The law and the jungle

Wow. The NRA convention in Indianapolis is expected to draw 70,000 people this weekend. My first though was that it would be pretty cool to have the convention here sometime, but I doubt the city could even handle that many visitors over a couple of days. And it probably wouldn't thrill Mayor Henry since he's an enthusiastic member of Michael Bloomberg's Mayors Against People Killing People With Guns or whatever the hell it's called.

Camille Paglia sure knows how to start a good argument. Here she is on our past-its-prime drinking age:

The Cato Insitute is a libertarian think tank that frequently infuritates conserrvatives and liberals in equal doses. Now it is using a conservative constitutional approach (stressing the actual text and original intent of the Constitution) to argue for a liberal cause -- gay marriage. It has to do with the 14th Amendment and the Loving v. Virginia Supreme Court case that tossed bans on interracial marriage:

Two Supreme Court decisions of note, one that seems reasonable and one that is worrisome.

The good:

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld Michigan's ban on using race as a factor in college admissions despite one justice's impassioned dissent that accused the court of wanting to wish away racial inequality.

Well, good luck with that, pal:

Michael R. Bloomberg, making his first major political investment since leaving office, plans to spend $50 million this year building a nationwide grass-roots network to motivate voters who feel strongly about curbing gun violence, an organization he hopes can eventually outmuscle the National Rifle Association.

A consensus seems to have been reached about the Cliven Bundy case: 1) He has no legal leg to stnd on in his creative interpretation of government authority leading him to believe he doesn't have to pay no stinkin' grazing fees. But, 2) The federal government so overreached in its reaction (tasering a woman from behind, for God's sake) that it had no choice but to stand down in the face of public disgust.

So, the Pulitzer Prize was awared for the reporting based on Edward Snowden's document dump. I don't feel quite as strongly about it as Rep. King:

But today’s announcement of the 2014 Pulitzer Prizes stoked an old debate about whether a former NSA contractor who leaked details about the surveillance programs — among other leaks — is a traitor or a whistleblower. Today, he was the muse of award winners.

OK, here's today's callous, rightwing post of ruthless bloodthirstiness. This protect seems misguided a little to me:

Community members take the time to remember innocent casualties of other countries that have been subject to drone attacks.

Today's reminder that bullies can dish it out but can't take it:

SOUTH EUCLID, Ohio –  An Ohio man who spent hours on a street corner Sunday with a sign declaring he's a bully says that the punishment in a disorderly conduct case was unfair and that the judge who sentenced him  has ruined his life.

Thank God John Paul Stevens is off the bench -- he's downright dangerous. Here's his op-ed in the Washington Post urging that the Second Amendment be "fixed":