Wednesday, August 31, 2011

1st Amendment Win

The First Circuit Court of Appeals has "handed down a ground-breaking decision defending our right to videotape the police and other public officials as they engage in their official duties--including when, as in this case, the cops appear to be beating a man on the Boston Common." The Court further stated:
"[T]hough not unqualified, a citizen's right to film government officials, including law enforcement officers, in the discharge of their duties in a public space is a basic, vital, and well-established liberty safeguarded by the First Amendment."
Well, that's clear enough: States covered by the 1st Circuit* have just seen pretty much all bans on videoing cops and other officials go right down the Constitutional drain.

Carol Rose has more here. As she says: "Huzzah!"

* Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Puerto Rico. Yes: I do know that Puerto Rico is not a state.

UPDATE: Not everyone has gotten the word:




I have once or twice asked lawyers if using violence to defend oneself against armed assault by police which was predicated on an unconstitutional law is a lawful use of defensive violence, and been told basically "HeckifIknow!" My understanding is that an unconstitutional statute is no law at all, therefore it does seem reasonable be able to defend oneself against what would then be an unprovoked armed assault against one who has committed no crime. I do hope I never have to find out how the courts would rule on that tho.

Thanks to InfoWars for the lead.

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How's That New Civility Thing Working For You?

Gotta love those Democrats who soberly, self-righteously, and, oh...hypocritically call for Republicans and Tea Bagg...Partiers to start engaging in civil conversation:

Rep. Andre Carson, a Democrat from Indiana who serves as the (Congressional Black Caucus)’s chief vote counter, said at a CBC event in Miami that some in Congress would “love to see us as second-class citizens” and “some of them in Congress right now of this tea party movement would love to see you and me ... hanging on a tree.”

Carson also said the tea party is stopping change in Congress, likening it to “the effort that we’re seeing of Jim Crow.”

The explosive comments, caught on tape, were uploaded on the Internet Tuesday, and Carson’s office stood by the remarks.
Jake Sherman has more at Politico.

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Monday, August 29, 2011

The New Yorker Magazine on Clarence Thomas

Clarence Thomas is smart? Clarence Thomas is influential?

Who knew?

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S-Shaped Galaxies?

I wonder how many other alphabetic occurances are out there. Hickson 44 will do for a start, tho.

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