I can’t think of anything that will lock up the Democrat nimination faster, and yet lose the general election faster, than the endorsement of the lergest government employee union. AFSME. Consider it’s implications: The government workers see him as growing the role of the highly paid government paid employee unions.
The unions love it; most people see those unions as a threat to their wallets and to America as a whole.
I see where Orin Hatch is working on more Hate Crimes legislation. The first clue Hatch should have had is that Kennedy is behind this.
I already expressed some thoughts on the general idea of hate crimes laws a couple years ago:
The pattern is well established. Politicians and others have frequently blamed “hatred” for headline making crimes, particularly when in the act of pandering to so-called Minority groups..
*After the April 1995 bombing of a federal building in Oklahoma City, President Clinton named G. Gordon Liddy among the conservative talk-show hosts he called “purveyors of hatred and division,” saying they were “encouraging violence.” The liberal press, who has long been willing to prostitute itself to the end of defeating anyone who holds views to the right of say, Fidel Castro, gleefully agreed with him. There was serious talk of McVeigh being charged under “Hate crimes’
laws, but I’ve forgotten if he ever was prosecuted under those laws. I suspect though, that he was so charged.
*’Concerned’ over arson attacks on black churches in 1996, (You recall, the ones Mr. Clinton lied about) civil rights leader Joseph Lowery accused the Christian Coalition of fostering an “extremist climate.” The non problem was followed up as a group of hate crimes.
*When avowed homosexual Matthew Shepard was killed in Wyoming last year, Homosexual-extra-rights advocate Joan M. Garry suggested it was the result of a conservative anti-homosexuality campaign she said “fuels the fires of bigotry.”, and his killers were subject to and convicted under Hate Crime statutes.
*Following the shootings at a Jewish community center in California, the leftist media and politicians jumped onto the hate crime bandwagon, labeling those episodes of violence “hate crimes”..
*In Texas, the dragging death of a black man has brought two white men to conviction and the death penalty. These were reported by the press, most notably CBS and CNN (who forever shill for big government ) as hate crimes.
Yet there is another pattern, also well established… a more disturbing one.
#When a gunman spouting blasphemous rhetoric burst into a youth service at a Fort Worth Baptist church this week, and fatally shot seven persons, the liberal’s war on hate crimes was nowhere to be seen. Nor were there endless lines of liberal leaders, making as much out of the situation as possible.
#When in 1997, a kid who had been known as anti-Christian shot up a high school prayer group in Paducah, KY where were the people protecting us from ‘hate crime’? They must have hidden behind the folks who want to remove the second amendment from the books. It’s the oddest thing; these looked just like the folks who had been
screaming about hate crimes in my first examples.
#When the April murders of Christian students at Columbine High School in Colorado, made the front page… where the shooters specifically picked out Christians to shoot at by asking them for professions of faith and then killing them for their answer, we saw no crying and wailing from the usual suspects about ‘hate crime’. Yet, there can be no question that these crimes too, were motivated by hate.
Such discrepancies alas constitute legal life in America today. And with our over dependence on law, and on government, such nonsense penetrates every aspect of our day to day lives. The obvious question is why such double standards are permitted to exist. The answer, I fear, goes directly to the heart of the motive behind the hate crime laws.
Understand; “motive” is not an idle choice of a word.. I consider the laws and the motive behind them, criminal. Why?
Well, in answer, it doesn’t pass my notice, and I hope it doesn’t pass yours, that there are many who scream loudly to the populace for hate crimes laws when certain groups… groups whom they have historically favored… are targeted. Yet, these same people keep stony silence when other groups that they don’t favor are. You should also take note, of which are which. This disparity, (along with the disparity in the implementation of hate crime laws themselves) sends the message that hate itself isn’t the real issue… but rather WHOM you hate… that it’s OK to hate certain people. And of course, by passing hate crime laws and selectively implementing them, the government sends the clear message of which we shall and shall not hate.
A look around provides the idea that open hostility to Christians, and others who hold traditional American values, is growing rapidly, and government is doing much to foster this hostility. Let’s be honest enough to say that this is the real purpose of “hate crime” legislation; to provoke hatred against politically incorrect groups, such as those who dare to try and uphold traditional cultural values, and/or those who are Christians.
