Republicans are significantly more likely than Democrats or independents to rate their mental health as excellent, according to data from the last four November Gallup Health and Healthcare polls.
Republicans are significantly more likely than Democrats or independents to rate their mental health as excellent, according to data from the last four November Gallup Health and Healthcare polls.
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funny,
republicans
Sheriff takes tough stand, firmly believes roadblocks are unconstitutional, except in this case:
The Summit County, Ohio sheriff believes roadblocks are unconstitutional and ineffective in fighting drunk driving -- except when the roadblocks come with cash. Sheriff Drew Alexander will accept $175,000 in state grants, usually paid for with federal gas tax dollars, that the state will only offer to law enforcement agencies that agree to set up roadblocks. The Akron Beacon Journal newspaper asked Alexander if he thought roadblocks violated the Fourth Amendment.So we can book him for perjury now, right? Violating his oath and all.
"I do," Sheriff Alexander responded.
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constitution,
freedom,
orwellian,
police
Just over the air, they're saying Leelend Eisenberg, the suspect, has been taken into custody. It's apparently over. Reportedly, no one has been hurt.
More coverage here at the Huffington Post.
And here at Hot Air.
And live video coverage here while it lasts.
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elections,
other
I got a chuckle while reading this official news report from FoxNews.com about how Canadians' old and inefficient beer fridges are threatening the planet when I came to this:
The problem is that the beer fridges are mostly decades-old machines that began their second careers as beverage dispensers when Canadians upgraded to more energy-efficient models to store whatever Canadians eat besides doughnuts and poutine.I guess it's good to know Fox News can sneak in a little snide humor at the expense of Canadians.
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funny,
other
How are we going to liberate the oppressed classes with an attitude like that?
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communists,
funny,
leftists
From the AP:
A teenager says he held up a dozen businesses in part to get "gas money" but made sure the heists wouldn't make him miss curfew or church on Sundays with his mom.
Justin T. Veal, 18, was jailed on a felony robbery charge after being arrested last week in a liquor store holdup.
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other,
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...until we recapture the minds of black youth, convince them that it's not OK to "super man dat ho" and end any and every dispute by "cocking on your bitch," nothing will change.Via HotAir
Does a Soulja Boy want an education?
HBO did a fascinating documentary on Little Rock Central High School, the Arkansas school that required the National Guard so that nine black kids could attend in the 1950s. Fifty years later, the school is one of the nation's best in terms of funding and educational opportunities. It's 60 percent black and located in a poor black community.
Watch the documentary and ask yourself why nine poor kids in the '50s risked their lives to get a good education and a thousand poor black kids today ignore the opportunity that is served to them on a platter.
Blame drugs, blame Ronald Reagan, blame George Bush, blame it on the rain or whatever. There's only one group of people who can change the rotten, anti-education, pro-violence culture our kids have adopted. We have to do it.
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crime,
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Blogs4Borders co-founders Jake and MJ caught Lou Dobbs having it out with an open border socialist on video. Good stuff.
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BFB,
immigration,
video
Here's a new post, since the last one got too clustered, with video of the entire CNN/Youtube debate below the jump...
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7
Part 8
Part9
Part 10
Part 11
Part 12
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elections,
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Don't have the entire debate video yet, but here are some highlights.
Giuliani on guns and Thompson on Giuliani's gun control:
Ron Paul vs. John McCain:
I agree with McCain, see here.
Here's the immigration battle between Rudy and Romney:
Heh: Send Hillary to Mars!
And the now famous GOP debate song:
...Avi Zenilman back at Politico World HQ does an insta-search on Kerr and discovers he was on the Steering Committee of "Veterans for Kerry."Romney got the crap beat out of him for that question, and the General got more time to speak than Tancredo did, smell something fishy?
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elections,
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Just got underway, nice comedic musical introduction by the way. CNN.com has a live video stream.
And it begins. Rudy and Romney fight it out over illegals, it gets personal. Poor way to start the debate guys.
Thompson takes the pledge: No Amnesty.
McCain says his amnesty was not amnesty. Gets booed. Saddened for something... probably that immigration was the first issue debated here... rambles on about other issues, comes back to border security.
