Free Republic

Officials of that great bastion of liberalism -- the European Union -- reportedly want to replace the term "Islamic terrorism" with "terrorists who abusively invoke Islam." According to the EU Observer, other terms under review include "jihad," "Islamist," and "fundamentalist," It's hardly the first time that liberals have taken the English language and made it their own. Here's my handy glossary of commonly used leftist terms, and what they really mean: Social justice: Spreading the misery of socialism equally throughout society. Enlightened: A person who refuses to accept that socialism has failed everywhere it has been tried. Journalist: A news...

A 21-year-old Palos Hills man was charged with a hate crime and aggravated battery Wednesday for allegedly hurling racial epithets at an African-American man and using pepper spray on him and beating him in a south suburban convenience store two weeks ago. Saed Mohamad's 18-year-old brother, Hamoda, also was hit with two counts of aggravated battery in the Nov. 16 incident in Palos Hills. The victim complained a truck was taking up two parking spaces, authorities said. Saed Mohamad, the truck owner, told the man he owned the store -- which was untrue -- and repeatedly called the man a...

HYDERABAD, India -- A man who kept the embalmed body of his mother at home in a glass casket for 21 years was buried along with her after his death, a relative said Tuesday. Hundreds of residents on Sunday attended the burials of Syed Abdul Ghafoor, 69, and his mother at a mosque in Siddavata, a town 300 miles south of Hyderabad. Ghafoor divorced his wife after six months of marriage because she had a fight with his mother, said Ghafoor's nephew, Syed Noor. "He was so eccentric that he would not allow anybody else even to look at the...

Why can't I access some posts today? I get the message "document not found on this server".

A Teamsters group run by John Coli, one of Chicago's most powerful labor leaders, is facing renewed allegations that one of Coli's underlings has an "organized crime association." The underling's father allegedly knows reputed Outfit boss John DiFronzo, according to sources and documents obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times. The alleged association has gotten the attention of the Independent Review Board, a federally annointed agency that looks into potential wrongdoing in the Teamsters and can punish or recommend punishment against union members. Coli runs Local 727 as well as a coalition of nearly two dozen Teamsters locals in the region.The groups...

Reputed mob bookie and Teamster Nick LoCoco, embroiled in the Hired Truck scandal, has also been under investigation along with other union members for allegedly shaking down people who wanted full-time city jobs or to improve the city jobs they already have, the Chicago Sun-Times has learned. A former city transportation foreman, LoCoco, 64, of Bridgeport, was charged last week with sneaking his own truck into the scandal-plagued Hired Truck program while he had the power to pick which trucks got city work. LoCoco is also suspected of taking bribes to give out work in the Hired Truck program but...

DALLAS (September 30, 2004 07:45 PM EDT) - Democratic Rep. Martin Frost on Thursday offered to refund contributions to an October fund-raiser after canceling the appearance of Peter Yarrow over the folk singer's 1970 child indecency conviction. Yarrow, a member of the group Peter, Paul and Mary, was convicted of "taking indecent liberties" with a 14-year-old girl in 1969. President Carter pardoned him in 1981.Frost said in a statement that "crimes against children are very serious offenses. ... I do not believe it is appropriate for Mr. Yarrow to campaign on my behalf." Frost, who faces Republican Rep. Pete Sessions...

MORE DARWIN AWARDS They just seem to get better every year Amazing; there truly are no limits to stupidity! You know, there's some really stupid people in this world Yes, these are all true. They are finally out again. It's an annual honor given to the person who did the gene pool the biggest service by killing themselves in the most extraordinarily stupid way. Last year's winner was the fellow who was killed by a Coke machine which toppled over on top of him as he was attempting to tip a free soda out of it. And the nominees this...

GERMANTOWN, Wis. — It was a stench of decay that caused authorities to search an apartment in suburban Milwaukee. They found a home crawling with life: About 200 creatures — including alligators, scorpions and carnivorous beetles — formed a bizarre menagerie kept alive by a woman who fed them roadkill. "The smell was just unbelievable," said William Mitchell, a state conservation warden who found about 70 ducks cramped in a basement pen with droppings covering the floor. "It was really stinking. ... It made my eyes water." Neighbors had complained about the foul smell. Animal carcasses were in a freezer...

I am from Illinois and have a question regarding property in Arizona. Could anybody give me an estimate of the value of a golf course lot in Concho Valley, near St. John, Apache County, Arizona? Is this a popular community? I would appreciate any and all comments. Thank you very much in advance for your assistance.

