Abp Dolan: No Change in Confirmation Age

Abp Dolan sent an email to parish priests and administrative staffers to announce "No Change" in the policy to administer the Sacrament of Confirmation to youth at about the age of 16.

Of course, this IS a Big Change in itself--the typical age for Confirmation, until Rembert Weakland, OSB, got to town, was 6th/7th grade.

About a year ago several hundred Catholics in the area sent a letter to Abp Dolan requesting a change back to the 'middle-school' Confirmation policy. The Archbishop dispatched the request to a Committee (the Archdiocesan Pastoral Council), who inter alia held a couple of "listening sessions" before telling the Archbishop what to decide.

The Archbishop's letter did NOT reference Canon 891 of the Church:


"The sacrament of confirmation is to be conferred on the faithful at about the age of discretion unless the conference of bishops has determined another age, or there is danger of death, or in the judgment of the minister a grave cause suggests otherwise."

Nor did the letter reference the "ordinary policy" of the Church, which was outlined thus by another sitting American Bishop:


It is the ordinary policy of the Church to initiate all persons over the age of discretion with the
original order of the sacraments: first Baptism, then Confirmation, and finally Eucharist.

...In this order, Eucharist is seen as the sacrament which completes our initiation, and it is the only one of the three that is celebrated more than once.

Nor did Abp Dolan cite the history (curious, as Abp Dolan's academic background is in Church History):


For the first five centuries of the Church's history, the three Sacraments of Initiation, Baptism,
Confirmation, and Eucharist, were celebrated together as part of one initiation rite. This was
true for adults and children. During the 5th through the 13th centuries infant baptism became
the norm. At that time Church leaders separated Confirmation and Eucharist from Baptism.
For the most part, Confirmation was celebrated at the age of discretion (7 years of age), and
First Communion took place in pre-adolescence. Although separated from Baptism, the order
of the Sacraments remained the same. It was not until the twentieth century, in 1910, that the
age for Eucharist was lowered to the age of discretion. At that point, the norm became to
celebrate Eucharist around the age of 7 or 8, and Confirmation sometime between 8 and 18.

The change moving First Communion to the age of 7 or 8 was made at the request of Pope St. Pius X. Note that Confirmation preceded First Communion until the early 1900's. The Canon Law cited above clearly does not disturb this ordering.

Well, that's that. Parents who made the argument that Confirmation's graces may be very useful during the early teenage years have been out-argued by "theologians, catechists, and [other] children" according to Abp Dolan's letter.

That settles that, eh?

Half-Wet, Half-Dry

How were your friends and relative affected by last night's storm in Milwaukee?

Kinda depends on where they live in relation to I-94. If south of the interstate, they got a LOT of rain in 2-3 hours. If north, they got almost nothing.

The MMSD keeps track of such things, and you can see the contrast:

http://www.mmsd.com/news/storm_update.cfm

Random 10 on Mexican vs. Wisconsin Elections

Random 10 not only identified Kevin Barrett as a nut-whacky a FULL YEAR AGO--he also compares Mexico's election laws with Wisconsin's--and shows us that BagManJim Doyle's preferred method is spurned by Mexico:

Undocumented workers were denied absentee ballot applications at consulates and embassies and more than a million eligible voters were barred from casting a ballot because their voter registration cards were not up to date and the IFE refused to update them outside of Mexico. Untold numbers of undocumented workers who could not risk returning to Mexico for a minimum 25 days to renew their credential were denied the franchise the IFE was sworn to defend. The PRD insists that the majority of undocumented Mexicans in the U.S. would have cast a ballot for Lopez Obrador.

Take heart, BagMan. Voces de la Frontera will attempt to register them here in Wisconsin--they can vote for you instead of Obrador.

Even KOS Can't Buy Coulter as "Plagiarist"

Contra The American "Mind," who has had it in for Anne Coulter ever since she turned Sean down for a date back at the CPAC conference, even Daily Kos will not buy the story that Anne is a plagiarist:

To me personally, some of the examples/accusations seem strained -- simply similar statements of the same basic facts. And sometimes there are only so many ways to describe one set of facts. In other cases the similarities of the wording strike me as hard to see as a coincidence. Especially when there seem to be multiple instances of similarities in the same column coming from the same source.

Sean's been peddling this "plagiarism" stuff for a while. We note that he won't even run a picture of Anne as a "Summerfest Babe of the Day."

Things NOT Taught in BCT

Some methods of firing a light weapon are simply, ...well, ....ludicrous.

Via Grim's Hall, we have pictures.

Caution: Do NOT Try this at home. Closed course, professional imitators used.

Knowledge gained: the precise definition of "Glock foh-TAY." Everything else you see in these pix will most assuredly be harmful to health.

Taking the Wrong Approach at Catholic Charities

There's a lot to the immigration debate, and there are varying opinions on some major elements of Immigration Reform. However, some of the actions of Waukesha's Catholic Charities office are simply misguided, at best.

Croal, an outreach worker with Catholic Charities in Waukesha, works with members of the Hispanic community - some of whom are illegal immigrants - helping connect them with employers, make sense of paperwork and even fill out employment forms.

This activity is simply wrong. It is no different from providing keys to someone else's car. In facilitating illegal employment, Catholic Charities is essentially becoming part of the underworld, breaking US law.

Villarreal [of La Casa Esperanza, NOT a Catholic agency] said he understands concerns about security, but said politicians shouldn't just focus on the Mexican border.

"It's important not to get confused. Terrorists are not going to be walking through the desert. They're going to be flying first-class. We learned that from 9-11," Villarreal said. "We definitely have to secure our borders, and we need to know who is here. I think that's very important."

Well, Mr. Villareal, that is simply wrong. Here's what David Aguilar, Chief of the Border Patrol, had to say about that:

The United States continues to experience a rising influx of nationals other than Mexicans (OTMs) illegally entering the country. OTM apprehensions totaled 165,175 for FY05, whereas FY 04’s number of OTM apprehensions was 75,389.

Aguilar's statement referred to Mexican border-crossings, by the way.

The rest of the JS article is your standard "heart-strings" stuff--the illegals are here, they have anchor babies, "What CAN we DO?" type of angst.

Well, from this Catholic, a suggestion: stop facilitating illegal work. Firmly and politely tell illegals to go home.

To do otherwise is immoral--and that's not "Catholic."

WI Split on Homosex "Marriage?"

The JSOnline runs a story which sounds like "whistling past the graveyard." The story tells us that a Poll Was Conducted, and Wisconsin residents are about evenly split on the question of homosex "marriage."

Fortunately, you don't have to get to the very last 'graf to find the interesting stuff--it's right up there in the beginning:

Wisconsin residents are evenly split over a proposal to ban gay marriage and Vermont-style civil unions, according to a poll released today by WisPolitics.com.

The statewide poll - the latest non-partisan glimpse of where Wisconsin residents stand on gay marriage - canvassed 600 randomly selected Wisconsin adults.

Recall Rush Limbaugh's firm belief that polls are by and large accurate--but that results which are strange (as these are) usually derive from the questions or the method.

Here, it's the method. "600 Randomly Selected Adults" doesn't cut it; a poll with realistic ambitions would survey likely voters, and would reflect voting patterns--(R), (D), (Other) in the last few Statewide elections which actually drew a crowd.

Xoff a "Relationship-Builder?"

