Myrtus

What's the sense of having a constitution if the government can go against it anyway?

President Obama wasn't kidding when he said: "The constitution is a charter of negative liberties...it says what the states can't do to you, it says what the federal government can't do to you, but it doesn't say what the federal government or the state government must do on your behalf."

Thank goodness we have the Supreme Court!

Chicago has banned gun ownership for the last 30 years even though the American constitution grants citizens the right to keep and bear arms.  Attempts to lift the ban have been ongoing but to avail. 

Well, today finally the supreme court ruled against Chicago's unconstitutional gun ban law, but even now, Mayor Daley still insists on wanting to go against this ruling and craft a new ordinance to enforce tight control on gun ownership in Chicago, despite the fact that a strict ban has not produced the desired results in reducing the rate of gun related violent crimes.

I think Mayor Daley needs to quit resisting the law and start enforcing it instead.  And for goodness sake put some more cops out on the streets and let them do their jobs.  Perhaps he ought to have a chat with Newark Mayor Cory Booker and really learn how it's properly done.

Supreme Court ruling casts doubt on Chicago gun ban :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES ::

 

Last Friday, as Daley awaited the Supreme Court ruling, he continued to fret about the dilemma the ruling would cause police officers, firefighters and paramedics arriving at emergency scenes.

“What does a first-responder [do when they] come to your home, if you have 50 guns and you pointed a gun at your wife? You have a legal right to a gun,” the mayor said.

“Can we interfere with that display of a gun if you’ve shown it to somebody in your home? Of course not because everybody wants to sue the city. They want to sue you, the taxpayers, to try to get money out of your pocket. … That’s what we’re worried about.”

Northwest Side Ald. Tom Allen (38th) said the ban has done nothing to stop the bloodbath on Chicago streets as evidenced by the 26 people shot this weekend.

Asked whether Chicago would be more or less safe without the ban, he said, “It’s a wash. The bad guys are gonna have their guns and the good people who are responsible citizens — they will also have their guns. But they’ll do it in a responsible way in their home to protect their family or in their place of business to protect them from armed robbers.”

"The Promise" by John Schneider

WOW I had no idea John Schneider was a singer, besides being that blond hottie on The Dukes of Hazzard way back when.  And he's pretty darn good too!

Nowhere is the truth laid bare as on "Blootstellen"

No, of course you don't have take my word for it, please go see for yourself: Blootstellen

87 US senators out of 100 support Israel's self-defense

Oddly enough I'm starting to see a pattern lately where Democrats and Republicans are uniting their voices more and more against Obama's policies.

87 US senators support Israeli self-defense - Yahoo! News

WASHINGTON (AFP) – Eighty-seven of the US Senate's 100 members have voiced support for Israel's right to self-defense in the face of threats from Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran, the Senate said Wednesday.

The lawmakers wrote in a letter to President Barack Obama that they "fully support Israel's right to self-defense.

"In response to thousands of rocket attacks on Israel from Hamas terrorists in Gaza, Israel took steps to prevent items which could be used to support these attacks from reaching Gaza," they said, referring to Israel's four-year naval blockade of the Palestinian territory.

Israel last week announced it was easing its siege to allow all strictly "civilian" goods into Gaza, after a crisis exploded when Israeli forces killed nine activists during a May 31 raid on a flotilla of aid ships attempting to run the blockade.

The lawmakers, from both sides of the political aisle, also stressed that "it is our national interest to support Israel at a moment when Israel faces multiple threats from Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the current regime in Iran."

A Yamulke Day & A Gay Square...NOU breekt m'n klomp!

Last week it was the "baiting Jew" proposal, now it's a "Yamulke Day" and a "Gay Square" proposal on the table by Dutch MP Ahmed Marcouch, as part of the so-called "Solidarity Action" days, in his noble quest to combat hate crime.

I'm sure his heart is in the right place and I'm big on conflict resolution and all, but sometimes you can go a tad too far with too much of a good thing, if you ask me. 

