Oh

OH MY GOOD GODS DONALD RUMSFELD IS RESIGNING!

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU

Voting In Missouri
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Constitutional Amendments 2,3,6 and 7 -plus Proposition B

When you go to the polls, each issue will have a short paragraph describing the intent of the issue to be voted on. Sometimes these paragraphs are misleading, vague, or deliberately worded to confuse the voter. Don't be fooled! Read the entire amendment or proposition online at: the Secretary of State's webpage.

Amendment 2 bans human cloning. It bans the sale of embryos and eggs for the purposes of creating stem cells. Any embryo or egg used to create a stem cell line must be donated with the full written consent of the donor and without any monetary or non-monetary reward. (As an example: An couple pays for fertility treatments. The treatments result in a dozen fertilized eggs. Four eggs are implanted in the womb, the rest are frozen. The implanting results in two healthy babies. The couple decides they have enough children. If amendment 2 passes, the couple has the option of donating the remaining fertilized eggs to the research project of their choice -but only in Missouri, to Missouri researchers and companies. The donated eggs cannot be collected in Missouri and subsequently moved to a country with less lenient laws.)
In addition, Amendment 2 cannot allow any stem cell research that goes against Federal Law. Amendment 2 provides for an oversight committee, and all proposed research must be recorded and approved every year by the oversight committee. The committee would consist of researchers, physicians and common citizens. Amendment 2 clearly defines "embryo" as a zygote aged 14 days or less -not counting time frozen.

Why amendment 2 is good: It will make Missouri more attractive to research companies, bringing in more revenue and jobs. It will place restrictions on stem-cell research and use. It will provide oversight of those restrictions, and harsh penalties for abuse. It will offer stem cell therapy opportunities to those desperately seeking a cure.

Why amendment 2 is bad: It puts a lot of power in the hands of government.

Amendment 3 taxes tobacco products. The proposed tax is 4 cents per cigarette (80 cents per pack) and 20% on other tobacco products (like chewing tobacco). The tax revenues raised will be used to shore up medicaid and medicare (funding for both have been cut by our current Governor).
Even though the descriptive paragraph begins with

"Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to create a Healthy Future Trust Fund which will:
1. be used to reduce and prevent tobacco use, to increase funding for healthcare access and treatment for eligible low-income individuals and Medicaid recipients, and to cover administrative costs;"
17.5% of the revenue would be used for smoking cessation and prevention programs. That 17.5% breaks down to: 15% for community smoking reduction programs, 15% for advertising, 5% for oversight, and up to 30% for medicaid.
82.5% goes to medicaid and medicare.

Why amendment 3 is good: It will increase revenue through taxes
Why amendment 3 is bad: Low wage workers and unemployed persons are more likely to be smokers. This tax hits the addicted poor harder than anyone else, and doesn't do a damn thing to help them quit. It's taking money from the poor to pay for programs for the poor.

Amendment 6 fiddles around with the tax laws, and tries to count veterans organizations as non-profit entities for the puropses of taxation.
Good or bad: I don't honestly know. I don't know enough about out tax structure to make sense of this one.

Amendment 7 adds to a law passed in 1996 about a comission deciding wages and compensation. It's a good law. The new part reads as follows: "12. Beginning January 1, 2007, any public official subject to this provision who is convicted in any court of a felony which occurred while in office or who has been removed from office for misconduct or following impeachment shall be disqualified from receiving any pension from the state of Missouri.

13. No compensation schedule filed by the commission after the effective date of this subsection shall take effect for members of the general assembly until January 1, 2009."

Why amendment 7 is good: Currently, there is no provision for disalowing compensation. Passing amendment 7 would ensure that any elected state official, member of the general assembly, or judge, except municipal judges would not recieve a paycheck after being convicted of a felony, removed from office due to misconduct, or impeached.
Why amendment 7 is bad: I can't think of any reasons.

Proposition B raises the minimum wage to $6.50 per hour, or the Federal minimum wage -whichever is higher. Don't get your hopes up, there are lots of exceptions. Small farms, apprentices, persons employed for 6 months or less(learning period), etc. Can be paid less.

A Story That Mainstream Media Would Never Cover
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Because it's good news. Link to full article

Every week, reporter Kevin Sites writes articles from a chosen area. This week he's in Iran.

In
Iran, an Islamic theocracy, Christians and Jews occupy an unusual place. But it's not necessarily uncomfortable.

