Shaun Kenney | Politics and Religion in Virginia's Public Square

Friday, March 31, 2006

Address to the members of the European People's Party

As far as the Catholic Church is concerned, the principal focus of her interventions in the public arena is the protection and promotion of the dignity of the person, and she is thereby consciously drawing particular attention to principles which are not negotiable. Among these the following emerge clearly today:

- protection of life in all its stages, from the first moment of conception until natural death;

- recognition and promotion of the natural structure of the family - as a union between a man and a woman based on marriage - and its defence from attempts to make it juridically equivalent to radically different forms of union which in reality harm it and contribute to its destabilization, obscuring its particular character and its irreplaceable social role;

- the protection of the right of parents to educate their children.

These principles are not truths of faith, even though they receive further light and confirmation from faith; they are inscribed in human nature itself and therefore they are common to all humanity. The Church's action in promoting them is therefore not confessional in character, but is addressed to all people, prescinding from any religious affiliation they may have. On the contrary, such action is all the more necessary the more these principles are denied or misunderstood, because this constitutes an offence against the truth of the human person, a grave wound inflicted onto justice itself.

So now you have three very clear social directives from the Church for public life. How to fashion these ends through various means will be a matter of continuing debate, to be sure, but in the end the aim is clear.

At some point in time, Catholics within the Democratic Party are going to have to make a choice. To be fair, Catholics within the GOP are going to have to stand up as well and start making the real inroads towards a just society.

UPDATE: NOVA Town Hall beat me to the punch, and has a much more involved conversation going on there.

Thursday, March 30, 2006

Michael Savage on the Catholic Church

Here's how talk show host Michael Savage feels about Catholics in America:

It is a pig story! It’s animal farm all over again. And also make no bones about it, it’s the greedy Catholic Church that was behind it because the people of America walked away from the molesters’ dens and they need to bring in people from the Third World who are still gullible enough to sit there and listen to the molesters…the Roman Catholic Church was behind this, the Roman Catholic Church started this a year ago. The Roman Catholic Church flooded the streets because they cannot get parishioners anymore amongst educated white people who have caught onto the racket and instead they need to import dummies to sit in the church pews. That’s the story and it is not difficult for you to understand—I’m telling you the truth. It’s all about greed. It’s greed at the top of the Catholic Church.

Make no mistake about why this is happening. This has nothing to do with compassion for Mexican workers. This has nothing to do with fairness for Mexican workers—it has to do with the greed…. That’s all there is to it. And that includes the Catholic Church pigs. And if you don’t like it, don’t listen to the show—I really don’t care anymore. I’m not going to be duped by this sanctimonious garbage that all churches are good and that the institution itself is good. Bah humbug. The institution is rotten from the top to the bottom.

The last acceptable prejudice in America continues unabated, even among "friends" on the right.

The Jaded JD

... is back.

How the heck did I miss this? (via OMT)

BostonHerald.com: Vaffanculo!

Did I mention how awesome Justice Scalia is?:

Smith was working as a freelance photographer for the Boston archdiocese's weekly newspaper at a special Mass for lawyers Sunday when a Herald reporter asked the justice how he responds to critics who might question his impartiality as a judge given his public worship.

"The judge paused for a second, then looked directly into my lens and said, "To my critics, I say, 'Vaffanculo,'" punctuating the comment by flicking his right hand out from under his chin, Smith said.

The Italian phrase means "(expletive) you."

I'll be sure to remember that whenever anyone asks whether going to church makes you unqualified to hear court cases, or participate in the public square for that matter.

Brain Development and Intelligence Linked, Study Says

Now here's an interesting article linking the thickness of a child's cerebral cortex to intelligence:

The scans showed that children with the highest IQs began with a relatively thin cortex -- the folded outer layer of the brain that is involved in complex thinking -- which rapidly grew thicker before reaching a peak and then rapidly becoming thinner, said Philip Shaw, the lead investigator. Children of average intelligence had a thicker cortex around age 6, but by around 13 it was thinner than in children of superior intelligence.

The study is the most definitive finding to date of a relationship between the physical characteristics of the brain and intelligence. Such a relationship has long been something of a holy grail for scientists.

Interesting stuff, and something that reinforces the idea of the importance of an early (and solid) education.

novatownhall blog: In Jesus name?

Here's an interesting fact I did not know: Military chaplains can invoke the name of Jesus during public prayer. Naturally, the PC crowd is going nuts trying to figure this one out.

Naturally, no one should check their faith at the door, and everyone should be entitled to pray in a manner they see pleasing to their own consciences. That's the public square at it's best, and people can decide for themselves what is appropriate or inappropriate behavior.

Tribbett for Governor (Lite)

Heh.

The Mason Conservative: The Most Important Elections of 2006

Mason Conservative has a great post on the Mexican presidential elections after watching the O'Reilly Factor last night:

Morris started talking about Mexico, and its future. As of now, Mexico is teetering politically. President Vicente Fox, it must be remembered, was the first politician not from the left-leaning Institutional Revolutionary Party to be elected president in 71 years. That is a lot of time to make up for, and Fox is finishing his constitutionally mandated six-year single term. Fox?s National Action Party (PAN, in Mexican) is basically in a statistical tie, according to Morris?who works for Fox. What makes this interesting is that the opponent, ultra-left wing Andres Obrador is in the mold of Hugo Chavez and, to a much lesser extent, fellow left wing South American leaders like Nestor Kirchner of Argentina, Luiz Lula da Silva of Brazil, Evo Morales of Bolivia, and Michelle Bachellete of Chile. But Morris is especially worried about Obrador, whom he claims is as left wing as Hugo Chavez. This is especially dangerous because between the two of them, Venezuela and Mexico make up close to 40% of American oil imports.

This, of course, makes the game national Democrats is playing even more despicable. As leaders like Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi demonize Republicans as hateful of Hispanics, which they clearly aren’t, these very same quotes are used by leftists like Obrador to bash America and help drive him into office. If Obrador, a former Mexico City mayor, becomes president—we are in deep trouble. If conservatives struggle to like President Fox, we can’t imagine what life would be like with a President Obrador sharing millions of open borders with us. Of course, the man dancing behind the scenes is Fidel Castro. This is why is it critical that a guest worker program be part of the immigration debate. We must prove to Mexicans that Americans, and Republicans, are not right wing, racist white supremacists who want America for Americans, but who simply want law and order to go hand in hand with embracing legal immigration.

At some point in time, something is going to have to be done about these anti-American socialist regimes in Latin America. Throwing up a wall may not be enough.

Wednesday, March 29, 2006

Rep. McKinney Punches Officer

McKinney walked past a metal detector, the officer called on her to stop. She didn't:

Members are not required to pass through metal detectors and the officer, manning a position at Longworth House Office Building, apparently did not recognize McKinney and didn't see her Member pin.

The officer called out "Ma'am, Ma'am," in an attempt to stop her.

When the officer caught up to McKinney, he grabbed her by the arm.

McKinney pulled her arm away, swung around, cell phone in hand, and punched the officer square in the chest, according to the witness.

Now granted, if you're on the phone talking and someone grabs your arm, you might react violently. Why should Rep. McKinney have stopped? She's a congresswoman, they don't have too...

Of course in this day and age, one should be prepared to stop when an officer asks, especially in and around Capitol Hill, and even if you are an elected official.

McKinney's statement should be forthcoming. I'd feel terrible after having done that, but then again I'd probably be cuffed and sitting in a jail cell by now...

OMT: blink

The Senate blinked, Norm has the scoop:

Having been outmaneuvered by the House yesterday, the Senate withdrew into a series of caucuses today to come up with a new, smaller tax hike proposal.

Well, they are moving...but still stuck on "hike." I wonder if the Governor will start robo-calling Senators now, too?

Keep the pressure on our Delegates to hold fast, and the pressure on the Senate not to raise our taxes!

UPDATE: J.R. over at Bearing Drift has more from Speaker Howell:

The Senate's continued refusal to adopt a balanced and comprehensive approach to addressing Virginia's transportation needs - realizing that we cannot pave nor tax our way out of congestion - is especially disappointing. The plan approved by the House increases funding for transportation, but it also reforms the way VDOT operates and incorporates important land use reforms to help localities better combat the growth and sprawl that cause congestion. The ultimate result of the Senate's latest plan would increase VDOT's authority, without requiring the agency to enact the reforms necessary to increase its efficiency and effectiveness. Their approach failed when it was enacted in 1986, and there is no reason to expect a different result today. The House continues to support the balanced, three-pronged approach to transportation it unveiled on February 10.

Since the conclusion of the Regular Session, we have empowered our conferees to continue to meet with their Senate counterparts to negotiate a budget agreement that could earn the support of both chambers.

Keep up the fire, fellas!

