Friday, June 14, 2002

Bob Herbert: Americans Need to Know Our Risk Bob Herbert says that the government has to stop scaring us silly: "Gone are the days when a Franklin Roosevelt would try to defuse an economic panic by cautioning a nation against the fear of fear itself. Or when a Winston Churchill would rally a war-stricken nation by proclaiming, 'We shall not flag or fail.'" "Instead we have Dick Cheney on "Meet the Press" saying another attack on the U.S. by Al Qaeda is "almost certain." And we have the director of the F.B.I., Robert Mueller, telling a gathering of district attorneys that suicide bombings like those in Israel are "inevitable" on American soil." Herbert says that having more accessible and open government will actually make us more safe, by giving us a clear and responsible assessment of our everyday risk. 7:02:14 PM

Amendment to Make Same-Sex Marriages Unconstitutional in Massachusetts An amendment is working its way to voters in Massachusetts that would make same-sex marriages unconstitutional. According to Massachusetts Citizens for Marriage, the group supporting the amendment, it reads: It being the public policy of this Commonwealth to protect the unique relationship of marriage in order to promote, among other goals, the stability and welfare of society and the best interests of children, only the union of one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as a marriage in Massachusetts. Any other relationship shall not be recognized as a marriage or its legal equivalent, nor shall it receive the benefits or incidents exclusive to marriage from the Commonwealth, its agencies, departments, authorities, commissions, offices, officials and political subdivisions. Nothing herein shall be construed to effect an impairment of a contract in existence as of the effective date of this amendment. From the Boston Globe: "Supporters of the question say they aren't targeting homosexuals, but just want to protect traditional marriage, which they say is under attack from gay activists and popular culture." "Opponents fear the question would block attempts to expand legal rights to same-sex relationships and roll back benefits some gay couples and unmarried heterosexual couples now enjoy. The state does not recognize gay marriage." 6:39:17 PM

Zacarias Moussaoui Will Lack Evidence Access Moussaoui, the accused "20th Hijacker," was granted the opportunity to present his own defense. He seems to have chosen his own defense because he suspects his court-appointed lawyers of conspiring with the government to kill him, as well as the council his mother retained for him. Moussaoui may be facing major due process problems: His previous defense lawyers assert that the psychologist that the prosecution recommended to determine if Moussaoui glossed over major warning flags, including evasive answers to questions of whether he had suffered from hallucinations in the past and a history of family mental illness. Mr. Moussaoui's decision to waive his right to counsel may be the product of a mental disease or defect rendering the decision involuntary.' As his own attorney, Moussaoui will not have access to classified evidence open to the prosecution, even that which would tend to exonerate him. Zacarias Moussaoui says he can prove that he wasn't part of the 9/11 conspiracy and risks the death penalty. 5:00:26 PM

Congress shall make no law ... abridging the freedom of speech ... Every citizen may freely speak, write and publish sentiments on any subject, being responsible for the abuse of this liberty;...

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