Wednesday, June 12, 2002
Guilty Unless Articulated Innocent
O. Ricardo Pimentel yesterday informed us of this bit of information.
A law enforcement buddy says that he is required to be able to "articulate" a reason for any traffic stop he makes. This is to deter officers from engaging in racial profiling.
And the other day, we got this nugget.
A Pennsylvania councilwoman has accused her borough's lone police dog of racial profiling, leading to calls that the canine be killed.
That dog better start telling why he chose to bite certain people. Otherwise, it looks like he'll have to go live on a farm in the country where there will be plenty of room to run.
Posted by DP @ 07:20 PM MST
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Nothing Ventured, Nothing Lost
In his weblog, Sam Coppersmith has comments about the slow campaigning in the state and what the newspapers (seek out news and opinions) and candidates (offer policy statements) can do about it.
Sam of course knows more about campaigning than me. But I thought that candidates offering opinions early was just supplying the opponent with material to criticize and thus providing the mechanism for the opponent to get publicity. Yet at the same time the opponent offers no policy vulnerable to attack.
At this point in the campaigns, isn't everyone pretty much on the defensive, waiting for an enemy weakness?
Thomas? You know about such things.
Posted by DP @ 05:54 AM MST
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Is It Racial Profiling?
If someone told you to go fingerprint "mostly those from 20 select Arab or Muslim countries.", would you say it was "racial profiling"? [emphasis added]
If someone wrote this, "Question: If the INS is backlogged now, how will it handle the load after we've added 100,000 to the pile?" Would it be logical to write this: "If we can't wait until then [2005], by all means, let's require that our legal visitors be fingerprinted. But all of them."?
If someone wrote this ...
In the story I read about Ashcroft's plan was brief mention of the scariest part. His plan calls for the roughly 100,000 affected visa holders already in the country to voluntarily show up to register. He knows, of course, that not everyone will, so he asked for some help from local law enforcement.
Why would they write this ...
Or maybe they'll go knocking on the doors of "known" Arabs and Muslims.
... because it seems pretty clear the authorities would go looking at the last known address of those that didn't show up, and when told that 'suspect' moved away four months ago after completing flight school then that's a guy that needs to be found.
If someone said ...
Yes, the threat is real. The Sept. 11 hijackers weren't Swedes and those making the most noise about harming us aren't Costa Rican.But not every Arab or Muslim is an enemy here or abroad, though we seem intent on convincing them that we think they are.
Because most of our enemies are in specific, identified groups, doesn't it just make sense to look for enemies in those groups? That's not racial profiling, it is enemy profiling.
If someone asked ...
In any case, how would this fingerprinting have helped us snare Zacarias Moussaoui, the suspected 20th hijacker? He apparently wouldn't have been fingerprinted. He is a French national born in Morocco.
Wouldn't you agree? But when 15 of 19 hijackers came from "Saudi" Arabia it might have caught others. And fingerprinting will cut back the use of stolen or forged passports by all kinds of criminals.
If someone said ...
The secret to stopping terrorists remains infiltrating their ranks, developing good intelligence about their intentions, addressing the public opinion about us in their native countries and realizing that foreign policy is as much a tool here as police or military power.
Infiltration? Agreed.
Good intel? Agreed.
Address root causes? Wait a minute. Just because someone gets a burr under their saddle blanket we should conduct a PR campaign and change our foreign policy? No matter what we do, there is a group that won't be happy. And if that group is loco enough to use terrorism and crash planes into buildings, then that group needs to be dealt with. And I don't mean pummel them with dry cliches.
But someone wouldn't really say these things. Would they?
Posted by DP @ 05:21 AM MST
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Tuesday, June 11, 2002
What Gun Show Loophole?
Since this is one of Senator McCain's initiatives out of synch with his constituents and reality, here is a flash animation on the "Gun Show Loophole". [Via InstaPundit]
Posted by DP @ 10:17 PM MST
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Battle of the Comic Book Universes
You know who said this ...
Green Lantern, with one arm tied behind his back, could whip Spider-Man....
This Spider-Man mania is so undeserved. Everyone knows that the DC Comic stable of heroes is far superior to that of Marvel Comics. By everyone, I mean everyone in my house and the few kids with whom I traded comic books.
But I'm not so easily lured into defending the Marvel Universe. And it is surprising to me that the Spider-man movie did so well. But the movie, and the comic, really aren't about Spider-man, they're about Peter Parker.
Parker is complex. In the comic book and in the movie, he is a bundle of neurosis and angst. And I'll have to admit: If you've got to cast a complex, angst-ridden character, Tobey Maguire is an inspired choice.
"Angst" might be a bit much, but this really is an Aesop's Fable for the modern age. "With great power comes great responsibility." Actions have consequences. Inaction has consequences.
