GO, LAKERS!!! (Okay. Now down to business.)
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EUNA LEE AND LAURA LING: AMERICAN JOURNALISTS AS PAWNS?
The disturbing story of the two California-based television reporters, Euna Lee and Laura Ling, has just taken an extremely worrisome turn as the two were sentenced Monday by a North Korean high court to 12 years of hard labor . Lee and Ling, who work for Al-Gore’s Current TV, were arrested by North Korea on March 17.
In case you have not been following this story as it has unfolded, here are additional details and background—plus political implications— from the LA Times and the New York Times…..and the Guardian.
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MEDDLING WITH CALIFORNIA’S UNIVERSITIES
So let me get this straight. California’s governance seems to have hit a condition of staggering mismanagement. The state legislature cannot bring itself to to pass a workable budget. So the lawmakers’ is to try to pass a Constitutional amendment that gives them control over the UC system.
What are these people smoking?!
Former Sacramento Bee editorial page editor, Peter Schrag, explains why this is a truly terrible idea, in this morning’s LA Times
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GANGS, INJUNCTIONS AND SPROUTS OF HOPE
An interesting story by the LA Times’ Scott Gold about a traditionally crime-plagued area of South LA policed by the LAPD’s Newton division, that is starting to feel moments of optimism due to the slow but steady drop in crime.
There’s actually much more to the storyy including some thoughts on the city’s newest and biggest-ever gang injunction that covers a 13.7-square-mile area of the city and targets six gangs—a tool that can be used for good or ill, depending upon how its enforced.
Gold reports that the LAPD and the City Attorney’s offices say that, unlike the past, the intention is to use this injunction carefully and precisely and with regard to the needs and concerns of the community.
“There is a line between prosecution and oppression,” said Bruce Riordan, the city attorney’s director of anti-gang operations. “We’ve evolved.”
Anyone “served” with the injunction will receive papers spelling out how he can be removed from it. Gang members will not be targeted while they attend intervention or prevention programs, and some can avoid jail time if they can prove they’ve held a job for 90 days.
Officers are being instructed to use discretion. The message, said Riordan: “Don’t arrest everyone because you can. Arrest them because it’s the right thing to do.”
The LAPD is even enlisting civic activists — people who have criticized the police in the past — to convince a wary public that the injunction will improve the quality of life.“It’s all about respect,” said Capt. Mark Olvera, who oversees Newton and is widely credited with helping to implement a more sophisticated and responsive style of policing there. “That dignity you give them is going to pay you back in the long run.”
May it be so.
In any case, the story is worth reading.
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THE ONGOING HEARTBREAK OF A DEATH IN BELL GARDENS
My very smart former student, Lysee Mitri, has written a heartbreaking story for Neon Tommy about the death of a 17-year-old named Michael Cardenas that remains unsolved, and the affect his death is still having on his family and community.
The story is an informative, engaging and very saddening look at a young man’s murder….and it is very much worth your time.
Yes, the plight of Lee and Ling, but right here in Los Angeles, Obama is holding two Political Prisoners whose only crime was to write their thoughts on a Los Angeles website.
These two men escaped from their tyrannical homeland where they were convicted, in absentia of publishing their not so politically correct thoughts on a US website, only to be arrested by the United States, when they officially requested political asylum.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-brits-jailed3-2009jun03,0,2587039.story
You may not agree, with their thoughts and their writing, but I think we can all agree that Obama should not be holding them in Jail and they should probably be given political asylum, when their only crime is expressing their opinion.
Think about it, you could be convicted in this tyrannical regime and ally of the USA, if you travel there for publishing a blog in the USA, which they did not agree with.
