Golly, But This Is a Surprise

Now, I know you will hardly be able to believe this, but this happened at a Head Start program. A four-year-old boy produced a very interesting item for show and tell: a monster bag full of crack cocaine. Indy Star article.

Here's a great quote from a cop:

"It's rare for kids to go to school with crack cocaine . . . ," Tuchek said. "In my 18 years on the force, that is the second-most amount of drugs I've seen one person carry."

Rare? It should be more than rare. It should never happen. Funny enough, these stories pop up with relative frequency.

I know what you're thinking. "Mike, tell me this could not have possibly happened at a Head Start program center". I know that you want to consider very much that these things happen at private schools, at schools of religious instruction, or (especially?) where parents are homeschooling their children.

Alas. These things always happen at the public schools, or at a Head Start. They never happen anywhere else. The public schools and the Head Starts are warehouses for children. Parents who give a toss keep their children out of these places if they can at all help it. Parents with any decency feel shame at sending their children to such places, and work hard to rectify the situation. Observe this reaction from on parent and the mentality:

"This is a real good school, so something like this is very unusual," said David Lewis, 36. "I'm thinking the child just picked up the wrong backpack and the parents didn't notice."

Are you kidding me? Is this to say that the school-book backpack is kept next to the crack cocaine backpack, so it would have been okay if only the kid weren't such a fool and left the crack bag where it belonged and grabbed the correct bag?!? Wow. And it's only an unusual occurrence. Wow.

This is quite an endictment of the Head Start program and its' participants. Some heads should roll.

Sending the Right Message

I can't get the events in Spain out of my head right now. I can't help but think that terrorists will have come away from the events surrounding the Madrid Atocha train station having learned a valuable lesson:

We can influence elections with a well-placed, well-timed act of violence.

Gracias, Espana. You really helped make the world a more dangerous place.

Atocha Trains Security Hole

I was thinking back to being on the train, and in the Madrid Atocha Station. I asked myself, 'how did the terrorists get all of those backpacks on to the trains'? That was the easiest thing of all. While there were plenty of security personnel visibly walking through the station, none were on the platforms and none on the trains.

When we choose to fly, we generally surrender our bags to be checked, or we carry them on and stow them under the seat or put them in the compartment overhead. One thing you can not do is get on the plane and then get off for a little while. Once you are on board, you stay on board.

This is not the case with train travel in Spain. When you get to the train 30 minutes early, you walk on, drop your bags in the baggage rack, and go out to the platform for a stroll, or even back into the station for a cup of coffee or a magazine. Nobody sits in the train for a half-hour, dutifully waiting for departure. We do it on planes and don't think otherwise.

So many students ride the trains that a bulky backpack placed in the rack would raise no suspicion whatsoever. Anybody could have walked into a train and dropped a bag full of explosives at any time, and nobody would have been the wiser- just as happened. Funny enough, most people feel safe enough that their bags won't be stolen or rifled through, that they didn't mind leaving them in the racks. Ame & I stayed near the cars out of a theft concern, but we were the only ones. The Spaniards were off for a stroll or a cell phone chat, oblivious to the baggage situation.

So, I will bet that if you look at the blown-up trains and observe the location of the explosions, you will find that each spot is the luggage rack. The luggage racks are at the back of each car, near the door, but towards the center side rather than towards the very back of the car. The pictures I have seen so far all verify this.

Now I am thinking of Amtrak. I haven't taken an Amtrak train in ages, so I don't know what the protocols are for boarding and for bags. A good step towards improved security would be the presense of bomb-sniffing dogs on the platforms, and a once-on, stay on policy. Sure, this does nothing to dissuade the committed suicide bomber, but it would go a long way towards preventing an American Atocha.

From Atocha to Socialism

Amazing how the timing of the terrorist bombings of trains in Madrid changed an election. Fascinating, too, to see how sentiments differed in the two countries- the US and Spain- that have had the most severe attacks, Israel notwithstanding.

Prior to the bombings, Spaniards were set to elect Mariano Majoy, the hand-picked successor to Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar, and both members of the Popular Party. That party is referred to as 'conservative', although Spain's estimation of a conservative would have made Karl Marx grin. In a sweeping turn of events, Socialist José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero has been elected Prime Minister, and his party has claimed a near majority of Parliamentary seats in this kingdom. By the way, Spain's estimation of a socialist would also have made Karl Marx grin.