In commenting on the "new attitude" of the BagManJim campaign--you know, attacking the press, sending lawyer-letters to anybody and everybody, and generally acting like it needs a couple 2x4's across the head--the SpiceBoyzzz found someone longing for the 'good old days' of Mr Sweetness Acerbic himself.

A second politico, with experience running a campaign, agreed.

This official said he believes that the Doyle team feels it doesn't get the respect it deserves, so it has begun browbeating the media, local officials and trade groups.

"It is an attitude that is very elitist - that we're going to send these heavies in. I just don't get it," the politico said. "It shows the influence of someone like Bill Christofferson (Doyle's 2002 strategist) is missing from this campaign. These are people who don't understand that you build relationships, not enemies."

Christofferson is well-known for his acerbic tongue, but the politico said the semi-retired Democratic strategist was more likely to say something openly and to offer alternative facts to make his point.

It should be clear from the Boyzzz' column that they would MUCH prefer Jimbo and his thugs-with-law-licenses to be nice folks. There's a reason: the Boyzzz and the rest of the MSM want Jimbo to prevail in November. After all, nothing could be worse than the retrogression to Times Neanderthal which will undoubtedly be forced upon the State by such as Mark Green and a majority-(R) Legislature, right?

Well--something COULD be worse.

How about having Jimbo frog-walked out of the Governor's Mansion?

Andrea Mitchell: Bloggers and Radio Guys "Hate-Filled"

Stamping her feet and pouting, Andrea Mitchell blames it all on Rush, the Radio Guys, and Bloggers:

“the kind of hateful speech that we have seen...in a lot of the blogosphere...goes back, in my own experience, to 1989 when the talk radio shows went crazy about the congressional pay raise.” She then reasoned: “The anti-Washington, anti-bureaucrat bias that was built into that debate was then taken up by cable talk hosts as well and that became the kind of really combative conversation that displaced reasoned discussions about controversial issues."

"Reasoned discussions" is defined as MSM 'analysis.' Take your choice: Left, Far-Left, and Moonbat Wacko.

Other opinions are "combative conversation," and "anti-bureaucrat bias."

Frankly, if it weren't for Newsbusters, I wouldn't have the foggiest idea what Andrea Mitchell actually does for a living--and I rather like it that way.

The State's Schools: Not a Place for Children

Via Moonbattery, a Mona Charen revelation, making it clear that State school officials are absolutely incapable of good hiring decisions:

A parent from Plymouth, N.Y., has sent along another example of liberals gone wild. Fishing through her son's backpack (he's a ninth grader), she found a crumpled up handout from the health teacher. The title caught her attention: "Dysfunctional 'Family Rules.'" The handout is reproduced below with punctuation, grammar and capitalization as in original:

"Here is a list of some of the unworkable rules found in dysfunctional families

"Boys shouldn't cry. (they should be like diminutive adult males, independent, self contained, and tough. they should bear pain and hurt with a kind of stoicism and emotional flatness exemplified by rugged males in cigarette commercials and by romantic depictions of fighters and the wild, wild west.)

"Girls should always be nice. (Talk nice talk. Never say anything negative. Do nice things. Never do anything that would make someone look askance at you. Nice girls DON'T.)

"Elders always deserve respect and come first. (No matter how the elder behaves, the elder must be treated gingerly, for and elder has power -- even if it used capriciously and irrationally.)

"There is only one way to do things. (That is, there's only one RIGHT way to do things. There's only one right way to handle a spouse, to deal with the kids, to have a birthday party, to dance . . .)

"Don't talk, think or feel about sex, money, and feelings. (Talk . . . well, talk stirs things up, gets people upset, well it just causes more trouble. When it comes to sex, money and feelings, silence takes on a precious eloquence. Silence is not only golden, it's high grade platinum.)

"Work first, play later. (Much later . . .)

"The older child must always set an example for the younger children. (Good example that is.)

"Children should always obey their parents. (And it's the parents job to see that their children make the RIGHT decisions -- the decisions the parents want. Then when the child reaches the magic age of emancipation -- 18 or 21 -- the Good Decision Fairy will plink the child on the skull with a charmed wand and make the child a full-fledged adult who always makes Good Decisions.)

"Don't talk about your family to anyone outside the family. (Outsiders will just spread malicious gossip. So always pretend that everything's OK at home, even if it isn't. there's nothing worse than being disloyal to your family.)"

Let's assume that this diatribe is the work of only one irritable teacher and not schoolwide, or, God forbid, countywide, instruction. Still, it represents something. This health teacher obviously believes that delicate matters of family dynamics, as well as highly intimate subjects like sex, obedience, money and family privacy are within the purview of her course.

While one doubts that Folkbum would endorse this screed, there are a couple of teachers in Port Washington who are copying this right now...

UN Small Arms Conference a Failure. GOOD!!

The UN's inability to do anything has a few benefits. One of them is this:

A U.N. meeting meant to expand a five-year-old crackdown on the illicit global trade in small arms ended in chaos on Friday as delegates ran out of time without reaching agreement on a plan for future action.

Rebecca Peters of the London-based International Action Network on Small Arms accused governments of letting a few states "hold them all hostage and to derail any plans which might have brought any improvements in this global crisis."

...The conference was called to update a 2001 action plan against illegal small arms, which as defined by the United Nations range from pistols and rifles to grenades, mortars and shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles.

But two weeks of negotiations and speeches came to naught

There's some irony to the fact that major opponents of UN action included Red China, which derives a great deal of its income from selling light arms (think Norinco.)

The US position was sensible: Washington was willing to endorse a set of global principles aimed at keeping small arms out of the hands of groups intent on human rights abuse, genocide or breaking U.N. arms embargoes

Of course, since "groups intent on human rights abuse" include a LOT of Governments, Washington's position was unpopular...

Tunnel Bombers--More Info of Interest

Counterterrorism Blog always has interesting stuff typically unreported by the MSM.

Here are a couple of tidbits regarding the leader of the NY-tunnel-bombing bunch:

4. If you read this sentence from the Lebanese security report well you’d draw very important conclusions: “It was requested from him not to show any religious tendencies during his stay in Lebanon and to give the picture of a frivolous and uncommitted youth.” First start with the “it”: Who requested this guideline from him? Obviously a higher level of command, and a sophisticated one. In Jihadi tactics, Taqiya is just about that: You have the right to play another personality until you perform your mission. Unfortunately many among us are still unaware of it. Often media reactions to arrests start with “well, he didn’t look like he was a fundamentalist.” Well, now you have your answer. The misinformation is not restrained to the public, but is also present in the judicial world facing off with Terrorism. At the Detroit Terror case where I testified as an expert in 2003, I wasn’t even able to give a real example of Taqiya from an article published in a national daily.

5. When you read this sentence from the report, you raise even more questions: “He was intending to travel to Pakistan in the near future to undertake a training course to last for four months”. So inside Pakistan, there are “training spaces” for Jihadists, including al Qaida. If you link most cases in the West from London, Toronto, and many groups in the US, you’d conclude that “going to Pakistan, or into Afghanistan,” is a common trait. Which should begin to draw some analytical conclusions, not just that there is “something central” in Pakistan, but that all the Jihadi groups (or most), including the so-called “homegrown” in different countries are linked or wish to be linked.

