John Edwards: Poster boy for over-criminalization
The first week of testimony in the federal criminal trial of former U.S. senator and presidential candidate John Edwards has confirmed two things about contemporary American life. First, despite all efforts over the decades to raise the standards of political activity, the basest of human drives still can easily overpower the desire to do good and act decently.
More importantly, however, is what the Edwards prosecution reveals about our federal judicial system: that it is out of control. The case clearly illustrates the extent to which over-criminalization threatens the very basis of the federalist system of shared powers between the two sovereigns state and federal authority in which the latter was supposed to be, but no longer is, limited and secondary to the former.
To be sure, John Edwards behaved dishonorably as a husband, father, public figure and candidate for the highest and most important political office on the face of the earth. Andrew Young, his former close frie |
Charge against Zimmerman reeks of unprofessionalism
Over the last several weeks, the shooting of Trayvon Martin has been front and center in the mainstream media and on talk shows, both conservative and liberal. The focus of the coverage has been on the supposed racial divide fueled in part by the involvement of the Reverends Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson, the New Black Panthers and other experts like former heavyweight champion and convicted felon Mike Tyson.
Following close behind the racial overtones of the incident has been the expected effort by the anti-firearms crowd to use the shooting to argue against the laws in Florida and many other states that permit individuals to defend themselves with deadly force if placed in fear of their lives or of severe bodily injury so-called stand your ground laws.
Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, the media frenzy over the incident has been incredibly disingenuous. People seeking to make names for themselves have run in front of television cameras or microphones to make their op |
OnStar markets family-friendly spy system
George Orwells dystopian society in which privacy is a thing of the past is now a step closer to becoming reality, thanks to a family-friendly service recently rolled out by OnStar.
According to an article from Wired magazine, General Motors is now marketing its OnStar GPS tracking system as a family-friendly way for parents to secretly track the locations of their kids and spouses. Perhaps the system ought to be sold with the slogan the family that spies on each other stays together.
General Motors has been offering the OnStar tracking system for a number of years. Previously, it was marketed as a way for someone who was involved in an accident or locked something in his car to call for help. Law enforcement has always like OnStar, because it can be used to surreptitiously listen in on conversations taking place in vehicles equipped with it.
The service now provides two specific features that allow subscribers to track family members on OnStars website, for the low pr |
Is Big Brothers black box coming to your car?
One of the most far-reaching and frightening pieces of legislation to come down the pike in quite some time has passed the Senate and is being readied for quick action by the Republican-controlled House. Lurking within its many pages, divisions, titles, parts and subparts is a host of restrictions and federal mandates that would make George Orwells head spin.
The misnamed Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act, commonly referred to inside the Washington Beltway as MAP-21, is so laden with federal highway and transportation funds that most House members probably will be inclined to vote for it without even reading the fine print. But it is that fine print that feeds steroids to the Washington Leviathan like few past pieces of legislation.
MAP-21 clearly bears the fingerprints of our nanny-in-chief, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, but it passed the Senate last month by a strong bipartisan vote, 74 to 22. The massive bill federalizes everything within sight of t |
Bob Barr have Sex with her Secretary