But it is interesting to me how the things are perceived. The US embraced George W. Bush in the wake of 9-11-2001 in a way he was not after his election. Spain's Popular Party was repudiated just days after their 3-11, and largely because Spain was one of the US' strongest supporters under Aznar. The Spanish people in essense, blame the United States, with the Popular Party guilty by association.

Talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face. Socialism? Be pissed at the United States if you must, but why doom yourselves to worse than the 25% unemployment your country already has? I first had admiration for the Spanish, who took to the streets to express their anger at the terrorists. I now have real dismay.

Having taken the trains into Atocha just six weeks ago, the memories are fresh. As an American, I was treated exceptionally well by the Spanish people I encountered. I can't help but wonder if this will be so the next time I visit. I believe my son is safe in Rota. I talked to him today, and learned that he found out about the attacks 48 hours after I did, so it clearly hasn't reached that remote outpost, which is good. Still, I want him in a friendly environment, and have good evidence that Spain could be less kind to Americans, and is certainly less warm to good sense.

Remembering Atocha Train Station

It was only six weeks ago that Ame and I arrived at Puerto de la Atocha in Madrid, hopping off a high-speed AVE train from Sevilla, onto the platform that so many people now are seeing in the worst way on the news.

My memories of Atocha are pleasant ones. The platform was bustling, but very clean and open. The daytime feel of the platform was rerefreshing, with ample sunlight shining in brightly. The station's interior was lush with tall palm trees dominating the main floor. View my photos of Atocha Station, from January 22, 2004 and February 1.

When I first heard the news, my first concern was for my son Alex, who lives in Rota. Thankfully, Rota is several hundred miles from Madrid, and he is safe.

My second reaction was a strong sense of admiration for the Spanish people. Seeing them spontaneously flood the streets in solidarity against the terrorists and their cowardly acts was an excellent statement of defiance and strength- one I wish the American people had undertaken in response to the 2001 attacks against American landmarks. Good show, Spain!

The Guiding Light

Recently, a clown tried to create a little dissention within a Libertarian organization I am active in by linking one of my colleagues to one of his colleagues. Guilt by association is a common phrase, but unfortunately also commonly irrational. Only the actor of the wrongdoing is guilty of the wrongdoing. However, in the case of the colleague's colleague, no wrongdoing was committed, only a legal action that many libertarians find outside of their principles. If my colleague is a smoker, he is acting legally, but in my opinion, stupidly. Am I responsible for his smoking if I do not force him to quit? Am I contrary to my conscience if I continue to associate with him and he chooses to continue smoking?

I think not. However, the clown is a member of the purity police, hence, shrilly put off. Oh well, I say. I tried to explain that the 99% agreement on principles I may have with someone outweighs the 1% disagreement I have. No witch hunts. No self-righteousness. We can build one hell of a bridge on that 99%.

One MAJOR reason the LP is not more of a force is that so many libertarians are purity police. I have observed research that shows that about 14% of Americans identify with the prinicples that make one a libertarian, and yet, LP candidates routinely attract only 1-2% tops in elections. David Boaz made it plain, way back in 1981:

"So let me ask this: Which is the greater betrayal of the noble cause of freedom in our time-- to attempt to present a reasonable, radical, libertarian program that appeals to people and occasionally to err on the side of caution; or to self-righteously throw libertarian principles in people's faces, thus ensuring that we will remain pure and unfree?"

Another beacon cutting through so much fog is Morton Blackwell, founder of the Leadership Institute, who proclaims,

"You owe it to your philosophy to study how to win."

My own way of looking at it is this: If libertarianism is to be an all or nothing proposition, libertarians will get NOTHING.

Letters To The Editor, 3

The GOP has continued its stalling tactics in the Indiana legislature. I think this is a great thing, as I have stated before, not for their reasons, but for mine. No bills being passed = less intrusive government at all levels.

However, I know that the public does not think as I do. They think that if the legislators are paid to vote on measures, then they should show up and vote on measures.

Fair enough. I can adapt. After all, if Libertarians were there in the place of the Republicans, there would not be a boycott. There would be votes against larger, more intrusive government. My letter in today's Star:

Apparently, Republicans believe that gay marriage is the most important issue in the state of Indiana today, and that grinding the process to a halt is the most important strategy. Libertarians disagree completely.

