Exhibit “A”

Here’s something we should all envy…. the noble endeavor of NYPD to vanquish crime and sustain a safe city. That’s better than a chocolate city or a vanilla city. It’s the sort of community I want to live in.

New York Cops: Still the Finest….a great article by Heather MacDonald at City Journal. It’s a long substantive piece but, in part, she says this about New York City’s falling crime rate….

New York City has shattered criminology’s central myth, but criminologists remain in denial. Policing, they still insist, can do little to lower crime. Economic inequality, demographic trends, changing drug-use patterns—these determine crime levels, they say, not police tactics….

….The conclusion is unavoidable: policing is the most powerful tool that society possesses against crime. Since the 1960s, New York has spent billions on redistributionist social programs designed to eradicate both poverty and the dysfunctional behavior of the underclass. Yet by the 1990s, packs of feral youths roamed subways and parks, maiming and murdering. Thugs armed with military weaponry ruled whole neighborhoods. Today, thanks to the NYPD, those neighborhoods thrive with commerce and family life. Urban government does not possess the power to transform character or to uplift residents beyond what they’re willing to do for themselves, but it can provide the most important basis of civil society: security. And in so doing, New York policing has helped the poor more than decades of welfare programs ever did.

Disgusting.

Note to President Bush and Congressional Republicans: You had better hope that this decision is not made on your watch, or y’all will pay for it dearly in the fall election.

I’ve been thinking about what I wanted to say about this horrible event, but thankfully Mark Shea summed up my feelings precisely in these two posts. Here’s the money excerpt:

The big fart smell hanging in the air, of course, is the content of his tirade: all the swearing at Jews and the anti-semitic ugliness that came pouring out. As a good child of a post-Freudian culture, I was raised to believe that what people say when they are plastered, or insanely angry, or deeply afraid, or otherwise stripped of their normal rational faculties is Who They Really Are. We talk that way all the time. “I thought he was a good man until the mask came off and I saw the ugly Truth”. That sort of talk is natural as breathing for us.

That’s because, in America, everybody is a Calvinist, including the Catholics. We believe that the fall is identical with nature, and therefore believe that when you see a man in sin, you see him as he “really” is. Goodness is the mask, corruption is his nature.

I was corrected in this false and heretical belief years ago by my favorite priest in the world, Fr. Michael Sweeney, now president of the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology. The reality is quite contrary. Sin is the mask. It is not what names us but what makes us anonymous. Sin, because of the fall, is normal. But sin is never “natural”. It does not constitute who we are, it *destroys* who we are. It is when the human person takes his place as the redeemed creature God made him that we begin to truly see his face and know his name.

And so, to Mel Gibson. Gibson tells us, “I acted like a person completely out of control when I was arrested, and said things that I do not believe to be true and which are despicable.” It seems to me that we have a basic choice: to believe revelation or to believe Freud.

Only in the South, folks.

Nicholas Lemann of the New Yorker turns up his nose at the blogosphere.

Here is a link to the recent Washington Post op-ed from SA’s favorite senator and drunk driver.  Here is a taste of his indictment:

Now that the votes are in from their first term, we can see plainly the agenda that Roberts and Alito sought to conceal from the committee. Our new justices consistently voted to erode civil liberties, decrease the rights of minorities and limit environmental protections. At the same time, they voted to expand the power of the president, reduce restrictions on abusive police tactics and approve federal intrusion into issues traditionally governed by state law.

Teddy, you still don’t get it.  The party in the White House gets to choose judges and justices (subject to advice and consent).  You will likely disagree with the judicial philosphy of the administration’s picks–just like SA readers will disagree with the judicial philosophy of the picks of the next Democractic president.  But so long as the nominee is qualified–like Roberts and Alito obviously were–you can’t cry foul. 

If the Dems want to appoint judges, perhaps they should adopt positions more in line with middle America and win the next presidential election. 

In light of the response to this recent post, I thought this article would be of interest to SA’s readers.

Courtesy of Right Wing News:

Honorable Mentions: George Voinovich (4), Arnold Schwarzenegger (4), Ralph Reed (4), Mitt Romney (4), Kevin Phillips (4), Bob Novak (4), Trent Lott (4), Rush Limbaugh (4), Katherine Harris (4), Tom DeLay (4), Duke Cunningham (4), Tucker Carlson (4), Michael Bloomberg (4)

16) Debbie Schlussel (5)
16) Michelle Malkin (5)
16) Dennis Hastert (5)
15) James Dobson (6)
12) Ted Stevens (7)
12) Olympia Snowe (7)
12) Bill Frist (7)
11) Andrew Sullivan (9)
9) Bill O’Reilly (10)
9) Chuck Hagel (10)
Jerry Falwell (14)
7) Lincoln Chafee (15)
6) Ann Coulter (17)
5) Arlen Specter (19)
3) Michael Savage (22)
3) Pat Robertson (22)
1) John McCain (26)
1) Pat Buchanan (26)

Who would you add to or delete from this list?

