Free Republic

In this column, I recently argued in favor of a grand jury’s refusal to indict Officer Dan Pantaleo for the death of Eric Garner. To my dismay (and, frankly, shock), a great many “conservatives” and “libertarians,” I’ve had the great misfortune to discover, disagree vehemently with the grand jury’s decision. Some have gone so far as to describe Garner’s death as murder. Bear in mind, the critics’ knowledge of this case extends no further than a 15 second or so video of the fatal arrest and the fact that Garner was illegally selling cigarettes. That’s it. It is coupled by...

p>He was right when he called Russia America’s “number one geopolitical foe.” With Moscow occupying sovereign foreign territory in Europe for the first time since 1989, and as American tanks and possibly even nuclear weapons are headed back to the European front, the 1980s called and they clearly got their foreign policy back. He was right to warn about the expansion of Islamic extremists into formerly obscure places like Northern Mali. Despite being mocked by the unduly self-assured for his insistence that Islamic radicalism in North Africa was a threat to global security, France introduced troops into that country in...

After passing the Senate by unanimous consent on Monday, it seemed as if the FOIA Improvement Act would become law—a nearly identical version passed the House earlier this year. Today, however, it was up to Speaker of the House John Boehner to allow a vote on the bill’s final passage before the House adjourned this week. Instead, it was “held at the desk,” meaning Boehner may have just killed FOIA reform. The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is a law, signed in 1966, that gives U.S. citizens the right to access information from the federal government. Through FOIA, journalists and...

At least 260 Chinese lawyers signed an open letter of protest on Friday after a fellow attorney was detained by police for defying a judge by invoking the constitutional rights of free speech and religion in court.Zhang Lei, a lawyer who drafted the open letter condemning the police action in the northeastern province of Jilin, said Zhang Keke was hauled away from the court on Thursday and detained for six hours over his statements in court while defending a member of the banned spiritual group Falun Gong. “How can a lawyer not speak of law in court? We have found...

WASHINGTON - The nation's divided Congress battled down to the wire this week over its budget for the rest of this fiscal year -- hoping to avoid a government shutdown. The $1.01 trillion spending bill must be passed before midnight Thursday, though at this writing few were placing any big bets on meeting that deadline. Still, Congress has dodged budget deadlines before and may do so again. If for no other reason than to drive a stake through the heart of a bitterly divided, unpopular legislature that can't seem to agree on anything except going home for the holidays. This...

Are Boehner, McDonnell, Chief Justice Roberts and other assorted RINOs being systematically blackmailed by WhiteHouse/FBI/CIA/IRS? It would explain a lot. In all seriousness. We know how this President operates. We know how he uses the government agencies. We know he targets enemies. We know the Republican leadership doesn't represent the people who keep voting for it. We've all seen crazy decisions made by them that seem illogical and self-destructive to their party's interests (to say nothing of the country's). We know we're all being spied on. We all know the US is no longer a free country. Has any independent...

France’s president wants to allow doctors to keep terminally ill patients sedated until death comes, amid a national debate about whether to legalize euthanasia. François Hollande stopped short of recommending lethal injections and avoided the terms euthanasia and assisted suicide, highly sensitive issues in this majority-Catholic country. […] Doctors are divided about the idea. Hollande did not outline details of his proposal, but so-called terminal or palliative sedation can involve medicating patients until they die naturally of their illnesses, or until they starve. …

The U.S. Navy’s DDG-1000 Zumwalt-class destroyers are extraordinarily expensive. Since 2009, the cost of the ships has increased 34.4 percent, according to the Congressional Research Service. Each of the three Zumwalt’s being built will cost taxpayers around $3.4 billion. And, that’s on top of the more than $9 billion in research and design funding that has gone into this program. Are they worth the price? The Navy didn’t think so in 2009 when Secretary of Defense Robert Gates announced the program would end with the procurement of just three ships, down from the 32 ships the Navy had initially planned...

If some (i.e. Harry Reid) in the Senate seek unanimous consent to go straight to a vote on Cronybus, but Cruz (and others who may wish to join him) delay this move by forcing Reid to hold a cloture vote - and thus stall the vote in the Senate on Cronybus by 30 hours - would you support this if it led to a short-term funding measure? While this move may upset Boehner, who has now bent his will to Obama's desire, would you support Cruz (or whomever may wish to do this - Warren?) doing this?

My style of dress is classic preppy. My fashion sense evolved from my years spent in boarding school, where I was required to dress that way for class: khaki pants, fitted dress shirts, crewneck sweaters, and penny loafers. J.Crew and Ralph Lauren could have used our campus to shoot their advertisements. Some of my Black friends say my style is “boo-zhee.” What can I say? I prefer quality over quantity, avoid crowded stores like H&M, the Gap, and Zara where you’ve got scores of copies of the same item. I love blazers—especially those with patches—and own too many to count....