If Libertarians were in the Statehouse, there would not be a boycott but rather votes in favor of smaller government and small business. The Libertarian Party never loses sight of the priorities of Hoosiers. There is a place for the debate over the role of the state in marriage, but it is secondary to strengthening the state's economy.

Michael R. Kole
Indianapolis

Note to self: Next time, remember to let the Star know that you are the Secretary of the LPIN.

The timing of my letter was perfect, as it sat next to another letter from a man angered with both Republicans and Democrats over this freeze:

The picture of the Indiana legislators laughing on the front page of the Feb. 26 Star makes my blood boil. These men appear to be having a great time playing politics, joking and putting on stunts to impress each other.

Meanwhile, the residents of our state are seeing no progress on critical issues. How about creating a climate that attracts and keeps businesses in our state? How about an updated tax system that properly funds our infrastructure and schools without bankrupting long-time homeowners? How about full-day kindergarten to give our kids a competitive education? How about a Bureau of Motor Vehicles that efficiently serves our citizens instead of appearing on "America's Most Wanted"? How about reducing the absurdly high number of bureaucrats so we can get our state budget on track?

It appears it's easier to grandstand on the gay marriage issue while everything else continues to deteriorate.

This fall, when it comes to the state elections, I'm not voting Republican. I'm not voting Democrat. I'm voting against the incumbents. They had their chance and they squandered it. Laugh at that!

Doug Knowles
Zionsville

I'll have to reach out to Mr. Knowles with a letter inviting him to join the LP!

What To Do With The GOP?

Indiana House Republicans have chosen a bit of grandstanding over the work of legislating. Should I be tearing them up or praising them? From the Indy Star:

"Wednesday was the long-announced deadline for House lawmakers to amend Senate bills, setting the stage for final negotiations next week between the two chambers.

Instead, 60 bills failed to advance because the stalemate denied Democrats, who control the flow of legislation, the 67-member quorum needed to do business for much of the day."

My first instinct is to praise the Republicans, as I have earlier. After all, I have strong doubts that any of the 60+ bills before the house are the kind that will bring about smaller government. I have strong suspicions that these bills will bring bigger government, more intrusive government, and more expensive government, so anything anyone can do to jam a 70-lb. monkey wrench into the gears is something of a hero to me.

However, the GOP boycott has now extended into a second day, making it for me a glorious 1.5 bill-free days. The public, however, is going to begin to see this as inactivity. The public wants to know that the legislature is 'getting things done', and is increasingly aware that nothing is getting done.

It's probably time for an info campaign to let people know that getting nothing done is a comparative good thing. Still, pretty soon, the GOP is going to start to look bad. Today is the deadline for getting these bills passed.

Democracy at Work

The issue of gay marriage reveals why democratic approaches to policy are so inferior to principled ones. In this case both the left and right can be left out.

I have explained previously how the churches, who should be in control of the institution, are left without the final say on the matter, to the dismay of the right. The state has ultimate control of who marries, or doesn't.

The left has the hardest time accepting the possibility that democracy can work against the cause of civil rights, but has the most stark examples of just that happening. Gay marriage is merely the latest. It is clear that if the issue were to be put to the vote, the American people would ban gay marriage, post haste. From Armstrong Williams:

"A recent Zogby poll indicated that 70 percent of Massachusetts's citizens do not favor the decision allowing homosexual couples to marry. And it's not just Massachusetts. Recent polls by "The New York Times" and CBS News and one by "USA Today" and CNN, all found that more than 60 percent of Americans oppose the legalization of homosexual unions."

and

"Just one thing - there is also a long tradition in this country of using moral codes to prohibit conduct deemed immoral by the majority of the citizens, as evidenced by restrictions against prostitution, bestiality, pedophilia, etc. As Justice Scalia tersely noted in his dissent, Texas's anti-sodomy laws is "well within the range of traditional democratic action, and its hand should not be stayed through the invention of a brand-new 'constitutional right' by a court that is impatient of democratic change." In other words, the matter of homosexual rights should not simply be dictated by the whims of appointed judges."

Nor, however, should the matter be dictated by the whim of mob rule, which is the straight-talk definition of 'rule by the majority'. It shouldn't even be dictated by the long tradition of excluding homosexuals.

