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The Supreme Court's barring of the death penalty for child rapists in Kennedy v. Louisiana underscores the hazards in the court's abandonment of moral absolutes in favor of "evolving standards of decency" and the court's unbridled arrogance in substituting its subjective judgment for the legislatively enacted will of the people. In Kennedy, the court reversed the decision of the Louisiana Supreme Court to uphold the capital punishment of a convicted child rapist, holding that the Eighth Amendment's cruel and unusual punishment clause prohibits executing such offenders "where the crime did not result, and was not intended to result, in the victim's death." A United States Supreme Court with a majority of Constitution-respecting justices would have evaluated the Louisiana statute in light of the originally understood meaning of the cruel and unusual punishment clause. Instead, today's sometimes Obama-inclined liberal activist majority subordinated to the lowest rung the clause's original meaning in favor of "the evolving standards of decency that mark the progress of a maturing society." Read On |
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 The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers is discussing the possibility of creating a triple-X domain for pornography. Bob Peters of Morality in Media believes relegating pornography to a triple-X domain will not work on two levels. First, he argues, it is not mandatory, and secondly, it requires parents to use filters -- and many parents will not. Finally, he adds, children can gain access on computers outside the home that are not filtered.
Peters stresses protection of children from pornography is a major concern, but it is not the only one. "There are other harms that pornography causes, particularly to marriage," he points out. "[A]nd certainly there are connections to sexual exploitation of children, sexually trafficking, prostitution in general -- and putting this stuff in a XXX zone is not going to protect marriage. It's not going to protect society overall," Peters argues.
If implemented, switching to a XXX domain by pornographers would be on a voluntary basis. The decency advocate finds the idea that pornographers could continue operating their .com domains troubling. "Originally as it was proposed ... people who ran the XXX domain were going to expect some somewhat ethical behavior on the part of pornographers," says Peters. "You talk about an oxymoron." Agape Reporting
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 Anheuser-Busch was marketing its caffeinated drinks to minors and misrepresenting the drinks' health benefits, New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo said. He was among 11 attorneys general who reached a settlement with the nation's largest brewer. Anheuser-Busch said it will reformulate its popular "Tilt" and "Bud Extra" brands to remove the stimulants they currently contain. The company has long been dogged by accusations that its marketing for the caffeinated alcoholic drinks targets those under the legal drinking age, thereby encouraging illegal sales. The St. Louis-based company did not directly address the charge in a statement. "Although Bud Extra and Tilt met all regulatory requirements, had much less caffeine than a Starbucks coffee, and had received all necessary federal and state agency approvals, we are reformulating these products in response to the AG's concerns," said Francine Katz, Anheuser-Busch's vice president of communications. In February, the attorneys general subpoenaed documents from Anheuser-Busch related to its marketing efforts for the alcoholic energy drinks, which include the "Tilt" and "Bud Extra" brands. The investigation was sparked by concerns that the drinks were targeted to teenagers and young adults already drawn to highly caffeinated drinks like Red Bull.
Anheuser-Busch Marketed Alcoholic Drinks to Minors |
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 YMCA SHOOTING MONTCLAIR, New Jersey — A man shot and killed a woman in front of their 11-year-old daughter inside a YMCA recreation center while a swimming class for preschoolers was going on nearby, officials said. Authorities said Monica Paul, 31, argued with the suspect, Kenneth A. Duckett, 37, before he allegedly opened fire about 6:30 p.m. Duckett, the father of her two children, then ran from the building and drove off in a white Jeep with another man, who has not been identified, authorities said. The vehicle was later found; both men remained at large late Thursday. Witnesses said YMCA staffers and parents helped get the children out of the building. None of the children was hurt, authorities said. Essex County Prosecutor Paula T. Dow said Paul was shot multiple times at close range as she sat with her daughter in a waiting area outside the pool where her 4-year-old son was swimming. Witnesses told investigators they heard at least three or four shots. Authorities said the slain woman was granted a restraining order against Duckett late last year. |
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 By the time you read this, we’ll be well on our way to a lengthy family vacation. With all the news about a bad economy and ever-increasing gas prices, I can’t help but wonder what sort of impact this is all having on vacation plans this summer. For our part, we found a great deal on flights this past winter and locked in low fares before they started rising. Of course, in addition to the airfares (six of ‘em!), we also have to rent a car at our destination, so this definitely isn’t the cheapest way to go. That being said, it’s about 1100 miles each way, so flying instead of driving (which we’ve always done in the past) buys us a few extra days of actual vacation. Well worth it in my book. The fact that we’re flying also creates an odd sort of silver lining inside the cloud of rising gas prices… The higher the price at the pump, the less of a premium we’re paying to fly. But I digress. Bringing it back to the topic at hand… Have you modified your summer travel plans in response to high energy prices? |
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Family Concerns |
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Opinions expressed in 'Perspectives' columns published by CentersForDecency.org are the sole responsibility of the article's author(s), or of the person(s) or organization(s) quoted therein, and do not necessarily represent those of the staff or management of, or advertisers who support the CfD. |
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