constitution
The recent death of U.S.-born, anti-American Islamic cleric Anwar al-Awlaki at first blush seemed standard operating procedure in the war on terror waged by the U.S.
But it did not take long for it to turn into a debate over the constitutional rights afforded U.S. citizens who leave the country to pursue the agenda of terrorism couched in religious fervor.
The House of Representatives will read the Constitution aloud today.The process is expected to take up to two hours as members take turns reading the document.
According to CNN, Republicans asked for the reading as "a nod to the conservative Tea Party freshmen that helped put them back in the majority."
I’m using this post to follow up on some issues.
First, pastor Terry Jones, who caused a firestorm when he threatened a Quran burning at his church, recently made the news again, but I’ll call it good news.
I sat in a barbershop in downtown Bowling Green, Ky., Saturday and listened to patrons talk about the Jaycees’ Christmas Parade the week before.
Not nearly the number of people attend anymore, said the shop’s matriarch.
You cannot throw candy anymore, her colleague behind chair No. 1, said.
“Someone complained about throwing it, so you have to hand it out now,” she said.
“You’re lucky you can even hand it out,” I said. “Many cities don’t allow that anymore — safety issues.”
The U.S. court system historically leads the way when it comes to transparency in government. The Constitution established the right to a jury trial and with it came the longstanding belief that perhaps no part of government deserves more public scrutiny than the courts.
In the U.S., only one court operates in almost total secrecy — no access to its records, deliberations or rulings.
