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Archive for October, 2008

The Hamilton County Sheriff is running for re-election this year–unopposed.

To remind people of the kind of man he is, I’ll copy here his infamous 2005 speech on Fountain Square, which is fondly known as “Sheriff Leis vs. Satan.” (Note: My apology for the caps. The sheriff’s department released the speech that way and I’m not re-typing it.)

FORTY YEARS AGO WHEN I FIRST BECAME A LAWYER AND ENTERED PUBLIC LIFE AS A PROSECUTOR, LITTLE DID I REALIZE, AS I SPEAK TODAY, I WOULD HAVE TO TAKE A STAUNCH MORAL STANCE ON LAW ENFORCEMENT ISSUES. OUR COURTS AT THAT TIME UPHELD THE RULE OF LAW, SUPPORTED LAW ENFORCEMENT, AND RECOGNIZED GOD AS AN INTEGRAL PART OF A LAW ABIDING SOCIETY. NOT ANY MORE.

SEALED UNDER GLASS IN WASHINGTON D.C., THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATE OF AMERICA, LULLS AMERICANS INTO A FALSE SENSE OF SECURITY, BELIEVING THAT NOTHING CAN CHANGE THE IDEALS AND INTENT OF ITS GOD-FEARING FRAMERS. MOST AMERICANS, BELIEVE THAT OUR CONSTITUTION HAS SURVIVED INTACT FOR MORE THAN 200 YEARS WITHOUT ANY SIGNIFICANT CHANGE. NOTHING CAN BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH.

THE U.S. SUPREME COURT, AFTER 150 YEARS OF BIBLE STUDY IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF THIS COUNTRY, BANNED BIBLE READING AND PRAYER IN OUR PUBLIC CLASSROOMS, AND DECLARED STARTING IN THE 60’S, THE FOLLOWING PRACTICES TO BE VIOLATIONS OF THE FIRST AMENDMENT: THE RECITATION OF PRAYERS COMPOSED BY ANYONE INCLUDING SCHOOL OFFICIALS, BIBLE READING, RECITATION OF THE LORD’S PRAYER, AND PRAYERS AT PUBLIC SCHOOL GRADUATIONS.

SINCE THE FIRST OF THOSE SUPREME COURT DECISIONS, JUVENILE CRIME HAS SKY-ROCKETED, TEEN PREGNANCY AND SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES HAVE INCREASED DRAMATICALLY; VIOLENT CRIME (INCLUDING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE) HAS RISEN 600% OVER THE LAST 30 YEARS; TEEN SUICIDE IS UP 300%; AND DEPRESSION AMONG CHILDREN IS UP 1000%. EVERY DAY, TELEVISION AND NEWSPAPERS INUNDATE US WITH HORRIFIC ACCOUNTS OF CRIME IN OUR COMMUNITIES. AS LAW ENFORCMENT OFFICERS WE CONFRONT THESE SITUATIONS EVERY DAY.

DAILY WE LEARN OF THE MASS KILLING OF STUDENTS IN OUR SCHOOLS, SHOOTINGS TAKING PLACE IN DAY-CARE CENTERS AND PLACES OF WORSHIP. IS THERE ANY WONDER, WHY SO MANY YOUNG PEOPLE ARE COMMITTING SUCH HORRIBLE CRIMES AGAINST INNOCENT VICTIMS, WHEN WE PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF ATHEISTS, AND ABOLISH THE RECOGNITION OF ALMIGHTY GOD IN OUR CLASSROOMS?

THE VAST MAJORITY OF AMERICANS ARE HARD WORKING, GOD FEARING PEOPLE BUSILY CARING FOR THEIR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES, CONTRIBUTING TO THEIR COMMUNITIES, PAYING THEIR TAXES, AND TRUSTING PUBLIC OFFICIALS TO RUN THE DAILY BUSINESS OF THEIR GOVERNMENT IN THEIR BEST INTEREST, AND LAW ENFORCEMENT TO PROTECT THEM FROM THE CRIMINAL ELEMENT.