I'd say carrot and stick people, carrot and stick.....unfortunately I've been seeing too much "stick" and not enough "carrot" in the Netherlands lately.

Israel & Palestine be damned, world peace be damned and down with morality unless you listen to what Dr Qanta Ahmed has to say

Dr Qanta Ahmed is a Muslim woman who has so much more to offer to the world than just heart and I sincerely thank her and commend for trying to bring morality back:

"Like most things in life, morality unfortunately is a little more complex than some would have you believe. Presently, morality is sinking into oblivion deep into the Eastern Mediterranean and all that remains is some soggy, discarded flotsam bobbing up and down in a magnifying pandemonium of hysterical, biased tropism."

From a woman's perspective, I personally reject noisemakers such as Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Wafa Sultan and the likes, who pretend to fight for women's rights and against Islamic terror.  To me they are nothing but a bunch of hatemongering self-serving talking heads that have absolutely nothing to contribute to the common good of mankind.

For that same reason I always refused to take sides on the Israel/Palestine issue and reject our pathetic self-serving politicians who insist on ruling our world with manipulating people into blind emotion and wild fury, keeping the fires burning, while holding the world community hostage and forcing the issue to become the center our universe, or more or less as a convenience store or drug dealer they can always run to if they need a fix to feed their bad habit.  All of them can collectively move over to make room for Dr Qanta Ahmed, who does an amazing job offering crucial insights and reasoning on not just what's actually wrong with our world today, but how to fix it as well. 

I recommend you read the entire article, but here's the part that speaks to me most:

At one stage, a spokesperson for Hamas appeared on the BBC citing that Gazans have no need for aid, adding " we do not need to fill our bellies". Well, the world thinks otherwise. In his astonishing defiance revealed by a casual, throwaway comment, the spokesperson revealed the prime goal of the Flotilla's mission, as he perceived it: to run the gauntlet against the blockade, not to alleviate material needs of his suffering electorate. The Flotilla was a bald and blatant political move designed to humiliate and provoke.

His remarks reveal the extent to which Palestinians are now objectified political pawns, rather than a people. While we are comfortable with the longstanding objectification of Palestinians by Israelis as the 'other' in the form of a security threat (after all Israel must balance a constant struggle to determine the needs of a terrorized Israeli citizenship over the needs of an exploding ever-younger ever impoverished, increasingly radicalized Gaza population) we fail to encounter our own sinister objectification of the Palestinians which we accomplish so effectively all by ourselves. This objectification is not only held by their revolving, corrupt leadership, but also by an objectifying Muslim world. We the Muslims need the Palestinians to remain locked in their plight so that they might continue to serve as the Ummah's scotoma (a blindspot) which literally prevents us from seeing our own more immediate distresses, distresses which might demand our attention and perhaps even require societal interventions . We would be lost, disarmed, and stunned without an external locus for our rage which is so piercingly trained on Gaza and the West Bank, so piercing in fact that Darfur barely warrants a sidelong glance.

Does this exonerate Israel? No. Does this implicate Muslims? You bet.

Let me continue the self-flagellation.

During this same period of Flotilla Face-Offs with the IDF, Pakistan, my nation of matrilineal and patrimonial heritage has witnessed the extraordinary massacre of 120 moderate, pacifist Muslims, followers of the Ahmadiyyah movement that subscribes to peaceful, pluralistic Islam. Specifically, they embrace non-violence, condemning violent jihad. They were massacred, in cold blood, in worship, by fellow citizens, fellow Pakistanis, fellow Muslims. Most of the murdered were elderly, and male. Hundreds more were injured, some of whom are still dying this week. Emergency services did not arrive for over two hours. Pakistani police stood back, apparently allowing the carnage to occur, supposedly too afraid to engage. Awaiting special operations commandos to intervene, in their uncertainty, perhaps their tacit tolerance, Pakistani police became silent accomplices to the massacre. Many of the pacifist Muslim worshipers died of uncomplicated hemorrhagic shock within mere minutes of advanced medical care.