Heh: Tancredo says others are trying to out-Tancredo Tancredo... which is pretty much true.
Hunter, the ignored candidate, repeats his San Diego fence accomplishment.
Huckabee spins his illegal alien college handouts, avoids the question about illegals getting reduced tuition often better than veterans' children. But skillfully brought up veterans' bill of rights.
Romney with a quip to Huck, "Mike, thats not your money." Huck responds with emotional appeal, not too bad there Huck. They continue to quibble as Cooper tries to move on.
Ooh, an NAU question for Paul: Do you believe all this stuff? Paul defends sovereignty, cites empirical examples of what appears to be a looming NAU. Big applause.
SPENDING is out of control. McCain with his usual stump speech against pork-barrel spending, I like it. Romney says cut entitlements, Rudy says use technology and replace government workers, do away with failing programs. I like that better.
Fred says reform entitlements... doesn't answer the question (which three federal programs would you cut?) directly... but has got a plan for entitlement spending. Ron Paul says limit Dept of Education, change foreign policy, reduce Homeland Security. Huck says do away with the IRS... applause... reform Homeland and Social Security.
Interestingly, most of the guys here look like they'd rather be somewhere else.
WOW. McCain says Paul's foreign policy got us into WWII, Paul supporters, in strength tonight, boo him. McCain responds to the jeers by saying the troops want to win in Iraq, contrary to Paul's ideas.
Paul responds with his trademark blowback rhetoric. Says most officers support him or something.
Clever, Romney on farm subsidies: doesn't want our food supply to look like our energy supply. Subsidies secure our source of food, helps level the global playing field. Rudy agrees.
THE SECOND AMENDMENT: Gun control? Duncan Hunter lectures the questioner about gun safety, and he's right. Then he kind of equates the RKBA to fighting in Iraq, but you didn't answer the question Hunter. Gun control was the question, not your level of support of the 2nd Amendment.
Rudy bombed. Enforce gun laws... reasonable regulations... New York is different...
Once again, the issue of gun control was pretty much avoided in favor of verbally showing support for the 2nd Amendment. [Edit: I reviewed the debate, and I missed Fred's response to Rudy, which was very good. Also, he had the quote of the night, on the question if and what kind of guns each candidate had. Thompson said, "I own a couple, but I'm not going to tell you what they are or where they are." He's speaking to the gun crowd, and that's the perfect answer.]
CRIME: Romney and Rudy compete over who's crime control was better. Rudy seems to win this little competition. Romney concedes that Rudy did a good job, but defends his crime enforcement.
ABORTION issue is up. Criminalize abortion? Ron Paul takes a federalist position. Cool, but kind of a cop-out, depends on how you look at it.
Rudy takes a federalist position too. Fred did also, but urged overturning Roe.
Romney agrees with Fred, and would sign a federal ban on abortion.
DEATH PENALTY: Huck says he killed more than any other governor. OK, nice strategy there. Advocates it for deterrence purposes. Comes back to abortion. Heh: Jesus was too smart to run for public office.
THE BIBLE: This debate is turning into CNN's stereotypical view of Republicans, ugh. Huck jokingly offers to help Rudy, who then says he believes it but not literally. Romney fumbled, AND THAT WILL KILL HIM. Mitt says ye... yes.. er... yeah, wait, yes, yes I do. I'm Mormon and I could've said it 100 times better than Romney did. "YES," without the fumble.
Huck jumps into minister mode for a minute and performs well. A planted question for Huck?
The debate is fast paced, part stupid, part funny, and part gladiatorial. 100% demeaning to the Republican Party.
FOREIGN POLICY: How to make America's image better? Rudy says we are smart and can do that while staying on the offensive.
McCain promotes the surge, reminds us of his role in that. Speaks of success, tells us Democrats would've let Al Qaeda run rampant.
Hunter: I will never apologize for the USA. Applause.
