Free Republic

Free speech and artistic and intellectual expression have been controversial Western traditions since the rise of the classical-Greek city-state. When our Founding Fathers introduced guarantees of such freedoms to our new nation, they were never intended to protect thinkers whom we all admire or traditionalists who produce beloved movies like The Sound of Music. The First Amendment to the Constitution instead was designed to protect the obnoxious, the provocative, the uncouth, and the creepy — on the principle that if the foulmouths can say or express what they wish and the public can put up with it, then everyone else...

Queen Elizabeth II signed Thursday an amendment to the United Kingdom's universal jurisdiction laws allowing frivolous arrest warrants. "The change will ensure people cannot file for warrants when there is no real chance of prosecution," British Ambassador Matthew Gold said," and prevent abuse of the British legal system for political ends." According to Gold, the chief prosecutor in the UK would have to approve requests for warrants under the universal jurisdiction statutes, thereby avoiding the issuance of frivolous warrants in cases not expected to reach trial. "The UK is committed to bring to trial those guilty of war crimes," the...

Consider this thought: If we can get the folks in Hawaii to say that they determine ‘a person’ is a Natural Born Citizen in part by looking at BOTH parents citizenship, we know Obama lied about who his real father is. Or was mistaken. Interesting and not impossible to have them answer that question as long as it is phrased like this: “How does the department determine a person is a Natural-Born American Citizen? What criteria does the Director use to determine that status?” You cannot refer to Obama, at all, when you ask the question. That would violate statute...

This is in follow-up to my post on Tuesday: "The Day I asked a question and got the MOTHER of all answers" The implications of the following account is that the President's REAL NAME did not appear on any ballot, in any state. That's just one of MANY implications. Let me preface by saying an AMENDED birth record could indicate that the President was adopted by either Lolo Soetoro and/or His grandparents, the Dunhams. My story: I have serious reasons to believe that Janice Okubo and/or Director Fukino, Department of Health in Hawaii are under duress. Something is preventing Director...

Californians should be outraged. The state is cutting basic services and mortgaging its future by borrowing to cover budget shortfalls. At the same time, the prison system continues to be over budget year after year. And the Legislature continues to approve supplemental funds to cover cost overruns, no questions asked. Improved administration of the system is essential, but it alone can't fix this problem. The cost overruns are largely structural, the result of specific provisions in the prison guard contract that encourage unrestrained use of sick leave, the largest single driver of escalating overtime costs. The administrations of Govs. Pete...