Online Speech Bank: Charlton Heston - Winning the Cultural War

re: text and audio of Feb. 16, 1999, speech at Harvard Law School: "...Now, what does all of this mean? Among other things, it means that telling us what to think has evolved into telling us what to say, so telling us what to do can't be far behind. Before you claim to be a champion of free thought, tell me: Why did political correctness originate on America's campuses? And why do you continue to -- to tolerate it? Why do you, who're supposed to debate ideas, surrender to their suppression? /Let -- Let's be honest. Who here in this room thinks your professors can say what they really believe? (Uh-huh. There's a few....) Well, that scares me to death, and it should scare you too, that the superstition of political correctness rules the halls of reason. /You are the best and the brightest. You, here in this fertile cradle of American academia, here in the castle of learning on the Charles River. You are the cream. But I submit that you and your counterparts across the land are the most socially conformed and politically silenced generation since Concord Bridge. And as long as you validate that and abide it, you are, by your grandfathers' standards, cowards..."...

Charlton Heston: On gun control

re: text of speech to National Press Club, February 11, 1997... "...The beauty of the Constitution can be found in the way it takes human nature into consideration. We are not a docile species capable of co-existing within a perfect society under everlasting benevolent rule. /We are what we are. Egotistical, corruptible, vengeful, sometimes even a bit power-mad. The Bill of Rights recognizes this and builds the barricades that need to be in place to protect the individual..."...

Around the World: Barbaro's Resting Place Decided; See the Parting of the Red Sea; Wisdom From Charlton Heston...

re: various topics, but a lot on Charlton Heston's 1997 speech to the Free Congress Foundation.

The Publishing Contrarian – Kindle, Anyone? Wicked Witch of Publishing Predicts End of the Era of “Used & New Books” Online.

re: Lynne W. Scanlon likes Kindle...

hat tip: Frank Wilson

Power Line: McCain Denies Alito Quote

re: "John McCain held a blogger conference call today, mostly to respond to John Fund's claim in the Wall Street Journal that he might not appoint a judge like Sam Alito who "wore his conservatism on his sleeve." (Which, by the way, I don't think Alito did.) McCain said that he doesn't recall making the statement attributed to him by Fund, and doesn't know its source. McCain emphasized that he supported Alito enthusiastically, spoke in his favor on the Senate floor, and voted for his confirmation. He has said repeatedly that if elected President, he would nominate Supreme Court justices in the mold of Roberts and Alito. /In response to a question, he said he could imagine a situation where a judge could "wear his politics too much on his sleeve," but said that for him, the key question is whether the nominee has a clear track record of strict construction. /Absent more information, I'm inclined to take McCain at his word, as he certainly supported Justice Alito's nomination and, like all or nearly all of the Republican candidates, has held up Roberts and Alito as model nominees..."...

Baptist Press - ABC draws heavy FCC indecency fine - News with a Christian Perspective

re: "WASHINGTON (BP)--The Federal Communications Commission issued a $1.43 million indecency fine against 52 ABC affiliates Jan. 25 for airing nudity during an episode of "NYPD Blue" in 2003, marking the second-largest indecency fine ever proposed for a television broadcaster... [snip]... The Journal noted that complaints have been mounting at the FCC in recent years while the agency spends time defending previous decisions in federal appeals courts..."...

I'm in a Post-March-for-Life State of Mind :: Abortion :: ProLifeBlogs

re: "...From there I headed to the March and was energized by the tens of thousands (according to the Washington Post) or 100,000 (according to Fire Society) marchers who rallied on behalf of the unborn, their mothers and their fathers. /Baby boomers like me were widely outnumbered by the waves of young people who appear to be Marching for Life in larger numbers and with more joy every year. With them comes hope. /Before wrapping up my day at the March, I made a brief stop at a second bloggers event where websters busily covered the March, took photos and interviewed pro-life leaders. From there I walked back to the U.S. Supreme Court Building and listened to the brave women and men from Silent No More tell how they put their lives back together after abortions ripped them apart. /Marching for Life left me slightly tired and totally inspired. /The icing on my cake came during the train ride back to Philadelphia as I rustled the pages of yesterday's Washington Post. /"A Youthful Throng Marches Against Abortion" read the headline of a story that accurately captures the upbeat mood of the March. /
Lo and behold! Even the mainstream media noticed."...

