Free Republic

No details yet but word is out that Hanoi Jane will be in Orlando Thursday for some Planned Parenthood Meeting. Time for a FReep. Watch this space for details. Ping to get word. Vēnī, Vīdī, FRīcī We came. We saw. We FReeped

From his first day at Morehouse College — the country's only institution of higher learning dedicated to the education of black men — Joshua Packwood has been a standout. His popularity got him elected dorm president as a freshman. His looks and physique made him a fashion-show favorite. His intellect made him a Rhodes Scholar finalist. His work ethic landed him a job at the prestigious investment banking firm Goldman Sachs in New York City. But it's his skin that has made all of this an anomaly. This month, Packwood is set to take the stage and address his classmates...

Many readers have e-mailed asking what I think of former Ga. Rep. Bob Barr’s presidential candidacy (he’s making an official announcement for the Libertarian Party nomination at 11am this morning). Two words: Not much. On immigration, he’s virtually indistinguishable from all the other remaining presidential candidates. On homeland security, he’s joined with what Heather Mac Donald calls the “privocrats” in whipping up unfounded hysteria about intelligence-gathering efforts in a post-9/11 world. On Iraq, he’s what Allahpundit calls the “poor man’s Ron Paul.” And doesn’t the ACLU, for which Barr consults, already have enough candidates in the race?

jhouston@ledger-enquirer.com It's 3 a.m. and you hear a noise downstairs, but the dog's at the vet's clinic and you're supposed to be alone in your home. Your sidearm in hand, you make your way downstairs and see two furtive figures sacking up your family's valuables. When you yell, "Halt!" one of the figures runs toward you and you fire. The figure falls to the floor -- dead of a single gunshot wound -- and the other flees. So what happens when the police arrive? Are you in trouble with the law, or is the law on your side? In Georgia...

ATLANTA - Former President Jimmy Carter often sent his mother to meet with foreign dignitaries and attend state funerals, but it wasn't until he started researching a new book about her life that he learned just what the woman known as "Miss Lillian" did on those visits. "Mama had developed a reputation for expressing unorthodox opinions and not being constrained by any outside advice," Carter writes in "A Remarkable Mother," which chronicles Lillian's life from her birth in 1898 to her death from cancer in 1983. "The officials in the State Department were always quite nervous about what she would...

The world, or at least a small corner of it, was hers a year ago. Doris Murray, mother of four, had won $5 million in the Georgia Lottery on her 41st birthday. She posed for a photograph with big ceremonial check at the Amba Food Store in East Dublin, where she had bought her winning lottery ticket. And, according to a press release from the Georgia Lottery Corp., she declared "This is the best birthday ever." On Monday, Murray was found dead in the same modest block home she had lived in on Barnes Road in the south-central Georgia town...

Lawyers for Mayor Bloomberg are asking a judge to ban any reference to the Second Amendment during the upcoming trial of a gun shop owner who was sued by the city. While trials are often tightly choreographed, with lawyers routinely instructed to not tell certain facts to a jury, a gag order on a section of the Constitution would be an oddity. “Apparently Mayor Bloomberg has a problem with both the First and the Second amendments,” Lawrence Keane, the general counsel of a firearms industry association, the National Shooting Sports Foundation, said. The trial, set to begin May 27, involves...

JACKSON, Ga. - A Georgia man who killed his live-in girlfriend was executed Tuesday, the first inmate put to death since the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of lethal injections. William Earl Lynd was pronounced dead at 7:51 p.m. EDT, Georgia Department of Corrections spokeswoman Mallie McCord told The Associated Press. It came less than an hour after the U.S. Supreme Court rejected efforts to block it. The roughly three dozen states around the country that use lethal injection held off on carrying out any executions for more than seven months while the U.S. Supreme Court reviewed the constitutionality...

Washington - The US state of Georgia is set to execute William Earl Lynd on Tuesday, the first use of the death penalty in the United States in more than seven months. The execution comes after the Supreme Court last month upheld the right of states to use lethal injections, which opponents argued were unconstitutional and amounted to "cruel and unusual punishment."

