THE OTHER SHOE DROPS: Updates To Previous Posts
† Measuring The Drapes For The Oval Office (third item): Either Barack Obama’s presumptuousness is rubbing off on his supporters or they think the election has already been held after seeing that speech in June where he stood behind a lectern adorned with a fake presidential seal. A crowd in Cedar Rapids, IA, sang “Happy Birthday” to “Mr. President” on the occasion of Obama’s 47th birthday, reports the Los Angeles Times. And during a Q&A at a recent Obama event in Titusville, FL, a supporter asked “what role Obama would have McCain serve in his administration,” reports the Chicago Tribune.
† The “Race Card” Is A Joker: The New York Times reports that Barack Obama’s campaign advisors realize that instead of opening up a can of whupass on John McCain by accusing him of racism, the presumptive Dem candidate opened up a can of worms:
When Senator John McCain’s camp replied by accusing him of playing the race card from the bottom of the deck, the Obama campaign seemed at least momentarily off balance.
The instinctive urge to punch back was tempered by the fact that race is a fire that could singe both candidates. So on Friday the Obama campaign, a carefully controlled lot on the best of days, reacted most cautiously as it sought to tamp down any sense that it was at war with Mr. McCain over who was the first to inject race into the contest. …
The muted response should not be taken, even campaign insiders acknowledged, to reflect high-mindedness; the Obama campaign can wield a rhetorical gutting knife. …
For Mr. Obama, the risks of fighting back are that anything that calls attention to the racial dynamics of the contest would potentially polarize voters and stir unease about his candidacy, particularly among white voters in swing states. He is, after all, a candidate who has sought to transcend his own racial heritage in appealing to the broad electorate.
† The Right To Bear Arms Belongs To Us All: Part II: In 1981, Morton Grove, IL, became the first town in the U.S. to ban handgun possession, but has now repealed its ordinance to comply with the Supreme Court ruling striking down a similar ban in Washington, D.C., reports The Associated Press. Morton Grove is one of several IL towns proactively repealing anti-gun laws to avoid costly lawsuits by homeowners who want to keep firearms for self-defense. The sale of guns within the town’s boundaries is still prohibited.
† “Person Of Interest” Steven Hatfill To Earn Lots Of Interest Income From Huge DOJ Payout: Former Army bioweapons scientist Steven J. Hatfill’s tireless efforts to clear his name after being identified as a “person of interest” in the investigation of the deadly anthrax attacks in 2001 – including failed lawsuits against The New York Times and Vanity Fair for defamation – were bolstered by the revelation that former colleague Bruce E. Ivins, who was on the verge of being indicted in the case, had committed suicide. Some of Ivins’ colleagues question whether he had the means or motive to create the finely ground powder used in the attacks, but the FBI and Department of Justice are planning to shut down the probe without charging anyone else.
† Muncie Creep Makes Children Murder Cat: Danield John Collins, 39, has pleaded guilty to “one count of domestic violence/animal cruelty and two counts of neglect of a dependent” for forcing his 7-year-old daughter to stab the family cat, Boots, and will serve 18 months in jail under the plea agreement, reports The Associated Press. Collins said he was drunk at the time and does not remember the horrifying incident.
† Updates To Previous Posts (A Rat Is Not A Pig Is Not A Dog Is Not A Boy - And Neither Is A Chimp): In a Washington Post op-ed, freelance writer Russell Paul La Valle about proposed legislation in Spain to accord simians human rights:
In Spain, a funny thing is happening on the way to the circus - all of the monkeys are disappearing. …
With one stroke, Spain will also become the first country to acknowledge unequivocally the legal rights of nonhumans. …
The real force behind the initiative is Peter Singer, a professor of bioethics at Princeton University and co-founder of the Great Ape Project. Singer is widely viewed as the father of the international animal rights movement. His rationale is simple: "There is no sound moral reason why possession of basic rights should be limited to members of a particular species."
Singer is no stranger to controversy. … “Killing a defective infant is not morally equivalent to killing a person,” he has written. “Sometimes it is not wrong at all.”
Apparently, though, killing an animal is. …
I'm all for the humane treatment of animals. I support better conditions in zoos. But let's let apes be apes and not try to teach them how to recite the Bill of Rights.
And here’s what The Wall Street Journal’s wrote about the misguided movement:
Societies are right to set high standards for the treatment of animals, and doing so may even encourage us to be more considerate to each other. The Great Ape Project, though, is likely to have the exact opposite effect. Insisting on rights for great apes elevates animals to our ethical realm and in turn dehumanizes humans. Rather than promoting moral behavior toward man and ape alike, it helps justify treating humans like animals. …
We have a responsibility to diminish animal suffering - a responsibility that derives from our unique human rights. Claiming these rights for animals as well is no moral victory but a slippery slope toward moral relativism.
Can one be a carnivore and still support humane treatment of animals in zoos and on factory farms? Absolutely – The Stiletto is, and does (last item). Here’s New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof – a farm boy from OR – on CA’s Proposition 2, which would ban factory farms from keeping livestock and poultry in tiny cages:
In a world in which animal rights are gaining ground, barbecue season should make me feel guilty. My hunch is that in a century or two, our descendants will look back on our factory farms with uncomprehending revulsion. But in the meantime, I love a good burger. …
I draw the line at animals being raised in cruel conditions. The law punishes teenage boys who tie up and abuse a stray cat. So why allow industrialists to run factory farms that keep pigs almost all their lives in tiny pens that are barely bigger than they are?
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