“Obama is holding two Political Prisoners…their tyrannical homeland…”
Funny stuff…
“Eleven months later, Sheppard, 52, and Whittle, 42, remain in U.S. custody”
It would appear that these are actually Political Prisoners jailed summarily by the Bush administration, probably as part of the Bush-Cheney conspiracy with the British Tyrants dating back to Blair’s support of the Iraq war. I’m surprised Glenn Beck didn’t catch this last year. Of course, Obama is in thrall of the Axelrod-Emannuel Axis, which will never let these Jew-baiters go free…
Oh, good. Al Gore is going to China to take the heat off of our journalists from that country, but he can’t get China to turn off the heat that they create in the atmosphere. Man-bear-pig.
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Celeste, on university control, you’re beginning to sound more extreme than a state’s-rights advocate. Let’s go one step further and dismember the U.S. Dept. of Education set up by Carter. Parents should determine if teaching five-year-old kids about queer sex is wrong rather than Obama and his perverts pushing for it.
But, there is a source of funds for the universities – oil. However, a LAT editorial this weekend opposed an agreement to drill oil more than three miles off of the Santa Barbara shore that would generate $1.8 billion. But with non-rational liberals, people should be denied oil because they think that the U.S. is greedy and shouldn’t have SUV’s and that sea urchins are more important than people.
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Waste not, want not – California contemplates ultimate reform – no welfare
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Good news for our military and bad news for reg – Court rejects challenge to ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’
In court papers, the (Obama) administration said the appeals court ruled correctly in this case when it found that “don’t ask, don’t tell” is “rationally related to the government’s legitimate interest in military discipline and cohesion.”
reg: Bush-Cheney conspiracy with the British Tyrants
Psycho.
Satire…idiot !
I don’t know what I find more offensive – your calculated dishonesty, your shameless bigotry or the fact that you’re remarkably stupid…
“Good news for our military and bad news for reg”
The homophobia really has a grip on you…
Normal, sane adults would be embarrassed by the kind of crap you repeatedly swim in. More evidence that “conservatism” has become a mindless cesspool that gets its Woodys obsessing on the most inane, puerile bullshit.
Barry Goldwater: “You don’t need to be ‘straight’ to fight and die for your country. You just need to shoot straight…The only remaining questions are how much muck we will all be dragged through, and how many brave Americans like Tom Paniccia and Margarethe Cammermeyer (gay soldiers expelled from the military) will have their lives and careers destroyed in a senseless attempt to stall the inevitable.”
This pervert accuses me not just of being gay – like I give a shit – but of being a child molester in the “KRXQ” thread. There really is nothing too sleazy or slimey for this little prick to sink to…
For the record, I’ve accused Woody of being a racist and a homophobe – both of which he’s proven himself with evidence in his postings of slurs, expressions of disgust at “queers”, racist “jokes”, crap about my wife, etc. etc. So it’s a case of me being “mean” – i.e. truthful – in response to a gay-baiting racist and his retaliating with puerile, twisted school yard taunts and slander.
Another day in the annals of “conservatism.”
NAMBLA tore up reg’s membership card because he’s too extreme.
As I was saying…
I don’t know what I find more offensive – your calculated dishonesty, your shameless bigotry or the fact that you’re remarkably stupid…
I’d go for the trifecta.
Do you know what happened this week back in 1850, 159 years ago?
California became a state.
The State had no electricity.
The State had no money.
Almost everyone spoke Spanish.
There were gunfights in the streets.
So basically, it was just like it is today except the women had real breasts and the men didn’t hold hands.
Another thread done gone…
Woody said,
“There’s a lotta things about me you don’t know anything about. Things you wouldn’t understand. Things you couldn’t understand. Things you shouldn’t understand. You don’t wanna get mixed up with a guy like me. I’m a loner.” rebel.”
WOW WOODY, ARE YOU A SECRET AGENT MAN? A CIA, OR MAYBE EVEN A FREELANCE HIT MAN? YOU REALLY FILL US ALL WITH FEAR, AND STRIKE TERROR INTO US. YOU MAKE THAT FLESH CRAWLING THING START HAPPENING TO US. YOU REALLY KNOW HOW TO TERRRORIZE. I AM IMPRESSED!
