Tuesday, February 28, 2006

Major Pro-Life Supreme Court Victory!

Today the Supreme Court ruled (by a vote of 8-0 with Alito abstaining) against the National Organization of Women (NOW) in their fight to bring Racketeer-Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) charges against pro-life activists.

In a bitter press release, NOW stated:
    "Today the U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling that could add to the increasing difficulty women face in obtaining reproductive health services. If the Court's 8-0 decision in Scheidler, et al., v. National Organization for Women (NOW), et al. and Operation Rescue v. NOW, et al. ushers in a return to clinic violence in the United States, NOW stands ready to fight in every jurisdiction.


First of all, it should be noted that only the most ardent pro-infanticide activists of NOW believe the dismemberment of a living human being constitutes "reproductive health services". Secondly, the fact that the Supreme Court voted 8 to 0 against them illustrates just how far from the mainstream NOW has become. Relying on RICO statutes which where put in place in response to organized crime, and on the Hobbs Act which bans extortion, NOW achieved a "victory" in 1998 when a federal judge issued a nationwide injunction against pro-life demonstrators. Today's ruling makes it clear that organized pro-life demonstrations are not criminal acts. NOW's desperate and bitter press release reveals that perhaps they're on the outside looking in on mainstream political debate, so rapid in their desire to protect infanticide that they miss the entire free speech aspect of the case.

Of course, ever reliable CNN frames the issue in an ultra liberal fashion, stating in their headline "Court Deals Setback to Abortion Clinics". Does CNN really believe that abortion clinics should stand above other American enterprises, and remain free from all opposition and protests? Only CNN could take a look at a major victory for free speech and label it a setback to abortion clinics.

Friday, February 17, 2006

Bryant Gumbel: White Bad, Black Good

In what has made barely a ripple on the national news scene outside talk radio, Bryant Gumbel recently gave a commentary on HBO about the Winter Olympics. Said Gumbel:

    "Count me among those who don't care about them and won't watch them. So try not to laugh when someone says these are the world's greatest athletes, despite a paucity of blacks that makes the Winter Games look like a GOP convention"


The messages are clear: White athletes are only at the Olympics because blacks are not competing. How can an athlete possibly be considered among the world's greatest if he's white? Worse yet, Gumbel's implication is that blacks are somehow prevented from playing. If this were a simple matter of blacks choosing not to compete, wouldn't Gumbel's message be delivered to the black community? Wouldn't he encourage all races to participate in speed skating, snowboarding, etc.? And why would he feel the need to bring in the GOP if he wasn't trying to paint a mental image of racist white men running the show?

Gumbel is a fool and should be fired today. Since when is it acceptable to state that an event is not worth watching because the participants are of a certain race? Had a white man stated "I have no interest in watching the NBA because it's blacker than an NAACP convention", do you think he'd keep his job? Of course not.

But HBO's decision to keep Gumbel on staff, and the national media's failure to report this story are just two more indications of our national culture of reverse discrimination. White bad, black good.


Here's another take on the story from the Sporting News:

Wednesday, February 15, 2006

Houston 1836 Name Deemed "Offensive"

Houston has a Major League Soccer franchise. The team used an internet poll to select the new name, and fans selected 1836, which was the year in which the city of Houston was founded. In European soccer leagues, incorporating years into team names is quite common, so this name seemed to have appeal due to it's distinctiveness and similarity to big time soccer in Europe.

Unfortunately, some Mexicans (apparently these folks wouldn't want to be considered Mexican Americans) don't seem to like the name. They're offended because 1836 was also the year that the battle of the Alamo was fought. It was the year that Sam Houston's troops defeated Santa Anna (just outside Houston), and the year Texas declared their independence from Mexico.

Fast forward 170 years (yes, 170 years), and some Mexicans seem to still be bitter. Some say the name signals a "lack of respect". Others say they won't go to games if the team is named 1836. In a recent Times interview, Tacho Mindiola, director of the Center for Mexican-American Studies at the University of Houston stated "It's unfortunate because sport is an integrating mechanism in society, and unintentionally or not this is a blunder. Do they think we're going to wear a T-shirt with the year 1836 on it?"

Yes Tacho, I do. It suspect sane Mexicans aren't carrying a 170 year old grudge. If he has such a disdain for the United States of America and our history, then he certainly has other options regarding his place of residence. How anybody could reach the conclusion that it's insensitive or inappropriate to recognize US victories in the USA is beyond me.

Am I some insensitive racist? Well consider the city of Philadelphia for a second. Their basketball team name is the 76'ers, after our declaration of independence from England in 1776. Do you see any Brits crying over that name? Do we have to listen to Americans of British descent cry about our July 4th celebrations? Of course not, because they're not hyper-sensitive morons accustomed to racial coddling.

Unfortunately, the word today is that the Houston franchise will change the name. Once again, Americans adapt to please a few outspoken immigrants. Something is backwards in all this.

Thursday, February 09, 2006

Does News Travel to Syria?

Condoleeza Rice yesterday accused Syria and Iran of fanning the flames of violence in the middle east in response to cartoons of Muhammed. Said Rice: "Iran and Syria have gone out of their way to inflame sentiments and to use this to their own purposes, and the world ought to call them on it."

