The American Center for Law and Justice is warning of an Obama administration plan to place government monitors in newsrooms via an FCC proposal that could turn every major news network and newspaper into little more than a state media mouthpiece.
Showing posts with label Freedom. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Freedom. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Saturday, January 4, 2014
It's Coming!
Winds of War
The winds of war are here. The storm is spreading. It’s growing rapidly in intensity. And it’s bound to directly or indirectly affect virtually every asset class on the face of the planet.Radical Islam is out of control in the mid-east with Egypt, Libya, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon lost! Weiss says that Al-Queda morphed into many with new names and more dangerous than the original.
Can we thank Obama?
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
Thursday, December 19, 2013
Free Speech Impediment
Poor Phil Robertson, patriarch of the Duck Dynasty. He said some things about homosexuality that echo my comments of December 24th, 2005 in my review of Brokeback Mountain. I wrote:
The cinamatography was stunning. The mountains in Wyoming were very tall, rugged, untamed, exactly like the men you would expect to inhabit such grandeur. Only these two rugged men, living isolated watching over a flock of sheep, decided to make the sheep safe, and fell in love with each other. Then after the tryst, with Jack Twist, Ennis went off and married a beautiful woman and had kids and Jack went off and married a beautiful woman, had a kid and sneaked off to Mexico for male prostitutes. Sure, the poor boys pined for each other, enough to recall every lost love you’ve ever had. Every other month or so over the next ten years, Jack and Ennis, would leave all family responsibilities behind and get together for manly love.
Needless to say, my wife enjoyed the movie more than I did. I have a few “nits” with the film. It seemed that Jack Twist was experienced sexually and Ennis Dalman was a virgin. I base this conclusion on a conversation the two had around a camp fire. Ennis was talking about sin and going to hell. Jack thought both would go to hell, since we are all sinners. Ennis disagreed since he was without sin, unlike Jack. Now, I am inexperienced in the nuances of gay love, but the two’s first sex is anal sex performed by Ennis on Jack. Wouldn’t you just play around the first time. If you are horny, living out in the mountains with sheep, wouldn’t you predict that the sheep would be first to be tried.Phil Robertson has been fired for his comments, quickly I might add, while Martin Bashir's comments about Sarah Palin only caused his resignation after weeks of protest by conservatives. It's dangerous to your career to exercise your right to free speech only if you're not a liberal.
Sunday, December 15, 2013
Yesterday Was Bill of Rights Day!
Tim Lynch at
Cato at Liberty writes
"... it’s an appropriate time to consider the state of our constitutional safeguards.
Let’s consider each amendment in turn.
The First Amendment says that “Congress shall make no law… abridging the freedom of speech.” Government officials, however, have insisted that they can gag recipients of “national security letters” and censor broadcast ads in the name of campaign finance reform.
The Second Amendment says the people have the right “to keep and bear arms.” Government officials, however, make it difficult to keep a gun in the home and make it a crime for a citizen to carry a gun for self-protection.
The Third Amendment says soldiers may not be quartered in our homes without the consent of the owners. This safeguard is one of the few that is in fine shape – so we can pause here for a laugh.
The Fourth Amendment says the people have the right to be secure against unreasonable searches and seizures. Government officials, however, insist that they can conduct commando-style raids on our homes and treat automobile drivers like prison inmates by conducting body cavity searches.
The Fifth Amendment says that private property shall not be taken “for public use without just compensation.” Government officials, however, insist that they can use eminent domain to take away our property and give it to other private parties who covet it.
The Sixth Amendment says that in criminal prosecutions, the person accused is guaranteed a right to trial by jury. Government officials, however, insist that they can punish people who want to have a trial—“throwing the book” at those who refuse to plead guilty—which explains why 95 percent of the criminal cases never go to trial.
The Seventh Amendment guarantees the right to a jury trial in civil cases where the controversy “shall exceed twenty dollars.” Government officials, however, insist that they can impose draconian fines on people without jury trials.
The Eighth Amendment prohibits cruel and unusual punishments. Government officials, however, insist that a life sentence for a nonviolent drug offense is not cruel.
