Random Thoughts

Just a whole lot of things on my mind but don't feel like writing a whole blog on any of them. So I'm just going to give it the old shotgun approach.

Last week the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals overturned a $5 million verdict against the Phelps cult. A federal jury in Maryland had awarded the father of a slain Marine $5 million for invasion of privacy and intentional infliction of emotional distress. The Phelps cult, as is their practice, protested outside the funeral of the plaintiff's son. Having witnessed first hand the vile, despicable things the Phelps have on their signs and what they say to people at their protests, I have lots of sympathy for the plaintiff. The Phelps cult has regularly picketed outside my church for years. Additionally I've been to funerals where they've protested. For those that haven't had the misfortune of crossing paths with these nut jobs, their pickets are repulsive and contemptible. However, I think it sets an extremely dangerous precedent to use the civil courts and something as slippery as the torts of intentional infliction of emotional distress and invasion of privacy to try to silence free speech. The first amendment protects speech of even despicable people like the Phelpses. The 4th Circuit got it right, the First Amendment protects even distasteful and repugnant speech. That said, I also think that there are some reasonable "time and place" restrictions that are in place and could be passed elsewhere that limit how close to a funeral and time restrictions that can be used to prevent these bozos from interfering with other funerals.

I truly don't understand all the hubbub over the President going to Copenhagen to support the Chicago bid for the 2016 Olympics. I have plenty of beefs with "The One", as anyone who reads my blog or my facebook page could attest. The other heads of states from the countries of the finalist cities are also going to be there. I think it is totally appropriate for him to go. I think making such a big deal out of it only serves to provide ammunition to marginalize Obama's critics. When they look foolish on issues like this, it is easier to contend that all of their legitimate concerns are just as foolish.

Isn't the silence of the left deafening? During the campaign Obama promised the most transparent administration in history. However, today it was announced that the Obama administration was limiting access to Guantanamo Bay. Previously under the Bush Administration,the reporters who covered the military beat were invited trips to the detention camps when they were covering the hearings. They could write about, film and photograph the camp and the conditions there. Those side trips have been halted under Obama. The left would be screaming bloody murder if that had happened under Bush, but I've hardly heard a whimper. Aren't double standards wonderful?

Got my flu shot on Sunday. The health ministries committee of the board of deacons at church offers the shots every year at cost. My arm is still aching. There have been stories recently about health care workers and the military being "required" to take the H1N1 vaccine. I don't have a problem with flu shots in general. I do have a problem with the government mandating certain people have to have the shot. That problem exists even ordering military personnel who are trained to take orders, that they have to take a flu shot. I don't know that even if I fell into the "high risk" category, I would get the swine flu shot. It seems that this was so rushed, I'm not sure I trust the safety of the shot. And having a government "require" personnel to take a shot goes against every fiber of my being.

The city council in Topeka passed a no-smoking ordinance last night. This is another example of a situation where I am extremely conflicted. On the one hand, I am very anti-smoking. I grew up in a house where my dad smoked for years and I think the second hand smoke I was around made my sore throat/sinus issues I had as a kid much worse. I avoid being around smoke as often as I can. As much as I hate being around smoke, I'm not sure a municipal government passing an anti-smoking is appropriate. If the majority of the population really were against smoking in public, let their pocketbooks do the talking for them. There are certainly restaurants and bars that already don't allow smoking. If the people truly support non-smoking public places, they should frequent those bars and restaurants, and let the owners know why. Adam Smith's "invisible hand" is a much better regulator of conduct than any government regulation.