Kevin is writing about the Christian and Jewish minorities, and their lives in an Islamic country. His questions uncover a side you're unlikely to see on American news channels

One man tells me, pouring a glass of Johnny Walker Red whisky over ice, "We have more freedoms than even the Muslims. They would never be able to do this."

Christians are allowed to have alcohol in their homes and sometimes for holiday celebrations, but for the Muslim population it's strictly forbidden.

Others at the party agree, saying they don't face discrimination in Iran and can even travel more freely, usually to Armenia and to the United States.

Kevin Sites asked a Jewish man if there's been any change in the climate since Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's recent remarks both questioning the Holocaust and calling for Israel to be "wiped off the map."

He's clearly uncomfortable with the topic and says my questions are getting political. But I press him on it.

"As far as daily life goes here, there hasn't been an impact on us," he says, "We don't see any difference in our lives. But maybe others feel differently."

He continues, saying the Iranian government has made a clear effort to distinguish between Zionism and Judaism.

"Zionism is a political party that enjoys Jewish symbols and ideals, but it's not the same thing," he says. "The law that is being enforced in Israel is not Jewish law, it's not religious, its anti-religious."

When Kevin questioned a Muslim family at a Christian celebration, their response was:

"We want to share their happiness,... and congratulate them on their Christmas."

You wanna see something really scary?

Then go to the Frontline section of PBS, and take a look at "The Jesus Factor". It's a documentary about our current President, his religious beliefs, and how those beliefs affect his decisions.

I taped it when it aired, and the Hubby-Man and I watched it this weekend. It was scary and depressing. Did I mention it was scary? Here are some of the bits that scared me:

The Faith Based Initiative

I'm all for tax dollars assisting religious charities with their services to the needy. Religious institutions offer community, which you don't get from the current system. And here's my problem with this:
"The second executive order on the faith-based initiative created five Cabinet centers -- that is, faith-based centers in five departments of the U.S. government. Later, an additional executive order of the president expanded that, so that there are now a total of seven, adding the Department of Agriculture and USAID."
These offices have given our tax dollars to several religious groups, however; the money has only gone to evangelical Christian groups. Not one penny has gone to Catholics, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists (Tibetan or otherwise), or Pagans; yet each of these groups offers services that fit within the laws for the Faith Based Initiative.

Religious References in Bush's Speeches

Prior to September 11th, 2001; Bush was openly religious, but not threateningly so. Things have changed.
"When President Bush adds God to their formulation and says God's purpose or intention is somehow linked with American military preeminence, that's a very dangerous thing. President Bush [and] the White House basically choreographed a liturgy at the National Cathedral. President Bush was a chief homilist. In the pulpit of the National Cathedral, he made a war speech. He called the nation to arms in the pulpit of the National Cathedral, and he claimed a divine mission for our nation to rid the world of evil.

That is not only bad foreign policy or presumptuous foreign policy -- I would say it's idolatrous foreign policy to claim God's purpose for that mission. And in the language that Mr. Bush has used, he does this again and again and again. Our role, and his role as president, this is acclaiming a righteous [decree] that Pax Americana is God's foreign policy. This is a very unsettling thing."

The viewer comments section is pretty interesting, too.
"Thank you Frontline for covering this vitally important aspect of the Bush Presidency. Many Americans are amazingly uncritical of religious views and tend to see only positive things as coming out of religious faith. However few of us have taken the time to really read the whole Christian bible. If everyone had - would Bush be able to hold up a bible and claim that it is the only real guide that is needed for child care? Does even George W Bush realize that the Bible demands that unruly children be stoned to death?"

"Thank you for airing "The Jesus Factor". I had no idea how deep and wide Bush's messianic zeal is.

How fortunate for Bush that 46% of people in America are "God fearing." He has tapped a demographic and marketed himself to those people as the "chosen one". Perfect, since these God fearers seem to want a chosen one. This seems okay with the Evangelical Christians because it furthers (and funds with our tax dollars)their missions.

But what happens to the other 54%; Wiccans, Pagans, Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims, Atheists, and Christ lovers who aren't living in fear of God? I would love to see a follow up to The Jesus Factor which would address this question.

Keep the faith...to yourself."

