Roving SWAT Teams in Chi-town

This sounds like a BRILLIANT idea.

But police plan to combat the early arrival of violence with SWAT teams in battle dress and other members of specialized units patrolling troubled areas to fill in for the disbanded Special Operations Section, officials said. A night roll-call with a public show of force is planned for Friday night.

A public show of force? I shudder to think what that entails.

Maybe they mean something like this.

Indiana: Home of the Status Quo

Very much like Garth in Wayne's World, many people from my home state of Indiana are saying "We fear change!"

Change, it seems, may not carry quite the same political magic in this state as it has elsewhere.

“We hold onto a lot of traditional values,” said Brian L. Thomas, 39, as he bought a cup of coffee along the courthouse square here on Wednesday. “Saying you’re ready to change is probably not the best or only thing you would want to say around these parts. Frankly, we want it to be like it used to be.”

Ah. Like any good journalist, the author of this story had to find someone who will use stereotypical anachronistic colloquialisms like "around these parts" -- I'm honestly surprised the man didn't explicitly call the past the "good ol' days." (Which, might I add, were not so good for certain people in the Hoosier State.)

All that aside, there is something to be said for keeping things the way they are. My friend and former colleague Michael Moynihan had an excellent piece over at reason yesterday addressing Obama's comments on religion and guns and how that might reflect on the candidate's elitism:

...Barack Obama thinks that, whether they know it or not, the gun-toting plebes of America are in desperate need of "change."

I don't think Michael is too far off the mark here...and I think this may hurt Obama's chances in the Indiana primary, given Hoosiers' predilection for guns and God.

A Friend in Need

If you can, please give to the Free the Jefferson 1 Defense Fund:

PLEASE GIVE TO THE JEFFERSON 1 DEFENSE FUND!!!

Brooke faces criminal charges for breaking no law. She requires legal counsel for her criminal case, and may require further representation as the media attention increases. Other costs may come to bear in the future. We ask that you please give what you can--whether it's $20, $50, $100, or more--to the Free the Jefferson 1 Defense Fund to cover her various expenses, and pass this message along to anyone else who might be interested.

We do not wish to discredit or in any way degrade the U.S. Park Police or any other police officer in the nation. But this is a clear-cut case of wrongful arrest and Brooke needs your help to clear her name. Please give what you can.

The fund is in Brooke's name and will be used initially to retain the services of a criminal attorney; after legal and other expenses are covered, remaining funds will be distributed at Brooke's discretion to worthwhile causes that defend civil liberties. All accounting of the fund will be transparent, and stewardship of the fund will be at the discretion of Brooke and her attorneys. Contributions are not tax-deductible and are essentially treated under the law as gifts.

"The Jefferson 1"

I figure it's about time I throw in my worthless two cents about what happened at the Jefferson Memorial last night.

I was there. I am friends with the arrested person and the organizers of the event. I did not dance, but I enjoyed the show...briefly.

I know more than I am going to share because a lot of it would be speaking in place of her, which I am neither authorized nor willing to do.

What I can say, with full confidence, is that 1) she was not in any way intoxicated and 2) she gave not the slightest bit of implication that she was looking to get arrested or even cause trouble. So, for all the blog commenters on the several sites that have covered this story who have speculated otherwise, let it go. If need be (although I think highly unlikely), I can and will testify to that effect.

As for the hubbub that has followed in the hours since: I think it is unfortunate that my friend has to go through all this. She has to tell to people that she was arrested, explain why, and somehow convince them that it wasn't her fault...which it wasn't. And, whether she wants to be or not, she is now a poster-child in our most recent "F- the state" efforts. While there can be perks to this last bit (e.g., becoming a minor-celebrity), that status neither pays bills nor protects privacy.

A lot of us are acting as though we are under some sort of moral obligation to do something. (I am no exception to this. Both as a libertarian, and more importantly (to me) as a friend, I am happy to do whatever needs to be done.) But in the grand scheme of abusive police actions and power -- of which this incident is minor, comparatively speaking -- is the end result going to amount to much? I find it unlikely.

I should probably mention here that my father was a police officer. I grew up respecting police and admire what many of them do on a daily basis. I think it is unfortunate that they enforce a lot of unjust laws (e.g., drug laws, etc.), but that isn't even at issue in this case. She broke NO LAW -- yet still spent several hours in police custody and her life will very plausibly be negatively affected as a result.

I digress.

I am all for this fight, really. But I can see this getting out of hand and I don't want to see my friend hurt.

Whistlin' Dixie

Radley was in South Carolina recently and posted this picture from a gift shop at the airport:



And Southerners wonder why some of us find their "Suhthun Hehatige" contemptible.

Lugar on Iraq

As I already have one post about a Senator from my home state, I might as well give equal time to the other.

[T]he terms of our inquiry today are much different than they were last September. At that time, the President was appealing to Congress to allow the surge to continue to create breathing space for a political accommodation. Today the questions are whether and how improvements in security can be converted into political gains that can stabilize Iraq despite the impending drawdown of U.S. troops. Simply appealing for more time to make progress is insufficient. The debate over how much progress we have made and whether we can make more is less illuminating than determining whether the Administration has a definable political strategy that recognizes the time limitations we face and seeks a realistic outcome designed to protect American vital interests.

Call me a homer, but Dick Lugar is the kind of man and politician U.S. Senators should aspire to be.

"A Spine of Steel"

And a heart of pyrite:



I remember when I used to respect my former governor...