NYPD Should Leave Muslims Alone

Attorney General Eric Holder is to be lauded for looking into the constitutionality of the New York City Police Department’s wholesale snooping into the lives of people based purely on their Muslim faith. Because Holder is a busy man, he could save a lot of time by just pulling out the U.S. Constitution and reading … Continue reading “NYPD Should Leave Muslims Alone”

Can the President Kill You?

Can the president kill an American simply because the person is dangerous and his arrest would be impractical? Can the president be judge, jury, and executioner of an American in a foreign country because he believes that would keep America safe? Can Congress authorize the president to do this? Earlier this week, U.S. Attorney General … Continue reading “Can the President Kill You?”

Can Congress Steal Your Constitutional Freedoms?

Can the president use the military to arrest anyone he wants, keep that person away from a judge and jury, and lock him up for as long as he wants? In the Senate’s dark and terrifying vision of the Constitution, he can. Congress is supposed to work in public. That requirement is in the Constitution. … Continue reading “Can Congress Steal Your Constitutional Freedoms?”

Moderation in Following the Constitution Is No Virtue

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), the ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee and a victim of torture in the Vietnam War, is considered a moderate on issues relating to “war on terror” detainees. This time he has paired with a moderate Democrat, Carl Levin, chairman of that same committee, to insert in the 2012 … Continue reading “Moderation in Following the Constitution Is No Virtue”

Welcome to the New America

Government Assassinates 16-Year-Old Boy; the People Cheer “Ummmm, guess you ought to be more careful when associated with and visiting known terrorists. I love them drones!!” “Terrorists are selfish too. Your kid was the one who decided that he would start killing people. He sealed his own fate and we took him out. Maybe we … Continue reading “Welcome to the New America”

Americans Should Worry About Obama, Not Uganda

President Obama has ordered about 100 U.S. troops into Uganda to “help” and “advise” in capturing Joseph Kony, the head of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). The troops, Obama claimed, are not to engage Kony’s forces unless it becomes necessary for their own self-defense. Kony and the LRA were declared a terrorist organization under the … Continue reading “Americans Should Worry About Obama, Not Uganda”

A Drone Strike on the Constitution

When President Obama authorized the assassination of Anwar al-Awlaki, there was much rejoicing. A terrorist was gone, al-Qaeda was dealt a major blow, and vital links between jihadists and the West were broken. In addition to Awlaki, three other men were killed, including Samir Khan, publisher of a Muslim magazine. But more died on that … Continue reading “A Drone Strike on the Constitution”

The Legal Rationale for Whacking Awlaki Is Flimsy

Although the Obama administration’s legal rationale for killing suspected terrorist Anwar al-Awlaki remains classified at a high level, administration officials, under media pressure to justify killing an American citizen without a trial, finally have leaked most of it to the press. Although this is an improvement, unfortunately, this action will probably sate the media’s main … Continue reading “The Legal Rationale for Whacking Awlaki Is Flimsy”

I Am a History Teacher, and I Lie to My Students

On Sept. 30, 2011, I woke up and began my daily routine, preparing for another day of teaching history to high school students. In the course of an average school year, I literally teach the history of the world — ancient history, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, the Enlightenment, and modernity. My 11th-grade students take … Continue reading “I Am a History Teacher, and I Lie to My Students”