CommenTerry

The Tobacco Companies Are Right This Time

The major tobacco companies in the U.S. are filing suit against the FDA to stop that agency from forcing them to use graphic images as a part of the warnings printed on packs of cigarettes. I hope they win their lawsuit, as I believe the First Amendment is on their side this time. Forcing them to use simple warnings is one thing, but imposing graphic images of cancerous tumors and dead bodies on them is something completely different.

These highly grotesque images would likely be considered offensive by a large portion of the American public. Those who market legal products have a Constitutional right to communicate with their potential customers in a manner that will not offend them. The government has no right to force a wedge between buyers and sellers in the legitimate marketplace. Hopefully, the Supreme Court will have the final say on this issue and stop the government from trampling on the U.S. Constitution.

The Media Is Constantly Amazed by the Commonplace

Ever notice how members of the American media seem constantly amazed by fairly common events? This is especially true when it comes to the rebuilding of infrastructure after it is has been damaged or destroyed by some natural or manmade event. A prime example is the damage done to Joplin, Missouri by a tornado earlier this year. That city has since recovered enough so that school could begin on time, and has made great progress toward rebuilding.

Why are media people so astounded by this? Don’t they follow history? There has not been one instance of a U.S. city being partially or completely destroyed and not being rebuilt. Yet every time a city rebuilds, the media seems to have forgotten about all of those that have gone before and accomplished the same thing. Their amazement never ceases to amaze me.

I Want the Big Internet

I have no interest in accessing the Internet from smart phone or any such handheld item. That’s because the Internet that’s available on those devices is a small Internet. I want the big Internet that I can access from my computer. The small Internet isn’t as exciting. Besides, its keyboards are too small for my fat fingers.

Are You a Bird Bigot?

The other day, I heard a radio commercial for a certain brand of bird feeders. The narrator emphasized the fact that you could use a certain item to keep grackles and starlings away from it. Do you try to keep those types of birds away from your bird feeder? If so, you may be a bird bigot? Aren’t all birds created equal? Shouldn’t grackles and starlings have just as much right to eat as other birds do? Why do you choose to discriminate?

The Need for More Anonymity

One of the problems with modern society is the extreme lack of anonymity. You have to carry some kind of identification everywhere you go. You can’t do anything anymore without someone knowing it’s you. However, there are some things that a person should be able to do anonymously at all times. For example, you should be able to surf the Web from your personal computer without being indentified by anyone. You should also be allowed to use your cell phone without leaving any kind of tracks whatsoever.

Should Jurors Be Allowed to Profit?

In the wake of the recently-completed Casey Anthony trial, a debate has arisen over jurors profiting from the cases for which they served. It appears that some of the jurors from the Anthony case are planning to sign lucrative book deals. The judge who presided over that case is less than thrilled with that prospect, to say the least. He may even seek to prevent them from profiting.

However, I have no problem with jurors profiting in that way and I believe our Constitution prevents anyone from stopping them. Serving on a jury when called is a civic duty and legal obligation. However, once that obligation has been completed and the trial has ended, the former juror has a First Amendment right to speak freely about his or her experience on the case. Like it or not, that right is guaranteed by the Constitution.

The Supreme Court has already ruled that spending money is a form of free speech. Therefore, if someone wants to pay a former juror for writing or talking about his or her experiences, they have a perfect right to do so. In addition, I don’t see anything immoral or unethical about being an opportunist in regard to one’s civic and legal obligations. Hey, if you have to serve, why not take advantage of any benefits that might come with it. Think of it as a kind of hyper-compensation for having served on a jury. It seems only fair to me.

Is It Criminal to Say You’re Not Going to Do Something Bad?

A West Virginia man was recently charged with threatening two police officers for saying he wasn’t going to do something bad to them. This man that I’ll call “Charlie” was originally arrested for domestic abuse was and taken to the police station to be booked. On his way there, he told the two arresting officers that he wasn’t going to break their legs, rape their wives, or burn their houses down. Charlie repeated these statements several times during the trip to the police station.

The officers claimed that they felt intimidated by his words, and subsequently charged him with making threats against them. I believe these charges are outrageous will not be upheld in a court of law. Charlie did not make any threats against the officers. If they felt intimidated, that’s their problem and it’s no excuse to squelch someone’s right free speech. Also, which is better – to say you are going to do something bad to someone or to say to that you not going to do something bad to someone?

Analysis of the 2011 GOP Presidential Straw Poll Results

Here are the official results of the 2011 GOP Presidential Straw Poll:

1. Michele Bachmann 4823
2. Ron Paul 4671
3. Tim Pawlenty 2293
4. Rick Santorum 1657
5. Herman Cain 1456
6. Rick Perry 718
7. Mitt Romney 567
8. Newt Gingrich 385
9. Jon Huntsman 69
10. Thaddeus McCotter 35

Analysis:

Michele Bachmann’s win solidifies her position as the frontrunner for the Iowa Caucuses in February. Although her win was somewhat expected, she has not been in this race nearly as long as the second, third, fourth, and fifth-place finishers. This win should also boost her ability to raise money for the remainder of the year. However, her major challenges to expand her base beyond the Tea Party and outside the upper Midwest remain intact.

