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August 31, 2010

Troy Anthony Davis Not Found Innocent

Troy Anthony DavisU.S. District Judge William T. Moore Jr. said Troy Anthony Davis failed to prove his innocence.

Moore had been deliberating since a June hearing, the only one of its kind in 50 years that was ordered by the U. S. Supreme Court.   Seven of the nine witnesses against Troy Davis had recanted their testimony, and one of the witnesses was said to have confessed to the killing of Savannah, Georgia police officer Mark MacPhail.

Davis, who has been on death row now for 19 years, has only one final appeal left before he could be executed.

The problem in the hearing from the beginning was trying to prove Davis innocent.  The accused is presumed innocent until proven guilty, but after conviction in a murder case it becomes extremely difficult to correct an error of justice.  This is largely due to a Newt Gingrich-championed law, the so-called Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act (AEDPA) of 1996.

The defense had hoped they could at least get a new trial.  Legal experts could not determine how the law should be applied; another example of how America's laws have become so complex and confusing that not even legal experts can figure them out.

Moore did suggest in a footnote that Davis appeal directly to the U. S. Supreme Court.

LINKS

To see all our entries on Troy Anthony Davis, click on http://loveshade.org/blog-mt/mt-search.fcgi?IncludeBlogs=1&search=troy+anthony+davis

For more details on the judge's decision, see http://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta/judge-rejects-troy-davis-598327.html

To see more on Troy Anthony Davis, visit http://www.troyanthonydavis.org/

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August 19, 2010

Danny Glover and Saul Landau Visit Cuban Five Member Gerardo Hernández

Gerardo Hernandez from http://www.workers.org/2010/world/gerardo_hernandez.jpgActor-activist Danny Glover and producer-writer Saul Landau, for whom Alden Loveshade served as head writer on an English-language telenovella, wrote about their recent meeting with Gerardo Hernandez.  Hernandez, like Troy Anthony Davis, was convicted on scanty evidence and Glover has spoken out for both of them, while Landau has been very active in human rights and in U.S.-Cuba relations.

There is evidence Gerardo Hernández was actually working as an anti-terrorist.  Some of you may know some of our family and associates were investigated for various offenses including consorting with terrorists.  Nothing's more likely to get you investigated as a terrorist than secretly working against terrorism.

Ironically, Alden was injured in a traffic collision the day Glover and Landau visited Hernandez.

 You can read Danny Glover and Saul Landau's excellent article "Visiting Gerardo in prison" and post your comments at http://progreso-weekly.com/2/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1822:visiting-gerardo-in-prison&catid=38:in-the-united-states&Itemid=55

Continue reading "Danny Glover and Saul Landau Visit Cuban Five Member Gerardo Hernández" »

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August 14, 2010

Judge Refuses to Reconsider Testimony for Troy Anthony Davis

Troy Anthony DavisU.S. District Judge William T. Moore Jr. ruled against a motion by Troy Anthony Davis' attorneys to reconsider accepting tesimony saying someone else was the killer.

The judge had ruled that testimony identifying someone else as the killer of Savannah, Georgia officer Mark MacPhail was inadmissable hearsay.  He said that was because attorneys for Troy Davis did not call the accused to the witness stand.

Moore said this week he would not reconsider his decision.

A final ruling in the case of Davis, who had been convicted of the murder based largely on since recanted testimony, has yet to be made.

LINKS

To see all our entries on Troy Anthony Davis, click on http://loveshade.org/blog-mt/mt-search.fcgi?IncludeBlogs=1&search=troy+anthony+davis

An article on the ruling against the motion is at http://www.ajc.com/news/judge-wont-reconsider-testimony-590597.html

To see more on Troy Anthony Davis, visit http://www.troyanthonydavis.org/

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August 05, 2010

Judge Striked Down California's Proposition 8 Against Gay Marriage

Photo of lesbian couple is from Queereaster Media Working Group (2006)A federal judge not only struck down California's Proposition 8 (2008), which disallowed same-sex marriage.  But the ruling not only said that homosexual marriage should be allowed, it challenged the very concept of gay marriage.

U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker essentially said that marriage is an established institution.  The genders of each member of the couple are no longer a legal issue.

"The evidence shows that the movement of marriage away from a gendered institution and toward an institution free from state-mandated gender roles reflects an evolution in the understanding of gender rather than a change in marriage. The exclusion exists as an artifact of a time when the genders were seen as having distinct roles in society and in marriage. That time has passed."

The decision is already being challenged in court, and will not have an immediate affect on same-sex marriages in California.  Because a previous decision had allowed same-sex marriage in California, some gay and lesbian couples were married before Proposition 8 passed.

You can see more at http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,2008771,00.html

To see our entries on same-sex marriage, click on http://www.loveshade.org/blog-mt/mt-search.fcgi?IncludeBlogs=1&search=same+sex+marriage

Photo of lesbian couple is from Queereaster Media Working Group (2006) http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/49/Lesbian_Couple_love_in_bed_02.jpg

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July 31, 2010

Lawyers for Troy Anthony Davis Want Rejected Testimony Accepted

Image of Troy Davis and his mother is from http://www.troyanthonydavis.org/pictures/Troy&Mom-Reduced.jpg.  No threat to its copyright is intended.Lawyers for Troy Anthony Davis. who was convicted of murder, want a judge to accept rejected testimony that named someone else as the killer.

U.S. District Judge William T. Moore Jr. had refused to consider testimony in a hearing last month that someone else had confessed to killing Savannah, Georgia officer Mark MacPhail in 1989.  Troy Davis was convicted of the killing in 1991 based on the testimony of witnesses, many of whom recanted their testimony in the hearing and said they were coerced by the police.  No physical evidence against Davis was ever presented.

UPDATE

Davis' attorneys said attorneys for the state failed to give any legal backing for their objection to the alledged confession by Sylvester "Redd" Coles to the killing for which Davis was convicited.  http://beta.savannahnow.com/latest-news/2010-08-04/state-missed-boat-troy-davis-team-argues

LINKS

To see all our entries on Troy Anthony Davis, click on http://loveshade.org/blog-mt/mt-search.fcgi?IncludeBlogs=1&search=troy+anthony+davis

For more information on the motion filed, see http://www.wtvm.com/global/story.asp?s=12856107

To see more on Troy Anthony Davis, visit http://www.troyanthonydavis.org/

Image of Troy Davis and his mother is from http://www.troyanthonydavis.org/pictures/Troy&Mom-Reduced.jpg.  No threat to its copyright is intended.

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July 10, 2010

Troy Anthony Davis: No One Understands The Law

Troy Anthony DavisCan a man who was convicted of murder be cleared by a hearing?  No one's sure how this works.

If a man who was convicted is found innocent, does he get a new trial or is he released?  Legal authorities are debating.

What rights and authority does a judge have in a case like this?  The judge doesn't know, and is trying to find out.

Meanwhile, the life of Troy Anthony Davis hangs in the balance.  Davis was convicted in 1991 of the murder of Savannah, Georgia police officer Mark Allen MacPhail based on no physical evidence and the testimony of witnesses, many of whom recently said in court they lied and were coerced by the police.  One witness identified one of the other witnesses as the actual killer.

Lawyers presented their final arguments, and District Judge William T. Moore Jr. is looking for advice on what he can and should legally do.  The law is such a mess that not even judges understand it.

LINKS

To see all our entries on Troy Anthony Davis, click on http://loveshade.org/blog-mt/mt-search.fcgi?IncludeBlogs=1&search=troy+anthony+davis

For more information on the confusion in the case, see http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2010/07/09/judge-seeks-clarity-on-scotus-standard-in-troy-davis-case/

http://savannahnow.com/news/2010-07-08/lawyers-file-final-arguments-troy-davis-case

To see more on Troy Anthony Davis, visit http://www.troyanthonydavis.org/

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June 24, 2010

Troy Anthony Davis Hearing Held

Photo featuring a poster of Troy Anthony Davis is from http://www.troyanthonydavis.org/In a hearing today for the convicted Troy Anthony Davis, a witness testified he saw Sylvester "Redd" Coles fire the shots that killed a Savannah, Georgia, police officer.  Benjamin Gordon was a primary witness for the defense, which said enough evidence was presented to get a new trial for the convicted Troy Davis.  Ultimately, a judge will make that decision.

Davis was convicted of the 1989 killing of Mark Allen MacPhail.  But according to Davis' attorneys, most of the witnesses against him recanted their testimony, some saying they were coerced by police.  "I was so scared I told them anything they wanted to hear," Jeffrey Sapp said on Wednesday.  Sapp testified that police told him, "Just say Troy told you. Just say Troy told you."

Kevin McQueen also said in the 1991 case that Davis admitted he killed MacPhail.  But in the hearing, McQueen said, "He never told me nothing like this. ... He never confessed to shooting anybody to me."

While Coles was named as a possible suspect in the killing, Savannah lead detective Greg Ramsey said Coles, who had been a witness against Davis, was not a suspect in the case.

The defense team did not call Coles to the stand nor all of the witnesses they said recanted their testimony.  They presented a possible case against Coles and their claim that police had focused on Davis as the suspect to the exclusion of others.

The U.S. Supreme Court had decided in August that a federal judge should hear evidence to see whether it "clearly establishes (Davis') innocence."  The defense is hoping that the judge will call for a new trial so evidence can be presented in court.

District Judge William T. Moore Jr., who listened to testimony Wednesday and Thursday, 23 and 24 June 2010, will announce his decision later.

LINKS

To see all our entries on Troy Anthony Davis, click on http://loveshade.org/blog-mt/mt-search.fcgi?IncludeBlogs=1&search=troy+anthony+davis

For more information on the hearing, see http://savannahnow.com/news/2010-06-25/troy-davis-hearing-ends-no-date-yet-decision-new-trial and http://abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/witnesses-helped-convict-man-death-row-now-recant/story?id=10995816 and http://www.wtvm.com/Global/story.asp?S=12760334 and http://www.wtoc.com/global/story.asp?s=12699354

To see more on Troy Anthony Davis, visit http://www.troyanthonydavis.org/

Updated 7 July 2010 and 29 June 2010.

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June 03, 2010

Ending Don't Ask, Don't Tell: Gays in the Military

Photo by SPC James M. Myers shows the Graduating Class of 1980, West Point - the first class to admit women.

When American President Bill Clinton took the office in 1993, one of his primary goals was to quickly allow openly homosexual men and women to serve in the armed forces.  That didn't happen.  Because of tremendous resistance, the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (DADT) compromise was made.  With this, homosexuals could serve as long as they didn't say they were homosexual--and as long as no one else reported them.

Since 1994, the DADT has resulted in over 13,500 otherwise qualified men and women being fired from the military.  Some of these were trained in skills the Pentagon considers "mission critical." This means if no one has those skills on a particular mission, that mission will fail.

In a historic move, the U. S. House voted to repeal DADT.  According to the ACLU, the Senate Armed Services Committee voted in favor of repeal in 2010's defense authorization bill.

But of course many people will try to stop it.  Ironically, according to the New York Times the United States military has accepted known felons into its ranks, with some of them convicted of crimes including armed robbery, arson and burglary.  If a heterosexual who committed armed robbery can serve in the military, why can't a homosexual who's never even gotten a traffic ticket?

What can you do to end discrimination against gays and lesbians in the military?  You can easily send an email through this link in the ACLU website.

MORE LINKS AND CREDITS

  To see an earlier blog entry on this issue, click on http://loveshade.org/blog/2008/07/dont_ask_dont_tellgays_in_the.html

To see all our blogs dealing with homosexuality, click on http://www.loveshade.org/blog-mt/mt-search.fcgi?IncludeBlogs=1&search=homosexual

To see all our blogs dealing with the ACLU, click on http://www.loveshade.org/blog-mt/mt-search.fcgi?IncludeBlogs=1&search=ACLU

Photo by SPC James M. Myers shows the Graduating Class of 1980, West Point - the first class to admit women.  As a work of the U.S. federal government, it is in the public domain.  Image is as found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Class_of_1980.jpg

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June 01, 2010

Troy Anthony Davis Hearing to be Held June 23, 2010

Image from http://www.troyanthonydavis.org/pictures/Anti%20death%20penalty%20action%20Sunday%2028%20March%202010.jpg

Troy Anthony Davis, the man who's been on death row for 19 years based on no physical evidence, finally has a hearing scheduled.

On June 23, attorneys for both sides can begin presenting evidence.  Troy Davis was convicted of the 1989 murder of off-duty Savannah police officer Mark Allen MacPhail.  Since that time, seven of the nine witnesses against him recanted their testimony, and one of the remaining two was a possible suspect.  The defense says it has nine new witnesses in Davis' support.

Under current federal law, it is extremely difficult to get a person convicted of murder a new hearing.  According to several legal opinions, with the evidence now available Davis would very likely not have been convicted.  But the so-called Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act (AEDPA) of 1996, which was championed by former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, almost eliminated any chance for Davis.

You can see more on the coming hearing at http://savannahnow.com/latest-news/2010-05-03/troy-davis-hearing-rescheduled-june-23.  The hearing was originally set for June 30, but was rescheduled.

