Cinco de Mayo, the American Flag and “Adults Gone Wild”

The Madison-St. Clair Record

Tad Armstrong

The events of May 5, 2010, at Live Oak High School in Morgan Hill, California, caused outrage around the nation when three students were disciplined for wearing shirts displaying an American flag on Cinco de Mayo, a day set aside by many to celebrate Mexican heritage. The students sought to remedy what they perceived to be violations of their freedom of speech by filing suit in Federal District Court. They lost. The 9^th Circuit Court of Appeals recently heard their arguments on appeal pitting the duty of public schools to prevent violence against the “rights” of students to express themselves. The outcome is difficult to predict for reasons described, below, but a detour is necessary before taking a look at Dariano v. Morgan Hill Unified School District.

Look to the Framers for wisdom in these corrupt times.

©The Madison-St. Clair Record
Tad Armstrong

Yes, I believe I was a target of the Internal Revenue Service. Can I prove it? Only by every trial lawyer’s trusted friend, Mr. Circumstantial Evidence. I mean, I can’t get into the heads of those two loose canons in Cincy. I suppose the only other way to prove it would be to seize the telephone records and e-mails of the United States Treasury Department. Oops! I forgot. Only the head of the Department of “Justice” has that much power. Guess I will have to rely on C.E., after all.

© St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Tad Armstrong

Must the perceived cure for what legislators believe ails society always be the enactment of yet another law? The notion that more laws are needed to save us from ourselves is more alarming when the proposed laws are ill-conceived amendments to a constitution.

Tad Armstrong

Most pundits suggest that the party who garners the votes of Independents will win the White House come this November. I respectfully disagree.

I cannot believe a so-called Independent could possibly vote for a man who has unashamedly set out to make us all more dependent on government for “every breath we take” (Obamacare), “every move we make and every step we take” (massive over-regulation) – yes, and “every word we say” (the fairness doctrine). Pardon the play on words of the 1983 hit by The Police, but merging the first line of the Star-Spangled Banner with the beginning of the third stanza is a real hoot, to wit: “Oh Say Can’t You See, You Belong to Me.” Oh, c’mon, a little humor doesn’t hurt all that much, does it? If only their name had been “The Police State,” the spoof would have been complete.

© St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Tad Armstrong

On November 6, 2012, Americans will decide whether they want a dictator to remain as the head of state or whether they want to return to a constitutional republic. On January 22, 1973, in an unquestionable act of judicial legislation, a sizeable majority (7-2) of the United States Supreme Court placed pleasure ahead of innocent human life with its decision in Roe v. Wade. On Friday, January 27, 2012, the Obama administration, through its Secretary of Health and Human Services (Kathleen Sebelius), announced its decision to give Catholic employers (and others of similar belief) a year to get used to the idea of violating their conscience by either participating in what they believe to be an act of murder or risking going out of business or being fined for dropping insurance coverage that pays for abortion-inducing drugs. The ruling does not apply to churches, but does apply to religious-affiliated hospitals, colleges and social service agencies.