TORTURE: Romney won't get specific, but says he opposes torture. Says terrorists should be sent to Guantanamo. McCain hits back, Waterboarding is torture. Says we will take the moral high ground in fighting terror. Romney insists he knows what torture is and is not, but refuses to say what techniques we will and will not use against terrorists. McCain still thinks Romney supports Waterboarding. Is there something I'm not getting?
IRAQ: Stay or go? Long term commitment? Fred says stay as long as necessary, not a moment longer.
Paul says get out now, Vietnam was a mess, Iraqis have started taking their country back already, especially after we've left. But he can't seem to remember the name of them there northerners; the Kurds Paul, the Kurds.
McCain defends Vietnam, never lost a battle, public opinion was lost. Paul responds by saying we pissed them off by occupying their countries. Namely Saudi Arabia, who willingly lets us stay there. Tancredo says wake up and smell the coffee Paul, this is reality, we have threats and we need to be prepared.
Rudy and 9/11, too much? Rudy says no, insists that it's his comprehensive experience that qualifies him, and gave him the reason to run.
GAYS in the Military? Retired Brigadier General Kerr debates the candidates. Says our military is professional enough to work with them. Hunter says no. Romney gets put on the spot, supports Don't Ask Don't Tell, but refuses to say yes or no. I missed what McCain said, but it sounded like a polite "no."
GAY MARRIAGE? Huck says he'll take the Log Cabin support, but won't support gay marriage.
SPACE EXPLORATION: Huck says increase funding, send Hillary to Mars! Tancredo: we can't afford it, politicians are trying to give everything to everybody.
THE BLACK VOTE: I liked that guy and his question. Rudy says it's the Party's fault, but he thinks turning welfare into a job agency as he did in New York is a good idea. Huck said something uninteresting, and that's why I missed it.
THE CONFEDERATE FLAG? Romney says no thanks, no divisive talk, don't show the flag, but you have a right to hang it in your room.
Fred says it is not racist, but is interpreted as racist by many. But we don't need to bring it up.
INFRASTRUCTURE: Sacrifice and repair America? Rudy brings up New York again. With help, he rebuilt much of New York. Rudy says he can lead the States and localities to rebuild over time with a responsible budget.
Paul says we have the money as long as the Feds get off our backs.
McCain says stop federal pork, give money back to states.
Rudy: During my time as mayor, the Yankees won four world series. After I left, they've won zero.
Romney: I, like most of America, love our sports teams and hate the Yankees.
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elections,
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James was stopped after a gun was spotted in her purse during a routine baggage check in the McNamara Terminal. She was on her way to a lawyers conference in Atlanta and told airport police she simply forgot about the gun.Exhibit B:
Hochman told authorities he and his wife were on their way to Alaska and he had forgotten he'd packed the pistol in a bag that would be accessible during flight.Exhibit A involves a judge. Exhibit B involves a regular guy. No further explanation necessary.
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freedom,
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I don't know how long Drudge has had this story linked, but I just noticed it. I can't help but ask myself, why are these stories so increasingly abundant?
The boy was suspended for three days this month for allegedly committing a “hate crime” by using the expression “brown people.”The term is not politically correct, but it's hardly offensive. If it is offensive, by any objective measure, then calling Americans with European ancestry "white people" is also offensive. Tell me how it isn't.
In an interview Monday, Voinovich would not address her comments, first saying she didn't remember the incident, then demanding a copy of the recording and finally insisting that she could not talk about a student's discipline.
The circumstances of the boy’s suspension itself raise troubling questions about student discipline, interrogation and oversight at Abraham Lincoln.
According to school officials, the boy made a statement about “brown people” to another elementary student with whom he was having a conflict. They maintain it was his second offense using the phrase.
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orwellian,
stupid
Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf takes off his army uniform for the last time. As my title not-so subtly suggests, I am certainly surprised.
Pervez Musharraf stepped down Wednesday from his powerful post as military commander, a day before he was due to be sworn in as Pakistan's civilian president.It's not everyday a man with dictatorial power relinquishes it. Few men have done so before; George Washington comes to mind (and yes Washington could have easily been king).
During a change of command, Musharraf relinquished his post by handing over his ceremonial baton to his successor, Gen. Ashfaq Kayani...