According to a July 11, 2007 article in the Atlanta Journal Constitution, former FBI Director William Sessions, "The release of 124 death row inmates in the United States has made clear that the administration of the death penalty is not infallible."

Sessions also said, in regard to Troy Davis' case, "It would be intolerable to execute an innocent man. It would be equally intolerable to execute a man without his claims of innocence ever being considered by the courts or by the executive."

Anyone of us, at any time, could be arrested and tried and sentenced like Troy Anthony Davis.

To see all our entries on Troy Anthony Davis, click on http://loveshade.org/blog-mt/mt-search.fcgi?IncludeBlogs=1&search=troy+anthony+davis

For background see http://truthinjustice.org/troy-davis.htm

To see more on Troy Anthony Davis, visit http://www.troyanthonydavis.org/

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We are happy to learn that on altavista.com our website is currently in the top 30 sites out of over 200,000 for "troy anthony davis" and in the top 20 out of over 9 million for troy anthony davis (without quotes).  We like to hope we've made at least a small difference.  See http://www.altavista.com/web/results?itag=ody&kgs=1&kls=0&q=troy+anthony+davis&stq=10

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May 14, 2010

War on Drugs: 40 Years of Fail

Image from http://richarddetrich.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/prohibition.gif

 

'I loved when Bush came out and said, "We are losing the war against drugs." You know what that implies? There's a war being fought, and the people on drugs are winning it.' -- Bill Hicks, Queen's Theatre Late Show (1993)

'Like the war on drugs, the war on terror is absolutely unwinnable.' -- Tim Strawman (2004)

'In the grand scheme, it has not been successful. Forty years later, the concern about drugs and drug problems is, if anything, magnified, intensified." -- U.S. drug czar Gil Kerlikowske (2010)

The so-called War on Drugs has failed.  Even Kerlikowske, who is in command of the "troops", now admits that the effort that technically began in 1970 has failed.  The war has cost a trillion dollars and thousands of lives, yet drug use hasn't dropped.

Even the much lauded DARE program, where school children spent part of a day getting balloons and stickers and hearing people talk about how bad drugs are, has had no measurable effect.  But the program continued, and school board members and city officials got their smiling but concerned faces in front of newspaper-reading voters.

In reality, the war's been fought much longer than 40 years.  America's "war" began in 1920 with the passing of the 18th amendment to the U. S. Constitution, the one that created the Prohibition against alcohol.  The result was the creation of a criminal society where ordinary citizens regularly violated the U. S. Constitution.  It also led to the creation of organized crime in America, and may have been a factor leading to the Great Depression.

In 1933, the amendment was repealed, and the Depression slowly began to ease.  But organized crime remained, simply focusing on different businesses.

In a real war, you know the enemy.  You know who you're fighting.  It's Japan or Germany or the United States. In a drug war, there is no enemy, unless it's everyone who takes drugs.  But that's virtually all of America.

Continue reading "War on Drugs: 40 Years of Fail" »

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May 13, 2010

Teacher Found Not Guilty of Sexual Child Molestation--And Loses

Edith, Lorina and Alice Liddell (photo by Charles Dodgson aka Lewis Carroll)"

Paranoia strikes deep / Into your life it will creep / It starts when you're always afraid / You step out of line, the man come and take you away."

-- Neil Young and Stephen Stills of Buffalo Springfield, 'For What It's Worth,' 1966.

In certain times and certain places, being pinned with a certain label can destroy you.  The label pinned on you could be Communist, or Jew, or Nazi, or Gypsy, or Witch, or Homosexual, or Pedophile, or Christian.  The label doesn't matter, as long as fear and ignorance and their offspring hate go along with it.  When fear and ignorance are in control, "presumed innocent until proven guilty" doesn't matter.  If you're accused, you're guilty.

Former Georgia kindergarten teacher Tonya Craft, who lived with two years of accusations, hate and death threats, was cleared of all 22 counts of molestation and sexual abuse.  It began--and ended--with three young girls.  But her real-life trial is far from over.  There are still threats against her.  And her case cost Craft her job, her reputation and her home.

The charges came from when she was a kindergarten teacher at the American Chickamauga Elementary School, and one of her accusers was her own daughter.  The girl claimed her mother had put medicine on her.  But in a country obsessed with tracking down and destroying child molesters/pedophiles, that, and the testimony of two girls, was enough.

Two young girls were found touching each other. According to history and psychology, that is normal human behavior.  But not in this time of paranoia.  A monstrous, depraved, perverted adult must have done something awful and against the girls' will, so that person must be found and punished.

Fortunately for Craft, the girls were not very skilled at being consistent in telling their stories.  After five weeks of trial, the court and the jury discovered the youngsters were telling the tales they had been taught by their parents.  In cases like this, that sort of coaching by parents and prosecutors is commonplace.  And so are the angry mobs.

Continue reading "Teacher Found Not Guilty of Sexual Child Molestation--And Loses" »

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April 23, 2010

Colorado Court Overturns Campus Concealed Gun Ban

Girls Gun Club photo is from the El Paso High School Yearbook, El Paso, Texas (1923)

The Colorado Court of Appeals ruled that University of Colorado students who have a permit to carry concealed weapons can now carry them on campus. In February, Colorado State University decided not to allow such students to carry guns, but that may now be overturned. There was probably a lot of cheering by gun groups in Colorado as well as by some students and teachers.

In their wisdom, officials at Colorado State University decided on the ban because they were worried about another Columbine or Virginia Tech happening. I mean imagine you are a teacher and you decide to flunk a student and he has a gun. Or worse, you decide not to give an honors student an A and give him a B+ instead, and he has a hidden weapon. I hope you made out your will. It is a jungle in the school with all the competition. But I'm talking about USC, Syracuse, and Miami, not Colorado.

The student body of Colorado State University at Fort Collins had raised a roar over the gun policy. Sophomore David Ambrose said, "Banning guns on campus make students second class citizens compared with the rest of Colorado." Colorado is a rural state and many students and faculty are hunters. I have nothing against hunting or owning guns. There is definitely a cowboy mentality in Colorado. I can understand that you might want to do a little quail hunting before class and you want to drive directly to college. But carrying a concealed weapon to class, even with a permit, is just wrong.

Most campuses across the nation have weapons restrictions on campus, including some conservative states. Oh well we can't win them all.

Here are the sources.

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/23161698/detail.html


http://articles.latimes.com/2009/dec/28/nation/la-na-guns-campus28-2009dec28 

The photo is taken from the 1923 El Paso High School Yearbook, El Paso, Texas and shows the high school Girls Gun Club. As far as we know it's public domain.

Vernon Avaritt wants to thank Danacasso and Alden Loveshade for help with this report. But understand that the opinions expressed in this entry represent those of Vern.

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April 12, 2010

Journalistic Ethics, Exposing Sources and Pedophilia

No threat to Coppertone's copyright is intended.

Journalists are facing a modern-day version of an old challenge.  Should journalists leave behind their "fair and balanced" ethics to expose a crime (or sell their product), or abandon the confines of journalism all together and move from informers to informants?

Traditional journalistic ethics are being challenged in France because of an installment on the series Les Infiltrés called "Pedophiles: The Predators."  In it, reporter Laurent Richard pretended online to be variously a 12-year-old girl and a man who was sexually interested in children.  He communicated with several people who collected child pornography, then traveled to Montreal and met a man he later turned in.  In terms of traditional journalistic ethics, this could be seen a betrayal of the confidentiality of his source.

Some may have the reaction of "So what if he violated some abstract ethics?  He caught somebody."  The problem here is the challenge to journalistic ethics and to the nature of journalism itself, which can have a tremendous effect on what the public learns.  People's safety, health and even lives can and have been dependent on information journalists gained from confidential sources.

Continue reading "Journalistic Ethics, Exposing Sources and Pedophilia" »

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April 01, 2010

Nuke Japan

No threat is intended to the image of Nick Levasseur found at http://images.huffingtonpost.com/gen/152635/thumbs/s-NICK-LEVASSEUR-APOLOGY-large.jpgNew Hampshire State Representative Nick Levasseur wrote on Facebook. "Anime is a prime example of why two nukes just wasn't enough". This is a stupid and insensitive remark. Nuking Japan was a horrible thing that we had to do and it is extremely insensitive to make light of it. I don't know what else to say. It was a stupid comment so let it be.

As for Anime. In Japan EVERYBODY watches anime. In the US only children watch cartoon but that is changing. In Japan they make Anime for everybody! They make Pokemon and Card Captor Sakura for kids. They make Naruto and Bleach for young adults. They make Claymore for older adults. They make Urotsukidoji for "Mature" adults. Anime can be X-rated and that freaks out people in the US who think the Japanese are perverts. This is not true. The Japanese won't let children see X-rated Anime just like Americans won't. It is a culture difference.

Most of the world doesn't have the puritanical ideas about sex that we have. On the other hand, we embrace violence which the reat of the world does not. We are very warped in our own way.

Oh well! Have a great day.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/27/nick-levasseur-apology-an_n_516058.html

No threat is intended to the copyright of the image of Nick Levasseur found at http://images.huffingtonpost.com/gen/152635/thumbs/s-NICK-LEVASSEUR-APOLOGY-large.jpg

Entries by persons who are members or associates of The Loveshade Family do not necessarily represent the views of the whole family.

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Zoey Zane Declared Discordian Saint; Killer Gets Life

Israel Mireles (photo from http://blogs.kansascity.com/.a/6a00d83451b1b869e2012877966705970c-320wi)Israel Mireles, 26, the man convicted of killing and raping the 18-year-old Emily Sander, got life in prison without the possibility of parole.  Had Mexico not refused to deport him unless the United States of "We like to kill people in" America promised not to kill him, he probably would have gotten the death penalty.  Then he would have sat on Death Row for 20 years at a cost of millions of dollars.

Synchronistically, on the same day, 31 March 2010, Zoey Zane (the modeling name of Sander) was declared a Discordian Saint.  Emily Sander had already been named a Discordian American PriEmily Sander (image from family)ncess.

As this may be our last entry on Emily Sander/Zoey Zane, I'll let you know we were the first website (other than that of the local Kansas paper) to report that Emily was missing before it was revealed she posed nude as Zoey Zane.  Our friend Perlie the Pony Girl was friends with Emily and knew about the double identity, but didn't want to hurt the family.  But the organized media called Emily a "porn star" and still insists on calling her a "pornography model," even though almost all her poses were relatively tame.

Had she not posed, almost everyone who's read the story would not have heard of her.  And that's a shame.

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LINKS

Emily Sander tribute: http://discordia.loveshade.org/xtra/emily.html

Israel Mireles' sentence: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-20001552-504083.html

Discordian American Princesses: http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Discordian+American+Princess and http://uncyclopedia.wikia.com/wiki/Category:Discordian_American_Princesses

To see all our entries on Emily Sander, click on http://www.loveshade.org/blog-mt/mt-search.fcgi?IncludeBlogs=1&search=emily+sander

Entries by persons who are members or associates of The Loveshade Family do not necessarily represent the views of the whole family.

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March 31, 2010

Grandma Gets Arrested For Selling Goldfish to Minor

No goldfish (goldfish photo by Cassandra Tiensivu released into the public domain; no part by us, also public domain)That's right; a sexagenarian was fined 1000 pounds and was forced to wear an electronic tag for selling a goldfish to a minor.  Joan Higgins has been the owner of Major's Pet Foods in Sale, Greater Manchester, for many years and has never been in trouble with the law. 

According to the United Kingdom's Animal Welfare Act, it is illegal to sell any pet to someone under the age of 16. Now both Joan and her son are criminals because they got caught in a sting operation.  Yes, the 14-year-old boy was told to go to the store and buy a pet.  This is clear entrapment. 

I agree a little with the authorities that when you sell a goldfish to a 14 year old boy you most likely killed a goldfish.  That is a shame, but what are you going to do?  Throw them in jail? For a goldfish?  What happened to this woman was a criminal act in itself.  We really need to make everyone a criminal.  We're on our way.
 
Here's the story: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1262250/Great-grandmother-tagged-selling-goldfish.html

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Vernon Avaritt has been posting interesting comments and giving us helpful suggestions for entries for quite a while now, but this is Vern's first entry on our blog.  We welcome and thank Vern for writing about this for our readers.  We hope to have many more entries by Vern.

Entries by persons who are members or associates of The Loveshade Family do not necessarily represent the views of the whole family.

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March 11, 2010

To Stop Gay Couples, Mississippi School Cancels Prom

Image is at http://www.pinknews.co.uk/images/prom2.jpgConstance McMillen wanted to go to her high school prom with her girlfriend.  She wanted to wear a tuxedo.  The Itawamba County Agricultural High School faced a dilemma.  Their policy said no same-sex couples, and no cross dressing.

The American Civil Liberties Union, however, said that policy was a violation of civil rights.  The ACLU's point had already been decided in Fricke v. Lynch, 491 f. Supp. 381, way back in 1980.  So the school district made a decision: rather than let one girl wear a tuxedo, they cancelled the prom for everyone.

The report didn't actually say it was because of that, but "due to the distractions to the educational process caused by recent events."

Apparently, in that county in Mississippi, learning about civil rights is a distraction to what they consider a proper education. 

