Little Noticed News (6/1/2011)
Oprah, Republican presidential candidate implosions, and Obama’s Irish roots seem to dominate the news. On a national and international level none of these newsworthy events will impact most Americans. Instead, I argue there is an entire underlying level of news taking place nationwide, some of which gets a brief mention on one of the cable or broadcast networks, but most of the news disappears not to be heard from again. America is changing, and changing rapidly. Willfully civil rights and constitutional guarantees are being eroded, and yet a blind eye is turned. Below I have listed examples from the last three weeks.
On May 22, 2011 - a Santa Fe, NM high school announced TSA would pat-down students as part of security to enter Prom. From TSA’s own web site, the agency’s mission is, “The Transportation Security Administration protects the Nation’s transportation systems to ensure freedom of movement for people and commerce.” Nowhere is a high school or sports event mentioned, and I cannot imagine being groped on my last night in high school.
May 21, 2011 – Mark Fiornio strolled through downtown Philadelphia lawfully, openly, carrying his permitted gun. The issue at hand is Mr. Fiornio was detained, nearly shot, and charges brought against him for disorderly conduct and reckless endangerment. He tried to explain to police offers he had a permit and cited the statutory laws allowing him to open carry. Local authorities are warning gun owners that they will be "inconvenienced" if they carry unconcealed handguns in the city.
May 15, 2011 – The Indiana Supreme Court, 3-2, ruled people have no right to resist officers who enter their homes under the premise it is in the greater public good and would minimize confrontation. Additionally, the Indiana Court ruled police do not need to knock to serve a search warrant.
May 17, 2011 – Historically police offers required probable cause and a search warrant before breaking into a home. That changed with the Supreme Court’s ruling in Kentucky v. King. Ruling 8-1 the justices gave police more leeway to break into homes or apartments in search of illegal drugs when they suspect the evidence otherwise might be destroyed. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg dissented, fearing the ruling gave police an easy way to ignore 4th Amendment protections against unreasonable searches and seizures.
In each of the above cases I can easily see the argument for “greater good”, “public safety” and other pansy excuses. Sadly, “we the people” are continuing to allow our freedoms to incrementally erode away. In one week, four cases that have far reaching circumstances. As a reminder, blood was shed for The Fourth Amendment, which assures that “the right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated,”
Showing posts with label controversy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label controversy. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 01, 2011
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Nuclear Meltdowns
Nuclear Meltdown (5/25/2011)
This past week I counted at least four meltdowns, all covered with vigor, in the media headlines. Probably the most obscure and curious regarding the hype to most Americans was the arrest, indictment, and release of IMF Chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn. Little do many of my countrymen understand regarding monetary policy, let alone the calls for an end to the dollar as the reserve currency by Strauss-Kahn. The second meltdown was the failure of the Gingrich campaign to gain traction. Laughably, the most academic of a possible Republican field of presidential nominees, fell flat before starting. Like Strauss-Kahn, Newt melted down.
Meltdown number three was President Obama extinguishing his fiery return in the polls by crossing middle-east ally Israel with a call to return to territory held 44 years ago. The contradictory nature of Obama is puzzling as a blind-eye is turned toward our own border issues and we idly watch killing of refugees seeking democracy in Syria. But, the President is pro-Hamas supporting the terrorist organization publicly as far back as May 2008. Israel’s Prime Minister Netanyahu skillfully schooled our President on the fallacies of his position and Obama’s action may be the beginning of his re-election meltdown. Finally, the mainstream pundits could not get enough of the Terminator’s marriage meltdown, number four last week, as revelations exposed infidelity and a love child with a household staff member. Each of these personal meltdowns, in my opinion, is rooted in ego and self-interest.
Sadly though, the most important nuclear meltdown in the world is not garnering any media coverage and is similarly rooted in ego and self-interest. However, this meltdown over the next 30 years will result in many unnecessary deaths and cancers worldwide. On March 11, 2011 the historic earthquake rocked northern Japan, suspiciously damaging nuclear reactors, but denied by Japanese government. A newly released TEPCO report this week contains a disaster timeline stating within 5 hours of the quake fuel rods were exposed and rapidly melting, and within 16 hours Reactor No. 1’s rods had melted down and dropped to the bottom of the reactor. Similar events occurred in Reactors 2 and 3. Today the reactors are continuing to spew radiation and radioactive water is flowing to groundwater and the ocean. Worse than Chernobyl, Fukushima has become the world’s first nuclear meltdown. Curiously, the four men in personal meltdowns garner far more coverage, but every plant, animal, and human being in the Northern hemisphere is now poisoned by the ineptness of a government and power company that chose to hide their failures to protect their egos.
This past week I counted at least four meltdowns, all covered with vigor, in the media headlines. Probably the most obscure and curious regarding the hype to most Americans was the arrest, indictment, and release of IMF Chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn. Little do many of my countrymen understand regarding monetary policy, let alone the calls for an end to the dollar as the reserve currency by Strauss-Kahn. The second meltdown was the failure of the Gingrich campaign to gain traction. Laughably, the most academic of a possible Republican field of presidential nominees, fell flat before starting. Like Strauss-Kahn, Newt melted down.