I suggest that this double standard is just one more front on the culture war … a war so many deny exists. Yet, it is a war that continues to claim victims. As in this case.
Let me be clear, here. I am not suggesting that we give ‘hate crimes’ status to those crimes that we have not. I’m suggesting that we should grant ‘hate crime’ status to NO crime. By their design, and certainly by their implementation, the Hate Crimes statutes tend to reveal motives on the part of the government, which have racial and cultural motives, which are directed against the majority. Lincoln once observed that a house divided against itself cannot stand. Hate Crimes laws, far from being the healing tool they were supposed to be, have only served to deepen our division. It’s time to remove so called hate crimes from the books.
^BitHead
This editorial is Copyright(C) 2001 Eric Florack. All rights reserved
except that permission is herewith granted for non-commercial use of
the text herein, in whole or in part, so long as proper credit is
given to the author.
A must read. Force feed this to the next liberal you hear moaning about jobs.
EIB Announcement: Rush Returns To the Air This Monday, November 17
About bloody time.
Art will be missed. For some reason, when I heard he’d gone, the first image that came to mind was the one he played for a Coke commercial several years ago…. Him as a grandfather bringing his grandson into Rock Center to see the tree that supposedly sprang from his grandmother’s fruitcake the week before. It seems to me that commercial, as much as any role he ever played, captured his humor, and his wisdom that developed in his later years.. and his kindness, all in one 60 second spot.
news link
Ignoble
We’re in Ohio this afternoon to catch a concert. We came down last night, and will be back in town on Monday. As this is being written we are waiting for Trace Adkins to take the stage, and as we wait, I am mulling over the news we got on the way here regarding the car bombing in Saudi-Arabia.
As of this writing, all I was able to get was that 5 people had died, more injured, and I got the impression more would die as a result of their injuries. (Editor’s note: 15 people as of 11/11)
This attack, and the results of it are very different from the rest, and it appears a new trend is starting to show itself.
What is so remarkable about this attack, what is different, this time, is that it appears Muslims were targeted. Else, at the least the attackers didn’t care how many Muslims they would kill and injure. I fully understand that judging what the attackers are after, based on what they attack, is problematic at best because there are a number of forces at work, here that are not all of a piece.
Yet logically, based on these attacks, one could ask now, as never before in recent times, if a religious fervor was *ever* at the heart of the reasoning behind ElQuieda and it’s actions. This question is far more central than some here in the US would make it, because it speaks to the question of other Arab nations supporting the remainder of the world in their war…..and war it is… with ElQuieda.
I suspect that as a result of this attack, we will see far more in the way of support from Arab nations, both direct and indirect. The notable exceptions of this would be Syria and possibly Iran.
It seems to me that by their reactions the battle lines will be drawn. I fully expect the Saudis to be very co-operative indeed with the west going forward.
And the cause for this bedrock change in conditions was the inevitable… the bloodthirsty idiots attacking the people still sitting on the fence… and pushing them over to our side of it. IN the end, the only thing this will do is help us in our struggle.
Noble
I want to speak briefly about Veteran’s day which comes up this week. It’s always been a special day for me, more so the last 15 years because my Donna and got married 11/11/89.
It’s always been a special day for me anyway, though, because honoring our vets has always held special meaning for me; it’s a lesson my parents instilled very well, indeed. It was brought home to me, as I was recently looking at pictures from a trip we made through the Gettysburg PA area some years ago.
It’s a particularly meaningful thing, when you’re standing on that field…. something that goes well beyond the cold facts and figures about who died from what company, how old they were, or even where they were from. It’s more a feeling you get…. you can sense it… not unlike being at Ground Zero in lower Manhattan, or visiting Arlington National Cemetery. I’m told Omaha Beach, and Pearl Harbor and many other sites are the same way. I’ve been at the funerals of firemen and policemen who died in their line of duty, and that was also remarkably similar.