I wonder, for instance, how Mr. Williams would feel if a referendum were on the ballot which excluded blacks from the right to marry whites. Williams, a black man, might be inclined to cry foul, citing the civil rights of blacks to choose their spouse. Alas, there had been a long tradition in this country of using moral codes to prohibit conduct deemed immoral by the majority of the citizens- in this case, miscegenation. There was a long tradition of Jim Crow. Was it the long tradition that justified it? Was it that the majority supported it?

No, the moral principle of equal treatment before the law is far more compelling than a long, and wrong, tradition. For libertarians, the saw goes, 'democracy is often little more than two wolves and a sheep voting on what to have for dinner'. Democracy should never be used as a tool of oppression, which is what it can easily become.

My Kind of Business!

There seems to be a lot of hand-wringing going on over the issue of gay marriage. I'm really enjoying the spectacle. Here, the people who really want to pry into other people's personal choices are putting themselves on parade. More importantly, the role of the state in marriage is being discussed, and I say it's high time.

When I married last June, Ame and I got to experience the distasteful process of filling out an application for permission from the state to wed. Permission! From the state! It's some kind of America we have today. We have to get permission to have a garage sale, permission to work on the roof over the house we own, permission to renovate the house we own, and permission to marry the love of our life. Curiously, nobody needs a permit to reproduce, a much more grave proposition. I think that's all in reverse, but I'll take my holdings where I can find them.

The state has no business being in the business of marriage. That's something that should have remained the domain of the churches. Making marriage a civil process is one self-inflicted wound my secular brethren have made, and the proof lies in the fact that many churches throughout the 50 states would be willing to marry any pair that presents itself, while only a few states will do so.

But the business of grandstanding in favor of socialized marriage hit a high point here in Indiana yesterday. Some legislators are so eager to affirm that marriage is the state's business, especially where homosexuals are concerned, that they did my bidding. GOP legislators boycotted proceedings in the statehouse yesterday afternoon! From the Indy Star:

Republican lawmakers pushing for debate on their proposal to ban gay marriage boycotted the Indiana House on Monday, bringing the legislature to a standstill as it entered a pivotal week in the 2004 session.

House Democrats refused to go along with Republicans' demands to vote on a "blast motion" to force debate of a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage. It's not clear how long the partisan stalemate will continue.

The House has today off and will try to conduct business again Wednesday if Republicans return to the chamber.

The national debate over gay marriage has entered the Indiana General Assembly during the final two weeks of the legislative session -- stalling action on at least 83 bills dealing with issues ranging from child welfare to indoor fireworks.

Brilliant! No laws were passed yesterday afternoon, which means, no new hidden taxes were decreed; no for-my-own-good laws were enacted; Peter was not robbed to pay Paul. It was the kind of day-and-a-half in the legislature that I might have planned, stalling 83 bills in one fell swoop. This is good government!

Nader Is In

A co-worker asked me if Ralph Nader's entry into the Presidential race was disappointing to me. I replied, "not as disappointing as it is to the Democrats". He laughed, but it was all true.

I really did hope that Nader would stay out of the running. My opinion of the the three main Libertarian hopefuls is that they are all mediocre at best, and potentially harmful at worst. I think that whichever one emerges will get the usual 1% now that Nader is in. That candidate might have gotten 2% nationwide without Nader, and upwards of 4-5% in a few states. Forget that now.

I have enjoyed the Democratic panic over Nader's entry. It is amusing while perplexing. After all, if Bush was selected and not elected, Nader didn't matter then, and he doesn't matter now. Can't have that both ways.

Democratic National Committee chairman Terry McAuliffe, who personally urged Nader not to run, called Nader's decision "unfortunate." From the USA Today story:

"You know, he's had a whole distinguished career, fighting for working families, and I would hate to see part of his legacy being that he got us eight years of George Bush," McAuliffe said Sunday on CBS' Face the Nation.

Crap, McAuliffe. Crap! I do accept one of Nader's justifications for running- he's the real socialist, and not willing to sugar-coat it:

"I'd go after Bush even more vigorously as we are in the next few months in ways that the Democrats can't possibly do because they're too cautious and too unimaginative".

Will v. McCain-Feingold, II

OK, this time George Will took on the badly misnamed 'campaign finance reform' law with intent. If only this sort of rhetoric was being issued prior to the President signing the legislation.

