CHENEY: EXPAND THE TEACHING OF U.S. HISTORY
In response to a New York City school administrator who said that teachers should be concentrating on tolerance, knowledge and awareness of other cultures in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Lynne Cheney, wife of Vice-President Dick Cheney, said that the nation’s schools should expand U.S. history instruction at all levels from kindergarten to college. While Cheney did not dispute that children need to be taught about world cultures, she said, “At a time of national crisis, I think it is particularly apparent that we need to encourage the study of our past. Our children and grandchildren—indeed all of us—need to know the ideas and ideals on which our nation was built. We need to know how fortunate we are to live in
freedom … and what an achievement it was to enact laws declaring that individuals could be trusted to form their own opinions.” She added that schools do a poor job of teaching U.S. history, superficially covering such topics as the Constitution and Declaration of Independence.
Source: The Dallas Morning News, 10/6/01 & FoxNews.com, 10/5/01
PAUL: AMERICA RETAINS SOVEREIGN RIGHT TO RESPOND TO ATTACKS In his weekly column, U.S. Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) writes that the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks have led to calls for expansion of global government, with the United Nations as the logical place to address international terrorism. But he warns, “We cannot forget that our Constitution grants Congress and the President the complete authority to provide for national defense and declare war. No international coalition can or should attempt to dictate our response.” Calling the image of the UN as a benevolent peacemaker, a “myth” as evidenced by the “peace-keeping” missions that have only intensified regional conflicts in Kosovo and Somalia, Paul says that the UN cannot create peace or end terrorism, but can “vastly expand its power over the lives of U.S. citizens” through ratification of its treaties. To that end, we “must never allow our national sovereignty to be eroded in the name of international cooperation,” and we “must resist any attempt by the UN to advance its agenda.”
Source: Texas Straight Talk, 10/8/01
POLL SHOWS AMERICANS WANT TIGHTER BORDERS
In a poll conducted recently for The Center for Immigration Studies, Zogby pollsters tested the question, “Do you think the government is doing enough or not enough to control the border and to screen people allowed in this country?” The results were interesting: 77% of all Americans said “not enough”—79% of African Americans and 68% of Hispanics agreed.
ALASKA SUPREME COURT REJECTS RIGHT TO ASSISTED-SUICIDE The Alaska Supreme Court, in a unanimous 5-0 decision, struck down the right to physician-assisted suicide and ruled that it is not protected under Alaska’s state constitution. Euthanasia proponents have tried to bring cases in both federal and state courts, but now have lost every case they’ve brought in both arenas. The Michigan, Florida and California Supreme Courts, as well as the U.S. Supreme Court, have rejected physician-assisted suicide cases. Voter initiatives have failed in California, Wisconsin, Michigan and Maine. Oregon remains the only state to have passed a voter initiative in 1997 legalizing the practice.
Source: Republican National Coalition for Life FaxNotes, 10/5/01
SINGER’S FORUM
Australia’s notorious bioethicist Peter Singer spoke recently to New Hampshire Gov. Jean Shaheen’s (D) Commission on Disability. Some 200 people in the audience applauded Singer, a professor at Princeton University, who advocates the mass murder of handicapped newborns. Twenty advocates from disability groups protested outside the meeting. Among them was State Rep. Daniel Itse (R), who said, “Singer has a right to say what he wants. That doesn’t mean that we have to give him a forum.”
Source: Family Research Council, 10/8/01
DEMOCRATS SLOW JUDICIAL CONFIRMATIONS
Senate Democrats have fallen far behind the judicial confirmation pace set by Republican and Democrat-controlled Senate under the last three presidents, noted John Nowacki, of the Free Congress Foundation’s Center for Law and Democracy. “Most of a President’s first-year nominations are confirmed during that year. But this year, Democrats have allowed only a vote on eight of George W. Bush’s nominees—just 13%, an enormous drop from the numbers during the first years of Presidents Reagan, Bush, Sr., and Clinton.”
