Education's purpose is to replace an empty mind with
an open one.
Malcolm S. Forbes
Don't Tell Me Words Don't Matter...
A so-called competent Harvard-trained lawyer said this at a recent news conference (re. sexual abuse scandal in the military):
The bottom line is: I have no tolerance for this,” Obama said, according to an NBC News story submitted as evidence by defense attorneys in the sexual assault cases.
‘I expect consequences,” Obama added. “So I don’t just want more speeches or awareness programs or training, but ultimately folks look the other way. If we find out somebody’s engaging in this, they’ve got to be held accountable — prosecuted, stripped of their positions, court martialed, fired, dishonorably discharged. Period.”From Stars and Stripes:
Two defendants in military sexual assault cases cannot be punitively discharged, if found guilty, because of “unlawful command influence” derived from comments made by President Barack Obama, a judge ruled in a Hawaii military court this week.What is "unlawful command influence'?
Unlawful Command Influence (UCI) has frequently been called the "mortal enemy of military justice." UCI occurs when senior personnel, wittingly or unwittingly, have acted to influence court members, witnesses, or others participating in military justice cases. Such unlawful influence not only jeopardizes the validity of the judicial process, it undermines the morale of military members, their respect for the chain of command, and public confidence in the military.In essence, the military justice system must avoid the appearance of rubber-stamping Obama's sentencing instructions which would undermine the integrity of the trial and fairness to the defendants.
No doubt Obama will disingenuously argue his statement left wiggle room, but he's tying the hands of judges whom may believe lesser punishments under their discretion are more appropriate given case specifics. I'm not sure his presumptuous judgment (that the military justice system looks the other way on sexual assault allegations) is based on the facts; I think the tough rhetoric was really targeting his ideological feminist base to assure them politically incorrect crimes are more equal and will be vigorously prosecuted and guilty parties punished severely.
This is yet another example of amateurish, incompetent behavior on the part of Obama. A more credible leader would have pointed out that the military takes violations of its laws and policies including sexual assault very seriously, all defendants are entitled to due process and a fair trial, and expressed confidence in the integrity of the military justice system,
Teacher Unions vs. the Best Interests of Children
Political Humor: Is North Dakota in Canada?
Political Humor: New Remy Video
Political Cartoon
I've been limiting my commentary on cartoons, which are largely self-explanatory. To younger readers, the first cartoon is a not-so-subtle reminder of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests, when the Chinese Communist regime cracked down on the student democratic protests. This is a recreation of the iconic "Tank Man". I remember watching relevant news while visiting my uncle' for his ordination anniversary; my anti-Communist uncle had zero interest. [I had a long-standing interest, having written a high school research paper in the context of Nixonian ping pong diplomacy.] Of course, Snowden isn't exactly the sharpest knife in the drawer; recall Google's problems doing business in China; even NSA's spying on American citizens is modest compared to the Statist-dominated economy and minimal protections of individual liberties--it even intrudes on the right to have additional children.
Holbert's cartoon is a play on Obama's narcissism. Superman draws his powers through exposure to sunlight. Obama operates under lack of transparency (thousand page bills, inadequate reviews, rule-making by administrative discretion, secretive government programs, etc.), doublespeak, position-flipping (everything from the debt ceiling and military involvement overseas to protection of civil liberties).
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| Courtesy of Gary Varvel |
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| Courtesy of Jerry Holbert and Townhall |
Simon & Garfunkel, "Cecilia"