Mommy Life: Have your views on abortion changed?

re: "...I'd like to share the positive effect blogs are having in breaking down the polarization between abortion supporters and those who identify themselves as Pro-Life. /My own background: a Second Wave feminist who fought and was involved in pro-abortion litigation prior to Roe v Wade - who thought feminism was about way more than equal pay and abortion. Who still can't understand why feminists sacrifice respect and dignity for women to support politicians who are pro-abortion. /As someone who was in on the early days of abortion - and had one myself - I can say that never in our wildest dreams did we think that abortion would become a form of birth control ending up in 1.5 million deaths per year and wiping out 1/4 of the next generation. Why aren't feminists worried about the message that sends about women and children - that our lives and decisions are worth so little?..."...

Pro-Life With Christ: NBC affiliate News4 video of March For Life today

re: has link to television news coverage of today's march...

Abortion Opponents in 59 U.S. Cities Set to Pray Fast and Demonstrate for 40-Days Straight

re: "WASHINGTON, January 22, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - "As America marks the 35th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade U.S. Supreme Court ruling that imposed abortion on our nation, pro-life advocates in 59 cities across 31 states are preparing to launch the next wave of a unique nationwide pro-life campaign, 40 Days for Life," said David Bereit, national campaign director for 40 Days for Life. "From February 6 until March 14, people across America will join together for 40 days of prayer and fasting for an end to abortion, 40 days of constant, peaceful vigil outside abortion facilities and Planned Parenthood offices and 40 days of intensive pro-life community outreach." /The campaign dates of February 6 through March 16 coincide with the Christian season of Lent. "That's what local groups asked for," said Bereit. "Lent is a season of prayer, fasting, repentance and renewal. It is our prayer that the efforts of the thousands of people who will participate in 40 Days for Life in their home towns will touch hearts and minds, save lives -- and help mark the beginning of the end of abortion in America." /During the first nationally coordinated 40 Days for Life effort in the fall of 2007, communities from coast to coast took part in the initiative. "The results were staggering," said Bereit. "Over 100,000 people united in prayer and fasting, more than 22,000 people took to the streets to participate in peaceful prayer vigils outside abortion centers, abortion facilities experienced sharp setbacks -- some cutting back hours and others closing for days at a time -- and at least 340 innocent children were spared from death by abortion."..."...

Blogs4Life - Live :: :: ProLifeBlogs

re: overview of speakers and messages at pro-life blogging event...

ABC News: Heart Disease, Stroke-Related Deaths Down in U.S.

re: "...New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that deaths in the United States from heart disease and stroke are down about 25 percent since 1999..."...

No Left Turns: Huckabee's reasonable higher law

re: Joseph Knippenberg: "Rod Dreher calls our attention to this very winsome Beliefnet interview, in which MH explains his God’s law remarks in terms that any proponent of natural law could accept. Here’s a snippet..."...

No Left Turns: Jonah is #1

re: Peter Schramm: "Jonah Goldberg’s Liberal Fascism is the #1 seller at Amazon!..."...

Captain's Quarters: Identity Politics Is Chauvinism Under Another Name

re: "Reportedly, Christopher Hitchens has just given up smoking. Apparently, this has had no effect on his curmudgeonly tone, but then again, Hitchens could hardly get more pointed in his criticisms. Today he rightly sets his sights on identity politics and exposes it as a trade for one bigotry over another..."...

No Left Turns Archive: U.S. Abortion Rate Declines

re: "This article explains that the abortion rate in the U.S. has declined to its lowest level in 30 years... [snip]... So what does this mean? Does it indicate--as was speculated in this thread and in Peter Lawler’s numerous favorable mentions of the movie, Juno, that a sea-change of public opinion is coming on abortion?"...