BAGHDAD – Approximately, 3,500 Soldiers from the 3rd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division are redeploying to Fort Benning, Georgia, in the next several weeks.The 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team deployed in March 2007 to secure the Mada’in Qada in Baghdad Province east of the Diyala River.The brigade was one of five units deployed in support of the surge.The 3rd HBCT’s operations in Mada’in Qada helped improve the safety and quality of life for approximately 120,000 people living there. Its contributions over the last 14 months have led to improvements in security and the capture of more than 600 criminals, numerous cache...

4/30/2008 - SAVANNAH, Ga. (AFPN) -- The Air Force vice chief of staff paid tribute to members of the Air Forces Escape and Evasion Society April 26 during the society's 44th annual reunion near Savannah, Ga. The AFEES primarily comprises Air Force World War II veterans who were forced down behind enemy lines and avoided or escaped captivity to return to allied territory. The society also includes members of the French, Dutch, Belgian and other resistance networks who harbored allied aircrews and guided them to safety. "I cannot thank you enough for your noble service, your selfless sacrifice and for...

DALTON, Ga. — As a national debate over immigration raged in early 2006, Mexican immigrant America Gruner founded a grassroots organization to engage this city’s Hispanics amid growing anti-immigrant sentiment. “Locally, we didn’t have anybody to speak about (immigration) without attacking anybody,” she said. “People ... felt their voices weren’t being heard.” She started the Coalition of Latino Leaders, or CLILA, to nurture Hispanic leaders. Now, Ms. Gruner is stepping down as CLILA president to work with a national organization in Atlanta. Under her leadership, CLILA has registered voters, organized community forums and English classes and held citizenship drives. Jerry...

GCO has entered into a settlement agreement with the City of East Point, in a case filed by GCO against East Point and other Fulton County governmental entities over ordinances banning the carrying of firearms in parks. East Point earlier had repealed its ordinance a replaced it with an ordinance banning carrying firearms to public gatherings. After additional discussions with GCO, East Point has agreed to repeal the latter ordinance as well, coming into complete compliance with state law on the subject. East Point also has agreed to reimburse GCO for its attorney’s fees. GCO will drop East Point from...

Flanked by Atlanta business, law enforcement and transportation leaders, Mayor Shirley Franklin Thursday urged Gov. Sonny Perdue to veto legislation that would allow Georgians to carry concealed weapons into state parks, restaurants and onto trains and buses. "This is not about the right to bear arms," Franklin said during a news conference at City Hall. "This is about public safety ... of people who live in Atlanta, live around Atlanta, visit Atlanta or invest in Atlanta." The bill, passed by the General Assembly on the final day of this year's session, would let about 300,000 holders of concealed weapons permits...

Family fracture, unwed births cost us dearly By Leah Ward Sears For the Journal-Constitution Published on: 04/24/08 This year, nearly four of every 10 babies will be born outside of marriage. We know statistically and intuitively that, overall, children do not fare as well when their parents are divorced or never married. As a judge, I know that 65 percent of all civil cases heard in Georgia's superior courts involve issues regarding children and families. We also know that in 2005, more than 14,000 children were in the care of the Georgia Division of Family and Children Services; more than...

"Asked if China supported the action against CNN, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu characterized it as "spontaneous activity by Chinese civilians"." - Uh huh...

Climate Change Bible by: Bethany Stotts, April 23, 2008 While some global warming skeptics may have accused climate change believers of placing undue “faith” in murky science, some professors have already elevated the cause to a Christian edict. In his recent column “The Ultimate Ethical Issue?,” Professor David P. Gushee casts combatting climate change as Christianity’s ultimate moral test—and dismisses family values and constitutionality in the process. “The data is in: Human beings are indeed culpable [for climate change],” comments the Mercer University Theology Professor. His article appears in PRISM, a publication of the progressive Evangelicals for Social Action (ESA)....

