Thomas Sowell Quote of the Day

In politics, few talents are as richly rewarded as the ability to convince parasites that they are victims. 

 

Read Sowell's article, "Why Politicians Promise Heaven And Deliver Hell," here.

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American Kids "Deported" to Satisfy International Treaty

Imagine your local county judge ordering you, a U.S. citizen, to board a jet plane with your three children to deliver them to your ex-spouse living in Zimbabwe, where you will be required to bid them farewell and get on the next return flight to the U.S. Your ex has threatened to revoke your children's U.S. citizenship. The judge has decided your family's fate following an international treaty that supersedes U.S. law, a treaty originally designed to keep foreign fathers from permanently removing their U.S. citizen children from the U.S. against the will of their mothers, but which is now being used by foreign fathers to achieve the polar opposite end.

This is one family's nightmare today. Three U.S. citizens, ages 9, 11, and 13, are being forced by a Northern California judge to move to Zimbabwe to live with their Canadian citizen father.

The children's mother is being required to deliver her children to Zimbabwe on April 19th and surrender them to their father on April 20th, then immediately board a plane to return back to the U.S. "Failure to follow this procedure could result in imprisonment or possibly death" for the mother in a country where the law permits women and children to be considered the property of men.

When they met and married, the children's parents were working as missionaries in Zimbabwe, where the children were born and spent most of their lives, a circumstance that seals their fate today.

Two years ago, with their marriage on the rocks and Zimbabwe an economic and human rights disaster zone, Jonathan and Krystal Curle moved their family to the U.S. "to seek marital counseling and safety from political unrest." When the marital counseling didn't help, they divorced. Subsequently, while crossing the border, the father was nabbed by U.S. immigration authorities for visa violations. He was denied entrance to the U.S. for five years and moved back to Zimbabwe.

The father sought recourse in the Hague Convention 1996, in which the determining legal factor is not the welfare of the children but where the children have "habitual residency."Although these American children have been living in the U.S. for the last two years, they have spent more of their time in Zimbabwe than in the U.S. Thus, according to the treaty, even though no members of this family are citizens of Zimbabwe, the U.S. has surrendered legal jurisdiction in this case to the Zimbabwean legal system, such as it is.

Lars Larson has been covering this story. The legal picture is available here. An interview with the mom's sister is here, as well as an interview with the children's grandfather.

Linked at Theo Spark by Chris Wysocki, who commented, "Remember this the next time Ruth Bader Ginsberg sings the praises of "international law." Thanks, Chris.

Addendum: Click here for the Help the Curles facebook page.
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Kitchen Politics: Another Reason to Brew Your Own

In this case, tea.

Coke does it, Arby's does it, Kraft does it, and now, even Kraft's Miracle Whip does it:

Advertising ‘Fail’: Miracle Whip Seemingly Embracing the ‘Socialist Fist’

Miracle Whip has long made debatable advertising choices, seemingly trying to turn a kitchen condiment into the emblem of a social movement. . . .

And now, Miracle Whip seems to be jumping on the Occupy Wall Street bandwagon with an advertisement saying, “Keep an Open Mouth,“ and ”Join the Cause,” with the all too-familiar socialist fist clutching a bottle of Miracle Whip.

Miracle Whip’s website is running similar video ads that may or may not have political undertones.

For instance, in one of the advertisements a group of towns-people with torches and pitchforks (tea partiers?) are stirred into a frenzy over a bottle of Miracle Whip. They describe the bottle as having “red markings.”

There's nothing like knowing which side your bread is mayo'd on.

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VICTIMAE PASCHALI LAUDES -- Schola Gregoriana Mediolanensis

Happy Easter!

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Good Friday: You Can't Shake Jesus -- Ricky Skaggs

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Laughing Through Tears, CLP-in-Chief Edition

It is, perhaps, not a strange circumstance that the Constitutional law scholar-in-Chief's attitude toward the Supreme Court, which may or (horrors!) may not approve of his pet project, Obamacare, is seen with exceptional clarity through the eyes of cartoonists such as Investor's Business Daily's Michael Ramirez, who placed Harvard Law School-educated Emperor Obama in the dunce's seat for failure to recognize one of this nation's essential founding legal decisions, or Hope n' Change's Stilton Jarlsberg, who wrote:

In a rose garden speech, the man who taught Constitutional law at the now thoroughly discredited University of Chicago petulantly announced that this so-called Supreme Court would be taking an "unprecedented, extraordinary step" if they overturn a law which was enacted by Congress.

Which, of course, is one of the primary responsibilities the Supreme Court was assigned when the body was created in the Constitution (which Obama hasn't actually read, but has "heard a lot about"). And far from being an unprecedented or extraordinary step, the Supreme Court has struck down over 150 laws deemed to not be Constitutional, and has done so for over 200 years now.

But the shocks did not end there for the president. Because with a look of slack-jawed, baffled outrage, he announced his discovery that the members of the Supreme Court are "an unelected group of people," implying that they lack the moral authority that comes from being answerable to voters.

Oh, really...?