Read the story at http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_lesbian_prom_date

Image used is at http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-13517.html/ and appears at http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-13517.html/ No threat to its copyright is intended.

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To see all our entries dealing with the ACLU, click on http://www.loveshade.org/blog-mt/mt-search.fcgi?IncludeBlogs=1&search=aclu

To see all our entries dealing with the Student Non-Discrimination Act, http://www.loveshade.org/blog-mt/mt-search.fcgi?IncludeBlogs=1&search=student non-discrimination act

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Klee Brasserie Serves Breast Milk Cheese

Breast cheese image from http://www.dvorak.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/cheese.jpgYou may remember when pushing for breast-milk foods for people was a publicity gimmick done by PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals--see below).  Well, this time it's real.

"Iron Chef" Daniel Angerer said necessity is the mother of invention--and in this case the source of milk.  He had and wife Lori Mason had a freezer full of her breast milk, and were running out of room.  Rather than waste it, he decided to serve cheese made from it with figs and Hungarian pepper at Klee Brasserie.

Of course some people are shocked.  Even the New York City Health Department advised him to stop serving it.  They didn't have a law against it, but you know if they work hard enough they can make up--I mean find--something.

It's actually odd that it would seem odd.  People think nothing of swallowing bodily fluid from a fat, four footed creature that regurgitates matter from its stomach, then chews it and swallows it and regurgitates it again.  But humans drinking a drink that's specifically designed to fill the nutritional needs of humans?  Horrors!

And if it starts with getting adults to consume breast milk, it won't end there!  Before you know it, they'll be having teenagers, preteens and young children doing it.  Can you imagine the atrocity of having babies breast feeding?

Read more: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/35778477/ns/today-today_food_and_wine/

For all our entries that touch on breast feeding, click on http://www.loveshade.org/blog-mt/mt-search.fcgi?IncludeBlogs=1&search=breast+feed  The PETA story is at http://loveshade.org/blog/2008/09/will_ice_cream_made_from_breas.html

The cheese breast image is at http://www.dvorak.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/cheese.jpg and appears in the article http://www.dvorak.org/blog/2008/04/10/human-breast-milk-cheese/.  No threat to its copyright is intended.

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February 15, 2010

Israel Mireles Found Guilty of Killing Emily Sander

Israel Mireles (photo from the Wichita Eagle)In a case that drew national attention because the victim posed naked online, Israel Mireles was convicted of the rape and murder of Emily Sander.  One of our friends was one of her friends, so the case is personal to us.

Because of an extradition agreement with Mexico which, like most of the civilized world, doesn't allow executions, he will not be executed.  But for conviction on the rape, murder and aggravated criminal sodomy, he will face life in prison when sentenced on March 31.

Sander was an 18-year-old Kansas secretary and college student whose death drew national attention when it was revealed she posed naked as Zoey Zane.  Her friend, who posts online as Perlie the Pony Girl, said "I'm glad they aren't going to kill him. I don't believe in that and Emily didn't either. She was such a wonderful girl. I hope people remember her that way."

Zoey Zane was not a "porn star," but a young woman who posed for a few photos and who was working to make a better life for herself.  We hope she'll be remember that way, too.

See more at http://www.kansas.com/news/featured/story/1177964.html

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To see all our entries on Emily Sander, click on http://www.loveshade.org/blog-mt/mt-search.fcgi?IncludeBlogs=1&search=emily+sander

See Perlie the Pony Girl's tribute to her friend Emily at http://discordia.loveshade.org/xtra/emily.html

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Troy Davis Still Waiting to be Retried or Die

Troy Anthony DavisTroy Anthony Davis was convicted of the 1989 killing of Savannah, Georgia police officer Mark Allen MacPhail and sentenced to be executed.  Since then, seven of the nine key witnesses have recanted their testimony, and one of those remaining two witnesses is a possible suspect.  But prosecuters are claiming Davis' lawyers may have coerced witnesses into recanting.

Attempts to get Davis' case retried have repeatedly run into legal obstacles and entanglements.  Davis' attorneys are currently trying to get access to police files.

For more information, see http://savannahnow.com/crime/2010-02-05/troy-davis-lawyers-cry-foul

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A website for Troy Davis is at http://troyanthonydavis.org/

To see all our entries on Troy Anthony Davis, click on http://loveshade.org/blog-mt/mt-search.fcgi?IncludeBlogs=1&search=troy+anthony+davis

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January 11, 2010

Ban on Same-Sex Marriage Now in Court

Image is from http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/MSNBC/Components/Photo/_new/g-cvr-100111-marriage1-9a.hmedium.jpg. No threat to its copyright is intended.California's gay marriage ban is now on trial.  Beginning today, Monday, 11 January, the court is examing the ban.  Currently, five U.S. states and the District of Columbia approve gay marriage. 

California approved it after a court decision there, but it changed after Proposition 8 banning same-sex marriage passed in November 2008.  It left California in the odd position of having legally approved same-sex marriages that were now against the constitution, which also didn't allow the state to force divorces on those already married.

Regardless of how this case of two same-sex couples is decided, the decision is likely to be appealed to the U. S. Supreme Court.  America's final court may then well make a decision that will greatly affect marriage through all of America.

In a fundamental question in the current case, District Court Chief Judge Vaughn Walker asked lawyer Ted Olson about state-controlled marriage.  Olson, who is arguing in favor of same-sex marriage, was key to getting George W. Bush elected president by, essentially, one vote in the U. S. Supreme Court after a recounting of the inaccurate Florida voting was denied.  Walker asked if the goverment could get out of the marriage business.  Olson responded, Yes, I believe it could."

Here, we largely agree with Olson.  Why can't marriage be returned to being a social and/or religious institution, and not something completely controlled by big government?  Participants could sign a contract on how their assets and child custody could be handled, and would have a choice of contracts.  Now, the government tells you who you can marry and how.  Couldn't that be a decision guided by your own conscience?

For more information, see http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34801259/ns/us_news-life/.

To see all our entries on gay marriage, click on http://www.loveshade.org/blog-mt/mt-search.fcgi?IncludeBlogs=1&search=gay+marriage

Image is from http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/MSNBC/Components/Photo/_new/g-cvr-100111-marriage1-9a.hmedium.jpg. No threat to its copyright is intended.

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December 31, 2009

Predictions for 2010

 

Loveshade Predictions for 2010

 

I know you've all been waiting for this all year, so here it is.

Here are my predictions for 2010 (actually, other members of The Loveshade Family contributed to this; they just don't want to admit it):

* The HEALTH CARE REFORM so praised by Americans (that is, those who don't have health care), will pass, but will not work as planned.  Detractors will say it's a huge waste of money, and will put America in the toilet.  However, supporters will say it's at least better than it was, and it will continue to get better.  Rush Limbaugh will say at least I'm still alive.

ELVIS PRESLEY will be spotted in a shopping mall in New Jersey.

* The AMERICAN ECONOMY will show significant improvement; Democrats will claim it's because of their fine work, while Republicans will claim it's because of improvements made while George W. Bush was still president.

* An American group will work very hard to prove that BARACK OBAMA DOESN'T QUALIFY AS PRESIDENT.  The group will be suspected of having ties to a dissident group overseas.

* The supposedly dim-witted PARIS HILTON will still maintain the facade of being dim-witted, but will none-the-less cleverly manage to get herself in the news for yet another scandal.

* A male AMERICAN ICON of purity and wholesomeness will be caught with his hand somewhere people don't think it belongs; i.e., in someone else's pocket.

* A female BRITISH ICON of purity and wholesomeness will be caught exposing a portion of her anatomy that the prudish will not think should be exposed.

* The Law that DEATHS ALWAYS HAPPEN IN FIVES will once again be proven this year.  At least of those deaths will be unexpected, a famous singer, and a famous actor.

QUEEN ELIZABETH I will not die, but will have a significant medical problem.  (Sorry, your Majesty).

* A major figure in the MIDDLE EAST will be violently killed.

* In the United Kingdom, there will be renewed interest in an ANCIENT ACTIVITY.  It will be something that's been popular in North America for years.

HIP HOP will still be popular with many, and still hated by many others.

* I will perform a legally-recognized DISCORDIAN WEDDING, and there will be much rejoicing.

HAPPY NEW YEAR,

THE LOVESHADE FAMILY

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December 07, 2009

Uganda May Hang Gays--Supported by The Family?

There is a bill being proposed in Uganda that would make homosexuality a capital crime; violators would be hung.  Anyone who failed to report a homosexual in Uganda could be imprisoned for three years.

Apparently, some of the people behind the bill (possibly the author) are associated with The Family, a conservative Christian organization.

See the video at www.loveshade.org/blog/uganda_hang_gays.html

Thanks to Vernon Avaritt for pointing this out to us.

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November 23, 2009

Who Would Jesus Bomb? -- David Rovics

Nick Ut's Puliter Prize winning photo of people running, including the naked Napalm victim 9-year-old Kim Phuc.  No threat to the iconic photo's copyright is intended. "Well I've just got one question
And I want an answer
Tell me, who would Jesus bomb?"

David Rovics asks that and questions the Christian justification for war in "Who Would Jesus Bomb?"  Even though most of the Portland, Oregon resident is copyrighted, he let's individuals download his songs and poems for free, and performs in various parts of the world.  With his social commentary and protests, musical storytelling, acoustic guitar and recordings that aren't artifically made perfect in studio, he reminds us a little of the early Bob Dylan.

In addition to "Who Would Jesus Bomb?," you might also want to listen to his song "John Brown" about the extremely controversial abolutionist and folk hero who led armed insurrection to end slavery in 19th century America.

You can check Rovics' website, download songs for free and donate to support the artist who lets you download for free at http://www.davidrovics.com.  One person's video of "Who Would Jesus Bomb?" is at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DU0OvaBqSwo&feature=rec-HM-fresh+div

Thanks to Vernon Avaritt for telling us about this artist and the song.

This article includes Nick Ut's Puliter Prize winning photo of people running, including the naked Napalm victim 9-year-old Kim Phuc.  No threat to the iconic photo's copyright is intended.

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August 29, 2009

Michael Jackson: Murdered and Still Alive

Michael Jackson shortly before his supposed death http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Michael_Jackson_June_23,_2009.JPGYep, we guessed it. Michael Jackson, The King of Pop, was seen alive in a video after he was murdered. Who would have thought it? We would have thought it. Look Below.

It will be really interesting to see how these reports work out. I can imagine the trial:

As a witness, you claimed you saw Michael Jackson alive after his supposed death.

Yes, that's correct.

But according to this autopsy report, he's dead. And you also claim you know who murdered him. Can you explain how you can both claim he's alive and say you know who killed him?

Yes. I want the publicity.

Below

We would have thought it. See our blog entry at http://loveshade.org/blog/2009/08/death_of_michael_jackson_homicide_or_fake.html

See that he was murdered at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32542682/ns/entertainment-music/ and see he's still alive at http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=9b8_1251194026

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For all our blog entries dealing with Michael Jackson click on http://www.loveshade.org/blog-mt/mt-search.fcgi?IncludeBlogs=1&search=Michael+Jackson

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August 24, 2009

CIA Threatened to Kill Children of Suspect

Central Intelligence AgencyA CIA report that was released today (Monday, 24 August 2009) says interrogators threatened to kill the children of a suspect in the investigation of the 11 September 2009 attack.

According to the American Justice Department, an official said another Central Intelligence Agency interrogator had told Khalid Sheikh Mohammed that, if the United States were attacked again, "We're going to kill your children."

Another interrogator allegedly threatened a detainee that his mother would be sexually assaulted in front of him.

Meanwhile, American President Barack Obama approved creating a new special interrogation unit that works under the White House and that follows the rules for interrogations specified by the Army Field Manual. Apparently, Obama wants to make it clear what's acceptable interrogation and what's not, and to distance himself from George. W. Bush-era methods.

While I'm less than enthusiastic about the creation of a new agency,  I don't blame Obama for wanting to distance himself from the practices of the recent past. I am completely opposed to terrorism, even if it does come from the "good guys."

Very early in America's history, the Bill of Rights was approved to assert fundamental human rights. But apparently those rights only apply to American citizens. The American government can get away with threats, humiliation and torture against others. It can also invade another country on false pretenses, killing its people and making many of the survivors homeless (Korea, Viet Nam, Iraq, etc.), as long as it protects America's vested interests. That's why the world loves America so much. That's why Americans overseas have no fear of other nations treating them as horribly as America treats foreign suspects.

I am not yet ready to call America the "Evil Empire." There's a great deal of good. For example (and some may disagree on this), there's the American Civil Liberties Union which got this previously hidden information released. But reports like this make a belief in America's goodness hard to swallow.

For more information, see http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090824/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_cia_interrogations

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To see all our blog entries on Terrorists and Terrorism, click on http://www.loveshade.org/blog-mt/mt-search.fcgi?IncludeBlogs=1&search=terrorist+OR+terrorism

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August 20, 2009

Hearing on Emily Sander Murder Suspect Israel Mireles Continues

Emily Irene SanderThe preliminary hearing for suspect Israel Mireles, who is the prime suspect in the killing of Emily Sander, is continuing. After hearing the preliminary evidence, a judge will decide if there is sufficient evidence to go to trial. At that point, Mireles will enter a plea.