Supposedly, the principal purpose of McCain-Feingold was to ban large "soft money'' contributions to the parties, ostensibly for "party-building'' purposes. The delusional assumption of many McCain-Feingold enthusiasts was that when such contributions were banned, the people who had been eager to exert political influence by such contributions would say "Oh, well'' and spend their money instead on high-definition televisions. Or something.

Actually, McCain-Feingold was moral grandstanding by many liberals who had no intention of abiding by its spirit -- or its letter, for that matter -- any more than they had abided by already existing campaign finance law. To compensate for Republican advantages in raising strictly limited hard dollars, Democrats quickly formed a slew of committees technically disconnected from the party but allowed to receive unlimited soft dollars.

Of course, conservatives will have to do the same things... as will libertarians, socialists, or anybody else who wants to get a message out.

Will again failed to mention the biggest beneficiaries of McCain-Feingold: incumbents of any party. Sitting legislators are news by virtue of being legislators. Any time they want something for free that would cost anyone else a lot of money- publicity- they can generate it via a press conference.

Am I being paranoid to suggest that when the drooling saps who complain endlessly for a 'level playing field' catch on to this, that the likely casualty is press coverage of politicians? This is treacherous ground!

Just The Facts?

Could help but notice the contradictions between the headline and the facts in the Democratic primaries news.

Headline in today's Indy Star: Democratic Race Down to Kerry, Edwards

This Star headline led me to believe that Dean, Kucinich, and Rev. Sharpton all made concession speeches. The lede in the AP story reinforced the headline:

The Democratic presidential campaign is spreading out to 10 crucial "Super Tuesday" states, and it's down to a two-man race between front-runner John Kerry and a plucky challenger, John Edwards.

I thought it was ultimately a bit surprising. It wouldn't be surprising to me if Dean dropped out now. He's said that he's out and he's in until the end, so anything goes for him. But it surprised me that Kucinich would be dropping out. He's such an idealist that I can see him taking that 1% to the bitter end.

Turns out, I'm right. At least, I'm not wrong. Nobody dropped out of the race yesterday. The headline did not convey the news. It conveyed an analysis. The lede did the same thing. In news items, THE NEWS is supposed to be REPORTED. Instead, the Star and the AP opined. Reading to the bottom of the story, to paragraph 17, gives you the news:

The Democratic race once had 10 candidates, but the field is now down to five, including Dean, Dennis Kucinich and Al Sharpton, who haven't won a single contest.

Nice work, AP & Star. I'm sure the Dean, Kucinich, and Sharpton campaings will be thrilled with your "reporting" efforts.

No Child Left Un-Warehoused

Indiana's Governor Joe Kernan favors an all-day kindergarten, citing the need to begin the education of the state's children as early as possible.

This is an interesting take. It suggests that children are not educated anywhere but in a public school house. Tut tut, Mr. Kernan. I recall my own kindergarten experience, bored out of my tiny mind as the teacher taught kids the ABC's. I was bored because my parents had taught me to READ at age four. A half-day with the children of parents who share Kernan's take was torment a-plenty. A full day of it would have driven me to Bedlam.

Why this proposal? Is there a shortage of public education that has caused the poulace to rise up and call for this 'solution'? I have not heard such complaints from parents, and yet, a solution. Sheri Conover Sharlow's article is excellent in assailing this typical, expensive, one-size-fits-all approach to a problem that doesn't exist.

What I want for my son is recess, so he can run around and blow off some of that great store of energy he has, prior to returning to study. He's 12, though. What I want for the children I am going to have is actually no kindergarten at all. I want my child to have lots of time to daydream, to play, to stare at the sky in wonder. I will teach my child to read and write long before the formal classes will be scheduled, just like my parents did with me. I will see to it that the socialization occurs. All parents should do this, not the state. Why have children if you aren't cabable of handling these things on your own?

The Correct Way to Look at McCain-Feingold

Although he didn't mean to, George Will today showed us how to properly look at the results of McCain-Feingold. Will was intent on taking John Kerry to task on a number of Kerry's double standards, which he did, including the one on campaing money:

Praising McCain-Feingold restrictions on political contributions, you said: ``This bill reduces the power of the checkbook and I will therefore support it." In December you saved your sagging campaign by writing it a $6.4 million check. Why is your checkbook's unfettered freedom wholesome? You deny that restricting campaign contributions restricts speech. How much of the $6.4 million did you spend on speech -- broadcast messages?

