Tuesday, April 10, 2007

Terror Watch List Claims Another Victim. A leading constitutional scholar finds himself on the terrorist watch list for giving an anti-Bush lecture. Read the prof's background and full letter here. Watch the offending lecture here. Read a possible debunk, with some interesting stuff in the comments section, here. But first take a gander at the cliff noted version below. "When I tried to use the curb-side check in at the Sunport, I was denied a boarding pass because I was on the Terrorist Watch list. I was instructed to go inside and talk to a clerk. At this point, I should note that I am not only the McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence (emeritus) but also a retired Marine colonel. I fought in the Korean War as a young lieutenant, was wounded, and decorated for heroism. I remained a professional soldier for more than five years and then accepted a commission as a reserve office, serving for an additional 19 years." "I presented my credentials from the Marine Corps to a very polite clerk for American Airlines. One of the two people to whom I talked asked a question and offered a frightening comment: "Have you been in any peace marches? We ban a lot of people from flying because of that." I explained that I had not so marched but had, in September, 2006, given a lecture at Princeton, televised and put on the Web, highly critical of George Bush for his many violations of the Constitution. "That'll do it," the man said." "After carefully examining my credentials, the clerk asked if he could take them to TSA officials. I agreed. He returned about ten minutes later and said I could have a boarding pass, but added: "I must warn you, they=re going to ransack your luggage." On my return flight, I had no problem with obtaining a boarding pass, but my luggage was "lost." Airlines do lose a lot of luggage and this "loss" could have been a mere coincidence. In light of previous events, however, I'm a tad skeptical." Emphasis mine. Looks like I'm probably on a list somewhere. Are you? [MotherJones.com | MoJo Blog - Social Issues and Political Commentary] 12:46:22 PM    comment []

OFT TIMES THERE ARE ISSUES WITHIN OUR PERIPHERAL VISION THAT CAUSE US TO THINK -OMIGOD, HOW CAN THAT BE? WE KNOW OF INJUSTICE, WE KNOW OF MALFEASANCE, WE KNOW IT'S JUST PLAIN WRONG. AND WE WANT TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT SO WE SUPPORT LEGISLATION LIKE THE BILL PROPOSED BY CALIFORNIA STATE SENATOR SHEILA KEUHL ON UNIVERSAL HEALTHCARE. A BILL PASSED BY BOTH STATE HOUSES AND VETOED BY THE PREVIOUS AND CURRENT GOVERNORS. GIFT TO THE INDUSTRY NO DOUBT. THE THING IS, UNTIL IT COMES INTO YOUR HOME, UNTIL THAT ISSUE BITES YOU SQUARE ON THE ASS, YOU DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND JUST HOW INSIDIOUS, HOW VICIOUS, HOW EVIL IT IS. IT IS HAPPENING TO ME ON A MUCH SMALLER SCALE THAN IT IS TO TOO MANY OTHERS. I LEFT MY JOB RECENTLY BECAUSE I HAVE THREE YEAR OLD TRIPLETS AND I WANT TO BE WITH THEM. WHEN I REALIZED THAT I WAS JEALOUS OF THE NANNY, I KNEW IT WAS TIME TO CHANGE MY PRIORITIES AND BE WITH MY KIDS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. I WAS A TALK RADIO HOST. I HAD TALKED A GREAT DEAL ABOUT THE SKY ROCKETING COST OF HEALTHCARE, ABOUT AMERICA'S UNINSURED. NOW IT'S MY TURN TO FEEL WHAT THAT MEANS. I'M LOOKING AT $1500 A MONTH TO COVER MY FAMILY WITH APPROXIMATELY THE SAME PLAN I HAD THROUGH MY EMPLOYER. THAT STILL INVOLVES ME PAYING $25 FOR OFFICE VISITS. PAYING $200 PER DAY FOR HOSPITALIZATION. PAYING $100 FOR AN AMBULANCE. PAYING $10 PER LAB TEST. PAYING $100 PER OUTPATIENT SURGERY PROCEDURE. PAYING $50 FOR EYE EXAMS. AND $100 FOR A TRIP TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM. $1500 A MONTH! AND STILL HAVE TO FORK OVER SOME HEAVY CHANGE FROM MY POCKET FOR VIRTUALLY EVERY TRIP TO THE DOC. $1500 - THAT'S A MORTGAGE PAYMENT ON A DECENT HOUSE. SO I'VE BEEN THINKING THAT MAYBE I SHOULD FOREGO INSURANCE ALTOGETHER, BUY ANOTHER HOUSE AND RENT IT OUT. THEN THE RENT WILL COVER THE MORTGAGE COST PLUS PUT ABOUT $300 A MONTH IN MY POCKET. SEEMS LIKE BARRING SOMETHING HUGE, THAT SHOULD COVER MOST OF MY HEALTHCARE NEEDS. AND IF THERE IS A HUGE EVENT, I CAN SELL THE HOUSE AND USE THE PROCEEDS TO PAY FOR IT. IN THE MEANTIME I ALSO HAVE THE TAX BENEFITS ASSOCIATED WITH OWNING AND MORTGAGING PROPERTY ... EVEN PROPERTY USED AS A FORM OF INCOME! I KNOW THERE ARE HOLES. AND IF MY HUGE EVENT OCCURED IN THE NEAR FUTURE I'D BE UP THE PROVERBIAL CREEK. STILL AND ALL, IT SEEMS LIKE $1500 A MONTH COULD BE USED TO MAKE SOME SORT OF SECURE INVESTMENT THAT MIGHT ENRICH MY FAMILY. BUT WHAT A GAMBLE. IF IT WAS JUST ME, I MIGHT TAKE IT. BUT THOSE KIDS ARE NOT SUBJECT TO ANY SORT OF GAME OF CHANCE. SO, WE BITE THE BULLET. LOSE MY INCOME AND HAVE TO EAT THIS ENORMOUS NUT EVERY MONTH. BUT I'M LUCKY. I CAN DO IT. IT WON'T BE EASY, BUT I CAN. WHAT HAPPENS TO ALL THOSE WHO CAN'T? WE'D BETTER GET MOVING ON THIS. IT SHOULD BE THE ELECTION ISSUE IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA AT LEAST IN THE NEXT ELECTION CYCLE. ONCE WE FIGURE IT OUT THE NATION MAY WELL FOLLOW. PLEASE .... THIS IS NOT RHETORIC. IT'S LIVES. SUPPORT SHEILA KEUHL'S PLAN FOR CALIFORNIA. HERS IS REAL. ALL THE OTHERS ARE SUPPORTED BY THE HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY IN OUR STATE. THAT SHOULD TELL YOU ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW. PT More Uninsured Means More Healthcare Corporate Profits. The U.S. is said to offer gold-standard healthcare, but it's the most expensive health system in the world and only people with a pot of gold can get that care. [AlterNet.org] 9:55:28 AM    comment []

© Copyright 2007 Patricia Thurston.