Today (Tuesday, August 18, 2009), Aurelia Resa, college friend of the Kansas Sander, testified that she saw Sander leave a bar with Mireles the night she disappeared.

The case has drawn national attention because it was discovered Sander had posed nude online under the name of Zoey Zane. Sander had said that access to the website was blocked so that people in her hometown of El Dorado couldn't access it.

Also see http://www.kansascity.com/news/breaking_news/story/1389997.html

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To see all our entries on Emily Sander, click on http://www.loveshade.org/blog-mt/mt-search.fcgi?IncludeBlogs=1&search=emily+sander

See Perlie the Pony Girl's tribute to her friend Emily at http://discordia.loveshade.org/xtra/emily.html

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Update: After a judge determined there was enough evidence for trial, the attorney for Mireles entered a "not guilty" plea to the charges. The trial is scheduled to begin Nov. 2.

Read more at http://www.nydailynews.com/news/us_world/2009/08/19/2009-08-19_israel_mireles_suspect_in_murder_of_internet_model_emily_sander_aka_zoey_zane_pl.html#ixzz0R90OXMt1

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August 17, 2009

Death of Michael Jackson: Homicide or Fake?

Michael JacksonAs of right now, it's been seven weeks since the death of "The King of Pop" Michael Jackson died at age 50. He's been the focus of tremendous media attention, and received what was called "the biggest celebrity send-off of all time," watched by 1 billion people.

And yet the cause of death has still not been released. Was it an accidental overdose of a prescription medication, a lethal drug mix, a rare medical condition, or what?

In a case like this, the relatively young death of an American icon, the death report would usually come relatively quickly. Unless there's suspicion of foul play.

We suspect two things: first, like what happened with the other American music king Elvis Presley, somebody will claim to have seen Michael Jackson alive. Second, his death will be investigated as a homicide.

See more at http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory?id=7948345 and http://abcnews.go.com/Health/MichaelJackson/story?id=7938918&page=1 and  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/michael-jackson/5771156/Michael-Jackson-memorial-service-the-biggest-celebrity-send-off-of-all-time.html

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August 15, 2009

Emily Sander aka Zoey Zane Murder Suspect Faces Hearing August 18

Emily Irene SanderThe preliminary hearing for suspect Israel Mireles has been rescheduled for August 18, 2009. Mireles has been charged with the capital murder, rape and aggravated sodomy of Emily Sander.

Sander, who was a friend of our friend Perlie the Pony Girl, gained national attention when it was discovered she was a nude model who posed online under the name Zoey Zane. (Some have called her a "pornography model" or even "porn star," but most of her poses were relatively tame). Emily was only 18 when she died. The Kansas girl was a college student and secretary.

The case had previously been delayed when officials in Mexico refused to extradite Mireles until the U. S. agreed that, even if convicted, he would not be executed. Mexico does not accept the death penalty.

Now for a little editoralizing. Mexico, like most of the civilized world, doesn't believe in executions. If you lock an innocent person up, you've taken away their freedom and some of their life, but at least they can be released. If you kill them, you've taken away everything.

(See our report below on Troy Anthony Davis.)

Killing doesn't give "closure." Closure happens within the individual person and is not somehow magically created by outside events, as psychological studies have shown. And it's not always just. In America, "justice" usually means punishment, and punishment usually means revenge.

Perlie was torn apart by what happened to her friend. But she doesn't want to see the killing continue.

You can see Perlie's tribute to her friend at http://discordia.loveshade.org/xtra/emily.html.

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To see all our entries on Emily Sander, click on http://www.loveshade.org/blog-mt/mt-search.fcgi?IncludeBlogs=1&search=emily+sander

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Troy Anthony Davis Still Waiting to be Freed or Executed

The U.S. Supreme Court will decide on whether to grant Troy Anthony Davis an appeal after it returns from recess in September. Davis has been in prison for 17 years for the alleged murder of a police officer. More than once, he has come very close to being executed.

Repeated attempts for an appeal or retrial have been thwarted or denied, in spite of the fact there is no physical evidence against Troy Davis. Almost all witnesses have recanted their testimonies against Davis, and many said they were coerced into testifying against him by the police. One of the remaining witnesses has been identified by several people as possibly the actual killer.

How long will this go on?

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You can find more information at http://www.troyanthonydavis.org/

To see all of our blog entries dealing with Troy Davis, click on http://www.loveshade.org/blog-mt/mt-search.fcgi?IncludeBlogs=1&search=troy+anthony+davis

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July 31, 2009

Online Porn Reduces Rape

http://www.tradevv.com/TradevvImage/productimages/Classical-nude-oil-painting-on-canvas-A2eb43.jpg'According to the study by Todd Kendall, an economics professor at Clemson University, “the arrival of the internet was associated with a reduction in rape incidence.”'

Columnist Bob Dyer said that forcible rape in America declined 30 percent in the past 15 years, which corresponds to the time the Internet--and online pornography--became popular.

This is reflected in Japan, which has probably more violent porn per capita than any other nation, yet has one of the world's lowest reported rates of sexual violence.

Of course some have and will continue to disagree by using the old "rape has nothing to do with sex it's about power and control" bit. Well, if you don't think rape has anything to do with sex, you need to get that talk from Dad. Sex and rape both mean certain body parts connecting with other certain body parts, whether those parts are willing or not, you know? But let's face it, if a man gives it up over a photo, drawing or video, he's given it up.

And if it is true that viewing images and videos, whether of real people or not, leads to a decrease in sexual violence? Let's hope to God or Goddess or Allah or Whoever You Worship that the United States doesn't outlaw fictional depictions of sexual acts involving fictional people who fit the same categories of those very real and vulnerable people they want to keep protected from sexual violence.

See the story we got this from, which came out a while ago but we missed it, at http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/world-news/online-porn-linked-to-reduced-incidence-of-rape_100150446.html

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May 20, 2009

13-year-old Alfie is Not the Father

Cover of The Sun showing Alfie (http://msnbcmedia3.msn.com/j/MSNBC/Components/Video/090216/n_hall_13dad_090216.vsmall.jpg)13-year-old Alfie Patten, who got front-page recognition as the father of his 15-year-old girlfriend's baby, is not the father.

While mother Chantelle did apparently did have sex with Alfie when he was 12, she was impregnated when 14 by someone else.  DNA tests that were released today, Tuesday, May 19, said the father isn't Alfie.  It's apparently a youth who is now 15 years old.

This case has opened a big debate about the virtual lack of sex education in England.  The nation has one of the highest teen pregnancy rates in Europe.  It seems that kids can learn to do things they aren't taught in a classroom.  Who would have thought it?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30819938/?GT1=43001

For our blog entries on Alfie Patten, click on http://www.loveshade.org/blog-mt/mt-search.fcgi?IncludeBlogs=1&search=alfie+patten

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May 11, 2009

Texas Sheriff Escapes Sex Offender Registration by Dying

Bill Keating photo from http://crimeblog.dallasnews.com/assets_c/2009/01/NMC_26Keating-thumb-200x209-33225.jpgTexans love five things: barbecues, football, guns, executions, and registering sex offenders.  It's a good-old-boy state where you can get lifetime registration as a sex offender and 20 years in prison for downloading photos that have appeared in several art museums.  But leaving a loaded gun where a kid gets it and shoots and kills his cousin can get you a fine.

But every once in a while, a good old boy get caught with his hand in the cookie jar.  Or in this case, the nookie jar.

William E. "Bill" Keating was sheriff of Montague County from 2005 to 2008.  He'd moved up in law enforcement over many years, then took a break to run a barbecue place before returning.  The widely respected lawman was doing what good old boy Texas lawmen do--until someone turned him in.  That someone was, ironically, a convicted felon.

Longtime felon Luke Bolton blew the whistle in September 2008.  W. E. Keating was arrested and, in January, pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a woman after telling her it was the only way to avoid a drug charge.  He faced a likely 10-year sentence in federal prison.  In addition, in February the state of Texas indicted him on official oppression and having sex with female inmates.

Continue reading "Texas Sheriff Escapes Sex Offender Registration by Dying" »

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May 01, 2009

Supreme Court Justice David Souter Leaving--Who's Coming In?

Supreme Court Justice David Souter (image from the U. S. Government)A friend and I were talking about how the possible retirement of U. S. Supreme Court justices, and their replacements, could change the nature of the Supreme Court.  A few hours later, I read that David Souter would be retiring.

Already, opponents of President Barack Obama are claiming he's lining up liberal justices and he and Vice President Joe Biden will violate their promise of bipartisanship.  Obama and Biden haven't made comments, and Obama specifically said he will not answer questions about possible appointees.  But that hasn't stopped the accusations.

Obama had made a statement in 2007 about what he would look for in a justice if elected president.  "We need somebody who's got the heart, the empathy, to recognize what it's like to be a young teenage mom. The empathy to understand what it's like to be poor, or African-American, or gay, or disabled, or old. And that's the criteria by which I'm going to be selecting my judges."

How will Souter's leaving affect the balance of the court?  Ironically, probably not very much.  While Souter was appointed by conservative-but-relatively-moderate Republican President George H. W. Bush, he has been classified as "liberal."  Sometimes, Supreme Court appointees surprise those who appointed them.  Once they become part of America's final court, they no longer have to worry about re-elections, and can freely make decisions based on their own conscience.

But it's highly unlikely that anyone Obama appoints will turn out to be highly "conservative."  What would really change the court would be the unexpected: the retirement of formalist, Ronald Reagan-appointed conservative Antonin Scalia, or of the conservative George H.W. Bush-appointed Clarence Thomas.  Replacing either one of them with even a moderate would be a major change.

See an article at http://news.yahoo.com/s/politico/20090501/pl_politico/21972

For all our blog entries dealing with the U. S. Supreme Court, click http://www.loveshade.org/blog-mt/mt-search.fcgi?IncludeBlogs=1&search=Supreme+Court

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Fight the Recession: Legalize Marijuana

Marijuana image from http://teens.drugabuse.gov/images/marijuana_leaf.jpg (The information on that page, while anti-drug, is surprisingly accurate. Don't smoke pot immediately before you play in a baseball league. Smoking while watching baseball, however....)In 1920, America approved a constitutional amendment that meant the prohibition of alcohol.  In 1929, the stock market crashed into the Great Depression.  In 1933, America revoked the amendment, and made alcohol legal again.  By 1936, the American economy (with the exception of still lower employment) had improved so much it was back to pre-crash levels.

Now, there's a debate about the legalization of marijuana.  Marijuana is already legal for medical purposes in several states, although until recently the federal Drug Enforcement Administration would still raid it.  Possession for non-medical use is only an infraction in a few states.  What if it were generally legal, and the federal and state governments could make money taxing it?  in California alone, the estimate is that taxes could raise $1.3 billion.

And that's not mentioning the money that could be saved.  Approximately a third of all prison inmates are there because of "illegal substance" violations.  In Texas, that percentage is about two thirds.  Billions and billions of dollars are spent enforcing laws and punishing people for victimless crimes.

Opponents are claiming the old "gateway drug" theory.  If you smoke pot, soon you'll be snorting cocaine and then shooting heroin.  Your life will be destroyed.  It's like the still-gasping-for-its-last-breath pornography theory.  If you look at pornographic pictures, whatever you see you'll go out and rape.

Continue reading "Fight the Recession: Legalize Marijuana" »

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April 18, 2009

No Penalties for Harsh CIA Interrogation/Torture

Waterboarding in Cambodia during the Khmer Rouge regime. Painting by a former prison inmate, Vann Nath, at the Tuol Sleng Genocide MuseumAmerican President Barack Obama has absolved CIA officers from prosecution for waterboarding, depriving detainees of heat and clothes, and slamming them against the wall.  At the same time, Obama released details of the treatment against legally-innocent suspects.  The ACLU had fought for the release of the information on the methods which the president said are no longer being used.

The announcement has drawn criticism from both supporters and detractors of "harsh interrogations" (what many observers in and out of the United States call "torture.")  Some say the release compromises American security.  If other nations know the CIA can't keep information secret, they may not trust American intelligence.

Others say the reports should have been released long ago.  Releasing information on discontinued methods are not a threat to American security, and those who promoted and did the horrible acts should be punished.

Continue reading "No Penalties for Harsh CIA Interrogation/Torture" »

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March 31, 2009

14-Year-Old Girl Arrested for Child Pornography of Herself

Wait, didn't we see this already? No, it's happening yet again.This picture, including the orange block-outs as shown, was the subject of an unrelated child pornography investigation in Canada. (see http://www.canadiancrc.com/Manitoba_Child_Sexual_Exploitation.aspx)

This time, it's a 14-year-old New Jersey girl who's facing child pornography charges, and possible lifetime registration as a sex offender, for posting photos of herself on Myspace.com.

If convicted as a sex offender, she'll be restricted on how close she can get to a school. This is to punish her--or is it to protect her? Is she the perpetrator or the victim?

According to a late 2008 study by The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, this kind of thing is commonplace. "Sex and Tech: Results from a Survey of Teens and Young Adults" was conducted between September 25, 2008 and October 3, 2008. According to the study, 20% of teens overall, 22% of teen girls, 18% of teen boys, and 11% of young teen girls (ages 13 to 16) said they sent or posted nude or semi-nude pictures or videos of themselves.

