News Bias, Civil Disobedience, and John Adams’ Rule of Thumb

News Bias, Civil Disobedience, and John Adams’ Rule of Thumb

When big government has co-opted the “fourth estate” (journalism), then “we the people” are confronted with a fearsome master indeed

News Bias, Civil Disobedience, and John Adams’ Rule of Thumb

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By Jim O’Neill Saturday, July 23, 2011 image“I heartily accept the motto, ‘That government is best which governs least;’ and I should like to see it acted up to more rapidly and systematically. Carried out, it finally amounts to this, which also I believe—‘That government is best which governs not at all;’ and when men are prepared for it, that will be the kind of government which we will have.”—Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) From his essay “On the Duty of Civil Disobedience” 1849

“Government is not reason; it is not eloquent; it is force. Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master.”—George Washington (1732-1799)

Well, now we know why the first President of the United States warned us that

via BLOGGER.GUNNY.G.1984(+): News Bias, Civil Disobedience, and John Adams’ Rule of Thumb.

rolling thunder and general lee

ROLLING THUNDER AND GENERAL LEE

Like sentries standing silent – Guarding a king or queen -

A carpet of green surrounds them – Muffling the foot falls at the scene -

School children on a tour – Are told of soldiers still unknown -

Guided by an Old Guard Soldier – Speaking in a somber tone -

Up the road brave Marines – Raise the flag on a granite mount -

Just above the Black Wall – To a War, some don’t count -

Just above sits Abe Lincoln – What would he think of us today? -

What would he think of a country – Where school children no longer pray -

A spire above the Capital – Washington looks down on the dome -

If he was still Commander-in-Chief – Could he bring the lost sons home? -

Down the road the sound of hoof beats – Boots in the saddle turned around -

Another soldier laid to rest – The bugle makes a mournful sound -

The rows of white stone sentries – Seems to straighten at Taps -

Homeless veterans stand erect – Then slowly doff their caps -

Down at the eternal flame – The hats of every service lay -

Because it is for Kennedy – There is also a Green Beret -

MORE @ LINK…

*****

via rolling thunder.

Utopia? Hardly ~ “Disturbingly, the man who warned of an American Napoleon became the American Napoleon”

Disturbingly, the man who warned of an American Napoleon became the American Napoleon.

Which brings me to a personal confession: Joe Sobran has softened my thinking on Lincoln. When I came to study the Civil War, and study it in-depth, over eight years, it occurred to me that, truly, the conflict is more properly named the War for Southern Independence. The Northern view of the war which I had been spoon-fed in school parrots the earlier English view of the colonial (American) War of Independence — right down to laughing at the notion that the relevant rebels could possibly claim to be fighting for freedom, merely because of the issue of slavery. By the way, the English figured things out the second time around — and rooted for the Confederacy. In that regard, see Sheldon Vanauken‘s The Glittering Illusion.

This Anglo-Northern myth is exactly that — a myth. Because it is false at worst, biased and incomplete at best, the telling and perpetuation of this counterfeit tale merits correction. In short, this descendent of a Federal army soldier was enraged to find injustice hiding behind a veil of justice. Sobran, however, has a point in arguing that, rather than see Lincoln merely as a villain, it may be appropriate to view Lincoln as a tragic, Oxfordian (you might say Shakespearean) figure.

But back to Hummel’s essential point: the war against the Confederacy fundamentally changed the USA. The prosecution of the war turned the USA from an unobtrusive, small government into an intrusive, bloated monstrosity. When the USA forcibly re-absorbed the CSA, this “wonderful” system — now beyond reproach to “neo”-conservatives (maybe “conservatives” should be in quotation marks, rather than the neo) — became not only mandatory, but, according to the Northern theory still dominant today — inescapable.

via Utopia? Hardly.

Be Very Wary Of Perry

There has been much buzz about the possibility that Texas Governor Rick Perry will throw his hat into the GOP presidential ring. Many conservatives and Tea Party activists see him as a very attractive and viable candidate, one who would liven up a field that seems devoid of exciting prospects.

