Free Republic

Texas Democrats eye the middle lane By Peggy Fikac, San Antonio Express-News, 12/04/01 AUSTIN -- Former Agriculture Commissioner Jim Hightower once said there's nothing in the middle of the road but yellow stripes and dead armadillos. Today, many Texas Democrats see something else. They see the future. "The middle of the political spectrum? I can tell you who will be there — the next senator and next governor of the state of Texas," said former Dallas Mayor Ron Kirk, a candidate for the U.S. Senate who has won the backing of many top Democrats. Laredo businessman Tony Sanchez Jr., ...

Machiavelli and Burke: Philosophers in Conservatism Throughout history, there have been those who were opposed to dynamic, or radical, change, either from irrational fears or to protect their interests. They were persons disposed to keep to established practices and well-beaten paths; they were conservatives. In political philosophy, there were two men who sought to guard these ways and keep them fixed, and they preferred governments that could preserve tradition. These two men were Niccolo Machiavelli and Edmund Burke. Born in 1469, Machiavelli was a native of Florence, Italy, during the reign of the mighty Medici family. Although he considered himself ...

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/topstory2/1146079 Hispanic voters inching moving toward a new political era By LORI RODRIGUEZ, Houston Chronicle, 11/25/01 In the Los Angeles mayoral election last summer, the New York contest two weeks ago and in Houston's ongoing fight for the city's top job, Latino candidates have gotten within striking distance of making history. Former California Assembly Speaker Antonio Villaraigosa was vaulted into the L.A. runoff by fellow Mexican-American voters. Bronx President Fernando Ferrer's racially charged Democratic primary tussle with Mark Green pushed droves of Ferrer's fellow Puerto Ricans into the Republican column and sealed the election for Republican Michael Bloomberg. And on ...

http://www.dallasnews.com/texas_southwest/STORY.ea67664f19.b0.af.0.a4.30d24.html Texas court to hear abortion case By JIM VERTUNO, Associated Press, Dallas Morning News, 11/25/01 AUSTIN – The battle over whether Texans should help pay for "medically necessary" abortions for poor women goes before the state Supreme Court this week. Supporters and a Texas appeals court say the women are entitled under the state constitution. Anti-abortion groups warn that the case could open the door for "abortion on demand" at taxpayers' expense. The case will be presented in arguments before the all-Republican court Wednesday.

http://web.star-telegram.com/content/fortworth/2001/11/15/state/fw010402-1115-XB001-kennedy.htm Prayer card likely to play well with East Texans By Bud Kennedy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11/15/01 PALESTINE -- All Gov. Rick Perry said was "Amen." With one whispered word, Texas' up-from-the-B-team governor unwittingly launched what has turned into one of the biggest publicity stunts of the 2002 political campaign.

Something of the Jeffersonian Religion by Zach Vaughn The majority of Jeffersonians were monotheists, and a few were deists, meaning that they held a belief in one only God. Some others, such as Dr. Benjamin Rush, were avowed and practicing Christians. But for all Jeffersonians, Theists, Deists and Christians alike, their God was a bring to be imitated, rather than worshipped. The Jeffersonian God was the Creator of the universe, its architect and builder, so to speak. The Creator made a whole world, full of diverse creations, out of a wilderness of nothing. And since it was God who created ...

Letting States Settle National Issues Isn't Smart By Richard McGowan. Richard McGowan is an economics professor at Boston College and the author of "Business, Politics and Cigarettes: Multiple Levels, Multiple Agendas." THE GEORGE W. BUSH administration's decision to negotiate a settlement of the federal multibillion-dollar lawsuit against the tobacco industry is another example of this administration's belief that public policy disputes are better solved at the state level of government rather than the federal level. Conservatives have long argued that states are "closer" to the needs and wants of their citizens. Hence, it is this level of government that supposedly ...

More than two centuries after they were written during the debate over the Constitution, the Federalist Papers are still assigned in university classes as specimens of astute political theory. It's safe to predict that the current debate on amending the Constitution to ban flag desecration will also be read by generations of Americans not yet born--for examples of faulty logic. Were it not for specious reasoning, the amendment's supporters would have no reasoning at all. If you were out watching your local fire department battle wildfires caused by all the protesters burning Old Glory, you may have missed the ...

An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation Chapter I Of The Principle Of Utility. I. Nature has placed mankind under the governance of two sovereign masters, pain and pleasure. It is for them alone to point out what we ought to do, as well as to determine what we shall do. On the one hand the standard of right and wrong, on the other the chain of causes and effects, are fastened to their throne. They govern us in all we do, in all we say, in all we think: every effort we can make to throw off ...

