anti-Bush T-shirt ACLU case settled

clipped from www.msnbc.msn.com ACLU: Settlement in anti-Bush T-shirt case Federal government to pay $80,000 to Texas couple arrested at rally Nicole and Jeffery Rank of Corpus Christi, Texas, were handcuffed and removed from the July 4, 2004, rally at the state Capitol, where Bush gave a speech. A judge dismissed trespassing charges against them, and an order closing the case was filed Thursday in U.S. District Court in Charleston. “This settlement is a real victory not only for our clients but for the First Amendment,” said Andrew Schneider, executive director of the ACLU of West Virginia. “As a result of the Ranks’ courageous stand, public officials will think twice before they eject peaceful protesters from public events for exercising their right to dissent.” The ACLU said in a statement that a presidential advance manual makes it clear that the government tries to exclude dissenters from the president’s appearances. “As a last resort,” the manual says, “security should remove the demonstrators from the event.”

I always thought that the right to protest was not challenged in this country. I guess I was a little naive on this point. Amazing how you can just assume that you have rights in a free America......then, something comes along that makes you realize not to let your guard down, or you might find yourself in an America that you don't recognize anymore. Good thing we got the ACLU to counteract the bullies who want control over the masses....at any cost......including the degradation of the U.S. Constitution. Bush and the boys have been doing this sort of thing for the past seven years.

How Much Jail Time?

How Much Jail Time?

By Anna Quindlen

Newsweek

Aug. 6, 2007 issue - Buried among prairie dogs and amateur animation shorts on YouTube is a curious little mini-documentary shot in front of an abortion clinic in Libertyville, Ill. The man behind the camera is asking demonstrators who want abortion criminalized what the penalty should be for a woman who has one nonetheless. You have rarely seen people look more gobsmacked. It's as though the guy has asked them to solve quadratic equations. Here are a range of responses: "I've never really thought about it." "I don't have an answer for that." "I don't know." "Just pray for them."

You have to hand it to the questioner; he struggles manfully. "Usually when things are illegal there's a penalty attached," he explains patiently. But he can't get a single person to be decisive about the crux of a matter they have been approaching with absolute certainty.

............

Europe

EU and US miles of sensibility apart?
www.signandsight.com
righthand 8-07-2007 1.36pm

Many Europeans have seen the writing on the wall some time ago. "Go East, young man" is the way to go now for Europe. We have much better chances of arriving at full peace with our Arab neighbours when apart from the US ties with Israel. Our relationship with our Russian neighbour will determine our economic future. A good relationship with India and China may be more important that distant America.

When America shows itself to be capable of moral leadership then we could reconsider. I'm far for convince that whatever, if any, change of leadership happens in 2008 that there will be any real change in how the US 'leads'!

An ability to raise huge sum of money - and being an eunuch - is the first requirement for to be elected in both parties. This, combines with the necessity to receive funds from the gun and Zionist lobby, ensures that the majority of candidates are corruptible. This is the 'democracy' that America wishes to impose on the unfree world!?

Italian TV Examines WTC 7 Collapse - Dramatic Footage

clipped from www.youtube.com

Can We Pursue Terrorists Without Becoming Like Them?

clipped from www.alternet.org From torture to warrantless wiretapping, the Bush administration's approach to terrorism has defied legal standards at all levels. Maher Arar's story illustrates the key problems with the Bush administration's approach to terrorism and how it has defied legal standards at all levels. In the United States, the administration suspended key civil liberties. It imprisoned over 5,000 foreign nationals, subjected 80,000 Arab and Muslim immigrants to fingerprinting and registration, sent 30,000 "national security letters "every year to U.S. businesses demanding information about their customers, and justified the large-scale, warrantless wiretapping of citizens. It denied the right of habeas corpus to both American and non-American detainees and plans to continue to restrict the legal rights of terrorism suspects by trying them in military tribunals rather than civilian courts. At the international level, the administration rationalized the use of torture and rendition.

Israel: Time has come to demand Pollard's release; US envoy's foolish words

clipped from digg.com Nearly true. Tenet's supposed threatened resignation was a concoction dreamt up by Clinton and Tenet so Bill could appear to get out of the pickle over Pollard's release. Pollard's release was not as exchange for Palestine prisoner release. Pollard's release deal was as the result of another Israeli spy's 'accomplishments' in blowing out a US president and blackmailing him. Pollard was responsible for the death of MANY MANY CIA agents, nearly all, from behind the Iron Curtain. Virtually the entire network was rolled up. More than a decade of very pains taken work by the CIA was wiped out based on the information supplied from Pollard. But not from him, DIRECTLY. He had NO knowledge or part in supplying the Soviets. The State of ISRAEL was directly responsible for the CIA agents' deaths. Or its agent Mossad. But Pollard is the fall guy. So what is new when it involves the state of Israel? You wer not expecting justice or fair play, were you?

"The declaration submitted to the court by former Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger, who claimed that the Israeli spy gravely undermined America's national security. President Clinton promised Prime Minister Netanyahu to release Pollard in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. The former US president changed his mind after CIA Director George Tenet threatened to resign should the president proceed with the plan. Meanwhile, almost 10 years have passed and Pollard is still imprisoned."...YnetNews
"Ambassador Jones said that Pollard was spared execution. Those are foolish words."...Ynetnet

Pollard only Indirectly responsible for 100s CIA agents deaths. Who's fully?

clipped from digg.com Yes, Pollard was responsible for the deaths of a GREAT MANY CIA agents -all- behind the Iron Curtain. BUT, he was not responsible DIRECTLY! Direct responsibility lay with the State of Israel, which knowingly traded the information of the agents names to the USSR in return for Russian Jewish emigree to bring to Israel. They were needed to counter the Arab population increases. Many turned out to have no Jewish pedigree , but proven criminal backgrounds.

http://www.sefer-torah.com/blog/2007/05/02/i-prevented-pollard-deal-excerpt-from-ex-cia-chief-tenets

Recently, the former CIA supremo, Tenet claimed that he vetoed the release of Pollard. Again, there is some truth in his version but it is not the full or all the truth as he knows it. I suspect that this is a concoction dreamed up by both Tenet and Clinton to explain Clinton's about face on the release of Pollard. The idea of the president being countermanded by the CIA chief is not plausible. So, how did it come about that a real smart cookie like Bill Clinton needed to have a plausible deniable excuse not to release Pollard as he had previously agreed with Israel. How did he agree the release in the first place for him to need Tenet to take the blame?

He was being BLACKMAILED in effect by little sweet Monica and her sidekick working for Mossad!