Musharraf's retirement from the military has been a key opposition demand and the move may help defuse a possible boycott of parliamentary elections in January by parties opposed to his rule. Since seizing power in a coup in 1999, Musharraf has served as president while retaining his post as head of the armed forces.
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democracy,
other,
pakistan
This is actually good news. It being news at all is unfortunately, not good:
A US judge has been removed from the bench for jailing 46 people after none would admit to having a mobile phone that began ringing during his court session.[Editors note: if you're a regular reader, you've probably noticed (for which I apologize) a lack of original content. It's true, but things should be back to normal here in a few days.]
Judge Robert Restaino "snapped" and "engaged in what can only be described as two hours of inexplicable madness" during the 2005 session, Raoul Felder, chairman of the New York state Commission on Judicial Conduct, wrote in the decision to remove the judge today.
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constitution,
freedom,
other
The logical thing to do is to ban them:
PHOENIX (AP) ― Phoenix Police have detained a 13-year-old boy after he allegedly pointed a laser at a police helicopter Monday evening.
Phoenix police say the helicopter was hit with a bright green laser light.
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What I found on a forum at AR15.com; a reply from a supposed law enforcement officer to a comment on officers and free speech:
Emphasis added. Law enforcement officers are trained to take control of situations. They are also trained as though they are all that matters, meaning their safety is of the utmost priority, and their interpretation of foul/loud/critical language as imminent physical danger reflects this.It would be my contention, quite possibly wrong, that any Officer, as an agent of the .gov, could be liable for any breach of a citizens First Amendment protections....and you would be wrong. Anyone who uses that kind of language at that volume is certainly guilty of DOC. Moreover, when you jump up in a cops face and start screaming anything at him then you are certainly displaying aggressive behavior. I have no obligation to let you take a swing before I defend myself...I just need a reasonable belief that you are about to assault me. It all depends on how the report is written, and I write it.
You might keep in mind that an awful lot rides on that written report, and you don't have a lot of input into its content. While it is being typed you are in a holding cell at best, and the ER at worst! If you want to screw with the bull, don't be surprised when you get the horns!
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freedom,
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police
In this weeks episode:
A "virtual fence?" When the president utilizes one around the White House we'll believe him.
The Deportation Joke! Previously deported criminal aliens just keep coming, American citizens just keep dying!
And 100% Preventable!
This has been the Blogs For Borders Video Blogburst. The Blogs For Borders Blogroll is dedicated to American sovereignty, border security and a sane immigration policy. If you’d like to join find out how right here.
Tags: illegal immigration, the deportation joke, mexico, murder, rape, criminal aliens, border fence, border security, sanctuary city, border patrol, manhunt
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BFB,
immigration,
video
Those dang kids, if it isn't sketching stick figures with guns, then it's saying they know how to tie a noose:
"Someone asked if anybody knew how to tie a noose and Travis did admit he knew how to tie a noose," Kim Grigsby said.
Travis' mom said her son is almost an Eagle Scout, he knew how to tie it, but told his friends he wouldn't because you could get in trouble for that. Later, a black student on the drum line told the teacher he was offended.
"Travis was accused of using a racial slur for saying the word 'noose.' Then he was suspended for 10 days," Kim said.
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stupid
I'm a bit late on spreading the news, so here's a little blog roundup:
Allah at HotAir
David Codrea at War on Guns
Uncle at SayUncle
David Hardy at Arms and the Law
Eugene Volokh, David Kopel, and Orin Kerr at Volokh Conspiracy
A typical, but always good Instapundit post here
Sebastian at Snowflakes in Hell
And the blog everybody's linking to, SCOTUSblog, which seems to often be the first to break the news on this case.
As for me, unfortunately, I'm busy. I'll add my two cents later.
That is of course, if you're an extreme eco-secularist.
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other,
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In this weeks edition:
Enrique Morones disses Jim Gilchrist, walking out on a planned debate like the coward he is.
Our border patrol under assault on the border.
100% Preventable! Just here to work? Tell that to the family of a little Ca. boy brutally raped by one of GWB's "good people just here to work!"
