Clinton and Obama Struggle for Power

by Sheldon Richman

Many Americans are spellbound by the historic contest for the Democratic presidential nomination between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Forgetting the political context, it is indeed something spectacular, even inspiring. A woman and a black man have reached a pinnacle that just a few years ago seemed impossibly far off.

If it were happening outside politics, it would be something to appreciate.
But we can’t forget the political context, and it’s the nature of that context that should keep us from truly rejoicing in Clinton’s and Obama’s achievements.

For more on this commentary, go to The Future of Freedom Foundation

Oregon student senate committee may have conducted illegal meeting

Eugene, Ore. — A University of Oregon student Senate committee disregarded the state's open meetings law, according to student government President Sam Dotters-Katz.

The Associated Students of the University of Oregon Senate Over-Realized Committee conducted a meeting May 13 to begin evaluating student groups' requests for access to the university's over-realized fund. The fund, which accumulates as enrollment unexpectedly increases, built up more than $735,000 for the 2007-08 academic year. The meeting, according to Dotters-Katz and Oregon Daily Emerald Editor in Chief Laura Powers, violated Oregon's public reports and meetings law.

For more on this article, go to The Student Press Law Center

The state is always the enemy

by Llewellyn H. Rockwell, Jr.

The web loves nothing more than a good brawl, so people often write me to ask me to respond to a critic of LewRockwell.com or the Mises Institute. There's certainly no shortage of them, and they come from the left, the right, and everything in between.

My first thought on the request is that the archive speaks for itself, and a response would amount to little more than reprinting. And yet the criticisms in themselves are interesting because often they come from people who liked one thing we said and then felt betrayed by another thing we said, so we get praise for the first thing and attacked for the second thing.

For more on this op/ed, go to LewRockwell.com

The importance of borders

by Walter Block

Doctors without borders. Journalists without borders. Educators without borders. Librarians without borders. Rivers without borders. Potters without borders. Hydrogeologists without borders. Facilitators without borders. Builders without borders. Life without borders. Students without borders. Veterinarians without borders. Friends without borders. MBAs without borders. Words without borders. Dogs without borders (see here). Mexicans without borders. Slavery without borders. Dumping without borders (see here).

These are only some of the quickly burgeoning groups that share the same last (two) name(s), "without borders."

What is going on here? What accounts for this new "without borders" initiative? What do all these groups have in common? Do they resemble each other in any way apart from choice of appellation? And, where are the "libertarians without borders?"

At first glance, these groups are as dissimilar as they can be. What, after all, do doctors, reporters and Mexicans share apart from their humanity, of course? But, by digging a little deeper we are able, at least, to hazard an informed guess as to what is going on.

All of these organizations are associated with leftish political philosophy in general, and with support for world government in particular.

For more on this op/ed piece, go to LewRockwell.com

Judge and WVSU alumnus who found WVU prof in contempt honored at commencement

CHARLESTON - Last weekend's commencement exercise in Morgantown wasn't the only one shrouded in controversy.

A federal judge who's "unprecedented" decision to bar anyone from aiding in paying a former USA Today reporter and West Virginia University journalism professor's contempt citation was not only the commencement speaker at the state's other land-grant university, but also the recipient of an honorary doctor of laws degree.

Prior to receiving their respective degrees, the nearly 500 graduates from West Virginia State University and West Virginia State Community and Technical College heard from U.S. District Judge for the D.C. Circuit Reggie B. Walton. In the course of remarks, Walton, a native of Donara, Pa., and 1971 graduate from West Virginia State, encouraged his soon-to-be fellow alumni to "keep this nation the great nation it deserves to be."

Shortly following his address, university President Hazo W. Carter Jr. "with high esteem" conferred Walton with an honorary doctor of laws degree.