Ron Paul’s strong second place finish demonstrates the fact that he will be a much bigger player in the Iowa Caucuses and the nominating process in general this time around. Four years ago, he finished way down in the pack both in the straw poll and caucuses, and subsequently was never able to get beyond 10% in any primary or caucus. What’s different this time is that his fiscal conservative message is resonating more because of the economic situation the country is in. Still, he has little chance to be nominated.

Although he finished in the top three as he stated that he had to, Tim Pawlenty has to be disappointed with the outcome. He has spent more time and money in Iowa than any other candidate except perhaps Rick Santorum, only to finish a distant third, with less than half of the second place finisher’s total. Actually, his vote total placed him closer to sixth place than second place. Pawlenty has staked so much on Iowa that he has to finish in the top three in the caucuses in February. To accomplish that, he will need to recalibrate his campaign. Third place will be much tougher then, with major candidates like Mitt Romney and Rick Perry, who skipped the straw poll, competing heavily.

Rick Santorum, who has been at the back of the pack in most national polls of GOP presidential contenders, had to heartened by his fourth place finish ahead of Herman Cain. Santorum has spent lots of time in Iowa and he is hoping his showing will finally begin to get him some attention in the national media. He will need a top three finish in the February caucuses for his campaign to remain viable into March.

Herman Cain had hoped to finish in the top four, but will put a positive spin on his disappointing fifth-place finish. Cain must perform much better in February, as Iowa is a state where he has invested a lot of time and one that is tailor-made for his kind of candidacy. If he can’t perform well there, it’s hard to imagine where he could perform well. He is a great speaker who knows how to get applause lines, but he soon needs to figure out how to parlay that into votes.

Rick Perry, who declared his candidacy in South Carolina the day of the straw poll, managed to finish a surprising sixth, ahead of Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich, on the strength of write-in ballots. This is just another indicator of the fact Perry is going to be a formidable candidate and almost instantly share the frontrunner status with Romney and Bachmann.

Although Romney, Gingrich, and Jon Huntsman were on the ballot, they skipped the event and never really expected to do well. Thaddeus McCotter did not skip it and still managed only 35 votes. He obviously needs to concentrate his energies on running for re-election to Congress and postpone a presidential run until he’s a little more well-known nationally.

UPDATE: Shortly after I originally posted this, Tim Pawlenty withdrew from the GOP presidential race. More about that in upcoming post.

Stop Blaming Victims and Bystanders

I wish our modern culture would stop blaming victims and bystanders. Victims of crimes are constantly being taken to task for not doing enough to protect themselves, their property, and others from perpetrators of crimes. Bystanders regularly chided for not getting involved and are beaten over the head with the silly axiom that “there are no innocent bystanders.”

They are often told that they are just as guilty as the person committing the crime, if they witness the act and do not attempt to do something about it. This, of course, is complete absurdity. I’ve said this before and bears repeating – the person who commits an illegal, immoral, or ethical act is 100% responsible and accountable for that act. We should quit blaming others for it.

A Preview of Tomorrow’s Iowa Straw Poll

The quadrennial Republican presidential candidates’ straw poll will be held in Ames, Iowa tomorrow. This will be the first test of organization in Iowa, ahead of that state’s first-in-the-nation caucuses in February.

This will be an especially crucial event for candidates Michele Bachmann and Tim Pawlenty, who have staked their campaigns on performing well in Iowa. This has created tension between those candidates that was obvious in last night's debate, as they often sparred with one another. Bachmann hopes a win will solidify her position as the frontrunner for Iowa's caucuses. For Pawlenty, finishing out of the top three tomorrow could signal the beginning of the end for his campaign.

Herman Cain, Ron Paul, Rick Santorum, and Thaddeus McCotter are also competing heavily in the straw poll and are each hoping for a surprisingly strong finish to propel their campaigns into the top tier. Others such as Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, and Jon Huntsman, are not placing much emphasis on this straw poll, although they will appear on the ballot. The two remaining declared GOP presidential hopefuls, Gary Johnson and Buddy Roemer, are not on the Iowa straw poll ballot.

Also, don't be surprised if Rick Perry and Sarah Palin, who have yet to offically declare their candidacies and who do not appear on the straw poll ballot, get a lot of write-in votes anyway. Rudy Giuliani is also considering a run, but will probably not get many write-in votes.

Here is my prediction for the order of finish at tomorrow’s straw poll:

1) Pawlenty

2) Bachmann

3) Cain

4) Paul

5) Santorum

6) Romney

7) Perry*

8) Palin

9) McCotter

10) Gingrich

11) Huntsman

12) Giuliani

13) Johnson

14) Roemer

*NOTE: It is now being widely reported that Perry will declare his candidacy tomorrow at a campaign rally in South Carolina.