Continue reading "14-Year-Old Girl Arrested for Child Pornography of Herself" »

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March 02, 2009

Drug Enforcement Agency Will Stop Raiding Legal Marijuana

Photo of protest in favor of medical marijuana and the police (Robyn Beck / AFP/Getty Images)It sounds like a joke, but it's not. Attorney General Eric Holder said that the the Drug Enforcement Administration will stop raiding state-approved marijuana dispensaries.

In other words, the DEA will start recognizing the law.

Maybe the days of George W. "We Are Right And Everyone Else Is Wrong Including America" Bush and Karl "You're a Good Puppet George W. Here's a Baseball Card" Rove are finally over. Could we be entering a new era where the federal government respects the law, the constitution, and American citizens?

Let's hope so.

See the good Alex Johnson's article at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29433708/

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February 16, 2009

Teens Arrested for Child Pornography--For Photos of Themselves

Image of babysitter and three young kids from http://blog.usa.gov/roller/govgab/resource/images/daycare.jpgTwo girls, age 14 and 15, have been arrested and charged with disseminating child porn--for sending pictures of themselves.

The teen girls from Greensburg, Pennsylvania, were arrested along with two teen boys, ages 16 and 17, who are accused of having received the photos over their cell phones.

Ironically, the law could also classify the "criminals" as victims.  The underage girls could be classifed as victims of sex crimes because two teenagers possessed their nude photos.  And the underage boys could be classified as victims of sex crimes because they were sent "child pornography."  So if the law punishes the "criminals," it also punishes the "victims."

Some American laws are just too stupid to believe.

And these teens aren't the only ones. Others have been prosecuted under the same kind of laws.  In fact, millions of teens could be arrested for disseminating child pornography. According to a survey released in December 2008 by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, 20 percent of teens have sent nude photos of themselves to someone electronically.  And many more have possessed such photos.

In other words, the biggest producers, and probably consumers, of kiddie porn are kids.

These laws are supposedly written to protect the victims. But who is victimizing them? Themselves, or the government?

Am I the only one who thinks there needs to be some changes to these laws?

I learned about this at http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2009/01/teens-send-nude-pics-to-one-other-face-kiddie-porn-charges.ars For more info, see http://www.wpxi.com/news/18469160/detail.html (about the arrest) and the survey results in pdf form at http://www.thenationalcampaign.org/sextech/PDF/SexTech_Summary.pdf

 

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February 07, 2009

Troy Anthony Davis: No News is Good News?

An update on the case of Troy Davis, a man whom several people including top investigators believe was wrongly convicted of killing a police officer: nothing.  It's still a waiting game.

If the best for Davis happens and he is released, at least 17 years of his life, his young years, will be gone.  He's 40 now; he was 23 when this all began. We don't know what Georgia does, but in some states when you're wrongly convicted and serve for years for something you didn't do, you get a few thousand dollars.  In others, you get nothing but "sorry."

Neither one comes close to making up for those years of your life.  But let's hope something is done soon.

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You can find more information at http://www.troyanthonydavis.org/

To see all of our blog entries dealing with Troy Davis, click on http://www.loveshade.org/blog-mt/mt-search.fcgi?IncludeBlogs=1&search=troy+anthony+davis

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January 23, 2009

New U. S. President Obama to Close Gitmo

President Barack Obama (from whitehouse.gov)"Breaking forcefully with Bush anti-terror policies, President Barack Obama ordered major changes Thursday that he said would halt the torture of suspects, close down the Guantanamo detention center, ban secret CIA prisons overseas and fight terrorism 'in a manner that is consistent with our values and our ideals.'" (Link to article quoted is below).

What is this country coming to? Does Obama plan to make us a nation that doesn't torture people?  "The Obama administration said all terrorism suspects will be covered by standards set by the Geneva Conventions, something the Bush administration opposed." Is America now going to start following those international guidelines that America and virtually every civilized nation in the world agreed to? Is America going to start respecting fundamental human rights?

We hope so.

See the article at http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090123/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_rdp

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To see all entries about Guantanamo Bay Prison aka Gitmo, click on http://www.loveshade.org/blog-mt/mt-search.fcgi?IncludeBlogs=1&search=guantanamo

To see all entries about Barack Obama, click on http://www.loveshade.org/blog-mt/mt-search.fcgi?IncludeBlogs=1&search=obama

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January 17, 2009

Throw a Shoe at President Bush? Get a Party!

Iraqi journalist Muntadhar al-Zeidi throws a shoe at President George W. Bush during a new conference with Iraq Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki in Baghdad, Iraq, on Dec. 14. (photo by Evan Vucci / AP)Muntadhar al-Zeidi, the Iraqi journalist who threw a shoe at President George W. Bush as a protest, got a party in prison.

Al-Zeidi was arrested on Dec. 14 when he made the protest at a joint news conference between Bush and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. After the arrest, thousands demonstrated for al-Zeidi's release.

The journalist could face up to 15 years in prison.  But at least he got a party from the guards for his 30th birthday.

We don't condone throwing shoes at world leaders (mostly because they might have us arrested if we did). But we also don't condone a world leader starting an unprovoked, murderous war that resulted in the deaths of thousands of innocent people.  The war in Iraq has "liberated" a country that didn't want to be liberated, and left a high percentage of the population homeless.

Throw a shoe, go to prison.  Order the deaths of thousands of innocent people, retire with a nice pension.

As a Discordian, I have to admire the discord created by the throwing of the shoe.  Our own group, the Discordian Division of the Ek-sen-triks CluborGuild, recognizes used shoe seller Chao Tse-tung as a Discordian saint.  And as Mad Malik aka Joe Malik is a major Discordian figure, it seems appropriate this would happen in the presence of al-Maliki.

Maybe things would be a lot better if President George W. Bush has simply thrown a shoe at Iraqi President Saddam Hussein instead of invading Iraq.  Let the war mongers fling things at each other, and leave the rest of us alone.

See the story at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28698294/?gt1=43001

For more on Discordia, see http://discordia.loveshade.org

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January 15, 2009

President-Elect Obama Plans to Shut Down Guantanamo Bay Prison

Guantanamo Bay, Cuba prison (image from http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/01/12/obama.gitmo)Guantanamo Bay Prison, a place where "suspected terrorists" were being held indefinately, many without even being charged with anything, may soon be shut down.

President-elect Barack Obama, like his prime presidential rival Senator John McCain, had pledged to close Gitmo.  Both wanted to separate themselves in the eyes of voters from the policies of the George W. Bush Administration.  Many have called those policies violations of fundamental human rights.

Obama plans to make the proclamation to shut it down within his first week in office, which begins January 20.  His hope is to close it within his first 100 days, but bureaucratic delays and logistics may make that difficult.

The prison at Guantanamo Bay is seen in various parts of the world as evidence of American tyranny, cruelty and hypocricy.  Let's hope the closure begins a real change in American policy and will be more than just a symbolic jesture.

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January 11, 2009

Alzheimer's? Smoke Pot

Marijuana image from svana.org/sjh/images/marijuana_leaf.gifMarijuana use has long been associated with problems in short term recall.  Hey, did I say bud affects short term recall?

Ironically enough, weed may help prevent--and even reverse--the most notorious memory disease of all, Alzheimer's Disease.

The journal Neurobiology of Aging reported that a compound that works like marijuana's THC reduces brain inflammation and improves memory in senior citizen rats.

As always, more research will have to be done.  But the effects of chemicals on rats are amazingly similar to the effects on humans.

Could this be another nail in the coffin of out-dated anti-marijuana laws?  Hey, Grandpa, don't forget to smoke some grass!

See http://health.msn.com/health-topics/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100230518&gt1=31036

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November 28, 2008

Troy Anthony Davis Still Has a Chance

Troy Anthony Davis, the man who was convicted of killing a police officer on recanted evidence, has finally been giving a real chance.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit will consider the constitutionality of Davis' conviction and possibly the law beginning on December 9.  Seven of the nine non-police witnesses against him recanted their testimony, and some said one of the two remaining witnesses is the actual killer.  But Troy Davis, who's been locked up for 17 years, was still scheduled for execution three times.

Because of a law passed in the 1990s, even if Davis produces compelling evidence in his support, he can still be executed without a full hearing.  Hopefully, the court will declare this deadly law unconstitutional.

Read more about this most recent development at http://www.ajc.com/opinion/content/opinion/stories/2008/11/18/sessionsed_1118.html

You can find more information at http://www.troyanthonydavis.org/

To see all of our blog entries dealing with Troy Davis, click on http://www.loveshade.org/blog-mt/mt-search.fcgi?IncludeBlogs=1&search=troy+anthony+davis

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Would You Kill For a Bargain?

Photo is as found at www.hoax-slayer.com/mexico-drug-money-photos.shtmlBlack Friday, the day after America's Thanksgiving, is so named because it's the "biggest shopping day of the year."  The average retail business makes 10% of its holiday sales on that one day.

But on this Black Friday, 28 November 2008, it was a day of death for two shoppers and a clerk.

A Wal-Mart worker in Long Island, New York was killed when a crowd of shoppers rushed in as he was opening the front door.  The crowd rushed so hard that part of the door's metal frame was "crushed like an accordion," according to a story from the Associated Press.  A woman in the eighth month of her pregnancy was hit by the crowd and transported to the hospital.

A witness said shoppers stepped over the man lying on the floor.  Those who tried to help got crushed themselves.

In a second fatal shopping spree, two men in Palm Desert, California shot and killed each other in a Toys "R" Us.  Several shoppers and employees fled the store, with one four-year-old boy clinging to his mother's leg, telling her he didn't want to die.

The double fatal shooting may have been motivated by gang rivalry, not a toy.  As one person asked, who brings loaded weapons into a toy store?

The Wal-Mart story is at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27955316 and the Toys "R" Us article is at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27957714.

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October 27, 2008

Execution of Troy Anthony Davis--Delayed Again!

Stop image from http://media.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/images/I60022-2005Feb28"The federal appeals court in Atlanta on Friday halted Troy Anthony Davis’ execution, the third time his life has been spared shortly before he was to be put to death."

To see the article on Troy Davis, go to http://www.ajc.com/services/content/metro/stories/2008/10/24/troy_davis_stay.html

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We just learned some people have been problems posting comments during the last few days.  We're working on the problem and hope to have it fixed soon.  If you have a problem, please let us know.

You might want to visit http://www.troyanthonydavis.org/

To see all of our blog entries dealing with Troy Davis, click on http://www.loveshade.org/blog-mt/mt-search.fcgi?IncludeBlogs=1&search=troy+anthony+davis

 

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October 17, 2008

Supreme Court Refuses to Review Troy Anthony Davis Case: Execution Scheduled

First Floor at the Statute of John Marshall in the foreground, shadowed, quotation from Marbury v. Madison (written by Marshall) engraved into the wall. United States Supreme Court Building. (image by Swatjester)This is hard for us to believe and hard to write.  The U. S. Supreme Court has refused to review the Troy Anthony Davis case.  Davis was convicted of killing a police officer who was shot 17 years ago, and sentenced for execution.

This is in spite of there being no physical evidence; witnesses recanting their testimony, some saying they were coerced by the police; Troy Davis continuing to assert his innocence; one of the two remaining witnesses being a suspect in the killing; a national and international effort to get the case reviewed; and the fact the Supreme Court put a stay on Davis' execution--it's rare for the court to do that and then not review a case.

Many people, including some prominent law enforcement officials, beliewe that what little evidence remains would not be enough to convict Davis.  In fact some law enforcement experts have said they believe he's innocent.

He's scheduled to be executed on Oct. 27, 2008.

See articles at  http://www.alternet.org/blogs/peek/102917/supreme_court_rejects_troy_davis_case%2C_gives_green_light_for_his_execution/ and http://www.alternet.org/rights/102930/amnesty_int'l:_supreme_court_refusal_to_hear_troy_davis_case_%22truly_shocking%22/

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You might want to visit http://www.troyanthonydavis.org/

To see all of our blog entries dealing with Troy Davis, click on http://www.loveshade.org/blog-mt/mt-search.fcgi?IncludeBlogs=1&search=troy+anthony+davis

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October 07, 2008

U. S. Supreme Court Still to Consider Appeal of Troy Anthony Davis

The U. S. Supreme Court plans to meet in private to discuss the case of Troy Anthony Davis.  Davis was convicted of murdering a police officer largely on the basis of the testimony of nine witnesses, seven of which recanted with one of the remaining two named as the possible murderer.

Troy Anthony DavisDavis was convicted of fatally shooting Mark Allen MacPhail, a 27-year-old officer killed on August 19, 1989.  The court said it would meet on Friday to discuss the case, but hasn't said when it will make a decision on whether or not to reconsider it.

For more details, see http://www.ajc.com/traffic/content/metro/stories/2008/10/06/troy_davis_appeal.html.