Where has been the subsequent national and international outrage at the death of these Muslims? Where is the Muslim world now? Where are the Muslims calling for War Crimes to be investigated within the inert and increasingly fractious Pakistani 'leadership'? We, the Muslims find ourselves suddenly voiceless, tongue tied, jaded and unmoved, yet somehow Gaza stokes our bald fury.

So, against this deafening silence, when six passengers on the ship were regrettably killed during a confrontation with the Israeli Defense Force, this bloodshed became sufficient to call for investigations of war crimes by an elected government in charge of their military at work enforcing a public, long standing naval blockade, one which has been tacitly accepted in the region, irrespective of the ethics of this blockade. It wasn't just a member of the IDF, who was thrown overboard in the on board skirmish it would seem, it was morality.

"Baiting Jew" proposal by Ahmed Marcouch to combat antisemitism gets seal of approval

Dutch MP Ahmed Marcouch drew mixed reactions this past week with his somewhat unorthodox approach to combating antisemitism, when he proposed a plan to deploy undercover cops dressed as Jews in order to bait perpetrators who are causing this nagging problem and throw them in jail.

Ronny Naftaniel, the head of anti-semitism watchdog the Centre for Information and Documentation on Israel, says, “it has become common for Jews to hide their skull-caps on the street.” The CINI supports Ahmed Marcouch’s initiative.

It's not clear whether Anisemitism is increasingly becoming a problem all across Holland, but reports do indicate that Moroccan youths are growing bolder and becoming a tremendous nuisance in certain parts of Amsterdam, harassing Jews with hate speech and antisemetic gestures, to the point where Jews no longer feel safe wearing religious gear out in public and even had to resort to attending service in an unmarked synagogue to avoid the hostilities in one of the neighborhoods.

Marcouch had previously called attention to the urgent need to take care of this problem last month in his Memorial Day speech, commemorating victims of the Holocaust and the fallen soldiers of WWII. 

Prior to the persecution of the Jews, systematic dehumanization and discrimination of this entire segment of the population took place and lasted at least ten years. That is why we are vigilant with regards to discrimination and especially antisemitism. That is an advantage. In this sense, we remember the sacrifices people made in order for us to have the freedom we have today, and we have to do everything possible to combat antisemitism.

Religious Jews like Rabbi Sebbag and Gideon van der Sluis travel by foot Sabbath, so on Saturdays, they walk from the "Rivierenbuurt" to the synagogue in "De Pijp". They tell us that people call them names like "Yahoud", and throw coins at them. Moroccan youngsters confirm that they have friends who do this.

It is absolutely unacceptable if Jews in Amsterdam cannot wear a yarmulke. We cannot play this down in any way shape or form, and we have to make a firm commitment to making sure that Jews can be themselves, under all circumstances.

The Dutch term "lok-jood" that's being used in this case to describe the undercover cops deployed as bait to lure the perpetrators sounds a bit rough and somewhat shocking if you ask me, but if that's what it takes to draw attention to the problem and take care of it once and for all, then so be it.  My only concern is what if the term ends up taking on a different form and becomes yet another derogatory term or variations thereof used by the haters in the long run.

Cheers to Dutch Christian Democrats for locking Geert Wilders out of government!

It's about time somebody had the guts to stand up for Holland and do the right thing to stop this hatemongering imbecile!  Never mind the fact that Wilders hates Muslims and immigrants, but the fact that he wants to implement a headscarf tax on Muslim women and is trying to push for an "ethnic registration requirement"(among other outlandish things) on the Dutch people, should outrage the whole entire world! This man is insanely dangerous!  Ethnic registration?  What the hell is wrong with people?  Have we learned anything at all from WWII?

I'm especially surprised and extremely disappointed that the Jewish community isn't making a big deal out of this.  Where is the outrage?

Mr Maxime Verhagen, petje af meneer, ik ben trots op u!

