Disgusting

Two posts in one day is not a common occurrence for me. Actually, I have yet to do it. But, I just came across this article that literally made me sick to my stomach. I almost can't believe it. This ties in to my earlier post about our Constitutional rights. The District Attorney who prosecuted this case should be stripped of his bar certification. Read the story here. If you make it through the whole thing without feeling sick you need to reevaluate yourself.

Remember that freedom thingie?

I think this is a sad but true depiction of what awaits Obama for his first term. As a law professor and President of Harvard Law Review, constitutional rights are more than just meaningless rhetoric to the President-Elect. Evidence of this has already surfaced with his desire to close Guantanamo Bay, and provide fair and open trials to some detainees while releasing others. This plan has met with criticism from both sides of the aisle. Regardless of your take on this, it is unlikely to happen soon, if at all. Believe me though, from a Constitutional Law point of view this is the only way to reconcile the detention of suspected terrorists with the freedom and liberty provided by the Bill of Rights.

Our facility at Guantanamo Bay represents just one of the many, many Constitutional violations endorsed and carried out by the Bush administration. From the Patriot Act to water-boarding, the violations range from small to downright egregious. It will take years to tape our Constitution back together in an attempt to undo the damage. Check out a pretty good list of Bush Constitutional violations (current through December 2007) here.

Let us hope that a man who has studied and taught Constitutional Law can return the Constitution to its once proud state as the "Supreme Law of the Land".

Yes We Can!

I am writing this post today as an American who has never been prouder of this country. For the first time, voters came out in droves and showed the rest of the world that we stand for equality and opportunity. It is awe-inspiring to watch the rise of someone who was not raised in the upper echelon of our society. Barack Obama was born poor and raised by a combination of his mother and maternal grandparents. He clawed his way to success through hard work and sacrifice. He is proof that enough hard work and determination can gain you any success your heart desires.

I do not know if Obama will be a great president. I don't even know if he will be a good one. But what I do know is that last night Americans made history by electing an African-American President decades before anyone thought it was possible. In doing so we proved to the rest of the world that America is a nation of opportunity, and that freedom and equality truly mean what we idealize them to be. This is a moment that I will be proud to tell my children I was alive for.

The arguments will begin today to question how, and if, Obama will be able to fulfill the promises he has made on the campaign trail. There will be low points and points of doubt, but do yourself a favor. For one second at some point today, before the memory fades, allow yourself to be proud of how far this country has come. Whether you are Democrat or Republican, this is a moment that cannot be cheapened. This is a rare moment of purity. A moment that is capable of restoring your faith in the American public and in the American dream. Allow yourself to feel that shimmer of light inside. It's unfamiliar because it hasn't been around for about eight years. But it feels good... It's called Hope.

I leave you with this quote I heard from my African-American friend Larry. I am unsure of the original source.

"Rosa sat so Martin could walk, Martin walked so Obama could run, Obama ran so our children could fly!"

Bahama Mama

Hey all. I hate to do this in such a new blog, but I just wanted to give a heads up that I won't have time to put a new post up this week. I am taking a mini-vacation to the Bahamas starting this Friday and I have a TON of work to do before I leave. Hopefully I have some kick ass stories to tell you guys when I get back. Preferably involving a nice little Bahama Mama. (Terrible song, I know)

Since I will be gone for Halloween, here are some creepy Urban Legends for your enjoyment. The living severed head one is pretty spooky.

Also, I turn 25 on Thursday. As tempting as it is please refrain from comments involving baldness, gray nut hair or erection problems. Haha, see you all next week!

Rays will Win Game 2

Ok, I know. Anyone can make a prediction based on one game. You guys all probably want me to grow a sack and pick the Series winner. Unfortunately, I can't. I have no idea who is going to win this Series. Both teams are hot. Both teams are talented. Both teams are well-managed. I prefer to take my pick on a couple of these games and see how it plays out.

Why will the Rays win Game 2? Because they own the pitching matchup. I know, James Shields gave up 9 hits in just 5 2/3 innings in Game 6 of the ALCS. I also realize that Game 6 was at home. But, I think when you look at Shields' season-long dominance at home in comparison with Myers' mediocrity on the road, the Rays come out with the clear advantage.

Shields was 9-2 at home this year and opposing batters only hit .234 against him at the Trop. In comparison, Myers was 3-8 with a 6.21 ERA and an opponent batting average of .301 on the road.

I realize I haven't discussed the bats at all. That's because after watching these two teams this postseason I've come to the conclusion that if you give them pitches to hit, they will hit them. That's why this World Series hangs on the pitching matchups. Both of these teams will crush pitchers that make mistakes.