But before Republicans start salivating too heavily, it is important to examine Perry closely. His conservative bonafides leave much to be desired.

Let’s examine his record.

Prior to 1989, Rick Perry was a Democrat, who supported Al Gore for president. Perry was Gore’s campaign manager in the state of Texas that year.

As Governor of Texas, Perry would have us believe he is a small government guy. But the facts say other wise.

Total spending in Texas the year he became governor in 2000 was approximately $49 billion. Last year it was approximately $90 billion. That is hardly reducing the size of government over a 10 year period.

The total debt of the state of Texas has more than doubled since he became governor. The debt to GDP ratio in Texas is 22.9% and the debt per citizen is $10,645. That’s worse than California.

Perry claims he is for keeping taxes low. Not true. He has raised taxes repeatedly during his tenure as governor. Texans have higher taxes and fees than they had before he was elected.

While everyone lauded Perry’s leadership by pointing to the low unemployment rate in the Lone Star State, it should be noted that 23 states have a lower unemployment rate than Texas. And Texas has the highest percentage of workers making minimum wage out of all 50 states. In 2007, 221,000 residents of Texas were making minimum wage or less. By 2010, that number had risen to 550,000.

The education system in Texas is abysmal. Barbara Bush, in an op-ed piece in the Houston Chronicle, wrote:

•  We rank 36th in the nation in high school graduation rates. An estimated 3.8 million Texans do not have a high school diploma. •  We rank 49th in verbal SAT scores, 47th in literacy and 46th in average math SAT scores. •  We rank 33rd in the nation on teacher salaries.

What does that say about the stewardship of Rick Perry with regard to education?

Rick Perry also claims to have a tough stance on illegal immigration. But the facts indicate otherwise.

He signed the DREAM Act in 2001, giving in-state tuition to undocumented students. Perry said at the time, “We must say to every child learning in a Texas classroom, ‘We don’t care where you come from, but where you are going, and we are going to do everything we can to help you get there”. This measure is similar to the one the Democrats are pushing at the federal level, one which conservatives vehemently oppose.

Perhaps the biggest issue people opposed to the nanny state should be concerned about is Perry’s issuance of an executive order back in 2007 that would have forced almost every single girl in the state of Texas to receive the Gardasil vaccine before entering the sixth grade. Perry was in the tank with Merck. There were apparent financial connections between Merck and Perry reported by news outlets, such as a $6,000 campaign contribution and Merck’s hiring of former Perry Chief of Staff Mike Toomey to handle its Texas lobbying work.

The Texas legislature put the kibosh on that idea by crafting a bill that overturned the executive order.

Subsequently, very serious safety issues with the vaccine came to light. The biggest problem with regard to the Gardasil issue was that Perry appeared to be condoning premarital sex, or at least assuming that middle school girls were going to be engaging in sexual activity, which is the only way that the cervical cancer that the vaccine prevents can be contracted. Many parents and conservatives were justifiably outraged.

When one takes into account these facts about Rick Perry, the only conclusion that can be reached is that Perry is for the expansion of government and its intrusion into our lives.

On Perry’s possible run for the White House? No thanks. I think I’ll pass.

Listen to America Talks Monday through Friday at 6 pm Eastern Time and Saturdays at 9 am Eastern Time on http://www.blogtalkradio.com/americatalks and at http://www.americatalks.com.

via Be Very Wary Of Perry.

The offender (Norway gunman) let out the video and manifesto on the Web

TV 2 know that the 32-year-old terror accused Oslo man has confessed to having published the material on the web. There are sources in the police confirming this to the TV 2

Anders Behring Breivik (32) Prior to the attacks, published a long manifesto and a video on the Internet, where he describes the attacks he was about to perform.

The video and document

“Marxist Hunter”

It is about more than twelve minutes long video, which Behring Brevik compare themselves with Knights, and encourage a year-long war against Marxism and Islamism.