Henry Payne on Michigan on National Review Online

re: "...First the good news. Michigan’s crashing of early party primaries has likely fundamentally changed the face of presidential campaigns for years to come. For ill, Michigan’s auto industry is at the epicenter once again of an assault on consumer freedoms not experienced since another activist Congress, 30 years ago amid another oil crisis, empowered a spasm of big-government regulation... [snip]... Once a celebration of American individuality, the Detroit auto show floor this week was a bow to politically correct conformity. General Motors spoke of its “responsibility to society.” Ford changed its famous blue oval to green. Chrysler bragged of its “many exciting shades of green.” Mazda spoke of “sustainable zoom zoom.” There was no joy in Motorville.... [snip... In 2008, oil worries — once again provoked by Middle East crisis - have inspired a new Congress to enact “centralized command and control laws,” to quote one GM executive. After a 20-year-ceasefire brought on by the “74 rules” unintended consequences, a new, more powerful generation of greens have automakers in the cross-hairs. This big-government redux is the product “of ignorance institutionalized by our public education system,” says veteran economist David Littman of Michigan’s Mackinac Center. “It’s ignorance accepting of government as the dictator of all good things.”..."...

Melanie Phillips’s Articles » Organs of coercion

re: "...Maybe Mr Brown thinks he can humanise his image by capitalising on the distress of people suffering or dying for want of a transplantable organ. /Undoubtedly, the impulse to give people the gift of life after one’s own death is a noble one. But if Mr Brown really imagines that he will win popular acclaim by saying that the state will whip out people’s hearts or kidneys without their consent, his advisers undoubtedly need a brain transplant. /For the implications are truly terrifying..."...

Wittingshire: Deliberate Listening

re: on monks and "obedience"...

Captain's Quarters: Doing What They Do Best

re: "After watching their agenda get drop-kicked all throughout 2007 and with the surge proving much more successful than they had feared, anti-war groups have restrategized for 2008... [snip]... Unfortunately, this new agenda has even less coherence than their prior position. One can at least understand the motivation of people to end all war in demanding a withdrawal from Iraq. It's short-sighted and would have led to a massive paroxysm of violence and killed hundreds of thousands in short order, if not millions, but it's the recognizable demand of pacifists in all ages and places. /Demanding an end to a military alliance with a stable Iraq makes much less sense. Why wouldn't we want such a relationship with a democratic, representative government in the Middle East?..."...

Killing a canard quickly *UPDATE* « Bookworm Room

re: "After the Vietnam War, one of the favorite liberal tropes was that the vets came back as deranged, dysfunctional, often savage subhuman creatures... [snip]... When I’d query my parents about the difference between Vietnam Vets and all other veterans, they could only reply “Drugs. It must have happened because they all came back drug addicted.” The fact that, statistically, that wasn’t true either was something none of us could deal with intellectually. So, we simply accepted the MSM trope and, because we didn’t know any vets personally (my parents were too old and I too young), it really didn’t matter anyway. /The trope — the vet as psychotic killer — is unsurprisingly being recycled. The MSM supported the vets when they could attack the war’s progress. With the war progressing well (that darn Surge), the MSM has now turned on the vets..."...

Head Noises: Pope to Global Warming Believers: Chill Out!

re: from December 13, 2007, a post with several links to "global warming deflation information"...

Freedom for the Thought That We Hate - Anthony Lewis - Book Review - New York Times

re: by Jeffrey Rosen: "...this is not a comprehensive narrative history of the development of the modern First Amendment; Lewis already provided that in his 1991 book, “Make No Law.” Instead, it is a passionate if discursive essay that ranges across a variety of free speech controversies — from sedition and obscenity to hate speech and secret wiretapping. This may seem like winner’s history, but the victories Lewis celebrates remain controversial. There are persistent voices, in Europe and America, that continue to argue for suppressing hate speech on university campuses, for example; Lewis rightly applauds the fact that American courts have rejected their arguments. ...[snip]... In the 21st century, the heroic First Amendment tradition may seem like a noble vision from a distant era, in which heroes and villains were easier to identify. But that doesn’t diminish the inspiring achievements of First Amendment heroism. Conservative as well as liberal judges now agree that even speech we hate must be protected, and that is one of the glories of the American constitutional tradition. Anthony Lewis is right to celebrate it."...