The Reading Of The Names

I'm glad we have a satellite dish, because Dish Network offers Free Speech TV 24 hours a day. This morning, FSTV was showing Democracy Now!, and they were talking about ABC's nightline program. Last night Ted Koppel spent the entire show reading aloud the names of the soldiers who have died in Iraq. We didn't get to see it here in St. Louis, because St. Louis was one of the network affiliates who chose to preempt the program. They did it at the request of Sinclair Broadcast Group, who owns a bunch of ABC stations.

You can follow the links to get the whole story, because if you live in St. Louis, you certainly won't hear much about it locally. On a side note, Missouri must be very important to Bush, because he keeps showing up here. We get a visit every month or so, and every time he comes; protestors come too. Not that it matters much, because any protestors are held in "designated protest zones" as far from the President and the press as possible. St. Louis is a pretty accessable city, and it takes our entire police force to clear the President's route; so that there is nary a whisper of dissent near the Messiah-In-Chief.
Please vote in November.

Doris Haddock aka Granny D

On January 1st, 1999, an 89 year old woman began walking. From Pasadena, California, she walked 10 miles per day for 14 months, arriving in Washington, D.C. on Feb. 29, 2000. She was hospitalized once, in Arizona, with dehydration and pneumonia. She walked 3,200 miles.
Why? To demonstrate her concern for the issue of campaign reform.
She didn't stop there, and I don't see her stopping any time soon.
You can read the story here.
When you're done you can visit the Granny D website. You can read her weblog. And you can participate.
There's a need for artists to design "vote for me" bracelets. This idea is so brilliant, it's blinding. The bracelets say "Vote For Me" and have a picture of a civil rights leader who has passed away. They are given to newly registered voters as a reminder to vote, along with a bio of that leader.
So many people in this country register, but never vote. If you can't get out and vote for yourself, good Lord -vote for them. Vote because you can. It doesn't matter who you vote for; as much as it matters that you VOTE.
The feeling of empowerment is astounding. If a 93 year old woman can spend the (probably) last years of her life touring the country and registering voters, can't you show up and pick a name once every 4 years? Is that really too much to ask?

The Presidential Visit

The man who thinks he's the second coming showed up yesterday to throw out the first ball on the Cardinals' opening day. This resulted in a little bit of chaos. While some people were excited about his visit, others were not so pleased. Excerpts from the above linked article:
"The home opener is always a big deal in St. Louis, a rite of spring and proof of the enduring passion for Cardinals baseball. The talk in and around Busch was about pride or irritation over the president's visit - and of the unmixed joy of having baseball back in town"
"Waits of 90 minutes were common, and a few fans said they were in line even longer.
"[name] said he won't vote for Bush but didn't mind the long wait, adding, "The lines on bobblehead days are awful, too."

"[name], who wears a leg brace because of polio. ...usually gets to ride the stadium elevator, but the Secret Service made it off-limits. [She] had to walk slowly up the ramps to reach their upper deck seats."
""He's messed up a perfectly good day," said [name] of St. Louis. "Half of the festivities are shut down so we can get into the stadium early."
"I'm here in spite of him because I'm a baseball fanatic," said [name] "I resent that he turned opening day into a campaign thing. Baseball is a religion in this town, and this is one time when you shouldn't mix religion with politics."
The Republicans had a voter registration van on Walnut Street, and members of a local group that supports the likely Democratic nominee, Sen. John Kerry, held signs at Kiener Plaza and tried to sign up volunteers.
[name], who heads the local Instead of War Coalition, was arrested about 1 p.m. for refusing to leave the Newstead Avenue overpass at Highway 40. The president's motorcade used Highway 40 to get downtown from Lambert Field.
Vendors weren't allowed to sell baseballs until after the President had left. It's a shame, too. I would have paid $12 for a baseball to chuck at the shrub. It would have been worth every penny. And the media would have loved it too!
Parking prices were as high as $25 for opening day. Bear in mind, you can usually park for $2 -$5, or $8 for parking within a block of the stadium.
Also, a light helicopter was forced to land when the pilot tried to fly his family from St. Charles to Spanish Lake. For those of you who don't know the metro area, let me elucidate. St. Charles is way up north of St. Louis. Spanish Lake is way west. But apparently, the flight plan brought them within 10 miles of the Prez. A pair of f-15 fighters circled the helicopter until it landed.
The news is putting an interesting spin on the guy with the shotgun, too.