Up With Grups

The end of the world is nigh:

This is an obituary for the generation gap. It is a story about 40-year-old men and women who look, talk, act, and dress like people who are 22 years old. It’s not about a fad but about a phenomenon that looks to be permanent. It’s about the hedge-fund guy in Park Slope with the chunky square glasses, brown rock T-shirt, slight paunch, expensive jeans, Puma sneakers, and shoulder-slung messenger bag, with two kids squirming over his lap like itchy chimps at the Tea Lounge on Sunday morning. It’s about the mom in the low-slung Sevens and ankle boots and vaguely Berlin-art-scene blouse with the $800 stroller and the TV-screen-size Olsen-twins sunglasses perched on her head walking through Bryant Park listening to Death Cab for Cutie on her Nano.

I don't even know how to mentally categorize this...

The Modern Aftermath of the Crusades

Here's a great article on the history of the Crusades.

Good lunchtime reading, if you are so inclined.

Tuesday, March 28, 2006

Papal H-bomb!

When the world wants to rock the foundations of an oppressive regime, they use all sorts of miltary means; troops, sanctions, invasion, embargoes, etc.

When the Vatican wants to rock the foundations of an oppressive regime, they send in God's Rottweiler!

I love this Pope! Let's hope the debate on religious freedom gets started before the 2008 Olympics!

CWN: Vatican ceremonies mark anniversary of John Paul's death

This Sunday, 02 April will be the 1st anniversary of the death of Pope John Paul II.

On Sunday of all days. Amazing.

Delegate Harry Parrish Dead at 84

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Parrish family and the citizens of Prince William County.

Monday, March 27, 2006

Justice Scalia is awesome

I didn't know he was so fluent in Sicilian...

Virginia Blog Carnival | 27 March 2006

Welcome to the 27 March 2006 edition of the Virginia Blog Carnival! This is a forum for the best of the best from the previous week, introduced either by submission from Virginia blogs or by my own picks for the week.

Each Monday, a Virginia blogger will host a Virginia Blog Carnival, offering just a sample of the topics Virginia bloggers have been writing about during the week. We hope everyone’s curiosity will be piqued to read more of the selected posts, thereby giving more exposure to each participating blogger’s site.

If you'd like to host a future edition of the Virginia Blog Carnival, send an
e-mail to Chad Dotson over at Commonwealth Conservative.

When Children's TV Shows "Jump the Shark"
by Jim Riley (Virginia Virtucon)
The divorce over at Too Conservative finally concluded, the better half have reformed under the new blog Virginia Virtucon. Jim Riley kicks it off by discussing the frustration of every parent with young kids: children's television programs. Old and busted vs. the new hotness here.

Sex, Lies, and the Junior League
by Norm Leahy (One Man's Trash)
While most eyes in Virginia have been turned towards the General Assembly, some eyes in Richmond have been turned towards the intrigue amongst members of the Junior League. I think they might have the GA beat!

Machine Guns
by W. Chris Green (Spank That Donkey)
When Keanu Reeves said "guns, lots of guns" in the Matrix, he was thinking of the MAAC Gunshow. Chris brings you the best of the best (with pics).

I Support Harris Miller!
by Harris Miller Fan (I Support Harris Miller)
I think this website was created solely for the purpose of getting me to type "I Support Harris Miller" on my site. It's a c-o-n-spiracy... but we can expect this to become the hub for activism for the Miller campaign as we tumble into the Democratic Primary.

Washington D.C.'s New Stadium
by Roci (Rocinante's Burdens)
Roci takes an insider's look at the proposed new Washington Nationals Stadium in Southeast D.C. A critical insider's look.

Domenech Debacle
by J.C. Wilmore (Richmond Democrat)
J.C. Wilmore castigates the Washington Post for the hiring of Ben Domenech, and does a happy-dance over the subsequent firing of same. Because we're equal opportunity bloggers, Domenech's rebuttal can be found here. Judge for yourself...

No Blogs Please, We're Recyclers
by Will Vehrs (Commonwealth Conservative)
Worthy of being Instalanched (Google the term if you don't know what it means), Will Vehrs discusses a recent trip to an EPA Region III meeting and *gasp* blogging the proceedings.

Fairfax's Worst
by Countertop (Countertop Chronicles)
Fairfax Commonwealth Attorney Robert Horan is taking some heat for an not pressing criminal charges against a Fairfax County SWAT officer. Pseudonymous blogger Countertop makes his feelings known.

Divide and Conquer!
by Virginia Centrist (Virginia Centrist)
Why are Virginia Democrats more successful than National Democrats at beating up Republicans? Virginia Centrist has some ideas worth reading.

$9,000,000,000,000
by Michael Canup (Save the GOP)
Quickly becoming one of my favorite reads, Save the GOP laments the fact that our national debt ceiling is set at a number so unfathomable only politicians and economists can justify it.

Time to Get Your Story Straight
by J.R. (Bearing Drift)
J.R. makes the case for anyone with their heads in the sand on the connection between al-Qaeda and Saddam Hussein. If you haven't listened to the podcasts over at Bearing Drift, here's a link to the latest podcast with Delegate Cosgrove. AG Bob McDonnell will be joining the next podcast from Bearing Drift this evening.

LET'S GO MASON!
by Scott Hirons (Hiron's Blog)
Heck, do I even have a political post for Scott? Probably not... but man is he proud of his George Mason basketball team (as he should be). Good stuff here.

90 Second Test
by Nickfinity (Jefferson Mammoth)
Think you're good at managing money? Nickfinity has your 90 second test waiting for you.

Demcorat Attorney General 2009 Poll
by James Martin (VA Progressive)
Given all of the young talent over at the newly formed Virginia Progressive, this is certainly a blog to watch. Interesting results from their 2009 poll, one which I was almost certain former Delegate Chap Petersen would win.

East Turkestan Calls for an End to Trials
by D.J. McGuire (China e-Lobby)
The East Turkestani government-in-exile has called for the release of Abdul Rahman, the Christian in Afghanistan threatened with the death penalty. For more information on East Turkestan, click here.

George Allen at the Food City 500
by Kilo (Spark It Up!)
Kilo has his take on Allen's visit to the Food City 500, and one of the best lines on the Mudcat-Miller fight I've read all week (credit given below).

The Evolution of Journalism; The Assimilation of Blogging
by Jon Henke (QandO)
Jon Henke is one of the brightest minds in the blogosphere, and this is well worth the read.

Let Lying Dogs Lie
by Waldo Jaquith (Waldo Jaquith)
An unsolicited submission to the VBC (i.e. I picked this one), Waldo has an interesting exchange with a commenter kind enough to send an e-mail. A great warning to muckrackers on both sides who indulge in the "road rage effect" of anonymous and pseudonymous commenting online as to what a little bit of searching can accomplish.

Mudcat vs. Miller: Born Fighting (Each Other)
by Ben Tribbett (Virginia Elections 2005)
Love him or hate him, Ben has become the first-rate source for information in Virginia politics. His breaking of the Mudcat vs. Miller incident in Southwest Virginia has made the rounds, and credit is given where credit is due. Read this for the full scoop as well as the Weenie of the Week!

Resurrection of the Conservationist/Taxpayers' Alliance?
by Jim Bacon (Bacon's Rebellion)
What NLS is to breaking news, Jim Bacon and the folks at Bacon's Rebellion is to policy. Here Jim mulls on Speaker Bill Howell's defense of conservation easements and wonders whether there is a grand coalition of natural bedfellows in the making.

Potts Poised to Punt?
by Not John Behan (Commonwealth Watch)
State Senator Russ Potts may be on the brink of announcing he won't run in 2007... or at least that's the rumor... Not John Behan gives his thoughts on why that may be.

Abortion in South Dakota
by Jason Kenney (J's Notes)
Kenney the Younger brings up an interesting point: Indian reservations in South Dakota may very well be inclined to defy the South Dakota ban on abortions. Something to think about as states go down this path.

Who's Your Daddy?
by Old Zach (Sic Semper Tyrannis)
Following up on the abortion issue, Old Zach has this to say on fathers' refusing to pay child support for children they don't want: "To intentionally deprive your child of a natural father-child relationship for your own "convenience" is an astoundingly selfish abdication of responsibility." With a line that hard-hitting, you have to read this post!

Speed Trap on Dale Boulevard
by James Young (SkepticalObservor)
James Young has a great read on the use of radar and speed traps in Northern Virginia, from a lawyer's perspective. Heh.

Drum out the Liberal Republicans
by Sophrosyne (NOVA Town Hall)
Sophrosyne blogs on Bill Wheaton's call for conservative candidates to start revving up the engines to get rid of the liberal Republicans in the Senate.

The Hangings at Wise
by Kilo (Spark It Up!)
Required VBC reading here -- Kilo goes over an essay that's only 5000 words long on this history of capital punishment in Wise. Best 15 minutes you'll spend online.

What To Say, What Not To Say
by the nut (Welcome to the Nuthouse)
Blogger the nut has been a recent commenter here (regarding female altar servers and Catholicism). What's more, she has a post on inclusive speech towards those with disabilities. Not political correctness, but a small lesson in politeness.

Allen and Warner Need to Follow Tancredo
by Vince Thoms (Too Conservative)
Tancredo leads on illegal immigration, and Vince Thoms asks whether or not Allen and Warner will follow. Vince add his own thoughts as to what could be done, with a list stats outlining the problem.

