2.21.2019

Random Thursday Morning Thoughts



  • A Coast Guard Lieutenant, who just happens to be a White Supremacist, was arrested with a ton of weapons (unless you're in Texas where it would just be a normal stash). Law enforcement believed he was about to go on a killing spree, and he did sound a little nuts: "Much blood will have to be spilled to get whitey off the couch . . . . " But this is a heck of a way to start a Motion filed by the U.S. Attorney: 

  • Provocative cover. (But, to be honest, I don't know who "we" are which has the right to "sell" the airport. Dallas?)
  • Sheriff Joe is coming to Arlington after all! "Arpaio will speak April 8 at the Howell Family Farms event venue in an event hosted by mayoral challenger Ashton Stauffer, a promoter said Tuesday." This is Ms. Stauffer:
  • Dad: "We are obviously conservative so we have certain news stations on." Kid: "Some people are mad and call me 'Little Hitler'".  Mom: "Somehow it's gotten skewed where we are teaching our son to hate, and I don't understand where that comes from." Link.
  • Zion Williamson, the freshman from Duke who is probably the #1 pick in the draft, almost blew out his ACL last night when his Nike disintegrated. Here's a slow motion video of it. Here is President Obama in the background simultaneously saying, "His shoe broke!" 
  • There was news earlier this week that the "Trump administration launches global effort to end criminalization of homosexuality." Yesterday, the press asked Trump about it and apparently someone forgot to tell him. 
    "We have many reports"?
  • Houston raid-gone-wrong fallout announced yesterday:
  • This lady was arrested for filming a school fight in Louisiana and posting it online. That's a great Free Speech question right there. (Although the law does require the person also be a "principal or accessory" to the crime they filmed and posted. Side note: Don't we want stupid people posting videos of their crimes?)

  • Law school time (feel free to drop this class): Yesterday the Supreme Court held that the Excessive Fine Clause in the Bill of Rights applies to the states in civil forfeiture cases. Got Tired Head already? Here's a break down:
    • The good and practical news is that State governments now have limits on how much they can take from people. A felony carries with it a maximum fine of $10,000 and they want to seize a car worth $40,000? Good luck with that.
    • What's this "applies to the States" stuff? Don't constitutional rights apply to all of government? Nope. Each of the Bill of Rights were written with only Congress, who makes federal law, in mind. If the State of New York or the Commonwealth of Virginia wanted to make it illegal to be a Catholic, ban all guns, or shut down any paper, they could. Why? Because the Bill of Rights limits what federal laws Congress could pass. States were free to do what the wanted. Ergo, "State's Rights."
    • Really? The States could ban stuff like that? Well, they could until the Supreme Court made up something called the Incorporation Doctrine. That court made up a "law" that said, in essence, the Supreme Court could look at each and every right in the Bill of Rights and decide if it "applies" to the individual states "through the Due Process Clause" of the 14th Amendment. Confused? Feel free. Like I said, they made it up.
    • So what test is used to decide what right in the Bill of Rights applies to the states? Here you go: Is the right “fundamental to our scheme of ordered liberty,” or “deeply rooted in this Nation’s history and tradition.” Got it? Did I mention they made it up?
    • So when, say, Freedom of Speech was held to "apply" to the states, that meant the Texas legislature can't legally pass a law preventing flag burning on your own property. That's speech. And now that's protected by the First Amendment even though the First Amendment specifically says it only applies to Congress.
    • So yesterday the Court decided that the Excessive Fines Clause in the Bill of Rights keeps the states from enacting crazy forfeiture laws because that Clause is  “fundamental to our scheme of ordered liberty,” or “deeply rooted in this Nation’s history and tradition.” 
    • Hey, I'm not saying the Incorporation Doctrine is a bad thing, I am saying is that everyone needs to tap the brakes before the say "The Constitution is the greatest document ever written" because the Supreme Court has to go through mental gymnastics to keep citizens from getting screwed over by State governments.
  • This guy is the Editor-in- Chief for D Magazine. I'm telling you, I'm hearing more and more about this.
  • The Wifi must be down in the White House this morning. (There is no 6G, by the way.) And now I'm thinking about There's Something About Mary and can hear Ben Stiller say, "6G? That sounds great but what if someone invents 7G?"
  • I said from Day One this story was fishy. I'm just not sure I understand why some people so giddy that he was caught in a lie. (Well, I actually do understand it.):



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