What really happened was the guy couldn't use the overpass, because it was blocked off during the presidential visit. The police escorted him back to his house. When they didn't leave right away, he came out on his porch with a shotgun. Realizing that this was downright stupid, he put the gun away and let the police arrest him with no trouble.

Something Worth Fleeing For

Go to Google News and type "Constitution Restoration Act of 2004". Gasp in astonishment. Start packing your bags.
There are identical bills in committee in both the House and Senate right now. Unfortunately, the dot gov site places links in a temporary file, so I can't link to them. But you can go to the very fine Yurica Report and dig them up, or go to The Library of Congress and do a keyword search.
I don't expect either of these bills to make it out of committee. As a whole, our Legislature is composed of a pretty decent bunch of men and women. These bills are beyond ridiculous. Even if they were passed, for some reason that I can't imagine; they would never survive the Supreme Court.
This bill is nothing more than a red herring designed to draw attention away from The Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
Last August, a version of the same thing was submitted to the Senate. It was titled The Religious Liberties Restoration Act.

Another interesting bill right now is the Religious Freedom Peace Tax Fund Act.

Sleep well, kiddies!

Makes me all weepy

Well, it does! Portland is issuing same-sex marriage licenses!
Mayor Jason West, of New Paltz, N.Y., vowed to go ahead with same-sex weddings this weekend, despite being charged with 19 criminal counts and possibly facing jail time for marrying gay couples.
On Wednesday, Nyack, N.Y., Mayor John Shields said he would also start marrying gay couples and planned to seek a license himself to marry his same-sex partner.
Half a dozen gay couples were turned down for a marriage license in Detroit. Instead of licenses, they were offered copies of the state law that outlaws same-sex marriage.

CBS News online offers a nice interactive look at gay marriage, gay adoptions and hate crimes issues. There's a poll on the same page, but I couldn't get the poll results to pop up. Make sure you read the poll question carefully. The wording is kind of tricky.

Useless Gun Locks?

Most of my links are to liberals. I get all queasy when I read a string of pro-Bush blogs; so I don't usually link them, even when the writing is very, very good. One exception is The Smallest Minority. I love his standing offer to provide guns, ammunition, and the cost of using a range to anyone who has never fired a gun before. I avidly read news of the gun world on his blog. I enjoy every minute of it; especially the points I disagree on. But this is beyond ridiculous.

Ages ago, I bought a rifle. Shortly thereafter, I bought a gun lock. I wore the key on a cord around my neck. I carried the spare on my keyring. When my hubby bought his rifle, (a beautiful Enfield .303 bolt action sniper rifle) we immediately locked it. Perhaps, if we never had a child in the house -even as a guest- we might consider doing away with the locks. But really... If you have the time to get to your gun, switch off the safety, make sure there's a round in the chamber, and aim; then you can spare a few seconds to remove the lock. Otherwise, you may as well use it as a club.
I have a rifle for just in case. Just in case I need to hunt for food. Just in case the country falls apart. Just in case a crowd of rioters breaks into my home. In any of these instances, I'll have plenty of time to get that lock off my gun. If someone breaks into my home in the middle of the night, and I actually wake up; I'm more likely to hit the 911 button on the security monitor.

It would be foolish to have a child and a gun in the house, without the extra precaution of a gun lock. I'm proud to say that my son has never played with either of the two rifles in the house. He's never played with the collection of swords and knives. We taught him well. He understands the purpose of weapons, and he understands that they are not "cool".
Perhaps we taught him too well. He's 13, and he's still afraid to fire my rifle. I would like him to get comfortable with it. I would like him to practice. I would like for him to feel that rush of power, then put that feeling aside; so that he understands all the aspects of weapon ownership. And I let him proceed at his own pace. I will not force him to handle a weapon; but when he does, I want to be right there -teaching the difference between Hollywood and reality.

Kerry Protest Pics Are Fake

Ok, so I haven't really watched the news recently; but I should have known this anyway.
The Guardian knows it.
Slashdot knows it.
even Snopes knows it.

Why does a Google News search show every country but America talking about this?

Oh yeah, and that supposed affair? Never happened.
Let's play nice, kiddies!

Wednesday

This morning, Hubby said, "I'm done with smoking. And I'm quitting Pepsi, too." I refrained from asking, "Who are you, and what have you done with my Hubby?"
NPR mentioned that people are still getting married in San Francisco. It reminded me of Badger's comment that her friends flew to San Francisco to get married. My thoughts went through the history of people standing up for their rights, and I was moved. I'm always moved when I think about such things.
There is no reason to be threatened by someone elses partnership. There is every reason to stand up and ask for equal rights for everyone. Not "seperate but equal", just plain equal. Heterosexuals need to stand up for the rights of all adults to marry.
And finally, St. Louis has registered 32,000 new voters since July.