The Ninth Amendment says that the enumeration in the Constitution of certain rights should not be construed to deny or disparage others “retained by the people.” Government officials, however, insist that they will decide for themselves what rights, if any, will be retained by the people.
The Tenth Amendment says that the powers not delegated to the federal government are reserved to the states, or to the people. Government officials, however, insist that they will decide for themselves what powers they possess, and have extended federal control over health care, crime, education, and other matters the Constitution reserves to the states and the people.
It’s a disturbing snapshot, to be sure, but not one the Framers of the Constitution would have found altogether surprising. They would sometimes refer to written constitutions as mere “parchment barriers,” or what we call “paper tigers.” They nevertheless concluded that having a written constitution was better than having nothing at all.
The key point is this: A free society does not just “happen.” It has to be deliberately created and deliberately maintained. Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.
To remind our fellow citizens of their responsibility in that regard, the Cato Institute has distributed more than five million copies of our pocket Constitution. At this time of year, it’ll make a great stocking stuffer.
Let’s enjoy the holidays–but let’s also resolve to be more vigilant about defending our Constitution. To learn more about Cato’s work in defense of the Constitution, go here. To support the work of Cato, go here.
"... it’s an appropriate time to consider the state of our constitutional safeguards.
Let’s consider each amendment in turn.
The First Amendment says that “Congress shall make no law… abridging the freedom of speech.” Government officials, however, have insisted that they can gag recipients of “national security letters” and censor broadcast ads in the name of campaign finance reform.
The Second Amendment says the people have the right “to keep and bear arms.” Government officials, however, make it difficult to keep a gun in the home and make it a crime for a citizen to carry a gun for self-protection.
The Third Amendment says soldiers may not be quartered in our homes without the consent of the owners. This safeguard is one of the few that is in fine shape – so we can pause here for a laugh.
The Fourth Amendment says the people have the right to be secure against unreasonable searches and seizures. Government officials, however, insist that they can conduct commando-style raids on our homes and treat automobile drivers like prison inmates by conducting body cavity searches.
The Fifth Amendment says that private property shall not be taken “for public use without just compensation.” Government officials, however, insist that they can use eminent domain to take away our property and give it to other private parties who covet it.
The Sixth Amendment says that in criminal prosecutions, the person accused is guaranteed a right to trial by jury. Government officials, however, insist that they can punish people who want to have a trial—“throwing the book” at those who refuse to plead guilty—which explains why 95 percent of the criminal cases never go to trial.
The Seventh Amendment guarantees the right to a jury trial in civil cases where the controversy “shall exceed twenty dollars.” Government officials, however, insist that they can impose draconian fines on people without jury trials.
The Eighth Amendment prohibits cruel and unusual punishments. Government officials, however, insist that a life sentence for a nonviolent drug offense is not cruel.
The Ninth Amendment says that the enumeration in the Constitution of certain rights should not be construed to deny or disparage others “retained by the people.” Government officials, however, insist that they will decide for themselves what rights, if any, will be retained by the people.
The Tenth Amendment says that the powers not delegated to the federal government are reserved to the states, or to the people. Government officials, however, insist that they will decide for themselves what powers they possess, and have extended federal control over health care, crime, education, and other matters the Constitution reserves to the states and the people.
It’s a disturbing snapshot, to be sure, but not one the Framers of the Constitution would have found altogether surprising. They would sometimes refer to written constitutions as mere “parchment barriers,” or what we call “paper tigers.” They nevertheless concluded that having a written constitution was better than having nothing at all.
The key point is this: A free society does not just “happen.” It has to be deliberately created and deliberately maintained. Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.
To remind our fellow citizens of their responsibility in that regard, the Cato Institute has distributed more than five million copies of our pocket Constitution. At this time of year, it’ll make a great stocking stuffer.
Let’s enjoy the holidays–but let’s also resolve to be more vigilant about defending our Constitution. To learn more about Cato’s work in defense of the Constitution, go here. To support the work of Cato, go here.
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