Stuff to bear in mind as you read the MSM/NYSlimes versions of the story--and future stories, as they emerge.

Hans Blix--Liar or Just REALLY Forgetful?

As Saddam's own Government documents are reviewed, we find that Iraq was working like little beavers on WMD's--including ricin.

From CMPC-2003-003766-HT.pdf

Ricin toxin is found in the bean of the castor plant. UNMOVIC inspections since December 2002 have verified that the bombed caster oil extraction plant at Fallujah III has been reconstructed on a larger scale.

Undeclared BW agents, there are a number of microorganisms and toxins that have been developed as BW agents by several countries, including Bacillus anthracis (anthrax), Clostridium bottalinum toxin, Yersinia pestis (plague), Francisella tularensis (tularemia), Brucella species (Brucellosis) Coxiella burnetti (Q fever) and Variola major (smallpox). Drying of BW Agents, BW agents are produced by a process that usually results in a liquid product, for example bacteria in an aqueous suspension, or toxins in an aquesous or organic solution.

Note the portion in red above. Then note THIS:

Hans Blix never mentioned ricin or castor beans in his UN presentation on March 7, 2003. In fact, it never even mentions the word "violation" once.

Next time you hear that supercilious bloated gasbag Blix yapping about "no violations," and how he is on the side of the angels and ...and...and...it's all a Bushitler/Cheney conspiracy, throw something at the jackass.

HT: Captain'sQuarters

By the way, it seems that the CIA's observations of "trailers" dedicated to WMD production were also accurate, as mentioned in the linked post from CQ.

Marotta: "Nothing to See Here. Move Along"

This will be fun to watch.

Former Administration Secretary Marc Marotta met last year in his state office with a Philadelphia-area attorney who gave Gov. Jim Doyle $10,000 on the same day, state records show.

"Just happened to be in town, and thought I'd drop off 10 grand. Saves the postage, you know."

Katie Boyce, Doyle's fund- raiser, helped arrange the meeting, said Anson Kaye, a spokesman for Doyle's campaign. Marotta's calendar lists Boyce as an attendee to the meeting, but Kaye said she was included on the calendar in error.

"Meeting? No. Not me. I didn't do it. Nobody saw me do it. You can't prove anything!!"

The donation and meeting were in no way linked, Dilweg [Marotta's aide] and Kaye said.

Pure co-incidence. Pure as the driven snow.

Illegally Working? Social Security Admin Won't Tell

Idiots.

The Social Security Administration knows of 100,000 immigrants who are working illegally in the US--but won't tell anyone for fear of 'privacy concerns.' In addition, the LARGEST employers of non-authorized workers are GOVERNMENTS!

Privacy concerns prevent the Social Security Administration from notifying an employer that a hired foreign national is not authorized to work in this country, including someone who may be a potential national security risk, says a government audit.

The audit released last month as immigration-reform debate heated up on Capitol Hill says 109,064 foreign nationals used their non-working Social Security numbers to report earnings at 100 companies reviewed between 2001 to 2002. It said hundreds of thousands more also are using their Social Security cards illegally.

The report said employers that posted the largest number of illegal wage earners were government, retail and universities, and the largest number of noncitizens with earnings under a non-working Social Security number were from Mexico, India and the Philippines.

The report said the average wage item ranged from $7,700 in the staffing industry to $102,000 in the technology industry, and technology and government accounted for $4 billion, or 64 percent, of the wages posted to non-working Social Security numbers by the 100 targeted employers.

"China Is Our Friend" Part 265 Where's GWB??

We've mentioned, often, that Red China flagrantly violates human rights. It continues to disappoint us that the Bush Administration (and its predecessor) simply refuse to revoke MFN/PNTR and penalize Red China with the trade restrictions and impairments which will follow such a move.

Here's another example:

Beijing - Police detained an elderly bishop from the underground Roman Catholic Church shortly after he underwent surgery in northern China\'s Hebei province, a US-based Catholic group said on Friday.

Police from China's religious affairs bureau took bishop Jia Zhiguo away from a hospital in Hebei's Jinzhou city on June 25, while he was 'still very sick with his catheter in place' following unspecified surgery in early June, the Cardinal Kung Foundation said in a statement.

Officials told hospital staff that Jia, 72, would be sent home but later told members of his congregation that he was sent for 'education,' the statement said.

"Re-education" eh?

...among other sources of foreign capital, PRChina provides replacement body-organs to order by simply executing the right blood-type "prisoner." PRChina continues to enforce its "one-child" policy, most often through butchering the second baby either pre- or post-birth.

But Red China is "our friend."

"Reformers" Running Commercials

The shadowy and deceptive "Greater Wisconsin Committee" bunch runs ads which are meant to drag Cong. Green down to the level of BagManJim Doyle.

Good luck in that effort...not likely ANYONE can be dragged to Doyle's now-subterranean level.

But it is ironic that one of the themes the ads sound has to do with campaign contributions.

Ain't it fun?

GWC does NOT disclose who sends them the money for their ads--nor for Bill Christofferson's salary and/or fees.

One of the REAL reforms which should occur in electoral politics is to require that ALL contributors to ALL campaigns, 527's, and other interest groups who place ads in any media, or who contribute to any candidate, be listed on-line, within one week of the donation's arrival. No exceptions. A print copy of the list, updated weekly, should be made available at all State office buildings, as well--for those who do not have 'net access.

Who could possibly object to this?

Well, OK. Xoff will object, I suppose.

Cousins Center to Go--BK Option In Play

The Milwaukee JSOnline reports that the Cousins Center will be sold and that the Archdiocese is considering bankruptcy; Terry Berres has published Abp. Dolan's email on the topic.

The archdiocese's Finance Council has recommended hiring a professional broker to sell the Cousins Center, and the process of selecting one will soon begin, Topczewski added.

"The issue of going into bankruptcy would be extremely painful and would only come after extensive consultation with the advisory groups of the archdiocese, and as a last resort," Jerry Topczewski, Dolan's chief of staff, said Thursday in an interview.

This comes as no surprise whatsoever, and along with the 'virtual closing' of St Francis Major Seminary, is the strong medicine administered to this Archdiocese for the errors and omissions of a few of its former key personnel.

The errors and omissions? Admitting and ordaining men who were homosexuals--then, after these men attacked boys, Archdiocesan management played "hide-the-perp" rather than moving to defrock them or seeking prosecution and incarceration, or both.

Lies and manipulations emanated from the Chancery and its agents. In addition, there was some cooperation (also called "enablement") from police and prosecutors.

Oh, well.

A number of my acquaintances tried to make it clear to Archdiocesan officials that the problem was serious, but "expert" psychologists and shrinks pooh-poohed the concerns.

In 1961, the Vatican published a document specifically prohibiting the Ordination of homosexuals--also ignored.

Oh, well.

New York Supremes Send A Message

Yah.

A very civilized and enjoyable interlocutor of mine was almost going to bet on the NY decision. Good thing he didn't, or he'd be buying a LOT of good meals in the near future:

The highest courts in New York and Georgia dealt setbacks to supporters of same-sex marriage on Thursday, reigniting a national debate likely to continue through the November congressional election campaign.

The New York Court of Appeals upheld a state law that bans same-sex marriage and said the Legislature should decide whether to allow gays to marry.

