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Cruel and Unusual Punishment Cruel and unusual punishment is forbidden under the eighth amendment to the United States constitution. For a victim of murder, it would not be classified as punishment, but being murdered is certainly cruel and unusual. The sentence for such a crime should be no less. On Thursday, June 20th, the United States Supreme Court ruled that executions of mentally retarded criminals are cruel and unusual punishment violating the eighth amendment. So according to the standard, if a person found guilty of murder can show that they have an IQ under 70, then they will not have...

Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich said late Wednesday that the two judges on the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals who ruled that the Pledge of Allegiance was unconstitutional should be removed from the judiciary. "These two judges are so out of touch with reality that they should be kicked off the bench," Gingrich told Fox News Channel's "Hannity & Colmes." Bristling at the harsh penalty, "H & C" co-host Alan Colmes protested, "For one decision? You kick judges off if you don't like one decision they make?" "Absolutely," Gingrich shot back. "Look, this decision goes to...

CNSNews.com) - In a quick response to Wednesday's ruling by the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which declared the Pledge of Allegiance "unconstitutional," the U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passed a resolution expressing its disagreement with the ruling, and allowing the Senate's Counsel to act on its behalf when the case goes to the Supreme Court. Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) called on all senators to gather at 9:30 a.m. in the Senate chamber so that they can recite the Pledge of Allegiance together in a show of disapproval of the appeals court's decision. "I am pleased with the unanimity...

Here is a quiz for all atheists: Which part of the first amendment is most likely to be forgotten by atheists as they seek to purge US society from the scourge of religion? a. Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, b. or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; c. or abridging the freedom of speech, d. or of the press; e. or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, f. and to petition the government for a redress of grievances. If you guessed "B" you are a winner!Fundamentalist atheists want to use the power of the...

WASHINGTON (June 26, 2002 4:37 p.m. EDT) - Mexican trucks could start plying U.S. highways this summer as the Transportation Department completes safety enhancements required by Congress, says a department report obtained by The Associated Press. Lawmakers ordered a number of safety checks to be in place before Mexican trucks could travel much beyond the Southwestern border, and a department inspector general's report says many of them are in place or will be in time to let the trucks on U.S. roads by midsummer. Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta "concluded that while the department still has some work to do, he...

The Pledge of Allegiance A Short History by Dr. John W. Baer Copyright 1992 by Dr. John W. Baer Francis Bellamy (1855 - 1931), a Baptist minister, wrote the original Pledge in August 1892. He was a Christian Socialist. In his Pledge, he is expressing the ideas of his first cousin, Edward Bellamy, author of the American socialist utopian novels, Looking Backward (1888) and Equality (1897). Francis Bellamy in his sermons and lectures and Edward Bellamy in his novels and articles described in detail how the middle class could create a planned economy with political, social and economic equality for...

Most Reverend Timothy M. Dolan Auxiliary Bishop of St. Louis Born February 6, 1950, Timothy Michael Dolan was the first child of Shirley Radcliffe Dolan and the late Robert Dolan. Bishop Dolan has two sisters and two brothers. The Bishop was baptized at Immaculate Conception Parish in Maplewood, Mo. The family subsequently moved to Ballwin, Mo., and the newly founded Holy Infant Parish. In 1964 Bishop Dolan began his high school seminary education at St. Louis Preparatory Seminary South in Shrewsbury. From 1968-1972 his seminary foundation continued at Cardinal Glennon College where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree...

Evangelist Billy Graham apologizes at Ohio meeting for anti-Jewish remarks Wed Jun 26, 1:03 PM ETCINCINNATI - Evangelist Billy Graham made his first face-to-face apology for anti-Jewish comments he made at the White House that were recorded 30 years ago, an aide said Wednesday. The apology came Sunday at Graham's first meeting with Jewish leaders since tapes were released in March revealing a 1972 conversation with President Richard Nixon in which the Southern Baptist evangelist expressed disdain for what he saw as Jewish domination of the media, aide Melany Ethridge said."This stranglehold has got to be broken or this country's...

By MATT KELLEY, Associated Press WASHINGTON (June 26, 2002 3:18 p.m. EDT) - Merging the military's commands over its space and nuclear forces will get rid of overlapping duties, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said Wednesday in announcing a plan aimed at making it easier to respond to attacks. "Merging the two into a single entity will eliminate the redundancy and streamline the process," Rumsfeld said at a Pentagon news conference. President Bush recently approved the proposal. The new command, which is yet to be named, would combine the U.S. Space Command and the U.S. Strategic Command. It is expected...

AN FRANCISCO, June 26 - A federal appeals court here declared today that the Pledge of Allegiance is unconstitutional because the phrase ``one nation under God'' violates the separation of church and state. In a decision that drew howls of protest across the political spectrum, a three-member panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, ruled that the pledge could not be recited in schools because it violated the First Amendment's prohibition against a state endorsement of religion. In addition, the ruling, which will certainly be appealed, struck down a 1954 federal law in which...

