6/29/05 - Safire Returns, International Women's Rights, and The Supreme Court Cops Out

I've been sick and stressed out so I've been writing less. Maybe I'll be able to do more when I feel accustomed to my Summer schedule.

William Safire Strikes Back
Even though I completely disagree with most of William Safire's opinions, he's one of my favorite column writers. His style, honestly and logic are almost always immpeccable and I tried never to miss a day. I like the fact he tried to appeal to audiences that didn't necessarily agree with him, a necessity for a conservative columnist writing for the New York Times. Anyway, he wrote a guest editorial today, and just seeing his name in print again (and not on treatises about language) makes my heart beat a little giddier.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/29/opinion/29safire.html?oref=login

Note the Novak point. Seriously, why hasn't he been thrown in jail. I mean, the people being prosecuted didn't even write stories about it... The Supreme Court's choice not to extend the shield laws has ramifications that go beyond just national security. For example, because reporters refuse to reveal which govenmental officials violated a man's right to privacy, they have been sentenced for contempt. The chill on press speech does not need to be innumerated. The media can't justify their stories by the fact they're true, but also have to justify the means their sources went about collecting facts. Nobody will be willing to talk to the press about anything controversial if that means they'll be dragged to court, and the harder courts lean on reporters, the more risk there will be that good journalism will be executed at the point of a gavel.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/29/politics/29contempt.html

Yes, Women have Writes
I didn't know women were allowed to become novelists in Iran. I kind of assumed that it would be something that was frowned upon. Apparently, I'm wrong.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/29/books/29wome.html

Normally, human interest stories aren't my thing, but I find the plight of women's rights in fundamentalist countries compelling. Moreso, now that Iran has elected a leader who is offended by the sight of women's bare ankles. I am especially interested in how women use inneudo to write about passion and sex even when its taboo. Repression is only going to get worse, I think.
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/international/international-iran-freedoms.html

Speaking of women and sex, a protest in South Korea was held today over the enforcement of an anti-prostitution law.
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/international/international-korea-sex.html

Though the spokesperson paints the industry as fairly healthy and women-friendly, I am not so sure. Researcher David Scofield wrote an article last year suggesting that government resources would be better spent targeting the worst abuses caused by forced prostitution but the industry's widespread roots makes it impossible to eliminate completely. Scofield even suggests that it might be helpful to the public as a form of tax revenue. The only thing I know for sure is that putting women and girls into jail probably won't stop the problem of prostitution, as exemplified by the United States.
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Korea/FE26Dg03.html

Finally, at least some judges in Pakistan can see sense. Mukhtaran Mai was allegedly gang-raped by order of her city council as a punishment for her brother's affair with a woman from a rival clan. The perpetrators were acquitted, but Pakistan's Supreme Court has locked them up again.
http://www.aljazeerah.info/News%20archives/2005%20News%20Archives/June/29%20n/Supreme%20Court%20Orders%20Rearrest%20of%20Rape%20Suspects.htm

The Court Prioritizes Laws, not People
There's been a fair amount of criticism for the Supreme Court's refusal to grant constitutional relief to a woman who begged the police to fulfill her restraining order on the grounds that their negligence resulted in the death of her two daughters.
http://www.commondreams.org/news2005/0629-02.htm

Full text of the opinion: http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/27jun20051200/www.supremecourtus.gov/opinions/04pdf/04-278.pdf

People may be shocked by the Court's callous treatment of people's lives and wellbeing, but this isn't the first case where the Court has found people hurt by government negligence have no constitutional remedy. Apparently, you have a right to free speech, but not to be safe. Deshaney v. Winnebago, decided in 1989, was a case about a child abused by his father. Social workers were aware of his abuse but did nothing to stop it, resulting in severe mental retardation. The child now lives in an institution, his motor capacities damaged by horrible abuse. In a 6-3 decision, the Court found that "nothing in the language of the Due Process Clause itself requires the State to protect the life, liberty, and property of its citizens against invasion by private actors."

The full text of Deshaney:
http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/getcase.pl?court=us&vol=489&invol=189

The cases are very similiar. In both, the lives of children (who are especially precious in government sight due to en loco parentis) are jeopardized by state officials who know something is wrong but refuse to do anything about it. The results are horrific. The difference is in matter of approach: Deshaney focussed on a liberty interest and Castle Rock examined the due process clause. I'm not quite sure why the Supreme Court is ruling on Colorado's constitutional law also, but I haven't waded through the entire opinion yet.

