I Demand She Apologize

I wonder how many people join me in being shocked and outraged by the comments Sandra Bernhard made about Alaska Governor Sarah Palin? In a routine Bernhard issued a gang rape threat that in and of itself is wrong but then included outrageous and racially motivated stereotypical rants. For instance the Hollywood star said and I quote, “gang-raped by my big black brothers” should she enter Manhattan as expected this week for the opening of the UN General Assembly. The statement a direct relation to the large crime in New York’s urban downtown and used race to make it that much worst and also Alaska’s ranking as the state with the largest number (per capita) of force rape complaints in the nation.

In poll after poll we are starting to see that Barack Obama, America’s first black nominee of a major political party, faces an uphill battle even amongst democrats strictly because of his race. These people aren’t refusing to vote for Obama because of his stance on the issues or what he wants to do for America but because he is black. It is comments like these that make that battle harder to achieve. So what should be done?

1) Sandra Bernhard should issue an immediate apology not only to the governor of Alaska but all African American men who already face racism everyday for people who think her “jokes” are actual reality. To use the image of the big black urban brothers ganging up on the small, slender, pretty, white girl from a small town plays directly into those unfounded fears that set so many blacks behind.

2) Barack Obama should condemn and return any money she has raised or given to his campaign. For the most part the Obama campaign has made a practice of being a clean and on the issue campaign. It is attacks like these that damage that change armor we all hope that the junior senator from Illinois will bring to Washington. Time after time his campaign has fired or distanced themselves from supporters who cross the line. This is one of those times.

Tha-Kid JK

tha-kid@revkitchen.com

Maryland Police Spied on Peace Protesters

When Republican governor Robert Ehrlich governed Maryland, police infiltrated anti war and anti death penalty groups with undercover officers. The police found no illegal activity occurring, but invested over 200 hours of surveillance of various groups reports the Washington Post:

Detailed intelligence reports logged by at least two agents in the police department’s Homeland Security and Intelligence Division reveal close monitoring of the movements as the Iraq war and capital punishment were heatedly debated in 2005 and 2006.

Organizational meetings, public forums, prison vigils, rallies outside the State House in Annapolis and e-mail group lists were infiltrated by police posing as peace activists and death penalty opponents, the records show. The surveillance continued even though the logs contained no reports of illegal activity and consistently indicated that the activists were not planning violent protests.

While attending a meeting as undercover officers isn’t technically illegal, it still does raise some flags. But then we found out that various participants were described as “anarchist and socialist” and one was entered into a criminal database:

A well-known antiwar activist from Baltimore, Max Obuszewski, 63, was singled out by the undercover agents and entered into a “Washington-Baltimore High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area” database. His entry indicates a “Primary Crime” of “Terrorism-anti-government” and a “Secondary Crime” of “Terrorism-Anti-War Protesters,” according to the documents.

These anti-violence groups never did anything violent (I know, shocking) to advance their interests. The police eventually concluded that their might be “tensions” but nothing particularly dangerous about their protests. What’s not clear is if the now Democratic governor, Martin O’Malley has continued these surveillance programs.

Update

Current Democratic governor Martin O’Malley has commented on this matter, as the Post writes in a follow up article:

Governor Martin O’Malley says state police are obligated to investigate threats to public safety, but his administration will not use public resources to monitor the peaceful exercise of free speech.

The governor noted Friday that state police must investigate threats to public safety. But if there is no evidence of illegal activity or criminal wrongdoing, all intelligence gathering must stop.

The Kokoist revolt has begun…

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A Police State in the Nation’s Capital

Police in Washington, DC will soon begin sealing off entire neighborhoods prone to high crime. Under the new program main thoroughfares would be blocked, and any vehicles entering such a neighborhood would have to present an ID, which would either prove a person lived in the neighborhood, or else a person would have to state their reason for being their, like church or visiting friends. Right now the idea will just be applied to high crime neighborhoods, but still it seems might totalitarian. The DC Examiner has the story:

Under an executive order expected to be announced today, police Chief Cathy L. Lanier will have the authority to designate “Neighborhood Safety Zones.” At least six officers will man cordons around those zones and demand identification from people coming in and out of them. Anyone who doesn’t live there, work there or have “legitimate reason” to be there will be sent away or face arrest, documents obtained by The Examiner show.

Lanier has been struggling to reverse D.C.’s spiraling crime rate but has been forced by public outcry to scale back several initiatives including her “All Hands on Deck” weekends and plans for warrantless, door-to-door searches for drugs and guns.

Under today’s proposal, the no-go zones will last up to 10 days, according to internal police documents. Front-line officers are already being signed up for training on running the blue curtains.

The plan isn’t purely a concation of the police department, the DC’s attorney general stays he believes the program is consitional, and besides he says it’s been used in other cities. I wonder what those “other cities” are? Moscow, Beijing, or Warsaw anyone?

