Constitution as a federal power. Let's keep it that way.
It's not necessary. Constitutional amendments to restrict personal freedoms of Americans should be opposed, no matter what form they take.
What they should be pushing for is a constitutional amendment that guarantees each state has final say as to whether or not gay "marriage" is permitted within the individual state's borders or not. This is a state matter that the federal government should allow the states to deal with as they please.
Any amendment should make it clear that the state Supreme Court has final jurisdiction and that federal courts have no say. It'll keep future administrations, Congress and activist federal courts from tampering with the definition of marriage as being a union between a man and a woman and forcing other definitions of marriage on those states which stand by the conservative definition of marriage (and have voted that way).
Setting rules for marriage is a reserved power for the states as it isn't mentioned in the Constitution as a federal power. Let's keep it that way.
Thursday, June 01, 2006
New Orleans is Sinking Faster Than Originally Thought: Levee System Will Keep Cracking and Breaking As City Sinks into the Gulf of Mexico
I'm in the process of reading the 6,000 page report from the Army Corps of Engineers on what went wrong with the levee system in and around New Orleans and I am struck by a few things:
- They've come to realize that New Orleans is sinking faster than previously estimated. Some areas are sinking more than an inch per year.
- The report says that cracks in the barriers themselves from the uneven sinking occurred and that the ground behind the barriers was unstable, allowing the Gulf waters to simply push the levees back and create huge breaches along the entire line.
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