Dutch centre-right cabinet seems less likely | Radio Netherlands Worldwide

Freedom Party leader Geert Wilders has accused Dutch Christian Democrat leader Maxime Verhagen of sabotaging attempts to form a centre-right three-party government. A right-wing cabinet now looks unlikely after eight days of coalition talks.

Mr Verhagen on Thursday repeated his view that free-market liberal VVD and Mr Wilders' Freedom Party should first iron out their differences. The two parties, the two winners of the 9 June general elections, differ fundamentally over issues like economic austerity measures and ethnic registration. Once those issues are sorted the Christian Democrats will consider joining the negotiations, Mr Verhagen said, but not earlier.

The Christian Democrats lost half their seats in the elections and said it behoved them to be modest, rather than being overly eager to join a government.

Goodness gracious Mr President

When even your loyal followers are complaining, I'd say it maybe time for your reality check.

Note: Do not click on the following link unless you want to risk seeing some thonged ladies, along with some nakedness, just to read the rest of the article.  Hah I'm not sure what the LA Times was thinking.

Obama's speech: There's a pipe spewing a gazillion gobs of oil into the gulf, so let's build more windmills

For all his reputation as the nation's Top Talker, Barack Obama took his sweet time giving a maiden Oval Office address to the country. And waiting another nearly 60 days to speak nationally about the oil spill that’s become the worst environmental disaster in the nation’s history.

Obama, the first modern president to pass his first full year in office without addressing the country from his historic desk, had the setting right. Just back from a day-and-a-half on the gulf coast listening, reassuring, talking tourism, eating seafood. He wore the proper suit, had the requisite flags and family photos in the background.

For 18 minutes he delivered the words crisply and forthrightly, though too often distracting anxious viewers with his fidgeting hands like the lecturing professor he once was. Or wait! Was Mr. Cool nervous? (See video below.)

Obama had the firmness down OK: Make no mistake etc. We will hold BP accountable etc. He....

...had the God references. The talk of real live shrimpers devastated. An American way of life threatened. And though he likened the spill more to an epidemic, he also brought in the requisite battle metaphors. And, in case anyone hasn't heard by now, Obama noted has another Nobel Prize winner in his cabinet, Stephen Chu, who hasn't been able to stop the oil leak either.

But there was something wrong. The first two-thirds of the president's remarks read just fine (Full text over here on The Ticket as usual). By golly, we’ll get the money, we’ll clean it up, no matter how long it takes.

But watching the president and hearing him was a little creepy; that early portion of the address was robotic, lacked real energy, enthusiasm. And worst of all specifics. He was virtually detail-less.

After almost two months of waiting through continuously contradictory reports, an anxious American public wanted to know, HOW are you going to accomplish all this?

Even Obama's cheerleaders over at MSNBC were complaining. "Where was the How in this speech?" demanded Keith Olbermann.

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...had the God references. The talk of real live shrimpers devastated. An American way of life threatened. And though he likened the spill more to an epidemic, he also brought in the requisite battle metaphors. And, in case anyone hasn't heard by now, Obama noted has another Nobel Prize winner in his cabinet, Stephen Chu, who hasn't been able to stop the oil leak either.

But there was something wrong. The first two-thirds of the president's remarks read just fine (Full text over here on The Ticket as usual). By golly, we’ll get the money, we’ll clean it up, no matter how long it takes.

But watching the president and hearing him was a little creepy; that early portion of the address was robotic, lacked real energy, enthusiasm. And worst of all specifics. He was virtually detail-less.

After almost two months of waiting through continuously contradictory reports, an anxious American public wanted to know, HOW are you going to accomplish all this?

Even Obama's cheerleaders over at MSNBC were complaining. "Where was the How in this speech?" demanded Keith Olbermann.

MSNBC asks one question of you about the new Arizona immigration law

Do you support Arizona's tough new law on illegal immigration?

Please answer the question and pass this on to others so their voices may be heard too.

Over a million answered the question so far and I'm really surprised by the results.

msnbc.com U.S. & World News - Do you support Arizona's tough new law on illegal immigration?