Because the dark, ugly heart throbbing at the center of Obamacare is the Independent Payment Advisory Board - known as IPAB to the politically correct, and as The Death Panel to realists. This is Obama's 15-member board of unelected people who will decide what medical treatments the government will and won't pay for, and who will (and importantly, who won't) get treatment. These are the unaccountable individuals who will take Obama's euthanistic threat to pass out painkillers instead of pacemakers and give it the power of law. Law which is specifically not subject to review by any court.

Supposedly, it's the "unelected" status of the IPAB members which Obama heralds as making them more fair than any political body could be - which is the exact opposite of the president's criticism of the Supreme Court.

That's the kind of logic that earns one a position as President of the Harvard Law Review and Senior Lecturer of the University of Chicago Law School--two academic hiring decisions now earning so many belly laughs (and gasps of horror) throughout the country that even Eric Holder has been obliged to throw in the towel with this statement:

The power of the courts to review the constitutionality of legislation is beyond dispute.

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Nos Autem Gloriari -- Soulblackout

A hymn for Holy Thursday:

Latin:

Nos autem gloriari oportet in cruce Domini Nostri Jesu Christi: in quo est salus, vita et resurrectio nostra per quem salvati et liberati sumus.
(Ps. 66,2)

Deus misereatur nostri, et benedicat nobis: illuminet vultum suum super nos, et misereatur nostri.

Nos autem . . . .


English:

But it behooves us to glory in the cross of Our Lord Jesus Christ: in Whom is our salvation, life, and resurrection; by whom we are saved and delivered. -- (Ps. 66. 2).

May God have mercy on us, and bless us: may He cause the light of His countenance to shine upon us; and may He have mercy on us.

But it behooves us . . . .

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The Hand That Rocks the Cradle . . .

Our dear Zilla of the Resistance, intrepid Politicaljunkie Mom, straight-talking BackyardConservative, courageous Atlas Shrugs, not-tongue-tied Sitting at the Edge of the Sandbox, erudite No One of Any Import, and stand-up Michelle Malkin, all ask us to to vote for Conservative Mom Bloggers vying for a listing as one of the Top 25 Political Mom Bloggers of 2012.

As my upstate New York blogging neighbor, The Lonely Conservative, put it, echoing sentiments by other Conservative blogger moms:

I’m in second place. I really don’t care if I win, all I care about is that one of the conservative moms wins. We’ve managed to knock another commie mommie out of the top 5. (That one brags about putting her son in pink girls clothing.) If you think we need to take back the culture from the far left, why not take just a few moments to vote for the conservative moms in this contest?

Or, as Zilla says: "Don't let the Commie Mommies Win!"

Voting is fun and easy. Here's the link.
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Deus, Deus Meus -- Choeur Gregorien de Paris

A medieval Gregorian chant for Palm Sunday, Psalm 22, here sung by the Gregorian Choir of Paris. Graced by stunning manuscript illustrations of the period, this video is well worth viewing in full screen mode.

Psalm 22:

1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? *

and are so far from my cry

and from the words of my distress?

2 O my God, I cry in the daytime, but you do not answer; *

by night as well, but I find no rest.

3 Yet you are the Holy One, *

enthroned upon the praises of Israel.

4 Our forefathers put their trust in you; *

they trusted, and you delivered them.

5 They cried out to you and were delivered; *

they trusted in you and were not put to shame.

Read the rest here.
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Today's Snapshot of Chicago Politics

Think that's farfetched? Here's an actual photograph taken today of a U.S. Congressman speaking on the floor of the House on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.:

Hood in Congress

That's Chicago Democrat Rep. Bobby Rush.

Rush was interrupted by the presiding officer, Mississippi Republican Gregg Harper, who reminded him that the wearing of hats was not allowed and “members need to remove their hoods or leave the floor.”  

Rush is founder and former "Deputy Minister of Defense" of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panthers. He holds the distinction of having defeated Barack Obama in the 2000 primary for Illinois' 1st District congressional seat. During that campaign, Rush's son Huey, named for Black Panther founder Huey P. Newton, was shot to death by a felon, apparently "over a drug debt".

Addendum (3/30/12): Meanwhile, back in the hooded congressman's district, at about 6:00 p.m. yesterday, another appearance by hooded men made news (Thursday, 3/29/12):

[T]wo men in hooded sweatshirts opened fire inside a convenience store in the 1400 block of West 79th Street in the Gresham neighborhood, police said.

One man was killed and five others were wounded. The victims ranged in age from 16 to 24. 

Don't hold your breath waiting for the national outrage.
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NYC Outlaws Food Gifts to Homeless (Salt Alert!)

Yep.

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s food police have struck again!

Outlawed are food donations to homeless shelters because the city can’t assess their salt, fat and fiber content, reports CBS 2’s Marcia Kramer.

Big Nanny, who never heard that half a loaf is better than none, has decreed that hungry homeless people should go without rather than eat too much salt or fat, or too little fiber. Or else.

Glenn Richter arrived at a West Side synagogue on Monday to collect surplus bagels — fresh nutritious bagels — to donate to the poor. However, under a new edict from Bloomberg’s food police he can no longer donate the food to city homeless shelters.

