Where’s the Outrage?

There are a couple of emotional issues on which Americans aren’t rational.  When you talk to folks about gun control, there usually isn’t an exchange of information.  There are talking points in which neither party hears the other.  The Death Penalty is the same way.  If you look at the Christian point of view you have the eye for an eye crowd and the turn the other check/don’t cast the first stone crowd.

I would simply ask what is the purpose the law?   If you believe that the law exists to keep people safe then you will come to one conclusion - the death penalty is wrong.  If you believe that the law exists to make victims feel better then you will come to a different conclusion.

Personally, I don’t think that the death penalty works.  There are some people who are dangerous to the general public.  Lock those folks up and throw away the key.  I don’t think that the state should be in the business of executing its own people.

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From USA Today:

Gov. Jon Corzine signed legislation Monday ending capital punishment in New Jersey, making the state the first to legislatively do so since the U.S. Supreme Court allowed states to restore the penalty in 1976.

Advocates and legislators stood behind Corzine and applauded the new law, which replaces capital punishment with life in prison without parole. Corzine said the new law “best captures our state’s highest values and reflects our best efforts to search for true justice rather than state-endorsed killing.”  (more…)

 

 NJ outlaws death penalty [2:20m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Domestic Issues by ecthompson
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Finally, some Democrats led by Harry Reid Chris Dodd stood up and said no. There will be no immunity given to the Telecoms. Harry Reid has pulled the bill from the floor.

Chris Dodd - “Today we have scored a victory for American civil liberties and sent a message to President Bush that we will not tolerate his abuse of power and veil of secrecy,” said Dodd. “The President should not be above the rule of law, nor should the telecom companies who supported his quest to spy on American citizens. I thank all my colleagues who joined me in fighting and winning a stay in the rush to grant retroactive immunity to the telecommunications companies who may have violated the privacy rights of millions of Americans. Over the coming weeks I will fight to build support for my amendment to strip immunity from the FISA legislation when the Senate once again considers this matter early next year. I will continue to use every parliamentary tool at my disposal to ensure that the Senate does not enact legal protections to shield from law suits those who violated the privacy rights of our citizens.”

This should be a principle that every Democrat can get behind. No company should bow to the President just because he is the President. Every company and every person in this country should honor the Constitution.

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From RS:

After nearly 10 hours of discussion Monday, the Senate decided to delay a final vote on a controversial domestic spying bill until the new year, under the threat of a protracted filibuster from Sen. Chris Dodd.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid spent the afternoon Monday huddling with Senate leaders and fellow Democrats to try to work out a deal over an update to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. As the FISA update was written, it included a provision for legal immunity to telecommunications companies that facilitated a warrantless wiretapping scheme that Dodd and other Democrats said was illegal. (more…)

Tags: Congress, Domestic Spying, Election 2008 by ecthompson
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For reasons that are unclear to me, Senator Joe Lieberman believes that Americans care who he endorses. I’m sorry I loss respect for Joe Lieberman when President Bush gave him that kiss.

Here’s my major problem with Lieberman, the neocons and the other pseudo-neocons. Lieberman states that McCain is the best candidate to defeat the people that attacked us on 9/11. What? Was that 9/11/2007 or 9/11/2001. 6 years ago. We defeated the real axis of evil in 4 years. We have not defeated those folks that attacked us on 9/11 yet? Why not? Don’t we need a new approach if we haven’t defeated them yet?

 

 Lieberman endorsement means what? [5:43m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Election 2008 by ecthompson
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Breaking News: Dallas Cowboys’ safety Roy Williams will be suspended 1 game for his horse collar tackle on Donavon McNabb.

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The Dallas Cowboys have been playing some inconsistent football and it bit them today. The Philadelphia Eagles could have out of the playoff hunt today if they lost. They didn’t. The hapless Eagles beat the Cowboys 10 - 6. 6!!! That’ was all that the Dallas Cowboy offense could muster.

I must congratulate the Eagles which I hate to do. If the Cowboys win only 2 games all year, I want them both to be against the Eagles.

I’ll have more later, when I quit crying.

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From DallasNews:

When it comes to December, the Cowboys of 2007 look way too much like the Cowboys of 2006.

This was supposed to be the year the Cowboys didn’t crater in the season’s final month. Wade Phillips’ softer training camp and low-key approach was supposed to make that happen. (more…)

I’m sorry I have just seen a flashback and it is ugly. We just saw the Cowboys of 2006. The 2006 Cowboys had problems making plays. The defense played hard but couldn’t make plays down the stretch. The offense of 2007 looked anemic and added some timely interceptions. That is was I saw on Sunday. Tony Romo missed wide open receivers. He forced balls into tight spaces. He forced the ball to Terrell Owens. That was ugly.

Message to the Cowboys: PLAY FOOTBALL!!! Games don’t win themselves. The offense will not be great every Sunday. The only thing that you had to do on Sunday was stop Brian Westbrook. Westbrook had 144 total yards from scrimmage. Westbrook killed the Cowboys again. The whole team needs to look at this game as a failure. The offense, defense and special teams didn’t make the plays that they needed to win.

 

 Cowboys tank [3:09m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Sports by ecthompson
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