‘Guest column’ Archives
Why Gaddafi is an Imminent Threat to America
By: Anonymous Feb17 Contributor Editors' note: Feb 17 is the online publication of the Libyan Youth Movement: Link to article and comments Nearly 25 years ago, then President Ronald Reagan sent 45 planes to drop 300 bombs and shoot 48 missiles at seven locations throughout Libya in order to take out Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, who he labeled the “mad dog of the Middle East.” Reagan’s actions were not ordered as a result of a bogus report on weapons of mass destruction. ... Full Story
Slices of Life, Doggone good advice from the Cat
By: Jill Pertler Meow. It’s me again, the Cat. You may remember my discourse from a previous occasion. Today I’ve brought my vast cat intelligence to fill your ordinary day with a dose of feline insight. Lucky you. I’ll let you in on a little secret: I have the universe at my whiskertips and I’m not afraid to say so. Cats rule the world. Oh sure, humans pay the rent, but we control the house – and all the contents therein. Including the dog. Take my dog (and I mean that in ... Full Story
Imperfect Justice in Snyder v. Phelps
By Dr. Mark W. Hendrickson On March 2, the Supreme Court issued a decision in the case Snyder v. Phelps that illustrates the difficulty of balancing competing claims to rights and justice in our judicial system. The court overturned a lower court’s $5 million tort judgment against Pastor Fred Phelps of the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kansas, for invasion of privacy and inflicting emotional distress on the Albert Snyder family. In case you haven’t heard, Phelps and his ... Full Story
Killing Civilians in Afghanistan is Terrorism
By Pat Kennelly Afghans expect Americans to see the terrorism they bring to this poor country in the name of fighting terrorism. In Kabul, on the same day that Der Spiegel released photos documenting American soldiers posing with the bodies of civilians they murdered, the Transitional Justice Coordinating Group (TJCG, the umbrella organization for NGOs in Afghanistan that are pursuing transitional justice), gathered Afghan, Australian, American, and German peacemakers to discuss methods to ... Full Story
Slices of Life, A message to my favorite child
By: Jill Pertler Every mother has a favorite – or so the saying goes. Before becoming a mother myself, I wondered if this were true. A mother’s love is complete and unconditional, but not perfect. How can a mother love all her children equally? The answer is simple: she can’t. I am here today to come clean with each of my children. Ahem. Pause. Here goes. My dearest first-born child: I have something important to tell you. You suffered ... Full Story
Emission Tests in Larimer and Weld
If your car was in good working order, would it make sense to have it fixed anyway? The government is trying to fix something that isn't broken by forcing costly and time-consuming vehicle emission tests on residents of Weld and Larimer county. The program is taking money from Larimer and Weld county families to fund government bureaucracies and a business monopoly. If House Bill 1082 becomes law the vehicle emission tests required for gasoline vehicles in Weld and Larimer counties will be ... Full Story
7th grade student suspended for oregano
Zero Tolerance Alert: School Officials Suspend 7th Grade Honor Student Over Innocuous Possession of Italian Herb, Oregano CHESAPEAKE, Va. — Pointing to yet another instance of zero tolerance policies being misapplied, attorneys for The Rutherford Institute have criticized school officials at Hickory Middle School for grossly overreacting when they suspended a seventh grade honors student over allegations that he was in possession of the Italian herb oregano. Insisting that Adam Grass, ... Full Story
Slices of Life: A love story
Bickering: a love story By: Jill Pertler We were busy bickering – like couples can bicker after two or 12 or 20 years of marriage. He made breakfast five mornings in a row. I folded eight loads of laundry. He fed the dog and took out the garbage. I fed the fish and cleaned the toilets. I made meatloaf. He shoveled the driveway. I helped with homework. He served as field trip chaperone. I packed bagged lunches. He drove the kids to school. Finally, it was Friday and we ... Full Story
The GOP and Attacks on Women
Since Republicans took control of the House of Representative in January, ther has been a concerning set of priorities revealed through the proposed legislation put forth by Speaker of the House John Boehner and his colleagues, many of which have attacked women. Whether we look at the failed GOP proposal to redefine rape in a way completely antithetical to women’s rights, at restricting access to legal and safe abortions, or at many other proposals, the storyline is clear. In ... Full Story
Obama’s Disgrace
by Sheldon Richman The words could have been spoken by a government official in Orwell’s 1984: “Today, I am announcing several steps that broaden our ability to bring terrorists to justice, provide oversight for our actions, and ensure the humane treatment of detainees,” President Barack Obama said. What Obama actually did, the Washington Post reported, was to sign “an executive order ... that will create a formal system of indefinite detention for those ... Full Story