From the AJC:

A federal judge granted a temporary restraining order Friday preventing authorities in Columbia County from enforcing a provision in the state’s new sex offender law that bans sex offenders from living within 1,000 feet of a school bus stop. He denied requests for restraining orders in Richmond and Burke counties, saying those requests were premature. The three counties are located along Georgia’s border with South Carolina.

The Act is being challenged on a number of grounds, including the ExPost Facto Clause and the Due Process Clause.  The Brief in Support of the Motion for a Temporary Injunction can be found here. 

The recent shootings are not helping the image of New Orleans as it tries to recover.  However, blaming poverty and public schools is not the answer.

“The spotlight Katrina put on the city showed the real reason for these murders abject poverty and a poor education system,” Councilman James Carter said. “We have to go from looking at this as a strict law enforcement situation and take a more holistic approach.”

Councilman Carter:  How about holding individuals accountable for bad acts?  One does not need a fist-full of dollars or a diploma to understand that commandment that thou shalt not kill.

Talk about an understatement.

Pure Genius, I tell you.

Still evil to its core.

Even if things can somtimes turn nasty.

I’ve got to say, SA has been really fortunate over the years in this respect. To be sure, we’ve had our heated moments. And yes, I’ve occasionally had to give someone the boot. But all in all, I think SA is one of the better blogging communities around. Indeed, I simply cannot imagine SA without comments.

Anyway, thanks to everyone who makes SA such a fun place to visit every day.

O.k., this is really funny.

Yesterday  President Bush signed legislation extending for 25 years the Voting Rights Act.  Under Section 5, jurisdictions covered by the Act cannot implement any change affecting voting until the Attorney General or the United States District Court for the District of Columbia determined that the change did not have a discriminatory purpose and would not have a discriminatory effect. In addition, the Attorney General could designate a county covered by these special provisions for the appointment of a federal examiner to review the qualifications of persons who wanted to register to vote. Further, in those counties where a federal examiner was serving, the Attorney General could request that federal observers monitor activities within the county’s polling place.  Section 5 only applies to 16 states–states back in the 60s deemed likely to discriminate. 

This is really a switch for Dubya.  According to this from the Washington Times:

Less than a decade ago, Mr. Bush fought that exact part of the Voting Rights Act, with his appointed secretary of state, Antonio O. Garza Jr., calling the provisions a burdensome and unnecessary federal intrusion into Texas’ affairs.
“The Bush administration has really done a flip-flop on this,” said Edward Blum, a senior fellow at the Center for Equal Opportunity who has studied Texas voting and the Voting Rights Act. “This is not where he was, and this is not the kind of philosophy that then-Governor Bush had when it comes to getting Texas out from under the thumb of the federal government.”
 He said Mr. Bush has abandoned “the great color-blind ideals that conservatives believe in.”

 In signing the legislation, Bush really sticks his finger in the eye of his home state of Texas.

White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said the law has “been an effective and important tool in assuring all Americans the right to vote,” and she said it doesn’t target Texas.
 ”Texas long ago came into compliance with the Voting Rights Act, and the newly reauthorized bill doesn’t change that,” she said.
 Mr. Blum, though, said Section 5 clearly singles Texas out among its neighbors such as Oklahoma, Arkansas and New Mexico, which aren’t covered.
“Are Texans so different in their racial attitudes and their behavior toward minorities that Texans require supervision, but not the legislatures of those surrounding states?” he asked.

That’s a good question.  If Texas has come into compliance long ago, why target Texas for renewed federal intrusion into its affairs? 

Is America perfect?  No.  But can anyone really make the argument that the Voting Rights Act, which only targets a handful of states, should be extended until 2032.  As a South Carolinian whose state is covered by the Act, I take this as an insult.  Sure, there are many things in our history of race relations that are dissapointing and down right embarassing.  But this is not 1965.  Things have fortunately changed for the better in many ways and we need to move forward.

By signing the legislation renewing Section 5, Dubya sends a message that 16 states of the Union–including his own–still cannot be trusted to respect and protect the right to vote. That’s just not true.

