From Prison Planet:
Federal Blockade: TSA Holds Texas Flights Hostage
“An astounding Department of Justice threat to cancel airline flights to and from Texas, in addition to underhanded lobbying by TSA representatives, has killed efforts in the state to pass HB 1937, a bill that would have made invasive pat downs by TSA agents a felony.
HB 1937, a bill that would have made it “A criminal act for security personnel to touch a person’s private areas without probable cause as a condition of travel or as a condition of entry into a public place,” was headed for an imminent Senate vote in Texas having already passed the House unanimously 138-0, before the federal government stepped in to nix the legislation.”
I was hopeful this Texas law would pass. The TSA are thugs, plain and simple. It looks like this story is unfolding as the post has already updated once today.
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From the Indy Star:
Hoosiers rally in defense of homeowners
“Wheeler, along with more than 300 others, was protesting an Indiana Supreme Court ruling that says people don’t have the right to resist police officers who enter their homes illegally.
He said the ruling violates the Fourth Amendment, which protects people from illegal searches, and deprives them of the right to defend their homes.”
This ruling is unbelievable. When Mr. Radical first told me I thought he was joking. What a bunch of fascist bullshit. I’m glad to see people are protesting. Let’s hope it makes a difference.
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From Wide Asleep In America:
Disregarding Law, Redefining Justice: The (Il)legality of Killing Osama, or “Bin There, Gun That”
“Much has already been written about the legality of the SEAL Team Six operation in Abbottabad, Pakistan. While there is little discussion or interest on the so-called “right” regarding such trivialities as international law and extrajudicial killing, some on the so-called “left” have seen the value of raising questions and attempting to answer them. While some suggest (or declare) that, based on the information available from the White House public relations team, Osama bin Laden was assassinated without requisite due process, others - like ThinkProgress’ Matt Yglesias and American Prospect’s Adam Serwer - have laid out evidence insisting that the raid and killing of bin Laden was perfectly legal.
(snip)
Unfortunately, Serwer - who is an impressively prolific and astute analyst - doesn’t do a very good job. His selective reading and application of international law and United Nations resolutions, as well as his inability to decide whether or not al Qaeda is a “criminal organization” or a “military target,” does his smug declarations no favors. This is not to say that the determination of legality in this regard is an easy or uncontroversial one, but that Serwer’s analysis is, at best, weak and unconvincing.”
I’ve been reading a lot of comparisons about the killing of Osama to the Nuremberg trials of the Nazis that I think is apt. If some of history’s worst murderers were given a trial why didn’t we do the same for Osama? The link above has some good analysis plus there’s a funny video at the end.
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From Yahoo! Finance:
One Woman’s Fight to Rejoin the Middle Class
“A few months after losing her administrative job in the summer of 2008, 23-year-old Brianna Karp got rid of her furniture, a beloved piano, and most of her books so she could move back in with her parents. When that didn’t work out, she moved into an old trailer a relative had left her, settling into an informal homeless community in a Wal-Mart parking lot in Brea, Calif. By the summer of 2009, she was living without electricity, regular showers, home-cooked food, and most basic conveniences.
Karp held tight to her laptop, however, and began writing a blog about her experiences. That generated attention that helped her land a part-time magazine internship, and eventually ink a book deal. Although her book, “The Girl’s Guide to Homelessness,” was recently published, Karp still lives in a dilapidated shed that the state of California considers not fit for human habitation. I spoke with her recently about her experiences.”
It sounds cliched but this story really did move me to tears. What a strong young woman. I try to give thanks to the Goddess every day for the good things in life. Some days this is hard to do. But after reading about Karp’s struggles I feel very grateful for my life.
Posted by Vixen as News at 11:38 PM CDT