Free Republic

The First Word: Jeremiah's wish Richard Elliott Friedman, THE JERUSALEM POST Feb. 1, 2007 The Bible plays different roles in the ways that people formulate their views on different issues. On homosexuality or capital punishment, there are passages of law that rule on aspects of it, and there are stories that may involve it. So - even though I still suspect that most people's views of these things are more visceral and cultural - it is possible that the Bible genuinely influences some people's decisions about such matters. On abortion, however, the passages are few and questionable. After all, it...

AUSTIN — Republican Gov. Rick Perry criticized his rival Kinky Friedman Thursday for making "racist" comments about blacks. In a video clip widely circulated this week, the entertainer-turned-politician says he would punish sex offenders by throwing them in prison and making them "listen to a Negro talking to himself." He also called the term Negro a "charming word" in the CNBC interview, which first aired months ago. Friedman, running as an independent, offered no apologies and says his blunt rhetoric is sorely needed in an otherwise timid political culture. Perry, asked about the remarks during a wide-ranging news conference at...