The Obama administration’s operational strategy is to appeal to peer pressure. We are embarrassed to be the only nation besides Somalia that hasn’t ratified the treaty, aren’t we? No.
The mistaken focus is on the means, rather than the end. If there are facts about how American and Somalian children are poorly treated due to the countries not ratifying this treaty, please come out with them. Otherwise, this argument doesn’t explain why we should ratify this treaty. (And by the way, ParentalRights.org explains that Somalia doesn’t really have a formal government that can ratify the treaty anyway).
Why should we ratify? Has the treaty made a difference elsewhere? (more…)
That’s MEP Daniel Hannan, a breath of fresh political air from the other side of the pond. And he’ll be in our Rocky Mountain backyard at the end of this week. Hannan will be the guest of honor and speaker at a Denver reception sponsored by the Independence Institute. You’re invited!
Stirring oratory … a voice for liberty and fiscal sanity … with a British accent. Sounds like a winning trifecta to me. Hope to see you there.
Update, 6/4:Thanks to a comment left by Politically Correct Death author Francis Beckwith, I refer you to his newer and more relevant book Defending Life. I’ll have to check it out myself very soon.
Update, 9:30 PM:My final thought (for now) on the matter, from Doug Wilson: “The question is whether you would be willing to reduce a society to anarchy for the sake of saving that kid, when you (should) know that the anarchy you introduce is going to be responsible for the deaths of far more children than you managed to save.” And for further edification, I will commend the thoughts of Dr. Albert Mohler as being squarely right on the matter.
Thanks to one of the more thoughtful liberals I know, David Thielen, a link to this morning’s post about Dr. George Tiller and Private William Long was added in a ColoradoPols diary. Here are some of the more colorful comments it generated, along with my replies. (more…)
No two events are perfectly parallel, but seldom are two such similar and terrible stories juxtaposed for our edification. Within 24 hours and within 500 miles from each other, two notable murders occurred — both evil acts perpetrated in public by two different men, but both for apparent ideological reasons, both sudden and horribly unexpected events for the families and loved ones of the victims, both suspects quickly brought into custody.
That’s where the parallels end. What’s most informative is some of the prominent responses to the two incidents: (more…)
It’s been awhile since I’ve done any sort of book review. But having just completed Adam Schrager’s The Principled Politician: The Ralph Carr Story, it seemed an apt time to change that. Those who won’t want to miss this book include students of Colorado history, fans of the World War II era (especially the home front), and anyone interested in a sadly forgotten inspirational story that seems foreign in today’s all-too-jaded and polarized world of politics.
As introduced to readers in The Principled Politician, Ralph Carr (1887-1950) — Republican governor of Colorado from 1939 to 1943 — was a rare model of statesmanship. Fittingly, he held deep admiration and adulation for our nation’s 16th president Abraham Lincoln. He recognized the value of Lincoln’s political maxim — “A universal feeling, whether well or ill founded, cannot be safely disregarded” — and sought to balance it with a commitment to upholding and advancing the ideal of equality under the law. (more…)
“Kim Jong Il Re-Elected as Leader of North Korea” …You know, I thought for sure the people would vote him out … Oh, wait, never mind … Only one thing: the article doesn’t tell us if he got 100% of the “vote” like Saddam Hussein did … Hmmm ….
From Gateway Pundit, more evidence of the kind of “change” in diplomacy we voted for: Barack Obama writes to FORMER president of France Jacques Chirac saying he looks forward to working together “in the coming four years” — while altogether snubbing current president Nicolas Sarkozy. More at EuroPumas.
(Here’s the original Le Figaro story, in case you’re interested. It’s not every day I get to link to something en Francais.)
A mildly disturbing story that makes me wish sometimes we could keep the world of sports / entertainment separate from the larger political world. From an ESPN article about my favorite baseball team’s All-Star right fielder and a loathsome, repressive dictator:
President Hugo Chavez came to the defense of Magglio Ordonez on Sunday, slamming Venezuelan baseball fans who booed the major leaguer at the World Baseball Classic.
Chavez lamented that his friendship with Ordonez prompted catcalls from the mostly Venezuelan crowd during the team’s 3-1 victory over the Netherlands in Miami on Saturday, saying the fans who booed the Detroit Tigers slugger “have no shame.”…
Ordonez, one of Venezuela’s biggest baseball stars, appeared in a television ad last month supporting a proposal by Chavez to eliminate term limits for the president and other elected officials through a constitutional amendment. Voters approved the proposal in a Feb. 15 referendum.
The outfielder also joined the socialist for a friendly softball game ahead of the vote….
Say it ain’t so, Magglio.
I could have gone on never reading that story, living instead in ignorant bliss. Three weeks ’till Opening Day.
Tune in starting at 8:30 PM local Mountain Time this evening for the 12th edition of Rocky Mountain Alliance Blog Talk Radio as we launch headlong into February 2009. Tonight’s scheduled guests are Daveed Gartenstein-Ross, vice president of research at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, and the Grand Junction Sentinel’s ace political reporter and blogger Mike Saccone.