Also, Joe Maddon has done a nice job keeping his young team on an even kilter. He allows exactly 30 minutes for either celebration after a win or depression after a loss. Haha, kind of strict but it seems to be working. Remember that the Rays lost Game 1 against the Sox too, before battling back with a vengeance in Game 2. Look for them to do the same thing tonight.

Hit or Miss?

By the way: Sorry this one isn't longer, but I am currently sleeping my way through a discussion of Natural Law in Civ Pro II.

Morality and Politics - How much should they be mixed?

I figured I would use my first real post to discuss a divisive issue that many people simply are not willing to talk about. The basic premise for my argument is that there is a line that needs to be drawn when making political decisions based on the individual voter's or politician's views on morality. Whether this is true and, if so, where this line needs to be drawn is the subject for much debate.

First, let me lay out the scope of my thoughts by telling you what this opinion does not apply to. Morality is inherent throughout all facets of our government. Our laws are based on right and wrong. Our society functions together because of a shared set of moral values and what constitutes acceptable behavior. It would be nearly impossible to operate a government without some set of inherent values shared by the majority of the population. This set of commonly held beliefs, such as you shouldn't kill people or rob old ladies, is not the subject of this post.

The moral beliefs I am concerned with are the tangential beliefs that seem to rear their heads during an election season more than any other time. Issues like abortion, gay rights, and evolution in schools are the main focus here. The key thing about all of these issues is that their main opposition comes from the religious sector. I do not question the right of a religious person to make personal decisions regarding these issues based on their faith. However, I am tired of people picking a candidate or political party to support based solely on one issue of morality.

I am not going to go into a diatribe about the separation of church and state and how that applies to this discussion. Instead, my reasoning is fairly simple. If what you want is a government that serves, and is in touch with ALL of its citizens, then basing political decisions on moral beliefs that not everyone in the country holds is completely counter-productive to that mission. It's divisive and breeds resentment, because it assumes that your beliefs are correct and everyone else can (literally) go to hell.

Freedom is important in our nation. It was founded on the concept. Legislation on issues of morality necessarily requires some individual or some group to say they are morally superior, and therefore they know the answer to the issue in question. This is dangerous because it undermines the very backbone of our government's foundation. How can you tell someone they are free, and then not allow them to make moral decisions for themselves? Isn't that the very essence of freedom?

I don't care who you vote for this November. That is your business, not mine. However, when you do vote please take into account more than issues of morality. Consider the policies. Consider the candidates. Consider several different issues and weigh them appropriately. Believe me, whether or not they teach evolution in schools is not going to matter at all if you lose your job or the bank forecloses on your home.

So, what do you think? Did I hit or miss?

On a side note, I realize this topic is a little heavy for the first one but I will follow it with something much lighter. I'm thinking World Series.

Getting Started

Hey all!

This is my first blogging experience, and my blog is brand spankin' new. I wanted to use my first post to explain the purpose of this blog, and the idea behind it.

First of all, please click on my profile to find out a little about me. As you can probably guess, I am an extremely opinionated person. I don't think this makes me a minority by any stretch. However, being an opinionated person who is as willing to have my opinion changed, as I am to change the opinions of others does put me in a minority. I am personally fed up with attempting to have logical discussions with people about important issues, and having the conversation quickly deteriorate into name-calling, swearing, and incoherent, poorly formed arguments. This has never been more true than now when anybody can leave a comment on a chat board, purporting to have some idea what they are talking about.

This blog is designed to provide a haven for those who feel the same way as me. As often as my schedule allows I will write and post an opinionated, polarizing article. You will either agree or disagree with my views, and you are absolutely encouraged to let me know where you stand in the comment section.

I am sure some of you may be asking "Who is this guy, posting his opinions on everything, like we should care what he thinks?" If that is what you are thinking, then you are missing the point. I am not trying to convince my readers to think or feel one way or another about a topic. Rather, I am giving my readers a chance to become more secure in their own beliefs. By challenging what you believe in, and requiring you to defend it in an intelligent, rational manner I am helping you become more grounded in what you believe. One of the worst ways to live your life is to live it according to beliefs that you can neither defend nor advance, because you haven't thought critically enough about them to be able to do so.

So, why is the blog called hit or miss? Well, for every post I have I want to get a feel for how the readers lean. Every post will be accompanied by a poll. The choices will be simple. Did I hit or did I miss? I will try this easy two-option format first, but I may add a third option if the feedback dictates it as necessary.

Hopefully, I will have the first opinionated post up by the end of this week. Subscribe to my feed if this sounds interesting to you. Remember that all beliefs will be respected here. Comments will be moderated, but not to filter out ANY content or argument. The only purpose for the moderation is to prevent this blog from becoming another cesspool for intolerance and ignorance. Unfortunately, moderation is necessary in order to provide the haven I promised earlier.