In each case, we’re dealing with places and concepts of death. But death alone doesn’t do it; doesn’t create that solemn atmosphere that is so unique to the above places. After all; there are lots of mass casualty accidents have happened over the centuries and their sites are well marked, and revered, or at least held apart, and yet, their impact doesn’t approach that of an Iwo Jima or a Pearl.
Even under the shelter of the relative safety of the time that has passed since the events, as you stand in each place, you can still feel it; Lives were lost there that were willingly (And in the case of the civilian deaths at the towers, unwillingly) sacrificed toward a higher ideal.
Our feelings and conclusions can be far different from what those lost experienced. Yet, their lives and their sacrifices still count for something. And the thing is, it doesn’t take much for us to out ourselves in their mindset.
Think of it this way; Every single man who died at Gettysburg, at Normandy, at Pearl and all he rest, has meaning for us because each of them, had their own lives, just as we have our own lives.
These people loved, they laughed, they cried. They had a favorite food, a favorite color, a particular bit of music, or of poetry stirred their souls, like none other, just like we, ourselves. Every bit as much as you and I love our lives, they loved theirs. Their lives were as precious to them, as yours is to you. Their loss was as keenly felt by their loved ones as yours would yours. And yet, they gave their lives up, for something bigger.
I have a neighbor, whose father just recently needed a liver transplant. This neighbor willingly gave up part of his liver to be transplanted into his father. A noble action, certainly, commendable, and impressive. But with all respect to my neighbor, the choice to do that is comparatively easy to make. He knows and loves his father, and the sacrifice is fairly light by comparison.
How much more noble is a sacrifice of one’s life for people that one will never meet? Well, the people we honor today, those in uniform particularly, but some who were not, gave of themselves for the benefit of people they would never know…. you and I, and countless others from many nations. If not for their sacrifices, you’d not be reading this BIT, because I’d not have written it…. we’d be living in a very different world, possibly, one not nearly as good to us as it has been.
Look upon those actions, those sacrifices, and know what you’re seeing is strength, courage, and nobility in measures that should not… can not, be ignored. It must be honored by us all; it was made, after all for our benefit.
Think about that as we deal with the solemn proceedings for their day.
Ignoble
We’re in Ohio this afternoon to catch a concert. We came down last night, and will be back in town on Monday. As this is being written we are waiting for Trace Adkins to take the stage, and as we wait, I am mulling over the news we got on the way here regarding the car bombing in Saudi-Arabia.
As of this writing, all I was able to get was that 5 people had died, more injured, and I got the impression more would die as a result of their injuries. (Editor’s note: 15 people as of 11/11)
This attack, and the results of it are very different from the rest, and it appears a new trend is starting to show itself.
What is so remarkable about this attack, what is different, this time, is that it appears Muslims were targeted. Else, at the least the attackers didn’t care how many Muslims they would kill and injure. I fully understand that judging what the attackers are after, based on what they attack, is problematic at best because there are a number of forces at work, here that are not all of a piece.
Yet logically, based on these attacks, one could ask now, as never before in recent times, if a religious fervor was *ever* at the heart of the reasoning behind ElQuieda and it’s actions. This question is far more central than some here in the US would make it, because it speaks to the question of other Arab nations supporting the remainder of the world in their war…..and war it is… with ElQuieda.
I suspect that as a result of this attack, we will see far more in the way of support from Arab nations, both direct and indirect. The notable exceptions of this would be Syria and possibly Iran.
It seems to me that by their reactions the battle lines will be drawn. I fully expect the Saudis to be very co-operative indeed with the west going forward.
And the cause for this bedrock change in conditions was the inevitable… the bloodthirsty idiots attacking the people still sitting on the fence… and pushing them over to our side of it. IN the end, the only thing this will do is help us in our struggle.
Noble
I want to speak briefly about Veteran’s day which comes up this week. It’s always been a special day for me, more so the last 15 years because my Donna and I got married 11/11/89.
It’s always been a special day for me anyway, though, because honoring our vets has always held special meaning for me; it’s a lesson my parents instilled very well, indeed. It was brought home to me, as I was recently looking at pictures from a trip we made through the Gettysburg PA area some years ago.