Two Conservative
by conservative one (Two Conservatives)
Formed because Too Conservative wasn't conservative enough, we see one one but two Prince William Republicans putting their spin on Prince William politics. A new blog with some remarkable analysis -- check 'em out.

The State Fair is a Racket
by Tom James (Caroline County Justice)
Tom relays an critical e-mail received by him concerning the State Fairgrounds in Caroline County, and who really benefits.

John Adams: Patriot
by Doug Mataconis (Below the Beltway)
Doug gives a great review of David McCullough's book on John Adams. Considering that I am currently plowing through Jefferson' biography, it certainly is a great
introduction to an excellent book!

Another Reason to Love Bloggers
by F. MacDonald (United Conservatives of Virginia)
...and hate the UN. This one is going to either get your blood boiling, or make your eyes roll in contempt. Read on.

Greatest Upset Ever?
by cbeer (Mason Conservative)
My brother goes to VCU, and constantly makes the comment that George Mason shouldn't even be in the tournament right now. Of course, there's a Final Four spot and thousands of Mason grads who disagree, and after the win over UConn, for good reason! Was it the greatest upset ever? You decide. (HINT: The answer is YES.)

Liveblogging from the Cafe de Sol
by David St. Lawrence (Ripples)
From Floyd, Virginia we have David's liveblogging of BrotherWind at the Cafe de Sol. Ripples looks like a great website too -- be sure to read why David blogs. What an enjoyable website!

THAT'S IT FOLKS!!! Enjoy the week ahead!

Sunday, March 26, 2006

VBC Submissions Closed!

Compiling what I have right now...

I just wanted to thank everyone ahead of time for submitting their posts, and thank Chad and Kilo for beating the drum. I have to say, I really enjoyed doing this. Not only is this a great way for new bloggers to get to know their neighbors, it's a way for crusty old veterans such as myself to get to know the newcomers.

There's a lot of great new blogs out there folks. I know I just added a few to my blog aggregator.

Sing Tantarara, rogues all, rogues all!

Regular readers here know this by now: I'm reading Randall's biography on Thomas Jefferson, and had a conversation with an old acquaintance via IM, where we started discussing Jefferson's opinion on Christianity.

That conversation encouraged me to pick up another book I have, a compendium of all of Jefferson's writings except his letters. In there is a letter to John Cartwright dated 5 June 1824 where he discusses the relationship of English common law to Christianity. Jefferson's findings? There are none:

Here I might defy the best-read lawyer to produce another scrip of authority for this judiciary forgery; and I might go on further to show, how some of the Anglo-Saxon priests interpolated into the text of Alfred's laws, the 20th, 21st, 22nd, and 23rd chapters of Exodus, and the 15th of the Acts of the Apostles, from 23d to the 29th verses. But this would lead my pen and your patience too far. What a conspiracy this, between Church and State! Sing Tantarara, rouges all, rouges all! Sing Tantarara, rouges all!

What I find so interesting about his conclusion is how he ends his thought -- "What a conspiracy this, between Church and State! Sing Tantarara, rouges all, rouges all!" Where did Jefferson get this quote, and why did he cite it?

I found what he was quoting... an old Glorious Revolution song entitled The Cavalier:

FIFTH MONARCHY-MEN must down, boys,
With bulleys of every sect in town, boys;
We'll rally and to 't again,
Give 'em the rout again;
Fly like light about,
Face to the right-about,
Charge them home again
When they come on again;
SING TANTARA RARA, BOYS,
TANTARA RARA, BOYS,
This is the life of an Old Cavalier.

A anti-roundhead song? Against Oliver Cromwell's Parliament and in favor of the King? Doesn't sound like the Jefferson I've been taught about!

Perhaps I am looking into this too much, but I'd hate to think that Jefferson would have chosen his words carelessly. After all, Virginia Cavaliers isn't just pulled out of thin air. What did Jefferson intend?

More accurately, who or what the hell is Tantara?

Disappointingly, it seems as if it's shorthand for a trumpet call (tantara-rara!). Back to square one.

This quote by Jefferson towards the end of his life is universally quoted by antagonists of faith in the public square as sound evidence there is no correlation between the church and state, and that furthermore Christianity as a basis for law is false in American jurisprudence.

However, there's a distinction between English common law and the natural law that can be drawn, and Jefferson understood the difference between the two; the natural law (which has an divine origin) and common law (which in Jefferson's view would be a perversion of the natural law).

Granted, I understand entirely that Jefferson was anti-Catholic and hated everything that he saw in the old order. Moreover, his antagonism towards church and state was based off of the old understanding of medieval governance that England had never quite shaken off, even after the Elizabethan era and the Glorious Revolution.

What's more, Jefferson was a sound proponent of the natural law. In fact, he believed in it so mightily he based the entire foundation of the Declaration of Independence on it. Common law a cloak; an obfuscation of the natural law that clouded our understanding and prevented a true accounting or "science of law" as Jefferson so desperately wanted to realize in his earlier years.

Therefore, the quote where Jefferson attacks the conspiracy between church and state is an attack on common law. Knowing Jefferson was a minimalist when it came to governance and a proponent of self-government, what we have here is a juxtaposition between common law - the big government of Jefferson's day - and natural law.

What were Jefferson's feelings on the natural law? One needs to look no further than the Virginia Declaration of Religious Freedom. There are certain things Jefferson undoubtedly believed about human nature. "Almighty God hath created the mind free," so says the sage of Monticello.

There's a more telling quote concerning his thoughts on the natural law versus the common law, this from his Notes on the State of Virginia:

By our own act of assembly of 1705, c. 30, if a person brought up in the Christian religion denies the being of a God, or the Trinity, or asserts ther are more gods than one, or denies the Christian religion to be true, or the scriptures to be of divine authority, he is punishable on the first offence by incapacity to hold any office or employment ecclesiastical, civil, or military; on the second by disability to sue, to take any gift or legacy, to be guardian, executor, or administrator, and by three years' imprisonment without bail. A father's right to the custody of this own children being founded in law on his right of guardianhip, this being taken away, they may of course be severed from him, and put by the authority of a court into more orthodox hands.

This is a summary view of that religious slavery under which a people have been willing to remain, who have lavished their lives and fortunes for the establishment of their civil freedom. The error seems not sufficiently eradicated, that the operations of the mind, as well as the acts of the body, are subject to the coercion of the laws. But our rulers can have no authority over such natural rights, only as we have submitted to them. The rights of conscience we never submitted, we could not submit. We are answerable for them to our God.

...

Had not the Roman government permitted free inquiry, Christianity could never have been introduced. Had not free inquiry been indulged at the era of the reformation, the corruptions of Christianity could not have been purged away. If it be restrained now, the present corruptions will be protected, and new ones encouraged.

This above all else I would cite as evidence not of Jefferson's hatred of Christianity, or his denial of a connection between the Christian faith and the natural law. Rather, what Jefferson rejected was the common law as a parallel, coercive, and alternate form of morality that by it's very design competes and squelches the natural law of God.

Subject opinion to coercion: Whom will you make your inquisitors?

What a great line, and the very emphasis of Jeffersonian thought.

Jefferson is a founding father of great stature, and there are many today who seek to malign or twist his thoughts and his reputation towards whatever end is convenient at the time. Jefferson has undoubtably proven more versatile.

To my satisfaction, Jefferson's attacks on the common law and traditions of the past cannot be construed into an attack on the natural law. For those reasons, those who argue that lawmaking is an inherently amoral process and use Jefferson to hammer the point home are misguided.

Jefferson believed lawmaking to be an inherently moral process, dictated by reason endowed by God. What's more, Jefferson would balk at the degree to which we have allowed government (particularly the federal government) to expand into so many facets of our living, in effect setting up the "common law" he so despised 200 years ago.

FLS: Sales-tax revenue may save Spotsylvania homeowners

Spotsylvania's Board of Supervisors is talking about at tax cut this year below the equalized rate of $0.62, and Supervisors Yakabouski and Onorato are leading the way, with Jackson and Waddy both receptive to the idea of tax relief.

Given the fact that Cosner's Corner isn't fully online yet, and Harrison Crossing has just broken ground, we could very well see a round of lower taxes over the next few years -- far exceeding our friends in Northern Virginia in terms of tax relief.

Submissions Gratefully Accepted to the VBC!

I never realized how popular the VBC really was. Through the magic of e-mail, I intend to give this round of the VBC the widest dissemination possible.

Keep 'em coming by sending an e-mail here and putting "VBC" in the title!

Saturday, March 25, 2006

What Happens at State Central...

I was asked if I was going to head off to the blog to post on this morning's meeting. My answer was no, because not only do I find it to be a betrayal of the position entrusted (I carried a proxy), I also find it highly unethical to post the proceedings of a meeting where top-level Republican officials should feel free to speak their minds.

Obviously, some don't share my convictions. Shame on them.

