Monday, June 25, 2012

The Supreme Court stated Congress has been negligent in their responsibility to legislate.

There is nothing enforcing racism. The law "paper please" is simply saying law enforcement officers can't be intimidated in asking for confirmation of the legal status of citizen. The "Paper Please" provision is not license for racial profiling. A person has to be stopped for other reasons in order to be legally assessed for citizenship status. Or better said, legal standing in being in the USA.


The Supreme Court saw the borders of the USA as a single entity. They viewed it as an obligation of the federal government to enforce the laws regarding immigration. I suppose. The "Papers Please" section admits there is an interest by other law enforcement in the immigration issue and to that end there is a State's Rights agreement. In other words, catching those breaking the law often falls on the shoulders of law enforcement other than federal authorities.


I don't believe there is anything unusual in this decision. It maintains the status quo. It clearly states racial profiling is not a legal standard, however, if a person is stopped for other legitimate reasons, their legal citizenship can be questioned. That happens when a police officer stops anyone for driving a car carelessly or too fast in a speed zone. The person has to provide a qualifying license when stopped by the officer. They have to provide that upon request. So, there isn't anything here that is a radical departure from current law. It simply states the authorities of police and those enforcing the laws including judges in court can ask for proof of citizenship. The Supreme Court decision doesn't remove the right of any authority outside the federal system to ask.


I always carry a USA Passport anyway. It is a habit. It is handy, too. But, there is a cost requirement that might be difficult for some citizens to overcome so it is not the best method of identification for every citizen. I never have problems offering a Passport as identity when asked.


The Congress is negligent. There needs to be immigration reform, the border of the USA south has been problematic and people have been in the country illegally for a long time. They have worked, contributed to the tax structure of the country, paid into SSI and grew families. These children are now adults. 


That status of illegal immigrants crossing the USA southern border is far different due to the fact it is unenforceable to simply find them and remove them. We know a full one third of illegal immigrants have gone on to achieve a Green Card and legal status. I think that is the precedent. If a third of all illegal immigrants achieve citizenship over time that is definitely a precedent. That is not a minor reality. Laws have to reflect that precedent.


The Legislative Branch of the USA needs to legislate and they haven't because it is a delicate topic for the political Right Wing. They have no guts to stand up to their constituents and state honest people do come to the USA and provide good service to the country. We know the illegal immigrants coming to the USA are desperate to leave behind poverty. Now, enters human rights. This is not difficult to legislate.


The only way the USA is going to solve the southern border illegal immigration issue is to work with Mexico to improve the quality of life for citizens, abolish the drug wars. That standard is not an easy achievement. Due to that these illegal immigrants, unless they are part of the drug cartels or here for illegal reasons other than seeking work and life, are refugees, quite frankly. If these people are viewed as refugees, the problem solving will change. So long as the USA legislators simply see this as a law enforcement problem to pick up the illegals and send them back on the next bus, nothing will change. 


The experience of the illegal alien in the USA is very different than simply a person who is here illegally, can be found and returned. The experience of these people, even the ones coming from as far as South America passing through nation after nation on foot, sometimes carrying children, is a matter of taking refuge from poverty and sometimes from violence. When those realities are finally assigned to the people who cross our borders illegally the problems will start to be solved. Until that happens we'll have nonsense like this go on.


President Obama won his court case. The "Papers Please" ruling is nothing unusual. I simply maintains status quo.

The National Rifle Association employs intimidation before Congressional Vote.

There is absolutely nothing regarding policy that would impact the NRA members in this vote. This is suppose to be about the death of a Border Patrol Agent and a false statement of which the ATF Chief already has declared the 5th Amendment. I am confident AG Holder is aware of the position of the leadership at the ATF. It sounds like a culture problem that may very well place liability on the department if the Director's 5th Amendment rights are violated. I don't believe any of this is as straight forward as Issa wants everyone to believe.
The National Rifle Association (NRA) (click title to entry - thank you) will score a House panel vote to hold Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt. 
The NRA has longstanding issues with Holder, something it said was "no secret" in a letter the group wrote to leaders of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee announcing its decision....


The Obama Administration did not go into office intending to overthrow the government. As a result some of the Bush programs remained intact and the gun walker programs were one of them. They had been in existence from 2005. There was no reason to stop a three year program until it was proving to be dangerous. When that occurred the program was ended. Ending and ATF program is a significant result.