It isn't more wholesome, and Kerry isn't the only one with enough money to self-fund, or spouse-fund, a campaign. It must be understood that the real plan behind McCain-Feingold was not to level the playing field, but to eliminate new voices from entering the stadium, and to keep the game in the hands it is currently in.

Running Notes

It has been rather an uphill battle to get back into the training for the 500 mini-marathon in Indy.

The trip to Spain was not so much a factor as the return and the weather here. Back in Spain, I was running every other day on the beaches of Rota, and walking a great deal in the towns. The jet lag and a 2 inch thick sheet of ice covering central Indiana left me with little opportunity to capitalize on my Spanish gains.

No matter. I ran the 5k training run last Saturday, despite an eight day run-free period. I learned a lot from the experience.

This was the first 'race' I had ever run in. I allowed myself to be caught up in the excitement of that, and kept a pretty swift pace for the first half mile. At that point, I recognized what I was doing, and backed off considerably. I finished the first mile in 8:25, with my legs becoming very tight already. The second mile was a grind against the increasing tightness, and I reached the two-mile mark at 18:35. The tightness began giving way to cramps in the shins of both legs and the right calf, so at about the 2.25 mile mark I brought it down to a brisk walk. I realized that in the winding down of my run, I was not extending in my stride, and walking felt very different than my overexerted job. I walked to about the 2.75 mile mark, and with the finish line in sight, I resumed the run. My finish time was 32:23, which was a pace of 10:27. Results.

I think that if I really had kept a pace of 10:27, I would not have experienced the cramping and tightening that I had. At the finish, my lungs felt really great, which was a pleasant surprise. This was easily the longest run I have achieved in about 20 years, so there is some satisfaction there.

Finally, the ice has largely melted from the streets, so I can run more regularly. One run per week is not going to cut it. There are only 82 days until the mini, and the next training run- a 10k- is just 20 days away!

Shame on NASCAR?

The articles on NASCAR's predominantly white performers and fans has given rise to questions about the sport's commitment to diversity. ESPN's is only the latest.

Here comes the reality check: there isn't a sport I can think of that isn't dominated by one group or another. Does hockey have a diversity problem? Sure- dominated by whites. Golf is also dominated by whites, even if the most dominating golfer is not white. Basketball also has a diversity problem, if you are honest enough to state the obvious- it is dominated by blacks. Ditto football. Major League Baseball may be the most diverse pro league I can think of, and yet, it does not reflect the population in the country in which the games are played.

Know what? I couldn't care less. I am a fan of pro sports because I enjoy watching the world's best athletes compete, and it doesn't reduce the fun for me if there isn't a white guy on the basketball court, or there isn't a black guy on the ice. I am tired of the social engineering, whether from the Rainbow Coalition or from Rush Limbaugh. Play the games, and enjoy the games- as played by humans.

Guess Who?

Read the following rhetoric, and see if you can place the source without cheating:

"A lot of people think that just because the U.S. Congress passed it...and the President signed it...and the U.S. Supreme Court upheld it...that means they can freeze you out...sever your tongue...and choke your voice to silence.

And you?ll just have to get used to it.

If they can steal that much freedom today, think what they?ll embezzle from your children and grandchildren...who will never get it back.

No, we will not be silenced.

We?re going to use every means to restore the 1st Amendment."

You're guessing moveon.org, perhaps? Nope. The ACLU? No. John Kerry? Howard Dean? Dennis Kucinich? This will knock your socks off:

The National Rifle Association!

The NRA has generally been on my shite list for failing to support LP candidates. They endorse and support Republicans who tend not to be consistent friends of the Second Amendment, let alone the rest of the Bill of Rights, whereas Libertarians would be. I'll put this gripe aside for the time being, for here is Wayne LaPierre, CEO of the NRA, preparing battle plans in defense of the First Amendment. The article.

More from LaPierre:

"Thanks to a hand-wringing band of whiny politicians who?ve entered into a smelly insider deal called the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act. I call it an incumbent protection scheme.

You know it as McCain-Feingold, a bald-faced insult to the constitutional freedoms of common Americans."

The NRA is now expanding the number of Bill of Rights Amendments it defends. Where has the ACLU been on this huge assault on the First Amendment? Beats Me. Their most relevant article is dated 2001. For years it has disappointed me how the ACLU selectively defends Amendments, generally ignoring the Second, passing others by here and there as suits the left-leaning politics of its leadership. When the ACLU soft-pedals the fight for the First Amendment, abandon ye all hope in that organization.