He has also published a manuscript of 1,500 pages which he explains very extreme political views. In addition, he describes in detail how an attack to be carried out. Everything from the use of the car bomb of the type of equipment to be used in an attack.

On an image that has not previously been known pose the seemingly Anders Behring Breivik in a diving suit with what looks like an automatic rifle. On his shoulder he has a badge that says “Marxist Hunter.”

In the document, which is over 1500 pages the author elaborates on events throughout history and will repeatedly return to the Knights Templar, or Knights Templar as they say in English.

Today, the Knights Templar, an order within the Masonic movement, which also Anders Behring Breivik was a member of. He will now be excluded from the Masonic Order.

(Excerpt) Read more at translate.google.com …

via The offender (Norway gunman) let out the video and manifesto on the Web.

Obama as political historian ['His ignorance is as broad as it is deep.'] (via ~ BLOGGER.GUNNY.G.1984+ ~ (BLOG & EMAIL))

Obama as political historian ['His ignorance is as broad as it is deep.'] Obama as political historian ['His ignorance is as broad as it is deep.'] Powerline Blog ^ | April 20, 2011 | SCOTT W. JOHNSON Posted on Wednesday, April 20, 2011 12:41:57 PM by RobinMasters Barack Obama is a creature of the modern university and therefore an amazingly shallow man. I have written about his historical howlers in the New York Post column "Anti-terror oops," i … Read More

via ~ BLOGGER.GUNNY.G.1984+ ~ (BLOG & EMAIL)

Oh, Sweet Irony: FLOTUS Will Not Be Pleased

I am truly, truly tickled with this one. This may be the most exquisitely beautiful illustration of irony I have ever witnessed in my lifetime.

President Obama, try as he might, just cannot improve upon our horribly sluggish economy and thinks that bringing down millionaires, billionaires, and big corporations with more taxes will provide the answer (he may want to reconsider those Keynesian economics at some point). First Lady Obama has been trying her darndest to eradicate America‘s childhood obesity epidemic, lecturing on healthy nutrition habits with her “Let’s Move!” campaign. Husband and wife both have some grand ambitions, but often find themselves frustrated in the execution.

So, in this terribly faltering economy, what company is doing terribly well? Oh yes: the original all-American junk food corporation, McDonald’s.

McDonald’s Corp.’s (MCD) second-quarter net income rose 15%, as the burger chain says it continues to build momentum, despite the economic headwinds challenging the fast-food industry.

McDonald’s expects 4% to 5% growth globally in July same-store sales, which includes sales at restaurants that have been open at least 13 months, even if temporarily closed during that time. The summer boost follows a 5.6% global same-store sales increase in the second quarter, led by strong results in June.

Shares of McDonald’s reached an all-time high Friday, trading up 3.2% to $89.29, and were up 21% over the past year through Thursday’s close.

McDonald’s has consistently outperformed the industry during and since the recession.

This is so preposterously perfect, I can hardly stand it – and it hurts so good.

via Oh, Sweet Irony: FLOTUS Will Not Be Pleased.

Did the Hawaii Health Department Director Really “Leave the Island?”| The Post & Email

ATTORNEY GENERAL OFFICE’S STATEMENT PROVIDED TO THE PUBLIC CONTRADICTS INFORMATION FROM AN OAHU RESIDENT

by Sharon Rondeau

Loretta Fuddy was appointed Hawaii Health Department Director by Gov. Neil Abercrombie

(Jul. 23, 2011) — The following request is being sent to Hawaii Department of Health Director Loretta J. Fuddy with a copy to the Hawaii Office of Information Practices:

July 23, 2011

Ms. Loretta J. Fuddy, A.C.S.W., M.P.H.

Director, Hawaii Department of Health

1250 Punchbowl St.

Honolulu, Hawaii 96813

Dear Ms. Fuddy:

On July 15, 2011, a resident of Oregon called the office of Assistant Attorney General Jill T. Nagamine and was told that she was “on leave” and that you had “left the island.” While those statements might have been true, I would like to ascertain it for myself. Therefore, under Hawaii’s UIPA law, Chapter 92F of the Hawaii Revised Statutes, I am requesting a copy of your public work calendar for the time period July 11 through August 8, 2011.