WHAT MANY FAIL TO SEE, HOWEVER, ARE THE FORCES OF MORAL CORRUPTION WORKING FEVERISHLY, BEHIND CLOSED DOORS. THEY ARE OUT THERE EVERY DAY WALKING THROUGH THE HALLS OF CONGRESS, STATE LEGISLATURES, AND THE COURTS. THE GAY AND LESBIAN COALITIONS, RABID FEMINIST GROUPS, AND THE AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION ALL COMPETING FOR POWER. MANY USE THEIR POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE FUNDS, TO INFLUENCE ELECTED OFFICIALS, TO REPRESENT THESE PARASITIC GROUPS WHO PROSELYTIZE AND FORCE US UNDER THE PROTECTION OF LAW, TO TOLERATE AND ACCEPT THEIR DESPICABLE CONDUCT AND AGENDA.

THE AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION CONSTANTLY USE THEIR INFLUENCE TO PROMOTE THEIR OWN SELF-CENTERED PHILOSOPHY. ALL THE WHILE, THESE INDIVIDUALS MAKE CONCERTED EFFORTS TO ENSURE THAT ANY PUBLIC REFERENCE TO GOD, PRAYER, OR FAMILY VALUES, REMAIN RELICS OF THE PAST. THEIR MEMBERS BECOME UPSET, WHEN CARING PARENTS SPEAK OUT AGAINST THE PERVERSION OF THE INTERNET, CYBER-PORN AND CYBER-SEX CHAT ROOMS, VIOLENT VIDEO GAMES, AND MUSIC VIDEOS, DESIGNED AND TARGETED TO COMPROMISE THE MORALS OF INNOCENT CHILDREN. WE ARE LOSING OUR VOICE IN AMERICA; WE HAVE ALLOWED SPECIAL INTERESTS AND LOBBYISTS TO CONTROL OUR GOVERNMENT.

SO MANY CONTRADICTIONS CONFRONT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. WE STOOD BY SILENTLY AND WATCHED ATHEISTS ABOLISH SCHOOL PRAYER AND REPLACE IT WITH (THE ALL TOO FAMILIAR) YELLOW CRIME SCENE TAPE, METAL DETECTORS, AND DRUG-SNIFFING DOGS.

DAILY, WE WITNESS DEVIATE BEHAVIOR IN THE CLASSROOMS BECAUSE WE HAVE STRIPPED TEACHERS AND PRINCIPLES OF THE AUTHORITY NECESSARY TO DO THEIR JOBS. AS PARENTS, WE TEACH OUR CHILDREN TO PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. WE ALSO PLEDGE THAT WE ARE ONE NATION “UNDER GOD.” BUT TO SOME, THAT’S NOT TRUE, THANKS TO LIBERAL JUDGES WHO WAGE TYRANNICAL POWER AGAINST THE CITIZENS OF THIS COUNTRY. POWER HUNGRY POLITICIANS ARE MORE CONCERNED ABOUT BEING POLITICALLY CORRECT, THAN MORALLY WRONG, AND SELL THEIR VOTE TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER OR SUPPORT GROUP, WHO WILL RADICALLY DISTORT THE MANDATE OF OUR CONSTITUTION TO FIT THEIR AGENDA. HOW DO WE COMBAT THIS INSANITY?

AS CONCERNED CITIZENS AND CHRISTIANS, WE NEED TO DISPLAY AND READ IN OUR CLASSROOMS ONCE AGAIN, AND WITH PRIDE, THE TEN COMMANDMENTS – THE JUDEO-CHRISTIAN FOUNDATION OF OUR ENTIRE CONSTITUTIONAL SYSTEM OF LAW. WE NEED TO DISPLAY THEM IN OTHER PUBLIC BUILDINGS WITH AS MUCH PRIDE AS THEY ARE IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES.

TO OUR DISGRACE AS A NATION, WE HAVE CAVED IN TO THE WISHES OF THE DEPRAVED, AND HAVE ALLOWED THEM TO SYSTEMATICALLY EXCLUDE GOD FROM OUR MIDST. ALL AT AN INCALCULABLE COST TO OUR VERY SURVIVAL.

LIKE YOU, I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY AND QUALITY OF LIFE FOR OUR FAMILIES AND OUR COMMUNITY. AS LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS IT IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO PROTECT OUR CITIZENS AND STRIVE TO REDUCE CRIME. I CANNOT HELP BUT WONDER: IS THERE A CORRELATION BETWEEN THE SICKENING MORAL BANKRUPTCY OF TODAY AND THE LIBERAL COURT DECISIONS THAT BEGAN IN THE ’60S? AS A PEOPLE, WE HAVE FAILED TO ACCEPT THE HARD EVIDENCE OF SUBTLE BUT DRAMATIC DESTRUCTIVE CHANGE THAT COMMENCED IN THIS COUNTRY WITH THOSE DECISIONS OF THE UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT.