Meanwhile, Georgia's Supreme Court overturned a lower court ruling that found the state's 2004 voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage was unconstitutional. The higher court thus upholds a law recognizing marriage as only the union of a man and a woman.

Now as to Charlie Sykes--Charlie, you don't REALLY want to be more 'liberal' than the Supremes of NYState, do you?

UW: From Frying Pan to Fire?

The UW system announced that it will formally declare $26 MILLION "flushed down the toilet" and scrap its Lawson software-based payroll project.

THEN they announced that they were going to Oracle's Peoplesoft solution.

But maybe it is not a solution:

The 11-campus North Dakota University System (NDUS) continues to work on a troubled rollout of PeopleSoft ERP and academic software that critics said has exceeded budget and missed deadlines.

The Web-based system, based on Oracle Corp.'s PeopleSoft Enterprise 8 software, is known as ConnectND and handles academic tasks such as grant and contracts management as well as payroll and human resources functions.

The effort to date was described as "a train wreck" by Gerald Groenewold, director of the University of North Dakota's Energy and Environmental Research Center, which develops energy-efficient and environmental technologies. The nonprofit group, based on the Grand Forks campus, relies on ConnectND for its operations.

"The old systems had Band-Aids, but they worked," he said. "Just give me something that works. [ConnectND] has cost our organization a phenomenal amount of money to try and implement."

The financials software is at times unable to quickly provide account balances to customers -- a task that once took minutes now can take weeks, said Groenewold. So far, the installation has cost his organization about $500,000 and still costs about $15,000 a month. "To say I'm frustrated would be a significant understatement," he said.

As we all know, however, Oracle IS a solution--for BagManJim.

WI Court Denigrates Marriage--Implications

As Sykes observed today, Wisconsin's 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals is re-writing Wisconsin statutes. This time, somebody named Brown determined that in HIS reading, marriage between husband and wife is "not privileged."

Brown is, to put it politely, nuts--and an arrogant Black-Robed Imperialista, to boot.

A state law that calls marriage "the foundation of the family and of society" does not elevate marriage over other relationships, an appeals court said Wednesday.

"We do not read the Legislature's recognition that marriage is an important and vital societal institution worthy of preservation and protection as a policy judgment that other intimate relationships are of lesser value or legitimacy," Judge Richard Brown wrote for the 2nd District Court of Appeals. "It does not attempt to privilege marriage over other intimate relationships."

We can hear Screechin'Shirley applauding vigorously in the background; not only because Brown fits her mold as a "reformer" (see GKC quote below) but because the decision, which will be affirmed by the Wisconsin Supremes, comports precisely with her weltanschuung.

Unfortunately, the decision also contradicts, directly, the plain English of the statute:

Marriage is the institution that is the foundation of the family and of society. Its stability is basic to morality and civilization, and of vital interest to society and the state. ...Under the laws of this state, marriage is a legal relationship between 2 equal persons, a husband and wife, who owe to each other mutual responsibility and support. 765.001(2)

The implications are clear; Brown, a Judge-Imperial, is laying the groundwork for the demolition of the Legislature's clear intent regarding marriage. That means that homosex "marriage" will be made licit by some other Wisconsin court.

The Amendment was written with this eventuality in mind. It is obvious that the Wisconsin judiciary (like that of Massachusetts) will rule in any way they see fit. Only a Constitutional amendment will restrain them.

And that's only at the State level.

GKChesterton on Social Reform

Written in 1914, and unchanging:

The great mark of modern social reformers is that they always desire to drive in a certain direction rather than to a certain goal. They wish to advertise their cause even more than they wish to advance it.

The other great mark of the modern social reform is that it is never defended on its merits.

Senate Democrats, anyone?

GKChesterton Prophesies on Responsibility

When you realize that this was written in 1908, it's even more forceful:

Thinkers of this type always reply that we must not think of the fault of the individual..., but of what they call "the fault of the system." I believe the system to be the darkest and dreariest hole in which oppressors hid themselves from human anger. ...We are to refrain from bringing the responsibility home to anybody until some day it simultaneously comes home to everybody.

Because it is not easy for any competitive pork butcher at present to be exactly like St. Francis of Assisi, therefore we must ask to dinner and elect to Parliament the pork-butcher who is exactly like Nero; the one particular pork-butcher who butchers men like pork.

...let us realize that there is also the abominably bad case in which the system needs to be protected from the man; in which he is actually making it more devilish than the Devil intended it to be. Let us attack him by name. ...as long as we go on cursing the system, the system will be perfectly safe.

I can think of a few applications for the excerpt above.

Peace Activist Cold-Cocks Rock Singer

From Newsbusters, who got it from Drudge:

“A New Zealand peace activist is facing serious assault charges after he allegedly punched a rock singer in London, leaving the man in a coma.”

Evidently "peace" activism stops at the borders of Iraq, or something...

Triumvirate's Excellent Question

BagManJim Doyle, temporarily inhabiting the Governor's mansion, pushes a Wisconsin version of the "Healthy New York" plan to remedy health-care-cost woes.

The Triumvirate examines the plan in question and finds that certain "mandated benefits" which other health plans must cover are NOT covered by the State plan. So here's the question:

If these mandated benefits are unessential enough that the state can relieve the mandate for some people to save them money, why can’t the state relieve all people from the mandate so our businesses can slow the hemorrage of money into their skyrocketing health care premiums?

Separately, Fraley asks about the deductibility of HSA's--another excellent question.

Religion of Peace, Part 3,567,998

News item:

Somali Muslims who fail to perform daily prayers will be killed in accordance with Qur'anic law under a new edict issued by a leading cleric in the Islamic courts union that controlled the capital.

HT: Dhimmi Watch

Another "Shot In Back" Suspect

This is not the first time we've read this kind of story:

A Milwaukee police officer testified at an inquest Wednesday that he fatally shot a man in January after the man escaped from the back of his squad car and went for his gun during a scuffle in an alley

An autopsy showed that Evans, [the suspect] who was not armed, was shot once in the back Jan. 11.

Anyone who has read In the Gravest Extreme, a short book on the principles and practice of armed self-defense, recognizes the problem immediately; it is very similar to the "spray and pray" shooting of another suspect in Shorewood a few years ago.

"In the back?"

Really.....

Vatican Takes Harder Line with Muslims

In a very significant change in policy, the Vatican has decided that quiet 'negotiating' with Muslims is simply fruitless; more verbal pressure will be exercised, and the Church will ask other countries to assist.

..."The West has had relations with the Arab countries for half a century … and has not been able to get the slightest concession on human rights." [Mgr. Velacio de Paolis, Secretary, the Vatican Supreme Court.]

De Paolis is hardly alone in his thinking; indeed, the Catholic Church is undergoing a dramatic shift from a decades-old policy to protect Catholics living under Muslim rule. The old methods of quiet diplomacy and muted appeasement have clearly failed. The estimated 40 million Christians in Dar al-Islam, notes the Barnabas Fund's Patrick Sookhdeo, increasingly find themselves an embattled minority facing economic decline, dwindling rights, and physical jeopardy. Most of them, he goes on, are despised and distrusted second-class citizens, facing discrimination in education, jobs, and the courts.

These harsh circumstances are causing Christians to flee their ancestral lands for the West's more hospitable environment. Consequently, Christian populations of the Muslim world are in a free-fall.

