|
|
___________________________________
EXTRA! EXTRA! READ ALL ABOUT IT...
As religious leaders see (1) dwindling support by grassroots Christians for a
federal gay marriage ban, and (2) the writing on the wall about the possibility
of passing such a constitutional amendment in Congress, tactics are changing.
Many leaders are now looking to use the issue strictly as a political
weapon...while one is going so far as to support the notion of moving to a state
which would then secede from the union! All this and more in today's edition of
"Lawfully Wedded" on the News & Views EXTRA page at:
http://www.chuckmuth.com/newsandviews/nv.cfm
_____________________________________
BIG VICTORY FOR INDIVIDUAL FREEDOM, STATES RIGHTS
"A federal appeals court yesterday upheld Oregon's assisted-suicide law, saying
U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft's bid to outlaw it 'far exceeds the scope of
his authority under federal law.' The 2-to-1 ruling by a three-judge panel of
the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said physicians in
Oregon can continue to prescribe lethal doses of medication to mentally
competent, terminally ill patients without facing sanctions or federal criminal
prosecutions.
"...The panel said that the attorney general cannot exercise control over an
area of law traditionally reserved for state authority and that there is no
evidence Congress wanted the attorney general to regulate the practice of
assisted suicide. . . . George Eighmey, executive director of Compassion in
Dying of Oregon, a plaintiff in the case, said, 'The message this decision sends
to John Ashcroft is this: Keep your hands off of Oregon and all Oregonians.' "
- Washington Times, 5/27/04
GET THEE BACK IN THE CLOSET
"(Al) Gore turned up at New York University yesterday with a raging speech
against the Bush administration's foreign policy. . . . Democratic consultants
cringed when Mr. Gore said the Bush foreign policy was 'based on domination of
the rest of the world' and failed even to mention the name of Nick Berg, the
American who was beheaded by terrorists as a direct challenge to the country's
stomach for the Iraq fight. In fact, Mr. Gore continues to come across as a poor
sport who hasn't gotten over his 2000 defeat and is bent on petty revenge. Many
Democrats wish they could find a way to keep Mr. Gore in a closet somewhere
until November."
- John Fund, Political Diary, 5/27/04
HOW SOON THEY FORGET
"Algore proclaims George Bush as the most dishonest president since Richard
Nixon. How quickly we forget Bill Clinton."
- Lyn Nofziger, "Musings," 5/27/04
BUSH-WHACKING BACKLASH
"Boy, is it getting ugly out there as very top Democrats broadcast their
visceral and intense personal hatred for President Bush. Al Gore yesterday
ranted at Bush as 'the most dishonest president since Richard Nixon.' House
Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi has called him 'incompetent.' Democratic chief
Terry McAuliffe claimed he was 'AWOL' from the National Guard. . . . Bush-hating
billionaire George Soros, funding anti-Bush ads, compared the president to
Hitler. But mostly, other Democrats, like...John Kerry, seem to be cheering them
on, not rebuking them. . . . But they might want to ponder whether the personal
tone of attacks on Bush helps explain why Kerry is stalled and tied in polls
despite six weeks of nonstop bad news for Bush."
- Deborah Orin, New York Post, 5/27/04
FOREIGN LEADERS FOR KERRY
Diplomat Hans Blix - the United Nation's version of the hapless Inspector
Clouseau, who did his damnedest to keep the U.S. out of Iraq and Saddam in power
- issued his endorsement this week in the presidential contest. "I place my
trust in the multilaterism of Democratic candidate John Kerry," the Swedish
meatball said, adding that he thought the whole world should be able to vote on
November 2 in the U.S. election. Responded the Wall Street Journal, "Mr. Kerry
remarked in March that foreign leaders were privately supporting his candidacy.
Mr. Blix has now revealed the kind of foreigners he was referring to."
HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT
"It would be a mistake...to think John Kerry has no principles or agenda. He
just does not have any that he would dare reveal in an election year. . . . It
is hard to believe there is much room on the political spectrum to the left of
Ted Kennedy. But Mr. Kerry has found it. Now he has to hide it before the voters
find out. . . . John Kerry should get the Academy Award if he succeeds in this
year's challenging acting performance - but not the presidency."
- Columnist Thomas Sowell
THE ENEMY WITHIN
"Abu Ghraib is the new Tet offensive. By lying about the Tet offensive during
the Vietnam War, the media managed to persuade Americans we were losing the war,
which demoralized the nation and caused us to lose the war. And people say
reporters are lazy."
- Columnist Ann Coulter
GASBAGS
"It seems that many journalists are so invested in the story line that 'BUSH
LIED!!!! about WMDs' that they wouldn't acknowledge otherwise if they themselves
were gassed."
- James Taranto, Best of the Web, 5/26/04
"AVERAGE" MUST BE PRETTY DARN LOW
"The Washington Post reports that nearly two-thirds of America's 1.6 million
civilian full-time federal employees received merit bonuses or special time-off
awards in 2002. Think about that. Statistically it implies that the vast
majority of federal workers are operating at above-average levels."
- Wall Street Journal, 5/27/04
I WANT MY MTV...AND BIG MACS
"MTV has refused to screen ads for Super Size Me, Morgan Spurlock's film about
fast food and overeating, because they are 'disparaging to fast food
restaurants.' Roadside Attractions and Samuel Goldwyn Film said MTV sister
network VH1 was planning to use clips from the movie in a program called Best
Week Ever, but the clips were pulled before the show aired."