I'll repeat what I posted there: Jim Rich *did not* second the motion for the NOVA Strike Force, and he wasn’t even present to second the Marriage Amendment — it was done for him by a supporter who awkwardly shouted “SECONDED BY JIM RICH!!!” (and plainly stated Rich was not in the room at the moment).

RPV's State Central Committee has a tradition of being an egalitarian and spirited meeting where top-level Republicans can speak their minds about the condition and direction of the Republican Party.

Abusing that latitude for political grandstanding is horrific in my opinion.

There's a worse proposition here: Bloggers in general are treated with a bit of contempt. Why? Precisely for this reason. Why should anyone trust me (or bloggers on the whole) if I am just going to run to the ol' blog and post the conversation?

Distasteful, disappointing, and overall a very damaging strike against blogs in Virginia. Some of us just have to grow up.

FLS: Neighbors oppose eatery Restaurant is in residential zone

Busybodies in my old neighborhood of Fairview Heights in Fredericksburg are making a fuss about the Sunken Well Tavern - a restaurant started by three Mary Washington students about a year ago.

The problem? The restaurant is in the middle of the neighborhood (or practically so, along Littlepage and Hanover Streets an amongst a handful of small businesses in front of Marye's Heights).

The solution? After the proprietors applied, sought, and obtained zoning, a handful of residents want the business' hours restricted from 9am to 9pm.

The owners want to keep it open from 7am to midnight.

Now what most folks aren't going to know is that the place used to be a bar when I was growing up. That's right, a bar. No one tried to shut the place down then.

What we have here is a clear case of bad neighbors who need something to do with their time. I have recommendations:

(1) Go volunteer your time at Hope House, which is also in the neighborhood.
(2) Go volunteer your time at the local Montessori school right next to the sandwich shop. For lunch, you may very well patronize the establishment you thought caused so much trouble.
(3) Volunteer your time with the National Park Service giving tours. Recommend the restaurant nearby and support the local economy.
(4) The Salvation Army could always use your help. After a hard day's work, stop by the Tavern for a nice meal and some wine.
(5) Stay home, keep to yourself.

If any of my former neighbors have a problem with any of the above, may I kindly remind you that the anger you feel is quite similar to that which you have invoked in your neighbors running the Sunken Road Tavern...

I think I might stop by and patronize the Sunken Well Tavern just to spite the busybodies. Sheesh.

Friday, March 24, 2006

Name-calling blogger loses web libel case

From our friends across the moat, a Conservative Party MP has successfully won a libel suit against a a professor who left bitter remarks in the comments section of a blog towards the MP.

While this isn't an American case, it does show where the legal community here could be headed in the upcoming months.

Thursday, March 23, 2006

SUBMIT! (to the Virginia Blog Carnival, that is)

I will be hosting the next upcoming Virginia Blog Carnival on Monday, 27 March 2006. I will accept any and all submissions to the VBC, including a few posts and happenings I think are worthy of mentioning.

In short, you'll get the Kenney the Elder version of the blogosphere.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES: (e-mail here)

1. Identify one of your posts you'd like to highlight as the best of the best from the previous week.

2. Include the following information:

* Name of your Blog
* URL to your blog
* Your name
* Where in Virginia you live
* The title of your post
* Permalink to your post
* Brief summary of your post (optional)

3. Publicize the Carnival when it appears on Monday.

4. Make sure to title your subject line "VBC Submission".

The VBC is, as always, a non-partisan Carnival. Submissions from the right, left, libertarian, Green, socialist, anarchist, communist, distributist, or whatever perspective you have are welcome. Non-political submissions are acceptable, so long as they focus on some part of Virginiana.

Be sure to drop me an e-mail.

SUBMIT TO THE VBC!

OMT: A VCAP Blog

Norman over at One Man's Trash offers some brief remarks on the new VCAP "blog".

What most of the blogerati don't understand is that the vast majority of folks don't know how to get a blog started, much less what to write about. It's like handing a text messaging service to your grandmother.

VCAP will come along. I promise!

Virginia Virtucon (Virtual Conservative): GOP Bloggers 2008 Straw Poll

From our friends at Virginia Virtucon:

Too Conservative Implodes

Vince Thoms over at Too Conservative has enacted one of the most mindboggling purges of a blog I've ever seen, yet I think most saw this coming.

But no worries! Jim Riley and Jay Hughes are back up and running at Virginia Virtucon, which is great news for the rest of us. For many, they were the best reason to read Too Conservative, and it's a damn shame I couldn't get them over here in time!

I'm really surprised how shallow the readership is at TC though... you'd think given all the bravado that the blog would be much more widely read.

All glory is fleeting in the Virginia blogosphere!

UPDATE: Sophrosyne over at NOVATownHall has a good overview there, as does James Young at SkepticalObservor.

Housing Market Still Hot, Cooling Elsewhere

Interesting article on the current U.S. housing market:

The price of homes sold in February rose to $209,000 for the nationwide median, the point where half the homes sold for more and half for less. That was 10.6 percent above the median price in February 2006. But analysts are forecasting those double-digit price gains will also moderate this year as demand slackens.

In other economic news, the Labor Department reported that the number of newly laid off Americans filing claims for unemployment benefits fell by a larger-than-expected 11,000 week to 302,000, signaling that the labor market remains healthy.

The increase in sales in February represented the first gain in demand after five consecutive monthly declines, the longest stretch of weakness since 1999.

Economists believe that both new and existing home sales will dip by around 5 percent this year as rising mortgage rates cuts into demand. The concern is whether the decline could be more sizable than that. Some analysts are worried about that the speculative fervor in housing over recent years could come crashing down similar to the bursting of the stock market bubble in the early part of this decade.

I've been of the firm opinion that the "housing bubble" does not exist. The demand for housing is still readily apparent, and the building will not stop until the market bleeds itself white.

The only question is what, and when, will the housing market level off? So long as we're seeing double-digit gains elsewhere in the country, could it possibly be that the "housing bubble" is a self-manufactured crisis? Why hasn't it popped by now, given the slowdown in the economy, rising energy prices, etc.?

Privately, I think we've already seen the downturn and we're on the move back up again. Of course, my telescope only reaches as far as Central Virginia, so I could be entirely wrong... but I doubt it.

Cargile on Free Will and Determinism

Professor James Cargile will be giving a lecture on Free Will versus Determinism this Friday, 8:30pm at Jefferson Hall (Hotel C West Range) at UVA.

I definitely plan on being there! If anyone would like to come along, drop something in the comments line.

Wednesday, March 22, 2006

On Female Altar Servers in Arlington

The change has finally happened. Females will now be permitted to become serve at Mass at the discretion of their pastors. News reports were flying about yesterday, and this morning's Free Lance-Star interviewed Fr. Don Rooney over at St. Mary, with an article here.

Naturally, I have some thoughts on the issue.

Firstly, the traditional role of the acolyte during Mass was to prepare young men for the seminary, or at the very least introduce young men to the idea of the priesthood.

Secondly, there is no such thing as a female acolyte. Acolytes traditionally have been reserved for young men. The distinction has been that while women may be able to serve during the Mass as altar servers, only the young men are acolytes.

Semantic? Perhaps so. The common criticism of females serving during the Mass is that it has been long used by progressive and heterodox proponents of female priestesses. If the role of having young men serve during the Mass was to recruit new priests, the role of young women serving during the Mass would be... quite similar.

So let's start by explaining what this is, and what this is not. In a 2001 letter, the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments (CDWDS?), Cardinal Estevez wrote concerning the question of female servers:

With respect to whether the practice of women serving at the altar would truly be of pastoral advantage in the local pastoral situation, it is perhaps helpful to recall that the nonordained faithful do not have a right to service at the altar, rather they are capable of being admitted to such service by the sacred pastors (cf. circular letter, 4; cf. also Canon 228.1; interdicasterial instruction "Ecclesiae de Mysterio," Aug. 15, 1997, 4; see Notitia 34 [1998] 9-42). Therefore, in the event that Your Excellency found it opportune to authorize service of women at the altar, it would remain important to explain clearly to the faithful the nature of this innovation, lest confusion might be introduced, thereby hampering the development of priestly vocations.

Not exactly a ringing endorsement, not is it a condemnation of the practice.

ZENIT had an article concerning the use of female altar servers in a February 2004 interview with Father Edward McNamara, a professor of liturgy at the Regina Apostolorum Pontifical Athenaeum. On the question of female altar servers:

A further clarifying letter published in 2001 said priests are not compelled to have girls serve at the altar, even when their bishops grant permission.

The 1994 letter states: "It will always be very appropriate to follow the noble tradition of having boys serve at the altar. As is well known, this has led to a reassuring development of priestly vocations. Thus the obligation to support such groups of altar boys will always continue."

The letter also recommends to bishops to consider "among other things the sensibilities of the faithful, the reasons which would motivate such permission and the different liturgical settings and congregations which gather for the Holy Mass."

Therefore the Holy See's recommendation is to retain as far as possible the custom of having only boys as servers. But it leaves to the bishop the choice of permitting women and girls for a good reason and to the pastor of each parish the decision as to whether to act on the bishop's permission.