Rumblings of this could be heard already in John Paul II's time. For example, Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, the Vatican equivalent of foreign minister, noted in late 2003 that "There are too many majority Muslim countries where non-Muslims are second-class citizens." Tauran pushed for reciprocity: "Just as Muslims can build their houses of prayer anywhere in the world, the faithful of other religions should be able to do so as well."

Obtaining the same rights for Christians in Islamdom that Muslims enjoy in Christendom has become the key to the Vatican's diplomacy toward Muslims.

If the Islamists and muhajedeen aren't careful, their use of the term "Crusaders" could become a self-fulfilling prophesy. And the results last time weren't so good for the Islamists.

On the Declaration of Independence

Fr. James Schall, SJ, is one of this country's best thinkers, and he writes clear, concise essays, too. In an essay published on the Ignatius Insight website, we find the following:

But the colonists also recognized that not all "evils" are, as they put it, "sufferable." The unwillingness of a people to do nothing about anything with itself or others is not a sign of virtue but of decadence. A kind of "slavishness" sets in and is passive before every evil. The colonists did not belong to that class of men who thought they never had to stand up to anything, never had to draw a line, never had to act. They stood on the side of those who saw with the great Burke, who sided with them, that the best way to magnify evil is for good men to think they need to do nothing about it.

....

Much of the poverty and disorder in the world is the result of refusing to learn what we have already learned, or more often the refusal to put it into practice. We are certainly a fortunate people in many ways. Few people on the whole have lived better lives in a material sense. But our good life is not unrelated to the reasons that make us unique, reasons stated in the Declaration as if they were intended in essence for mankind, so that they are not simply "ours."

....

The most pressing immediate issue facing us today is a militant religion, however we distinguish it, which persists in an announced world mission throughout centuries and constantly brings back this effort whenever it is not prevented. Belloc understood this in his time. What too many of us cannot or will not grasp is that we have a real and shrewd enemy who recognizes our internal vulnerabilities and inability to recognize that this missionary effort is real, even if, as it is said, only embraced by a portion of Islam.

....

Lincoln spoke of this form of government described in the Declaration as "not perishing from the earth." If we know our Plato and Aristotle, we know that any government, the worst and the best, can disappear from two causes: 1) internal change so that the original people no longer "hold" the same truths on which it was based, and 2) from foreign conquest. Watching Europe these days, one is tempted to add, in honor of Paul VI, that governments can also cease simply when its people no longer see it necessary to have children.

....

The "new government" thus established, now one of the oldest countries on the planet, was literally to "provide new Guards for our security." Unless this provision is continually accomplished, nothing else is possible to a free people. Awareness of this truth is both common sense and high wisdom. A people unwilling to make this provision for such "guards," under reason and under law, unwilling to pledge itself to its own and to universal principles, not only will not be free, but will not deserve to be free.

Worth reading.

Humor Break

Stolen from a Texas blogger, and modified for Wisconsin folks:

Once upon a time in the kingdom of Heaven , God was missing for six days. Eventually, Michael the Archangel found him, resting on the seventh day.

He inquired of God. "Where have you been?"God sighed a deep sigh of satisfaction and proudly pointed downwards through the clouds, "Look, Michael. Look what I've made."

Archangel Michael looked puzzled and said, "What is it?"

"It's a planet," replied God, "and I've put Life on it. I'm going to call it Earth and it's going to be a great place of balance."

"Balance?" Inquired Michael, still confused

God explained, pointing to different parts of earth. "For example, northern Europe will be a place of great opportunity and wealth but cold and harsh while southern Europe is going to be poor but sunny and pleasant. "I have made some lands abundant in water and other lands parched deserts. This one will be extremely hot and while this one will be very cold and covered in ice."

The Archangel , impressed by God's work, then pointed to a land mass and said "What's that one?"

"Ah," said God. "That's Wisconsin -- the most glorious place on earth. There are beautiful beaches, streams, hills, and forests The people from Wisconsin are going to be handsome, modest, intelligent and humorous and they are going to be found traveling the world. They will be extremely sociable, hardworking and high achieving, and they will be known throughout the world as diplomats and carriers of peace."

Michael gasped in wonder and admiration but then proclaimed, "What about balance, God? You said there would be balance!"

God replied wisely, "Wait until you see the idiots I put in Madison."

Secret NYTimes Document Uncovered

...right at Planet Moron, of all places!!

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one Newspaper to dissolve the political bands which have connected it to its country, a decent respect to the opinions of Arianna Huffington requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all Journalists are created more than equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Sources, Leaks and the pursuit of a Pulitzer. --That to secure these rights, Newspapers are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the stockholders-That whenever any Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the Editors to expose classified information, and to help institute a new Government, organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to increase circulation.

There's more here.

Kevin Barrett Teaches "Muslim Culture" Alright

Some of you thought that Kevin Barrett, UW's Nutty Professor, was just a bit--ah--'touched' in the head.

But NO!! He's telling you exactly what the Muslims think in England, too,--just like his "Intro to Mahomet" course title would indicate:

Here was a man who had shown great courtesy and kindness, yet believed the West was so corrupt it had staged terrorist attacks against itself. How could he be so deluded? Jabbar, however, was far from alone. One of the sternest advocates of conspiracy theory was Imran Bham, a shopkeeper running Idoo PC, a computer equipment shop.

“You don’t get anywhere with the dirty kuffar (infidels),” he told me, claiming there was a widespread conspiracy against Muslims and that the 7/7 bombings were part of it. “These brothers never did it,” he said. “And understand this. In order for America and Britain to go to Iraq they have to have reasons and sometimes, I’m afraid, if you haven’t got a reason, you make up that reason.”

He showed me pictures of the bomb blasts from the BBC on his computer, claiming ID documents must have been placed at the scene by officials because the blasts would have destroyed them.

The only difference is that 7/7 occurred in London.

Ragnar Returns Railing

...against the NYT. Good show!

Another One Bites the Dust

From Counterterrorism Blog:

The Al-Fatihin Army--an influential breakaway faction of the Islamic Army of Iraq (IAI) that alone claims between 10-15 military operations daily--has announced the "martyrdom" of its top commander "Abu Abdel Rahman" in clashes with the "infidels and apostates" in the restive Iraqi city of Ramadi.

72 more virgins defiled.

GWB's Postion Migrates: Cause and Effect?

It is reported in Human Events (6/26) that "several guests at the 'President's Dinner' of June 19th--a fundraiser--reported that 'there was no applause whatsoever and an awkward silence, in the five minutes [Bush] talked about immigration'"--that is, specifically, while Bush was talking about 'amnesty.'

Maybe GWB got the hint. At least AnkleBitingPundits thinks so:

According to this NYT article (which admittedly makes it suspect), the President is finally willing to consider an "enforcement first" immigration bill like the one sponsored by Indiana Congressman Mike Pence.

(Link to NYT article in ABP story. No link available for HE story.)

MMSD: Sinking the Ships of Commerce?

This should be a lot of fun to watch:

Downtown is sinking, and that's causing widespread property damage, according to a lawsuit poised to go to a jury trial next week.

The building owners blame the leaky deep-tunnel system, the keystone of the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District's $3 billion public works project aimed at cleaning up local waterways.

District lawyers call the allegations innuendo and half-truths.

...the dispute focuses strictly on the five buildings that make up Boston Store between Old World 3rd St. and N. 4th St. on W. Wisconsin Ave. - the verdict could influence whether owners of other downtown Milwaukee buildings suffering from similar symptoms decide to seek similar solutions.