There has been a report that you were in your office in Honolulu the week of July 18 and that you have a full schedule there the week of July 25, 2011. Perhaps you were away the week of July 11 when the inquiry was made.

via Did the Hawaii Health Department Director Really “Leave the Island?”| The Post & Email.

Forewarned Is Forearmed… “What we are about to witness is already starting to unfold before our very eyes. The intensely vitriolic demonization of…”

”If their goal had been to absolutely destroy America, everything Barack Hussein Obama has done might be considered a resounding success. We’ll assume for the sake of this discussion, on this day, that this was not their goal.”

One year ago at this time the Democrats and their über liberal, socialist progressive extremist fringe, were a scant handful of major legislative items and a few presidential pronouncements (Hussein’s executive orders have taken on the tone of despotic fiats lately) away from reducing what was once the greatest nation in the history of mankind to a Third World banana republic.

A funny thing happened on the way to the fundamental transformation of America promised us all by His Presumptuous Eminence. The sleeping giant awoke. The silent majority found their voice. The Tea Party was born, and America will never be the same. Or should I say, and America now has a chance to remain the same. The same shining beacon of freedom and prosperity to the rest of a beleaguered world which it has held forth as for the past 2+ centuries.

November of 2010, while a surprisingly good month for America’s patriots and constitutional conservatives, was pretty much Waterloo for Obama, his lapdog media and the Marxists, tax cheats, militant homosexuals and domestic terrorists which round out the bulk of his cabal. A virtual tidal wave of Tea Party-backed Representatives swept into the House and swept out the Democrat stranglehold on America’s future as a sovereign constitutional republic.

Most sitting presidents facing a general election will pulled together a team to start assembling the list of kept campaign promises and legislative successes which have contributed both to the well-being of the state of the union and to the reelection chances of that pol. Unfortunately for Mr. Obama, his list is one of unkept campaign promises and badly failed administrative ministrations which he could not use were he trying to be reelected as dog catcher.

Well over two years into his first term, his promise to close Guantánamo rings hollow in the ears of the faithful. His oft’ repeated promise to slash the deficit by 50% in his first term sits as a yawning gulf of credibility between him and his constituents. His sworn commitment to going through “the budget” line by line with a scalpel, carving out all needless waste sits in the same trash heap with his other promises. In fact, his party haven’t even passed a budget in over 800 days. His promise to remove the troops from Iraq and Afghanistan turned into an increase in the troops in Afghanistan and a new military action against Libya, absent the constitutionally mandated congressional approval.

His feckless attempts to have an impact on the economy, to be generous, have not turned out as he likely would have hoped. While I remain unconvinced of its absolute veracity, I would like to believe that the Class Warrior In Chief had not intended to completely derail any hope of financial recovery with his ridiculous spending, massive expansion of the federal government, and repeated suggestions that we raise taxes in the middle of the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression. Nonetheless, that remains a discussion for another day… albeit a discussion that we will have. If their goal had been to absolutely destroy America, everything Barack Hussein Obama has done might be considered a resounding success. We’ll assume for the sake of this discussion on this day that that was not their goal.

Suffice to say, as this president faces the coming 2012 election, with The Tea Party snapping at his heels, and their Femme Politicale, Sarah Palin, poised to make mincemeat of his attempts to be given four more years with which to destroy this country, Obama most certainly cannot rely upon those stratagem traditionally employed by past presidents. As he is wont, Obama will have to devise a new and different game plan.

Based upon the fact that his first two successful bids for elected office were given wing by the fact that he succeeded in having his opposition removed from the ballots, we have a pretty good indication of the direction the Teleprompter in Chief will take this cycle.