At any rate, I don't think it's too much to ask for a government that takes our taxes to have an affirmative obligation to protect us. When you have knowledge of a wrong and still refuse to act, I'd certainly call that egregious and reckless disregard of a person's right to life. Unfrtounately, if the court is not going to impose one, we'll have to tackle the laws in a different ways. States should amend their constitutions to protect citizens from governmental negligence as a way to ensure accountability. I have no idea how to word a provision without also opening a thousand other Pandora's boxes (if the state has to protect life, when does abortion become illegal?) but that's what real lawyers are for. As it is, our government does so little for abused children. I blame the difficult case loads-- it's not surprising overburdened case workers make mistakes. Surely, we can do better for the next generation of young Americans then let them die at the hands of their parents.

Well, it could be worse. Iran's high court is allowing somebody's eyes to be gouged out. Now that's cruel and unusual punishment.
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/IRIN/a8619f48c99683f07596984f48d916ca.htm

6/22 -- Bush speechwriting, PBS

My summer classes are more intense than I thought so I'm not going to be posting regularly or extensively. Still...

Bush Speechwriting
You can write a speech for George Bush out of his most common speeches. It's kind of fun.
http://www.actofme.co.uk/bush_speech/bushspeechwriter.html

PBS
An editorial about the Buster episode.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A40188-2005Jan26.html
Funny how the conservatives make so much hay about 1) an episode that never aired (though it should have-- I don't think teaching about alternative lifestyles is liberal) and 2) Bill Moyers, a man who retired. You'd think they'd base their insults of bias on something, you know, actually happening at the moment. I do tend to believe that PBS might lean a little to the liberal, but I still think it's the best news on television and has the best documentaries. I'd hardly call Nova or Reading Rainbow furthering the liberal agenda. NPR too is one of the only places where I find quality programming. If I weren't a starving college student, PBS would be getting a lot more of my donations.

On Vacation

I'm visiting my parents in Washington, so I'm going to take a break for awhile.

6/6/05 - Afghani Progress, Medical Marijuana, FBI screw-ups

Afghanistan
Good news and bad, it's important that the U.S. and the world at large pays attention to Iraq's little sis who is too often neglected by the media because its glitzy sibling is often more interesting. How is the war going? It varies from section to section depending on who people talk to, and it's hard for me to believe almost any collective reports because of the partisan atmosphere of late. So, for contrast, here are articles on Afghanistan... the good, the bad, and the, well, ugly.

Good
http://www.opinionjournal.com/extra/?id=110006782
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2005/6/6/latest/20050606210024&sec=Latest

Bad
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/IRIN/da78eadbf0365f8e579c412c1d82c82a.htm
http://i-newswire.com/pr23942.html

Ugly: No women allowed at the circus? Women voters not withstanding, there's still a long way to go in the search for women's rights.
http://www.freep.com/news/nw/afghan6e_20050606.htm

So Much for States' Rights
The Supreme Court decided that the federal government has the right to prosecute people using medical marijuana. Seriously, can't the government find something better to do with our assets? Like, tax cuts or deficit reduction? I never thought I'd see the day when I'd agree on an opinion of Thomas' and Rehnquist's.
http://nytimes.com/2005/06/06/politics/06cnd-scot.html?hp&ex=1118116800&en=166cf10948687873&ei=5094&partner=homepage

Text of the Decision
http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/getcase.pl?court=US&vol=000&invol=03-1454&friend=nytimes

FBI Inefficiency
Proof that Homeland Security is in need of resources wasted on the frivelous pursuit of victimless crimes.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/05/AR2005060501213.html?sub=AR

Ten Years Ago Today: June 6th, 1995-- The fiftieth anniversary of D-Day. Looking back from my snug point in history, I see WWII as a fairly clean victory. Somehow we managed to smash Germany and rebuild it successfully without, as far as I know, the intense guarilla action we see in Iraq. Why? Was it politics? Was it weapons? Was it troop numbers? Was it something about the German mindset? I haven't met many people who think WWII was an unjust war, that the U.S. wasn't right to go after Hitler even though Germany didn't technically attack us. I think maybe that's because we can all see now that the consequences were good. How can we make sure the consequences are good from now on? Is there something we can do better that will ensure no bloody sacrifices are in vain?

The history channel's been doing D-day stuff. I had no clue how close a call it really was, I always kind of assumed that the invasion was kind of a gimme. Shows what I know.

On a less serious note, June 6th, 1995 is supposedly the day "Talk Like A Pirate Day" (Sept. 19th) was conceived by these louts (according to them). http://www.talklikeapirate.com/about.html

6/5/05-- Northern Mariana Islands, Psychology of War, Books

Delay and The Northern Mariana Islands
Though everyone seems to know that Tom Delay is in trouble over ethics, the Northern Mariana Islands, a part of the U.S. many people didn't even know existed, doesn't seem to have entered the national lexicon. It's like a whole U.S. territory is under the rule of corporations invoking the worst Walmart-style abuses with government sanction. I find it somewhat appalling that within our own borders, the labor movement is quashed so thoroughly. I find it disgusting that the plight is ignored, even though Mariana almost falls within the boundaries of the U.S. itself. Even Republicans call for a change.
http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/05/09/real.delay/

Some general information on the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI)
http://www.prel.org/pacserv/mariana.asp

An E.P.A. report on CNMI
http://www.epa.gov/region09/cross_pr/islands/northern.html

More accusations of sweatshop-style labor, published by the World Socialist Website (obvious a bastion of unbiased reporting)
http://www.wsws.org/news/1998/apr1998/mari-a02.shtml

Similiar accusations were outlined in a 1999 proposed house resolution.
http://www.house.gov/georgemiller/dcfeb2.html

How do we Train Ordinary People to Become Warriors?