Gilchrist vs. Morones video graciously provided by our good friend Stephen AKA Lone Wolf!
This has been the Blogs For Borders Video Blogburst. The Blogs For Borders Blogroll is dedicated to American sovereignty, border security and a sane immigration policy. If you’d like to join find out how right here.
Tags: illegal immigration, mexico, rape, murder, crime, pedophile, jim gilchrist, enrique morones, coward, the minutemen, border angels, reconquista, border patrol, thanksgiving, policy
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BFB,
immigration,
video
I do love the feeling of this annual time-honored tradition, and I'm so glad it's starting off with the traditional character whose persona completes the spirit of the season: The ACLU guy and the War on Christmas. Naughty or Nice, the ACLU guy is secularizing your town:
Alderden, the Larimer County sheriff for decades and a veteran of handling hostage situations, forest fires and other life-threatening situations, was ticked by the recent work of the city task force, headed by an ACLU volunteer, which recommended white lights and secular decorations for the city, because other decorations such as red and green lights fall among the items that are too religious for the city to sponsor.
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other,
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Zero tolerance, zero brains.
A first-grader was suspended Tuesday for drawing a stick figure shooting another in the head with a gun and allegedly threatening students.Lovely.
Little Butte School officials sent 6-year-old Ryan Weathers home after receiving complaints from parents saying he threatened their children, said Douglas Weathers, the boy's father.
"He's not a violent kid," Weathers said. "He did not mean any harm."
School district officials declined to comment. State law bars them from discussing disciplinary actions against specific students.
The disciplinary report given to Weathers stated the reason for the suspension was the boy "threatened to shoot two girls in the head."
The drawing was inspired by an episode of "The Simpsons," Weathers said. In the television cartoon, a character displays a drawing of a student being shot by a gun.
An outstanding must-read essay on the right to keep and bear arms, right here.
Via Instapundit
...I find it sweetly touching that in America even political radicalism has to be framed as an appeal to constitutional tradition from the powdered-wig era.While I agree with Steyn, I can't help but wonder how we'd react if Europe were to sincerely thank America. I don't think we would know how to accept it other than awkwardly. Sure, we'd say you're welcome and keep on doing what America does. But then again, take a look at the coverage on Sarkosy's speech to Congress, a great big Thank You America, and relatively few news organizations highlighted it, let alone offered to say You're Welcome.
In Europe, by contrast, one reason why there's no politically significant pro-life movement is because, in a world where constitutions have the life expectancy of an Oldsmobile, great questions are just seen as part of the general tide, the way things are going, no sense trying to fight it. And, by the time you realize you have to, the tide's usually up to your neck...
If America were to follow the Europeans and maintain only shriveled attenuated residual military capacity, the world would very quickly be nastier and bloodier, and far more unstable. It's not just Americans and Iraqis and Afghans who owe a debt of thanks to the U.S. soldier but all the Europeans grown plump and prosperous in a globalized economy guaranteed by the most benign hegemon in history.
And those on the left said we were being paranoid about the government controlling our lives through socialized healthcare. Tell that to the fat lady.In other Daily Mail immigration news:
A British woman planning to start a new life with her husband in New Zealand has been banned from entering the country - because she is too fat.
The argument here is the usual one that, because of the costs to the taxpayer, a socialized health care regime has the right tor regulate your lifestyle in all particulars. There is nothing that is not potentially the government's business.
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America,
europe,
france,
freedom
If you watch Bill O'Reilly (I usually do not -most of the newsworthy clips are online), you are well aware that he's been all over Brian De Palma's film, Redacted as well as its primary funder, Mark Cuban.
Whatever criticism this film gets is well deserved, in my opinion, but Mr. Cuban apparently thought it was unwarranted and hit O'Reilly where he can't hit back. From Cuban's blog:
What I was curious about was whether this really was important to Mr OReilly, or whether he was just a ratings whore and would say whatever he needed to say to get more people to watch.O'Reilly has virtually no control over ad content during his cable show, let alone the network's. If Cuban really wanted to prove O'Reilly was a "ratings whore," he could've done it with a bit more integrity, and would've tried getting his ad placed during O'Reilly's radio show, which O'Reilly has vastly much more say over. Pretty sleazy Mr. Cuban.