Magnitude 6.3 - OFF THE COAST OF OREGON

re: a larger than usual earthquake off the Oregon coast...

Why Do I Love These People?

re: "...We need to appreciate how the radically changing world has forced families to adapt. People used to respect their elders, but it wasn’t just for their sage philosophy about life. Elders used to have very valuable practical knowhow. They could tell you when to plant your crops and how to build a cabin and how to sew a sweater. You listened to them because you needed to. For the last 150 years, every generation has grown up in a newly minted world. My grandmother can’t fix the wireless card in my laptop. We’ve had to find new reasons to hang on to our relationships, and largely, we have. It’s a miracle how well we’ve held together, considering all the changes thrown at us..."...

Saturday Review of Books: December 29, 2007 at Semicolon

re: special edition for booklists for 2007...

Roe v. Wade test

re: "We have created the Roe IQ Test to measure the current awareness of Roe and its effects, as well as to provide detailed information about the ruling. It only takes a few minutes to complete the test. Your answers and results will remain 100% confidential..."...

CitizenLink: Six States Work to Pass Amendments to Protect Traditional Marriage

re: "Twenty-seven states have amended their constitutions to protect traditional marriage. Six others may join them soon. /This fall, voters in Florida, California, Arizona and Indiana may have the chance to define marriage as between one man and one woman. Iowa and Pennsylvania are working toward a future vote..."...

winnipegsun.com - Gord MacFarlane - Fraser's story-telling will be missed

re: "... I will watch with sad interest to see where the literary community places George MacDonald Fraser who passed away Jan. 2. Best known for his Flashman series MacDonald Fraser is one of very few to have made me laugh out loud while reading. Both with the Flashman books and the MacAuslan series, which were brilliantly funny though completely different in tone and style..."...

The last testament of Flashman's creator: How Britain has destroyed itself | the Daily Mail

re: George MacDonald Fraser on political correctness...

hat tip: Frank Wilson

"We Had Abortions . . . . I've Had Abortions" -- A New Voice in the Abortion Debate

re: "A new voice is emerging in the abortion debate, and this voice is a powerful witness to the tragedy of killing the unborn. This voice is the voice of the fathers of abortion. /We had abortions. . . . I've had abortions," says Mark B. Morrow, a Christian counselor and participant in arranging four abortions. Morrow was speaking to a gathering of men who have become antiabortion activists through reflection on their own experiences and their own lost children. /Stephanie Simon of The Los Angeles Times provides a report on this new movement in "Changing Abortion's Pronoun," published in the January 7, 2008 edition of the paper..."...

How One Brave Boy Saved the Presidents Life - The Lede - Breaking News - New York Times Blog

re: Mike Nizza: "It could have been a dark day for the Indian Ocean nation of the Maldives if one boy wasn’t intent on proving that the Boy Scouts were more than kerchief-accented uniforms and Pinewood Derbies. /From The Associated Press, which has the full story: //“This fellow in the crowd with a knife in his hand attempted to stab the president in his stomach,” [government spokesman Mohammad Shareef] said by telephone from Male, the capital. “But a 15-year-old boy came in the way, and grabbed the knife. One brave boy saved the president’s life.”//President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom said in a statement that the attack, which came during a visit to one of the 1,190 islands that he rules, “did not at all deter his will.” There were no claims of responsibility. /The president was thankful for his unofficial bodyguard, who suffered minor injuries. His name is Mohamed Jaisham Ibrahim, and his picture from a local newspaper (above) should be showing up on Boy Scout recruiting posters any day now."...

Chippewa.com: Rare January tornadoes hit SE Wis., flatten houses

re: "TOWN OF WHEATLAND, Wis. - The Kenosha County sheriff says it's a miracle no one was seriously injured when a rare series of January tornadoes ripped through southeastern Wisconsin and left demolished houses in its wake..."...

