Back in the 1970s, Louisiana had a statute making it “unlawful and a breach of the peace for any person wantonly to curse or revile or to use obscene or opprobrious language toward or with reference to any member of the city police while in the actual performance of his duty.” After much procedural harangue that included affirmation by the Louisiana Supreme Court, the United States Supreme Court held that such statute “is not susceptible of application to speech, although vulgar or offensive, that is protected by the First and Fourteenth Amendments. Cohen v. California, 403 U.S. 15, 18-22 (1971); Terminiello v. Chicago, 337 U.S. 1, 4-5 (1949); Gooding v. Wilson, supra, at 520. Since [the law], as construed by the Louisiana Supreme Court, is susceptible of application to protected speech, the section is constitutionally overbroad and therefore is facially invalid.” Read the full opinion on Google Scholar.
On Moral Duty
The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing. —Edmund Burke
Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little. —Edmund Burke
Small Beginnings
George Zimmerman Trial
George Zimmerman and Trayvon Martin BOTH used bad judgment, but why is it that only Zimmerman’s judgment is scrutinized? The “girlfriend” testified that Martin was the one who initiated verbal contact. Recently someone tried to tell me that Martin was within his First Amendment rights to say whatever he wanted to. But by that same logic, Zimmerman was within his First Amendment rights to assemble where he wished. But it was Martin who created the confrontation between them. And Martin could have chosen to explain that he was visiting a resident and that would have diffused the situation. Let’s not forget about Trayvon Martin’s poor judgment.
Iron Chariots
What are the iron chariot in our lives? To what extent do we deny ourselves our birthright?
In Judges 17:16 we read that the descendants of Joseph were too numerous to reside only in the hill country “but all the Canaanites in the lowlands have iron chariots.”
But Joshua responded “Clear as much of the land as you wish, and take possession of the farthest corners. And you will drive out the Canaanites from the valleys, too, even though they are strong and have iron chariots.”
Our iron chariots aren’t obstacles; they are the objective such that when we are strong enough to defeat the chariot we will be strong enough to exercise dominion in the promised land.
People Are Looking for Peace
People are looking for peace. Peace is spiritual equilibrium. Peace is contentment and not to be confused with happiness.
On Losing
Losing doesn’t make me want to quit. It makes me want to fight that much harder. —Paul “Bear” Bryant
On Civil Disobedience
Disobedience is the true foundation of liberty. The obedient must be slaves. —Henry David Thoreau
On Ugly Truth
Nothing has an uglier look to us than reason, when it’s not on our side. George Savile
On Belief and Justice
On my first day of law school, my professor says two things. ‘From this day forward, when your mother tells you she loves you, get a second opinion.’ ‘If you want justice, go to a whorehouse; if you want to get fucked, go to court.’ —Richard Gere as Martin Vail in Primal Fear