A Memorial Outrage

Today, at the start of this year's Memorial Day weekend, the WSJ has a story discussing a case brought forth by the ACLU regarding, once again, the "offensive cross". Besides the normal "separation of church and state" discussion and the obligatory "individual" who's offended, the story sheds light on an additional catalyst for such cases: money. The Civil Rights Attorney's Fees Award Act of 1976 allows plaintiffs the ability to recoup legal fees from defendants who lose the case in discretionary awards. In this case alone, at various levels of appellate courts, the ACLU has managed to pocket $63,000 paid by the defendant - in this case, the federal government.

Back to the argument of the case, there's this troubling potential consequence:

"If Buono v. Norton stands, the distance between the cross at Sunrise Rock and the headstones at Arlington National Cemetery will have effectively disappeared. It is only a matter of time until someone visits that field of heroes and takes offense at all the religious symbols inscribed in marble. Then the courts will have a hard time devising a principle by which those thousands of crosses on federal land are not as unconstitutional as the one in the desert."

Buono is Frank Buono, a retired park ranger who, according to the story, "...insists that his seeing the monument ("two to four times a year") violates his civil rights." What about those of us who feel our civil rights are violated by current and former federal employees like Buono and others, who make frivolous arguments about things like this that cause them no physical harm whatsoever. Those of us who are offended by these cases are exposed to far more of them than the "two to four times a year" he's arguing!

The Law of Unintended Consequences - An Example Averted!

The Wisconsin State Journal has an opinion piece discussing the near adoption of a law banning "mobile billboards". The story doesn't mention how prevalent the "problem" is in Madison, but does applaud the fact that common sense prevailed before a Madison icon was deemed illegal:

"Apparently, no one had thought the proposal through enough to consider such an impact. The city attorney wasn't sure how the Wienermobile might be affected."

The most telling comment is true of most government bodies:

"This whole flap seems to be symbolic of the City Council's biggest flaw. Some members try to solve problems that haven't been clearly defined, hardly exist or have little to do with city government and the concerns of ordinary citizens."

In places like Madison, this is seen as something "positive".

I'm OK, You're 'Who cares'

Steve Salerno has an insightful column in the National review as it relates to the self-esteem movement. It's probably a little late to be asking these questions about the long-term ramifications of this approach, but it will eventually show itself to have created more problems for those that enthusiastically embrace it than the problems it fixes. As Salerno queries:

"One wonders how a nation comprising 295 million individuals, each vowing not to let anyone take away his dreams, could arrive at a true sense of collective purpose, especially with humility now in such short supply."

We, as typical Americans, tend to overdo everything. Therefore, the immutable Law of Unintended Consequences will surely have it's natural impact on this practice. Further, because Newton's Third Law (for every action there is a equal and opposite reaction), this too will pass. But, since we are Americans (see above), we will probably over react and exaggerate this natural reaction making it far greater - and potentially more negative - than it otherwise would be.

As our less 'enlightened' ancestors advised: "Everything in moderation"! But nah! That's so yesterday. Besides, where's the money in that?!

A glimmer of sanity

Marquette to start over on nickname:

"'We were not winning hearts and minds,' Father Robert A. Wild, Marquette's president, said of the decision. "

Duh!

JS Online: Editorial: What's the fraud threshold?

Now that it's official - there was fraud and illegal voting in Wisconsin - the editors at the Journal-Sentinel feel compelled to ask, "So what?":

"The task force has developed evidence of more than 100 instances in which residents are suspected of voting twice or of using somebody else's name or a fake name to vote. It also found more than 200 felons who voted despite being barred from doing so.

The investigation is painstaking work, but the perpetrators of fraud deserve to be found, tried and punished, to safeguard the franchise. Still, making the case against felons is tough because prosecutors have to show that the ex-cons knew they were breaking the law."

