Guns and the Law

Beware gun owners; if you beat your spouse or otherwise violate "domestic-violence laws" you may lose your rights to legally own a gun. The US Supreme Court, in a 7 to 2 decision, upheld a federal law "barring people convicted of domestic-violence crimes from owning guns". The ruling also stated that "state laws against battery need not specifically mention domestic- violence to fall under the domestic-violence gun ban". The 1996 federal law was authored by Sen Frank Lautenberg of NJ and has kept "150,000 guns out of the hands of domestic abusers? This case involved a Randy Edward Hayes of West Virginia (It should be also noted that a gun could still be illegally owned if purchased by a straw buyer). This is the first gun case since the DC ruling supporting individual ownership of guns.

(Source: "Supreme Court upholds gun curb" by the AP. The Record on February 25, 2009).

Up-date: This case was originally ruled against the federal law by the 4th Circuit court of Appeals. At the US Supreme Court level Justices Roberts and Scalia were the two who voted in opposition. The case is US v. Hayes 2009.

(Source: " Googled" Supreme Court cases.)

Unions

A positive assessment of trade unions appeared in The Record Parade section recently. Prof Clete Daniel of Cornell University says that unions help all workers and "promote a fairer sharing of wealth". He also notes (in comparison to the 1920's) that "the gap between America's rich and poor is the largest it's been since 1928". Unions also played a part in getting unemployment insurance, Social Security and the 40-hour work week. Those opposed say that unions have "outlived their usefulness" and that the "workplace in much better today". Union membership is now at 12 % of American workers. This article may have been initiated by pending congressional legislation; The Employee Free Choice Act or "Card Check" law would make it easier for workers to join a union.

(Source: "Does America Still Need Labor Unions?" in the "Intelligence Report" section of Parade Magazine. February 22, 2009).

NJ Corruption?

Two Seton Hall professors write that NJ doesn't deserve its reputation as the most corrupt state government in the US. They say NJ "does not even rank in the Top 10 of ethics-challenged jurisdictions". The Department of Justice has a "tally of the quilty, per capita"; a list of "convicted officials per million residents per year". On this list NJ is number 15 behind Florida, New York, Texas, Pennsylvania, California, Ohio and Illinois.

(Source: "Despite political appearances, New Jersey is far from the most corrupt state" by Paula Franzese and Daniel O'Hern, professors at Seton Hall Law School. The Record on February 22, 2009).

Civil War

It is reported in a book by Ken Dagler-Black Dispatches-that slaves spied for the Union during the war. William Jackson was a house servant and coachman for Jefferson Davis who provided information about "battle plans and movements" of southern forces. Southern states at the time banned the teaching of reading and writing to slaves thus forcing the slaves to depend more on their memory and oral reporting to remember what was said in their presence. Davis is reported to have regarded Jackson as "a piece of furniture-not human" and discussed war stategy while Jackson was in the room. Dagler reports that historical evidence includes a letter written by a Union general to General Irvin McDowell that mentions a spy who was "Jeff Davis coachman". The book also notes that another slave-Robert Smalls-was a pilot for the Charleston, SC harbor and he was able to provide the Union with info on "fortifications of the harbor". Dagler reports that there is no other mention of William Jackson after the war; he "disappeared from history".

(Source: "Slave in Jefferson Davis' home gave Union key secrets" by Barbara Starr and Bill Mears. On CNN.com/US February 23, 2009).

Native Americans

Geronimo was the Apache chief who fought the US Army in the 1880's, was captured in 1886 and spent the rest of his life at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. He died in 1909. It appears that "members of the Skull and Bones" secret society, at Yale University, stole his remains from the fort while stationed there during WWI. The remains are allegedly kept in a crypt at the New Haven, Connecticut Skull and Bones clubhouse. One of the club members who was part of the alleged theft was Prescott Bush, the grandfather of President George W. Bush. Both Bush I and II and John Kerry are members of this society. The descendants of Geronimo have filed a lawsuit this month in Washington in an effort to regain control of the remains and give them a proper burial.

(Source: "Geronimo kin sue Skull and Bones" by the AP. The Record on February 19, 2009).

Stimulus Package

The plan is called the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. It is in response to the decline in employment in the US. There have been 600,000 jobs lost in January and since December of 2007 there have been 3.6 million lost. The unemployment rate is now 7.6 % and "about 14 % if you count the underemployed and people who have given up looking for work". Tax cuts make up 36 % of this plan. (These are facts, I believe, even if provided by a democratic congressman).

(Source: "Rebuilding America begins now" by Steve Rothman. The Record on February 18, 2009. Rothman represents the 9th CD in NJ).

WWII Issues

France issued a formal "recognition" of its role in the Nazi Holocaust and the deportation of the Jewish population to death camps. The Vichy government of that era "helped deport some 76,000 people-including 11,000 children from Nazi occupied France". About 3000 survived to return. The recognition does not include reparation payments. (Q: What about the Jewish population of Vichy France? Were they deported or persecuted?).

(Source: "France concedes its role in Holocaust" from news service reports. The Record on February 17, 2009)

The US government has granted recognition and a one time payment-compensation-to Filipino WWII vets who fought with US forces. Filipino vets who are US citizens will receive $ 15,000 and non citizens $ 9000; the entire bill will cost $ 198 million. Filipinos who were "conscripted into the US Army" were promised the same benefits as US citizen veterans. After the war, "Congress stripped them of their status and their rights to many benefits". At the time 200,000 Filipinos "fought alongside US soldiers" and about 18,000 are still alive and some 6000 are living in the US. The compensation is open for a one-year period from the date of enactment of this bill and would include "widows or widowers of claimants". This legislation will be part of the economic stimulus package soon to be signed by President Obama.

(Source: "Stimulus bill to reward Filipino vets" by Elizabeth Llorente of The Record. February 17, 2009).