Boston Store building owners counter that the district has a "history of irresponsible conduct" that includes misrepresentation of facts and failing to alert property owners of problems the district knew existed. They say the district avoided fixing the problems to hold down costs. The district, they say, also misled the public on the both the short-term and long-term effects of the tunnel work on the groundwater.

And people say that bloggers overuse purple prose!

Apt Analogy Winner of Today!

Stingl is The Winnah!!!

According to a memo circulated in the [Plaza East] building, the "overgrown, aged trees" will be replaced with "new, young trees." If trophy wives had leaves and bark, this swap would have that feel to it.

(Insert rimshot here.)

Good News on Mexican Elections, We Think

It appears that Calderon is the victor, supposed ly more economically conservative without being a lapdog of the oligarchies which rule Mexico.

The alternative, Obrador, was a Leftist demonstration-organizer, currently the mayor of Mexico City.

The task is to dis-assemble the national and regional bureaucracies which have become horrific--stifling all initiatives and taxing/grafting the cash out of the Mexican economy. At the same time, one must repair the state-monopolies in oil, gas, telecom...which have grown into enormous bloodsucking machines.

Vaya con Dios!! As you work to slay those dragons.

Cdl Lopez-Trujillo Makes Good Waves

Cdl. Lopez-Trujillo is by no means a fellow who engages in 'diplo-speak.' He says what he thinks, clearly and usually forcefully.

So when he remarked that 'Roman Catholic scientists who conduct human-embryonic-stem-cell research could face excommunication' last week, there was the usual crab-walking and cover-ducking done by the usual suspects:

The Rev. Charles L. Currie, president of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities, said on Friday that he had not yet seen the magazine article but that, by bringing up excommunication, the cardinal seemed to be taking a "hard stand on the preservation of life."

Doh. THIS is a surprise, Fr. Currie?

"The main thing is that it's not an authoritative source," said Lisa Cahill, a professor of theology at Boston College who studies bioethics. "It's a person speaking in an interview, not even a written statement."

Ms Cahill requires a handwritten letter from the Pope, with the usual formula for infallible pronouncements, preferably FedEx'ed to her attention at Boston College.

A competent Canon Law analyst reacted a bit differently from the Academic Wonk crowd:

So, one must ask: is the deliberate destruction of an embryonic human being outside the womb the canonical equivalent of an abortion procured within it?

Cardinal Lopez Trujillo believes that it is, and I think he's right.

On 23 May 1988, the Pontifical Council for the Interpretation of Legislative Texts addressed the following question: "Whether abortion, as treated in canon 1398, should be understood as only the expulsion of an immature fetus, or whether it is also the killing of a fetus accomplished in any manner and at any time from the moment of conception?"

The pontifical council ruled for the wider definition (AAS 80 [1988] 1818-1819), and eminent canonists such as Fr. Joseph Fox, op, explained then that the interpretation kept the canonical understanding of abortion medically up to date and morally consistent with the respect owed to innocent human beings regardless of the technique by which they were being killed during their first months of life.

But notice: nothing in the 1988 authentic interpretation limits the understanding of abortion to actions occurring in the womb; indeed, the interpretation clearly asserts that any killing of a fetus, accomplished in any manner at any time after conception, is canonically an abortion for purposes of Canon 1398.

Thus, involved actors are subject to latae sententiae excommunication.

Why the Fireworks, Part Two

IN CONGRESS, JULY 4, 1776The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America

When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

–That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,

–That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.

–Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refuted his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their Public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.

He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected, whereby the Legislative Powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.

He has obstructed the Administration of Justice by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary Powers.

He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance.

He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.

He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil Power.

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:

For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:

For protecting them, by a mock Trial from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:

For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:

For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:

For depriving us in many cases, of the benefit of Trial by Jury:

For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences:

For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies

For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:

For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation, and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & Perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.

He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury.

A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred. to disavow these usurpations, which would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States, that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do.

–And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

Drugs? Guns? Bad Parents? Which IS It?

There's no agenda here, of course...except to point to "GUNS!!!!"... and the "It's For the Children" chorus wails in the background:

Homicide in Milwaukee is running behind last year's torrid pace, but a disturbing trend surfaced in the past six months: Victims on average are younger.

The trend continued last week when five teenage boys were shot, the youngest of whom was 13. Two died, both in what police called drug-deal slayings. The only person arrested in any of those shootings was a 14-year-old boy.

Deputy Chief of Police Brian O'Keefe said the recent surge in boys getting shot is probably an anomaly but it underscores the importance of the department's efforts to work with schools, social agencies and others to prevent gun violence.

The JS article includes a few charts which are interesting. But they are designed for the Handgun Control Inc. bunch, obscuring the age markers or cause-of-death as much as possible.

Despite the "Children Are Dying" headline of the article, we learn that 43% of homicide victims in Milwaukee are between 22-35 years old and 61% are over the age of 22. Only 14% (seven victims) were under the age of 16.

Of the seven victims under the age of 16, four died at the hands of parents, relatives, or caretaker-(boy)friend. As mentioned in the story's text, at least one died in a drug-related shooting.

The propaganda about "guns" will continue. However, as usual, it's the killer, not the instrument, which counts.

No Defense Today: Fishies Present

We've come to expect this from the Judiciary:

A federal judge issued a temporary restraining order Monday barring the Navy from using a type of sonar, allegedly harmful to marine mammals, during a Pacific warfare exercise scheduled to begin this week.

The order comes three days after the Navy obtained a six-month national defense exemption from the Defense Department allowing it to use "mid-frequency active sonar."

Environmental groups had sued to stop the sonar use during the exercises off Hawaii. The sonar portion of the war games was set to start Thursday.

U.S. District Judge Florence-Marie Cooper wrote in her order that the plaintiffs "have shown a possibility that RIMPAC 2006 will kill, injure, and disturb many marine species, including marine mammals, in waters surrounding the Hawaiian Islands."

Well, what comes first? National defense or the tuna?

Golf Tournaments

So...

The objective of advertising on a specific outlet is to capture that outlet's audience, right? In other words, the target-market is presumably watching/hearing the sponsored show, right?

OK. What does the Cialis advertising at the Western Open tell you, then? Is the expected audience, ah, weak-jointed? Or do these folks need help in the Romeo department? Is it a real or perceived deficiency?

And it gets worse...

Golf. Um..... Strokes. Balls. Shafts. Drives. Lies. The Rough. Yelling "Fore" before playing. It's almost endless.

Let's go back to Gilette Blue Blades and the Friday Night Fights.

Lee Dreyfus, Please STFU

Dear Lee,

I'll admit it up front--I voted for you. There.

THEN I saw you attempt to assasinate PJBuchanan's character at the Marriot/Brookfield Square, and I noted that you didn't get a lot of applause on those lines. Fortunately by that time you'd left public office and were simply a gadfly.

Recently, however, you've gone Jimmuh Cartuh:

Patrick Lucey, Martin Schreiber, Lee Sherman Dreyfus and Tony Earl banded together to reject calls for the amendment, which would prevent heterosexual civil unions as well as homosexual unions.

The former governors' statement issued Wednesday urges voters to reject the measure on grounds that it would be the first time the constitution would be amended "to limit freedom" instead of expand it.