Some interesting notes on U.S. soldier psychology and the impact of killing
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/heart/themes/prep.html

Are Books Dead?
In a world of high-paced computer animation, where everything we have the capability to imagine can just be pasted on a movie screen, we ask ourselves: are books an anachronism? I have always preferred the company of my books to the company of almost anyone else, so the idea of the art of reading for pleasure becoming completely extinct is one of my worst nightmares. What is a writer to do?

Thankfully, reading is not as outdated as some people claim it to be, but still, we have to make sure we preserve the practice. Some of my fondest childhood memories involve curling up with my mother and younger brother while she read to me, and I hope that lots of people are passing the same experience on to their offspring.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/05/opinion/05sun3.html?oref=login

Ten Years Ago, Today: On June 5th, 1995, "Saucer Smear" published a report about their ufology tour through New Mexico, including references to Roswell as the "Holy City". It also has a cute political cartoon of aliens being chased by N.O.W. feminists.

6/3/05-- Profiles in Courage, Lebanon's Election, Rape Counselor's Legal Protection

Sorry I haven't been writing, but it's finals week and I feel sick.

Profiles in Courage
Recieving so many nasty emails makes me extremely grateful that I live in a place in a time that all I'm likely to get are nasty emails. There are certainly people a lot worse off in the world. I have never admired people willing to stand up against violence to do what they believe more than I do today. I'm not sure I'd have the same strength in me, and I pray to God that I'll never have to find out.

Lidia Cacho, who runs a women's and children's shelter in Mexico, was raped for protecting people who couldn't even go to the police. She is often threatened at gunpoint.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/31/international/americas/31mexico.html

Israeli soldiers contradict their government and speak of murders they committed. I'm glad I don't live in Israel. It seems to me that both sides' hands are drenched with blood and I have no clue how the situation could possibly end nonviolently. Sometimes, there's no such thing as justice.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/03/international/middleeast/03cnd-mideast.html

Samir Kassir, a prominant journalist, died in a car bombing in Lebanon, probably because he was vocally anti-Syrian.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/06/02/africa/web.0602lebanon.php

Lebanon's Election
I suppose suggestions that America tampered with Lebanon's election were inevitable. Still, the Speaking of anti-Syrian, hooray for elections help away from the influence of armed troops and occupiers from another nation. U.S. would have a hard enough time in the Middle East exerting pressure to get Saad al-Hariri to tie his shoe, much less elected.
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/65A47CBF-FBF4-4F52-998D-B6DC76E4913A.htm

And Nixon was apparently overthrown by the Jews (eyes rolling).
http://www.memritv.org/Transcript.asp?P1=689

If we were exerting pressure, we'd probably be trying to appear like we had nothing to do with the election, instead of attempting to claim credit.
http://lebop.blogspot.com/2005/05/bush-freed-lebanon.html
http://www.perspicacityonline.com/Articles/2005/03/Bush050330.htm

It's good to see that maybe the people who are dying in Iraq aren't doing so in vain. Speaking of which, Syria needs to clean up its act in dealing with Iraq. Hoshyar Zebari, Iraq's foreign minister, accused Syria of intentionally not doing enough to stop the pipeline of terror on the Syrian-Iraqi border.
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/middle_east/jan-june05/iraq_6-2.html

Of course, Syria has long denied these accusations
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=8543597

Another Rape Counselor Goes to Jail to for Trying to Help People
Even the U.S., people are forced to make moral decisions. I really think that it's not fair that rape councillors are still subject to subpoena. Like normal psychiatric care, without the safety and privacy that such institutions afford, they would be unable to help people. Patient-doctor legal privelege should be extended to rape crisis centers, otherwise people who are unable to afford psychological care will be offered unequal access to services, and to the right of privacy. I'm glad some people are willing to go to jail to protect people who are violated once already and who don't need to be violated again with a court's blessing.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/29/national/29rape.html

Ten Years Ago Today: On June 3rd, 1995 China News Digest published a special issue in memory of the sixth anniversary of the Beijing Massacre.
http://museums.cnd.org/CND-Global/CND-Global.95.2nd/CND-Global.95-06-02.html

Think the repression is history?
http://finance.news.com.au/story/0,10166,15350095-23109,00.html