Earlier this year, Walton, who began serving on the bench in October 2001 following his appointment by President Bush, sparked controversy by holding former USA Today reporter Toni Locy in contempt for not revealing her sources about the FBI's investigation into a former Army scientist's alleged involvement in the 2001 anthrax scare. Steven J. Hatfill, who worked at Army's infectious disease laboratory from 1997 to 1999, was initially identified by former U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft as a "person of interest" in the case which followed the Sep. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

For more on this story, go to The West Virginia Record

Photo: U.S. District Judge for the D.C. Circuit Reggie B. Walton (right) speaks with Natnael Alemu following West Virginia State University's commencement Sunday, May 18. Walton, who gave the commencement address, and was conferred with an honorary doctor of laws degree, has been criticized by many First Amendment advocates for his "unprecedented" decision to bar anyone from assisting in paying the contempt citation he issued to WVU journalism professor Toni Locy for refusing to reveal her sources in stories she wrote while at USA Today regarding the 2001 anthrax scare.

Texas college muzzles concealed handgun protest

Fort Worth, Texas —In a dramatic blow to freedom of expression, Tarrant County College has prohibited its students from wearing empty gun holsters to protest policies that forbid students with concealed carry licenses from carrying concealed handguns on campus.

A TCC administrator told interested students that they could not wear the holsters and could only conduct a protest in the school's tiny and restrictive free speech zone. TCC student and protest organizer Brett Poulos has turned to a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania civil liberties watchdog for help.

"TCC has cast aside decades-old Supreme Court precedent strongly protecting symbolic expression by refusing to recognize its students' right to wear empty holsters to make their point," said Greg Lukianoff, president of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education.

"The students were using the empty holsters to protest policies that they believe render students defenseless. They have every right to engage in this symbolic protest, and TCC's cynical attempt to ban dissenting views is both shameful and transparent."

To read more, go to FIRE's Website. Also, to find out more about the protest taking place nationwide, including WVSU, go to Students for Concealed Carry on Campus. WVSU's SCCC representative is Phillip Williamson. He may be contacted at pwilliamson@imwithphil.org

Teaching about Myanmar through M & M's - Minn. diversity program found to be a political slush fund

Minneapolis, Minn. - Schools in Minnesota are saving money any way they can, including laying off teachers.

But a 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS investigation has uncovered a huge pot of money that just keeps growing.

Experts say that money has been budgeted with no clear purpose. The $85 million program has a lofty goal—enhance diversity in school districts across the state. But our investigation discovered hundreds of thousands of dollars in questionable spending.

For more on this story, go to KSTP-TV 5.

Once again, Hazo W. Carter Jr on retaliation

Along with defeating a motion yesterday 527-23 that recommended any faculty member who threatens or intimidates a university employee, board member or other state executive be disciplined or dismissed immediately, the West Virginia University faculty took up another measure during its informal meeting to consider a no-confidence vote on President Mike Garrison. The faculty assembly on voice vote passed a resolution urging the Faculty Senate to create an outside review panel to hear complaints from faculty, staff and students, particularly concerns about harassment, retaliation or retribution for speaking out against the administration.

It's refreshing to know that State's Faculty Senate need not consider such a resolution as President Hazo W. Carter Jr. openly welcomes any and all criticism of his administration. State's longest serving president let it be know that he will not tolerate any kind of retaliation.

In light of the WVU faculty raising their oppressed voices, let us recall the hollowed words fitly spoken by our esteem leader on Nov. 30, 2006:

"We will not tolerate retaliation. If there is ever any of that kind of threat, you can come to one of us."

Institute colleagues take note - WVU faculty take stand for free speech

MORGANTOWN - The faculty overwhelmingly defeated another motion that had recommended any faculty member who threatens or intimidates a university employee, board member or other state executive be disciplined or dismissed immediately.

The motion, offered by professor Dallas Branch and rejected 527-23, stemmed from two fliers found in the engineering building last week that used the word "kill.''

The composition and font size were crafted carefully to avoid qualifying as a direct threat, and State Police said last week they did not consider the language criminal.

From a distance it reads, "Kill Joe Manchin,'' although when read closer, does not advocate killing the governor -- just his candidacy for re-election.
But campus Police Chief Bob Roberts said last week he found the language disturbing, as did Branch.

"Faculty colleagues, this is unacceptable. It may be seen as a joke to some,'' Branch said. But after the mass murder at Virginia Tech last year, "Something like this cannot be taken as a joke.''

Two professors opposed the language of the motion as overly broad and warned it could have discourage free speech on campus.

This article is condensed version of a larger Associated Press article found in the May 14 edition of The Charleston Daily Mail. To read that article in its entirety, click here. Also, for more information on what lead to the resolution, click here.