Yes reg,
They are idiots and they were jailed under Bush, but I said “Obama is holding two Political Prisoners”, which is 100% true. However, I will admit that it is very unlikely that he peronally is even aware of these idios.
But idiot or not, where is your outrage or do you reserve it for only people who share your opinion or are not idiots.
Yes, Reg reserves it only for people who share his opinion.
Pokey tries to meet you half way, Reg, but you make no effort to do the same!
Yes, Woody tries to strike fear into our hearts, and God knows he does his best, but for the life of me, when I think of Woody, I visualize a George Wilson type (“Dennis The Menace”) in my mind, a George Wilson (aka Mr. Turbo Tax) sitting in his underwear in the middle of his living room couch typing away.
“Obama is holding two Political Prisoners, which is 100% true…it is very unlikely that he personally is even aware of these idiots.”
Juxtaposing those two thoughts, maybe Pokey should meet himself halfway, then I’ll be able to figure out where that would be…
Personally I think it’s kind of creepy to hysterically frame this asylum/immigration issue as having some kind of correspondence (“yes, but…” “Obama holding political prisoners” “Brit Tyranny”) to the two journalists being sentenced to hard labor in one of the worst dictatorships on the planet. Actually, the notion that there is even a whiff of moral equivalence here is beyond creepy – it’s disgraceful.
“There’s a lotta things about me you don’t know anything about. Things you wouldn’t understand. Things you couldn’t understand. Things you shouldn’t understand. You don’t wanna get mixed up with a guy like me. I’m a loner. rebel.â€
Sounds like Woody got his hands on David Carradine’s suicide note…
Juxtaposing those two thoughts —- Nonsense, it is foolish to assume that any president knows about every wrong that is being committed by his administration, but that does not expunge the guilt of the administration or the presiding leader.
“whiff of moral equivalence here is beyond creepy†—-Actually, I am FAR MORE outraged by our own government (Bush and Obama included) for jailing political prisoners in Los Angeles (my home town), than I am worried by the political posturing and horse trading that is going on with North Korea regarding two fool hardy girls.
I am more concerned that the crazies in NK will decide that this is the perfect time to invade SK while someone that appears weak (as opposed to Darth Vader) in their eyes is the president of the USA and we are already fighting two wars.
Consider, if these two men were gay lovers and had been sentenced to death by a Muslim country for being Homosexual.
The come to Los Angeles for asylum.
Would we really arrest them, so we would send them back to be executed.
Think — — —
“They come to Los Angeles for asylum.”
From the above linked editorial on California legislative control of the universities:
Over the years, California legislators have repeatedly meddled with the independence of the University of California.
– In other words, stewarship is “meddling” in the eyes of liberals.
But the constitutional amendment being proposed…could make past examples of interference look benign. Probably the most notorious of those examples was the intrusion of the McCarthy-era state Senate Committee on Un-American Activities…..
– Raise the ancient specter of demons attacking left-wing college administrations. Scary! BTW, after decades of lifting the veil, those McCarthy-era investigation concerns proved to be valid. Today’s concerns would seem to be more accurate.
As long as UC is a public, tax-supported university whose budget is drawn in Sacramento, it will be vulnerable to legislative pressure.
– There’s a solution to that. Don’t take the money or don’t work for a public university. Do the university administrators think that they can do what they want with other people’s money without accountability?
Given the Legislature’s dim reputation with the voters….
– Well, aren’t the voters the ones who keep electing these represenatatives? I suspect that the average citizen has a more dim view of worthless professors and worthless courses than they do of their legislators.
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Update of a comment from the previous post re. Justice Department abuse — U.S. Supreme Court lets Georgia voter ID law stand.
So, it wasn’t really about justice by those opposed to the law, but it was all about them wanting to steal elections. Sorry, Democrats.
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reg, obviously, you, too, aren’t a connoisseur of classic films.