Gay Marriage and Stem Cells

Both are top headlines today. CNN just can't say enough about them. Rather than spout my opinions at length, I'm gonna spout my thoughts at brief. :)

Korean scientists cloned some embryos and harvested the stem cells. So what if a soul decided to live the briefest of lives, by inhabiting a few-day old cluster of cells? Would the soul live within the stem cells? Would the soul survive, and like any transplant -grow-live-thrive? Are there any souls out there who want to spend some time here swarming in a petri dish? I believe that souls choose.
Also, here are a few things stem cells might be able to do some day:
Give your grandmother sight again.
Give a newborn a proper heart.
Give a survivor of violent crime a new limb.
Give a paraplegic a way to walk.
Grow a new uterus, ovaries or cervix.
Grow a new prostate, colon or testicles.
Cure Alzheimers. Cure cancer. Cure AIDs?
End arthritis.
Create hope.
Think of one more thing and add it to the list!

Gay Marriage
I've heard the arguments against it, and I remain unconvinced. The worst agreement, the one that makes my blood boil is the stupid, "God says marriage is between one man and one woman." So change the wording

Reprint every tax form, questionnaire and survey. Change "marriage" to "union". For everyone! I've been legally unioned -unionized(?) to my hubby for 13+ years. On our 5th anniversary, we were handfasted. I got "married" in front of the Gods and everybody. Is there a difference? Well, yes, there is. I waited 5 years for a ceremony that included religion. Legally is there a difference? No. From the second our legal union was recorded; I got insurance benefits, death benefits, joint property rights, and the ability to hold my partner's hand in a hospital room. I have the right to speak for my husband when he is indisposed. Phone rings. "Is (name) there?" "He's not available. This is his wife, may I help you?"

Denying gay marriage is no different than denying blacks or women the right to vote. It is no different from denying property rights. This country has spent 238 years working toward "All are created equal". Take a minute to remember that.

Three Ring Circus

Remember Schoolhouse Rock? Of course you do. We all have fond memories of our favorites like, "I'm Just A Bill" or "Conjunction Junction". Years ago, we bought the Schoolhouse Rock collection on videotape, and I was re-introduced to "Three Ring Circus" which explains the three branches of government. The Supreme Court doesn't make the news as often as the President or members of the Legislative branch. I think that's good. It frees up the Supreme Court, and gives them the space to do their job. I also like that they get a lifetime appointment, so they don't have to worry about getting booted when they make unpopular decisions. I'd like to talk about some of the decisions they'll be working on after their midwinter break.

The Pledge of Allegiance: I'm all for making kids start their day by pledging their dedication to their country. I'm all for "One nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all". I'm all against "Under God".

Looking at how post Sept. 11th deals with terrorism and security: Yes!

The Supreme Courst will be testing the limits of presidential secrecy, civil rights protections for the disabled, and free speech vs protecting children from Internet pRon. They will be looking at patients rights to sue their HMO's. Cases now awaiting rulings include a church-state fight over scholarships for religious education, a look at the role of partisan politics in legislative redistricting, and a case testing the legal rights of more than 650 foreigners held in open-ended military custody at the U.S. Navy base at Guantanamo Bay.

All I can say is, do it, baby!

Frustrating and Depressing stuff

Sick, wounded U.S. troops held in squalor article written in October.

The Bill of Rights Defense Committee lists cities, counties and states that have passed resolutions, ordinances or ballot initiatives protecting the civil liberties of their residents. The numbers are depressingly low.

Articles relating to the Iraqi War body count, vaccine problems and poor medical care for our troops

Sigh. There's a site out there called Fear Bush. Well... we could fear him... or we could do something about him. We could try and get him impeached, or (gasp) we could vote him out of office.

The Ephedra Ban

The Bush administration announced Tuesday it is banning the sale of ephedra early next year, and urged consumers to immediately stop using the herbal weight control supplement that has been linked to numerous deaths and other harmful health effects.
(According to an AP report.)