Right now this may be a problem in the ghettos of DC, but surely if the police in DC get away with it we’ll see it expanding to other areas and cities. With immigration hysteria on the rise I have to wonder when the next news story reports on police locking down neighborhoods and searching for illegal immigrants.

The case for Kokoism!

If you’re like me, you’re downright fed up with the same old stuff from the Democratic and Republican Parties, who run under the banner of change, but who will only let us down once again with the same timid decision making! Now, there’s a party for us! In honor of Think Youth’s good friend, Koko Chassid, a new political party has been formed: The Kokoist Party!

The Kokoist Party of America is truly a party of changed policy. In fact, it changes its position on policy every ten minutes. Which other political party can say that?! Read on for more information about the Kokoist platform, as well as some exciting news about the groundwork being laid for a strong Kokoist run at the White House in 2008!

Kokoist Party Platform

1. The Kokoist Party of America believes that all men are created equal, except Ron Paul is way more awesome than anyone else!
2. The Kokoist Party of America believes in a small government. In fact, the entire federal government should be able to fit inside of a road-side hot dog stand. If it cannot, it is too large!
3. The Kokoist Party of America believes in healthcare for all, and then it doesn’t, and then it does again.
4. The Kokoist Party of America believes strongly in animal rights, such as the rights of animals to be used as subjects in bloodsports.
5. The Kokoist Party of America believes in an end to the war on drugs. We are spending resources in the pursuit of casual drug users that could be better used fighting the real threat to American society: Michael Savage haters.
6. The Kokoist Party of America believes that every child should have access to Sean Hannity’s delightful and informative radio program!
7. The Kokoist Party believes that global warming is man made, and that the men making it should get tax cuts and SUVs.

Kokoist Party in 2008

The Kokoist Party of America is pleased to announce that, despite our relatively recent formation, we have already fielded a presidential ticket to run in the 2008 general election! This is a big step in the right direction. Go below the fold for an exclusive first-look at the 2008 Kokoist ticket!

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Head of Prison Rehab Ministry Defends Torture

I use to have respect for Chuck Colson, a man connected to the Watergate controversy, jailed, and then freed. He went on to start a non profit that helped to rehab prisoners, take care of prisoners families, and created the Angel Tree project. Sure he was still a prominent conservative, and had ideologies I disagreed with, but at least he was doing a good work.

But today comes news that Chuck Colson, a man who has dedicated his life to helping prisoners, has called torture a noble act. In Newsweek he is quoted as saying:

Centuries of Christian ethical reflection would lead to the answer “no.” Inflicting bodily or psychological harm on a helpless captive would be inconsistent with the Christian understanding of human dignity. But as with all moral obligations, there may be circumstances for exception.

It is well understood in Christian tradition that while we are supposed to obey the law, there may be times when there is a higher obligation (see Aquinas, Augustine, and Martin Luther King). To rescue a drowning person, a Christian would be justified in disobeying a “no trespassing” sign.

So it is with torture; if a competent authority honestly believed that this was the only way to get information that might save the lives of thousands, I believe he would be justified. That is not moral relativism. It is making a difficult decision when human life and dignity will be affected either way. The Greeks called it prudence.

We have to remember that many of these “terrorists” that the CIA takes don’t have the information we need, or even in some cases are not terrorists at all. Because they don’t know anything they can’t answer any questions, and are tortured for something they know nothing about.

By running a prison rehab ministry, Chuck Colson should realize that a lot of what happens inside prisons is responsible for the trap that sends these men back to jail. Compared with the relatively minor horrors of American jail, how do you expect someone to become a normal citizen after being beaten, drowned, and held naked in rooms with below freezing temperatures? That’s enough to encourage a man to create another September 11th.

And how can he use Martin Luther King, one of the worlds most famous peacemakers, as an example to torture someone? The acts of Augustine and King where both crimes that didn’t harm anyone. If I remember correctly, Augustine challenged an alcoholic king to give up his addiction, and since this was the time of monarchy’s challenging a king would have been a crime. And it’s obvious that Kings civil disobedience hurt no one either, but rather challenged corrupt laws.

But at least the right has progressed to realize that what we are doing is torture. The next step is to help them realize that torture is always wrong.

Immigrant Hatred Fuels KKK

I had previously reported on a Virginia County banning services from immigrants, and now the county seat has become a ground for the Klu Klux Klan to recruit supporters. The DC Examiner is reporting that the Klu Klux Klan LLC, of Arkansas distributed hate filled newspapers and recruitment fliers in the suburban community. Citizens on both sides of the immigration debate have condemned the move.

Any legislation that attracts hate groups should be considered racist. I wonder how much the people on the wrong side of the immigration debate are under delusion that such laws aren’t racist, and thus the appearance of the KKK rudely awakened them. But one of the leading anti-immigration groups, Help Save Manassas said “If Mexicans Without Borders protests [the KKK], we would be right alongside.” Mexicans Without Borders organized a one week boycott of anti-immigration businesses, and will hold a work stoppage in several weeks.