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You might want to visit http://www.troyanthonydavis.org/

To see all of our blog entries dealing with Troy Davis, click on http://www.loveshade.org/blog-mt/mt-search.fcgi?IncludeBlogs=1&search=troy+anthony+davis

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September 30, 2008

U. S. Supreme Court May Announce Decision on Troy Anthony Davis on Oct. 6

We won't repeat what we've already posted (see the link at the very bottom to see our earlier blogs on this topic).  But the U. S. Supreme Court is scheduled to announce a decision on the Troy Antony Davis case on October 6.

We're hoping for a new trial for the man who was convicted of murder on evidence that later proved to be very questionable.

You might want to visit http://www.troyanthonydavis.org/ and see more about the current situation at http://www.ajc.com/mero/content/metro/stories/2008/09/29/troy_davis_case.html

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To see all of our blog entries dealing with Troy Davis, click on http://www.loveshade.org/blog-mt/mt-search.fcgi?IncludeBlogs=1&search=troy+anthony+davis

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September 24, 2008

U. S. Supreme Court Stayed Execution of Troy Davis

Troy Anthony Davis at graduationIn a bizarre twist, the U. S. Supreme Court was scheduled to look at the case of Troy Anthony Davis on September 29, 2008.  But the state of Georgia insisted on killing Troy Davis on September 23, 2008.  After 17 years, they didn't want to wait six days even if it meant an innocent man might be saved from death.

Fortunately, the emails, protests, etc. that we and many, many others were behind helped.  The Supreme Court gave Troy Davis a stay of execution just two hours before his scheduled demise.

For those who think you can't make a difference, you can.  Without the support, Davis likely would have been killed by the state a year ago.

Whatever finally results in this case, it's another example of a fundamental problem with execution: if you kill an innocent man, you can't take it back.

Learn more about the stay at http://themoderatevoice.com/politics/death-penalty/22892/supreme-court-stay-granted-for-troy-anthony-davis-2-hours-before-georgia-execution/

Or visit http://www.troyanthonydavis.org/

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To see all of our blog entries dealing with Troy Anthony Davis, click on http://www.loveshade.org/blog-mt/mt-search.fcgi?IncludeBlogs=1&search=troy+anthony+davis

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September 22, 2008

We May Still Be Able to Save Troy Anthony Davis

Troy Anthony DavisTroy Anthony Davis, a quite possibly innocent man convicted of killing a cop, is sentenced to die in Georgia on Tuesday, September 23, 2008.  After his conviction, seven of the nine main witnesses against him changed their testimony, some saying they were pressured into testifying against him by the police.  One of the two remaining witnesses has been identified by several people as the actual killer.  There is no physical evidence linking Davis to the killing, the murder weapon hasn't been found, and Davis still asserts his innocence.

But because of changes made in the law, it's extremely difficult for a man wrongly convicted to get new evidence heard in the court.  And with the death penalty, a mistake, a horrible mistake, is irreversible.

There's one last chance for Troy Davis--the ACLU and other organizations have an effort to get the execution commuted or stayed.  You can help by emailing the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles at https://secure.aclu.org/site/Advocacy?pagename=homepage&id=906&page=UserAction&s_src=acluonline_919908&JServSessionIdr001=fmuaepz1j2.app23a  

You can read more at http://www.ajc.com/search/content/metro/stories/2008/09/12/davis_denied_clemency.html

You may also want to do a search for the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996, which makes it much more difficult for a wrongly convicted person to receive justice.

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To see all of our blog entries dealing with Troy Anthony Davis, click on http://www.loveshade.org/blog-mt/mt-search.fcgi?IncludeBlogs=1&search=troy+anthony+davis

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September 13, 2008

Troy Anthony Davis Denied Clemency: Scheduled to be Executed

Troy Anthony DavisTroy Anthony Davis, a quite possibly innocent man convicted of killing a cop, was hoping that the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles would grant him clemency.  Seven of nine of the major witnesses against him recanted their testimony, and some who recanted said they were pushed into testifying by the cops.  One of the two witnesses remaining is said by a number of witnesses to be the actual killer.

But changes in the law made in the past few years have made it increasingly difficult for a wrongly convicted person.  Here's the result of the call for clemency:

The Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles denied it. Troy Anthony Davis is scheduled to be executed at 7 p.m. September 23, 2008.

Here's one paragraph from the article about the denial in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (September 12, 2008):

'Since he (Troy Davis) was put on Death Row, seven of the nine key witnesses against him have recanted. One of the two who did not change their story, Sylvester “Redd” Coles, was at the scene and later told police Davis was the shooter. New witnesses now say Coles confessed to them that he killed MacPhail, and others say Coles had a gun immediately after the shooting —- contrary to what Coles testified at trial.'

Some of you may not care--after all, innocent or possibly innocent people die every day. And people who commit capital crimes against others walk around free every day. A good friend of ours just lost his brother to cancer. Death happens all the time. But what about when it could easily be prevented?

How would you feel if you or a loved one was convicted of murdering a police officer, then later witnesses against you said they were coerced to testify against you by the police? How would feel if witnesses later pointed to one of your own accusers as the killer? How would you feel if the law wouldn't allow the court to hear any new evidence in your defense?

You can read more at http://www.ajc.com/search/content/metro/stories/2008/09/12/davis_denied_clemency.html

You may also want to do a search for the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996, which makes it much more difficult for a wrongly convicted person to receive justice.

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To see all of our blog entries dealing with Troy Anthony Davis, click on http://www.loveshade.org/blog-mt/mt-search.fcgi?IncludeBlogs=1&search=troy+anthony+davis

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September 10, 2008

Troy Anthony Davis Will Die This Month--Unless....

Troy Anthony DavisTroy Anthony Davis is scheduled to be executed in Georgia on Tuesday, Sept. 23.  He was convicted of killing a cop on the testimony of nine witnesses with no physical evidence.  Davis says he's innocent, and seven of the nine witnesses have since recanted their testimony.  Some said they were pushed to testify by the police; some said they believe one of the two remaining witnesses who still blames Davis actually did the killing.

So why hasn't Troy Davis simply gotten a new trial?  It's because of a misguided 1996 Newt Gingrich era law that makes it much more difficult for a person convicted of a capital crime to appeal.  Because of that law, evidence in Davis' support can't even be seen by the court.

But it will be seen on Friday, Sept. 12, by the Georgia Department of Pardons and Paroles.  The department will decide if Troy Anthony Davis should be executed.

We aren't asking anyone to write the Georgia Department of Pardons and Paroles to declare Davis innocent.  We're simply asking that you ask them to truly consider the evidence.  It's quite easy.  Simply click on the link to the ACLU, which has provided an easy-to-use online form.  If at all possible, please do this by Friday, Sept. 12.  But even if it's after that date, please still do it.

Act now to demand justice and stop the execution of Troy Anthony Davis.

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To see all blog entries dealing with Troy Anthony Davis, click on http://www.loveshade.org/blog-mt/mt-search.fcgi?IncludeBlogs=1&search=troy+anthony+davis

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August 11, 2008

Guantanamo Jury Decision Blow to President Bush

Image found at http://current.com/items/89031306_exams_prove_abuse_torture_in_iraq_gitmo_who_s_gonna_pay"GUANTANAMO BAY NAVAL BASE, Cuba - The Yemeni man convicted at the first Guantanamo war crimes trial will be eligible for release in less than five months after receiving a light sentence from a jury made up of U.S. military officers.

The victory for Salim Hamdan, a former driver for Osama bin Laden, was a rebuke to military prosecutors who portrayed him as a hardened al-Qaida warrior and sought a sentence of 30 years to life in prison."

Rightly or wrongly, "Guantanamo Bay" has become synonymous with prisoner abuse and humiliation.  The Bush Administration backs ill treatment and even torture (see http://loveshade.org/blog/2008/03/waterboarding_president_bush_f.html) of people who are legally innocent.  This decision, that Hamdan got a 5 1/2 sentence after already serving over five years, must be a blow to the administration.

We can hope, as the American Political climate is headed for major changes, that the illusive and sometimes illusionary concept called "justice" can move beyond revenge and torturing the legally innocent.  We hope.

See the article by Mike Melia, Associated Press writer, at http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/guantanamo_bin_laden_s_driver

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July 15, 2008

JonBenét Ramsey Parents Cleared--Again. Who's Next?

JonBenét Ramsey(Alden Loveshade is a freelance writer who became involved in a political protest while vacationing in Boulder, Colorado, some time before JonBenét Ramsey (sometimes spelled JonBenet Ramsey) was reported missing.  Alden has been following the Ramsey case ever since.)

Yes, the story about the parents of JonBenét Ramsey being cleared--again--came out a few days ago.  This time, it was "touch" evidence, DNA that was left on the girl's panties that didn't fit anyone in the family.  Sadly, mother Patsy Ramsey didn't live to see this, but her husband John and much of the rest of the family did--after living under the horror of suspicion for almost 12 years.

So why am I writing about it now and not a few days ago?

 I hesitated doing an entry at all, as I largely said what I wanted to say in a previous post (http://loveshade.org/blog/2006/08/jon_benet_ramsey_murder_case_h.html)

The reason I posted is this:

Continue reading "JonBenét Ramsey Parents Cleared--Again. Who's Next?" »

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July 07, 2008

Viacom vs YouTube: Privacy vs. Copyright

Triptych of Earthly Vanity and Divine Salvation (front) (c.1485) (Hans Memling)Hey, everyone,

As an artist myself, I fully understand the need to protect copyrights. They're really the only way that a small free-lancer like myself could survive.

But the Viacom suit against Google/YouTube sounds pretty scary. I'm not sure Viacom really has the privacy of users in mind considering that a while back a bunch of Napster users got slapped with hefty bills or face lawsuits.

And we've already seen that privacy in this country for the past seven years has been badly eroded in favor of the bottom line.

And that privacy has been getting stripped away for much longer than that.

As for copyrights, Viacom, owner of MTV and VH1, has even gone so far as to grab the rights to videos that were made years and even decades before MTV was even a germ of an idea.

So be careful if you go to YouTube, okay?

Unless you're one of those folks who knows how to remain anonymous on the Web (which I'm not.)

See more at http://news.yahoo.com/s/cnet/20080703/tc_cnet/830110784399835117 and http://www.reuters.com/article/technology-media-telco-SP/idUSWEN535120070313

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June 17, 2008

Same Sex Marriage Now Legal in California

I heard from Lorien that same-sex couples can now get legally married in California.  I knew the California Supreme Court had ruled that restricting marriage to the opposite sex was unconstitutional on the state level on May 15, but it took until 5:01 p.m. today (June 16) for that decision to stand.  (for a discussion of the May 15 decision, see http://loveshade.org/blog/2008/05/california_may_accept_marriage.html)

California is the second state to do this, and several couples have gotten married there already.

Of course there's protests, calls for changing the law, etc.  There's a California measure coming up for vote in a few months that would specifically ban same-sex marriage.  And because U. S. states recognize marriage as defined by other U. S. states, it puts anti-gay-marriage states in something of a bind.  This will probably beef up the idea of amending the U. S. Constitution to a "one-man, one-woman" marriage amendment.  My friend Alden claims that marriage in the U. S. has never been controlled by the federal government, and this would put even more power in the hands of big wigs in Washington.

So what think?  Should same-sex marriage be legal?  Should the federal government be able to control marriage?  For that matter, should the state government be able to control marriage?  And what about governments of other countries?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080617/ap_on_re_us/gay_marriage

(members of The Loveshade Family contributed to this report)

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May 30, 2008

Child Protective Services Mistreats Children in Texas

Children and adults of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (AFP/Getty Images/File/Deseret Morning News)

Thankfully, the Texas Supreme Court has crawled out of its Dark Ages hole for a moment to decide that ripping children away from their loving parents may not be a great idea. For a brief moment, the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is seeing a brief ray of hope that America may actually, occasionally, value freedom of religion.

Now even Child Protective Services (motto: "We can take children away from anybody") has agreed to actually follow the law for once, and are giving the children back. There's nothing in the agreement that says fathers have to stay away, although the parents are required to take parenting classes (which we think every high schooler should take). But, perhaps worst of all, they have to stay in Texas.

This whole case raises several issues. First, why is polygamy illegal? It's supported in Christian, Jewish and Islamic tradition (try actually reading the Bible and Torah and the Qur’an). And why do the headlines continually speak of the "polygamist group?" That's one part of their belief system, not the defining part. Why don't we called Baptists the "monogamist group?"

Second, why do we insist people aren't adults until they turn 18? Is there some adulthood fairy who magically transforms them at midnight? Consider that Muhammad, father of Islam, had a 12-year-old wife, and Joseph, who early Christian writers said was about 60, married Mary when she was somewhere between 12 and 16. Nowhere does Christian or Jewish scripture specify an age for adulthood or a minimum age for marriage.

People are also upset by arranged marriages. This was the standard in Christian, Jewish, Islamic and many Eastern traditions for millennia. The marriage success rate was generally very high, with families getting together who had similar religious and economic backgrounds.

Am I saying I personally agree with everything this church teaches and practices?  Am I ready to join?  No.  Even though, had all the restrictions that CPS and the American Government want to apply been followed several years ago, I would never have been born.  Of course, that would have made some of you very happy.

What I am asking is this: Where does America get off persecuting people for practicing their religion and loving each other?

