New Media Alliance - Michael Nevin

In a landmark decision, the Supreme Court overturned the Washington D.C. gun ban. However, the decision was anything but a slam dunk, as clearly it should have been.

In a 5-4 decision, it is obvious that the liberal wing of the court will choose ideology over reason. Most constitutional scholars, even those who consider themselves left of center, agree that the Second Amendment provides an individual right to keep and bear arms. You don’t have to like it, or be a constitutional scholar, but any honest interpretation of the Bill of Rights plainly refers to the rights of individuals, not the rights of government. The Constitution grants power and authority to government, not rights.

Even liberal columnist Eugene Robinson agreed: “I’ve never been able to understand why the Founders would stick a collective right into the middle of the greatest charter of individual rights and freedoms ever written–and give it such pride of place, the No. 2 position, right behind such bedrock freedoms as speech and religion.” Robinson, whose honesty is refreshing, called for gun control advocates to amend the Constitution, not ignore it.

What a delicious twist of irony that these liberal justices will routinely claim to stand up for the rights of individuals against government intrusion but only when it suits their worldview. None of the Bill of Rights are safe when justices will scour the “penumbras formed by emanations” to justify their decisions.

Fortunately, the Heller decision may ultimately allow citizens who heretofore have been denied reasonable means of self-defense. It is a right they were born with and a right they may finally realize.

Michael Nevin Jr. receives e-mail at nevin166@comcast.net.

Prosectors Say Saddam Officials Arranged Secret Pre-War Iraq Trip for U.S. Lawmakers

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Saddam Hussein’s intelligence agency secretly financed a trip to Iraq for three U.S. lawmakers during the run-up to the U.S.-led invasion, federal prosecutors said Wednesday.

An indictment unsealed in Detroit accuses Muthanna Al-Hanooti, a member of a Michigan nonprofit group, of arranging for three members of Congress to travel to Iraq in October 2002 at the behest of Saddam’s regime. Prosecutors say Iraqi intelligence officials paid for the trip through an intermediary.

At the time, the Bush administration was trying to persuade Congress to authorize military action against Iraq.

The lawmakers are not named in the indictment but the dates correspond to a trip by Democratic Reps. Jim McDermott of Washington, David Bonior of Michigan and Mike Thompson of California. None was charged and Justice Department spokesman Dean Boyd said investigators “have no information whatsoever” any of them knew the trip was underwritten by Saddam…

Prosecutors said Al-Hanooti was responsible for monitoring Congress for the Iraqi Intelligence Service. From 1999 to 2002, he allegedly provided Saddam’s government with a list of U.S. lawmakers he believed favored lifting economic sanctions against Iraq.

In exchange for coordinating the congressional trip, Al-Hanooti allegedly received 2 million barrels of Iraqi oil, prosecutors said.

by Michael Nevin

Having recently fought and beat kidney cancer, I can tell you that I have a new lease on life. I’m confident that American medicine saved my life. A few prayers didn’t hurt either.

It appears, however, that patients in the U.K. don’t have it as good as we do acrosss the pond. I thought national health care was the answer to the health care “crisis"? Maybe not.

Check out this article in the Kidney Cancer Association newsletter.

“We pay a percentage of our earnings into a National Health Service that we are told is “free at the point of need”. Yet, at the point you need it, a group of unelected bureaucrats tell you that facing death doesn’t make you an exceptional enough case to warrant funding the drugs you need.”

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