James Moore on THE CRIMINALIZATION OF CRIMINALS
I was at a trial out in the Davis Mountains of West Texas when I heard a bit of unexpected wisdom. A Texas ranger was testifying at the courthouse in Alpine about a man who had run up into the hills to begin a revolution. Nobody listened very closely to the rebel; except for a few of us reporters who found him an intellectual curiousity.
Eventually, his bubble tilted way off level and he started shooting. People were hurt. In the trial, his lawyers said he was standing on our most beloved principles of a right to protect his freedoms with guns. The old ranger, though, scoffed. "Look," he said. "Wrong is still wrong even if everybody's doing it. And right is still right even if nobody's doing it."
Leaking the names of CIA agents is not politics; it is a crime. Lying to congress about evidence for a war is not politics; it is a crime. Failing to tell a grand jury that you met with a reporter and talked about the CIA agent is not forgetfullness; it is a crime. Deceiving your entire nation and frightening children and adults with images of nuclear explosions in order to get them to support a bloody invasion of another country is not politics; it is a crime. Anyone other than Karl Rove and Lewis Libby and Tom Delay who does not get this, please raise your hand. The three of you will need to stay after class for further instruction in civics... http://tinyurl.com/8srg2
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I was at a trial out in the Davis Mountains of West Texas when I heard a bit of unexpected wisdom. A Texas ranger was testifying at the courthouse in Alpine about a man who had run up into the hills to begin a revolution. Nobody listened very closely to the rebel; except for a few of us reporters who found him an intellectual curiousity.
Eventually, his bubble tilted way off level and he started shooting. People were hurt. In the trial, his lawyers said he was standing on our most beloved principles of a right to protect his freedoms with guns. The old ranger, though, scoffed. "Look," he said. "Wrong is still wrong even if everybody's doing it. And right is still right even if nobody's doing it."
Leaking the names of CIA agents is not politics; it is a crime. Lying to congress about evidence for a war is not politics; it is a crime. Failing to tell a grand jury that you met with a reporter and talked about the CIA agent is not forgetfullness; it is a crime. Deceiving your entire nation and frightening children and adults with images of nuclear explosions in order to get them to support a bloody invasion of another country is not politics; it is a crime. Anyone other than Karl Rove and Lewis Libby and Tom Delay who does not get this, please raise your hand. The three of you will need to stay after class for further instruction in civics... http://tinyurl.com/8srg2
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posted by Dan at 10:15 AM
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