First, we can count on him using the Ted Kennedy ploy, affected with such great success during his tenure as “The Lion of the Senate.” It traces its roots back to “Law School 101,” which goes like this:

“If you have the facts on your side, hammer the facts. If you have the law on your side, hammer the law. If you have neither the facts nor the law, hammer the table.”

What we are about to witness is already starting to unfold before our very eyes. The intensely vitriolic demonization of…………………..

MORE…………………

 

via Forewarned Is Forearmed.

The Truth About My Trip To Hanoi (Jane Fonda lies about her treason)

I grew up during World War II. My childhood was influenced by the roles my father played in his movies. Whether Abraham Lincoln or Tom Joad in the Grapes of Wrath, his characters communicated certain values which I try to carry with me to this day. I remember saying goodbye to my father the night he left to join the Navy. He didn’t have to. He was older than other servicemen and had a family to support but he wanted to be a part of the fight against fascism, not just make movies about it. I admired this about him. I grew up with a deep belief that wherever our troops fought, they were on the side of the angels.

For the first 8 years of the Vietnam War I lived in France. I was married to the French film director, Roger Vadim and had my first child. The French had been defeated in their own war against Vietnam a decade before our country went to war there, so when I heard, over and over, French people criticizing our country for our Vietnam War I hated it. I viewed it as sour grapes. I refused to believe we could be doing anything wrong there.

It wasn’t until I began to meet American servicemen who had been in Vietnam and had come to Paris as resisters that I realized I needed to learn more. I took every chance I could to meet with U.S. soldiers. I talked with them and read the books they gave me about the war. I decided I needed to return to my country and join with them—active duty soldiers and Vietnam Veterans in particular—to try and end the war.

via The Truth About My Trip To Hanoi (Jane Fonda lies about her treason).

Give Us Liberty

Give Us Liberty

Give Us Liberty:

“OBAMA WHINES ABOUT HIS JOB…SAYS THAT THE NATION’S DEBT PROBLEM IS KEEPING HIM FROM HIS DAUGHTERS THE PAST THREE WEEKS….CAN YOU SPELL PATHETIC?…”

Posted by Gunny G at Saturday, July 23, 2011

via BLOGGER.GUNNY.G.1984(+): Give Us Liberty.

Boehner runs laps around Obama, again

He’s been ridiculed by the media. Liberal spinners say he has lost control over the Tea Party. But in fact the Speaker of the House Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio) had a plan, stuck to it, and is likely to get much of what he wants.

In a remarkable press conference revealed that he had a deal with the White House on large debt reduction and $800 billion in additional revenue to be achieved through tax reform and enhanced enforcement. Boehner brought out his “Jell-O” analogy once again to describe the White House. He said bluntly, “It’s the president who walked away from his agreement and demanded more money at the last minute.”

Boehner is the composed “adult in the room” now. He, excuse the expression, called the president’s bluff — a viable deal with no tax hikes and Obama blinked (or sloshed in the other direction, to follow the Jell-O imagery).

All of this followed Obama’s appearance in which he angrily accused Boehner of walking away from the deal. (According to Boehner, Obama upped the revenue figure at the last moment.)

Boehner now has left the White House on the sidelines, has his troops in order and can craft a deal with the Senate. At this point, the Senate Democrats who have never put forth a plan of any type must be desperate for a deal…..

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com …

via Boehner runs laps around Obama, again.

Treason, Redux

I don’t know about you, but I always thought that it was an act of treason to intentionally undermine the Constitution. I also thought that intentionally committing acts that economically cripple the country, thus rendering her incapable of defending herself or standing as a sovereign nation was also treason. And doing this at a time when the country is, rightfully or wrongfully, at war, thus, giving aid and comfort to our enemies, in my never humble opinion, leaves no doubt that this is treason.

Since the Democrats gained an unstoppable, lock-step majority in Washington, we have seen nearly a daily occurrence of unconstitutional legislation being passed by Congress and signed by the “president.” In the process, they took a deficit of some four-hundred billion dollars, and nearly quadrupled it in two years, by borrowing and “spending” like crack addicts, and leaving the American people, for generations to come, to foot the bill. I put quotation marks around the word spending, because much of what they did with our money was simply cash pay-outs to fat-cat, neo-fascist Democrat bankers, brokers, corporations, and big, corrupt unions, ineptly disguised as “stimulus.”

