“The [National Security Agency’s] capability at any time could be turned around on the American people, and no American would have any privacy left, such is the capability to monitor everything: telephone conversations, telegrams, it doesn’t matter. There would be no place to hide.” – Senator Frank Church. Senator Church made that statement in 1975, … Continue reading
The Syrian dilemma, at least as far as chemical weapons are concerned, has seemed to resolve itself. Russian President Vladimir Putin came riding in on a white horse, shirtless of course, leaving President Obama and Secretary Kerry in a dust cloud of indecision while neatly getting the Syrian regime to turn over its stockpile of … Continue reading
“I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” – Martin Luther King, Jr. Well, the trial of George Zimmerman is over. Kind of. It lingers on, especially … Continue reading
“With Congress, every time they make a joke it’s a law, and every time they make a law it’s a joke.” – Will Rogers Here we go again through the quadrennial exercise of electing a President. Every four years, we voters have to endure a mix of ad homonyms, magical thinking, mendacity, hyperbole, hypocrisy, and … Continue reading
A recent poll shows the approval rating of Congress at a miserable and embarrassing 8.0%. This, together with recent demonstrations from the Tea Party folks and the Occupy (fill in the blank) groups, exemplify a growing discontent with the direction this country is headed. Indeed, there are many challenges to be dealt now and over … Continue reading
“We have long since made clear that a state of war is not a blank check for the President when it comes to the rights of the nation’s citizens.” – Justice Sandra Day O’Connor in Hamdi v. Rumsfeld, 2004 Some of you might remember the 1983 motion picture “Star Chamber” starring Michael Douglas and Hal Holbrook. … Continue reading
(As an homage for the Tenth Anniversary of 9/11, here is an essay I wrote on September 30, 2007.) Some time ago, I received, along with who knows how many other people on the internet, an e-mail, the subject of which was simply, “Angry New Jersey Housewife.” I don’t know where it originated, or how … Continue reading
“When the sword is once drawn, the passions of men observe no bounds of moderation” — Alexander Hamilton, Federalist #16 I don’t understand all the fuss about the Second Amendment and the right to bear arms. A simple reading of the Amendment in its historical context and using eighteenth century semantics, reveals pretty clearly that … Continue reading
The Globe’s editorial “People Power” (Dec. 28, 2011), touched on a number of issues that have bothered me for some time. Although I’m neither a Constitutional lawyer nor scholar, I have researched some of the questions raised there as well as many others that have concerned me over the years. First, you might be surprised … Continue reading
I blame Henry Ford. Everybody’s blaming somebody for all the messes we’re in these days. So, I blame Henry Ford. Ford’s introduction of the affordable Model T in 1908, which was manufactured using an “assembly line,” became the springboard for numerous other industries that, with a few hiccups along the way, have produced the greatest … Continue reading