- Sydney Morning Herald, 5/26/04
WHY NOT JUST GIVE 'EM A NEW CAR, AS WELL
"Despite protests from a state legislator, the Wisconsin Housing & Economic
Development Authority agreed Friday to continue its pilot program providing
affordable home mortgages to undocumented immigrants. State Rep. Glen Grothman
(R-West Bend) opposed the loan program at WHEDA's monthly board meeting May 21
in Madison. . . . 'How can we expect employers not to hire illegal aliens, or
border patrol or INS workers to enthusiastically do their jobs when a state
agency is initiating a program almost specifically designed to break the laws,'
he said."
- Milwaukee Business Journal, 5/24/04
SURVEY SAYS!
Washington insiders say that while the issue of illegal immigration stirs up a
lot of fuss, it's NOT an issue which swings votes one way or the other in an
election campaign. Are they correct? Is a candidate's position on illegal
immigration an issue which, in and of itself, could swing your vote one way or
the other in a given election?
* Yes
* No
* Maybe
Cast your vote by clicking the "Survey Says!" tab at
www.citizenoutreach.com
ACTIVIST UPDATE
Here's a quick update on two issues we featured in News & Views which many of
you were involved in a few months back.
1.) Hale DeMar of Wilmette, Illinois, woke in the middle of the night to find
an intruder in his kid's room...and shot the scuzzball. In return, the local
chief flat-foot charged the homeowner with violating a local gun law. Many of
you were outraged and made it known with calls and emails. Well, you'll be
happy to know that the state legislature heard. This week they passed a bill
affording more protections to homeowners who shoot intruders regardless of local
gun control laws banning weapons. That's the good news. The bad news is that
Democrat Gov. Rod Blagojevich has threatened to veto the bill. You can contact
the guv by going here:
http://www.illinois.gov/gov/contactthegovernor.cfm
2.) Some goofballs in Santa Fe, New Mexico, actually proposed mandatory seat
belts...for dogs. Well, some sanity finally struck the city's public-safety
committee this week, which decided to strike the asinine proposed ordinance.
City Council-critters said they were "flooded by complaints about the proposed
'doggie seat belts' from residents as well as people in other cities."
Nice job, gang. Again, national grassroots Internet activism CAN have an
impact. Which brings us to.
DODGING COMMON SENSE
Catch this example of public school stupidity from Grasonville, Maryland, as
reported in the Eastern Shore Star Democrat:
* * * QUOTE * * *
An 11-year-old boy has been suspended from Grasonville Elementary School for 10
days for including a knife in his class project.
The 5th-grader included a steak knife in a box of items he took in to illustrate
the assignment: "What would you take on a camping trip and why?" said Lt. Dwayne
Embert of the Queen Anne's County Sheriff's Office. Embert said the knife was
part of the boy's project; the boy never threatened anyone.
"The child brought in a steak knife in a decorated shoe box," said Principal
Anne Dodge. It was a project for his reading class. He turned the box in on May
10.
On Monday, May 17, it was the Grasonville boy's turn to present. About 3:20
p.m., he took the items out of the box to talk about them. The teacher saw the
knife, took it, and contacted the principal, Dodge said.
"It was a tool. He brought in different types of tools," Dodge said. She, too,
said the student never threatened anyone.
The student and his possessions were removed from the classroom, a parent was
notified and the sheriff's office contacted, Dodge said. Dfc. Kristy L. Murphy
investigated.
Parents of children in that reading class were contacted by phone and a letter
went home to them, Dodge said.
In the letter, she recounted what had happened and wrote, "I urge you to discuss
this incident as well as the one last week with your child in an open and honest
matter. If at any time they are aware of a dangerous situation, encourage them
to talk to any adult as quickly as possible. The staff and I will make safety a
top priority so that all students feel safe in school and can concentrate on
academics."
Students know better than to bring weapons to school; it is in the handbook
everyone gets at the beginning of the school year, Dodge said. Schools have a
zero tolerance for weapons.
* * * UNQUOTE * * *
Cops, letters to parents and a 10-day suspension because a kid brought a steak
knife in a box to class for a project asking what you would take on a camping
trip? Is this insane, or what? How does someone who allows something this
idiotic become the principal of a public elementary school?
Here's the info I know you all are looking for:
Principal Anne Dodge
Phone: (410) 827-8070
Email: dodgea@qacps.k12.md.us
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Chuck Muth's News & Views is published by Citizen Outreach, a non-partisan,
501(c)3 non-profit corporation. The opinions and views expressed in Chuck Muth's
News & Views reflect those of the writers, editors and columnists therein and do
not necessarily reflect the opinions of Citizen Outreach, its officers,
directors or employees.
Published by: Citizen Outreach
Chuck Muth
Editor/Publisher
611 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE, #439
Washington, DC 20003-4303
E-mail: chuck@citizenoutreach.com
To SUBSCRIBE, just go to:
http://www.chuckmuth.com/newsletter/
To be REMOVED, go to:
http://www.chuckmuth.com/remove/default.cfm
Or send your request to
webmaster@chuckmuth.com
To make a secure online contribution to Citizen Outreach, go to the "Donate"
page at www.citizenoutreach.com.
---
[This E-mail scanned for viruses by Declude Virus]
|