I needed to design a very simple test to determine Mr OReilly's motivation. It occured to me to see if FoxNews would take an ad for the movie Redacted.
I had someone call FoxNews and tell them specifically, unequivocally that we wanted to run an ad for the movie Redacted. The same movie Bill OReilly was so upset about.
They said no problem. Do you want to run the ads in both the live show and the repeat ?
Our first reaction was that this was just the sales department and at some point , someone at FoxNews would step in and stop the ads from running. The call to say they were stopping the ads never came.
The ad ran in both shows. Here is a link with Bill's smiling face at the end.
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Ok, so my libertarian streak has been significantly more apparent lately, but it's just these stories coming out, coupled with the pleasant fact that internet leans libertarian.
Which brings me to a story of the federal government making up for its blundering impotence, with blundering stupidity:
More than 98 percent of all of the marijuana plants seized by law enforcement in the United States is feral hemp not cultivated cannabis, according to newly released data by the Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA) Domestic Cannabis Eradication/Suppression Program and the Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics.The logic behind the banning of a natural plant is bewildering. I mean, what a waste of tax dollars, destroying millions of natural growing plants out of the fear of the non-existent to mild high it might give some people. If there is one thing the federal government is effective at, it's the wasting of our money.
According to the data, available online at: http://www.albany.edu/sourcebook/pdf/t4382005.pdf, of the estimated 223 million marijuana plants destroyed by law enforcement in 2005, approximately 219 million were classified as "ditchweed," a term the agency uses to define "wild, scattered marijuana plants [with] no evidence of planting, fertilizing, or tending." Unlike cultivated marijuana, feral hemp contains virtually no detectable levels of THC, the psychoactive component in cannabis, and does not contribute to the black market marijuana trade.
One often and overused strategy among law enforcement officers is their manipulation of the uninformed, asking them to give up their rights in a tone that usually sounds like a police order. Unfortunately, upon the denial of such a request, your situation often becomes subject to microscopic police scrutiny. Should you politely agree to give up your rights, that cooperative kindness you generously offered won't be returned should they discover the slightest infraction.
Why should Boston be any exception:
Boston police are launching a program that will call upon parents in high-crime neighborhoods to allow detectives into their homes, without a warrant, to search for guns in their children's bedrooms.This is almost more damning of the parents, who I guess, would rather the police parent their teenager. But it's all ok, according to the police commissioner, who promised no criminal charges:
more stories like this
The program, which is already raising questions about civil liberties, is based on the premise that parents are so fearful of gun violence and the possibility that their own teenagers will be caught up in it that they will turn to police for help, even in their own households.
"This isn't evidence that we're going to present in a criminal case," said Davis, who met with community leaders yesterday to get feedback on the program. "This is a seizing of a very dangerous object..."Of course it's not going to end up in a criminal charge, today. But now they'll know every house where people refused a search, every house that had a gun, the contents of every searched room, every house that was not to their liking, and the faces that belonged to such houses. This is a gold mine for over-zealous law enforcement officers. To me, this program sounds more like intelligence gathering than community service.
Yes, really:
A PARKING attendant sprang into action when a man collapsed outside Altrincham General Hospital - by trying to slap a ticket on the victim's car.I think this is sort of thing is also symbolic of American society, which is too bad. I'm no expert on the trends or strategies of law enforcement, but it seems for various reasons they have increasingly favored a zero-tolerance attitude over commonsense.
The diligent warden came upon the scene after the man, who is diabetic, had keeled over in a car outside the hospital entrance.
Nurses ran out to help the man after his driver had dashed into the hospital to ask for assistance, and an ambulance was called.
advertisement
But the intrepid meter maid spotted that the driver had pulled up in an ambulance bay - and was not about to show any leeway.
Undeterred by the frantic activity going on around her, the parking attendant repeatedly tried to issue a parking ticket.
She ignored protests and explanations as she pressed on - and even continued to issue a ticket after the ambulance arrived and the paramedics took over the care of the patient, according to a shocked observer.
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