Meltdown number three was President Obama extinguishing his fiery return in the polls by crossing middle-east ally Israel with a call to return to territory held 44 years ago. The contradictory nature of Obama is puzzling as a blind-eye is turned toward our own border issues and we idly watch killing of refugees seeking democracy in Syria. But, the President is pro-Hamas supporting the terrorist organization publicly as far back as May 2008. Israel’s Prime Minister Netanyahu skillfully schooled our President on the fallacies of his position and Obama’s action may be the beginning of his re-election meltdown. Finally, the mainstream pundits could not get enough of the Terminator’s marriage meltdown, number four last week, as revelations exposed infidelity and a love child with a household staff member. Each of these personal meltdowns, in my opinion, is rooted in ego and self-interest.
Sadly though, the most important nuclear meltdown in the world is not garnering any media coverage and is similarly rooted in ego and self-interest. However, this meltdown over the next 30 years will result in many unnecessary deaths and cancers worldwide. On March 11, 2011 the historic earthquake rocked northern Japan, suspiciously damaging nuclear reactors, but denied by Japanese government. A newly released TEPCO report this week contains a disaster timeline stating within 5 hours of the quake fuel rods were exposed and rapidly melting, and within 16 hours Reactor No. 1’s rods had melted down and dropped to the bottom of the reactor. Similar events occurred in Reactors 2 and 3. Today the reactors are continuing to spew radiation and radioactive water is flowing to groundwater and the ocean. Worse than Chernobyl, Fukushima has become the world’s first nuclear meltdown. Curiously, the four men in personal meltdowns garner far more coverage, but every plant, animal, and human being in the Northern hemisphere is now poisoned by the ineptness of a government and power company that chose to hide their failures to protect their egos.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Obama is Right
This is probably the most concerning column I have written, not because I agree with the President but because the issue is sensitive, to both sides. Currently, whether to build Park51 (a.k.a. Ground Zero Mosque) is driving passionate public debates. Hesitantly, President Obama voiced his opinion two weeks ago when he said the right to build the project was constitutionally protected. The following day he made further comments stating while constitutionally protected, it may be in bad taste. I must agree with both of his comments. While it may be in bad taste, I do not believe it is a community center designed to protect, or possibly sympathize to Islamic terrorists as has been asserted by some in the media. Ultimately, the court of public opinion will either empower the developers and those funding the project, or send them packing.
I am disturbed by talk radio pundits flummoxing methods. Other than to inflame an ill-informed public there is no other purpose for the front-page debate. The fallacy of the current argument comes from the presumption if terrorists are Muslim then all Muslims are terrorists. I take issue because living in the south, as a white male; I am stereotyped as a racist redneck by the argument racist rednecks are southern white males. Similarly, a German born in the 1920’s is not automatically a Nazi. What has been lost in the argument propelled center stage is the right to build a place of worship, as protected by the First Amendment of the Constitution. The same people who herald the constitution in arguments against healthcare, bailouts, and social programs are quick to stomp the same document when it does not meet their needs.
There are many aspects of the Constitution which may not conveniently fit our desires and likes. However, if we remain consistent in our application, trusting the truths set forth by the founding fathers we will not go wrong. In the case of Park51, it is clear there is no constitutional violation to build. The decision to build is purely local and is governed by the zoning laws, planning commissions, and local electorate. Does it feel good to support building the project? No, but the more important issue at hand is support of the Constitution in the face of our enemies, asserting what separates our country from those who attack us in the name of God.
This is probably the most concerning column I have written, not because I agree with the President but because the issue is sensitive, to both sides. Currently, whether to build Park51 (a.k.a. Ground Zero Mosque) is driving passionate public debates. Hesitantly, President Obama voiced his opinion two weeks ago when he said the right to build the project was constitutionally protected. The following day he made further comments stating while constitutionally protected, it may be in bad taste. I must agree with both of his comments. While it may be in bad taste, I do not believe it is a community center designed to protect, or possibly sympathize to Islamic terrorists as has been asserted by some in the media. Ultimately, the court of public opinion will either empower the developers and those funding the project, or send them packing.
I am disturbed by talk radio pundits flummoxing methods. Other than to inflame an ill-informed public there is no other purpose for the front-page debate. The fallacy of the current argument comes from the presumption if terrorists are Muslim then all Muslims are terrorists. I take issue because living in the south, as a white male; I am stereotyped as a racist redneck by the argument racist rednecks are southern white males. Similarly, a German born in the 1920’s is not automatically a Nazi. What has been lost in the argument propelled center stage is the right to build a place of worship, as protected by the First Amendment of the Constitution. The same people who herald the constitution in arguments against healthcare, bailouts, and social programs are quick to stomp the same document when it does not meet their needs.
There are many aspects of the Constitution which may not conveniently fit our desires and likes. However, if we remain consistent in our application, trusting the truths set forth by the founding fathers we will not go wrong. In the case of Park51, it is clear there is no constitutional violation to build. The decision to build is purely local and is governed by the zoning laws, planning commissions, and local electorate. Does it feel good to support building the project? No, but the more important issue at hand is support of the Constitution in the face of our enemies, asserting what separates our country from those who attack us in the name of God.
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