So what does Fr. McNamara recommend?

It is important not to focus this debate using political categories such as rights, equality, discrimination, etc., which only serves to fog the issue. We are dealing with the privilege of serving in an act of worship to which nobody has any inherent rights.

Quite different from what we read in the Free Lance-Star article, where Ms. Rea Howarth of Catholics Speak Out gave her thoughts:

"Hallelujah," said Rea Howarth of Front Royal, who is active in Catholics Speak Out, a group that encourages reform in the Catholic Church. "Long we have waited."

Howarth said her 21-year-old daughter had wanted to be an altar girl since she was 8, and eventually decided not to be confirmed in the church because she could not serve.

Stop for just a minute.

You mean to explain to me that someone refused to become Catholic on the sole basis of being disallowed to serve during Mass?

Quite contrary to the Vatican directives above, yes?

Thus we come to the crux of the argument: is this really about service to the Church, or is this more about pushing for a change that can never occue (that of female ordination to the priesthood)?

Though in the ZENIT article there is some discussion about the propriety and distinction between institutional participation in the Mass (priests, acolytes, etc) and lay participation (extraordinary ministers, altar servers), do the proponents of female altar servers really care about that distinction?

Let's go back to our friend from Front Royal and the organization she participated in: Catholics Speak Out. Their mission?

Catholics Speak Out (CSO), a program of the Quixote Center, encourages reform in the Roman Catholic Church and adult responsibility for faith. In particular, the project works towards equality and justice within the Church and dialogue between the laity and hierarchy on issues of sexuality, sexual orientation and reproduction.

Oh really?

The website has commentary critical of Pope Benedict XVI and the late Pope John Paul II, condemning the ban on homosexual seminarians, and yes -- even has a topic header in support of women's ordination (scroll to the bottom of the page).

Now we come to the point. What is this campaign for female acolytes really about? Service to the Church, or female ordination?

Given the historical role of the acolyte during the Mass, and given that any institution of female altar servers will only serve to confuse the faithful and encourage those critical of Pope John Paul II's stand on priestly ordination, there can only be but one answer.

No.

I would encourage those in the Arlington Diocese - if you feel strongly about this - to write your pastor and ask him not to allow female altar servers during the Mass. Don't be contrary, don't be adversarial.

Do be firm. The state of the Catholic Church in America has long been an embarassment to Catholics worldwide. Perhaps a message that expresses the Catholic mind in Arlington from our priests is what His Excellency wants to hear?

UPDATE: Here is a great article on the strength of vocations in the Diocese of Arlington, largely attributed to the tradition of using the position of acolyte to foster vocations.

This runs contrary to the notion vocations to the priesthood are linked to the admission of female altar servers -- in fact, the trend is quite the reverse.

Bearing Drift: Headlines frame the argument

Great post from J.R. over at Bearing Drift.

Without reading a word of an article, or listening to the press conference, all these "above-the-fold" headlines from local and national newspapers effectively frame the debate. Taking advantage of American skepticism and fears of the war, headline writers and editors attempt to portray the Iraq war as a "quagmire" in which American forces will remain occupied for years.

Having listened to the press conference, I know that the president did indeed say that troop return "is an objective. And that will be decided by future presidents and future governments of Iraq." But what does this mean?

...

This post is not meant to elicit a response on the merits of the Global War on Terror or arguments on "peace with honor" by "withdrawing from Iraq now!" It is, however, written to show how the media frames the debate and intentionally dirves the consumer to lose the "big picture".

The advantage of blogs being the consumer must actually read the meat of the article. Great post.

Tuesday, March 21, 2006

What I'm Reading v.3

Every once in awhile I post what I'm reading at the moment. Here's a current list:

Thomas Jefferson: A Life by Willard Sterne Randall is a one-volume biography on the man himself. Probably the best biography on a Founding Father I've read to date. A slow read, but a good one nonetheless!

Born Fighting: How the Scots-Irish Shaped America by James Webb. Now I've seen this book passed along and advertised before on LewRockwell.com, which oddly enough is a anarcho-libertarian website geared towards "anti-war, anti-state, pro-market" folks. For one reason or another, I instantly labelled it as an apologia for antebellum institutions and such and never paid attention to it until now. I'll be sure to give my own overview of the book in a week or so.

Patton and Rommel by Dennis Showalter. Patton being my favorite American general, and Rommel being a worthy adversary. Both studied Stonewall Jackson, both had roots to the Fredericskburg area (Rommel stayed at the Washington Hotel in the late 1930's touring the Fredericksburg battlefields). Both led from the front. While both are regarded as the best generals of the Second World War, they never met on the battlefield. Good stuff so far (seeing as I just bought it).

Failure of the Founding Fathers by Bruce Ackerman. I bought this thanks to a review QandO posted a few weeks back, and I haven't started reading it yet. I will though...

The Victory of Reason by Rodney Stark. Thesis: Christianity gave birth to the Age of Reason, and only because of Christianity do you have the concepts of freedom of conscience, capitalism, and the free market.

And of course, there is Stephen Dando-Collins' history of the Sixth Legion, which I have not read but will. If you haven't heard of this series, start with Caesar's Legion, which is a history of the Tenth Legion and is one of the best books I have read on Roman history. Ever.

I'm off to bed and off to finish reading Jefferson. Funny thing here - Jefferson used to be one of my favorite founders, until about 10 years ago when everyone and their brother found if fashionable (and profitable) to destroy the Founders' starting with Thom. Jefferson himself. Jefferson has since enjoyed a personal renaissance in my mind over the last year or so, and Randall's biography is just fuel for the fire.

SkepticalObservor: Pull Her Credentials

If you didn't see the agonizing QandA session between President Bush and Helen Thomas today, spare yourself the pain. It was an embarassment, and certainly another notch in the old screed against the MSM and the objectivity of the Fourth Estate.

James Young says it all:

Behavior like this takes her from the realm of even the fig leaf of being a reporter, into the realm of commentator, and the White House should respond accordingly by pulling her credentials. She certainly has the right to her opinions and views, however ill-informed, but she doesn't possess the right to berate the President of the United States.

Agreed. The transcripts really don't do the justice this deserves.

Pull her credentials!

Webb's Idea of Decorum

Read all of this.

Yes folks, now you know why Virginia Republicans, for all of our faults, are in much better shape than Virginia Democrats.

I'm simply at a loss for words.

They're coming...

Little Caesars that is, coming to a strip mall near you.

Now just might be a good time to invest.

Chef Didn't Quit South Park

I have dutifully refrained from commenting on any of this, firstly because I like the show South Park even though it has said some absolutely atrocious things about Christ, Christianity, Catholicism, Mary, etc. Secondly, I find the entire debacle over Scientology to be just plain weird.

But sometimes you have to adapt those principles to meet circumstances. So when the rumor mill produces a gem like this, you have to sit up and take notice:

Isaac Hayes did not quit 'South Park.' My sources say that someone quit it for him.

I can tell you that Hayes is in no position to have quit anything. Contrary to news reports, the great writer, singer and musician suffered a stroke on Jan. 17. At the time it was said that he was hospitalized and suffering from exhaustion.

Scientology quit for Issac Hayes? Given the unexhausted hatred the organization has for South Park (and all dissenters), is this too far fetched to be discredited?

Hence the pitfalls of fanaticism, folks.

AK-47 turns 60

Bob Seargent pays ominous tribute to the AK-47 assault rifle on it's 60th birthday:

The AK's symbolic power and charisma continues to intoxicate "friends of the people" who like arming the insurrectionist masses. The Kalashnikov culture thrives. Pre-teen "soldiers" in Africa and the Asian subcontinent tote AKs with a casual familiarity.

Hugo Chavez, Venezuelan "El Supremo," believes that the 100,000 AKs he recently ordered from Russia for his people's militia are too few to dissuade the capitalist devils from invading his fair nation. Chavez could have selected a more modern, formidable weapon, but a front-page picture of a campesino carrying a Heckler and Koch or FN rifle just won't cut it.

All you bourgeois, reactionary, capitalist running dogs out there beware, because the world is not going to run out of Kalashnikovs for a long, long time.

Great read, as always.

Monday, March 20, 2006

3D and the PSP

One more reason why Kenney the Younger should have never sold his PSP for such a pittance.

Benedict XVI: Don't let work take over

Sometimes we all need reminders like these:

In his homily, the pope said that in the world of work, 'an important aspect of human existence,' the rapid changes brought by technology and the globalization of the economy are experienced each day.

While people express themselves and support their families through their work, the pope said it is important that they not let their jobs take over their lives and become idols.

How many people can you think in a bustle-and-go society let work take over their family lives? Their social time? Time to pray and read? Even themselves?

The Feast Day of St. Joseph was yesterday on 19 March. Some countries hold this day on 01 May (May Day for your more socialist oriented folks) depending on how prevelant the socialist movements were in that country.

These things have been on my mind ever since I re-read St. Thomas More's Utopia. A great book and a quick read, if you are so inclined.

