Thoughtful Dissent in Obergefell v. Hodges

Politics
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Like all Supreme Court opinions, the Obergefell v. Hodges case is a required romp. Like the Windsor case, I gather that Kennedy was the author in order to give the decision a more neutral voice, and the majority opinion was intentionally much shorter than the dissent following. I think it was a good call to […]

Where did cable TV come from?

Literature, Politics
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The ABC vs. Aereo Supreme Court case opinion was a very intriguing read. Breyer, J. recounts the history of cable television, CATV. I have vague recollections of community access television, but it turns out that they started as giant antennas that picked up other public channels from very far away, and eventually from very very […]

American History: Anita Hill

Politics, Social Issues
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I have absolutely no idea where I was when this scandal broke. I did not even know it existed until about five or so years ago, when Anita Hill was making yet another comeback after Clarence Thomas’s wife, Virginia, called Ms. Hill out of the blue and asked her to apologize, subsequently apologizing herself for […]

Such tenacity

Politics, Social Issues
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Masha and Nadia

I have total appreciation for Masha and Nadia’s bravery, but if they keep taunting Russia to re-incarcerate them, their country will certainly oblige them. I hope Pussy Riot’s most outspoken members consider the consequences of this. They are sure to be more productive out of jail. Even if you compared their actions to those of, […]

Awareness is key

Human Behavior, Politics
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News outlets have been focusing more attention on the rampant sexual assault issues plaguing our armed forces. The worse accounts I’ve heard involve people who were supposedly in charge of preventing sexual assault engaging in such deplorable behavior themselves. One of the most talked about, and confusing, cases involves four men at Maryland’s Naval Academy […]

“We agree, Mr. President. Wait… what am I saying?”

Politics

From what I can tell by the response of Democratic and Republican Congesspeople, the legislature and the executive are go on attacking Syria. Several members of our legislature, on the left and right, have made clear that they prefer a timetable, but they still acknowledge that the actual consequences of such an action are uncertain […]

Please register to vote… or don’t…

Politics
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I’m having a hard time understanding the outrage behind these Voter ID laws I keep hearing about. In the State of Colorado, one is given a variety of methods to register to vote. When you obtain a license, and probably also when you obtain any other kind of Colorado state ID, there are sections of […]

A Required Romp

Politics, Social Issues
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Scalia’s opinions are always a good time. They are laugh-out-loud hilarious and a fun educational experience for the whole family. I mean that with all seriousness. His dissent in the United States v. Windsor case, which looked at the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act, was a very abrasive and clear-cut rebuttal to the […]

The right now reviles wiretapping

Politics
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Do conservatives not remember how they were very unconcerned about the government potentially spying on citizens before Obama? Do they not remember how they were defending Bush’s government during the whole FISA controversy? This NYT article, which says the NSA‘s mission is “to spy on communications abroad”, caused quite a stir back in the day. […]

Same-Sex Madness

Politics, Social Issues

So, the same-sex marriage debate is heating up, especially in Colorado where Senate Bill 11 allowing civil-unions was recently passed. In a few days, the Supreme Court will finally hear two cases regarding the government’s Defense of Marriage Act and California’s Proposition 8. Oyez.org is a wonderful site that tracks SCOTUS‘s activities and right now […]