FLAG BURNING AMENDMENT?  NO.

The House of Representatives has passed a Constitutional amendment that would bar desecration of the U.S. Flag.  As in the past, this amendment probably doesn't have the votes to get through the Senate.  That's good.

My position?  My position on this is my default position on most issues.  Freedom.  Remember, when it comes to Constitutional amendments I'm the one that states that neither the federal government, nor any state or local government can make any action a crime unless that action serves or conspires to deny to some individual their right to life, liberty or property through force or fraud.  If someone goes out there and obtains an American flag through legal means, the act of burning that flag in and of itself does not violate anyone's right to life, liberty or property and, therefore, should be legal.  Now if you steal a flag and burn it you are destroying someone else's property.  That should be actionable.  Ditto if you were to burn that flag in such a way as to present a threat to person or property.  If so, you should be charged with creating a public hazard, not for the sole act of burning a flag.

Any law or Constitutional amendment barring burning of the U.S. Flag is an attack on political speech.  I have never seen an instance

of a flag burning where the person burning the flag was not making a political statement.  Those political statements, whether we agree with them or not, deserve the full protection of our Constitution.  Once you have singled out one particular form of political speech as a crime, how difficult is it to move down that road just a bit further ... first banning this and then that form of political speech? 

DEMOCRATS DEAD SET AGAINST PERSONAL ACCOUNTS

The Republicans have come up with another idea for Social Security reform.  Every year the government takes in more in Social Security taxes than it pays in Social Security benefits.  The difference between what comes in and what must be paid out would be called a surplus.  So .. what has been done with that money all these years?  It's been spent, that's what.  Every penny of it.  This all started when the Democrats had control of the Congress.  They saw all of this money and knew that it could be used to buy quite a few votes.  So .. the Democrats developed this simple plan of replacing this money with IOUs and spending it on their various favorite spending schemes.  Well .. now the Republicans have a better idea.  Take this surplus every year and invest it.  Invest it in the private sector.  Don't spend it ... invest it so that it can earn money and delay the inevitable crisis when there isn't enough money coming in to pay the benefits going out.

Democrats?  They don't like the idea at all.  They smell a rat.  They know that once the American people see that there are, in fact, Social Security funds that can be invested and that can grow in those investment accounts, then those American people will start to wonder why those accounts can't be held in their names!  After all, it is their money, isn't it?

Democrats are opposed to any plan or scheme that might eventually lead to Americans having any more control over their own retirement funds.  Remember, the Democrats are, in the words of Ted Kennedy, fighting a war against individualism.  What can be more individualistic than controlling one's own retirement?  This just cannot be allowed to happen?  A voter in control of their own retirement picture is a voter who cannot be frightened at election time with wild charges that the "Republicans want to take away your Social Security."

The true sad story here is that the American people have so lost their love of freedom that they can't even get behind an idea as simple as Social Security privatization.  Think about this:  These people earn the money, and they can't support the idea of having that money invested in an account that they own and that they can pass off to their heirs when tango uniform time arrives.  They would rather just turn it over to the government and forfeit  it all when they die.  Freedom loving Americans?  Give me a break!

SO .. IT WASN'T AN APOLOGY AFTER ALL

A little late here .. but I've finally seen a transcript of the so-called "apology" offered by Senator Dick Durbin on the floor of the senate. (Watch video at cspan.org)  Durbin said that "Some may believe that my remarks crossed the line. To them I extend my heartfelt apologies."  So, there you go  Durbin only offered his apologies to those people who felt that his remark crossed the line.  As for our men and women in uniform serving in Afghanistan and Iraq, and guarding murderous terrorists in Guantanamo ... no apology offered.  So ... we're back to calling him Dick.  In the meantime .. this whole affair has somehow because nothing less than a vicious plot by evil right-wingers.  The mainstream media would have you believe that what Durbin said --- comparing American soldiers to Nazis -- is not nearly so bad as the right wing reaction to those words. 

FREAK NUTCASE TO RUN FOR STATE SENATE IN FLORIDA

Randall Terry has decided that he is going to run for a state Senate seat in Florida.  You remember Randall Terry, don't you?  He was the principal spokesman for the Schindler family during the Terri Schiavo debacle a few months ago.  He is perhaps better known as a rabid opponent of a woman's right to chose.  The man wants to execute doctors who perform abortions.  That's right ... execute.  Do you want an idea of what Randall Terry would be like with a little government power?  Well .. how about this quote in a speech to the U.S. Taxpayers Alliance in May of 2000:  "When I or people like me are running the country, you'd better flee because we will find you, we will try you and we'll execute you. I mean every word of it. I will make it part of my mission to see to it that you are tried and executed."  Who was he talking to?  Doctors who perform abortions.   Now isn't this just the type of man we want serving in political office?

Frederick Clarkson wrote a book entitled "Eternal Hostility:  The Struggle Between Theocracy and Democracy."  In that book Clarkson says "If Randall Terry's vision of Christian theocracy gains traction, we will see increasing vigilante interference in the private lives of private citizens, not unlike the religious police in Saudi Arabia. We will see rising religious bigotry against people of other faiths, conflict with those whose idea of Christianity differs from Randall Terry and his theocratic allies, and relentless efforts to damage the constitutional protections of equal rights under the law gained by women and gays and lesbians, among others."

Terry will run for the seat of Senator Jim King.  King voted against a bill that would have prevented the removal of Terri Schiavo's feeding tube.  The district runs from Jacksonville to northern Volusia County.  Terry lives in Ponte Vedra.  Looks like we're going to see what kind of neighbors he has.

THIS IS AN ISSUE?