Really, Lee? "Limit freedoms?" What freedom does The Amendment limit? Oh--I remember--but I can't describe it in this forum.

Lee: STFU. Thanks!

Dad29

John Paul Stevens' Role Model Must Be Screechin'Shirley

Below we referenced Screechin'Shirley Abrahamson, the Leftist activist currently titled Chief Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court. A link in that post clearly demonstrates Shirley's disdain for...oh...legislators, the English language, and common sense, for openers. The link does NOT include Screechin'Shirley's equally ludicrous ruling on a recent gun-rights case...which can be found here.

Well, Screechin'Shirley's influence is spreading. Now her charms have captivated John Paul Stevens and some other members of SCOTUS, as Steyn has observed:

The thinking behind [the Geneva Conventions] was that, if one had to have wars, it's best if they're fought by soldiers and armies. In return for having a rank and serial number and dressing the part, you'll be treated as a lawful combatant should you fall into the hands of the other side. There'll always be a bit of skulking around in street garb among civilian populations, but the idea was to ensure that it would not be rewarded --that there would, in fact, be a downside for going that route.

...The old-school wars were Britain vs. Germany, Japan vs. Russia, that sort of thing. But we don't hold those as often as we once did, so, for the new school of warfare, Justice Stevens and his chums took refuge in Geneva's Common Article Three, which begins as follows:

"In the case of armed conflict not of an international character occurring in the territory of one of the High Contracting Parties . . "

The "High Contracting Parties" are nation states that are signatories to the treaties: America, Belgium, Fiji, Peru and so on. So what might an "armed conflict not of an international character" mean? Well, it refers mostly to civil wars and internal conflicts -- say, when the Northern Wackistani Liberation Army takes on the Southern Wackistani Patriotic Front.

And what did the Supreme Court do? They decided first that Afghanistan was a signatory to the Conventions and thus the various ructions were ''occurring in the territory of one of the High Contracting Parties.'' They then decided that it was an ''armed conflict'' and not only that -- here it comes, folks -- but it was an ''armed conflict not of an international character.''

Dipwads.

Ah, but you're not a Supreme Court justice. The reason why this was an ''armed conflict not of an international character'' is that al-Qaida is not a nation. So an article designed to cover internal local conflicts in signatory states within a convention designed to exclude unlawful combatants has been extended to cover non-signatory unlawful combatants in a global jihad taking place on every continent -- and, in effect, read into U.S. law.

Only a bedwetting, drooling, mentally-diarrhetic, age-challenged, Member of the Elite could come up with this Milorganite precursor and posit this as logic.

The immediate consequence of this is that America's friends in India, Australia, Singapore, Denmark and elsewhere will conclude that this country is simply not serious and its descent into moral narcissism too advanced. The long-term consequence will be the opposite of what the justices intended -- the sidelining and eventual discarding of Geneva, at least by nations that wish to survive the depredations of the jihad.

Or it will result in a change in Order of Battle: kill'em first, ask questions later.

A Reminder, Part One

What's the fireworks all about?

"If we wish to be free; if we mean to preserve inviolate those inestimable privileges for which we have been so long contending; if we mean not basely to abandon the noble struggle in which we have been so long engaged, and which we have pledged ourselves never to abandon until the glorious object of our contest shall be obtained—we must fight! I repeat it, sir, we must fight! An appeal to arms, and to the God of hosts, is all that is left us." —Patrick Henry (1775)

Clayton Cramer's Take on UW's Tinfoil Hat

Cramer puts it upfront:

Here's a thought for you: if a biology professor announced that he was going to teach that the Earth is 6000 years old, and that all species of life exist as they are were created by God--along with the "official, whitewashed version"--the ACLU would file suit to prevent it.

Jessica brought it national--congrats to her!

Bucher's Common Sense Idea

Paul Bucher is running for higher office--but that fact should not compromise a clear-eyed look at his idea.

If he is elected attorney general, Bucher says, he would use a 1996 law to get training for state Justice Department investigators so they could assist federal customs agents in tracking down illegal immigrants who commit crimes. Under the provision, the state investigators would get five weeks of federal training, then be empowered to conduct investigations into immigration violations and detain suspects for the federal government.

"We're not talking about illegal aliens; we're talking about illegal aliens who commit serious crimes," Bucher said. "This would fill a gap.

Natually, 'Keg Lift-und-Schlep-Em', our current (D) Attorney General, demurs:

"Pulling state and local law enforcement off Wisconsin's streets from its fight against violent crime, drugs and gangs to do the work of the federal government would be a waste of scarce resources and undermine public safety," Lautenschlager said. "The only real answer to the challenge of illegal immigration is for Congress to step up and pass comprehensive reform, not to burden Wisconsin police officers with immigration duties that have been ignored for decades by the federal government."

"Comprehensive Reform" is code for the Senate's bill--which is simply NOT getting through the House. Not even Our President can whip up enthusiasm for this load of garbage.

VanHollen doesn't think much of it, either:

"This is a major problem, but Paul doesn't understand the magnitude," said Van Hollen, former U.S. attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin. "Promising to the taxpayers of Wisconsin that the (state) Department of Justice is going to take over a role that rightly belongs to the federal government is not credible.

"The federal government doesn't have the resources it needs for the problem. This is something the state cannot possibly uphold."

Well, I dunno about that. Look--assigning "liceity checks" to DOJ agents, sensibly administered, would amount to part-time work for a dozen or so of them.

Better than searching cranberry bogs, or spending State dollars suing for the "right" to RU-486.

Oppose Homosex Marriage? Consequences Coming

Dan Avila lays it out clearly in WND today.

Ted Kennedy was sober for long enough to intone that 'backers of a federal marriage amendment of pushing "bigotry – pure and simple" because the amendment would limit marriage to a man and a woman. Supporters of the amendment included the U.S. Catholic bishops.

In late June, the Religious Coalition for Marriage released an "open letter" charging the Massachusetts Catholic bishops with "promoting prejudice" by campaigning for a similar amendment at the state level.

Well, we all know that "Bigotry" is BAD! Once advocates for same-sex marriage begin branding supporters of traditional marriage as bigots and haters, the more likely it becomes that government persecution will follow.

As we all know, that means "re-education" camps classes, reprimands, ostracization, yada yada.

It's not a co-incidence that homosex-marriage advocates are using the "bigot" term liberally; the legal design was written by Anthony Lewis' wife, Margaret Marshall, Chief Wonzo of the Mass Supremes.

In her majority opinion, Chief Justice Margaret Marshall cited several U.S. Supreme Court decisions dealing with racial discrimination, which talked about using the power of the state to eradicate bias.

By equating what one might call "marriage bias" with racial bias, the Supreme Judicial Court laid the groundwork for persecutions to come. In other words, the marriage doctrine of the Catholic Church, of other religions, of other states and indeed the federal government is to be treated in the Commonwealth as equal to a desire to harm blacks, and thus must be regarded as an intolerable evil. The law must discourage any preference for traditional marriage and penalize those who act by it.

And sure enough, other organs of the State fell into line, quickly:

...public school officials in Boston and Lexington informed teachers and parents about the new way the marriage debate is to be handled in the classroom for students. Teachers must promote same-sex marriage as a civic virtue, and parents must be denied any recourse. Teachers who object will be fired; parents who ask that their child not be indoctrinated will be refused.