It's apparent that the editors, and others in their camp, want the system to continue as is so that "no individual is disenfranchised from their right to vote". The fact that it's "painstaking work" to track down each perpetrator is irrelevant to them. I'd argue that it's just what they want. Have our prosecutors so tied up with the little things that it's nearly impossible to see the big picture. Since when is ignorance of the law - "making the case against felons is tough because prosecutors have to show that the ex-cons knew they were breaking the law" - a defense?

A democracy is not only about individual freedoms. For a democracy to endure, we as the people, have a responsibility to participate and be accountable to it's success. If that responsibility now includes validating who we are when we exercise our most important democratic action - voting - so be it. If some choose to ignore or fraudulently usurp that requirement, they - not the law abiding - should have more difficulty accomplishing their designed plans of fraud.

As for the potentially "disenfranchised", please?! Who can rent a movie without and ID? Who can buy alcohol without an ID? Who can soon buy cold medicine without an ID? Who can go to a Bruce Springsteen concert without an ID?

I guess all of these actions are more important than our right to vote. Of course we should have an ID to attend a Springsteen concert! You don't want the wrong person getting in there!

The other fact that isn't lost on me is the left's inability - or desire to hide - the big picture. Not only with voter fraud but other areas. This is most noticeable in our current war on terrorism. The left continues to point out that Osama Bin Laden has yet to be brought to justice for 9-11. As if Bin Laden is the ONLY terrorist in the world. If only we had him, all terrorist activity would cease.

We will bring Bin Laden to justice, but the big picture success of our war on terror include two democracies in the Middle East. Two fewer radical regimes that aided and abetted terrorism and oppressed their citizens. These are huge accomplishments that the left is terrified of - because they are results that they didn't accomplish. In fact, they couldn't accomplish.

In other words, no accountability!

Here's what Father DiUlio, former Marquette president and person who originally changed the Warrior nickname, had to say about the current fiasco:

"'It goes along with my own philosophy. When you leave, you leave it in other people's hands.'"

How convenient. No wonder Marquette is facing national humiliation regarding the name and decision process when the leaders of the institution have little to worry about. Fr. DiUlio has little concern about the negative impact his decision had on the university and neither will Fr. Wild. They're just passing through.

Newsweek's List of the 1,000 Top U.S. Schools

Is there a Wisconsin school on page 1 (Rankings 1-100)? No.

How about the second page (101-200)? Not there either.

You have to get to the third page before you find Rufus King at #213!

New Berlin (350) and Whitefish Bay (469- congratulations Bill) also make the top 500, but that's it!

We have one of the highest per-pupil costs in the country and some of the highest property tax rates and a personal income tax. Most of that tax money goes to education. And this is the result?

UPDATE: 5/2/2006 We fell even further. This year's report has Rufus King falling to 308 - still tops in the state!

GOLD

As a proud BADGER, I can only say YES! This should put Marquette back in the dark ages. Who wants to go to a university with no identity? The following is an e-mail rant by an office colleague and MU alum - needless to say, he was not pleased with the decision. I think it says it all:

DATE: 5/5/2005
SUBJECT: it is not a golden day

To Whom it May Concern (or if you just feel like picking on us MU alumni):

Marquette Gold. WTF?

This has got to be some sort of a sick joke. No clear thinking person would consciously think this is acceptable. 38-0 vote by the trustees? Let me be the first to scream BULLSHIT! from the top of the mountain. I cannot believe the vote went that way. Unless they drugged all of the trustees or have each of them in compromising photos with farm animals.

Yesterday afternnon I had this sick feeling in the pit of my stomach that they were going to figure out a way to screw this up even worse. What could be worse than Golden Eagles you say? Gold. That's worse. I can't even think of anything worse than that. Even Marquette Shit would be a step up. At least it would be funny, in a corprophagic way.

Holy crap. Gold. It swirls through my head like a bad gin hangover.

Ok, I understand the politically correct, spineless, gutless, nutless wonders that are in charge of way too much at that fine institution of learning on Wisconsin Ave. couldn't bring themselves to reinstate Warriors. A proud name. With a proud tradition. And supposedly offensive to some hypersensitive types. Whatever.