Immigration agents make arrests in five states Immigration raid nets almost 30 arrests at Houston Shipley Do-Nut ... Federal immigration agents raid Ark. poultry plant Immigration crackdowns reported in 6 states

April 12, 2008 Warwick--Funnel cake, barbeque and lost of grits was in order for anyone in the Warwick town square on Saturday. The town dubbed the grits capital of Georgia held the 11th annual festival this year and organizers said it was the biggest so far. "It was fabulous, fabulous, fabulous, the lord blessed us with rain and the lord blessed us with sunshine, we had an exorbitant amount that got in the grits pit", said Robbie Woolbright. Morgan Nolen and Olivia Deal participated in a festival favorite, the Quaker Grits Pit. "It was disgusting it stunk really bad," said...

Cobb County commissioners voiced support of county employees Monday in reaction to an inflammatory speech fellow Commissioner Annette Kesting gave at a Marietta church recently. "It is unfortunate that commissioner Kesting would comment on race and religion, which has no bearing on how our employees perform their duties and serve the public," Commissioner Helen Goreham said Monday morning. Commissioner Tim Lee said of Kesting's remarks: "It is safe to say, I don't share her point of view on the employees or the work environment." An official with the Anti-Defamation League called Kesting's comments "unfortunate." "Some of her remarks sounded offensive...

Two Georgia gun dealers settle NYC lawsuit By RHONDA COOK The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Published on: 04/12/08 Two Georgia gun dealers have agreed to monitoring in settling the federal lawsuit brought against them in 2006 by New York City. That leaves only Smyrna-based Adventure Outdoors in an unusual case set for trial next month. The attorney for Adventure Outdoors said the shop will not settle with New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who took the novel approach of suing 27 gun shops — eight in Georgia — because he said they were the sources of illegal guns recovered at crimes in that...

·11250 Waples Mill Road ·   Fairfax, Virginia 22030    ·800-392-8683   Georgia’s Most Important Right-to-Carry Reform Bill in Over 20 Years Needs Your Help!   Thursday, April 10, 2008   Please Contact Governor Perdue Today! On Friday, April 4, House Bill 89 finally agreed upon by both the Georgia House of Representatives and Senate was sent to Governor Sonny Perdue (R) for his consideration. This critical Right-to-Carry Reform legislation will strengthen Georgia’s current laws by: ü      allowing licensed carry permit holders to possess a firearm in any private motor vehicle, while on any publicly accessible parking lot;  ü      prohibiting gun dealer entrapment schemes, such as...

The head of the Georgia NAACP called for the state to investigate the sentences given in the so-called "Barbie bandits" bank theft case, saying the two white defendants got less prison time than two black men. Edward DuBose said Monday he will ask state Attorney General Thurbert Baker to look into the case. Baker's office said Tuesday the attorney general had not received any complaints in the case. Last month, Cobb County Superior Court Judge Mary Staley sentenced 20-year-old Heather Johnston to 10 years probation after she pleaded guilty to a charge of theft by taking in the 2007 heist....

Enron was allowed to fail, thank God. But some airlines are like the living dead! And guess who's forced to feed the zombies? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vesSL0M-Fu8

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SC (AP) - Terry Cottle and Sonny Graham never met, but the two men shared two very important things - a heart and a wife. They also died the same way: Cottle, 12 years ago from a self-inflicted gunshot wound at the Summerville home he shared with his wife, Cheryl; the 69-year-old Graham died the same way last week outside his Vidalia, Georgia, home that he shared with his wife, Cheryl. When Cottle died at age 33, his organs were donated. Graham got Cottle's heart and nine years later, he married Cottle's widow. (More at source...)

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Former Georgia Congressman Bob Barr eased into presidential politics Saturday with an announcement that he has formed an exploratory committee to gauge voter interest in his candidacy as Libertarian. If there are "sufficient numbers" of people behind a Bob Barr presidential race, he's running, the former Republican said. His announcement brought whoops and applause from the audience of 130 Libertarians, mostly from Midwestern states. "We are at a tipping point," Barr said, "in terms of the willingness of voters, in significant numbers, to consider alternatives to the major [political] parties." Barr conceded it was unlikely he...

