The Patriot Post Brief 3-7-2011

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The Patriot Post Brief 3-7-2011
From The Federalist Patriot
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The Foundation

"We must take human nature as we find it, perfection falls not to the share of mortals." --George Washington

Opinion in Brief

"Fred Phelps, the deranged pastor of the Westboro Baptist Church1 -- which is more like a family entourage of psychos -- has devised a scheme for getting attention: He desecrates military funerals. ... Albert Snyder, the father of a fallen Marine, sued Phelps for protesting his son's funeral. He won millions. The Supreme Court overturned that verdict Wednesday. I think the decision is a travesty. But, alas, after reading it, I also find it perfectly defensible, probably even correct. Anyone familiar with the concept of 'garbage in, garbage out' can appreciate that this isn't necessarily a contradiction. ... As Chief Justice John Roberts put it, 'The reach of our opinion here is limited by the particular facts before us. ... (We rely) on limited principles that sweep no more broadly than the appropriate context of the instant case.' But you wouldn't get the sense that this was a narrow, even shallow, victory for free-speech absolutists based on much of the commentary about it. Nearly all of it boils down to a single insight: Just because speech is offensive doesn't mean we can ban it. ... In its decision the court upheld severe regulations on funeral protestors. Indeed, Snyder himself couldn't make out Westboro's signs or hear their chants at the funeral, because Maryland officials required the protests to be at least 1,000 feet away (though I'd be fine with making it 10,000 feet). It was only days later that Snyder saw on TV what the protesters were saying, or read on the Internet their vile personal attacks on his family. Why don't these restrictions offend free-speech absolutists? Perhaps because, even though we like to mouth platitudes, we actually recognize that some speech is so vile, so beyond the pale, that we as a society understand that it might impinge on other things we hold dear -- like the reasonable expectation that a parent might have to bury his child respectfully and in peace." --columnist Jonah Goldberg2

Reader Comments

"Concerning the public declaration that the law enforcement arm of the federal government will not defend DOMA3, Attorney General Eric Holder is quite simply not doing his job. I fully recognize that President Obama will fail to terminate his employment. However, as he has taken a public stand indicating that he will not, by his choice, fulfill the responsibilities of the office he entered, might it not be time for the House Judiciary Committee to take up the cause of impeachment for Mr. Holder?" --Rod

"Can we expect to see the Westboro Baptists protesting AG Holder at the Justice Dept. and President Obama at the White House now, in addition to their appearances at military funerals? The premise of their protest and their recently won Supreme Court case1 is that God is punishing America for tolerance of homosexuals. Why are they silent on the actions of these two government officials?" --Major Stu

"The Westboro 'Baptist' church should be referred to as the Westboro Church of Phelps since the majority of its members are the Phelps family. I do not think you will find any Baptist Church from any Baptist group of believers; Southern, Northern, American, Free Will or any of the many others, preaching hatred of gays and the military that seems to be the centerpiece for Phelps and his family. They will have much to answer for when they meet their maker." --James

Re: The Left

"As Obama rakes in historic campaign contributions from Wall Street money, liberals claim Republicans are beholden to 'the rich.' However that may be, it is far more true, and far less remarked upon, that the Democratic Party is the party of public sector unions. And now, the nation watches helplessly as public sector unions and their Democratic allies say to Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker: Nice state you got there, governor. Be a shame if something bad happened to it. ... Democrats use taxpayer money to fund a government jobs program, impoverishing the middle class and harming the people allegedly helped by the programs -- but creating a vast class of voters who owe their jobs to the Democrats. This is a system designed to ratchet up costs. Look at the history of every entity where public employees have unionized, and you will find that not only are government workers paid more, but there are also a lot more of them doing a lot less useful work. ... For Democrats, the purpose of public education in this country is not to teach children; it's to create jobs for 'educators.'" --columnist Ann Coulter4

Liberty

"At the same time that Wisconsin's Democratic senators are holed up in Illinois, the federal government is trying to determine if there is a way to live within our means. The Republican Party is pushing a balanced-budget agenda, and the Democratic Party is pushing an invest-now-so-we-can-save-later agenda. Here, too, we can see the conflict between our values and public action. ... Government programs that promise to save people through government assistance and programs do so in exchange for their liberty. People who were once self-reliant and personally responsible become conditioned to accept that they have been victimized, that they have no power, that there is no real hope for a better future, but only the false hope that the payments that government provides will continue. ... Let's be clear about what this is -- this is bondage for future generations. ... Let us love freedom more than security and risk the challenges of liberty rather than give in to the assurances of bondage." --columnist Jackie Gingrich Cushman5

The Gipper

"These United States are confronted with an economic affliction of great proportions. We suffer from the longest and one of the worst sustained inflations in our national history. ... For decades, we have piled deficit upon deficit, mortgaging our future and our children's future for the temporary convenience of the present. To continue this long trend is to guarantee tremendous social, cultural, political, and economic upheavals. You and I, as individuals, can, by borrowing, live beyond our means, but for only a limited period of time. Why, then, should we think that collectively, as a nation, we are not bound by that same limitation? We must act today in order to preserve tomorrow." --Ronald Reagan6

Government

"In fiscal year 2010, according to a recent report from The Heritage Foundation, the Obama administration adopted regulations that will cost more than $26.5 billion a year. The nanny state isn't just a nagging do-gooder -- it's a costly scold. ... In a free market, insurers compete for your business. ... But with the array of new rules we now have, courtesy of President Obama's signature health bill, Washington isn't making it easy for you. A laundry list of new regulations are decreeing what insurance companies can offer, including coverage for dependent children up to age 26, no coverage exclusions for pre-existing conditions, and no co-pays or deductibles for preventative services. ... Fuel economy standards are no better. By increasing the cost of new cars, they cause more drivers to stick with older, less fuel-efficient vehicles. And research shows that by lowering the per-mile cost of driving, fuel standards actually induce people to drive more -- defeating the purpose of having the standards in the first place. Tax bills are just part of what you pay for government. Federal regulations cost the average American household some $17,500 per year. It's time Congress put a stop to this expensive meddling. Rolling back the $26.5 billion in rules added just last year would be a good start." --Heritage Foundation president Ed Feulner7