But Gold? Oh, for Christ's sake. If you couldn't use Warriors, let's go all the way back. Bring back Hilltoppers. Bring back the damn goat. Everybody loves retro anyway. At least that name means something. People can connect with it. But Gold? What the hell does that connect with? The Great Milwaukee Gold Rush of 1856? Ranks right upthere with California Gold Rush of '49, or the Klondike. What stupidity.

Gold. I think I'm gonna puke.

If you had to find a "third way" let's really be creative - let's go with Avalanche. Pay homage to one of the finest drinking establishments that ever graced the Marquette campus and succumbed way too early to the wrecking ball in the mid-'90's. That has history. That IS tradition. 50¢ Red, White, & Blues. Throw your empty bottles against the wall. Da 'Lanche Mug Club. Naked beer slides. Couldn't you just picture next year's cagers wearing uniforms that proudly say "Da 'Lanche"? We could have a bum for the mascot. Who can forget the Avalanche's advertising - "You get your degree at Marquette, but you get your education at Da 'Lanche". Almost Shakespearean. Mitch and Steve - the brothers Lechter - would be proud. Once again they'd see the name of their famous institution in lights. Preferably neon, of course.

But Gold? I'm starting to feel homicidal.

Screw the administration. Boycott any Gold merchandise. Buy, beg or steal anything that says Warriors. Perhaps some enterprising soul can start printing T-shirts and sweatshirts and hats with the Warriors logo. Trademark or copyright infringement be damned. Bring back the old Warriors chants and shout them at the games. Have some students dress up like Willy Wampum and dance in the seats. They can give us Gold, but we don't have to take it. We're Warriors, dammit.

Unbelieveable. Gold.

Later,

Nels
I used to be a proud MU alumnus...

Unnatural Gas Prices

The WSJ has an opinion piece discussing the issue of high energy costs. It does a great job of explaining the impact that the "enviros" continue to have on the entire energy distribution channel - from production to distribution:

"The larger political problem here is that the public hasn't been told about the connection between high prices and political opposition to energy production. President Bush used his press conference again last week to push the 'energy independence' argument, which does well in opinion polls but is a pipe dream in the real world. Short of a breakthrough in hydrogen technology, we are fated to import large amounts of energy. The real issue is whether we maintain enough energy production, and import capacity, to allow adequate supplies and
reasonable prices."

One area that the piece doesn't address is the underlying desire of most in the "enviros" groups to have us all make changes in our lifestyle to reduce our consumption. Since many of us "can't see the light" and make those changes on our own, their hopes are that higher costs will force us to adopt those practices they deem acceptable. I 've been asked, "At what point will I change my driving habits as gas prices rise?" to which I can only respond, "Never. I make 'changes' every day based on many "choices" I make given what I need and what I want." Artificially raising prices (through taxation or regulation) to forward an agenda some think is preferable, will only enrage those of us that believe in the free market.

Althouse: "There are some who are stuck back there."

Ann Althouse has an amusing - yet troubling - post about Jane Fonda's appearance on Bill Maher's HBO show. I, fortunately, do not have HBO so I don't have the ability to even accidentally watch the show. I normally like to watch other points of view to remind me why I don't agree! The few times I've 'surfed' to Maher's show while killing time in a hotel room, I just get frustrated. The following is a quote from Maher, that Althouse pulled from the show:

"Yeah, it really is on them at this point, isn't it? If somebody can't get over something in 35 years."

Read the rest of her post. There's a comment about the "doorways in her house" that Fonda makes, that just about says it all.

ID rule wouldn't faze these voters

I agree with Mike Nichols' comments here...:

"Personally, I think there's a much better chance there's massive sloppiness in our system than massive fraud. But even sloppiness is enough to rob an archaic system of its integrity, and rob voters of their faith.

The vast majority of voters not only have IDs, they want to show them.

And they want others to show them as well."

...but I agree with the 83 year-old woman he spoke with more. She represents more of the seniors that I know.