Then state officials trained their sights on adoption services. Catholic agencies were told to assist adoptions by same-sex couples or get out of adoptions altogether. Zero-tolerance forced the Boston Catholic Charities to shut down the largest and oldest adoption program in the state.

Well, THAT certainly was "good for the children," eh?

And there are more implications:

We won't be able to send our kids to a Catholic school because the schools will have to close, due to the removal of their tax-exempt status for propagating "hate" and their subsequent inability to survive financially. Our kids will be subject to attacks, ridicule, enforced re-education and disciplinary punishment in the public schools. We won't be able to get a job in the public sector due to our "prejudice" and will be unhireable at most private companies afraid of the impact on business if it becomes known they hire bigots. Our service agencies and other institutions will be sued for refusing to recognize same-sex marriage in their employee and customer policies, and all state funds will be shut off.

Although the editorial was written for residents of Massachusetts (whose legislature STILL has not written a "homosex-marriage" law despite their Court's ruling,) this is a clear warning.

After all, in Wisconsin we have a Supreme Court majority headed by Screechin'Shirley Abrahamson, a self-professed activist jurist, who has already demonstrated a complete disregard for plain English and common sense.

Pay attention, folks!

Chickens*&t and the Weekend

Sometimes you just feel sorry for the cops.

Our NaggingNanny, the Legislature, (not to mention the NaggingNannies in Congress) passes a lot of laws about driving in Wisconsin. Most of them are sensible; many are not. Congress takes its whacks at the pinata, too--forcing States to get silly in order to get money. (That's a no-brainer for the State nannies.)

So as you cruise down the Interstates this weekend, be prepared. The Mounties and the Locals are under orders: FIND a violation so you can write up a seat-belt violation. FIND ONE.

5 over will do; an inoperative lightbulb will do; whatever!! Find one, and write that seat-belt ticket.

Drivers who recognize the NaggingNanny's dead hand permanently placed on the "Rules Are Rules" square and who then demonstrate unhappiness will be subject to lectures from equally frustrated traffic cops who have little use for Rules are Rules; but the NaggingNannies can't let up.

Caution is suggested.

NORAD's Up a Notch

It is reported that NORAD's alert status is now Bravo+, which is slightly more than Bravo.

The lettering system begins at "Alpha" which is normal, and progresses to "Delta" which is critical.

Likeliest: North Korea's noisemaking.

Math Lessons from The Triumvirate

These kids are smart.

July 1st press release from BagManJim's office:

Governor Jim Doyle today announced that the State of Wisconsin will finish the 2006 fiscal year in the black with a positive balance of $12 million. This is the third consecutive year the state has ended in the black - continuing a remarkable turnaround from record deficit spending in prior administrations.

JUNE 30th press release from BagManJim's office:

The Forest County Potawatomi Community transferred $24 million to the State of Wisconsin today to fulfill their 2006 revenue sharing commitment. …

The commentator leads you to the inevitable conclusion:

$12 million in the black today, $24 million cash infusion yesterday -Do the Math.

Here's An Idea

The Washington Times reports:

Talk about an intriguing compilation of polls on the subject of patriotism, compiled by American Enterprise Institute resident scholar Karlyn Bowman just in time for Independence Day.

The good news from Gallup is that 83 percent of a group it surveyed said they are either extremely or very proud of being an American.

The bad news (unless you're a Republican) is that a Fox News/Opinion Dynamics poll reports that 24 percent of Democrats said they would leave the United States permanently and live in another country if given the opportunity.

Are there any folks out there who would assist in funding the bus-tickets?

The Left's "Case"--A Study in Irrational Asininity

One of Watchdog Milwaukee's contributors is a former member of the Milwaukee County Board. He was recalled after voting to bankrupt Milwaukee County, and never really got over the rejection.

So he establishes a blogsite, and presents logical, carefully-worded, arguments, in a pale homage-imitation of Kos.

Nobody really reads his blog; I do it as a public service. (Send the purple heart, please.)

Here's a sample:

Indeed, H.R. 4437 is chilling example of a growing world-wide trend towards neo-fascism elevating its goose-stepping political crusade back onto the world stage without fear of criticism.

Translation: You're a Nazi, Sensenbrenner!! (Didn't take Jimmy long to get there, did it?)

H.R. 4437, the Sensenbrenner bill, comes from a United States Congressman who almost sounds like the paranoid Wisconsin Senator who took the nation by storm with his fanatical right-wing fascists accusations of communism taking over the United States government in the 1950s—Joseph McCarthy.

Ummmnnn....McCarthy NEVER mis-stated the facts, and FDR/HST Administrations (and the Army) were infested with Frackin' Commie Spies. Ask the Rosenbergs, Jimmy.

The Sensenbrenner bill is elementary politics derived from fears and misconceptions promoted by simplistic political statements made by goofy right-wing radio talk-show hosts and political opportunists. These right-wing simpletons have seized an opportunity to attack weak and defenseless people as a means to advance neo-conservative political campaigns designed to advance their political ambitions at the expense of human life

Geez, ya know, I don't always agree with Sykes or Limbaugh--must be because they are KILLERS!!! KILLERS!!! (This is a first, I think.)

You can read the rest.

Milwaukee Circuit Court Appointee Pocan

A Doyle appointment, news released on Friday afternoon before the July 4th weekend.

Governor Jim Doyle announced today the appointment of William Pocan to the Milwaukee County Circuit Court. Pocan will fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Michael P. Sullivan. Pocan will begin serving July 17, 2006 for a term to end July 31, 2007.

"William Pocan has the intellect and temperament necessary for a judge," Governor Doyle said. "His 22 years of varied trial and appellate practice make him an excellent candidate. He is also highly regarded as a leading advocate in consumer protection law, which will add diversity to the Milwaukee bench."

[Pocan] has extensive trial and appellate experience in the area of consumer law, as well as in the areas of family and civil law.

Pocan was a founding member of the East Side Condominium Owners Association and a founding board member of the Milwaukee LGBT Community Center Advocates.

As usual, the interesting stuff is in the last paragraph.
HT: Watchdog Milwaukee

Half-Price Sale for Potawatomi

Apparently, Gov. Doyle realized that the Potawatomi's cash-flow would be affected by contributions to his campaign, so:

The Forest County Potawatomi tribe paid $24 million to the state Friday, or 7% of the $342.8 million in revenue the tribe's casinos in Milwaukee and Carter took in during the 2005 fiscal year that ended in September.

The money was called for in the tribe's gambling agreement with the state.

The latest payment is only slightly more than half of the $43.6 million the tribe paid the state for the previous year. That payment was a flat amount that came to roughly 15% of its casino revenue for fiscal 2004.

[Pure BS follows:] The larger, previous payment was negotiated by Gov. Jim Doyle after he approved new gambling agreements that removed slot machine limits and allowed several new games, including roulette and craps. Doyle pushed for higher payments in early years of the new gambling compacts to help plug a major hole in the 2003-'05 state budget.

Another way to write the last paragraph would be:

Doyle agreed to increase the casino's take AND decrease its payments to the State following negotiations, in an attempt to put lipstick on his State budget pig. Doyle did not suggest how the State would make up for the lost revenue. It is rumored that various tribes will contribute up to $14 million to political campaigns this fall, including Doyle's.