Tag Archives: Constitution

God and democracy

The Occupation at Malheur National Wildlife Refuge continues at this writing, and whatever local authorities and the FBI are doing to end the moment isn’t obvious or clear to those of us watching from afar. If there’s a plan, I … Continue reading

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Martin Luther King Day, 2016 (repost)

(This is a repost of the MLKing Day holiday note.) Martin Luther King died young enough and dramatically enough to be turned into an American hero, but it was neither his youth nor his death that made him heroic. In … Continue reading

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Jailing Kim Davis and creating a cause

I’ll still stand by yesterday’s guess, that the rally round imprisoned county clerk Kim Davis will be relatively small and relatively brief.  But today, The Daily News reports that roughly 200 supporters rallied in Grayson, Kentucky to protest her imprisonment.  And … Continue reading

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Martyrs, heroes, and the government

Social conservatives opposed to gay marriage have to decide what to do with Kim Davis, now sitting in a jail cell because she refused to issue marriage licenses–to anyone.  She also refused to authorize anyone else in her office to … Continue reading

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The new politics of gay marriage, 2 (the losers).

The Obergefell decision was a resounding defeat for opponents of same sex marriage, and the groups at the core of the anti-equality (traditional marriage?) movement are casting about for new ways to continue their battle.  It’s going to be tough. … Continue reading

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Patriotic conflict at UC-Irvine unflagging

Amazingly, national interest in the flag conflict at the University of California, Irvine, where I teach, is unwavering.  More than a few people seem to think that there is political mileage in beating up on a few students who sponsored … Continue reading

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Uniting against the US: BLM and Cliven Bundy

Cliven Bundy, a rancher in Nevada, has been grazing his cattle on public land in Clark County for free for more than twenty years.  (The story is all over, but you can find a succinct summary at the new site, … Continue reading

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Cannabis contention and the election

Medical marijuana is available legally in California, but not in the United States.  Last year, President Obama’s Justice Department followed US law, raiding Oaksterdam University (“America’s first and premier cannabis college”), which promises high quality training for those involved in … Continue reading

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What courts can/ will do

Today’s news provides more data on the extent and limits of the judiciary as a venue for social movements: A federal appellate panel (9th district) has upheld District Judge Vaughn R. Walker’s decision to strike down California’s ban on same … Continue reading

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Martin Luther King and dead heroes (King Day again)

Martin Luther King died young enough and dramatically enough to be turned into an American hero, but it was neither his youth nor his death that made him heroic. In his rather brief public life, beginning in Montgomery at 26, … Continue reading

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