Yahoo! to buy San Jose Mercury?

This might be something big:

"Yahoo could become the international test bed for the transition we all know is coming in print journalism. (One place it could start is fulfilling the promise of the under-utilized SiliconValley.com asset that Knight Ridder has failed to nurture.)," Gillmor wrote on his blog. "Again, the shift to online is clearly happening even though papers have some future ahead of them. Yahoo, better than most--if it cared--could help make that transition the kind that honors the reasons we all should care so much about the future of quality journalism. If Silicon Valley and environs aren't the best place in America to start, what is?"

Ultimately, this is going to be the endgame of mainstream journalism. The Washington Post is well on it's way to making just such a transition.

Ultimately, I wouldn't be surprised if you saw groups of blogs banding together and begin printing themselves. The one thing that is separating blogs from MSM at the moment is (1) income and (2) professionalization.

Advertising solves problem #1. What indeed solves problem #2?

Chinese Internet dissident gets 10-year sentence

Yet more reasons why the Communist Chinese are not partners in good faith: 10 years worth of proof.

US Bishops official laments latest RU-486 deaths

Disgusting:

'We are deeply saddened by yet another advisory from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that two more women have died from RU-486 abortions', said the spokesperson, Deirdre A McQuade.

'According to the New England Journal of Medicine (December, 2005), RU-486 abortions are ten times more likely to kill a woman, from infection alone, than are surgical abortions in early pregnancy.'

No matter where you are on the abortion debate, RU-486 is a drug that needs to be reviewed immediately, pulled from the shelves, and tested properly. The politicalization of this debate has gone far enough.

Sunday, March 19, 2006

Whither the Anti-War Movement?

Looks as if this weeks protests were a complete bust.

Given this and the relatively low approval ratings for President Bush at the moment, my question is why is the media feeding us the line that America is rejecting Bush's Iraq policy, when most conservatives will tell you the problem lies with other aspects of the Bush presidency (i.e. Harriet Miers, lack of pro-life initiatives, immigration, etc).

I'd like to see a real poll that identifies why people are so upset with President Bush. If this weekend is any indicator at all, the liberation of Iraq certainly isn't having the same impact on folks as it used to.

Oh boy...

You guys ready for this?

You are a
Social Liberal
(65% permissive)

and an...
Economic Conservative
(61% permissive)

You are best described as a:

Centrist

Link: The Politics Test on Ok Cupid
Also: The OkCupid Dating Persona Test

I don't believe it... a centrist?! The one position I rail against the most, and this test has the gall to call me a centrist?!

Of course, the good news is that it borders ever so slightly on the libertarian edge, plus the picture it provides shows this to be more of a Jeffersonian ideal (whose biography by Randall I am reading right now). Caveat emptor though: these tests always remind me of the World's Smallest Political Quiz, a quiz designed by the Libertarian Party as a recruiting tool (I kid you not).

So I've been outed as a centrist. Let the fun-making and poking by fellow centrists commence. Maybe I should give it up and just join these fellas... sheesh.

UPDATE: Here's how I performed when I took this test in September 2005... surprise, I did better this time around!

Saturday, March 18, 2006

Commonwealth Conservative: Democrat Help Desk

Will Vehrs has some helpful advice for those reading the tea leaves after the Webb-Miller straw poll in NOVA the other night:

Not Larry Sabato is reporting that James Webb beat Harris Miller in a Friday night straw poll and he?s calling for Miller to drop out of the race for the Democratic Senate nomination.

Far be it from me to offer Democrats any advice, although they might want to at least re-think competing against the NCAA tournament on a Friday night.

Heh!

Friday, March 17, 2006

Too Conservative: The Most Liberal Piece of ***** Ever

Vincent over at Too Conservative has the best review of V vor Vendetta (aptly named) you'll ever read.

Plus it will save you $10 plus overpriced popcorn.

Erin Go Braugh!

Happy Saint Patrick's Day to one and all. I'll be enjoying tonight with my family, and getting back into the swing of things blog-wise shortly!

Wednesday, March 15, 2006

Very busy week!

Been in Richmond on business most of the week, and unfortunately away from an internet connection for most of the time. To make matters worse, my MS Outlook e-mail problem has yet to resolve itself.

I'll be back to figyhting form by tomorrow, but until then allow me to point you towards the funniest video of the week, encapsulating my feelings towards Microsoft at the moment perfectly...

Sunday, March 12, 2006

Skins Sign WR Randel El, TE Fauria

Oh yeah... the Washington Redskins just added two lethal weapons to our offensive arsenal: Pittsburgh WR Antwaan Randel El and Patriots TE Christian Fauria.

As promised, Gibbs and owner Dan Snyder were once again extremely aggressive as soon the free agent market opened Saturday morning. Randle El was one of the top available players and was expected to be courted by several teams, but the Redskins' offer had him signed before the weekend was done.

...

The Redskins were also in discussions with linebacker Andre Carter, safety Adam Archuleta and quarterback Todd Collins. All visited Redskins Park over the weekend.

Hail to the Redskins!

Catholic Bishops Drop the Hammer on Pro-Abortion Catholic Democrats

Recently, a group of 55 Catholic Democrats issued a statement entitled "Catholics in Political Life," a manifesto explaining their private committment to upholding Catholic moral values while remaining a member of a party that condones abortion -- something explicitly contrary to their faith.

The Catholic Bishops have, in their own turn, clairfied that position and re-emphasized that at the heart of all social justice must be a committment to end abortion:

We welcome this (document) and other efforts that seek to examine how Catholic legislators bring together their faith and their policy choices. As the Catholic bishops of the United States said in our June 2004 statement, 'Catholics in Political Life': 'We need to do more to persuade all people that human life is precious and human dignity must be defended. This requires more effective dialogue and engagement with all public officials, especially Catholic public officials. We welcome conversation initiated by political leaders themselves.'

Therefore, we welcome the representatives' recognition that Catholics in public life must act seriously and responsibly on many important moral issues. Our faith has an integral unity that calls Catholics to defend human life and human dignity whenever they are threatened. A priority for the poor, the protection of family life, the pursuit of justice and the promotion of peace are fundamental priorities of the Catholic moral tradition which cannot be ignored or neglected. We encourage and will continue to work with those in both parties who seek to act on these essential principles in defense of the poor and vulnerable.

At the same time, we also need to reaffirm the Catholic Church's constant teaching that abortion is a grave violation of the most fundamental human right -- the right to life that is inherent in all human beings, and that grounds every other right we possess.

Pope John Paul II's apostolic exhortation on the vocation and mission of the laity, "Christifideles Laici," which the representatives' statement cites, declares: "The inviolability of the person which is a reflection of the absolute inviolability of God finds its primary and fundamental expression in the inviolability of human life. Above all, the common outcry, which is justly made on behalf of human rights -- for example, the right to health, to home, to work, to family, to culture -- is false and illusory if the right to life, the most basic and fundamental right and the condition for all other personal rights, is not defended with maximum determination... The human being is entitled to such rights, in every phase of development, from conception until natural death; and in every condition, whether healthy or sick, whole or handicapped, rich or poor".

Catholic Democrats - Kennedy, Kerry, and Virginia Governor Tim Kaine among them - have some explaining to do. Their actions cause grave scandal to practicing Catholics, and the bishops are paying more and more attention.

You cannot be both Catholic and pro-abortion. Recently, Catholic bishops have been using a stronger word to define such a position: heresy.

They're right too.

Hallowed Ground

A non-profit group has organized centered around the Rt. 15/231 corridor between Gettysburg and Monticello called Hallowed Ground.

From the website:

Explore The Journey Through Hallowed Ground, a scenic and historically rich landscape recognized as the region which holds more American history than any other swath of land in the country. It is home to significant and unique historical, cultural, scenic and natural legacies. The Journey Through Hallowed Ground corridor follows US Route 15 and Route 20 on a 175-mile meandering course from Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, through Frederick County, Maryland and ending in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Looks like a rather interesting website, and for those of you who may live in this region, there are opportunities to submit and include local historic sites.

What a great project, and certainly a good thing for Virginia tourism.

SkepticalObservor: Just a Thought

James Young lays the trap for mindless liberals and wonder of wonders, he manages to snare a few.

NOVAScout, Willis, and a series of liberal anonymous commenters fall for the trap (as well as - surprisingly enough - Vincent over at TC).

The trap? The obvious hypocrisy of radical liberal attacks on AG McDonnell. James Young asks the hypothetical as to whether or not similar questions posed to Hillary Clinton would be proper.

Needless to say, leftist indignation abounded... heh. It was a slow pitch over the plate, and James is no doubt folding his arms and grinning broadly.

One notable exception: NOVA Democrat, who demonstrated wisdom beyond years and rejected the entire line of discourse. Good on ya. Your peers could stand following your lead.

Buying Bloggers and Ethical Containment

McQ grousses over the benefits given to some bloggers and the ethical questions that arise in it's wake:

Glover at Beltway Blogroll takes the view that (1) "bloggers must disclose the trip" and that (2) "bloggers who cover government affairs never should have accepted the trip in the first place".