AS PREVIOUSLY STATED, THE COURT INTERPRETED ACKNOWLEDGING GOD, UNDER WHOSE PROTECTION WE PUBLICLY PLACE OUR NATION, AS A VIOLATION OF THE FIRST AMENDMENT WHEN IT IS RECITED IN OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS. FOR THESE REASONS, AND WITH AN URGENT CRY, I STATE, WAKE UP, AMERICA! AMERICANS ARE BEING LULLED INTO APATHY AND CARELESSNESS; BE AWARE, THERE IS AN INSIDIOUS SCHEME SUPPORTED BY THE MEDIA, AND WASHINGTON POLITICOS THAT ARE ROBBING US OF OUR TRUE RELIGIOUS HERITAGE AND CONSTITUTIONAL FREEDOMS.

OUR COUNTRY IS IN GREAT PERIL, NOT FROM AN APPROACHING ARMY, BUT FROM A SATANIC PESTILENCE THAT HAS ALREADY INVADED OUR NATION, WITH A DRUG-INFESTED CULTURE, LITTERING OUR COUNTRY AND NEIGHBORHOODS WITH UNTOLD CORPSES, AND ITS COLLATERAL FAMILY DAMAGE. CRIME WILL CONTINUE AT A HIGH LEVEL, OUR PRISONS WILL BE OVERFLOWING, AND UNFORTUNATELY MORE OF OUR BRETHREN WILL BE KILLED IN THE LINE OF DUTY. IT IS THE UNITED STATE GOVERNMENT PROHIBITION AGAINST ALMIGHTY GOD THAT CONTINUES TO FEED THIS IMMORALITY AND INSULT HIS SUPREME MAJESTY.

UNTIL OUR NATION PUTS GOD AND THE TEN COMMANDMENTS BACK IN OUR SCHOOLS AND THE WORK PLACE THIS MORAL DECAY WILL CONTINUE.

Taking this speech into account, I hereby offer my endorsement for Sheriff of Hamilton County to:

Timothy Olyphant, who played Sheriff Seth Bullock in HBO’s Deadwood. I’m writing him in–just as Sheriff Bullock, for short. How about you?

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Who’s Endorsing Obama?

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I have never…

…detested John McCain as much as I do right now. He is foolish, wrong-headed, and dangerous. There is nothing presidential about this man.

Shame, shame, shame.

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In Sum…

I don’t know how to remain involved in politics without my blood pressure spiking. Here’s what’s happening:

  • McCain supporters routinely shout “terrorist,” “traitor,” and other epithets I won’t mention here
  • McCain supporters boo him when he calls Obama “decent” (because decent is a ringing endorsement)
  • Palin was found to have abused her power as governor, in a Springer-worthy family dispute
  • Fox and its wingnut followers are outraged that Newsweek didn’t make Palin look prettier

They’re losing, and they’re losing control. And the latter is a very worrisome thing.

But, to make myself feel better, I’m voting early this week. Tuesday or Wednesday. Then I’ll go to work on getting my mom to do the same. And pretend a large portion of this country isn’t rabid.

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In other news, Obama was in the ‘Nati yesterday, along with about 15,000 people in Ault Park. I didn’t go because I had to work, but at 11:00 (his speech was at 3), people were already trekking up from MLS and HPS. I thought, naively, that the local news last night might have had some coverage, but they were too busy with Palin in Wilmington (Any idea what she was doing there? Does anybody really believe the GOP is going to fix the DHL mess? Shouldn’t they have run her out with pitchforks?), and interviewing people there like the guy who said “She should be president!” and woman who dressed up her little girls like Caribou Barbie (thanks, Veace’s mom) and made them imitate her–as flattery. For the Obama rally? Not a single person interviewed, no estimate of the number of people there; only a brief clip (and a rather stilted one) of his speech. I really should know better than to expect anything–ANYTHING–informative from the local news, but really. They should be utterly ashamed. 15,000 citizens were gathered in a public park to support a presidential candidate. Cover the fucking story.

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Who’s Endorsing Obama?

Gene, a lifelong Republican who lives in Ohio.

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She scares me!

This is hilarious.

And one more.

