At Balloon Juice, John Cole – a better writer than me (not a high bar, I confess) — puts words to my sentiments: [I]f one more motherfucker tells me that unless I stand up and yell “You go girl” every time Pam Geller opens her noxious piehole to spew venom that I am responsible for creeping Sharia and am a hopeless … Read More
Second Circuit Rules Against Mass Collection Of Phone Records
I haven’t written much about Ed Snowden and the huge, perhaps unconstitutional, mass surveillance of Americans, but this is too noteworthy to ignore: A federal appeals court ruled Thursday that the National Security Agency’s controversial collection of Americans’ phone records, first revealed by Edward Snowden, is not legal under the Patriot Act. The Second Circuit Court of Appeals held in … Read More
Geller: Blaming Me For Texas Shooting Is Like Blaming A Woman For Her Own Rape
Bill O’Reilly says he would have done it “another way”. But that’s not the worst of it. Greta Van Susteren — also on Fox — editorialized against Geller: Van Susteren said that while the group has the right to exercise free speech, they should not have knowingly endangered police officers by doing do. “It is one thing for someone to stand … Read More
How Abhorrent Is Pam Geller?
Want a good measurement of the toxicity level of Pamela Geller, whose American Freedom Defense Initiative worked so hard for so long to attract the sort of violence that struck its Muhammad Art Exhibit and Cartoon Contest in Texas on Sunday? Two survivors of theCharlie Hebdo murders went on Charlie Rose’s show to make it clear they want nothing to … Read More
Extremists Attack Extremists
So this happened yesterday evening: A cartoon contest featuring controversial images of the Muslim Prophet Mohammed turned deadly Sunday night when two men pulled up in a car and opened fire. Police returned fire, killing both men after one wounded a security guard. None of the approximately 200 people attending the event were hurt. A federal law enforcement source told … Read More
The Bizarre Story Of The U.S. Military Takeover of Texas
Look, if I wrote about nothing but crazy right wing conspiracies, I would be writing all the time. But this crazy right wing conspiracy is unique — the state of Texas is taking it seriously. Here we go, from the Associated Press: AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott on Tuesday asked the State Guard to monitor a … Read More
Guy Who Filmed Cops When They Arrested Gray Is Detained By Police For No Reason It Seems
The pushback is starting: Kevin Moore, the man who filmed police arresting Freddie Gray and dragging him on the ground was arrested on Thursday night, along with two other cop watchers from Ferguson. “The man who recorded one of two videos showing Baltimore cops dragging a screaming Freddie Gray into the back of a police van was arrested Thursday night, … Read More
Charges Brought Against Baltimore Police Officers In Death Of Freddie Gray
Breaking now: The death of Freddie Gray was a homicide, and there is “probable cause” for criminal charges, State’s Attorney Marilyn J. Mosby says, citing her office’s “thorough and independent” investigation and the medical examiner’s report on Gray’s death. Mosby announced a range of charges against several Baltimore police officers, ranging from second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter to assault and … Read More
The Battle For Same Sex Marriage: A Timeline Graph
I love this graph from an article in today’s New York Times. It shows what states did for and against the idea of same-sex marriage. You can see that the anti-SSM movement got out ahead of the issue in the mid 1990s by enacting laws banning same-sex marriage. I have no way of proving this, but I think that by making … Read More
Same-Sex Marriage Case Being Heard In Supreme Court Today
Today, the US Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on Obergefell v. Hodges, one of several same-sex marriage cases brought to the Court. Obergefell v. Hodges requires the Court to answer: “1) Does the Fourteenth Amendment require a state to license a marriage between two people of the same sex? 2) Does the Fourteenth Amendment require a state to recognize … Read More
Bullet Points On The Baltimore Riots
The catalyst, ostensibly, was the death of Freddie Gray — who died of a spinal cord injury sustained while in police custody. His funeral service was yesterday morning. There were peaceful protests throughout the day, but as high school kids left school, the protests became violent. 15 officers were injured — six seriously — from thrown bottles, rocks and bricks, as … Read More
Rapists And Parental Rights
For the life of me, I can’t imagine why this is even controversial. Not only do many conservatives believe that women should be forced to bear their rapists’s children against their will…. now some conservatives apparently think women must also share parental rights with their rapist after they give birth: Iowa Republican has held up legislation that would prevent convicted rapists from … Read More
Free Range Parents: What Is Neglect And What Isn’t?
There’s a good chance you’ve heard about the Meitiv kids (especially if you have children of your own or friends with children). The kids, ages 10 and 6, were walking home from a park a mile from their house in Maryland when they were spotted by a zealous citizen-protector, reported to the police, picked up 3 blocks from home, and … Read More
SCOTUS Sends NC Redistricting Map Back To NC
Yesterday, the Supreme Court rejected a Republican-drawn map of congressional districts in North Carolina. The justices ordered the NC Supreme Court reconsider whether North Carolina lawmakers inappropriately redrew the electoral map to consign large populations of black voters, a Democratic constituency, to a disproportionately small number of districts, the effect of which gives Republicans a clear electoral advantage.
Boston Marathon And Memory Lane
The Boston Marathon is happening right now, and like last year, I’m sure I’m not the only one holding my breath, and hoping for a safe run. Then again, with all the security, it’s probably the safest place on the planet right now. Anyway, here’s how I covered it two years ago. By the way, two years ago this week, … Read More