Election 2008 is about far more than Iraq, health care, and taxes. It will be one of weather America will continue to be a country that welcomes all ethnicities, or weather we return to a pre-1960s mindset.

America’s electoral mess.

From YAHOO! News:

South Carolina is poised to hold its Republican presidential primary earlier than Feb. 2, 2008, likely in mid-January, a move that is expected to push New Hampshire and Iowa to follow suit.

Such shifts could mean the first nominating contest could take place in December of 2007, in just four months.

This, of course, is being done by South Carolina Republicans to ensure that its primary remains the first in the south. New Hampshire, as not to have it’s place as the first primary in the nation taken, will move it’s primary up to around January 8th. The last casualty of this sad political domino effect will be Iowa. Iowa, of course, has a famous caucus which marks the definitive start of the selection process.

That will have to be moved back in order to keep a safe distance from South Carolina and New Hampshire, because, let’s face it, having presidential front-runners worship the ground you walk on just because that ground happens to be in Iowa is a pretty sweet deal.

Iowans recognize the luxuries associated with having presidential hopefuls desperately clamor for their votes. Promises are made, individual stories are heard, hands are shaken, and babies are posed with in nauseatingly corny photos. That’s why Iowa wants to make sure that they fall comfortably first on the primary/caucus calendar.
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More Media Matters followers try to get rid of Savage.

Media Matters and their supporters have started a new campaign to fire Michael Savage for saying “The homosexual left will bring the devil down to earth” and for Calling Dianne Feinstein a ho. Is this an excuse to bring back the fairness doctrine? Is it ok to stop conservative talk radio so liberals can have a larger role in radio?

Currently Michael Savage is the only conservative host who has “Listener Discretion Is Advised” (And rips me off on his DVD-but i got a refund). And he is making more money then any other talk show host in America (possibly the world).

Do you think the Fairness Doctrine should be brought back?

The crazy people support Ron Paul

When I was asked in the comments to write a post about Ron Paul, I thought about what I would say. Then I figured that I was going to go on a rant as to why no one should support Ron Paul. All of you “real” conservatives can feel free to support him because he can’t get elected anyways. Even if Ron Paul was elected to the presidency, many of his outrageous ideas would not actually be fulfilled. That would be the duty of the congress at the time.

Now, there are true Democrats, and true Republicans. For example, Joe Lieberman is not a true Democrat, he has become a war hawk. And Ron Paul is not a true Republican in the sense we have become to know them by. (war hawks, and full of corruption.)

Many see Ron Paul’s independence from the Republican party as a sign of better things to come. But Ron Paul is actually more like the Republican party than you think:

• Ron Paul is pro-life.
• Ron Paul is against gay rights.
• Ron Paul is opposed to separation of church and state.
• Ron Paul is anti-environment.

And for all of those reason, I don’t think anyone in their right mind (Democrats) should support him. I’m gonna end with that although I respect Ron Paul’s courage to stand up to the GOP, as a Democrat I cannot support him. His ideas about less government and no taxes does not fit in with my views of helping those that need help. For example ending poverty, and helping out the middle class. It wouldn’t be done with a Paul administration.

It sure seems that Ron Paul is just another right wing Republican who is just anti-war. He wants a non-interventionist policy with everything, even Darfur.

And finally, Ron Paul is a conspiracy theorist:

Ron Paul’s Internet Spammers

(Image: Ron Paul and his internet staff hard at work.)

A mildly amusing discussion of Ron Paul is brewing on the internet. The subject: Ron Paul’s overwhelming online popularity. The supporters spam message boards, forums, chatrooms, blog comments, online polls, youtube, myspace; the list is neverending.

These thousands of “people” (well, they could be spam bots, they’re so committed) tend to be a little crazy, and they are the conspiracy theorist crowd. They warn of the Illuminati and the New World Order, (a conspiracy theory involving the idea of one secretive and powerful group having total control over the world’s events, all-the-while planning a global takeover of the entire world, and thus creating a “One World Government”). I know, it’s a little far fetched, but we all have to have something to keep us from getting bored.
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WBC with the Teen Caucus… Seriously.

On June 27th, Kenton and I chewed our fingernails off live on the air waiting for an over-hyped guest that never called in. I, of course, am talking about Shirley Phelps-Roper of the Westboro Baptist Church (read the previous posts for more info). Well, we got kind of angry, and swore them off forever, until we realized that their absence may have been an honest mistake. So, we’ve booked them again, for Thursday, July 5th, from 6:30-7:00 P.M.

To make sure that a similar problem doesn’t arise, we’ve obtained a direct line to Shirley. So she doesn’t forget about the show, I will call her a few minutes prior to the beginning, and remind her. Hopefully, this will ensure that we have a guest on the line when the show starts. If you tuned into the last podcast to hear the conversation with Mrs. Phelps-Roper, please do the same on Thursday. There’s a good chance she’ll be there this time! Our call-in number is:

(646) 478-5825

Join in the discussion. Call us during the live show to be put on the air with our guest! All calls will be taken! Visit our Show Page for more details.