It’s a particularly meaningful thing, when you’re standing on that field…. something that goes well beyond the cold facts and figures about who died from what company, how old they were, or even where they were from. It’s more a feeling you get…. you can sense it… not unlike being at Ground Zero in lower Manhattan, or visiting Arlington National Cemetery. I’m told Omaha Beach, and Pearl Harbor and many other sites are the same way. I’ve been at the funerals of firemen and policemen who died in their line of duty, and that was also remarkably similar.
In each case, we’re dealing with places and concepts of death. But death alone doesn’t do it; doesn’t create that solemn atmosphere that is so unique to the above places. After all; there are lots of mass casualty accidents have happened over the centuries and their sites are well marked, and revered, or at least held apart, and yet, their impact doesn’t approach that of an Iwo Jima or a Pearl.
Even under the shelter of the relative safety of the time that has passed since the events, as you stand in each place, you can still feel it; Lives were lost there that were willingly (And in the case of the civilian deaths at the towers, unwillingly) sacrificed toward a higher ideal.
Our feelings and conclusions can be far different from what those lost experienced. Yet, their lives and their sacrifices still count for something. And the thing is, it doesn’t take much for us to out ourselves in their mindset.
Think of it this way; Every single man who died at Gettysburg, at Normandy, at Pearl and all he rest, has meaning for us because each of them, had their own lives, just as we have our own lives.
These people loved, they laughed, they cried. They had a favorite food, a favorite color, a particular bit of music, or of poetry stirred their souls, like none other, just like we, ourselves. Every bit as much as you and I love our lives, they loved theirs. Their lives were as precious to them, as yours is to you. Their loss was as keenly felt by their loved ones as yours would yours. And yet, they gave their lives up, for something bigger.
I have a neighbor, whose father just recently needed a liver transplant. This neighbor willingly gave up part of his liver to be transplanted into his father. A noble action, certainly, commendable, and impressive. But with all respect to my neighbor, the choice to do that is comparatively easy to make. He knows and loves his father, and the sacrifice is fairly light by comparison.
How much more noble is a sacrifice of one’s life for people that one will never meet? Well, the people we honor today, those in uniform particularly, but some who were not, gave of themselves for the benefit of people they would never know…. you and I, and countless others from many nations. If not for their sacrifices, you’d not be reading this BIT, because I’d not have written it…. we’d be living in a very different world, possibly, one not nearly as good to us as it has been.
Look upon those actions, those sacrifices, and know what you’re seeing is strength, courage, and nobility in measures that should not… can not, be ignored. It must be honored by us all; it was made, after all for our benefit.
Think about that as we deal with the solemn proceedings for their day.
Euclid, OH,110903141032–
Ignoble
We’re in Ohio this afternoon to catch a concert. We came down last night, and will be back in town on Monday. As this is being written we are waiting for Trace Adkins to take the stage, and as we wait, I am mulling over the news we got on the way here regarding the car bombing in Saudi-Arabia.
As of this writing, all I was able to get was that 5 people had died, more injured, and I got the impression more would die as a result of their injuries. (Editor’s note: 15 people as of 11/11)
This attack, and the results of it are very different from the rest, and it appears a new trend is starting to show itself.
What is so remarkable about this attack, what is different, this time, is that it appears Muslims were targeted. Else, at the least the attackers didn’t care how many Muslims they would kill and injure. I fully understand that judging what the attackers are after, based on what they attack, is problematic at best because there are a number of forces at work, here that are not all of a piece.
Yet logically, based on these attacks, one could ask now, as never before in recent times, if a religious fervor was *ever* at the heart of the reasoning behind ElQuieda and it’s actions. This question is far more central than some here in the US would make it, because it speaks to the question of other Arab nations supporting the remainder of the world in their war…..and war it is… with ElQuieda.
I suspect that as a result of this attack, we will see far more in the way of support from Arab nations, both direct and indirect. The notable exceptions of this would be Syria and possibly Iran.
It seems to me that by their reactions the battle lines will be drawn. I fully expect the Saudis to be very co-operative indeed with the west going forward.
And the cause for this bedrock change in conditions was the inevitable… the bloodthirsty idiots attacking the people still sitting on the fence… and pushing them over to our side of it. IN the end, the only thing this will do is help us in our struggle.