Hoping to win some additional minority votes this November, the president and the Republican Congress have sold us out again–branding our states as racist until 2032.   My thanks for reminding me why I often vote foe third parties. 

From her Beliefnet interview:

Abortion is a convenience for men who want to be able to have sex with women without consequence. Women love and protect children. Godless men–like Herod in Jesus’ time, the Pharaoh in Moses’ time, and Bill Clinton in our time–target babies for destruction.

(LvC&EI!)

You too were once a “wad of cells.”

And it doesn’t appear that you’ve made much progress since then.

(LvJivinJ)

It’s hard to believe, but Hugh Hewitt is still making excuses for President Bush’s biggest political blunder: the Harriet Miers nomination:

Indeed, his nomination of Harriet Miers, dismissed as cronyism by his critics or unserious by his friends, was probably the result of his desire to get a war-powers friendly justice on SCOTUS. 

Dude, let it go. We were right. You were wrong. Just admit it, and move on, bro. Quit being such a damn hardhead.

(LvRobbie)

Well, Howard Dean would certainly know an anti-semite when he sees one; his party is full of them.

Dawn Eden has the latest on PP’s morally repugnant agenda to sexualize children.

Here’s an excellent piece by Terrence O. Moore over at Touchstone, highlighting the fact that “some of America’s Most Promising Youth Are Seeking an Even Higher Education.”

That’s the question posed by Sean Rushton over at NRO today. Here’s a taste:

This November will be the first election year since 2000 that no significant Senate debate over judicial confirmations will spark a voter response. If Senate leaders do not rethink their strategy, fewer voters will be considering judicial confirmations when they vote for Senate candidates on November 3rd. It is a huge mistake. It is an avoidable mistake.
. . .

The absence of current confirmation debates allows attention to slip from the main attraction, the very real possibility of a third Supreme Court vacancy in the next two years. If voters want a Supreme Court that will eventually repair recent decisions on property rights, the Pledge of Allegiance, and marriage — as polls indicate they do — they should keep the Senate strongly Republican. Otherwise, another Justice O’Connor or Kennedy may be the best the White House will be able to do next time around.

Spot on. When will Republicans learn that the “judges issue” is one of the strongest reasons to vote for their party? Oh well, Mark Shea doesn’t call the Republican Party the “Stupid Party” for nothing.

From an SA reader:

Dear Steve,

Cardinal George, the Archbishop of Chicago will undergo surgery for bladder cancer on Thursday morning (July 27th).  He’s expected to be in surgery for about 5 hours, and his bladder will be removed during the surgery. 

Cardinal George is a wonderful, holy man — a teacher, a leader, and a man who has poured himself out for the Church.  Could you please put a notice on Southern Appeal asking for prayers on his behalf? 

NO

My prayers are with you, Cardinal George. You are the Lord’s servant, and I know that you are in his merciful hands. God Bless.

No, not for abortions. For tans…

In the Sunday Edition of the Washington Post:

Do “American Idols” grow on trees?

In Birmingham, apparently so. Over the past four years, three of the city’s talents have barreled to the finals of Fox’s hit reality show. The streak started with Ruben Studdard in 2003, followed by 2005 runner-up Bo Bice and this year’s crowned crooner, AARP-haired Taylor Hicks. So, America wants to know: How did Birmingham get its groove?

Alabama’s largest city cannot be pigeonholed — musically or culturally. The three Idols are a good example: Hicks sings pop-wrapped soul, Studdard belts out gospel, and Brice channels Southern rockers. Indeed, there’s no pure Birmingham sound; it’s more like a compilation disc.

“We have gospel, punk rock, Dixie, jazz musicians who claim to be gospel and Christian instrumental,” says Hunter Bell, 34, who produces and hosts a weekly public radio show featuring local bands. “I think there’s a ton of talent. . . . A lot of people think the Birmingham music scene is going to explode like Athens [Ga.] or Austin. It hasn’t happened yet, but it’s on the brink.”

A big push has, of course, come from “American Idol,” which just announced that it will hold auditions in Birmingham for the first time. But the city is also working hard to improve its image, breathe life into deserted buildings and create a environment that sparks innovation and makes its own stars.

Me: I know most of you couldn’t care less, but I keep telling people that the world is beginning to notice our little slice of heaven down here in Dixie - it seems that I just might be right on the money…

Kinda makes you lose faith in the system, though, doesn’t it?

“They’re dots! Dots, I tell you!”

Excellent.