The top five "Hot Topics" on the ACLU main page today? 1. USA PATRIOT Act; 2. Defending Abortion; 3. Airport Spying; 4. Gay Equality; 5. March for Women's Lives.

Sorry- I have free speech for all way ahead of these five.

Gibraltar

If ever in southern Spain, northern Morocco, or sailing the Mediterranean, I highly recommend a trip to Gibraltar.

It was rather bewildering to find this very British outpost after having been emersed in Spanish culture for over a week, but in a delightful way. After all, I did have a 12-year-old with me, and he finds it easier to explore another new culture when the primary language is English. The Royal Post, a pint of Bass, and fish and chips joints are easy to find.

The military history is everywhere, from the 10-pound notes with images of cannons pointing downwards, to a hike up the Rock itself, where remnants and ruins from various sieges can be found. The area is sufficiently small that you can tour the place in one or two days and come away with an excellent sense of the place.

I found an instant affinity for the Gibraltarians, thanks to a few hours spent with a cabbie who took us up the Rock and to the Barbary Apes. He couldn't contain his passionate devotion to the Crown and his distaste for the Spanish Government, who, in his estimation, was trying to slowly starve the 30,000 or so inhabitants of the peninsula away from England, to be assimilated into Spain.

The guidebooks told us that the dictator Franco sealed the border in 1968, leaving Gibraltarians unable to leave by car until 1984, when the border was re-opened. The cabbie told us plenty more, but Ame and I found our own example of Spain's passive-aggressive behavior: try to find Gibraltar by relying on the road signs, and you never will. There is not a single sign pointing the way to Gibraltar from any main roadway. If you do not know the names of the nearby towns and have the certainty of mind that you should turn towards them, you simply won't find Gibraltar. We passed the story on to the cabbie, and he gave us the smile-and-shrug that says, "see what I mean"? Item of interest.

It takes two minutes to be waved into Gibraltar. It takes 15 minutes to get back into Spain. American passport holders seem to get waived through quickly enough, but everybody else gets 100 questions. There were signs at the exit lines declaring this discrepancy in times in and out to be just another example of Spain's un-neighborly behavior. I couldn't agree more. Ame and I both wished, as we sat in the car, that we had purchased one of those Keep Gibraltar British t-shirts.

It is Gibraltar's tricentennial this year. Queen Elizabeth II was apparently invited to the celebrations but she declined, not wishing to insult the Spanish... at the cost of insulting her subjects! Knowing this, I guess I would rather have a Self-Determination for Gibraltar t-shirt.

Quick Observations of Spain

If you have your eyes gleefully open for the things that make another part of the world different than your own, you can't help but find a few glaring ones. I found such in Spain, and like to generalize them thusly:

1. Land density in Spain is an all or nothing proposition. Towns are so densely built that I like to refer to any Spanish town as The Land of 98% Impervious Surfaces. There is virtually NO green space in any Spanish town. If a tree is to be planted, an 8" diameter cut is made in the pavement. If it isn't a town, the area is rural and agricultural. Despite the enormously available space, the dwelling will rarely give the occupants more than 1,000 square feet.
2. Every Spaniard over the age of 12 has ready access to tobacco and is not discouraged from using it in public.
3. Every Spaniard over the age of 14 has ready access to spray paint and is not discouraged from using it to spout anarchist slogans in public places- even those that are beautiful and ancient.
4. Every Spaniard over the age of 16 has ready access to alcohol and is not discouraged from using it in public very late at night.
5. Every Spanish household has a washing maching. However, no Spanish household has a clothes dryer. Every Spanish household hangs its laundry outside. The combination of prolific strings of underwear and shirts along with the effusive distribution of spray paint creates an unfortunately dismal visage that conjures Bowery tenements circa 1890.

Andalucia is a beautiful region in Spain, with wondrous rolling hills topped with orange and olive trees, spectaular mountains, and soothing ocean views. The towns of Andalucia have some beautiful architecture, including ancient castles and even the amazing, breathtaking Alhambra. It would be more beautiful if their people treated the place with more respect. How sad that today's Spanish people have such little regard for this beauty and mar it with so much unnecesary ugliness. If you think that Americans can learn a thing or two from Europeans in terms of land use or the respect we give to our public places, you've obviously never been to Spain.