Linkfest -- Assorted Updates
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Time to clean out the aggregator.
ITEM: The sex offender mania has re-opened a new question — should repeat child molesters be sentenced to death? Apparently Texas is debating becoming the latest state to authorize it. Before that question can be answered, however, we must answer the predecessor question of whether the Constitution, specifically the Eighth Amendment, allows any crime other than murder to ever warrant the death penalty. The Supreme Court has never directly decided the issue, but see Coker v. Georgia, 433 U.S. 584 (1977) (death penalty not permissible for aggravated rape), or this previous post. More thoughts and links at Sex Crimes Balwg, SL&P.
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ITEM: A Boston man was fired from the Scotts Company after testing positive for nicotine, and is suing for "unreasonable, substantial or serious interference of privacy, and under other state law." The company forbids employees from smoking at all, not just on the job. This is one of those issues where libertarians can get conflicted: We like privacy and autonomy, but we also like freedom of contract. I keep siding with the latter argument: If you don't like it, then quit. Previous post here; sorta kinda related posts here and here.
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ITEM: I previously blogged --
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ITEM: The Second Circuit has extended its outrageous reasoning upholding the worthless random search program in the New York City subway system to a random search program on a commuter ferry. Because Osama bin Laden is just so desperate to strike at Grand Isle, Vermont, and because one can apparently conceal enough explosives in a fanny pack to sink a ferry. Cassidy v. Chertoff, 05-1835 (2nd. Cir., November 29, 2006) (PDF - 32 pages). (Via How Appealing.)
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ITEM: Yet another defeat for those who equate video games with hard-core porn. This time it's Louisiana, where a permanent injunction against a state law banning sales on "violent" video games has been granted. Previous posts blasting the patently unconstitutional law here and here. (Via Slashdot.)
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ITEM: Both Republic of T. and Pam's House Blend have updates (with lots of links) on various same-sex marriage issues, particularly in Maryland (where oral arguments will be held Monday in the state's highest court) and California (where a state legislator is commencing the process of trying to untangle Governor Schwarzenegger's schizophrenic "leave it to the activist judges" veto of a same-sex marriage bill).
ITEM: The sex offender mania has re-opened a new question — should repeat child molesters be sentenced to death? Apparently Texas is debating becoming the latest state to authorize it. Before that question can be answered, however, we must answer the predecessor question of whether the Constitution, specifically the Eighth Amendment, allows any crime other than murder to ever warrant the death penalty. The Supreme Court has never directly decided the issue, but see Coker v. Georgia, 433 U.S. 584 (1977) (death penalty not permissible for aggravated rape), or this previous post. More thoughts and links at Sex Crimes Balwg, SL&P.
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ITEM: A Boston man was fired from the Scotts Company after testing positive for nicotine, and is suing for "unreasonable, substantial or serious interference of privacy, and under other state law." The company forbids employees from smoking at all, not just on the job. This is one of those issues where libertarians can get conflicted: We like privacy and autonomy, but we also like freedom of contract. I keep siding with the latter argument: If you don't like it, then quit. Previous post here; sorta kinda related posts here and here.
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ITEM: I previously blogged --
Who could possibly have sat down with the task of designing an electronic voting machine and not come up with the requirement that it produce a receipt, just like an ATM? I find this situation totally dumbfounding.Score one for common sense:
The National Institute of Standards and Technology is recommending that the 2007 version of the Voluntary Voting Systems Guidelines decertify direct record electronic machines.I am no technophobe, but this insanity of no-paper-trail voting machines scares the, um, ballot out of me. (Via Slashdot.)
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Congress has also been on the case. Hearings were held throughout the summer and fall, and legislation was introduced that would require the use of some form of voter-verified paper audit trail.
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ITEM: The Second Circuit has extended its outrageous reasoning upholding the worthless random search program in the New York City subway system to a random search program on a commuter ferry. Because Osama bin Laden is just so desperate to strike at Grand Isle, Vermont, and because one can apparently conceal enough explosives in a fanny pack to sink a ferry. Cassidy v. Chertoff, 05-1835 (2nd. Cir., November 29, 2006) (PDF - 32 pages). (Via How Appealing.)
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ITEM: Yet another defeat for those who equate video games with hard-core porn. This time it's Louisiana, where a permanent injunction against a state law banning sales on "violent" video games has been granted. Previous posts blasting the patently unconstitutional law here and here. (Via Slashdot.)
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ITEM: Both Republic of T. and Pam's House Blend have updates (with lots of links) on various same-sex marriage issues, particularly in Maryland (where oral arguments will be held Monday in the state's highest court) and California (where a state legislator is commencing the process of trying to untangle Governor Schwarzenegger's schizophrenic "leave it to the activist judges" veto of a same-sex marriage bill).
Posted by Kip on
3 December 2006
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