Legislation

Thoughts about the vagaries of voting machines today put me in mind of the mandatory tests used once upon a time--not just in the South either-- to prequalify voter fitness by proving oneself to the government already in power, by passing whatever tests it sees fit to impose on you, without your consent to be governed by test results because you can't vote yet.

Talk about a high stakes Catch-22!
I feel a rant coming on --

There was only one catch and that was Catch-22, which specified that a concern for one's safety in the face of dangers that were real and immediate was the process of a rational mind. . . Orr would be crazy to fly more missions and sane if he didn't, but if he was sane he had to fly them. If he flew them he was crazy and didn't have to; but if he didn't want to he was sane and had to.

Yossarian was moved very deeply by the absolute simplicity of this clause of Catch-22 and let out a respectful whistle.

"That's some catch, that Catch-22," he observed.
"It's the best there is," Doc Daneeka agreed.

Hurrah! The campaign put by the ACLU, People for the American Way, Progressive Majory and other progressive and civil liberties organizations has paid off.

These are the true patriots that work hard to save the integrity of the US Constitution. Please join me in a round of applause.

"America prides itself on tolerance and acceptance; it is essential that we not amend our founding document to allow censorship, even when the speech in question is reprehensible"

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, June 27, 2006

WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today applauded the Senate for rejecting a proposed Constitutional amendment to ban flag "desecration." The amendment, S.J. Res. 12, fell one vote short of the two-thirds majority required for passage.

"The Senate came close to torching our constitution, but luckily it came through unscathed," said Caroline Fredrickson, Director of the ACLU Washington Legislative Office. "We applaud those brave Senators who stood up for the First Amendment and rejected this damaging and needless amendment.

I just read through our wires the announcement that Sensenbrenner, Conyers Introduce Bipartisan Net Neutrality Legislation and was totally ferklempt. This is already the second time Sensebrenner comes out of left-field to chalk one against rank and file Republicans.

To civil rights activists, Sensenbrenner has earned his place as one of the horsemen of the anti-women, anti-gay and anti-immigrant republican apocalypse.

When it comes to voting rights and now net neutrality, the man redeems himself enough to hang out at the gates of purgatory. What gives?

John Conyers is the congressman with the cojones de oro. He's responsible for blowing up the Downing Street memos into the mainstream mediasphere. He's also responsible for pushing for censure of George Bush. He has yet to introduce articles for impeachment.

I rarely do this, but here is the full text of the press release. It's an interesting read :