Free Republic

Finally. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation reports: New South Wales police conducting routine car stops will be given the power to demand the removal of head coverings for identification. Premier Barry O’Farrell says cabinet approved the move on Monday so police could properly identify motorists or any other people suspected of committing a crime. “I don't care whether a person is wearing a motorcycle helmet, a burka, niqab, face veil or anything else, the police should be allowed to require those people to make their identification clear,” he said in a statement. “I have every respect for various religions and beliefs...

Bullets and government repression might have stalled the youthful push for an Arab Spring, but  the Arab Spring has now  led to a Malaysian summer here in Southeast Asia and the heat and humidity is leaving many here thirsting for freedom and democratic reform. In 2007 then-Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi brought the calls for reform to an abrupt end using the old tried and true methods of repressing the media and then quelling the peaceful  protesters with chemical-laced water cannons and teargas.    It's questionable whether such old-school tactics will work this time and quite possibly they could backfire. Not...

Gun manufacturer locations vs. Gun control legislation (2010 Stats) Ratings: 1. Constitutional carry 2. Shall Issue 3. May Issue 4. Right Denied Except for PoliticiansU - Unrestricted (No Permit) handgun open carry W - handgun open carry With permit C - handgun open Carry in car as long as other requirements are met T - Tax on right to keep and bear Manufacturer State State Rating A-SQUARE COMPANY, LLC South Dakota 2UC Accu-Tek/Excel industries California 3U Airforce Airguns Texas 2C Alexander Arms Virginia 2UC American Spirit Arms Arizona 1UC ARES Incorporated Ohio 2U ArmaLite Illinois 4T Barrett Firearms Manufacturing Tennessee...

Committee Meets. One per 40,000 in First Branch. Equality of State Suffrage in Second Branch. The grand committee met. Mr. Gerry was chosen chairman. The committee proceeded to consider in what manner they should discharge the business with which they were entrusted. By the proceedings in the convention they were so equally divided on the important question of representation in the two branches, the idea of a concilatory adjustment must have been in contemplation of the house in the appointment of this committee. But still how to effect this salutary purpose was the question. Many of the members, impressed with...

Eighth Resolution. G. Morris Speech. Senators for Life. Equal State Suffrage in the Senate. Despair. Committee to Work on 7th & 8th Resolutions. In Convention. On the question for allowing each State one vote in the second branch as moved by Mr. Elseworth, [FN1] Massts. no. Cont. ay. N. Y. ay. N. J. ay. Pa. no. Del. ay. Md. ay. Mr. Jenifer being not present Mr. Martin alone voted Va no. N. C. no. S. C. no. Geo. divd. Mr. Houston no. Mr. Baldwin ay. Mr. PINKNEY thought an equality of votes in the 2d. branch inadmissible. At the same...

The US Supreme Court Center at Justia.com is the leading resource on the internet which publishes United States Supreme Court decisions. They have been caught red handed in an Orwellian attempt to revise US Supreme Court cases which mention Minor v. Happersett as precedent on the issue of citizenship, as opposed to the other issue decided in Minor, voting rights. I have documented two incredible examples where Justia.com has been caught in the act of taking a hatchet job to US Supreme Court decisions by removing, not just the case name, “Minor v. Happersett”, but whole passages related to Chief...

Reports are surfacing today that suggest Democrats are conceding their demand for tax hikes is a non sequitor in the debt limit negotations. After the President's laughable attempt yesterday to blame the government's spending problem on tax treatment of corporate jets (policy he has previously supported) it is clear any discussion involving taxes represents a non-serious approach to the debt limit debate. The Hill reports today that in an effort to save face on the negotiations, Democrats are hoping to net Republican support for defense spending cuts. As we pointed out in the fall, conservatives should have no problem supporting...

...The more important thing to focus on is the way that the big spenders in the White House and elsewhere are trying to build support for a big tax increase by characterizing tax breaks as “spending in the tax code.” The left obviously hopes Republicans are so stupid that Orwellian word games are all that is needed to get them to acquiesce to legislation that would increase the amount of revenue going to Washington. To be sure, Republicans are known as the “Stupid Party,” so anything is possible. But if GOPers can simply remember these three simple concepts, they will...

Eighth Resolution. Request Presence of NH. Equal State Suffrage in Second Branch. Wilson Speech. Madison Speech. North v. South. High Emotions. Bedford Speech. Foreign Alliances. In Convention Mr. BREARLY moved that the Presidt. write to the Executive of N. Hamshire, informing it that the business depending before the Convention was of such a nature as to require the immediate attendance of the deputies of that State. In support of his motion he observed that the difficulties of the subject and the diversity of opinions called for all the assistance we could possibly obtain. [it was well understood that the object...

On August 18th 1787, at the Federal Convention, an Enumerated Power was motioned for addition to our Constitution. That was, “To establish public institutions, rewards, and immunities for the promotion of agriculture, commerce, trades and manufactures.” Say what? Oh yes. Any Freeper knows this did not make its way into Article I Section 8. Instead, the delegates approved the familiar Commerce Clause, “To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with Indian Tribes.” Direct government involvement in “Promotion of commerce,” was rejected for regulation of commerce. Big difference, eh? Well, apparently not to FDR’s court some...