Things have changed. It turns out that there are now or have been an African-American and a Latino Green Lantern. I've not quite sleuthed how there could be more than one GL. More trips to the comic book store are in order.
Oh, yeah. There’s been a lot of Green Lanterns.
And the Marvel Universe has plenty of characters that can "fly without mechanical aids."
Posted by DP @ 10:01 PM MST
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Friday, June 7, 2002
Gone Camping
Away for the weekend. Bye!
After action review: Wind! Lots of Wind! Don't open both doors on the truck because everything will blow out! Walking on the side of a hill was easier than on flat ground because the wind would hold you up.
Posted by DP @ 08:57 PM MST
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Bar Killer Caught
The killer of two Phoenix bar owners has been caught. "Police went to the south Phoenix house on a tip." Good job citizens!
And the two murderers of three Jack In The Box employees in Mesa have been caught too.
Mesa police requested assistance from the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office SWAT team and Lake Patrol deputies, who routinely patrol that area. The deputies arrived in an armored personnel carrier. [emphasis added]
Posted by DP @ 03:52 PM MST
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Thursday, June 6, 2002
The Equalizer
Colt's reliable, repeating revolver of the 19th century is called the "equalizer" for a reason. It gave each person the firepower to defend themselves against beasts, whether they walked on four legs or two.
Some would argue that we live in a civilized society where such weapons are not needed. They've outlived their useful necessity. That a lawfully owned firearm is a firearm waiting to fall into the wrong hands. And that militia phrase in the Constitution, that is just so outdated.
When we read the Arizona Constitution, we find out that a large percentage of Arizona residents are in the militia already! Just be between the ages of 18 and 45, citizenship not required, just a declaration of intent to become a citizen. It used to say just men but was recently amended to include both sexes. And we're not talking about National Guard either, they're in the section for the organized militia.
It is a great advantage for us that we live in such a civilized society. But that doesn't mean that the dark side of life has been done away with. Read this article about how elderly and handicapped people were able to defend themselves against younger, stronger attackers. Should they be deprived of the ability to defend themselves?
But surely no modern government would allow evil things to happen to its citizens? Read what happened in the Warsaw Ghetto. And if you're still not convinced, read what the Jews for Preservation of Firearms Ownership have to say.
Some people think that any gun is just a disaster waiting to happen. They seem perfectly willing to make my 95 pound mother a victim to any thug that wants to kick in her door. Some would say that every time there is a shooting, it proves the point about how evil guns are. Recently, two peaceful bar owners were killed for no reason. I would much rather that they had been able to defend themselves against a murderous addict (with a 31 year long rap sheet) than to be shot and killed in cold blood.
Posted by DP @ 09:24 PM MST
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Yasser, Dry Up and Blow Away
Yasser Arafat had this to say
Flashing V-for-victory signs as he stepped out of his headquarters, Arafat accused Israel of "fascism" and vowed to reporters: "No one can defeat the Palestinian people."
Israel could squash you like a bug any time they wanted. It is only through the benevolence of the Israelis that there's anything left standing in the West Bank. You, on the other hand condemn attacks on civilians, yet turn around and order more attacks right after.
Either you control the terrorist bombings or PA areas are completely out of control. Either way you should be replaced.
[Via Drudge]
Posted by DP @ 10:00 AM MST
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Wednesday, June 5, 2002
Driver's Licenses
Pimentel finishes a hodgepodge of legislature criticisms yesterday with
And, finally, the Legislature punted again on the issue of driver's licenses for undocumented immigrants.A bill by Reps. Carlos Avelar, Bobby Lugo and Richard Miranda and Sen. Linda Aguirre would have removed the requirement that license applicants prove citizenship or legal residency. Licenses would allow undocumented immigrants to more readily get insurance and have their cars registered.
OK, let's get it straight. Calling the people in question "undocumented" is deceptive. Calling them undocumented makes it sound like they left their wallet in their other pants. Or like the dog ate their green card. They are criminals. The very, first, thing, they did when they entered this country was to break the law. Pimentel thinks we should just ignore federal law and give illegal aliens driver's licenses. After all, illegal aliens want to pay hundreds of dollars for car insurance and registration. Pimentel admits illegal aliens are driving without licenses, insurance and registration. That's four laws. But they don't want to break the law, he thinks. On the contrary, illegal aliens by their very existence, have shown they don't care about our laws.
But they should be able to get driver's licenses because they need to get to work; we should change the law because someone wants to work. So even after a license has been revoked for a third DWI conviction, we should just let drunkards have their license back because they need to get to work, right? So people that have medical conditions prohibiting obtaining a license should be able to get one because they need to get to work, right?