OpinionJournal - Best of the Web Today

re: "The Associated Press has a shocking report on Barack Obama's state legislative record, though the AP's Nedra Pickler does her best to play it down: //start Pickler quote//Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton criticizes rival Barack Obama's record on abortion rights in a mailing sent to New Hampshire voters. /The mailer says that seven times during his time in the Illinois state Senate, Obama declined to take a position on abortion bills, while Clinton has been a defender of abortion rights. /During his eight years in the legislature, Obama cast a number of votes on abortion and received a 100 percent rating from the Illinois Planned Parenthood Council for his support of abortion rights, family planning services and health insurance coverage for female contraceptives. He voted against requiring medical care for aborted fetuses who survive, a vote that especially riled abortion opponents. //end Pickler quote//There is a word in English for "aborted fetuses who survive." They are called infants..."...

A Return To “Press Gangs” Could Be Another Solution? « Expat Yank

re: "...Before one gets too excited, “children” in this case would be 16-17 year olds; the British military does not recruit anyone under age 16. In Britain, also bear in mind, one can leave school and enter the workforce at 16; so, say, army recruiting at 16 doesn’t seem patently unreasonable. And especially not if one also considers that parental consent is required for under-18s. /In short, there might well be good questions about whether a 16 or a 17 year old joining is appropriate. However..."...

Inept, Oppressive, Untrustworthy « Expat Yank

re: "...What he doesn’t address, however, is that as Africa continues to — or doesn’t — struggle to overcome “low trust” governance, in which . . . //…the people nearest to you - whom you can trust - are first, family, and second, tribe… //. . . one shouldn’t think such could not become more the norm in what had always been taken for granted to have been “high trust” societies, like Britain’s. /Western governments, while nowhere nearly as bad, are themselves increasingly relatively distant, and simultaneously ever more intrusive, as well as seemingly inept, enfeebled, and “tribal“. And so they are, unsurprisingly, seeing “trust” in the state among their populations rapidly eroding. How much longer those governments (should they continue down this path) will be considered reasonably representative, truly national and — most importantly — generally functional, rather than capricious, divisive and corrupt themselves, is really anyone’s guess..."...

Amazon.com: Digital Text Platform: Sign In

re: "Digital Text Platform is a fast and easy self-publishing tool that lets you upload and format your books for sale in the Kindle Store..."...

Media Blog on National Review Online: U.K. Bishop Warns of “No-Go Zones for Non-Muslims Across Britain”

re: Tom Gross: "The (London) Sunday Telegraph today carries an article from one of Britain’s most senior clerics, the Rt. Rev Michael Nazir-Ali, the Bishop of Rochester, in which he warns that people of different faiths risk physical attack if they live or work in communities in Britain dominated by radical Muslims..."...

Rich Lowry on Liberal Fascism on National Review Online

re: Jonah Goldberg's new book, plus a look at history...

The Corner on National Review Online: O Hillary, Where Art Thou?

re: Victor Davis Hanson: "Poor Hillary is in a Catch-22 dilemma-and there's no Dick Morris to bail her out. Bill's constant presence, campaign gaffes, and serial narcissism contributed to her slide, reminding Americans that his ubiquitous picture on the screen, her incessant references to her work in his administration, and the specter of 28 consecutive years of Bush-Clinton-Bush-Clinton rule are about the farthest thing from "change" imaginable..."...

As I See It Now: Christmas Gifts For My Readers

re: links for fun stuff, mostly free...

Freedom, the Family and the Market: A Humane Response to the Socialist Attack on the Family - Acton Institute PowerBlog

re: "The 2008 Acton Lecture Series kicked off... in Grand Rapids, Michigan with an address by Dr. Jennifer Roback Morse entitled “Freedom, the Family and the Market: A Humane Response to the Socialist Attack on the Family.”..."... (video link in post)...

The Truth about Tithing - The Acton Institute

re: Jordan Ballor: "...The focus on the good brought to ourselves in the act of tithing is one that corrupts the purpose of the giving itself. C. S. Lewis provides an analogy to the proper view of marriage that fits here. Lewis said that you don’t get married to become happy, but rather to make the other person happy. Your own happiness is a by-product, a consequence, of maintaining the proper end. If, by contrast, you get married simply in order to make yourself happy, your true happiness is made that much more unlikely. /In the same way, whatever benefits we claim to receive from tithing, whether spiritual, emotional, or financial, these are not to be the reason that we give. We give out of obedience to God’s word..."...