When Thomas Edison invented the lightbulb, he didn't start by trying to improve the candle. He decided that he wanted better light and went from there.
Wendy Kopp
Reminder: Earlier Post Today
I made a preliminary editorial endorsement of Ron Paul. I explained the reasons for my shift from supporting Mitt Romney for the upcoming Iowa caucuses and what I need to see from Romney to earn my final endorsement.
Chart of the Day (Tip of the Hat to Carpe Diem)
Question: what happens when you take money out of the more efficient private sector and give it to the grossly inefficient, ineffective, dysfunctional federal government?
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| Courtesy of Scott Grannis |
Back on March 21, the Ninth Circuit Board of Appeals struck down the 2005 Stolen Valor Act, which makes it a federal crime to lie about having received a military award. Most prominently, Xavier Alvarez falsely claimed at a public utility meeting that he as a former Marine had been awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. The Ninth Circuit argues that this is a First Amendment issue. I agree.
The fact that people lie is a fact of life; you would not believe how many times I've interviewed DBA's whose resumes were misleading, if not outright false. Ask any single tall woman how many eligible men she meets whom exaggerate their height. Is it wrong for people to lie, to assert they have some credential they haven't earned? Of course. I know how hard I had to work to earn my advanced degrees; it would be grossly unfair if I had to compete against someone presenting false credentials for the job. (Most employers I know explicitly indicate false or misleading information on an applicant's paperwork is automatic grounds for termination; there can be no doubt that a company has a vested interest in the integrity of its employees.) Clearly a law enforcement official posing as a defendant's attorney or someone without medical credentials offering another unsuspecting person potentially dangerous medical advice are unacceptable.
There are clear limitations to the freedom of speech. For example, falsely accusing another person of being a child predator is unconscionable, and misrepresenting your background in applying for a position of public trust or national security puts the nation's welfare at risk.
I don't like passage of laws with dubious merit. How is boasting about one's background a crime? Sure, it's wrong, just as it was wrong for a former Connecticut Attorney General and current US Senator to falsely claim he served in Vietnam. How is winning any award fundamentally different from claiming honorable service in a war zone?
I think in many cases the truth eventually comes out, and the liar is exposed as a pathetic figure and subject to public ridicule: that tall girl is going to find out about a guy's true height sooner or later, unless he wears his elevator shoes in bed or boots walking on the beach. For example, the Medal of Honor is a relatively rare award, and the award is generally a matter of public record.
It's almost impossible to prevent other people from saying or doing the wrong thing, but for the most part, it's relatively rare, a victimless crime and arbitrary in nature. Just because another person buys a doctorate from a phony Internet diploma mill doesn't devalue my own doctorate; my accomplishments are a matter of public record.
This shouldn't even be a close call in SCOTUS.
Arizona's Immigration Law To Be Reviewed by SCOTUS
I do not support a flurry of immigration bills across the American South. The US Constitution is very clear that the federal government sets border policy. I do have problems with the Obama Administration's arbitrary enforcement of immigration laws, I am concerned about criminal or terrorist access to the US through lax border enforcement efforts, and I do think the federal government is morally and legally responsible for bills directly related to failures in border policies. However, I'm very concerned about Arizona law enforcement violating individual liberties and acting as a surrogate for ICE.
I do not believe SB1070 will survive a Constitutional challenge in SCOTUS.
Political Humor
"A lot of packages this time of year get lost. That's awful. You’re promised something great. You wait and wait and wait. But nothing good ever comes. It's like voting for Obama." - Craig Ferguson
[And when you finally get it, it comes with a 2000-page bill, nothing works, and the instructions are in Chinese...]
"Mitt Romney tried to make a $10,000 bet with Rick Perry during a presidential debate. Well, who says the Republicans are rich snobs out of touch with the common man?" - Jay Leno
[Of course, Romney doesn't have the $535M that Obama bet on Solyndra...]
Musical Interlude: Nostalgic/Instrumental Christmas
Mitch Miller and the Gang, "The 12 Days of Christmas" (start of Medley). As a Texas high school student, I can still remember watching a dated Christmas special with the bouncing red dot.