You can go to this site and find out what job you would have in Medieval Times it is pretty cool. I would have been a Prime Minister... Your distinct personality, The Prime Minister might be found in most of the thriving kingdoms of the time. You are a strategist who pursues the most efficient and logical path toward the realization of the goal that you perceive or visualize. You will often only associate with those people who can assist you in the implementation of your plan. Inept assistants may be immediately discarded as excess baggage. To do otherwise could ...

What is the Non-Aggression Principle? by Andrew F. Boardman Why can't we all just get along? There are two ways to look at that age old question. The first is to look at the violence and hatred that surround us every day in our lives, and wonder what has the world come to, what horrors does the future hold for us and our children? The second is a bit more 'half-full'. How many people have, in fact, not gone postal? How many of your neighbors are in fact very peaceful, law-abiding, and caring of other human beings? Take the plot ...

The majority of Jeffersonians were deists, meaning that they held a belief in one only God. Some others, such as Dr. Benjamin Rush, were avowed and practicing Christians. But for all Jeffersonians, Deists and Christians alike, their God was a being to be imitated, rather than worshipped. The Jeffersonian God was the Creator of the universe, it architect and builder, so to speak. The Creator made a whole world, full of diverse creations, out of a wilderness of nothing. And since it was God who created the universe, He could be found and understood through his creation (Kosela). Writing to ...

I was looking through an old book entitled, Selections from Early American Writers, 1607-1800, edited by Willian B. Cairns and published by the MacMillan Company in 1910, when I accidentally came across the poem "Columbia," by Timothy Dwight. It consists of six eight line stanzas with 11 syallbles per line. The last stanza of the poem is used in "Murillo's Lesson"[p. 358, The Sacred Harp]According to Cairns, the following version is from the "Columbia Muse" (New York, 1794): Columbia, Columbia, to glory arise The queen of the world, and child of the skies! Thy genius commands thee; with rapture behold, ...

Part 1: Definition and History The drug marijuana has existed for thousand's of years and has been known for its healing and hallucinogenic qualities. Brought to America in 1611, the hemp plant was grown for paper and rope making purposes, but many pharmaceutical treatises of the time, and later, extolled its medicinal properties (Belenko, 125). However, beginning in the Twentieth Century, this evidence was ignored, as marijuana was made the "devil's weed," and it was promptly prohibited. The illegality of marijuana has been the cause of two significant problems: one, individuals may not access the medicinal benefits of this drug, ...

What can we learn from the past? We could probably learn a good lesson in manners. While I am not the most mannerly person on the earth, I try to be as polite and civil as possible, though sometimes I lose my patience. Here it FR the lack of civility is particularly noticeable, but it a condition which effects society as a whole. And now to start our lesson, we turn to George Washington, who can give us some sgae advice...

As to commerce, two methods occur. 1. By friendly arrangements with the several nations with whom these restrictions exist; Or, 2. By the separate act of our own legislatures for countervailing their effects. There can be no doubt but that of these two, friendly arrangements is the most eligible. Instead of embarrassing commerce under piles of regulating laws, duties, and prohibitions, could it be relieved from all its shackles in all parts of the world, could every country be employed in producing that which nature has best fitted it to produce, and each be free to exchange with others mutual ...

This paper was written by a group that I was in. Unfortunately, I was in a group with 2 flaming socialists and their useful idiots. My advice was not exactly taken, and I didn't not write the paper, so I will provide my commentary. ___________________________________________________________________________________________ With the Texas electricity deregulation pilot programs set to begin in June, many consumers are having second thoughts. In fact, California's deregulation disaster has many of us taking our first serious look at how deregulation will work in Texas. It is good that California's situation causes us to look at how we do things in ...

State lawmakers thought they could push the controversial hate crimes bill through the legislature Wednesday. But the bill that doles out harsher penalties for crimes against gender, race, and sexual orientation--ran head-on into a political roadblock. Democrats argue Texas needs a new hate crimes law because the one on the books is weak, and may no longer be constitutional. Wednesday it almost cleared a big hurdle--until Governor Perry got involved behind the scenes. Senator Rodney Ellis thought he had enough votes to give the hate crimes bill a full debate in the Senate--considered its biggest roadblock to becoming law. ...

I have to write a paper on a contemporary leader. I have no idea who to write about, so I have turned to you Freepers for a topic...

The words freedom and liberty signified for the most eminent representatives of mankind one of the most precious and desirable goods. Today it is fashionable to sneer at them. They are, trumpets the modern sage, "slippery" notions and "bourgeois" prejudices. Freedom and liberty are not to be found in nature. In nature there is no phenomenon to which these terms could be meaningfully applied. Whatever man does, he can never free himself from the restraints which nature imposes upon him. If he wants to succeed in acting, he must submit unconditionally to the laws of nature. Freedom and liberty always ...