“The Interview” —  the Seth Rogen and James Franco comedy about killing Kim Jong Un at the center of the Sony hacking scandal —  had it’s world premiere last night in Los Angeles. Leading up to the premiere, a series of scary cyber attacks hit the studio, releasing everything from employees’ Social Security Numbers to execs’ entire email inboxes. So it was no surprise when Sony announced that the premiere would be low key, with just a red carpet for photo-ops but no interviews. Judging by Franco’s Instagram photo from the movie’s premiere party, the film’s stars aren’t too worried.

In a speech Wednesday, the vice president recalled a moment from childhood when he ‘smashed [the] head’ of local bully—and then threatened to kill him. Vice President Joe Biden said he once chased down a bully on his bicycle, physically assaulted him, and threatened to “kill” him—all in the name of protecting the honor of his sister Valerie. ~snip~ “I remember coming back from Mass on Sunday,” Biden began. “Always the big treat was, we’d stop at the donut shop…We’d get donuts, and my dad would wait in the car. As I was coming out, my sister [Valerie] tugged on...

It's enough to start a new battle of the sexes, but when it comes to needless and untimely deaths, men win hands down. A 20 year study of the Darwin Awards, an annual review of the most foolish way people have died, found almost 90 per cent were 'won' by males. ... Of 332 independently verified nominations 14 were ruled out of the analysis because they were shared by male and females - usually overly adventurous couples in compromising positions.

Why is anyone surprised that Rolling Stone would flub a rape story? Since when did a magazine that borders on—and, by my standards, crosses over into—pornography, become a trusted source for matters involving women and sexual assault? For over four decades, Rolling Stone has spilled thousands of gallons of ink glorifying the hedonistic, misogynistic culture of sex, drugs, and rock-and-roll. Its covers have been adorned with nude men and women—sometimes together. Pornography is a regular topic, and it’s almost always put in a positive light. (This piece can also be found on American Thinker today.)

My first experience with Sharia Law ... Waiting to pass through customs, I observed a Saudi soldier swinging a machete, casually decapitating a score of Kewpie dolls that an unsuspecting westerner had tried to bring into the country. The torsos were returned to the traveler and the heads were dumped in the trash, all in accordance with Sharia Law. As a “how do you do?” there are better ways to make a first impression.

Japanese officials said a butter shortage threatening traditional Christmas sponge cakes was caused by cows being worn out by the hot summer. Some stores are limiting butter purchases to one pack per customer and they have been posting "We have butter" signs whenever supplies are replenished. Christmas cakes -- sponge cakes filled with whipped cream and strawberries -- have became a year-end staple in Japan, boosting demand for butter toward the end of the year.

The early 20th century sociologist Emile Durkheim’s theory about the divide between the greater society and some individuals still holds up. Durkheim called this condition “anomie” and described it as “a condition in which society provides little moral guidance to individuals.” He saw anomie as a, “breakdown of social bonds between an individual and the community…..rejection of self-regulatory values.” As Durkheim saw those who had fallen into anomie, they were “deranged and had an insatiable will.” Were he alive today Durkheim would recognize the mismatch between societal standards and the non-existent standards of the “Ferguson/Occupy/Garner” protestors who are running through...

Dr. Maya Eydelman treats Zak Wear, who lost two teeth when he was attacked during a protest that turned violent Tuesday. Image 1 of 2 Dr. Maya Eydelman treats Zak Wear, who lost two teeth when he was attacked during a protest that turned violent Tuesday. Zak Wear believes it’s his civic duty to step into the street and lend his voice to the antipolice protests that have swept the nation and the Bay Area. Only next time he does it, he’s not going alone. And, the 25-year-old graduate seminary student from Richmond will have two new front teeth. Vandals...

Featured Term selected at random:NIGHT WATCH A sacred vigil or guard. One of the four ancient divisions of the night during which official prayers were offered in the early days of the Church. The later Matins and Lauds of the Divine Office probably represented those watches. All items in this dictionary are from Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary, © Eternal Life. Used with permission.

Darryl Hart has a thought-provoking post today on Rick Warren’s recent comments about what Rome and Protestants have in common. Warren’s comments are a sterling reminder of the importance of knowing our church history. Yes, Christians of all the major traditions receive the biblical and catholic truths of the Holy Trinity and the two natures of Christ. Yes, confessional Protestants are committed to the protection of unborn humans and the affirmation of a creational order for sex and marriage—is Pope Francis committed to the latter?—but we share these commitments with Mormons, Jews, and even some atheists.  Obviously, these concerns, as...