Don’t forget. If you miss the live broadcast of tonight’s show, you can go back and download the podcast, or just use the handy widget on my sidebar to listen directly from Mount Virtus.
Gov. Bill Ritter supports the idea of bringing terror suspects to Colorado to be housed at the federal Supermax prison in Florence.
Go ahead, read the rest of the article. Governor Bill Ritter clearly has a long way to go making a compelling case to the people of Colorado. So why do it? Theories abound: (more…)
Tune in at 9 PM local Mountain Time this evening for the seventh edition of Rocky Mountain Alliance Blog Talk Radio. The year-end episode will take a look back at some of the big stories of 2008 and feature a discussion about Israel’s current military campaign against Hamas.
Don’t forget. If you miss the live broadcast of tonight’s show, you can go back and download the podcast, or just use the handy widget on my sidebar to listen directly from Mount Virtus.
Tune in tonight for the introduction of some new segments, to hear Todd Bensman, and to find out if any other Rocky Mountain Alliance blogger joins us as co-host.
And don’t forget. If you miss the live broadcast of tonight’s show, you can go back and download the podcast, or just use the handy widget on my sidebar to listen directly from Mount Virtus.
This is one in a series of daily posts I conceived of writing many weeks ago while the election still raged on, as I looked for something to write about of more lasting value. The weeks leading up to Thanksgiving seemed perfectly appropriate for it. Just in case you wondered, the topics introduced are not necessarily in any particular order. I hope the series is of some small encouragement to you, even as my site traffic takes a dive.
We have no guarantee of domestic peace and harmony for all time. I am thankful for the freedom of worship, but recognize that it may not be a permanent condition for my own lifetime.
American Christians have been remarkably blessed. The level of persecution faced by the most faithful here is small compared to brothers and sisters in the faith worldwide, past and present. Then there are those who have paid the highest price – from St. Stephen and early believers fed to the lions in Roman coliseums to the Christian victims of state-sponsored persecution in the Sudan. Their faith is incomprehensible.
These martyrs would acknowledge that even this faith is not “of themselves” but a product of the peace of God guarding their hearts. Interestingly, the Apostle Paul tells us:
Philippians 4:6-7 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
A rock-solid promise. And one that really does surpass all comprehension. But it certainly does stir a deeper level of appreciation in my heart. I am thankful to God for the faith of the martyrs throughout church history, and ultimately for His matchless peace.
I’m late in getting to it, but now is a good time to acknowledge November 22, 2008, as Victory in Iraq Day. Zombie has details. It has been a long, hard slog over there, and we owe the men and women who served there more than we can repay. Those who paid the ultimate sacrifice in Iraq most certainly have not died in vain.
Victory In Iraq: The Obamamedia may not notice for many, many weeks.
This is one in a series of daily posts I conceived of writing many weeks ago while the election still raged on, as I looked for something to write about of more lasting value. The weeks leading up to Thanksgiving seemed perfectly appropriate for it. Just in case you wondered, the topics introduced are not necessarily in any particular order. I hope the series is of some small encouragement to you, even as my site traffic takes a dive.
This was the logical choice for a deep expression of gratitude on Veterans’ Day. It’s a good time to recognize the millions who have worn the uniform, who have served in peacetime or war to defend our nation. God has given us liberty, but it is the brave members of our military who have fought to preserve it.
The brave patriots at Valley Forge and Saratoga. The volunteers at the Battle of New Orleans and the Alamo. The men in Blue and Gray on the fields of Bull Run, Shiloh, and Gettysburg. The young Doughboys and G.I.’s who helped to liberate Europe not once but twice. The Marines at Belleau Wood, Iwo Jima, and the Chosun Reservoir. Those who saw the worst at the Ia Drang Valley and withstood the Tet Offensive. The liberators of Iraq and Afghanistan. And many, many, many more.
Today I pause in thanks for all those who have served in our military – including any readers whom that may include – and especially for those who made the ultimate sacrifice in the service of our nation, and for their families, too. May we never forget. May we not take what they did for granted.
Mary Katherine Ham’s excellent video reminds us in just a few short minutes why Barack Obama’s long string of equivocations on issues great and small adds up to a lack of leadership. Let me also pass on American Princess’ warning to her readers: “Prepare to vomit.” (more…)
As introduced to readers in The Principled Politician, Ralph Carr (1887-1950) — Republican governor of Colorado from 1939 to 1943 — was a rare model of statesmanship. Fittingly, he held deep admiration and adulation for our nation’s 16th president Abraham Lincoln. He recognized the value of Lincoln’s political maxim — “A universal feeling, whether well or ill founded, cannot be safely disregarded” — and sought to balance it with a commitment to upholding and advancing the ideal of equality under the law. 