On Sheep, Wolves, and Sheepdogs - Dave Grossman By LTC (RET) Dave Grossman, author of "On Killing." ### Honor never grows old, and honor rejoices the heart of age. It does so because honor is, finally, about defending those noble and worthy things that deserve defending, even if it comes at a high cost. In our time, that may mean social disapproval, public scorn, hardship, persecution, or as always,even death itself. The question remains: What is worth defending? What is worth dying for? What is worth living for? - William J. Bennett - in a lecture to the United States...

...Businesses know this will chase consumers from their stores. Shop-owners are worried that their customers will either go to other states to purchase their goods or services (not hard to do in that region), or they will simply cut back spending. Some stores are using discounts or sales to attract customers in advance of the higher levy’s implementation. One yoga instructor, Justine Fuller of Hartford, is having a “Keep your Money from Uncle Sam Sale,” offering 10-percent off if you buy classes for over six months. Porsche of Fairfield is offering a 7.35-percent discount on new cars before the tax...

...After the problematic gas rationing of the late 1970s, Kentucky levied their gas tax based on the wholesale prices of gasoline. They use three months worth of data to tax the following three months. The data now says that Kentucky must increase the gas tax by 1.9-cents to 27.8-cents a gallon – even though prices have drastically fluctuated since. With the federal tax, this totals over 46-cents a gallon in taxes. According to GasBuddy.com, the average Kentuckian pays $3.528 a gallon without the increase. As recent as 2008, Kentuckians were paying less than $2 a gallon. Georgia has a similar...

The Center for American Progress (CAP) is touting a myopic economic analysis claiming that a 10 percent cut in state spending actually leads to a 1.6 percent decline in private sector jobs. They even have fun scatterplots. But what CAP conveniently ignores for political gain is that correlation is not causation. In fact, the reverse of their argument is true: diminishing economic growth, rising unemployment, and reduced consumption all cause state tax revenues to decline, and spending to drop with it. In short: it’s the economy, stupid. Unlike our federal government that spent itself into debt, every state except Vermont...

Reality of Dissolution. Seventh Resolution. Equal Representation of States in First Branch. Proportional Representation in First Branch. Gerry Speech. Postpone Debate on Seventh. Eighth Resolution. Equal State Suffrage in Second Branch. Ellsworth Speech. In Convention Doctr. JOHNSON. The controversy must be endless whilst Gentlemen differ in the grounds of their arguments; Those on one side considering the States as districts of people composing one political Society; those on the other considering them as so many political societies. The fact is that the States do exist as political Societies, and a Govt. is to be formed for them in their political...

Okay. So it’s too late for some fried brains – but better late than never. From Reuters: Now, a Dutch commission has found that hashish and marijuana on sale in the Netherlands contain around 18 percent of THC, the main psychoactive substance, and advised the health minister that anything above 15 percent put drugs on a par with heroin or cocaine. “I've been very worried for years about the THC concentration, especially if it is so high. We will take a serious look at it," Health Minister Edith Schippers told public broadcaster NOS. “The addictive consequences are much stronger and...

Late Thursday afternoon, GOP Conference Vice Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05) hosted a call with Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (CA-22) and Congressman Steve Scalise (LA-01), to discuss the House Republicans’ Plans for Energy and Jobs. Opening with “[g]as prices and jobs are key to economic recovery; the more that we can do to unleash American energy, the more jobs we will create,” Rep. McMorris Rodgers propounds a simple and elegant solution for a widespread problem. The Congresswoman continued to rail against Democrats’ policies. “There’s something wrong when the Administration says 'no' to more American Energy.” Majority Whip McCarthy added that...

...Out of the myriad of grant programs operated by the federal government, the GAO report identified five programs whose egregious lack of accountability resulted in the highest amount of improper payments: Medicaid - $22.5 billion Unemployment Insurance - $17.5 billion Food Stamps - $2.2 billion School Lunch Program - $1.5 billion Pell Grants - $1 billion Calls for increased government transparency gain new clarity when faced with the sheer magnitude of federal negligence. Such pervasive redundancy and waste in federal grant programs is a symptom of a greater illness -- the absence of any meaningful accountability mechanism to rein in...

Seventh Resolution. Proportional Representation in First Branch. Dissolution. Madison Speech. Equal Representation of States in First Branch. In Convention Mr. L. MARTIN resumed his discourse, contending that the Genl. Govt. ought to be formed for the States, not for individuals: that if the States were to have votes in proportion to their numbers of people, it would be the same thing whether their representatives were chosen by the Legislatures or the people; the smaller States would be equally enslaved; that if the large States have the same interest with the smaller as was urged, there could be no danger in...

...North Dakota is doing pretty well. In addition to their massive surplus, they have the lowest jobless rate of any state (and their population has been growing steadily). Personal income has grown 6.9-percent, the highest increase in the nation. Publications like Forbes and USA Today have even wondered what North Dakota’s secret is. With money in the bank, an economy smoothly rolling along, and jobless rates as low as they are, the people are beginning to think that the government can take steps to reduce their burden. A ballot measure has been approved for the primary elections of 2012 which...