(1) is perfectly reasonable. Indeed, disclosure is an ethical standard and a basic courtesy.

(2), however, is far different. Glover makes the common mistake of conflating bloggers with journalists; blogger ethics with journalistic ethics, as if blogging is a profession with the attending responsibilities and universally accepted standards. That's just not the case. As much as we might occassionally like to be treated as, and feted alongside, professional journalists — and despite the fact that bloggers sometimes do similar work — blogging has no more incumbent ethical obligations than does emailing or merely talking with friends.

It's an interesting point. For starters, as the Virginia blogosphere begins to mature, we have started down the path of conference calls, meetings, summits, and even articles in prominent magazines.

How much disclosure do we owe? Furthermore, when we do attend such events, are bloggers obligated to disclose?

Even worse -- I am a chairman of a local unit committee in Spotsylvania, and a First District Vice-Chair to boot and the occassional visit to RPV State Central. I have meetings all the time, some of which seem routine to me, but to others may seem earth shattering.

I have a series of "case in point" examples. Do I (1) share them, or (2) sweep 'em under the rug because I simply make it an aim not to gossip?

What's more, does it make me a bad blogger to withhold information other in the blogosphere would scramble to break?

Now this doesn't mean that I've taken trips to Qatar to visit at a bloggers conference, but it does mean that I confer reguarly with others on topics I do not blog.

McQ continues:

Blogging may be different in format, but it is no different in nature than any other comment. I have no obligations as a blogger that I do not have as an individual; no standards as a blogger other than those I have as a fellow who likes to discuss news, government and philosophy. Whether I address myself to a friend via email, a stranger at the gym or an audience on the internet, my ethical obligations do not change. Journalists have different ethical standards, because their profession — both consumers and producers — insists upon it.

Which confirms the position of Mike Shear at the Washington Post that bloggers are by design a step below journalism on the information-distribution hierarchy.

Thus the path to survival for the ancien r'egime trying to survive the onslaught of blogs. Alvin Snyder condescends his opinion thusly:

Blogger-critic Daniel Glover countered that "Too many public affairs bloggers are interested only in condemning the ethical lapses of others, especially journalists and politicians.

"Those bloggers won't even consider the possibility that as they gain access and influence, their own ethics could be compromised. Even worse, they ridicule and attempt to ostracize anyone who dares suggest that bloggers may be susceptible to manipulation, whether knowingly or unknowingly. That's exactly the kind of hubris that ultimately leads to ethical breaches and outright corruption."

Daniel Glover believes bloggers "should be talking amongst themselves to try to establish some norms, and I don't get the sense that many of them are or want to."

As more bloggers begin to publish on the Internet, and as some become better established with large readership, an organization such as the Poynter Institute might be enlisted for guidance. It has an ethics adviser on call at an 800 number, and its advice on blogger transparency should be heeded.

Yes, my teeth grate as well.

And yet by some form of divine circumstance, Matt Lewis comes to the rescue in an entirely unrelated post on political advice:

In order to gain credibility, you need both character and competence. One isn't enough. You need both. And the good news is that each of us can grow in our character -- and each of us can work to gain the experience needed to be a better leader in the future.

Credibility is what the MSM has lost. Bloggers on the whole are too nebulous to impound them all under one ethical framework. What's needed is a form of ethical containment, a framework that fluctuates depending on the blog.

Ethical containment consists of three elements:

(1) Position
(2) Formulation
(3) Condition

All of these are judged by the reader to some extent, so while the author crafts his blog accordingly, readers should be able to judge on these three criteria:

Position of the author consists of who is communicating the message. This could be in the form of a pseudonym, a name, a group. In short, "where is this person coming from?" What specifically does this person or blog bring to the table?

Formulation deals with how the argument is crafted. An intelligent person could write nothing but polemical diatribe, while an uneducated (or a more preferable and more egalitarian term, an undereducated) person could communicate very heartfelt and well-constructed ideas very effectively.

Condition of the topic. Is it the budget? Public figure? Your landlord? Boss? Posting pornographic pictures? Condition of the topic is essential.

After a brief consideration of all three topics (which most studies suggest readers do in about 30 seconds or less), the reader in effect uses a form of ethical containment on the matter: ethical because they judge the quality and worthiness of the blog based on their moral values, yet contained because that judgment does not reverberate on the blogging medium.

This is not a luxury enjoyed by journalism as a whole, though the idea of ethical containment applies to individual newspapers. I read the Washington Times because the Washington Post is too liberal. I read the National Enquirer because the New York Times is too sophisticated. I read the Los Angeles Times because the Wall Street Journal is in the backpocket of corporations. I watch CNN because FOX News is a mouthpiece for conservatives.

To the field of journalism there is an expected sense that the Fourth Estate is a cultural check on those in power. The reason? Just as Syndey above concerns himself so rightly with the idea that bloggers could be bought and paid for, he misses the vital point that journalists are bought and paid for by their respective newspapers. They collect salaries and benefits, and operate under the pretense of fair and objective reporting.

While journalists have hoisted themselves on their own petard, bloggers operate under no such pretenses. Bloggers are opinion editors who may sometimes surprise you with objectivity. Journalists (and their editors) report the news and unfortunately surprise us with their subjectivity. Bloggers present truth as opinion; journalists present opinion as truth.

Ethical containment plays its role in varying ways: books, music, art, architecture, style. The reader ultimately operates as the consumer of the information presented, determining what is and what is not worthy to be read.

Other blogs and journalists operate as a check-and-balance system on misinformation, but in the end always the reader as the final arbiter of what is worthwhile.

FLS: Connors on taxes

The Spotsylvania Republican Committee gets a lot of flack for standing tall against tax hikes. While our more moderate membership may not appreciate this stance, you know it's working when leading Democrats on the Board of Supervisors pay attention like this:

'Residents are ready to hit you over the head with a two-by-four if you raise taxes. If [the School Board members] want taxing power, have at it! I guarantee they won't want it for long.'
--Spotsylvania County Supervisor Hap Connors. Page A1 "

Oh marvelous. Give 'em taxing authority, and we'll break out the 2 x 4's!

Of course, the School Board will never get taxing authority. However, rest assured that not a single one of them will remain if they continue to demand higher taxes for mediocre performance. Ray Lora and Lee Broughton (a Republican and Democrat respectively) are already attempting to restore sanity on the School Board.

Who's next?

Friday, March 10, 2006

Cardinal Mahoney gets tough... on immigration!

Cardianl Mahony is roundly criticized for being one of the most progressive (and that's a bad term in the Catholic hierarchy) bishops of the Church. So I hate to say it, but it's almost refreshing to see him take any moral stand whatsoever:

Cardinal Roger Mahony denounced the proposed Border Protection, Antiterrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Bill, which has already passed the House of Representatives and is currently being considered by the Senate in Washington, as part of the "hysterical" anti-immigrant sentiment sweeping the country.

The bill expands the "aggravated felony" of "alien smuggling" to cover anyone who "assists, encourages or directs" anyone whom he knows "lacks lawful authority to reside in or remain in the United States", or of whose status he is in "reckless disregard". Churches and other social organisations will be compelled to ask immigrants for legal documentation before providing them with anything, including food from a soup kitchen, and even, Cardinal Mahony suggested, Holy Communion.

He insisted that "priests, deacons and members of the Church are not going to observe this law" despite a penalty of up to five years in prison. "The whole concept of punishing people who serve immigrants is un-American," he said, as well as inimical to the Gospel.

Cardinal Mahoney is right. It's a sin to deny food, medicine, clothing, and other vital necessities to another human being no matter what their condition.

Now if he could only find the moral fortitude to take such a stand when it comes to the most silent of victims in America... but that's another tangent for another day.

Papal meetings spark election row in Italy

Yet another reason why Pope Benedict xvi rocks!

Thursday, March 09, 2006

If you've been trying to e-mail me...

I've been receiving plenty of e-mails... but nothing is going out. Why? Because my Linksys router is a piece of crap.

I've resetted it, changed the DCHP settings, talked to Cox, and done just about everything I possibly can. MS Outlook is working great (for a change), but like the Roach Motel e-mails come in, but they just don't get out.

My options to date are to either (1) find the quick fix, or (2) get a new router. Unless someone has a quick fix to be able to send e-mail out of a BEFW11SF Wireless-B Router, upgrading to a Wireless-G or A is in my immediate future.

Political bloggers may get federal protection

Hallelujah!:

Bloggers would be largely immunized from hundreds of pages of confusing federal regulations dealing with election laws, according to a bill approved by a House of Representatives panel on Thursday.

Democrats had blocked an earlier effort last November to enact the legislation, which would amend federal campaign finance laws to give Internet publishers many of the same freedoms that newspapers and magazines currently enjoy.

'We don't expect bloggers to check with a federal agency before they go online,' said House Administration Committee Chairman Vernon Ehlers, a Michigan Republican, referring to the Federal Election Commission. 'They shouldn't have to read FEC advisory opinions (or have) to worry about running afoul of federal election laws.'

