Who said it?
In the past, I have been a strong advocate of the death penalty. I voted in favor of the resumption of capital punishment in 1977, and I have supported additional provisions expanding the categories of criminal actions for which the death penalty may be imposed.
However, I have now become one of those who believe that we must take another look at the death penalty. In other words, I have come full circle when it comes to giving our states such as Virginia the power to take the life of a human being. In fact, I’m now proposing a two-year moratorium on executions.
Of course you didn’t guess. That was Vince Callahan, in 2002.
I wonder who he’s referring to as “giving our states” the power. Who, precisely, is the giver?
I can only assume he means that the federal government should prohibit the death penalty on a national basis — that such power should be both reserved and unused by the U.S. At least, I can’t summon any other interpretation.
That’s what I thought he meant, too. And that’s completely backasswards. It’s the people, through the states, that gives the federal government its power, not the other way around.
This is one of the fundamental things that distinguishes liberals from conservatives — how we see power, and in which direction it flows (or should flow) — from the federal gov’t to the people versus from the people up to the federal government. I choose the latter.
I remind you that Justice Scalia said in March that “government derives its authority from God.” Nevermind that pesky “consent of the governed.”
There are stupid people throughout the political spectrum — foolishness transcends ideology.
Scalia is stupid and foolish, in your opinion?
I submit that all the Founding Fathers might have themselves a knee-slapping laugh and a half over Scalia’s absurd notion that “government derives its authority from God.” That is if they have stopped spinning in their graves yet!
Stupid and foolish indeed! And, we the bigger fools for not finding a way to relieve ourselves of such noxious thinking.
I submit that you should learn a little about all the founding fathers before saying silly things like that again. A good place to start would be the Declaration of Independence.
“The most important value for me is that Jesus is the son of God.”
That’s stupid or foolish? Just wondering.
Woah! IP and I actually share a value! Incredible.
Of course we quickly veer away from concurrence on the following issue: America, A Christian Nation?
Clearly America is NOT a Christian Nation. America is a nation founded on the principles of the Enlightenment. Anyone who says different ignores the power of Jefferson’s Revolution, and the Constitution, but IP, a big fan of “selectively” supporting the Consitituion, so it’s to be expected.
Unfortunately, the corporatist radicals of the right wing republican party clearly believe that properyty rights are given by god (absurd), instead of given by assent of the people, through government. As such, those who benefit most from the people’s decision to give property rights owe the most to the people in the form of progressive taxation. Great Americans like FDR, JFK, and John D. Rockefeller concurred with me on this particular issue. Government isn’t the solution to all problems, it’s just the only ally people have against the abuses of the greedy ungrateful rich.
IP, you wrote:
In our Republic power comes from the poeople and government exercises it on their behalf. I don’t see how mischaracterizing the position of decent Americans serves your cause. But why stop there. Why not just go on to say that liberals are traitors and evil and basically in love with terrorists. Oh, I’m sure you’re just getting warmed up. The day is young.
Could you point out how any of your ideology of fiscal sanity and social responsibility is actually fuliflled by your national GOP leadership? Could you point out how the current republican party leadership has exercised power on behalf of the people who put them there? Can you point out how any American who makes less than $75,000/year has been made better off by the policies of the National GOP? Or do you mostly believe that power comes from the people and goes to the federal government where it should be abused and used to make the rich, richer and lleave the the rest of us and our children to fend for ourselves. That seems to be the belief of the national GOP.
I’d really like to know where the conservative movement goes from here, now that every branch of the government is under investigation for corruption, and Mr. Bush has been proven time and again to be an incompetent failure, capable of cronyism, corporatism, and national disgrace, but incapable of acting on behalf of the people of the United States of America.
Where did I say that America is a Christian Nation? I’ve never said it because I don’t believe it. The founding fathers, Jefferson included, believed that authority to rule ultimately derives from God — exercised by the people to choose their leaders. That is what Scalia referred to, and what the Declaration explicity says.
As for the rest of your rant, well, like you said — the day is young. I do look forward to one or two more screeds from you.
Wow. We agree on two points. This is a red-letter day.
Still, I must have hit pretty close to home with that last post. You usually don’t get downright nasty until after lunchtime.
The day is young.