Confederate Flag License Plates?, Why Not Al Qaida Plates?

Dallas-Fort Worth CBS is reporting that Texas is considering officially putting the confederate flag on its license plates which raises the question, why not Al Qaida license plates?  Here's the CBSDFW.com story:

Would you buy a license plate with a Confederate flag on it? State officials are looking at possibly launching a new Texas state license plate honoring veterans of the War Between the States.

Mr. Hilary Shelton, with the NAACP in Washington, D.C., said that the Civil War may not be something we want to celebrate.

“When many look at that history, we think about it in terms of secession, that is we were seceding from the Union in the southern parts of the country,” explained Shelton. “Many would view that, quite frankly, as treason, because they meant to actually destroy the existing governmental structure. But when we dig deeper, the issue becomes even more offensive to many African Americans and those that sought freedom for those of darker skin in our country.”

“When you understand the Confederate history, and what it stood for,” said Dallas resident Mark Jones, “it’s directly slapping African Americans in the face.”  In terms of the Civil War, Shelton said that the Confederate flag was actually very un-American. “It was the flag that was flown during a war to actually tear the nation apart,” Shelton explained.

“I don’t think that this will unify us,” said Carrollton resident Carolina Arreola. “Our patriotism is to the Unites States flag.”  But the Texas Sons of Confederate Veterans have renewed their push for a Texas license plate that includes the rebel flag in its design [. . . ]

Currently, nine states already allow the license plates. A statement in a recent newsletter from the Texas Division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans said, “…the Florida Division, the eleventh state, has just filed a lawsuit against the DOT there after their request was denied. I am confident their case will prevail, because legal precedents are in place. I am hopeful that the Texas DOT also realizes this as they consider our application.”
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Arguably, some southern states can claim confederate heritage, because God knows you want to be proud of your terrorist past--but, Texas was not even a state during the Civil War.  An article at the Houston Chronicle indicates that Texas is one vote short at the DMV board to obtain this license option.  How nice.

I consider this sort of thing garbage.  The same sort of politicians who want to slap confederate flags on their license plates would howl over the "dimming the light of liberty" if a corporate television network left "under God" out of the pledge allegiance as part of a golf broadcast.  The demagoguery behind this sort of thing turns my stomach.

Serial Killer to Self-Represent In Third Murder Trial

Long time death row inmate, and suspected serial killer Rodney Alcala, age 66, goes on trial tomorrow for the third time in the murder of Robin Samsoe (pic) according to the Orange County Register, Alcala is expected to act as his own attorney.  The Orange County Register reports that the two previous convictions of Alcala were reversed.  In the iterim years DNA testing has linked Alcala to 4 other rapes and murders of young women.  Additionally, Alcala has a lengthy prior record of rape and assault.  He has been on death row for 30 years.

Alcala a former UCLA photography student is purported to have a genuis-level IQ, and he intends to represent himself at trial--which is why this matter is notable.   Twice previously, Alcala received the death sentence for the kidnap, rape and murder of 12 year old Robin Samsoe, and the death penalty is at stake in this re-trial. 

What can we expect of "attorney" Samsoe?  Games.  Once previously, Alcala fashioned a plastic bow-tie for his prison garb, when told he would not be able to have cvilian clothes. 

Here's betting that the California courts enabled a sociopath to have fun and games, to torment the survivors of little Robin Samsoe--because the state is intent (at taxpayer's expense) upon the symbolism of death.   As we have seen, on Bad Lawyer, California so mal-administers the death penalty that in reality almost no death row inmate is ever executed! 

Already, constitutional problems have arisen in the Alcala case, although a jury is selected and the case is set to go Monday--in a colloquy with the court Alcala told the Judge that the time frame restricitions on his phone calls from prison prevented the completion of the work of expert witnesses employed by him in his defense (doubtlessly also at taxpayer expense.)

One more unitended consequence of the demagoguery of the death penalty. 

Sheriff Joe--the Federal Grand Jury

I have talked at length about Sheriff Arpaio and the efforts to reign in his abuses.  This morning,  AZ Central is reporting that county officials are testifying at a federal grand jury that is looking at Arpaipo's abuse of power crimes. 

As I've said before, Sheriff Joe is the archetype for the sorts of "public servants" we see all the time in this country, demagogues who will take away your freedoms, rights, and liberty in the name of (their idiomatic version of) law and order.  Sheriff Joe is the poster boy for the more insidious types of this character like the democratically elected judges who angrily "throw the book" at criminals, knowing full well that they are violating rights of defendants, and end up costing the taxpayers crates of money to defend preposterous unconstituional acts of judicial fiat; or the state legislatures that overcriminalize the laws;  prosecutors that overcharge, and play games with exculpatory evidence;  and, of course, the Boys in Blue with their tasers and quickdraw mentality who can, in the blink of an eye, take away the ultimate right, your life. 

Good luck, Arizona!