Double Jeopardy?

Legal situations are always touchy. Especially as an outside person looking in. Especially when I am the outside person. Now, this article could just be shoddy journalism (lord knows there's a ton of that on CNN.com), but my mind chooses to give the author the benefit of the doubt (something I know I shouldn't do) and take what's there at face value.

Read this.

Note especially where, when, and for what he was convicted.

Feel free to correct me, if you want. I don't really care. But, to me...it seems this man's had some basic Constitutional rights violated, here. Namely, Double Jeopardy as seen in the following:

No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.

The way this particular article reads, it looks like the civilian court and the military court found this guy guilty of the same crimes. I can understand why they'd want to try him twice--he raped and killed a civilian and raped and killed/attempted to kill a couple of Army personnel. According to the article. That's three people. If you re-read the first part of that article, the civilian court convicted him on two counts of murder and five counts of rape (which is impressive for having three known victims). Then the following year, a court martial also found him guilty of two murders, one attempted murder, and three rapes. That equates to the two military personnel and the civilian.

Now, don't get me wrong. Y'all should know by now how I feel about murderers and rapists and the death penalty. But, I'm also a very big supporter of the US Constitution. It's there for a reason. It's there so the government can't tell us to just bend over and take it--even though they try. The government can get away with a lot. Know why? Because they rely on the fact that Americans, as a whole, are uninformed. With the way trends are for the education of the youth of America, I'd say the government is trying to make it so that very few are even literate in this country. That way, when the citizens willingly give up their rights because they don't know any better, the power-hungry Federal Government will just pat them on the heads and send them on their merry little way.

I, for one, don't plan on allowing that to happen. What am I going to do about it? I'll write my congressmen. I'll petition Mr. Obama. I'll even run for office, if I have to. Ooooh...yesh, I said it. I'll run for OFFICE, if I have to. I'll make sure my Libertarian view of government gets broadcasted the world over. So, if you don't like the fact your rights are slowly being stripped from you, do something about it.

READ the Constitution.

KNOW your rights.

WRITE your congressman.

Don't settle for the standard answers. Make them accountable for their decisions. Let them know they can't just make arbitrary decisions that affect your life. Let them know that they can't just overwrite the Constitution. And I'm not talking about minority groups here. I'm talking about US CITIZENS. I'm talking about reading the articles of the Constitution of our country and the Amendments. Know them. Understand them. That way when someone says to you, "Hey, don't you think Schwartzenegger should run for President?" You can say (with confidence, knowledge, and accuracy), "Yes, but sadly, he can't. He doesn't meet the qualifications. Neither does RA, but give her a few years and she'll be a-okay!"

Vote RA/Cthulu in 2012! You'll be glad you did.

Finally Over

So, the political stuff is finally over. Thank God. Sarah Palin can go back to Alaska and be a soccer mom; John McCain can go back to having no idea how much real estate he owns; Joe Biden can chomp on his bull-dog bone; and Barack Obama can start getting used to being hailed, since he's the chief.

It's now time for those who voted for McCain to nit-pick and get all moany about how the country's going someplace hot in a handbasket.

I just ask that you not talk to me about it. Because I don't care.

I stared at the ticket for a good long time. I almost voted for Bob Barr, but I decided that I liked Obama just enough to vote for him. Since I couldn't actually hear Sarah Palin speak to make a decision on whether or not she'd make a suitable VP, I decided to vote for the ticket that had a strong pairing.

In my not so humble opinion, that was Obama-Biden.

"But RA!" I hear you whine. "Obama is pro-choice!"

Indeed he is. No one's perfect. But, ya know what? I actually did a little research on the candidates. I know, I know--a responsible American who thinks for themselves! Yes, I'm real. Now, I did some research and I discovered something interesting. Obama is pro-choice not because he thinks killing babies is the right thing to do. He's pro-choice because...

PEOPLE ARE GOING TO DO IT ANYWAY

If women are going to go out and kill their unborn children, possibly causing damage to themselves, then offer them the opportunity to make an informed decision about it and have it done safely. Obama may be pro-choice, but he's also pro-abstinence. Something that Jamie Lynn should learn about.

Is this our only problem with Obama?

No.

I think our biggest problem with Obama is his skin color. We've come a long way in the past 200+ years, but there's still people out there who don't think a black man should be leading our country. I think there's still a bunch of people out there who don't think a woman should be leading our country, either. In fact, I know there are. Look at how the media--and even the Republicans--treated Palin.

I can't say if the woman is brilliant or not. They would never let her speak. The media would talk over her during broadcasts, the candidates would cut her off, etc. She never really got the chance to shine or crash. And if she did, they were few and far between. I never heard about either. Well, except for that prank phone call. And her dress code.

So.

Which scares you more? A black President, or a female President?

"Yes, we can!" "Change has come to America."

Oh, No! The VP is Dressing Professionally!

Since I've been pretty hard-core job searching, I have done a good amount of research on just what it means to "dress professionally." The particular link there is to a consulting firm. If you really read that dress code, you will either feel eternally grateful that you are not subject to such policies, or you will think (as I did), "Dang! That's an awesome policy."

