Feinstein Delights Right-Wing Nuts by Calling for Release of Trigger-Happy Border Patrol Agents

There are now over 2 million people in American prisons, many more in other detention facilities, on parole or probation. There is no doubt that thousands are completely innocent, and certainly a million or more have received unfair treatment in a criminal justice system that punishes the poor and people of color well out of proportion to our population. Texas is about to execute a man that officials admit did not kill anyone. Yet our Democratic Senator, Dianne Feinstein, has chosen to use her powers to call on the release of two border patrol agents who fired upon an unarmed person who was fleeing from them. She truly is a brave and principled woman. Oh wait, I meant despicable and evil.

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Morrissey on Madonna: "I wouldn't be surprised if she made that African boy into a coat and wore him"

He said this because of his support for animal rights and Madonna's fur wearing habit. I am a life-long fan (I had the lyrics to all his songs tattooed on neighborhood kittens), and I am no defender of Madonna, but my problem with this statement and some of what I hear from the animal rights folks is the equating of human beings with animals. I support animal rights because they are living creatures, many clearly feel pain, and they are completely without guilt. But when the life of an animal comes up against the life of a human (all other things being equal), the human life is far more important. And even the senseless slaughter of animals for coats is cruel but not an important enough issue when human beings are starving in the street and being cut into pieces by cluster bombs. Then there is the consumption of meat - I do it, and I sometimes feel guilty. But mostly because I think it's bad for you. Meat is murder? A great album, but certainly not a true statement.

I'm not sure Morrissey meant to equate the lives of the animals killed for Madonna's coat with her adopted son's life - he probably just meant that someone that would have that much disregard for suffering generally is probably just as heartless when it comes to human life. I'm not sure if that's true, but I do think Madonna is pretty pitiful.

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Millions of Palestinians Being Squeezed by Walls and Settlements

When some Americans and Israelis ask why Hamas and other Palestinians are so militant and even violent when Israel has been so generous, they should look at what Abbas and Fatah are left with in the West Bank.



According to the Financial Times: "A network of roads designed to ease the movement of Jewish settlers limits access between Palestinian enclaves. A secondary network being built would allow Palestinian limited movement via tunnels, bridges and trenches."

This is nuts. Two nations cannot coexist like this.