Blog « ELL Constitution Clubs

5 Jan 2012

Lady Justice Isn’t Smiling!

But don’t pin this one on the Madison County judiciary.

In the wake of the recent argle-bargle over lawyers’ contributions to Judge Barbara Crowder’s judicial campaign in Madison County, Illinois, I’m not sure it’s possible to hold an adult, objective and honest conversation on the topic without slipping into a medieval suit of armor, especially when it is a Madison County attorney initiating the discourse. Oh, well, here goes.

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1 Dec 2011

What Qualities Are You Looking for in a President?

As we round the corner and head down the homestretch of potentially the greatest election year in our history, each of us would be well-advised to seriously ponder the qualities we would like to see in our elected leaders and, in particular, our president.

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3 Nov 2011

Leave the Judiciary Alone

Existing remedies for judicial overreaching will suit us just fine.

Article VI of the United States Constitution states: “…This Constitution, and the laws of the United States which shall be made in pursuance thereof…shall be the supreme law of the land; and the judges in every state shall be bound thereby, any thing in the constitution or laws of any state to the contrary notwithstanding. The senators and representatives before mentioned, and the members of the several state legislatures, and all executive and judicial officers, both of the United States and of the several states, shall be bound by oath or affirmation, to support this Constitution…”

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5 Oct 2011

Death Penalty Jurisprudence is Killing the Constitution

“Hit a worker, $10,000 fine, 14 years in jail.” Illinois drivers are familiar with these work zone signs. Here is an example where educating the public to the promise of harsh penalties has altered old driving habits. I mean, no one sets out to hit a worker, but “14 years” says “slow down” so much better than “slow down,” doesn’t it?

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7 Sep 2011

Buckle Your Seat Belts

The weak at heart might be well advised to duck down Alice’s rabbit hole and hibernate until the votes are counted in November, 2012. The rhetoric of the last few weeks indicates the battle for the White House and Congress is going to make Obamacare-sausage-making look like a Norman Rockwell 4^th of July picnic.

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3 Aug 2011

It’s still OK to say God

Last week American Atheists, Inc. filed a lawsuit seeking what has been dubbed the “World Trade Center Cross” to be either removed from the National September 11 Memorial and Museum or to be joined by their symbol, along with other non-Christian symbols. They call the cross “an insult to every non-Christian survivor of the attack” and the four individual plaintiffs allege they have suffered “dyspepsia, depression, headaches, anxiety and mental pain and anguish from the knowledge…they are made to feel officially excluded from the ranks of citizens who were directly injured by the 9/11 attack…”

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6 Jul 2011

It’s OK to say God

Before I had this platform to voice at least some of my concerns on a monthly basis, my television screen was in daily jeopardy of getting a shoe thrown through it. If you are similarly frustrated about the direction of our country and do not have such an outlet, I feel your pain. That is the reason I take this opportunity so seriously. That is also the reason why I urge you to thoroughly educate yourself before you trash your own credibility.

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2 Jun 2011

California prisons

The only thing cruel and unusual about the Supreme Court’s decision is its ruling.

Last week’s Supreme Court decision in Plata v. Brown affirmed a lower court injunction that will practically require the release of approximately 26% of California’s current prison population (40,000) by May 23, 2013. I say “practically” because, although the decision requires a reduction from the state’s current volume of nearly 200% of facility design capacity to a maximum of 137.5% (and, therefore, could be achieved by an increase in prison construction with no reduction in the guest list), it is no surprise that California, like many states, is broke. New prisons are not on the horizon.

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4 May 2011

Pledge of Allegiance belongs in schools

Atheists and others who object to ‘under God’ in the pledgedon’t have a heckler’s veto.

Vladimir Lenin, creator of the Soviet Communist Party, founder of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and proponent of atheism, was right when he said, “A lie told often enough becomes the truth.”

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6 Apr 2011

March Madness Over Libyan Skies

President Obama’s decision to attack might have been unwise, but it was constitutional.

If you would like an honest answer to questions concerning the constitutionality of legislation or executive branch decisions, steer clear of any lawyer who graduated from a prestigious law school, has taught constitutional law and is Democratic politician. Ouch! That last “unqualification” might hurt a bit. Although I don’t shy away from criticizing Republicans, it has been my studied observation that one is more likely to get a trustworthy answer from a Republican than from a Democrat when it comes to presidential war powers.

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