I agree wholeheartedly, provided the blogs can keep their hands clean. If a journalist takes money for a slanted article, or an editor takes kickbacks for an op-ed, a suit can be brought against the corporation (typically).

Bloggers are usually one man shows, and a libel lawsuit against a blogger could end a life -- even if it's just defending soemthing in court.

Of course, I yield to better minds on the legal technicalities here, but with my eyes I can't see anything but good coming from this.

South Dakota, Mississippi, Tennessee

Tennessee's State Senate is debating an amendment to their constitution recognizing the right to life and denying a so-called "right to abortion":

Abortion rights supporters are attacking the measure as a stepping stone to prohibiting all abortions in Tennessee if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns the landmark abortion decision in Roe v. Wade.

"The resolution is an all-out attack on the women of Tennessee and seeks to rob women of their right to make choices about their own health, safety and personal welfare," said Hedy Weinberg, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee.

ACLU? My my.

How abortion is an expression of one's First Amendment rights just baffles me, but by God how the abortionists are circling the wagons!

Water on Saturn's Moon

Yep. It's true! Question is how much water is there on Enceladus.

Wednesday, March 08, 2006

Skenazy: Who's afraid of a little rivalry?

Lenore Skenazy brings up the question of BRICs - shorthand for Brazil, Russia, India, and China - and their emerging economies.

Short little essay on how America's economy intends to compete by the year 2050, and what kind of workforce we will need in order to survive the transition.

ImNotEmeril: Photoshop Expert Needed

I'm Not Emeril has sounded the call:

I have answered. Not bad for a hack job.

Tuesday, March 07, 2006

Grandmother in hospital

My grandmother on my father's side was taken to the hospital the other day, and has been moved into a nursing home this afternoon.

She had a stroke a number of years back, so her short-term memory isn't very good. Unfortunately, this also means that she doesn't realize she needs to stay put in bed, so family seems to be watching her from time to time.

Please keep her and the family in prayer.

New Jersey to Outlaw Anonymous or Pseudonymous Comments

Here we go: the State of New Jersey is ready to ban anonymous and pseudonymous comments online.

Pseudonyms get off the hook only so far as the service (Blogger, the forum, etc) can trace the pseudonym to a verifiable name:

This bill would require an operator of any interactive computer service or an Internet service provider to establish, maintain and enforce a policy requiring an information content provider who posts messages on a public forum website either to be identified by legal name and address or to register a legal name and address with the operator or provider prior to posting messages on a public forum website.

The bill requires an operator of an interactive computer service or an Internet service provider to establish and maintain reasonable procedures to enable any person to request and obtain disclosure of the legal name and address of an information content provider who posts false or defamatory information about the person on a public forum website.

In addition, the bill makes any operator or Internet service provider liable for compensatory and punitive damages as well as costs of a law suit filed by a person damaged by the posting of such messages if the operator or Internet service provider fails to establish, maintain and enforce the policy required by section 2 of the bill.

Problem? This means hypothetically that one can be sued in any New Jersey court for libel (defamation of character to be precise).

The question really isn't whether or not its necessary (everyone who reads here knows I loathe anonymous commenters), but whether it will be enforceable. This is why, as much as I can't stand anonymous commentary, I've advocated a free market system where readers can sift through what is worthwhile and what is not. No bill, no law is going to get rid of anonymous commentary.

Look for other state legislatures to follow suit.

Monday, March 06, 2006

TC: Is the answer a D.C. "Big Dig"?

Jim Riley has one of the most thought-provoking posts I've read in a long time when it comes to transportation, namely whether or not the time has come for a D.C. Big Dig:

If a D.C. Big Dig (or anything like it) is ever to be done, this is something that will take an Act of Congress and may have to be shoved down the District’s throat. Am I comfortable with that? Not really, but it is a Federal city, so there is some logic to congressional involvement in spearheading such a project. Congress should also retain oversight and the ability to appoint top officials overseeing it. Perhaps they could tap Massachusetts Turnpike Authority Chairman Matt Amorello, a former State Senator and Republican candidate for Congress from the Worcester, MA area, to head it up. Amorello took over the Big Dig in Boston and turned the troubled project around.

It’s time to stop nibbling around the edges and do something bold to attack our region’s traffic problem. Doing nothing is not an option. Too many politicians have taken that road for too long. This goes to the very heart of the traffic beast in our region. Until someone slays that dragon, all the other work that we do will only continue to forestall the inevitable return of gridlock resulting from commuters trying to get into D.C.

I like it.

Congratulations!

To Waldo Jaquith and Chad Dotson for being named contributing editors to Campaigns and Elections Magazine!

Echoing what others have said on the topic, this really speaks well of the Virginia Blogosphere as a whole, especially our bi-partisan nature.

Congratulations again!

Benedict XVI cool with the iPod

Vatican Radio presented Pope Benedict XVI with his own iPod.

Mozart, Beethoven, and a radio play of the life of St. Thomas a Becket, as well as a few other goodies.

Condescension from the Pilot Online

Nice.

(link via Waldo).

Sunday, March 05, 2006

Jo Ann Davis Announces Campaign Kickoff

UPDATEx2: Rescheduled due to what appears to be a busy day tomorrow: Monday, March 13th at 3:00pm, House Room 1 of the Patrick Henry Building in Richmond.

Everyone knows that Rep. Jo Ann Davis was diagnosed with breast cancer some months ago, an announcement which set of a great deal of speculation as to whether or not she would be able to run in 2006.

They are all about to get a big, big surprise.

I more than likely won't be able to attend, but conservatives in the 1st District will be very glad to hear that Jo Ann is in fighting form!

UPDATE: It appears as if Democratic Senate candidate James Webb has decided to announce on the same day as Jo Ann Davis.

Some bloggers are raising heckles about the impropriety of a dual announcement in the State Capital, but Jason Kenney has blown that theory out of the water:

On March 3rd the Free Lance Star in Fredericksburg mention's Davis's announcement:

First District Rep. Jo Ann Davis, R-Gloucester, will announce next week that she will be running for re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives.

The announcement will take place Tuesday in Richmond.

Also on March 3rd the Richmond Times Dispatch mentions Webb's upcoming anouncment as well, though it's a little vague:

Webb is expected to make a formal announcement of his candidacy and open a campaign office next week.

Ah, wait, here it is. A press release from the Webb campaign, dated March 5th:

Former Secretary of the Navy James H. "Jim" Webb will formally announce his candidacy for U.S. Senate on Tuesday, March 7, 2006 in Richmond. He will also discuss his campaign organization and announce key staff.

Who's stealing who's thunder? Especially given that Davis IS facing a challenger this year (even if it isn't that strong of one).

Indeed. Why is Webb doing the heavy lifting for his weak contenders in the 1st District?

Because he must if he is going to win. The 1st District is about as Republican-leaning as you can get, and Webb knows it.

If this is what we can expect from James Webb, then the Dems better hang on tight. It's going to be a nasty Democratic primary.

Top Referrers

I know there's been a lot of nitpicking as to which blogs are good, which ones are mediocre, which ones are bad, etc.

Sometimes the tale of the tape is the strength of the referral, i.e. when someone posts something on their site, how many people go click on it.

The top 25 referral rankings for the month of February to ShaunKenney.com:

1. ShaunKenney.com
2. Google
3. Fredericksburg.com (local paper)
4. Js Notes (and it's not a small number, either)
5. Commonwealth Conservative
6. One Man's Trash
7. Not Larry Sabato
8. Sic Semper Tyrannis
9. SWVA Law
10. Bacon's Rebellion
11. Too Conservative
12. SkepticalObservor
13. Virginia Centrist
14. Save the GOP
15. Elephant Ears
16. China-e-Lobby
17. NOVA Democrat
18. Waldo Jaquith
19. Commonwealth Watch
20. Pharrout
21. VA Pundette
22. Red Stater
23. From On High
24. Brian Patton
25. New Dominion

Naturally, some of the Democratic or left-leaning blogs aren't going to have as much traffic here, so the fact that sites such as Waldo Jaquith, NOVA Democrat, Virginia Centrist, and Brian Patton even show up is a good sign of the strength of their readership.

Likewise, some sites advertising has having strong readership simply didn't refer here as often (Too Conservative for instance ranks closely to archnemisis James Young's Skeptical Observor).

Interesting things to see are that the websites you would expect to remain high on the list are certainly there, such as Commonwealth Conservative, OMT, and NLS.

Some surprises too, but keep in mind that referral rates are a rather shallow judge -- though in the past getting Farked or Instalanched was a distant possibility.

Just thought it would be interesting as we're all comparing who has the biggest and baddest blog (a debate from which I will happily refrain from).

JEFFERSONIAD POLL: Whom do you support for Virginia Attorney General?

1) John Brownlee
2) Ken Cuccinelli

View Results

About

ShaunKenney.com is one of Virginia's oldest political blogs, focusing on the role of religion and politics in public life. Shaun Kenney, 30, lives in Fluvanna County, Virginia.

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