Instead of Building a Wall, Build a Mirror
The Republican Party has been passing legislation for years that falls in line with what its nominee Donald Trump says. It’s anti-Muslim, homophobic, misogynistic, racist and rejects science. He’s actually the embodiment of Republican policy. Now Trump has mocked the pain of the parents of Capt. Humayun Kahn, a Muslim soldier who was killed in the Iraq War. He taunted Mrs. Kahn for not speaking from the stage of the Democratic National Convention. She didn’t speak because of her grief, not her religion, as he had not-too-subtlely suggested. Trump wants to ban Muslims from coming to America. He blamed President…
Palin, Ducks & Free Speech
OK, so I guess I’m writing this. I tried really hard not to, but if one more person screamed, “First Amendment!” in defense of this self proclaimed hillbilly, I think I’d cry. [Sidenote: Can I say that if you get a paycheck from the Arts and Entertainment Network, you immediately lose your ‘hillbilly’ creds.] The Half Hearted Governor Sarah Palin dressed in camo, that she claims she wears ‘all’ the time went on Fox News to bloviate: “This is all about freedom, free speech, you know, so many American families have spilled blood and treasure to guarantee Phil Robertson and…
Amendments: The Forgotten Fourth
I’m really wondering what became of the “land of the free, home of the brave” thingy Americans used to claim. Bravery has turned to hiding under the bed, and freedom, well, that’s just another word that does not mean what I think you think it means. We all remember the 2001 attacks on this country and how 40 days after Sept. 11 the 363-page USA PATRIOT Act was introduced and voted on by the House on the same day. The next day the Senate voted, and within 72 hours of introduction then-President George W. Bush signed it into law. That…
Senator Micciche: Delusions Of Grandeur
Last Sunday, in my Anchorage Daily News column, I wrote about the conflict of interest of newly minted Senator Peter Micciche. A Republican from Soldotna, Mr. Micciche works for Conoco Phillips and has for decades. He now sits on the Resource Committee — one of the most powerful in the Senate, and not only is he a member, he’s vice-chairman of the special sub-committee reviewing the bill to slash oil taxes. I was hoping the Senator would realize, because of the conflict of his employer, he wouldn’t be allowed on a jury or as a judge. How does he not…
A History Lesson for Joe Miller – The Tenth Amendment
In Which Joe Miller Gets a History Lesson (Again) Over the past few weeks, I have written with some incredulity on the subject of Joe Miller’s supposed legal expertise. Today, I feel compelled to address another area in which Mr. Miller’s competence is woefully inadequate: United States history. As you may have surmised, your Legal Eagle is an attorney, not a historian. I do, however, take an interest in history, and generally consider it to be an obligation of all Americans to at least familiarize themselves with the basics of their country’s history. This is even more true when you…