The 15 Strangest College Courses In America (7 out of 15 from California colleges)
15. Arguing with Judge Judy: Popular ‘Logic’ on TV Judge Shows – University of California, Berkeley
14. Underwater Basket Weaving – University of California, San Diego
13. Learning From YouTube – Pitzer College (Private)
09. Joy of Garbage – Santa Clara University (Private)
08. The Science of Superheroes – University of California at Irvine
04. Simpsons and Philosophy – University of California-Berkeley
1. The Strategy of StarCraft – University of California, Berkley
Honorable Mention: Queer Musicology – UCLA
“Actually, I am FAR MORE outraged by our own government (Bush and Obama included) for jailing political prisoners in Los Angeles (my home town), than I am worried by the political posturing and horse trading that is going on with North Korea regarding two fool hardy girls.”
Wow, you really are a wack job…that’s a stunning admission.
(Note to self. Ignore this guy…)
You may not agree, with their thoughts and their writing, but I think we can all agree that Obama should not be holding them in Jail and they should probably be given political asylum, when their only crime is expressing their opinion.
Yes, clearly Pokey believes the US needs more Holocaust deniers and antisemites. The US is not obliged to grant political asylum to the likes of Sheppard and Whittle. They are neo-Nazi’s, and among the many things that you apparently don’t know, when one applies for a green card one must acknowledge under penalty of perjury that they were not a member of the Nazi Party. My wife had to make such an affirmation when we applied for her green card. Apparently you believe that doesn’t matter. They’re not political prisoners.
Simply put, the immigration judge determined that they “failed to show they had been persecuted in the past or were likely to face persecution in the future.” That is the standard for asylum and they failed to meet it. All you’re doing is trying to score a shot against a POTUS you don’t like. That dog won’t hunt, Gumby.
What I find even more amazing is your utter failure to pay attention to legitimate asylum cases like those of Joseph Danticat or the imprisonment of Stacy Merkt for giving sanctuary for those fleeing for their lives from El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala.
Better to defend the fascists, I suppose.
What those idiots spout is of little consequence, what is of consequence and is being eroded is one most precious liberties – “Freedom of Expressionâ€.
These two are the first to be convicted of writing objectionable material on a server in Los Angeles CA. We now have the UK blacklisting USA right wing radio talk-show hosts and putting people in jail for what they say on website in the USA.
These two men could have been legal residents of the USA writing on the same LA web-server and still be convicted or arrested on a visit home.
Randy regarding Joseph Danticat and Stacey Merkr, I don’t understand your point?
Joseph Danticat was age 81, requested political asylum in 2004 and was in jail for only 5 days prior to his death (no doubt the imprisonment didn’t help, but he was 81). He was trying to get away from a gang who threatened to kill him.
Stacey Merkr, who broke United States immigration laws was sentenced to 179 days in jail, but served half that (3 months).
Reg, regarding the fool hardy girls, when you poke an angry bear you are likely to get eaten.
So yes, I find the deterioration of Freedom of Speech, in the USA, UK, France and Canada much more serious and threatening.
What those idiots spout is of little consequence, what is of consequence and is being eroded is one most precious liberties – “Freedom of Expressionâ€.
We are still not obliged to grant political asylum to them so that they can continue to spout their hate. They broke the law in the UK.
I brought up Merkt and Danticat because they were fleeing for their lives or helping people flee for their lives. If you want to say the asylum process is screwed up and has been for a long time, I’d agree with you, but yur outrage is only reserved for taking a cheap and unwarranted shot at Obama and defending neo-Nazis.
Think about how that makes you look.
“I find the deterioration of Freedom of Speech, in the USA, UK, France and Canada much more serious and threatening.”
Tell it to a North Korean…
For the record, I think the UK has very poor libel, press and speech laws compared to the US’s fairly consistent First Amendment protections. But the notion that Brits live under “tyranny” is profoundly insulting to those who actually do…
Nuff said on this puerile nonsense.
I was actually quite appalled by Scott Gold’s story. The premise was uplifting (declining crime rates) and yet the story itself was completely focused on the same old stereotypes of the area that the LA Times has been perpetuating for years. I wrote a response: http://adaylikethis.com/?p=103