Georgians with weapons permits will be able to carry guns in far more places under a bill that passed both chambers Friday night. An amended version of House Bill 89 allows holders of concealed weapons permits to carry guns into restaurants, state parks, and on MARTA trains and other public transportation. The legislation, which gun-rights proponents hailed as a major victory, also allows employees to leave weapons in parking lots as long as it's okay with the company.

The Georgia Senate and House tonight passed HB 89. This will allow Firearm Permit holders to carry their weapons into restaurants that serve alcohol, State Parks, Wildlife Management Areas, and on public transportation. The bill now goes to the Governor.

Former President of the United States, Jimmy Carter has hinted that he might cast his vote for Senator Barack Obama to aid his emergence as the candidate for the Democrats in America’s bid to elect a new President. Carter, who is a Super Delegate from Georgia State, gave this hint at a media interaction after the Carter Center Awards for Guinea Worm Eradication in Abuja yesterday. Carter, who was accompanied by his wife Rosalynn, did not profess a direct support for Obama but rather choose to make a veiled statement. “We are very interested in the primaries. Don’t forget that...

An Atlanta, Georgia, judge who ordered white lawyers out of his courtroom so he could lecture African-American defendants called that decision a "mistake" Tuesday night. "In retrospect, it was a mistake," Judge Marvin Arrington told CNN. "Because my sheriff said to me, 'Judge, that message should be given to everybody' -- 'Don't violate the law, make something out of yourself, go to school, find a role model, somebody that will help you advance your life.'" Arrington, who is African-American, is a judge in Fulton County, Georgia, which includes the city of Atlanta.

SAVANNAH, GA (WTOC) - It's been almost two months since the sugar refinery explosion. Since then, we've shared stories of so many fundraisers for the families who've been directly impacted by this tragedy. It shows how this community has really pulled together during a time of need. Today, students and staff at Savannah High School are pulling together to show their support for several of their own....students, who presented [a teacher] and three other families each with a $150 gas card to help pay for the many trips to and from Augusta. [snip}...Students at Savannah high say they were happy...

British design house Thompson Solutions has announced its new economy seat - the Cozy Suite. Delta Airlines will be launch customer for the offering and will roll out the product across its entire Boeing 767ER and 777 fleets starting in 2010. Delta has exclusive rights in North America. The new Cozy Suite will give each passenger two armrests. Designed to help travellers to sleep, it has a contoured shoulder area and offers up to five inches extra knee space compared to standard seating designs of the same pitch. It also sports a unique hands free tip-up seat base, which makes...

Former Republican Georgia Rep. Bob Barr is considering a run for president on the Libertarian Party ticket, according to FITNews. Barr, who joined the Libertarian Party after leaving Congress in 2003, is looking to attract conservatives who are unhappy with the choice of John McCain as the expected Republican presidential nominee. McCain and Barr are at odds primarily over the role of U.S troops in Iraq, although both agree that tough interrogation methods should not be permitted. FITNews wrote that Barr will receive the endorsement of Texas Republican Rep. Ron Paul, a GOP presidential candidate who is still technically in...

WAYCROSS, Ga. - A group of third-graders plotted to attack their teacher, bringing a broken steak knife, handcuffs, duct tape and other items for the job and assigning children tasks including covering the windows and cleaning up afterward, police said Tuesday. The plot by as many as nine boys and girls at Center Elementary School in south Georgia was a serious threat, Waycross Police Chief Tony Tanner said. "We did not hear anybody say they intended to kill her, but could they have accidentally killed her? Absolutely," Tanner said. "We feel like if they weren't interrupted, there would have been...