Illegal aliens have shown their willingness to break the law. There is no evidence this will change once they have driver’s licenses.
Posted by DP @ 08:20 PM MST
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Catch This Murderer
This scum has no problem murdering people, he needs to be caught before he does it again. From the Arizona Republic
The man suspected of killing a central Phoenix bar owner two weeks ago appears to have struck again Tuesday, killing another bar owner, police said.
Phoenix police identified a man in a security video at Ligouri's Lounge as James Sheffield, a 52-year-old felon suspected in a similar murder on May 21.
A deliveryman discovered the body of Antonio Ligouri at 11:20 a.m. Tuesday. Witnesses told police that an hour earlier they saw a man matching Sheffield's description walk out of the bar and get into a white 1970s Volkswagen Beetle.
A security camera at the bar, at 2309 E. Indian School Road, showed a man matching Sheffield's description shooting the 68-year-old father of a Phoenix police officer, police said.
Sheffield, who was released from prison in December after serving time for armed robbery and sexual abuse, is also accused of killing bar owner Steve Johnson two weeks ago at Harley's Club 155 on Camelback Road, less than four miles from Ligouri's Lounge.
"(Sheffield) is very dangerous," Phoenix Police Sgt. Lauri Williams said. "He is wanted for both homicides as well as other robberies in the area." Another man drove the Beetle from the alley behind the bar. The car had gold or brown pinstripes, custom wheels and California license plates. It was possibly a low-rider.
Ligouri was the father of Phoenix police Officer Wes Ligouri, a six-year veteran. To report information about Sheffield, call police at (602) 262-6141 or Silent Witness at 1-800-343-8477.
Posted by DP @ 06:52 AM MST
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Monday, June 3, 2002
FBI Warrants
The Daily Babble links to this Washington Post article ...
The director of the FBI will personally review all applications for search warrants related to terrorism investigations under a policy change quietly put into effect weeks ago in response to the furor over obstacles that hindered agents here investigating Zacarias Moussaoui, the alleged "20th hijacker."
This isn't just a review, it is approval.
Federal and local officials familiar with the new policy said search warrants sought under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) will be quickly routed to Dale Watson, the FBI's chief of counterterrorism and counterintelligence, and to Mueller if the application is rejected by a mid-level supervisor.
Why does the head office of the FBI have approval authority over warrants? This is exactly backwards from the avowed goal of removing obstacles in the way of field agents. Shuffling approval authority does not eliminate the obstacle. Later in the article we find out that the FISA warrants are signed by a judical panel in Washington, D.C. If there is probable cause, present it to the judges and let them decide if a warrant is worthy.
The Washington FBI office should be informed of the request so they can corelate the intelligence gathered but they should butt out of approving field agent's warrant requests. Let the field agents catch the criminals.
Posted by DP @ 10:09 PM MST
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Yes, the Stadium Again
Sam Coppersmith writes about the Cardinal's stadium this week. He takes the Tribune to task for consistently promoting libertarian and conservative ideals except when it comes to the stadium.
One of these pages' continuing themes is that government must shrink and play less of a role in the economy. This paper supports remarkable, even radical, changes in healthcare finance and electricity. Even with life's very necessities, The Tribune trusts the market unquestioningly, urging government out of way immediately, if not sooner.Except for pro sports, where we simply must accept the world as it is.
Reading, I thought that was an interesting position for him to take. Until the end Sam was leading me to believe he was opposed to taxpayers paying for the stadium, and maybe he is, but that wasn't the point of the article.
Of all things deserving an exception from principle, the stadium should come last. Proponents and hired-gun consultants have abandoned trying to claim any economic benefits. The justifications are all psychological and emotional now--we’ll feel major league! To which those of us who believe in a role for government and investment in community say, couldn't we save it for more important stuff?Maybe hard cases make bad law. But if your philosophy can't handle an easy case like the stadium, it's not a hard case. It's a bad philosophy.
Sam attempts his touchdown pass in that since the Trib is not consistent in applying its avowed philosophy of small government and market freedom, the philosophy is flawed. That's just about as silly a point as could be made. If all it took was for one follower of an idea to be hypocritical in one, or even many instances, no set of ideas could ever hold together. Maybe the Trib thinks that getting the whole valley to pay for the stadium in Mesa is more important and selfishness wins out. Maybe the Trib is getting a cut of the development, I don't think so but there are a lot of possible reasons for the apparent change in attitude.
And there's nothing new about the stadium being sold as an emotional issue. Right from the start, proponents knew a stadium tax would not pass by itself so they added funding for Cactus League and youth sports. And remember how much that was played up in the campaign? If Cactus League and youth sports deserved tax money, the proposition could have been split in two but the stadium wouldn't have passed.
