Beating Up On Babies

Now the Republicans are beating up on babies.

Senators Jeff Sessions (R. AL), Lindsey Graham (R. SC) and Mitch McConnell (R. Kentucky) want to revoke the birthright citizenship clause of the 14th Amendment which says if you're born here, you're a citizen - no matter what. Graham says "they" just come over here to "drop babies" meaning that Mexican pregnant women storm the border as soon as their water breaks to insure that their babies are born on U.S. soil and are born U.S. citizens. Graham claims that our forefathers didn't know that immigration would develop into such a problem and they didn't intend the birthright citizenship clause to be taken literally.

That's kind of funny because the Republicans claim that our forefathers clearly meant that the "right to bear arms" of the Second Amendment was indeed literal in all respects. We're shooting ourselves and each other every day over nothing and everything and clearly have let the violence get out of control. But the Republicans say tsk, tsk, the right to have a gun is in the constitution which, by the way, allows babies born here to illegal aliens to have guns, too.

Scary, really scary.

Howling,

Brooklyn Beagle

Joe Lieberman Furthers bin Laden's Cause

I tell you, freedom and human rights in America are doomed.  The U.S. government will lead the American people in -- and the West in general -- into an unbearable hell and a choking life.

Osama bin Laden, October 2001 interview with Al-Jazeera.  
Innocent until proven guilty has long been a one of those coveted rights.  "The principle that there is a presumption of innocence in favor of the accused is the undoubted law, axiomatic and elementary, and its enforcement lies at the foundation of the administration of our criminal law."  Coffin v. United States, 156 U.S. 432 (1895).  Joe Lieberman wants to change that.  Lieberman wants to strip citizens of their citizenship for associating with alleged terrorists before the citizens are even tried and convicted.  Lieberman hopes that in doing so, the government would not be required to advise American citizens suspected of associating with alleged terrorists of the Miranda warning and could then deny them their constitutional rights to consult an attorney, to remain silent, to a speedy trial, etc. This would effectively result in convictions of Americans for heinous crimes by unfair trials based on illegally obtained evidence.  The mere suggestion of such a law shows just how little Joe Lieberman values the freedoms and principles that have made America a truly great country.  The warrantless surveillance of telephone communications by the NSA, the "Patriot Act", now this. Is bin Laden getting what he wants?