Yesterday there was much fuss in the media over some story about Oprah Winfrey being turned away from some Paris boutique.  I wondered what this was all about.  Did the Hermes store deny Oprah her shopping spree because she was black?  Was it because she's an American?  What's the deal here?  Why is Oprah so upset?   Well, as it turns out Oprah got her thong in a bunch because she showed up at the Hermes store 15 minutes after they had closed, and they wouldn't let her in.  Oh, excuuuuuuussssseeeee us,  Ms. Winfrey?  We're so sorry we didn't understand that the rules are different for celebrities.  Those closing times only count for the great Parisian unwashed.  If a big fancy American celebrity comes along then our employees should just drop all post-closing plans they have to make sure the big fancy American celebrity is properly coddled.   This time I'm siding with the French.

HEATHER'S CORNER

Heather Jackson is our intern from the University of Central Florida.  She calls herself an Amplitude Modulation Enthusiast.  That's good.  The rest of us are a bit kinky too.  I told Heather that if she wrote something for the Nuze, we would post it.  So .. this is her, not me. 

Hillary.

What hasn't been said? Who knows what is true or what is not. The only thing we know is what media is telling us. Either way, I almost feel sorry for her. Almost. She knew what would become of her if she became a public figure. She knew that if any of these rumors were true, they would eventually come out. She should have been prepared for the propaganda. Is she? We don't know.

Let's assume for a second it is true that she has never been in a loving and faithful relationship. She could very well be suffering from SGS (stupid girl syndrome- my personal coin). That is when a girl does something self-depreciating for a relationship. Normally a girl out grows this by the time she is out of college. But, let's assume she doesn't grow out it; she gets stuck in something she keeps hoping is going to help prove her personal worth. The sad thing ladies, SGS will never help you come into being.

Hillary has a following of women that think she is somehow she going to give them a platform. But it was the 14^th amendment that gave us ALL the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Not Hillary. It is a matter of making ourselves valuable. Any woman in office still needs to stick to American values. We want freedom and self value. Well, we have people fighting for our freedom, what about the self value?

If we are to believe what the media has said about Hillary, then she is willing to let a man cheat on her? If she doesn't feel like she is worth a faithful man, what would be her worth if a country depends on her?

Considering just this one issue, a fundamental element of her life, does Hillary actually have the values and ethics that we should support? Are people supporting a woman who is worthy or a woman they have been convinced is going to win? Even if she were to be the first and only woman running for the highest office in our land, is she the one we want representing her gender in this manner? Are we really willing to sacrifice what should be a great moment for women in order to at least get one in office? I'd rather a man with values and morals than Hillary any day.

REDNECK SCRAP BOOK

This ingenious shop owner has in place an inexpensive, yet probably quite effective, security system. The Redneck Scrap Book is just bursting at the seams. Check it out.

READING ASSIGNMENTS

LATE ADDITION: Supreme Court rules local government may seize your home or business for private economic development. Neal suggested 2 websites you should check out: Institute For Justice & the Castle Coalition.

Ann Coulter says that the sure-fire way to keep America safe is to always do exactly the opposite of what Jimmy Carter says we should do ... and to go in that opposite direction as soon as possible. 

An incredible read .. Karl Zinmeister, back from his third trip to Iraq, says that the war is over, and we won.

Peggy Noonan says we need a serious book about Hillary Clinton.  She doesn't feel that Ed Klein's book fits the bill.

OK .. so here's another plan from the Republicans to shore up Social Security.  Mark my words, the Democrats will say no, no, no.  Why?  Because it means that the Democrats can't get their hands on surplus Social Security taxes every year.

Oops.  There goes another myth about Guantanamo.  This one shot down by Michelle Malkin.

Larry Elder takes a look at Bush's and Kerry's grades at Yale, and remembers all of those people who were so sure that Kerry was the smarter of the two. 

Do any of you want a primer on crude oil prices?  Look, if you're going to bitch about the price of gasoline -- then at least read this.

Just for fun.  Are you a R/C enthusiast?  If you don't know what R/C is, then you're not.  Here's a little R/C gadget you'll just have to have.  Don't even try to click on this link if you don't have a fast broadband connection. Thanks for target="_blank">Fark.comfor this one.

Morning Sickness: Man horribly mutilated by a sexual predator as a child dies in motorcycle accident.

.... and some reading assignments carefully selected by Heather!

Men, eat dinner with your wives... especially when they make it for you!

To burn or not to burn the First Amendment. Tell us what you think about this

She must have REALLY needed this car.

A caller Wednesday said there was only 2 real parties for the United States... well, Sir, that is because the smaller parties don't get the support they need. How about supporting what you believe in? Not sure what that is? Maybe this will help.

Florida Democrats "forgot" to pay their tax bill. They were probably expecting the evil rich to pay it for them.

Dr. Adams reminds us yet again how all victims are created equal, but some victims are more equal than others.

Well the Couric interview doesn't seem to have helped. Jennifer Wilbanks' crime was being found alive. Will the Boy Scout be charged and made to pay back the searchers as well ?

More potty humor: Embarrassing the dumb... think it will help? Chicago flushes the john, now!

Don't understand some of the big words Boortz uses? Look it up. Still can't find it? Don't worry, he gets his own dictionary. See the Boortztionary.

On a little heavier of a note... Susan Torres is only 26. She is married, and has a 2 year old son. She is 20-some-odd weeks pregnant... and brain dead. Being kept alive for the sake a baby that both her and her family very much wanted.

PETA is always fun. Did you know they kill 85% of their animals ? Their response is just as good.

WHAT THE HECK ARE THOSE POINTY HAND THINGS?
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