Watch out Sandra! The House is at it again!
Joan Bokaer printable version print page     Bookmark and Share
Wed Jul 19, 2006 at 10:02:52 PM EST
On March 10, NPR's Nina Totenberg aired a remarkable story about a speech given by newly-retired Supreme Court Justice, Sandra Day O'Conner. She warned of the attacks on an independent judiciary.

Pointing to the experiences of developing countries and formerly Communist countries, where interference with an independent judiciary has allowed dictatorship to flourish, O'Connor said we must be ever vigilant against those who would strong-arm the judiciary into adopting their preferred policies. It takes a lot of degeneration before a country falls into dictatorship she said, but we should avoid these ends by avoiding these beginnings.

Guess what? The House just passed the very kind of legislation that O'Conner warned us about.

From NSNBC News:

The House, citing the nation's religious origins, voted Wednesday to protect the Pledge of Allegiance from federal judges who might try to stop schoolchildren and others from reciting it because of the phrase "under God."

The legislation, a priority of social conservatives, passed 260-167. It now goes to the Senate where its future is uncertain.

"We should not and cannot rewrite history to ignore our spiritual heritage," said Rep. Zach Wamp, R-Tenn. "It surrounds us. It cries out for our country to honor God."

Opponents said the legislation, which would bar federal courts from ruling on the constitutional validity of the pledge, would undercut judicial independence and would deny access to federal courts to religious minorities seeking to defend their rights.

"We are making an all-out assault on the Constitution of the United States which, thank God, will fail," said Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.

Sandra, why, oh why did you retire on George Bush's watch?




Display:
This has become a bigger threat than the bomb. The course the Rebublicans have taken is not just a threat, and just half of eligible voters cast a ballot in 2004.

Here is just a small sample of what the goppies have in their proverbial mind...

http://www.texasgop.org/site/PageServer?pagename=library_platform
    At the bottom of this page is access to the Texas Republican Platform pdf

Here are some excertps:

We oppose any form of blanket or general reparation based upon discriminatory criteria.

Free Speech for the Clergy - We call for the Internal Revenue Code to be changed to allow a religious organization to address the vital issues of the day without fear of the organization losing its tax-exempt status. Further, we call for repeal of all provisions requiring religious organizations to send government any personal identification information about their contributors.

We call on the Congress and the President to use their constitutional powers to restrain activist judges.

We oppose any identification of citizens by race, origin, or creed and oppose the use of any such identification for purposes of creating voting districts.

Ten Commandments - We understand that the Ten Commandments are the basis of our basic freedoms and the cornerstone of our Western legal tradition. We therefore oppose any governmental action to restrict, prohibit, or remove public display of the Decalogue or other religious symbols.

We call for restoration of the plaques honoring the Confederate Widow's Pension Fund contribution that were illegally removed from the Texas Supreme Court and other state buildings.

The family is responsible for its own welfare, education, moral training, conduct, and property.

We demand that Congress exercise its authority granted by the U.S. Constitution to withhold jurisdiction from the federal courts from cases involving sodomy.

Ethics in Broadcasting - We call upon the Federal Communications Commission to revoke the broadcast licenses of stations that continue to air programs and advertisements in violation of existing laws and FCC guidelines.

We urge the reversal of Roe v. Wade. We affirm our support for the appointment and election of judges at all levels of the judiciary who respect traditional family values and the sanctity of innocent human life.

Armadillo's still digging
by cricket on Wed Aug 02, 2006 at 12:08:46 AM EST



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