Killing the innocent, Texas-style

I've been reading of Leonard Mlodonov's book, "Subliminal," regarding how terrible our memories are about eyewitness events. No surprise that an innocent man was put to death in Texas. Quoting from the article, "the worst cases are those that... likely happen every day in which no one cares that much about the defendant or the victim." No one cares -- especially politically-minded prosecutors, and death-crazed Supreme Court justices -- who have no incentive to doubt themeselves to look for the real bad guys.

 

http://slatest.slate.com/posts/2012/05/15/carlos_deluna_columbia_law_professor_james_liebman_details_wrongful_execution_.html

Arizona’s Extreme New Abortion Law

 

 

Arizona Governor Jan Brewer signed into law a bill making abortions illegal after 20 weeks of gestation. The bill did an end-run around the opposition (and temporal reality) by making the beginning of pregnancy the day of the woman's last p...eriod. This makes pregancy occur BEFORE conception, which puts us squarely in Alice In Wonderland territory. Abortion in Arizona, for those of us using a rational system of math, thereby becomes illegal after 18 weeks of normal, post-conception gestation. I'm surprised that Brewer was so restrained in her approach. Why not define pregnancy to begin 20 weeks before conception, thereby making ALL abortions illegal? Watch one of our esteemed legistlators pick up on that bright idea!

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/04/12/governor-jan-brewer-signs-arizona-s-extreme-new-abortion-law.html

Wells Fargo's Prison Cash Cow

What on earth are we doing by making prisons into for-profit ventures? Does this not encourage legislators to make laws that fill them and require more to be built? Already, 1 in 100 Americans are in prison -- and 1 out of 9 blacks! Overjailing means big bucks to the prison owners, as well as the feeder companies that provide food and servcies to inmates. Corrupt much?

http://www.salon.com/2012/04/11/wells_fargos_prison_cash_cow/singleton/

Tutu wonderful not to share

 A more human-loving, God-centered man I do not know...

Rep. Alan West: Democrats are Commies!

If you love Jesus...

Fight the New Drug

 

I've been bugged for a long time about the fact that pornography stares you in the face in many stores. Buy porn if you must, but do I have to wallow in it constantly? Then there's the hypocrisy of the "pro-family" communications giants (AT...T, Comcast) and hotel chains (Marriott, Hilton) quietly making huge profits from porn. Now, it seems that a group of young people are concerned enough about the damage that porn can do to their friends to do something about it. I just hope this is sincere and not some front org for a church or something. What do you think?

 

http://www.fightthenewdrug.org/?video_id=1329

Reformation of an evangelical

Great piece about an evangelical college kid who learned to engage his professors and fellow students with (get this) respect!

http://www.salon.com/2012/04/08/reformation_of_an_evangelical/

Joan of Arc's Secet Backer?

Did Joan of Arc have a secret backer -- Yolande of Aragon, the ambitious mother-in-law of the feckless Dauphin? My favorite Yolande quote: "There is no more effective camouflage in history than to have been born a woman.”

http://www.salon.com/2012/04/02/the_queen_and_the_maid_joan_of_arcs_secret_backer/singleton/

Bart Ehrman: Did Jesus Exist?

Bart Ehrman (my favorite bible scholar) has a new book out: "Did Jesus Exist?" I hear that the book answers its title question with "yes," but knowing Bart, this will provide little comfort to the faithful. Happy Holy Week!

Protesting Holy Week

What are you doing for Holy Week? Dusting for Easter company? Packing plastics eggs with chocolates? Feeling sad about Jesus dying? Frankly, I'm doing all of the above. But (thanks, Ken Monty!) there's an alternative -- a Holy Week that Jesus might have spent -- critiquing the religious and secular power structures that dominate and oppress, serving the dirty and unworthy, and suffering alongside the powerless. How far will you go on the road to Calvary?

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/davidhenson/2012/03/protesting-holy-week/