I didn't realize the White House had the authority to ban things. Don't get me wrong, I think some people are stupid or desperate enough to take massive doses of ephedra to help them lose weight. I think that as long as companies offer it, fools will buy it, convincing themselves that it is safe. I think it sucks for a few holistic health practitioners who use ephedra containing herbs. I think it sucks that a law has to be passed to protect people from endangering themselves. And I want to rant about the use of the phrase, "The Bush Administration...banning the sale of ephedra."

The President does not write the laws. The President approves or vetoes the laws Congress writes and approves. The Supreme Court decides whether the laws are valid or not. Therefore the President cannot ban the sale of ephedra... Or is Congress part of the Bush Administration?

In another foolish case of overzealousness, a Nebraska woman was ticketed for being nude. The overzealousness reared it's ugly head when the owner of the bar called the police to complain about the nude pictures. The police department plans to send a letter to the state Liquor Control Commission to see if the bar violated any state laws.

sigh

I'm a patriot, take II

I don't like George Bush. I don't like our predominantly Republican Congress. More accurately, I'm nearing a point of 'fight or flight' mentality. Other countries are looking good to me. I have awakened in the middle of the night from dreams of Bush getting re-elected. I've studied enough history to see how quickly a country can go from free to hell. All it takes is fear. Right now, Americans are afraid they will lose their jobs and be unable to find new ones. They're afraid their teenagers will be gunned down by a crazy student, teacher, sniper, or pack of ravenous wolves. They pray for the rapture to take them away. They would rather have the world end, than look at their fear.
At least, some of them would.
Some, but not all.
Some Americans face their fears, tackle them like the intruders they are. Some Americans write their congress people, sign petitions, protest, or just plain blog. There's a stealthy flow of information circulating the net, undermining the media; Thanks to an educated and inspired few.

This always happens

I stop reading the news for a few days, and newsworthy stuff happens.
The 4th amendment guarantees us the right to be secure in our persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures. Warrants shall only be issued upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and the warrant must particularly describe the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

As if that weren't enough, the 5th amendment covers that again with, "No person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law."

So WHY did a joint House-Senate conference committee approve a provision in the 2004 Intelligence Authorization bill that will permit the Federal Bureau of Investigation to demand records from a number of businesses--without the approval of a judge or grand jury--if it deems them relevant to a counter-terrorism investigation?
Do they think our Supreme Court is underworked? Do our congressmen not understand the constitution? It's not like it's a large document. You can breeze through it in less than an hour. It's not like a proper warrant is difficult to obtain, either.
The provision is absolute rubbish. Our congresspeople should not waste their time on it.

So Much News, So Little Attention

Alaska approves shooting of wolves because the moose population is down, and subsistence hunters can't kill enough moose to feed themselves. Nevermind that human hunters are unlikely to target the weak or old wolves, like nature would. Several protesters dressed up their dogs in fake bullet-proof vests.

St. Louis doctors protest skyrocketing insurance costs They want insurance reform. I don't know their side of it, but I think insurance reform is a good idea. Rates should be reasonable, and malpractice awards should also be reasonable. Some juries are far too generous. I could fill the page with insurance ranting, so I'm stopping here.

In a lovely case of Not In My Backyard, toxic US ships may have to turn back from their destination. 4 WW2 era ships were bound for an English scrapyard, but Great Britain doesn't want them. President Clinton had outlawed the sale of mothballed ships for scrap overseas both because of the environmental hazards they posed to ocean waters and because of growing public concern that toxic wastes were being shipped to developing countries where workers were inadequately protected from exposure to poisonous chemicals.
But the Bush administration won a waiver from its Environmental Protection Agency to send the ships overseas.

Also, India has become a toxic dumping ground, thanks to big corporations shipping their jobs overseas. With production, comes toxicity, and India's laws are more lax than our own... even with Bush in office. That's just sad.

Other interesting Amendments

The 13th amendment abolishes slavery, except as punishment for a crime. (chain gangs)

The 14th amendment makes the Government un-sueable for the loss of the value of a slave.

The 15th amendment says the right of citizens to vote shall not be infringed on the basis of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.

The 16th amendment gives the federal government the right to charge an income tax, modifying Article I, section 9, of the Constitution.

The 18th amendment begins prohibition, it includes a clause for being ratified. Clearly, it was an iffy amendment from the outset.

The 19th amendment gives women the right to vote.

The 21st amendment repeals prohibition, but puts the right to make alcohol illegal into the hands of states and counties.