Former Republican Georgia Rep. Bob Barr is considering a run for president on the Libertarian Party ticket, according to FITNews. Barr, who joined the Libertarian Party after leaving Congress in 2003, is looking to attract conservatives who are unhappy with the choice of John McCain as the expected Republican presidential nominee. McCain and Barr are at odds primarily over the role of U.S troops in Iraq, although both agree that tough interrogation methods should not be permitted. FITNews wrote that Barr will receive the endorsement of Texas Republican Rep. Ron Paul, a GOP presidential candidate who is still technically in...

Gays, women seeking abortions, couples not married will be includedJust as the Christian church has done many wonderful things throughout history, says the Rev. Richard Mark Lee, it also has done many terrible things, such as targeting, judging and condemning various individuals and groups. On Sunday, Lee plans to apologize for these past wrongs in a sermon at his church, Sugar Hill Baptist, known as The Family Church. Some of the groups Lee said he'll apologize to include gays, women seeking abortions and couples who live together outside of marriage. "For too long, we're been known for the issues we're...

ATLANTA -- Judge Marvin Arrington insists he's not a racist; despite ordering white lawyers out of his courtroom on Thursday. The Fulton County Superior Court judge said he was just fed up seeing a parade of young black defendants in his courtroom. "I came out and saw the defendants, about 99.9 percent Afro-Americans, and some point time I excused some of the lawyers, most of them white, and said to the young people in here 'What in the world are you doing with your lives,'" he told WSB-TV Channel 2 reporter JaQuitta Williams. Arrington said he thought his message might...

Georgia: Most Important Right-to-Carry Reform Bill in Over 20 Years Needs Your Help! Friday, March 21, 2008 House Bill 89, critical Right-to-Carry Reform legislation, is being held up by the Georgia State Senate! Back in January the Georgia House passed HB 89 by an overwhelming vote of 111 to 58. THE SENATE IS STILL REFUSING TO CONCUR! It is crucial that HB 89 be brought up for a FINAL floor vote. HB 89 would strengthen Georgia’s current laws by: * Allowing licensed carry permit holders to possess a firearm in any private motor vehicle while on any publicly accessible parking...

COLUMBUS, Ga. (AP) - Armed with a three-year grudge and more guns than he could hold, a former substitute teacher stormed a west Georgia hospital looking to punish the nurse he blamed for his mother's death. The nurse, another employee and a bystander are dead, the alleged shooter is being treated for a gunshot wound police gave him and a military community accustomed to grieving is reeling. Charles Johnston, 63, was expected to face murder and assault charges in Thursday's rampage at Doctors Hospital, Police Chief Ricky Boren said. Johnston was being treated at another hospital Friday. "Apparently it had...

Taxation: With Georgia's legislative session winding down, lawmakers have little time to give their constituents tax relief. It would be a shame if they went home leaving it undone.While others are proposing tax hikes and dealing with deficits, Georgia, one of the fastest-growing states in the country, will balance its budget, bank a rainy day reserve of $1.6 billion and — possibly — enjoy the fruits of tax relief. With five days remaining in the state's 40-day legislative session, lawmakers are trying to come together on a tax cut. The Senate wants to trim individual income taxes by 10% over...

The Vets for Freedom Heroes Tour will be in Columbia SC THIS Thursday, April 3rd at 11:30 am. There will be a rally at the Statehouse Capitol Steps located at 1200 Gervais Street. (Intersection of Gervais and Main St) Please come down and show your support for our troops and their just mission!!

A 23-year Atlanta Police Department veteran pleaded guilty on Monday to conspiring to violate civil rights by searching a private residence without a warrant, federal prosecutors said. Wilbert Stallings, 44, of Conyers, a sergeant in the department's narcotics unit, faces up to 10 years in prison and up to $250,000 in fines. A sentencing date wasn't immediately set.

Ashley Nicole Miller, 19, was sentenced to two years in jail and eight years probation. United Press International The so-called Barbie Bandits robbed a Georgia bank together but one will be going to prison and one won't, judge decided Monday. Ashley Nicole Miller, 19, was sentenced to two years in jail and eight years probation, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. She also was ordered to pay restitution to the bank. Her accomplice, Heather Lyn Johnston, 20, was placed on 10 years' probation, the newspaper reported. A third defendant, Benny Allen III, 23, the Bank of America branch teller who was the...

ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga., March 25, 2008 – When Will Sims entered basic training yesterday as one of the Air Force's newest recruits, it culminated an effort to overcome an obstacle that might keep others with less determination and resolve out of the military. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Damon Andrews, a recruiter attached to 367th Recruiting Group at Robins Air Force Base, Ga., stands with Will Sims, who lost more than 125 pounds in eight months to fulfill his goal to enlist in the Air Force. Photo by Sue Sapp   (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. When...

ATLANTA -- A former professional wrestler was found dead in his home Sunday after suffering an apparent accidental drug overdose. Roy Tatum told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that his son, Chase Tatum, 34, was found dead around 4 p.m. Sunday in his home in Atlanta's Buckhead neighborhood. Chase Tatum used to wrestle for the now-defunct World Championship Wrestling organization, which was owned by Atlanta media mogul Ted Turner before it was sold to World Wrestling Entertainment. More recently, he appeared in the comedy "Who's Your Caddy?" alongside rapper Big Boi of Outkast. Chase Tatum had been recovering from back surgery to...

“I am not interested in power for power's sake, but I'm interested in power that is moral, that is right and that is good.” Martin Luther King, Jr. I am running for U.S. Congress in 2008. I believe that our United States government is facing a moral crisis. As a country we are in danger of forsaking the moral cornerstone upon which our nation was founded. No longer do many of our leaders make decisions based on constitutional imperatives, time-honored values, or Christian principles. Foundational phrases like “One Nation under God”and“In God We Trust, which symbolize the genesis of our...

CAMPBELL HALL — When Sean Harrington drives around Orange County, he scans the roadsides looking for wires, overturned dirt, suspicious-looking rocks or any other evidence he's about to be attacked. He can't help it. Harrington, 24, did two tours in Iraq, leading patrols both in Kirkuk and in the south. His squad's job was to protect Iraqi truck drivers transporting goods from the port city of Umm Qsar to the interior. "My unit was hit 21 times," he said at his home in Campbell Hall, where he's enjoying a week's leave from Moody Air Force Base in Georgia. "It seemed...

81-Year-Old Man Shoots, Kills Intruder Inside His Home DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. (FOX 5) -- An elderly man shot and killed an intruder late Tuesday night. DeKalb County Police said the suspect broke into the man’s house and a fight broke out between the two men. Around 11:00 p.m., a man in his mid-twenties entered Robert Jenkins’ house on Zemory Lane. Police said the 81-year-old homeowner grabbed his gun and confronted the suspect. The two men struggled, and Jenkins fired his gun at the intruder, killing him. Jenkins suffered a gunshot wound to his hand and was taken to Grady Memorial...

MARIETTA - Police have confirmed the driver involved in a fatal accident Sunday evening did not have a United States driver's license and police have yet to locate records to indicate he was a legal immigrant, Officer Mark Bishop with the Marietta Police Department said. Bishop said Kennesaw resident Nicasio Rodrigo Vicente-Hernandez, 29, was involved in two prior accidents Sunday evening before his third and fatal collision. Vicente-Hernandez was allegedly fleeing an earlier fender-bender when he sideswiped a second car while heading the wrong way on the Canton Road Connector, Bishop said. Seconds later, Vicente-Hernandez, driving a 1999 Mercury Villager,...

ATLANTA — The man who was once engaged to the runaway bride has gotten married — to another woman. John Mason, 35, married Shelley Martin, 34, in a quiet ceremony Saturday at his parents' home in Duluth, his father, Claude Mason, told People magazine for a story posted Tuesday on its Web site. "We were very, very happy for him," said Claude Mason, who serves as an associate municipal judge and officiated the ceremony. John Mason was thrust into the spotlight in 2005 when then-fiance Jennifer Wilbanks disappeared just days before their wedding. She turned up a few days later...