Free Republic

Two drivers, one high and one drunk, slammed into each other on a Virginia road, wrecking their cars while miraculously suffering no injuries themselves, police said. Stafford County deputies arrived at the 1800 block of Mountain View Road Thursday night after receiving a call of two vehicles colliding when one swerved into the wrong lane. Deputies said one car, a silver Honda Civic, crossed the center double-yellow line and struck an oncoming blue Honda Civic, which was knocked off the road. Police found that the driver of the silver Civic, an 18-year-old man, was driving while in possession of a...

PITTSBURGH -- It's just before 7 p.m. on a frigid December night, and already the Allegheny Elks Lodge No. 339 on the city's North Side is filling up quickly -- both the long bar and the tables in the adjacent hall. There's a woman collecting for a 50-50 raffle. (You may as well give in; she won't take no for an answer.) Elks volunteers young and old are manning the bar and the kitchen, where the special tonight is a gourmet grilled cheese (black forest honey ham, Gouda cheese and bacon). Upstairs a six-lane sparkling white and red art deco...

This is the last in a series of essays on the duty of Christians in civic affairs, adapted from Kevin Kookogey’s weekly radio address and podcasts at www.advancingchurch.com 8. Which responsibilities of providing help to our citizens are the government's and which belong to the Church? The duty of government is plainly described in our founding documents. The Declaration of Independence establishes the philosophical and moral basis for our system of government, famously asserting that governments are instituted among men to secure their rights, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. The Constitution then enumerates those powers,...

A free society should never dictate to the people such day-to-day issues as what clothes to wear. That’s why burqa bans are so unsavoury. This should be regardless of your view of the religion they come from, or the fact that it’s a bizarre garment to put on in a Western culture. Sure, the attire seems to contradict our approach to gender equality. It also runs counter to how facial expressions are such a large part of communication. So it’s simply a matter of freedom of attire, then? Largely. At least when it comes to walking about, living your life....

Americans are a little less likely to ask what they can do for their country these days. An Associated Press-GfK poll found that the sense of duty has slipped since a similar survey three decades earlier. Civic virtues such as staying informed or serving on a jury don't seem as important as they once did ? especially among the younger generation. The findings fit with research that's been worrying many experts who study civic engagement or advocate for teaching more about civics in school. "I don't see any recovery," said Rutgers University Professor Cliff Zukin. "The people who were 40...

Every time you hear the haunting honking of the geese overhead, think of the one chant Obama has never been able to throw away: “USA!” “USA!” As usual, the Creator will look after the rest. If, like me, you are blessed enough to live in the Great North East, every day now you can see and hear the geese making their exuberant annual trek south for the winter. There’s something ineffably haunting in the sound of their honking. For me their V-formation flights and haunting honks kept me spellbound before even discovering the inspiration that comes from the science that...

February 2, 2009 It might look ugly but this 1992 Honda Civic has double the fuel mileage of a standard Civic simply by lowering the coefficient of drag (Cd) from 0.34 to 0.17 with a little engineering savvy and $400 worth of material bought the local hardware store. In fact the drag on this 350,000 miles (563,270 km) old Civic has been reduced to the point where it is virtually equal to the radical tear drop shaped Aptera which has a Cd of 0.15. The car's builder Mike Turner says at a highway speed of 65 mph (105 km/h) he...

After more than four months of legal battles, a Torrance, California, judge overturned the February 1 decision that awarded $9,867 to 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid owner Heather Peters. She won the judgment in California’s small claims court system, convincing the court that Honda made false claims about her car’s ability to achieve 50 mpg when, in reality, she reported her car achieving 29 mpg. Judge Dudley Gray II was nonplussed with the original decision, reversing it today. Because of California law, there can be no further appeals of the case. Regarding the ruling, Honda said in a statement, “We are...

MARJAH, Afghanistan – Just over two months ago, trash littered the streets and shops made of wood and aluminum stood uneasily, ready to collapse at any moment, at the Koru Chareh bazaar in Marjah, Afghanistan. Today crowds pass through the market place or wait near checkpoints manned by Marines with Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, to register for civic work programs, May 5. Much of the fear and apprehension that was present during those first several weeks in the city have faded, and now families purchase goods in the bazaar and walk freely past Marine and Afghan forces....

John McCain will create a Service to America initiative to strengthen the teaching and understanding of American history, culture and core ideas, and to inspire Americans to serve causes greater than their own self interest. Civic participation by citizens over a lifetime, working in neighborhoods and communities, and service of all kinds - military and civilian; full-time or part-time; and national or international - can renew America's civic purpose and heal our fractured patriotism.