We have also seen a rash of unconstitutional executive orders spewing from the White House, ostensibly giving the president power over everything from fishing in our oceans and rivers, to the lives of millions of Americans living in rural areas. In addition, totally unconstitutional executive branch agencies like the EPA have been let off the leash and set like snarling Rottweilers on the states and the people.

Lately, to add incredible insult to injury, senile, hate-filled

via Treason, Redux.

Krauthammer: ‘This is Obama at his most sanctimonious, demagogic, self-righteous and arrogant’

Krauthammer: ‘This is Obama at his most sanctimonious, demagogic, self-righteous and arrogant’

Krauthammer: ‘This is Obama at his most sanctimonious, demagogic, self-righteous and arrogant’:

““This is Obama at his most sanctimonious, demagogic, self-righteous and arrogant,” Krauthammer said. “And given the baseline, it wasn’t a pretty sight.

Look, he started out by summoning the leaders of Congress – summoning on them at 11:00, who does he think he is? In the American system, the executive and Congress are coequal … The way he demanded their appearance in the Oval Office I thought was disgraceful,” Krauthammer said.

He said the president’s consternation was curious because Obama has yet to publicly offer his own plan.

“As Steve [Hayes] indicated………………

 

MORE………..

 

via BLOGGER.GUNNY.G.1984(+): Krauthammer: ‘This is Obama at his most sanctimonious, demagogic, self-righteous and arrogant’.

As Criminal Laws Proliferate, More Are Ensnared

READER RESPONSE:

“I am thrilled to see this issue getting attention. The proliferating parallel Federal criminal code is a direct threat to American freedom.”

via As Criminal Laws Proliferate, More Are Ensnared.

The President Is Actually Trying to Talk the Markets Into a Panic. (via ~ BLOGGER.GUNNY.G.1984+ ~ (BLOG & EMAIL))

An enraged Barack Obama just took to the nation’s airwaves to announce his effort to strike a deal with Republican Speaker of the House John Boehner has fallen apart. Perhaps for the first time in American history, this president is literally using this press conference to create a financial panic over the weekend about the opening of the markets on Monday. He is warning of disaster on Monday. Clearly, he wants to use this as leverage to frighten … Read More

via ~ BLOGGER.GUNNY.G.1984+ ~ (BLOG & EMAIL)

The blond, blue-eyed terror suspect in Oslo (updated)

After initially urging caution in presuming it was Islamic terrorists at the root of the mayhem, when reports came in of Islamic groups claiming credit, we noted that Norway has pursued anti-Israel policies, and that anti-Israel boycotts are popular among certain groups in Norway. I remain skeptical about Brevik, just as I remain skeptical of the narrative that Timothy McVeigh was a “right wing Christian” terrorist. (See Jayna Davis’s extraordinary work debunking the official narrative of McVeigh, a cover-up of dismaying effectiveness in this country.)

Mike Baehr adds:

Mike Baehr adds:

The narrative of a blond-haired, blue-eyed Christian fascist attacking his own country is entirely too convenient.

I have no doubt that he’s the shooter, given the witnesses and the fact that he was arrested at the scene. But an attack like yesterday’s took months of planning and probably quite a bit of training. Not just anyone is capable of building explosives that will remotely (or were they timed?) detonate successfully in a major downtown.

One also does not knock the ruling party from power by murdering 80 of its up-and-coming in a horrific attack. If anything, that’s a good way to keep them in power for the next 20 years. I would count on Labour to milk this for all it’s worth.

(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com …

via The blond, blue-eyed terror suspect in Oslo (updated).