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Well, did you all watch? Do you agree with the “MSM” that she won–not because she won, but because expectations for her were so low, and she managed to fill the air with words while smiling the whole fucking time? No matter that she flat didn’t answer questions, talked about a mysterious General “McClellan,” and couldn’t/wouldn’t come out and say that no, she isn’t for civil rights for gays and lesbians. And for all those hard-working teachers and the like out there: your reward will be in heaven. Just ignore how shitty your life is now.

I watched the debate at the 20th Century Theatre last night, along with a few hundred other Democrats. At least two of the local snooze stations were there, and when I came home to see the coverage, I learned that Republicans were right across the street in Oakley having their own watch party.

How did I not know this at the time? There were only about thirty people there.

Do you think the news mentioned this basic fact–that hundreds turned out on the left, and dozens on the right? Not a word. Oh, they showed pictures that told the story, sure, but there were intermingled, so if you don’t know the interior of either place, you wouldn’t know who had the big turnout. Yeah, it was the Democrats. About 10 times the number of people were there. Good reporting, folks. Heckuva job.

It was nice being around a large group of “like-minded” people last night. I use the scare quotes knowing full well that the like-mindedness is largely a myth–a hopeful one, but a myth nonetheless. My political views are much further left than the Dems, and I even felt sympathy for the Nader supporter standing outside the theatre telling us “Open up the debates! Don’t let Obama steal the progressive vote!” Well, he’s stealing mine, but circumstances are simply too dire for anything but a pragmatic vote.

I voted for Nader in 2000, thinking that (A) someone as stupid as George W. Bush could never actually be elected; and (B) we need to break the two-party hegemony. Naive? Yes. I was 20; I apologize. I have nothing but admiration for Ralph Nader, but I think he’s a more powerful force for change outside of formal politics. Take Al Gore as an example: Since losing the election* his cultural capital has risen dramatically. He can potentially do more for environmentalism outside the White House than he ever could’ve inside. So I couldn’t vote for Nader again, but I still wish my vote was going to a genuinely more progressive ticket.

That said, I like Obama. I like Biden. As individuals, I think they’re a good force for change. I’m monumentally disappointed in the Democratic Party, overall, but the thought of another four years of the same conservative garbage makes me ill. This doesn’t sound like a ringing endorsement, so let me speak to some specifics.

Health care. Since primary season began, my top issue has been health care. I supported Clinton in the primary mainly because her position on universal health care was stronger, and I believed (and still do) that she had the experience and knowledge to really do something about our crumbling health care system. Obama’s position–without mandates for adults–is weaker, but is still so much better than the McCain plan that it’s hardly fair to even compare the two.

McCain wants to do for health care what the conservatives have done for banking. And we see how that’s worked for them.

Taxing health insurance benefits from an employer as income. Giving Americans a $5,000 check–wait, scratch that–giving insurance companies a $5,000 check in your name, forcing you to buy an independent policy if you lose your job or your employer drops health insurance coverage.

Pre-existing conditions?

Do you know that one visit to a psychiatrist to deal with anxiety issues will cause an insurance company to deem you uninsurable? It happened to my boss’s husband. Their 4-year-old daughter is uninsurable because she was born with–and has already has surgery to fix–a cleft palate. They both own their own businesses. They have no health insurance. They can’t afford to offer employer health insurance benefits, and they can’t afford to pay for an individual family policy–which wouldn’t even cover all of them, because of pre-existing conditions.

Yeah, a tax break should help. Let’s open up the health insurance market.

Health insurance and health care are too connected in America to really talk about them independently. You can be denied health care if you don’t have health insurance. That’s legal in America. If you try to get health insurance but have received some kind of health care in the past, you can be denied coverage. That’s legal in America. If you have health insurance but become ill and receive some kind of health care, your health insurance company can significantly raise your premium or entirely drop your coverage. That’s legal in America.

So, what’s the Republican plan, again? Regulate insurance companies, forbid them from discriminating against the seriously and kinda-sorta-maybe ill? Create real competition, by allowing Americans to buy into a government policy if they choose?

Tax your current benefits and give money to the insurance companies?

You choose.

*Is it fair to say that Al Gore lost the election? If the Court hadn’t intervened, he probably would have won. But he didn’t win his home state of Tennessee. He should’ve done that, at the very least. Still, it’s tough to say, with certainty, that he lost.

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