See story at http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080530/ap_on_re_us/polygamist_retreat

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May 25, 2008

Burning Witches is Not Over

Suspected witch is tied to the stake"A group of up to 300 young men have burned to death 11 people suspected of being witches and wizards in western Kenya — in some cases slitting their victims' throats or clubbing them to death before burning their bodies, officials said."

We like to think that burning, hanging, killing people suspected of being witches is over.  Obviously, it isn't.

Police have little hope of solving the crimes, as villagers have refused to identify who did it.

To read the article from the Associated Press, visit http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/05/21/africa/AF-GEN-Kenya-Burning.php

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California May Accept Marriage Based on Love

Lesbian couple (from Queereaster Media Working Group 2006)Marriage has always been the state-recognized union of one man and one woman.  Or such is the assumption some would have us make, even though a look through Christian, Jewish and Muslim scripture would show otherwise.

Now the California Supreme Court has challenged that assumption.  A case was fought on behalf of 14 same-sex couples and by Equality California and our Family Coalition.  They had legal help from several individuals and groups including the ACLU and the National Center for Lesbian Rights in support of same sex marriage.

The result? The court overturned California's ban on same-sex marriage.  Because this case applied to state and not federal law, it can't be appealed to the U. S. Supreme Court.

Where will it go from here?  As Bob Dylan sang, "the answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind."  And as Dylan also sang, "the times they are a changin'."

To learn more, go to http://www.aclu.org/lgbt/relationships/12141res20050314.html

To see our entries on same-sex marriage, click on http://www.loveshade.org/blog-mt/mt-search.fcgi?IncludeBlogs=1&search=same+sex+marriage

(Lorien Loveshade contributed to this).

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March 29, 2008

Nipple Rings Pose Threat to National Security

Mandi Hamlin shows how to remove nipple ring using a bra, with attorney Gloria Allred watching (AP Photo/Nick Ut) Mandi Hamlin was handed a pair of pliers and told to remove her nipple rings before boarding a plane, according to attorney Gloria Allred.  In a news conference on 27 March 2008, Allred said Hamlin was forced by the Transportation Security Administration on 24 February 2008 in Texas.  (For those who don't know, Texas is a part of the United States, although some Texans insist it's the other way round.)

We didn't realize nipple rings posed such a threat.  We can't imagine any way you could hurt someone with nipple rings, unless you made them swallow.

But if nipple rings are such a threat, surely false teeth are.  You could bite someone with false teeth!  Maybe we should make every passenger remove anything that could be potentially dangerous before boarding a plane.

If nipple rings are dangerous, surely wedding rings are.  What about a watch?  A terrorist could use a watch band to strangle a child, or a little person.  And what about a false leg?  You know terrorists would willingly cut off their own leg so they could replace it with a false one, and then hit people over the head with it.

Come to think of it, if false teeth are dangerous, what about real ones?  Maybe everyone should be given a pair of pliers to pull out their real teeth, not to mention fingernails and toenails.  And it false legs are dangerous, what about real legs and arms?  And speaking of dangerous body parts, if we want to be certain a man can't rape a woman....

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March 08, 2008

Waterboarding: President Bush Favors Torturing the Legally Innocent

The title of this entry may be harsh, but waterboarding is torture according to counterterrorism specialist Malcolm Wrightson Painting of waterboarding at Cambodia's Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, by former prison inmate Vann Nath. (photo by Jonah Blank)Nance.  Nance taught at the Navy's Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape (SERE) school in California, so is an expert on interrogation and resisting it.  The technique was performed on Nance, who said, "It is an overwhelming experience that induces horror and triggers frantic survival instincts."  It is like drowning, meaning a subject "will say or do anything to make it stop, rendering the information they give nearly useless."

The White House announced that President George W. Bush plans to veto a bill outlawing its use by the CIA (American Central Intelligence Agency).  Strangely, while the CIA can use it the U. S. Military cannot.

According to a report by ABC News, "CIA officers who subjected themselves to the water boarding technique lasted an average of 14 seconds before caving in."  Nance and the officers are professionals who know they're just doing their job, not people who are in terror that they may actually be killed.  But pouring water into the nose and mouth to be inhaled into the lungs can be quite dangerous, and can do lasting psychological and even physical harm.  The two front-running Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama have called it torture, as has Republican presidential nominee John McCain.

Even ignoring the fact that America is supposedly a nation that believes you're innocent until proven guilty, there's a great deal of evidence that torture is not an effective interrogation method.  As Nance pointed out, someone being tortured may say anything to get it stopped.  As Americans, do we really believe in torturing legally innocent people in order to get information that's very likely bogus?

The Washington Post interview with Nance is at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/08/AR2007110802150.html, the ABC News article is at http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/Investigation/story?id=1322866 and the Associated Press article on Bush's threatened veto is at http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080308/ap_on_go_pr_wh/bush_torture.

(Look for immediate updates by clicking below; later followups will likely be added as separate entries)

Continue reading "Waterboarding: President Bush Favors Torturing the Legally Innocent" »

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March 03, 2008

Save Our Youth with Harsh Abuse

Image of child behind bars from news.bbc.co.ukShackling teens for 12 hours a day; physically and sexually abusing teen girls and teen boys; stripping teenage girls naked and forcing them to eat their own vomit: These are correction methods that have been investigated by various agencies, including the U. S. Department of Justice.  Now the Columbia Training School of Columbia, Mississippi, which has been the site of much of this controversy, is being shut down.

While many of the 13,000 claims of abuse for juvenile correction centers made in America from 2004 to 2007 are likely bogus, it's still a staggering number.  This is especially considering there were about 46,000 detainees in 2007.  Assuming the number of detainees and reports was more-or-less constant for those three years, that's about one report per ten teens per year.

But is the problem just with juveniles, or with the whole system?  The flawed mission of the adult correction system was perhaps intentionally pointed out by Ana Margarita Compain-Romero of the praised Missouri Department of Social Services.  "It's just a different approach that we take. It's a treatment approach.  In other states, they take a more punitive approach, more like corrections."

In other words, so-called adult correction isn't treatment, it's punishment.  But don't you treat something in order to correct it?

See the article "13,000 abuse claims in juvie centers" by Associated Press writer Holbrook Mohr at http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080302/ap_on_re_us/juvenile_detention.

(Alden Loveshade contributed to this report)

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February 29, 2008

Be a True American--Go to Prison

Buster Keaton behind bars (we believe this photo is public domain, but don't know the photographer)"For the first time in U.S. history, more than one of every 100 adults is in jail or prison, according to a new report documenting America's rank as the world's No. 1 incarcerator," wrote David Crary, AP National Writer.  Keep in mind that's the percentage currently incarcerated--it doesn't count all those who are on probation or parole, or those who used to be.

America is number one both by number and, perhaps more critically, percentage.  The 50 states spent a total of more than $49 billion on corrections last year.  With more and more money being spent on corrections, and more and more people being "corrected," we have to ask--is this working?

See the article at http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080229/ap_on_re_us/prison_population

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February 18, 2008

Sex Toy Sales Now Legal in Texas

Picture found at dl3.glitter-graphics.netUntil now, if you sold "marital aids" in Texas, you could be prosecuted for obscenity.  A federal appeals court has finally overturned that law.

Under the law, you couldn't sell sexually-oriented devices.  Ironically, some businesses got around this by selling dildos as "novelty items" with notes specifying that they weren't intended to be used for sexual purposes.  Right.

Even weirder, you were automatically considered a sex toy dealer if you possessed six vibrators.  They needed no evidence whatsoever that you were actually trying to sell them--possession meant promotion.  Strangely, you weren't considered a garment dealer if you had six pair of blue jeans, and possessing six pair of shoes didn't make you a shoe store.

Those of us who are involved in the Discordian Division of the Ek-sen-triks CluborGuild have a personal interest in this, as one of our friends was prosecuted for obscenity in Texas.  Fortunately, that case was finally dismissed.

The government continues to want to spy on you in your bedroom.  Hopefully laws like this will continue to get thrown out, especially as obscenity, like beauty, is only in the eye of the beholder.  Robert Anton Wilson called obscenity the modern form of black magic--there is no test to measure how much "obscenity" or "black magic" is in an item or image.  But a tremendous number of innocent lives were ripped away from the fear of witchcraft a few centuries ago, and a tremendous amount of personal freedom is being stripped away today.

These anti-freedom laws have already been tossed into the trash can of history in Louisiana, Kansas, Colorado and Georgia. Mississippi and Alabama continue to live in the past. Let's hope that laws against not just sex toys, but all forms of so-called obscenity, are throw into the garbage.

Read about this case in the relunctantly and slowly forward-moving state of Texas at http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080214/ap_on_re_us/sex_toys_ban

(Danacasso pointed this tidbit out to us)

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January 11, 2008

Troy Anthony Davis is Still Waiting to Live or Die

Troy Anthony Davis at graduation (from http://www.troyanthonydavis.org)Troy Anthony Davis, who was convicted of killing a police officer, is still waiting to learn whether he will live or die.

He was sentenced to death with a law in effect that makes it very difficult to get an appeal.  Most of the witnesses in his case have recanted their testimonies; there's no DNA evidence; there's no murder weapon.

The Georgia Supreme Court at least heard oral arguments requesting a new trial on November 13, 2007, but Davis is still waiting.  He has gotten support to get his case reconsidered from Archbishop Desmond Tutu, US Senator Carol Moseley, Jesse L. Jackson Jr., Pope Benedict and several others.

Will he be a victim of the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996?  All too often in America, laws designed to get "bad guys" get innocent people as well. Is Davis innocent? We don't know. But we do believe he has the right to a fair trial. Some witnesses later said they were intimidated by police; one even said he was paid by the police to lie.

Learn more at http://www.troyanthonydavis.org/ or see our earlier blog entry at http://loveshade.org/blog/2007/07/will_georgia_kill_an_innocent.html

To see all blog entries dealing with Troy Anthony Davis, including the most current, click on http://www.loveshade.org/blog-mt/mt-search.fcgi?IncludeBlogs=1&search=troy+anthony+davis

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December 01, 2007

Emily Sander's Death is Confirmed

Tragically, authorities have verified that the body found was that of Emily Sander.

 And yes, we know Emily posed nude with other women and in solo shots under the name Zoey Zane. She just turned 18 years old this year and apparently saw it as a way to gain publicity in order to futher her career.

We, or at least her friend Perlie the Pony Girl, knew about her posing before we posted our first entry about Emily here.  But at that point, it wasn't publicly known, which is why we didn't mention it.

We know that some people don't approve of nude or sexually-oriented modeling.  But whether you approve or not, please don't let that get in the way of your seeing the tragedy of the death of someone described by a friend, Perlie, as a friendly, sweet and very lovable young woman.

Look for more updates on this blog, or see previous entries for more details.

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November 30, 2007

Emily Sander's Body May Have Been Found

Emily Sander, 18, is at left; Israel Mireles, 24, is at top right; Victoria Martens, 16, is at bottom right.Tragically, authorities believe they've found the body of Emily Sander.  The body was found about 50 miles from El Dorado, Kansas, where Emily attended school and was last seen.

Police are still looking for Israel Mireles, 24.  Emily was apparently last seen leaving a bar with Israel, who is described as being 5 foot 6 inches and weighing 130 lbs.  He may be traveling with his apparently pregnant 16-year-old girlfriend Victoria Martens.  A car rented by Mireles was found in Vernon, Texas, and Mireles and Martens are believed to be heading to Mexico, if they haven't already arrived there.

In the photos, Emily Sander, 18, is to the left; Israel Mireles, 24, is at top right; and Victoria Martens, 16, is at bottom right.

Emily is--or, tragically, was--a friend of our own friend Perlie the Pony Girl.

If you have any information about Emily Sander, Israel Mireles or Victoria Martens that could apply to this case, please contact Detective Captain Justin Phillips at the El Dorado Police Department by calling (316) 321-9120 or faxing (316) 321-1456.  If you are uncomfortable contacting him by phone, you can email at jphillip @ eldoks.com (ignore the spaces in the email address--it's posted that way to reduce spam).

See another and possibly more current photo of Mireles at http://loveshade.org/blog/2007/11/please_help_us_find_missing_em.html

Look for updates in more current postings to this blog.

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November 27, 2007

Please Help Us Find Missing Emily Sander

Emily Sander, 18, is missing (family photo)Emily Sander, an 18-year-old student at Butler Community College in El Dorado, Kansas, is missing.  She was last seen  leaving a bar there with a man who may have been Israel Mireles, 24.  El Dorado is about 30 miles from Wichita.

Sander's car was found at the bar. Mireles was driving a grey or green Ford Taurus rental car with the license plate XUJ 487. He and his 16-year-old pregnant girlfriend Victoria Martens may be traveling to Texas or Mexico as Mireles has family and friends in those areas.

Emily is a friend of our own Perlie the Pony Girl, and we are very concerned about her.  She is 5 foot 3 inches tall, weights 105 lbs., has blue eyes, long brown hair, tattoos and body piercings.  She was last seen wearing low-rider jeans, a "Don't Mess with Texas" T-shirt, and skateboard-style tennis shoes.  Mireles is described as being about 5 foot 6 inches tall and weighing 130 lbs.