OPINION -- Today, IllinoisLeader.com's Tribal Council announces the final Republican U.S. Senate candidate we will eliminate in our Survivor quest to determine our endorsement. The Elephant Tribe currently has two competitors. They are, as they appear on the March 16 Republican primary ballot: Rauschenberger and Ryan. Contender Norm Hill was cast out of the Tribe February 16. Contender Dr. Chirinjeev Kathuria was cast out February 18. Contender General John Borling was cast out February 20. Contender Jim Oberweis was cast out February 23. Contender Jonathan Wright was cast out February 25. Contender Andy McKenna was cast out February 27. Moving...

SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) - Mel Gibson's ``The Passion of the Christ'' not only has people debating the last hours of Jesus' life, but also running out to buy such souvenirs as crucifixes, lapel pins and cards tied to the film's promotion. A particularly popular item is a pendant fashioned from a single nail made of pewter and attached to a leather strap, say officials of Bob Siemon Designs, which is licensed by Gibson's Icon Productions to produce jewelry tied to the film. The pendants represent the nails used in the film to fasten Christ to the cross. ``This thing...

A Maywood police lieutenant already in trouble for a 2001 traffic stop now is accused of possession of stolen firearms, officials said Thursday.Harold Jenkins was indicted Jan. 2 on the weapons charges and faces arraignment Jan. 23, said Melissa Merz, a spokeswoman for Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan.A trial on charges stemming from the traffic stop is scheduled for Jan. 26, Merz said. In that case, Jenkins is accused of shooting at a Ford Explorer driven by James Graham of Maywood on Dec. 5, 2001, and taking a tool set from him -- but not inventorying it at the police...

Happy New Year to All FReepers. I have a question: did Winston Churchill start World War II? If so, how did he do it? I ask because of a conversation/argument with a relative. This person stated that Winston Churchill started World War II, and the US had to get involved because of a connection with Pearl Harbor and Japan. I am a bit confused about this. Please clear this up, oh wise FReepers. Thank you in advance.

The suspected burglar's big mistake was returning to the scene of the crime in upscale Wilmette: The resident who lives in the home confronted the intruder and shot him twice with a handgun. The 31-year-old man had sneaked into a home in the North Shore suburb near the Bahai Temple late Monday, police said. The wounded man, who had entered the house through a ''dog door,'' fled through a front window of the resident's home and drove off in a BMW sport utility vehicle that the resident had reported stolen Sunday night. "He drove it to the hospital, got out...

Same-sex couples throughout Cook County would enjoy the same right to register as domestic partners as residents of Oak Park and San Francisco, under a proposal introduced Tuesday in the Cook County Board. Commissioner Mike Quigley (D-Chicago) has 11 of the county board's 17 members signed on as sponsors or co-sponsors. Sharing the top line with him as sponsors are County Board President John Stroger and County Board Finance Chairman John Daley, the mayor's brother. All of that bodes well for the measure's passage. None of the board's five Republicans is listed as co-sponsor, though Quigley hopes to get one...

A suburban carnival worker has been charged with beating a co-worker to death with a mallet, although Aurora police said the victim--who was briefly hospitalized after the April 25 attack, then released--didn't die of his injuries until a month later. It was only after 38-year-old Philip Bates of St. Charles died on May 25 that an autopsy found the fatal head injuries that authorities believe were inflicted during the earlier fight. An investigation then led police to 39-year-old John Harry Nuckles of Bolingbrook, who was arrested and charged with first-degree murder in Bates' death, Aurora police spokesman Dan Ferrelli said...

This is a vanity post. I would like to know which countries are the beneficiaries of US foreign aid. A second question - has Ireland stated they would support us against Iraq? Thank you in advance for your responses, if any.

In the hours after the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, Iraqi national Saad Mahdi joined co-workers around the television. But Mahdi, 31, said it wasn't long before eyes in the cafeteria at Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove turned on him, according to a discrimination lawsuit he filed on Monday charging that he was unfairly fired. The hospital denied the discrimination charges and questioned Mahdi's work habits. One co-worker asked Mahdi to explain why Muslims and Arabs would do such things, Mahdi said. The co-worker told Mahdi he did not feel safe around...

Please give suggestions on how to survive being surrounded by screechingly liberal, democrat family members. It is ok for my family members to express their anti-conservative feelings, but God forbid if I say anything in defense. I have five sisters and three brothers, plus two parents who grew up in a socialist theocracy (guess which one)and are democrats. All of them. I was a closet conservative until I met my husband, then came out. I don't want to sink to their level, or act like the thought police, so I am appealing to my fellow Freepers for help.