It’s the “no bagels for you” edict . . . . And no lots of other nutritious foodstuffs.

NYC homeless men under protection from bagels and muffins.

The ban on food donations was made by an inter-agency task force that includes the departments of Health and Homeless Services.

NYC homeless women and children under protection from vegetable soup.

Obviously NYC officials prefer that NYC bakers literally cast their surplus bread, bagels, muffins, and cookies upon the waters of say, Long Island Sound, something that makes the author of this post very sad indeed.

UPDATE 4/1/12: Read what one very brave, very responsible, conservative, working homeless woman has to say about the policy of gov't standing between hungry people and food. If you have the cash, you might send her something to help her along.
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Come Thou Font of Every Blessing -- Hammered Dulcimer

An old hymn, written in 1757 by a young English pastor, Robert Robinson, at the age of 22, here performed by MsHarmonymaker:

Lyrics:

Come, Thou Fount of every blessing,
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
Sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount, I’m fixed upon it,
Mount of Thy redeeming love.

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Today's National Rally for Religious Freedom: Photo Evidence

Today, in at least 129 cities across the U.S., Americans gathered for an hour at noon to protest the Obamacare mandate requiring health insurance companies to provide "free" contraception, abortaficients, and sterilizations, an administrative regulation with the force of law intended to compel many Americans to violate their religious beliefs.

I didn't hear a single reference to this event in today's broadcast news or on talk radio, but the rally really did take place:

Philadelphians rallied in front of Independence Hall.

Lexington, Kentucky families stood under umbrellas.

So did advocates of religious freedom in Fort Wayne.

Toledo protesters were heckled as a bishop spoke.

Folks in Grand Rapids took their religious freedom seriously.

In Cleveland, 1,000 people turned out.

In Washington DC, people prayed in front of the Department of Health and Human Services.

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Noon Today: Nationwide Rally For Religious Freedom

Today, a Nationwide Rally for Religious Freedom is being held at noon (your time) outside federal buildings, Congressional offices and historic sites across the country.

The theme for the Rally is “Stand Up for Religious Freedom—Stop the HHS Mandate!”

For many, there's still time to show up. Click here for the locations in your state.

There's also time to contact your Congress Critters.
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Karzai's Rope Trick

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St. Patrick's Breastplate -- Rita Connolly

Tradition has it that a prayer of protection (lorica) that St. Patrick wrote and recited every morning has been preserved in the profoundly comforting and strengthening lyrics of the hymn known as St. Patrick's Breastplate, also called the Lorica of St. Patrick and The Deer's Cry. By the time of his death, Patrick had converted most of Ireland from Druidism to Christianity, no small feat for an inhabitant of the 5th century who started out as a slave.

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The Irish Washerwoman -- John Sheahan and André Rieu

A little something brought to you by violinists John Sheahan and André Rieu, with help from an enthusiastic crowd in Kerkrade, The Netherlands.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

May the sun always shine on your windowpane.
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Allen West on Disarming U.S. Marines for Panetta Speech

Before hearing an address by Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta in Afghanistan yesterday, a group of American Marines were ordered to leave the tent where they had assembled for the address, disarm, and then return to the tent to hear Panetta speak.  The explanation?

According to Maj. Gen. Mark Gurganus, who issued the order: "I wanted the Marines to look just like our Afghan partners."

Gurganus explained that the decision to bar weapons was because of Panetta's presence: "I mean, you got one of the most important people in world there."

Nobody's that important.

However, buried in that explanation is a mixed message. How exactly does "looking like our Afghan partners" secure the safety of Leon E. Panetta?

Or was this order merely another knee-jerk to this administration's PC comfort? Are Panetta's sensibilities so acutely sensitive that he cannot bear the sight of armed U.S. Marines in the same tent as unarmed Afghan soldiers? Is that what we are supposed to believe?

Then don't invite Afghan soldiers. 

Allen West has a few words on the subject. From the Congressman's facebook page:
 

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Sandra Fluke's European Deprivation

Despite having to provide her own contraception, Sandra Fluke somehow managed to eke out a vacation in Pompei and Tuscany in 2009 and in Spain in 2011 (photo evidence below, courtesy Gateway Pundit via Marooned in Marin.

Poor thing.

Do I need to mention that Fluke's traveling companion is a member of a generationally wealthy Massachusetts socialist family?

I thought not.

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No, Really: 1% of Americans Think U.S. Economy "Very Good"

That's a stirring endorsement of President Obama, isn't it?

How about this one: 20% of Americans think their families are better off financially today than they were 4 years ago. Those 20% (plus another 1%) think the U.S. economy is in "fairly good" shape.

That leaves 78% of Americans thinking the U.S. economy is in bad or disastrous shape--nearly all of the 80% whose families aren't better off than they were 4 years ago--under a Republican president.

These figures, by the way, are taken from a March 7 - 11 CBS/New York Times poll.

Something tells me Obama isn't quite as popular as some folks would have us believe.


H/T: Hope n' Change Cartoons.
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