Noble
I want to speak briefly about Veteran’s day which comes up this week. It’s always been a special day for me, more so the last 15 years because my Donna and I got married 11/11/89.
It’s always been a special day for me anyway, though, because honoring our vets has always held special meaning for me; it’s a lesson my parents instilled very well, indeed. It was brought home to me, as I was recently looking at pictures from a trip we made through the Gettysburg PA area some years ago.
It’s a particularly meaningful thing, when you’re standing on that field…. something that goes well beyond the cold facts and figures about who died from what company, how old they were, or even where they were from. It’s more a feeling you get…. you can sense it… not unlike being at Ground Zero in lower Manhattan, or visiting Arlington National Cemetery. I’m told Omaha Beach, and Pearl Harbor and many other sites are the same way. I’ve been at the funerals of firemen and policemen who died in their line of duty, and that was also remarkably similar.
In each case, we’re dealing with places and concepts of death. But death alone doesn’t do it; doesn’t create that solemn atmosphere that is so unique to the above places. After all; there are lots of mass casualty accidents have happened over the centuries and their sites are well marked, and revered, or at least held apart, and yet, their impact doesn’t approach that of an Iwo Jima or a Pearl.
Even under the shelter of the relative safety of the time that has passed since the events, as you stand in each place, you can still feel it; Lives were lost there that were willingly (And in the case of the civilian deaths at the towers, unwillingly) sacrificed toward a higher ideal.
Our feelings and conclusions can be far different from what those lost experienced. Yet, their lives and their sacrifices still count for something. And the thing is, it doesn’t take much for us to out ourselves in their mindset.
Think of it this way; Every single man who died at Gettysburg, at Normandy, at Pearl and all he rest, has meaning for us because each of them, had their own lives, just as we have our own lives.
These people loved, they laughed, they cried. They had a favorite food, a favorite color, a particular bit of music, or of poetry stirred their souls, like none other, just like we, ourselves. Every bit as much as you and I love our lives, they loved theirs. Their lives were as precious to them, as yours is to you. Their loss was as keenly felt by their loved ones as yours would yours. And yet, they gave their lives up, for something bigger.
I have a neighbor, whose father just recently needed a liver transplant. This neighbor willingly gave up part of his liver to be transplanted into his father. A noble action, certainly, commendable, and impressive. But with all respect to my neighbor, the choice to do that is comparatively easy to make. He knows and loves his father, and the sacrifice is fairly light by comparison.
How much more noble is a sacrifice of one’s life for people that one will never meet? Well, the people we honor today, those in uniform particularly, but some who were not, gave of themselves for the benefit of people they would never know…. you and I, and countless others from many nations. If not for their sacrifices, you’d not be reading this BIT, because I’d not have written it…. we’d be living in a very different world, possibly, one not nearly as good to us as it has been.
Look upon those actions, those sacrifices, and know what you’re seeing is strength, courage, and nobility in measures that should not… can not, be ignored. It must be honored by us all; it was made, after all for our benefit.
Think about that as we deal with the solemn proceedings for their day.
And does a bangup job of it, too.
You may recall I made refernce to an argument I’ve seen surface the last few days, that puts into dirct comparison the ucrrent situation, to the situation in Germany at the end of WWII.
Josh takes that ball and runs to the end zone with it.
Read the whole thing, it’s worth it.
I do not read and will no longer link, the New York Times. I don’t want to give them the page traffic. But I still get reports from readers. Here’s a quote in my mailbox this morning from Maureen Dowd:
“If [Bush] gets more explicit, or allows the flag-draped coffins of fallen heroes to be photographed coming home, it will just remind people that the administration said this would be easy, and it’s teeth-grindingly hard.”
Mau, honey, I’m willing to bet the farm you can’t come up with a quote where he says that this action would be easy. And you’ve got far more in the way of resources to find such a quote than most folks.
I’ve done some serious digging, including Lexus/Nexus, and I’ve never found it. Perhaps you can. Show us, please.
Meanwhile, I’ll just trust the many quotes of the Presdient teling us that none of this was going to be easy; htat we have a lot of hard work yet, and so on.
