Wednesday, June 28, 2006
Flag Desecration Amendment
The United States Congress by just one stingy little vote has preserved the freedom of our nation's people, by rejecting a Constitutional amendment that would have made it illegal to burn or otherwise "desecrate" (to use that emotion-laden, ill-defined term) the flag. The supporters of the amendment say it is needed to protect the integrity and respect for our flag.
I don't think so. In my opinion, passing this amendment is itself an act of desecrating the flag, for it desecrates the principle of freedom of speech, one of the basic freedoms on which this nation was founded and represented on our flag. If people are unhappy with the government, they need to express their grievances in whatever way they feel will get the government to change things. I would not condone some things, like violence, murder, and war, but simply burning a flag (as long as nothing else catches fire) does not harm anything else and is therefore a redress of grievances and is one of the freedoms granted to us by the Bill of Rights. The flag represents freedom, including the freedom to burn it. The day we start telling people that we can't burn the flag because it's disrespectful is the day we take a step towards becoming a totalitarian nation in which even speaking against the government could carry with it a long prison sentence.
I am glad they voted this misconception down, and I hope no one ever brings it up again.
I don't think so. In my opinion, passing this amendment is itself an act of desecrating the flag, for it desecrates the principle of freedom of speech, one of the basic freedoms on which this nation was founded and represented on our flag. If people are unhappy with the government, they need to express their grievances in whatever way they feel will get the government to change things. I would not condone some things, like violence, murder, and war, but simply burning a flag (as long as nothing else catches fire) does not harm anything else and is therefore a redress of grievances and is one of the freedoms granted to us by the Bill of Rights. The flag represents freedom, including the freedom to burn it. The day we start telling people that we can't burn the flag because it's disrespectful is the day we take a step towards becoming a totalitarian nation in which even speaking against the government could carry with it a long prison sentence.
I am glad they voted this misconception down, and I hope no one ever brings it up again.
Monday, June 12, 2006
Candidates Still Put Computer Calls on my Telephone
The latest thing here in Virginia is the primary election to elect a Democrat to oppose the worst Republican that has come up in recent Virginia history, Sen. George Allen. These candidates seem intent on making the November election the Election from Hell. They are putting computerized calls on my telephone. The phone would ring. The Caller ID would say "unknown caller" or some toll-free number (hey, look. Those numbers are for us to call you free, not for you to call us). The phone would jar me out of what I was doing to get a computer call that I can't talk back to urging me to vote for this Schmoe or the other one on 2006 June 13. I think that is an improper technique. The telephone was not meant for campaigns to put ads on. It was meant for human to human communication, and it should remain that way. If these were sales calls these candidates are putting on my phone, they would constitute Class 4 misdemeanors in Virginia.
Both of the Democratic primary candidates, Harris Miller and Jim Webb, have put computer calls on my telephone. The score is now Webb 5, Miller 3. I emailed both candidates asking them to stop the computer calling, and to make their opponent's computer calling a campaign issue. I have not gotten a response from Miller, but he has not put computer calls on my phone since last week when I emailed him. Jim Webb, on the other hand, has put two more computer calls on my phone, to take the 5-3 lead. To top it off, Kevin Druff of the Webb camp said he would put my name on the do-not-call list. It looks like he didn't do it.
Therefore, my vote is going to Harris Miller. Another reason for voting for Miller is that Webb has supported Republicans, including George Allen, in the past. Remember, George Allen is the worst that Virginia Republicans have to offer, so to me, supporting him eliminates him as a candidate.
Miller has complained about Webb's comic ad in which he portrays Miller with a hooked nose and with dollar bills in his pocket. He said it may be anti-Semitic. I don't see this at all. But I still would not vote for Webb.
And guess what? The computer calling may transmogrify to another medium. I have heard that there is a threat of campaign spam this autumn. I have gotten emails from all sorts of politicians, mostly Democrats. I find these annoying, since I have to overlook them in looking for the important email that I have. What is being implied is that the problem could get much worse. We could have dozens of campaign spams hitting our computer mailboxes this autumn. This will backfire against the candidates being touted. So I don't know if this will happen. In the meantime, I will continue to block these emails, because I find them monotonous, devoid of new information, and annoying.
Both of the Democratic primary candidates, Harris Miller and Jim Webb, have put computer calls on my telephone. The score is now Webb 5, Miller 3. I emailed both candidates asking them to stop the computer calling, and to make their opponent's computer calling a campaign issue. I have not gotten a response from Miller, but he has not put computer calls on my phone since last week when I emailed him. Jim Webb, on the other hand, has put two more computer calls on my phone, to take the 5-3 lead. To top it off, Kevin Druff of the Webb camp said he would put my name on the do-not-call list. It looks like he didn't do it.
Therefore, my vote is going to Harris Miller. Another reason for voting for Miller is that Webb has supported Republicans, including George Allen, in the past. Remember, George Allen is the worst that Virginia Republicans have to offer, so to me, supporting him eliminates him as a candidate.
Miller has complained about Webb's comic ad in which he portrays Miller with a hooked nose and with dollar bills in his pocket. He said it may be anti-Semitic. I don't see this at all. But I still would not vote for Webb.
And guess what? The computer calling may transmogrify to another medium. I have heard that there is a threat of campaign spam this autumn. I have gotten emails from all sorts of politicians, mostly Democrats. I find these annoying, since I have to overlook them in looking for the important email that I have. What is being implied is that the problem could get much worse. We could have dozens of campaign spams hitting our computer mailboxes this autumn. This will backfire against the candidates being touted. So I don't know if this will happen. In the meantime, I will continue to block these emails, because I find them monotonous, devoid of new information, and annoying.
