Tuesday, June 21, 2005

Follow-ups

Senate still can't quite decide if it's sorry it didn't outlaw lynching when it mattered

Regarding Senators who didn't co-sponsor the lynching apology resolution along with their rationales, if any, for not making even a token gesture, here's the latest list.

Update: Finally, at last, Oregon's own Gordon Smith has signed on.

Let's be clear: A Senate resolution of apology won't undo the deaths that took place, or the shame those deaths cast on the World's Greatest Deliberative Body [tm], but it will demonstrate a certain measure of moral perspective on these otherwise untouchable persons.


Librarians are still under right-wing surveillance

Despite claims to the contrary by Bush and Ashcroft, et alia, the Justice Department has used the PATRIOT Act to make about 200 unaccountable inquiries into the reading habits of private citizens.

Keep this in mind if you read banned books or are, in general, a proper gander.


Universal ID still spooks anyone out there who's paying attention

Even if you're comfortable with the Orwellian overtones of the concept of the Real ID, it's hard not to believe that it's a bad idea to trust our personal information to people who, for one reason or another, don't have our best interests at heart.


Oregon House Dems blog still trudging along

It hasn't found its groove yet, nor become the discussion forum one might have hoped for--yet. Perhaps because there are too many people running their pet topics. But it has its charms.

Meanwhile, Portland City Commissioner Sam Adams has launched his blog, a fact which has not gone unnoticed hereabouts.

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