THE LIBERTARIAN SIDE OF THIS CONSERVATIVE SPEAKS:
I just think that when a student posts something on her private MySpace page, doing so clearly NOT in her role in a student or high school team member, and is NOT threatening violence against anybody or anything close to that, as was the case in this episode here to which I'm linking...
Then for goodness sake, public high school officials, just leave it alone, and remember that rights of privacy and free speech, though not absolute for those under the age of 18 (obviously), still do exist.
OBAMACARE UPDATE:
Some wish to claim that the protests against universal health care voiced at these town hall meetings have hurt the conservative cause. But a recent poll suggests that's not the case at all:
"The raucous protests at congressional town-hall-style meetings have succeeded in fueling opposition to proposed health care bills among some Americans, a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll finds — particularly among the independents who tend to be at the center of political debates....In a survey of 1,000 adults taken Tuesday, 34% say demonstrations at the hometown sessions have made them more sympathetic to the protesters' views; 21% say they are less sympathetic.
Independents by 2-to-1, 35%-16%, say they are more sympathetic to the protesters now."
And also, get this--a Pennsylvania poll out today has the almost-certain Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate next year, Pat Toomey, leading incumbent Senator (and now Democrat) Arlen Specter by double-digits.
And President Obama and his backers keep claiming that, under the plans Democrats now seem to favor, no one will lose his existing health insurance. Is that really true? Not necessarily:
"...many small businesspeople are starting to figure out that under ObamaCare it will be cheaper to pay a penalty equal to 8% of payroll than to continue covering their employees' health insurance. How will people feel about Mr. Obama's claim that everyone can keep their existing coverage when their employer tells them it makes better economic sense to dump them into the government-run option than to keep paying for private insurance?"
BASEBALL DIARY: the road continues to be mighty unkind to the Tigers, as they lose again last night to Boston, 8-2. It didn't help that they had to face Josh Beckett.
But the Rangers came back strong, beating the Indians 5-0. Tommy Hunter again pitched very well; the Rangers have an impressive stable of young pitchers.
But the Cubs are in trouble--they again got bombed by the Phillies, 12-5. The Cubs seem to be having trouble beating teams with winning records...