The Coup d’etat on January 21, 2009 ~ AND WHY DOES CONGRESS STAND BY AND DO NOTHING? by Gary Stevens

The Coup d’etat on January 21, 2009 ~ AND WHY DOES CONGRESS STAND BY AND DO NOTHING? by Gary Stevens

AND WHY DOES CONGRESS STAND BY AND DO NOTHING?

by Gary Stevens

via BLOGGER.GUNNY.G.1984(+): The Coup d’etat on January 21, 2009 ~ AND WHY DOES CONGRESS STAND BY AND DO NOTHING? by Gary Stevens.

POPULATION EXTERMINATION How It Will Be Done By: Alan Stang (via ~ BLOGGER.GUNNY.G.1984+ ~ (BLOG & EMAIL))

POPULATION EXTERMINATION How It Will Be Done By: Alan Stang POPULATION EXTERMINATION How It Will Be Done By: Alan Stang Regular readers of these diatribes are aware that one of the conspiracy for world government’s persistent goals is a massive reduction of the earth’s population. There are just too many people out there for the conspirators to control, so they want to eliminate some of them. The “ideal society” that results would include the few … Read More

via ~ BLOGGER.GUNNY.G.1984+ ~ (BLOG & EMAIL)

The Threat of Nancy Grace

After her Casey Anthony coverage, Nancy Grace and her penchant to prematurely convict worries the defense attorney of Conrad Murray, on trial in the death of Michael Jackson. Nancy Grace is a former Georgia prosecutor who became a television legal commentator, first on Court TV and, more recently, on Turner Broadcasting‘s HLN cable channel. (CNN)

Tim Rutten July 23, 2011

The sensational result in the O.J. Simpson murder case notwithstanding, it’s an article of faith among criminal defense attorneys that sequestered jurors are more prone to convict than those who go home when the trial recesses for the day.

That’s why more notice should have been paid this week when J. Michael Flanagan, who is defending Conrad Murray — the physician charged with causing the death of pop superstar Michael Jackson — asked Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor to sequester the jurors when the trial gets underway in September. Pastor said he didn’t think isolation was necessary and that, given its current funding, the court couldn’t afford to house and supervise a jury for the many weeks the trial probably will take.

What was equally remarkable about Flanagan’s request was that he never argued that his client’s right to a fair trial was threatened by a media frenzy. Rather, he argued, Murray’s 6th Amendment rights were jeopardized by the attention of a single news media personality: Nancy Grace.

Grace is the former Georgia prosecutor who became a television legal commentator, first on Court TV and, more recently, on Turner Broadcasting’s HLN cable channel. She’s a snarling, angry presence whose habitual sneer is an epic chasm of contempt. Her view of the criminal justice system is flawlessly Manichean.

(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com …

via The Threat of Nancy Grace.

Jane Fonda: “The Truth About My Trip To Hanoi”

It is unconscionable that extremist groups circulate letters which accuse me of horrific things, saying that I am a traitor, that POWs in Hanoi were tied up and in chains and marched passed me while I spat at them and called them ‘baby killers. These letters also say that when the POWs were brought into the room for a meeting I had with them, we shook hands and they passed me tiny slips of paper on which they had written their social security numbers. Supposedly, this was so that I could bring back proof to the U.S. military that they were alive. The story goes on to say that I handed these slips of paper over to the North Vietnamese guards and, as a result, at least one of the men was tortured to death.

That these stories could be given credence shows how little people know of the realities in North Vietnam prisons at the time. The U.S. government and the POW families didn’t need me to tell them who the prisoners were. They had all their names. Moreover, according to even the most hardcore senior officers, torture stopped late in 1969, two and a half years before I got there. And, most importantly, I would never say such things to our servicemen, whom I respect, whether or not I agree with the mission they have been sent to perform, which is not of their choosing.

But these lies have circulated for almost forty years, continually reopening the wound of the Vietnam War and causing pain to families of American servicemen. The lies distort the truth of why I went to North Vietnam and they perpetuate the myth that being anti-war means being anti-soldier.

(Excerpt) Read more at janefonda.com …

via Jane Fonda: “The Truth About My Trip To Hanoi”.