I am sorry the Terry Family believes there is something the government is hiding, but, there has been recognition of the dangers of this program and it was ended. Certainly, the Terry program doesn't believe their son was murdered by his own peers? Or there was intention for him to be killed in any way.


Border Agent Terry was a very brave man intending to carry out his job by entering a very dangerous territory where cartel members were known to be organized with weapons. Is there concern the Border Agents didn't know about the ATF program? That is a different question and the ATF Director needs to speak to that directly. But, he has the right not to answer those questions and the department has the right to deny access to records compromising their operational integrity. So, I don't see this is an issue with clear understanding as to what the Terry Family believes anyone is hiding. I also don't understand what they understand will result at their insistence. The program stopped. They were instrumental in that. I am confident there are families in the USA regarding operations in Afghanistan that had the backing of the Republican Congress to investigate, such as Pat Tillman, but that doesn't happen either.


I don't believe the NRA is representative of the industry and they are seeking to corrupt a Congressional vote.


The actual industry is more than happy to end the exploitation of their products causing disruption in the peace in Mexico by drug cartels. So, what is the NRA trying to achieve?



Firearms Industry Statement on ATF Leadership Change (click here)

The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) – the trade association for the firearms industry – responded to the White House nomination of U.S.Attorney the District of Minnesota B. Todd Jones to lead the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) with the following statement:
As the ATF begins its leadership transition with the appointment of U.S.Attorney.  Todd Jones to serve as the bureau’s acting director, NSSF looks forward to meeting with Mr. Jones and to continuing our industry’s cooperative relationship with ATF in helping them to curtail the illegal acquisition and misuse of firearms. Though NSSF is still reviewing Mr. Jones’ record on Second Amendment-related issues, NSSF hopes to find in him an effective leader who can move the ATF forward and be supportive of the bureau’s cooperative relationship with America’s firearms industry.
One example of this cooperative relationship is the ATF-NSSF anti-straw purchasing campaign called Don’t Lie for the Other Guy – a program that educates retailers on how to better detect and deter illegal purchases of firearms and warns the public that it is a serious crime to attempt such an illegal purchase.

Forbes is delusional. The Housing Market in China is transient. It is a communist nation.


Do capitalists have a clue? I am serious. Capitalists actually expect a housing market in China? Should someone tell them?
They have no connection to the real world. They should make a study of what occurred when China built the Three Gorges Dam and where people lived then as opposed to where they live now. There was no Eminent Domaine, payments to property owners or mass building of new suburbia. Hello?


What Forbes is bemoaning is a speed bump in the road of a global economy. It nearly isn't noticeable. 
China’s housing bubble (click title to entry - thank you) is still getting the wind knocked out of it.  Real estate prices fell to a 16-month low in May as officials pledged to keep property curbs that have sapped demand, according to SouFun Holdings Ltd, owner of the nation’s biggest real estate website.
China’s deflating real estate bubble is more ala Japan than it is similar to the U.S.  Japan’s real estate bubble inflated in the 80s before losing nearly 60% of its value within a decade.
In China, homes are declining slowly.  The fell just 0.3% from April to 8,684 yuan ($1,364) per square meter, SouFun said in an e-mailed statement on Friday, based on its survey of 100 cities in the country....

WillardMitt Kardashian throws a party, could prosecutions follow?

Let's say Mitt Kardashin has broken the law. He and Rove believe as soon as the Presidency is bought and he takes office, Mitt can provide pardons for everyone. 


Do I detect Scooter Libby nearby?


No one can accuse him of slumming.

...The unprecedented scale (click title to entry - thank you) of the gathering earned it the nickname Romneypalooza, where fundraisers from the worlds of business and finance came to mingle with party elders, campaign strategists and with the candidate himself.

The event triggered a new round of betting in the so-called "Veepstakes", since it showcased several of the politicians being vetted as potential vice-presidential candidates. The current front-runner, Ohio Senator Rob Portman, was there. His appointment could help Mr Romney win that crucial swing state. Former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty was also speaking. Invitations went out to donors who have given $50,000 or who are planning to bundle together contributions of $250,000 or more from their associates....

"Morning Papers" - Its Origin (click title to entry - thank you)

The Rooster
"Okeydoke"

"Good Night, Moon"

Waxing Crescent Moon


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