So what is Syria's response? Syria's US ambassador Imad Moustapha told CNN: "We in Syria believe anti-Western sentiments are being fueled by two major things -- the situation in Iraq and the situation in the occupied territories, the West Bank and Gaza. We believe that if somebody would tell Secretary Rice that Syria is not the party that occupies Iraq and is not the party that occupies the West Bank and Gaza, then probably she would know it is not Syria who is actually fueling anti-Western sentiments."

Maybe somebody should tel Ambassador Moustapha that nobody but Palestinians occupies the Gaza strip. Perhaps the news did not make its way to Syria, but Israel pulled out of the Gaza strip months ago. Also, it might help if somebody told Moustapha that Americans have no interest in staying in Iraq. When Syria stops supporting the insurgency in Iraq, American troops will back their bags and head home.

CNN story here.

Tuesday, February 07, 2006

Buy Danish!!

Show your support, and render the Arab world's boycott of Danish goods irrelevant. Need some top of the line home electronics? Check out the BeoCenter2 at Bang and Olufsen's homepage. Very cool.

How about some toys for your kids?
Lego Homepage

How about some great coffee for you? Check out the Gevalia Homepage

Mexicans Like Americans the Least

Check out the results of this poll on world public opinion.

Some of the highlights.
  • Of all 31 nations surveyed, Mexicans likes America the least. Only 10% of Mexicans have a favorable view of teh United States. Quite a strange position for a citizenry who flocks to our borders looking for a better life. Why are they in such a hurry to get here if they have such a disdain for the USA?
  • In Europe, we are liked most by the Poles. This was my experience at World Youth Day in Germany this past summer. The Poles were a great people, eager to get to know us and eager to trade for USA flags and pins. To top it off, they sang and danced all night, so they must be a great people.
  • South Korea has a mainly negative view of the USA. Hmmm, I wonder what would happen if we stopped supporting Seoul. Do you think Kim Jung Il would want to make a "visit"? I do too. It's a pretty sad state of affairs when a nation owes their very existence to you, and they still don't like you.
  • The Philippines has the most favorable view of America, with 85% having a positive view of our nation? Is this due to our common religion?
  • 72% of those in Afghanistan have a favorable view of the USA, but only 27% of those in Iraq share that view.
  • 62% of Chinese have a mainly negative view of the USA. Don't the Chinese people have any concept of "customer appreciation"?
  • Finally, notice the support for the USA in Africa. All 8 nations survey have a more positive than negative view of the USA. Finally, a people who truly appreciate humanitarian assistance. A dollar spent in Africa is clearly money well spent.
  • Great Gift Idea!

    Send a message of support to Denmark (and a message of disdain to Islamo-fascists), buy a box of Royal Dansk cookies.

    Thursday, February 02, 2006

    Unrest over Cartoons

    Tempers flared today throughout the Islamic world. Students marched in Pakistan shouting "Death to Denmark" and "Death to France". Masked Palestinian gunmen shut the European Union office Thursday in Gaza City, writing on the door that the office would remain closed until the Europeans apologize to Muslims. The Palestinian men, from Islamic Jihad and the al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades fired bullets into the air and one of them read their demands. In Gaza, gunmen threatened to kidnap European workers unless the European Union apologized. The rational new government will certainly restore order to the West Bank, right? Check that - Hamas is the new Palestinian government. So much for law and order.

    Why all the threats of violence? Why the intimidation of EU workers in the West Bank? A cartoon. Yep, a political cartoon published in Denmark initially which depicted Muhammed. Said outgoing Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia about the pictures: they "provoke all Muslims everywhere in the world."

    Wow - so the beheading of westerners doesn't provoke Christians? 9/11 didn't provoke Christians? The claims that Israel has no right to exist and the holocaust is a myth don't provoke Jews? Once again, the hypocrisy of the Muslim world is on center stage. This could be the new radical Muslim motto: "We'll kill you for your religious beliefs, but don't you dare even write a cartoon about ours!"

    Who is CAIR?

    Bill Handel is the talk show host in Los Angeles who has recently come under fire from the Council on American-Islamic Relations for his comments about Muslim pilgrims who were killed in a stampede this year. Apparently Handel made some light of the situation, stating that perhaps better traffic management should be employed at Mecca during the pilgrimmage. CAIR is insisting he apologize, and Handel has stated he will gladly apologize as long as CAIR does the following:

    • CAIR must denounce all bombing or attacks where intended victims are innocent citizens
    • Acknowledge Israeli sovereignty
    • Verify that the group has never had connections with any terrorist group or sponsor.


    This should be easy right? After all, isn't CAIR merely a US based organization intent on improving relations between America and the Islamic world? Think again. CAIR does not want to improve relations, they don't simply want to protect the rights of Muslims, they don't want to simply encourage Americans to convert to Islam. They want Islam to become the ONLY religion in the United States. CAIR wants an Islamic theocracy in America.

    Witness this quote from the founder of CAIR, Omar Ahmad:
    ""Those who stay in America should be open to society without melting, keeping Mosques open so anyone can come and learn about Islam. If you choose to live here, you have a responsibility to deliver the message of Islam ... Islam isn't in America to be equal to any other faiths, but to become dominant. The Koran, the Muslim book of scripture, should be the highest authority in America, and Islam the only accepted religion on Earth."

    So the next time you hear about CAIR in the news, don't think "peaceful group trying to help Muslims integrate into America". Think radical Muslims who are spending all their time and resources trying to bring and Iranian style theocracy to our nation. As such, trust nothing they say, and understand everything they do is only done to further their agenda.