11/20/2007 - INDIANAPOLIS (AFPN) -- The Indianapolis Colts earned the National Football League's Lombardi Trophy as the Super Bowl XLI champions last February in Miami. Now the team can add a prestigious Air Force award to its ever-expanding trophy case. Gen. William R. Looney III, commander of Air Education and Training Command, presented Colts team president Bill Polian and head coach Tony Dungy with the American Spirit Award at midfield prior to the kickoff against the Kansas City Chiefs at the RCA Dome Nov. 18 here. The American Spirit Award is the Air Force's highest form of recognition given to...

Toyota hybrids have hit the ceiling - the tax break ceiling. The limit of 60,000 cars was surpassed already, BUT, because of some funky law, buyers have until Sept. 30th to buy a Prius and still qualify for the $3,150 government tax credit. After that they can only get half a credit. Qualifying for the credit is easy -- finding a Prius is the hard part. I got an email from a fellow in Canada who says they have a bunch of them just sitting around. Would anybody like to fund bringing them here to the Bay area of San...

JALALABAD AIRFIELD, Afghanistan, May 10, 2006 – Defying estimates of a low turnout, more than 6,300 patients were treated during a historic six-day medical civic assistance program conducted by the Afghan National Army and coalition forces in Kunar province's Korengal Valley in Afghanistan recently. U.S. Navy Cmdr. Sandra Hearn of the cooperative medical assistance team for Combined Joint Task Force 76, treats an Afghan girl with a head injury during a six-day medial civic assistance program run by Afghan and coalition forces in Afghanistan''s Korengal Valley. More than 6,300 patients were treated. Photo by Capt. Dan Huvane, USMC  (Click photo...

LAKEPORT, California (AP) -- An American activist who was killed by a car bomb in Iraq earlier this month was remembered Saturday for her dedication to humanitarian causes and her personal mission of counting civilian casualties of war. Many of the more than 600 mourners, including friends, family, colleagues and journalists who traveled from around the world for her funeral, shared memories of Marla Ruzicka's boundless energy that helped her accomplish much in her 28 years. Kevin Danaher, co-founder of San Francisco-based Global Exchange, a nonprofit international human rights organization, said Ruzicka's magic was understanding and showing unconditional love. "That's...

When The New York Times, “Nightline,” and CNN nominate a young blonde for sainthood ahead of the Pope, it’s time for a reality check. Especially when that blonde, Marla Ruzicka’s sole purpose is to legitimize our enemies, cause problems for U.S. troops already in harms way, and morally equivocate dead terrorists with victims of 9/11. Jane Fonda lite—but unfortunately without having been spat upon by right-thinking veterans. The recent death of Ruzicka, an American “activist” in Iraq, elicited an orgy of gush—everywhere from Time Magazine to The Guardian of London to Al-Jazeera. A 28-year-old San Franciscan, Ruzicka was in Iraq...

DETROIT - It what it describes as an industry first, Honda Motor Co. is offering a natural gas vehicle with its own home refueling machine at dealerships in California. Honda said Thursday it has been offering its Honda Civic GX sedan to fleet operators for seven years, and estimates there are 7,000 of the natural gas-powered vehicles on the road. But this will be the first time consumers can buy the vehicle in a dealership and lease a refueling machine to go along with it. "Driving a natural gas vehicle has never been so convenient," said Gunnar Lindstrom, Honda's manager...

SAN FRANCISCO - A woman who founded a humanitarian group to aid civilian casualties in Iraq has died in a car bombing in Baghdad, officials said Sunday. Marla Ruzicka, founder of Campaign for Innocent Victims in Conflict, died Saturday in the blast, which also killed an Iraqi and another foreigner, officials said. She had been in Iraq conducting door-to-door surveys trying to determine the number of civilian casualties in the country. Ruzicka, 28, founded CIVIC in 2003 to "mitigate the impact of the conflict and its aftermath on the people of Iraq by ensuring that timely and effective life-saving assistance...

It is being reported that vandals have defaced the sign of the Maine Christian Civic league. The sign was found to have an upside down cross painted on it and the numbers 666, we have e-mailed them for comment, developing.

It's not the old town square, and it's not a town hall meeting. But maybe, just maybe, it's the modern equivalent. SW Florida Sound Off is a new Web site, www.cataction.com/forum, that its supporters say is meant to offer a forum for the open exchange of ideas and information and for political debate. The site has seen 230 postings since it was launched a few weeks ago, and has 45 registered members. The site was created by the Community Action Team, a loosely knit collection of civic activists that formed in the wake of government efforts to acquire land in...

<p>The holiday we call Easter, historians agree, has roots in both Christians' heralding of Jesus' resurrection and pagan celebrations of the vernal equinox -- but regardless of its origins, it marks the season of renewal and rebirth.</p> <p>Trees and plants blossom as snowdrifts melt, many species instinctively produce their offspring, and even the most civilized humans feel subconscious relief that they have survived another winter.</p>