Pipeline monopoly Transneft said Wednesday that it was ready to implement the government's decision to boost oil exports by 150,000 barrels per day from July and extend its capacity further in 2003. Transneft head Semyon Vainshtok told reporters the company, currently shipping up to 3 million bpd of Russian and transit crude, would boost export capacities by 300,000 bpd next year in response to the country's booming output. Russia, the world's second-largest oil exporter, agreed to curb its January-June exports by around 5 percent to help the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries prop up world oil prices, but effectively...

NEW YORK (AP) -- The chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission announced Wednesday that his agency has filed fraud charges against WorldCom Inc., a day after the company disclosed it had grossly overstated is profits in one of the largest accounting scandals ever.Harvey Pitt also lashed out against congressional critics who questioned his leadership, and he defended his agency's role in restoring confidence in America's financial system.Pitt also said he was directing the chief executive officers and chief financial officers of the largest 1,000 companies in the country to vouch for the accuracy of their financial statements.Pitt stressed...

Arabs 'addicted to illusions,' says ex-Libyan leader Former prime minister offers radical prescription for Mideast reform Attempts to explain the Arab world's increasingly radicalized religion, obsessive hatred of Jews, love affair with "martyrdom" and pervasive authoritarianism have caused analysts both Western and Arab to blame the problems on everything from poverty to Israeli oppression to the corrupting influences of American pop culture. But a new analysis of the root causes of Arab angst, offered this week by a former prime minister of Libya, is startling – even revolutionary – in its candor. Writing in Thursday's edition of the London-based Arabic-language...

ASHINGTON, June 26 — In a closely watched case arising from the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and pitting civil liberties against national security, a federal appeals court ruled today that a public defender cannot represent an American citizen who is suspected of being a Taliban fighter.The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, acting only a day after hearing the case of the American, Yaser Esam Hamdi, did not rule explicitly on the larger issue of whether Mr. Hamdi has the right to a lawyer and whether he can be held indefinitely without being charged with anything...

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (Reuters) - Police firing rubber bullets and tear gas canisters fought pitched battles with anti-government protesters in the Argentine capital on Wednesday, leaving two dead in the worst riots since the elected government was toppled in December. The clashes began when riot police tried to disperse hundreds of unemployed protesters, some wearing ski masks and holding slingshots, blocking roads into the capital to decry economic policies that have deepened poverty and joblessness across Argentina. Officials said at least 17 people were injured and 160 arrested. As evening fell, hundreds more protesters gathered outside Congress and the presidential...

CALGARY -- Is it a washout or isn't it? Either way, Prime Minister Jean Chretien's plan to make a landmark reform plan for Africa the centrepiece of the G-8 summit faces a tough road as it enters its critical day Thursday. The plan, devised and adopted by Africans, would see billions of dollars in aid and investment tied to good governance. Chretien has insisted it will be the focal point of the Group of Eight summit, which began Wednesday in Kananaskis, Alta., and that outside events and issues would not knock it off the agenda. But countries such as the...

NEW YORK Virulent anti-Semitism, calls for jihad, and support for the elimination of Israel are entrenched in every level of Syria's school system, according to a study of 68 Syrian school textbooks spanning grades 1-12 released by B'nai B'rith International on Tuesday. Conducted by the New York-based Center for Monitoring the Impact of Peace, the 30-page study entitled, "Jihad, Jews, and Anti-Semitism in Syrian School Texts," found that Syrian children are taught to hate Jews and Israel with such ferocity that genuine reconciliation between the two peoples appears unlikely anytime soon. The study also highlights Syria's contradictory roles in the...

ALGARY, Alberta, June 26 — President Bush told his key allies today that the United States would cut off aid to the Palestinians if they failed to embrace the kind of changes he demanded on Monday. He also stepped up his pressure for the removal of Yasir Arafat by warning that "we won't be putting money into a society" dominated by corrupt leadership that helps to finance terrorists.Mr. Bush's warning came as he met with Britain's prime minister, Tony Blair, who became the first major ally to come close to embracing Mr. Bush's new approach to the Middle East....

[Excerpt from Daniel Polisar: Yasser Arafat and theMyth of Legitimacy Azure - SUMMER 5762 / 2002 http://www.shalem.org.il/azure/13-polisar.htm ] ... As the January 1996 elections approached, Arafat was assured of victory for himself and his loyalists in Fatah. The steps he had taken since assuming power had succeeded in bolstering his position and shunting aside most potential challengers. In fact, Arafat almost ended up running unopposed, as the best-known individuals who considered challenging him-including rights activist Iyad a-Sarraj and the popular Haydar Abed a-Shafi (who had headed the Palestinian delegation to the Madrid conference) decided that there was little point in...

Amtrak, Bush administration reach tentative agreement to keep trains running LAURENCE ARNOLD, Associated Press WriterWednesday, June 26, 2002 ©2002 Associated Press URL: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2002/06/26/financial2047EDT0466.DTL (06-26) 18:41 PDT WASHINGTON (AP) -- Amtrak and the Bush administration reached tentative agreement Wednesday night on a plan for resolving a budget crisis that could have shut down the national passenger railroad next week. Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta and Amtrak Chairman John Robert Smith released a joint statement reporting "excellent progress" in their discussions on how to help the railroad close a $200 million budget shortfall. "Significant details are still being finalized, and no final...