While the temperature heats up, so is the competition between conflicting gaming initiatives, two indian gaming and one from the racetracks. Each is promising extras in an attempt to win votes. But if these proposals were so great, would they need to try and bribe the voters? If that wasn't enough, read this ...
If all three pass, the measure receiving the most votes prevails wherever they conflict.
I think the majority conflict rule applies if two proposals pass, not just all three. But the bizarre logical constructs this rule could result in are enough to scare me away even without their attempt at special interest bribery.
One final thing on the stadium. The legislature has been squawking that they'll amend the voter approved TSA referral so it is clear the stadium can be built on reservation land. Arizonans used to get real upset that the legislature would change something the voters approved. As I recall the medical marijuana and tobacco tax were big items when the legislature tried to mess with them after voter approval. Why not now when they're changing the TSA?
Posted by DP @ 09:06 PM MST
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Saturday, June 1, 2002
Congratulations Zonitics!
Your dream of a permalink at InstaPundit has come true at last!
Maybe it was there before but I just noticed it.
Posted by DP @ 11:33 PM MST
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Ernie Hancock's Litmus Test
Libertarian activist Ernie Hancock (that I've written about here and here) has an editorial in today's Republic. He's been accused of being a "single-issue activist" regarding gun control, but that is simply his litmus test for politicians. "If he [a politician] doesn't want you to have the means to defend your life, do you want him in a position to control it?"
Posted by DP @ 10:17 PM MST
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Americanization
Today O. Ricardo Pimentel writes about how the success of third generation immigrants are nearly equal to their second generation parents. He links the lack of progression to assimilation and Americanization.
A study he refers to is "Work or Study: Different Fortunes of U.S. Latino Generations" by Fry and Lowell (Acrobat reader required) of the Pew Hispanic Center.
Pimentel writes ...
The study offers an intuitive theory about why the second generation makes such strides. "Immigrants are well-known for their work ethic, and their children often mimic that sense of initiative in ways that help them capitalize on U.S. education and English proficiency."
OK, but you would think that successive generations would then build on these successes.
Does the work-ethic gene wither by the third generation? Is there something ultimately corrupting about U.S. culture? Is there such thing as too much assimilation?
Pimentel is attempting to mislead us here. His three questions are leading us to believe that these are the only possible answers to the situation. The first question might be a metaphor for part of the real answer, but the second and third questions are really the same thing and are what he zeros in on.
Actually I would not necessarily think that all successive generations of immigrants would build similarly on the success of their parents. Fry & Lowell classify second generation as those born "to U.S. native-born persons with at least one parent who is an immigrant born abroad." So the second generation is fully familiar with American culture and language. They attended U.S. schools. Even if they only spoke a native language prior to attending school, I have never heard of a first grader that didn't rapidly pick up complete fluency in a second language (anecdotal but do you have a counter example?). Motivated by, and with the example of their hard working parents, the second generation could be expected to improve significantly. But the rate of improvement would surely decrease, perhaps significantly, in later generations. Another thing worth noting is that Fry & Lowell have selected income as the measure of success which is valid, but there are others such as home or business ownership.
More from Fry & Lowell ...
Research that does not make ethnic distinctions tends to find “other things being equal, being a child of immigrants is associated with greater socioeconomic success in the United States” (Card, Dinardo, and Estes 2000). Among all race/ethnicities, second generation workers earn 7 percent more than the third and higher generation workers (Borjas 1999).So second-generation adult Latinos are quite successful relative to their immigrant Latino counterparts, but compared with other children of immigrants they are not as successful. Once again, the major cause is lower rates of high school and post-secondary education among Latinos as compared with Asian and white second generation workers. The full range of additional reasons is beyond the scope of the discussion here, but they include English fluency and labor market experience as Latinos are younger than most other U.S. workers. Furthermore, the Latino native generations do not earn as much as white workers which suggests a slow assimilation trajectory. Nevertheless, we have found, as have others, that college-educated second generation Latinos actually earn more than white workers. Among those second generation Latinos who complete higher education there is the same drive to succeed that appears to be unique to second generation workers generally.
So instead of a screed against assimilation and "Americanization", which will happen naturally unless actively resisted, Pimentel could have encouraged Latinos to stay in school and seek college education.
Posted by DP @ 09:51 PM MST
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Cheney, Haliburton, Accounting
Zonitics points out Jane Galt's attack on Michael Kinsley's column in today's WaPo regarding Cheney as CEO of Haliburton.
Kinsley is trotting out the same line Sam Coppersmith did in the last half of his article last Sunday. Jane discusses the misdirection of revenue and income used and we find out that estimating revenue may not have been appropriate, but required by both generally accepted accounting practice and the SEC.
Posted by DP @ 01:44 AM MST
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