Police are looking for a white bedspread with a floral design that may be a clue. Unfortunately, foul play is suspected.Israel Mireles, 24 (image provided by El Dorado Police Department)

If you have any information about Emily Sander or Israel Mireles that could apply to this investigation, please contact Detective Captain Justin Phillips at the El Dorado Police Department by calling (316) 321-9120 or faxing (316) 321-1456.  If you are uncomfortable contacting him by phone, you can email at jphillip @ eldoks.com (ignore the spaces in the email address--it's posted that way to reduce spam).

A recent photo of Israel Mireles is to the right.

Look for updated postings on this blog as this case continues.

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November 21, 2007

Religious Polygamy and Preteen Rapists

Warrent Jetts, left, with his attorney Richard Wright (AP Photo, Judd Burkett, Pool)The Holy Bible says nothing against polygamy--in fact, many of the greatest spiritual leaders and men of God were polygamists.  Even King David, the man after God's own heart in Christian and Jewish faith, practiced it.

Warren Jeffs, head of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, promoted it.  And was sentenced to two consecutive five-year to life sentences as a result.  This in the United States of America, which prides itself on following biblical principles.

The Holy Bible also doesn't give a minimum age for consenting to have sex.  And many United States laws insist that the older partner in a sexual encounter is automatically the perpetrator--if the "victim" is under the legal age of consent.

But now, an 8-year-old and two 9-year-old boys are charged with the rape of an 11-year-old girl.  Was this preteen rape by preteen rapists?  If all the participants were 7 years older, a 15-year-old boy and two 16-year-old boys with an 18-year-old female, she might be the suspect.   Certainly she would be, if "she" were the "he."

So why do so many American laws claim that it's impossible for a 13-year-old to consent to sex, when they claim some preteens, or even pre-tens, can not only consent, but force it on another?

In both these cases, America might want to question its current version of reality.

See the polygamy story at http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071120/ap_on_re_us/polygamist_leader and the preteen sex story at http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071120/ap_on_re_us/boys_rape;_ylt=Aj3SaSuhfmz37xFV8fkOfI5H2ocA

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November 05, 2007

Judge flips coin, makes woman drop pants

link is to http://www.gapersblock.com/detour/my_practice/"A judge who ordered a woman to drop her pants and decided a custody dispute by flipping a coin was removed from the bench by the Virginia Supreme Court on Friday."  This is from an Associated Press article by Larry O'Dell about Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court Judge James Michael Shull of Gate City.

I have to ask, why?  Not why did the judge do this, but why did that get him removed?  Flipping a coin gives the judge at least a 50 percent chance of making a good decision.  And from what we've seen of the U. S. Court, that's unusually good odds.

And as for having the woman drop her pants in court...why stop there?  In court, aren't you supposed to reveal the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?  What are clothes but a deception--outfits covering scars and tattoos, bras remolding breasts, waistbands hiding bellies, etc.  Why don't they make everybody in court drop their pants, and everything else?  If nothing else, it would make being in court more fun.

Read the article at http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071102/ap_on_re_us/judge_removed  (Hopefully the AP won't sue us for encouraging people to read their work).  Article pointed out to us by Danacasso.

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October 31, 2007

Teenagers: Your Sex Lives May be Illegal

Shot of teen lovers from Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress (Media Asia Distribution)Many teenagers may be shocked to learn that the intimacy that they and many of their classmates share could land them in prison.  In fact, the senior who's dating a junior could be in danger of becoming a lifetime registered sex offender, and considered a sexual predator of children.

One of our family personally knows of a 16-year-old male who had a 14-year-old girlfriend.  That was legal in the state of Texas, and he was known for being gentle and caring.  But as soon as he turned 17, he was arrested and was considered a sexual predator and a child molester for being intimate with her.  The actual difference in their ages hadn't changed, but his birthday made all the difference.

Genarlow Wilson was convicted and sentenced to serve 10 years in prison by the state of Georgia.  His crime?  As a 17-year-old, he engaged in consensual oral sex with his 15-year-old girlfriend.  He served for almost three years before the state supreme court released him--barely.

Learn more about these laws, which 19-year-old teenager Lorien Loveshade calls "laws against love," at http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071030/ap_on_re_us/teen_sex_laws

Learn more about Wilson at http://loveshade.org/blog/2007/10/man_released_after_imprisonmen.html

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October 26, 2007

Man released after imprisonment for consensual teenaged oral sex

Photo Genarlow Wilson from the Wilson familyShould a 17-year-old teenager get 10 years in prison for having consensual oral sex with his 15-year-old girlfriend? The state of Georgia said yes; but now, after two years, the court said no. But just barely.

The court ruled 4-3 that Genarlow Wilson was subjected to cruel and unusual punishment. His conviction was ordered to be reversed, and he has been released. But this is after he paid two years of his young life for "aggravated child molestation."

This is another example of the absurdity of so many U. S. laws. How many people reading this engaged in consensual sexual activity with another teenager where the age difference was two years or greater?

They've finally released a man who, in my opinion, should never have been imprisoned for something that, in my opinion, should not be a crime. The act has been reduced in Georgia to a misdemeanor, but still leaves the question: should this be illegal?

In a religious state that believes in maintaining strict control over its citizens in support of that society's official religion, perhaps yes, for them. In a totalitarian state that forces strict controls over its citizens, it might be bad for the people, but is at least consistent with the government of the country. But in a nation like the United States that supposedly is in favor of personal freedom?

See the article at http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071026/ap_on_re_us/teen_sex_case

See more info:

Continue reading "Man released after imprisonment for consensual teenaged oral sex" »

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August 03, 2007

Separation of Powers: FBI vs. Supreme Court

FBI agents load evidence in the case against U. S. Representaive William Jefferson into a minivan on May 21, 2006 (AP photo by Lauren Victoria Burke)"'Today's opinion underscores the fact that the Department of Justice is required to follow the law, and that it is bound to abide by the Constitution,' defense attorney Robert Trout, said, promising more legal challenges to 'overreaching by the government in this case.'"

The case is that against U.S. Rep. William Jefferson, who has been accused of accepting $100,000 as a bribe from a telecommunications businessman.  But the issue the Supreme Court dealt with was whether or not the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), which is part of the Department of Justice, violated the constitutional separation of the executive and legislative branch in the way it seized and examined legislative records.

The separation of power among the executive branch (president and vice president), legislative (House of Representatives and Senate) and the judicial branch (headed by the U. S. Supreme Court) is a fundamental part of the Constitution of the United States of America.  The system was designed to prevent one group or person from taking control of the country.

Ironically, the FBI's actions were condemned by both liberal Democrats and conservative Republicans, and supported by both liberals and conservatives.

To read the article by AP reporter Matt Apuzzo, go to http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070803/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/raid_on_congress

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July 14, 2007

Will Georgia Kill an Innocent Man?

Troy Davis, convicted of killing a police officer, said Monday, July 9, 2007, that if the state puts him to death next week as scheduled it will be executing an innocent man.  (AP Photo/Georgia Department of Corrections) "The pending execution of Troy Anthony Davis, scheduled to take place on July 17, is raising serious questions about his guilt - and about the Newt Gingrich-era federal law that has limited his appeals options and prevented him, say his supporters, from getting a fair shake...."

"Seven of the nine main witnesses whose testimony led to his conviction have since recanted. The murder weapon has never been found, and there is no physical evidence linking the crime to Davis, who has asserted his innocence throughout."

Brendan Lowe's article examines this case, and shows that a 1996 law may have made it much more difficult for the innocent to get justice, and easier for them to get executed.  The legislature may have put a higher priority on reducing the court load than in saving the lives of innocent people.

See the article at http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/20070713/us_time/willgeorgiakillaninnocentman

Also see Matthew Bigg's article on a move to stop or at least postpone the execution at http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070713/us_nm/usa_execution_dc_1;_ylt=Ao4tn69FzkIc61zBHksYLoHBF4l4

To see all blog entries dealing with Troy Anthony Davis, click on http://www.loveshade.org/blog-mt/mt-search.fcgi?IncludeBlogs=1&search=troy+anthony+davis. To see other news related to this case, see below:

Continue reading "Will Georgia Kill an Innocent Man?" »

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April 07, 2007

Sex Offenders Required to Live Under Bridge in Miami

Sex offenders live under Miami bridge (AP Photo/J. Pat Carter) Here's another twist on the sex offender laws that have been popping up in the last few years and are growing bigger and bigger throughout America.

In Miami, Florida, the ordinances have gotten so strict that five offenders are living under a bridge with the state's approval.  The reason?  It's virtually impossible for them to get housing.

So they've been forced to live outside all day and all night near where children play and teenagers hang out rather than live within 2,500 feet of a school.

Not all offenders were convicted of anything violent.  Some were arrested for having willing relations with their boyfriend/girlfriend, or of downloading photos off the Internet that are considered legal in some parts of the country, but not in others.  So does forcing them, and those who were convicted of violent crimes, to live on the streets make them and everyone else safer?

See the article at http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070407/ap_on_re_us/sex_offenders_bridge and feel free to make comments and reports on what's happening in your area/country below.

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March 10, 2007

FBI Admits Spying on Us--and Maybe on You

FBI Director Robert Mueller (AP Photo by Susan Walsh)"The nation's top two law enforcement officials acknowledged Friday the FBI broke the law to secretly pry out personal information about Americans."  This is from a 9 March 2007 article written by Lara Jakes Jordan of the Associated Press.  Jordan also writes, "Attorney General Alberto Gonzales left open the possibility of pursuing criminal charges against FBI agents or lawyers who improperly used the USA Patriot Act in pursuit of suspected terrorists and spies."

There's also an article published the same day by James Vicini of Reuters.  "The FBI abused its power by illegally or improperly obtaining telephone, financial and other secret records in investigations of terrorism or espionage suspects, the U.S. Justice Department's inspector general said on Friday."

We have something of a personal interest in this, as some of our friends and members were among those spied on.  We warned that this type of thing had begun way back in various writings including the 1 December 2001 article Stripping Away American Freedom: A Call to Action which you can read at http://discordia.loveshade.org/xtra/freedomstrip.html

The Vicini article is at http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070309/pl_nm/fbi_patriotact_errors_dc and the Jordan article is at http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070309/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/national_security_letters

Don't let your representatives simply sweep this under the rug, or blame it all on a few agents or assistants who were following orders from someone higher up.

Personally, we suggest you consider supporting groups who fight for freedom such as the ACLU at http://www.aclu.org or http://www.aclu.org/safefree/resources/17119pub20020920.html  The fight for freedom is, as always, right now.

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November 01, 2006

School Boots 3 Girls in 'Underpants'

A high school principal in Long Beach New York banned three girls because they dressed as Captain Underpants on Superhero Day. Captain Underpants is a children's book. So is it too sexy for high school?Captain Underpants

And the girls were completely covered. They wore beige leotards and nude stockings under their white briefs.

But Principal Nicholas Restivo didn't like it.  "Yes, I know they weren't naked," Restivo said. "But the appearance was that they were naked."

If he thinks wearing briefs over a leotard looks like being naked, he needs to go to a nude beach. I guess he just doesn't like briefs.  Maybe he wouldn't have a problem if the girls just took their underwear off.

You can read the whole story at http://news.lycos.com/dynamic/stories/C/CAPTAIN_UNDERPANTS?SITE=LYCOS&SECTION=home&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

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September 07, 2006

Naked teens in Vermont

Naturist Teens"This summer, a group of teenagers has disrobed near restaurants, bookstores and galleries, igniting a debate about whether this bohemian southern Vermont town should ban a practice that has been tolerated until now." That's from an article called "Nude teens raising eyebrows in Vermont."

In Vermont, public nudity is legal! But towns and cities can make laws against it. But why? What is wrong with the human body? Should we be ashamed of how we were created?

You can read the article at http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060905/ap_on_fe_st/naked_town and read my opinion about being an adult, teen, preteen, and child nudist at http://lorien.loveshade.org/opinions/nudism.html

(One of our correspondents pointed out that the original link to the article is no longer valid.  As of today, 10 January 2007, you can read a version of this story at http://www.boston.com/news/local/vermont/articles/2006/08/23/law_of_nature_prevails_in_vermont/)

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August 17, 2006

JonBenet Ramsey Murder Case: Here We Go Again

JonBenet Ramsey (CNN)(Alden Loveshade is a freelance writer who became involved in a political protest while vacationing in Boulder, Colorado, some time before JonBenet Ramsey was reported missing.  Alden has been following the Ramsey case ever since.  Here, Alden looks at the problem of false accusation, like what happened in the Ramsey murder case and to a small town mayor).

The tabloids, whether in print or local TV news form, are having a field day: a suspect has been arrested in the murder case of JonBenet Ramsey.  If you don't know, Ramsey was a 6-year-old beauty queen who was found, dead and beaten, in her family's basement in Boulder, Colorado, on December 26, 1996.  The parents, John and the recently late Patsy Ramsey, were named by the pop media as possible suspects, but were never charged.

Ironically, the number of parents who signed up their preschool and other young girls to run for beauty queen shot up after the case.  It's an odd example of how sometimes publicity, any publicity, can help.

Continue reading "JonBenet Ramsey Murder Case: Here We Go Again" »

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