So, why should we hold our Nation's leaders and potential leaders to anything less than a database consulting firm?

My point is in this article. Because we have nothing better to do with our time than harass McCain and Palin about things that don't actually pertain to politics, we have to pick on them about housing and clothing.

See, Mrs. Palin said that she was a "regular hockey mom." The Republican party funded a shopping spree at Sacks Fifth Avenue, among other top of the line expensive places. Why? Because she's a hockey mom.

You can't be respected if your clothes don't match your position. What may be good for a governor of a state is not good for the potential second in command of the Nation. You dress for your position--or the position you want. Sarah Palin wants the position of Vice President. That's how she's dressing.

"But, spending that kind of money with our economy?!"

Yeah.

Because you know what? I'm gonna share a little story with you.

In 1929, the stock market crashed. Big time. It plunged the country into the Great Depression. During that time, people couldn't find jobs fast enough, inflation went through the roof, and just trying to get by gave way to interesting foods (like scrapple). During all this, one man made millions--and one community thrived because of it.

The best way to help the economy, he thought, was to give people jobs so they can return the money to the economy. And that's what he did. Milton S. Hershey commissioned the building of the Hotel Hershey, the Community Center, Senior Hall of the Milton S. Hershey School, the Hersheypark Stadium, the Hersheypark Arena, and a windowless, air conditioned office building for the factory.

The economy in Derry Church, PA didn't know there was a "Great Depression."

So, why is it that we should be upset about the Republican party--yay, even Sarah Palin--spending money during the down time for the economy? She's putting money BACK into the pockets of those working. That's how economy works. You pay for goods and services. Those business make money which they use to pay their employees. Those employees are then able to use that money to spend and it's a great cycle.

Besides, would you vote for McCain/Palin if he wore an Armani suit and she wore something from Target? Probably not. The fact of the matter is, a well-tailored suit not only looks impressive, it's also very empowering. It commands respect. Unless of course, you're me.

Apparently, my little cheap-o suit from the Goodwill just doesn't cut it for commanding respect. If I were running for VP or President, you better believe I'd have my butt in a top-of-the-line charcoal or navy suit from Sacks or Macy's. Heck, I'd go to Italy and have them tailor made to my particular, odd proportions.

So, how about we focus on the issues, mkay?

Mkay.

See... I wanna know what the stance is on the death penalty. And abortion. And God in public. And my right to not have to prove that I'm not a terrorist when I fly. The list can go on and on. When are our boys and girls coming home from Iraq where we should have never been in the first place? When are we going to nuke the crap out of bin Laden?

That's what makes the Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates. Their stance on the issues. Not the price tag on the clothing or how many houses they happen to own. Let's focus on what really matters.

Same Sex Marriages a State Decision? Heck Yeah!

In a recent interview with Rev. Rick Warren, Obama and McCain were both asked about their stances on abortion and same-sex marriages. Both said they were pro-choice and anti-same sex marriages--for relatively the same reasons. But, both also agreed that it wasn't for the Federal Government to decide on the marriage licensing.

What's that? The STATE gets to decide something? AMAZING!

When "our forefathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal," they set up some pretty specific guidelines for creating laws. Like, anything not enumerated in Constitution was given to the authority of the States. In fact, Amendment X of the Bill of Rights states,

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

Since when was my choice of whom I married a matter of National importance? It's a matter of State importance. Why? Because I need to have my marriage legally recognized within the state I live in order to receive the benefits entitled to me.

Also, since when is my decision to kill my unborn child a matter of National importance? It's not. It's not really even a State concern. It's my issue. If I want to kill a defenseless fetus, that's my choice. Not yours. It's your choice to judge me and think of me as a bad person. That's your loss.

I'm growing quite weary of the United States government legislating my free will. It's called "Free Will" for a reason. Do I personally think abortion is wrong? Yes. It's murder. But, since we've already "scientifically" established that life does, in fact, not begin at conception, then for those who believe abortion is the best option, feel free to kill willy-nilly.

For the rest of us who believe life does begin at conception, blowing up an abortion clinic is wrong! I mean, think about it. You're killing people who are killing babies. Two wrongs do not make a right. Frankly, if you want to protest an abortion clinic, that's also your choice. But, if you jump in front of my car to get me to notice you, you'll just end up with a Volkswagon tattoo.

There is an amendment that allows the peaceful gathering of people together. Jumping into traffic to prove your point is just plain dumb. I'm not an evolutionist, but I do believe in survival of the fittest. And jumping in front of my car will prove that theory correct. Who knows? You may make a good hood ornament. Then, perhaps, your life will have been worth something...even if just to serve as a warning to others.

Who do we want for a President in 2008? Obama--the second African-American to be nominated for President; Clinton--for her second go-around; or McCain--is he really smarter than Bush? I don't know. I'm not sure who I'm going to vote for. I have silly reasons for not liking Obama. I have solid reasons for not liking Clinton. I have vague reasons for not liking McCain. But, unfortunately, they're our options.

Or...

Vote for me! The Rogue Assassin! I'll take a write-in under the Libertarian party....