Source: Free Congress fax, 10/17/01
TEXAS COURT THROWS OUT DAVIS’ REDISTRICTING PLAN
On Oct. 19, the Texas Supreme Court threw out the U.S. congressional redistricting plan submitted by District Judge Paul Davis (D). The plan, substantially altered at the last minute without review or public testimony, was under fire by Republicans as an incumbent protection plan that continued decades of gerrymandering in favor of Democrats. Justice Priscilla Owens said, “Incumbent protection is not an appropriate factor for redrawing the lines. The appropriate factors should be the principle of one-man, one-vote, compactness of districts, and voting rights compliance.” Since the time has expired for Judge Davis to submit a revised plan, the decision is sent to a federal three- judge panel, who essentially must start over from scratch.
The redistricting mess only affects Congressional seats. State House and Senate plans passed earlier this year are currently subject to 25 lawsuits. General consensus is that it will stand up in court as a fair, compact plan as required by election law. Most estimate the new lines would result in dramatic gains in the State House and Senate for Republicans.
Source: Free Market Foundation Weekly Issues Alert, 10/23/01
POLITICAL FLUX A new poll shows that millions of Americans are reevaluating their party labels and are up for grabs! Many of the issues now in the forefront are conservative issues, but nothing can be taken for granted. The President’s approval ratings are encouraging, but Republican gubernatorial candidates in New Jersey and Virginia are both trailing their liberal opponents and generic ballot tests for control of Congress next year are evenly split. The party will not automatically prevail at the state level just because the public has rallied around the White House.
Source: Gary Bauer fax, 10/22/01
GOV. PERRY DEFENDS RIGHT TO PRAY IN SCHOOLS
The Austin-American Statesman newspaper wrote a scathing editorial in response to Governor Rick Perry offering an “Amen” after a prayer given at an East Texas middle school recently. The Rev. Roy Duncan gave an invocation for the students, ending with “in Jesus’ name.” Many students, including Gov. Perry, responded with “Amen.” The media questioned him afterwards and Perry said that he believed prayer should be allowed in public schools and said he wanted to make legalizing school prayer a campaign issue. “From my personal perspective, I think that a prayer life and a country that respects a higher being, our God, is a stronger country,” said Gov. Perry. “I believe that, and I think the vast majority of the people of Texas and in this country believe that.”
The Statesman blasted the Governor by saying, “…the very nature of a specific Christian prayer is intolerant toward those who follow different beliefs.” Organized school prayer has been outlawed by the Supreme Court since 1963.
Source: Free Market Foundation Weekly Issues Alert, 10/23/01
DECREASE IN SERIOUS CRIME IN 2001
Serious crime in America fell slightly in 2000, marking the nation’s ninth straight year of lower crime, the FBI reported Oct. 22. The murder rate fell to its lowest point in 35 years. But the overall dip in crime reported to police in 2000 was also the smallest year-to-year decline in 9 years, suggesting that long-term declines in the numbers of murders, robberies and other crimes may be bottoming out. An estimated 11.6 million offenses were reported to law enforcement agencies last year, an average of 4,124 crimes for every 100,000 people.
Source: USA Today, 10/23/01
KIDS GET PSYCHIATRIC DRUGS TOO OFTEN
Doctors are increasingly prescribing psychiatric drugs such as Ritalin and Prozac to preschoolers, despite questions about safety and effectiveness. “Every pressure I am aware of is pushing toward more use of these pills in young kids, and the potential for problems is huge,” said child psychiatrist Glen Elliott at an American Academy of Pediatrics meeting in San Francisco. “HMOs are encouraging quick diagnoses, working parents often can’t be home to enforce structured behavior-improvement programs and everyone wants ‘quick fixes,’” said Elliott. He worries about the long-term dangers of prescribing drugs such as Prozac to small children. Anti-depressants change how brain chemicals work, and permanent changes might result from kids taking such drugs “since we know a lot of brain development is still going on at this young age.”
Source: USA Today, 10/23/01
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