Free Republic

ROYAL OAK —A planned protest against government corruption was scuttled prematurely Saturday morning, when members of MoveOn.org were ordered from the Royal Oak Farmers Market because they weren't authorized to be there. "The message that we want to communicate is the general concern and or disgust with the current situation in the country in regards to the corruption in Congress," said Terry Ohrstrom of MoveOn.org.

PRESIDENT BUSH said William Rehnquist should be remembered for ''improving the delivery of justice for the American people." To Rehnquist, justice meant just us white men, preferably connected, preferably straight and preferably with all limbs functioning. This was a chief justice of the Supreme Court who dissented in last year's 5-4 ruling in favor of a paraplegic who sued the state of Tennessee for courtroom access. The man dragged himself up 24 stairs for a traffic violation hearing because the court had no elevator. When he did not show up for a second appearance, saying he was humiliated by crawling...

This month, Michigan became the first state to launch "a child protection registry," which means information database in government speak. Its purpose is to protect children from Internet spammers who solicit buyers for stuff like porn, guns and drugs. But as many Internet-savvy people know, the spammers trafficking these noxious items probably aren't worried about measly state legislation. And legislators know this. So why institute this pie-in-the-sky legislation? In recent years, government has become data-collection happy, but it has usually targeted adults. With this new registry, Michigan might be setting a precedent for data collection on children in the United...

<p>The Bush administration's proposal to offer amnesty to illegal immigrant workers has prompted federal officials to instruct border patrol agents not to disclose information that might reflect poorly on the idea, a government document shows.</p> <p>Meanwhile, U.S. border patrol agents have been told to ask a series of questions when they capture illegal immigrants, including whether the immigrants have heard of President George W. Bush's proposal.</p>

Ferndale weighs wisdom of annual Christmas display in front of City Hall FERNDALE - Faced with budget constraints and the possibility of lawsuits, the city is considering whether to drop its annual Christmas display which features a Nativity scene and other religious icons and a Santa. The holiday decorations, with a central representation of Jesus Christ in the manger, have been part of Ferndale for more than four decades. "We're putting all the religious symbols on hold for the holidays, pending a legal analysis," said City Manager Tom Barwin. City Attorney Daniel Christ told the City Council that it should...

"There's a myth of progress in Oakland County that must be looked into," said Jeffrey Montgomery, executive of the Triangle Foundation, a gay rights organization in the Detroit area. "As far as I am concerned, this is a cynical vote in favor of intolerance." American Civil Liberties Union attorney Jay Kaplan also was "terribly disappointed" with the vote. "It was a mean-spirited action that sends a message to the rest of Michigan about Oakland County favoring intolerance," Kaplan said. "You could tell from the body language of many of the commissioners that they had already made up their minds." "As...

A court battle of more than a year between Ferndale and Michigan Coalition for Responsible Gun Owners turned against the city this week when the high court refused to hear Ferndale's case. That effectively affirms a Michigan Court of Appeals decision to throw out the city's gun ban earlier this year. Appeals court judges had ruled that Ferndale's anti-gun ordinance is pre-empted by a 1990 state law that prevents local governments from enacting laws affecting the possession and transportation of firearms. The case has repercussions for cities across the state. "I am concerned with the rights of communities to protect...

<p>Using Michigan as a test site, the federal government is quietly rolling out a national plan to put electronic tethers on illegal immigrants -- easing overcrowding in jails and allowing closer monitoring of immigrants who might otherwise skip court hearings or deportation proceedings.</p>

<p>For more than 20 years, Ajmy Al-Saidi served and spiked as part of Iraq's national volleyball team.</p> <p>But after Saddam Hussein appointed his son Uday to head the country's athletic programs, Al-Saidi knew he had to get out. Soon, he started to see fellow athletes with chopped-off noses and ears -- Uday's punishment for playing poorly.</p>

Body Zone, the newer and more modern of Detroit’s two gay men’s bathhouses, offers the same amenities found in most gay baths around the country — a labyrinth of hallways lined with small rooms that contain beds. The rooms are available for eight-hour rental. The place also features a steam room, an open shower room, a large hot tub and lounge areas where TVs show either sitcoms or gay pornography. There is scant conversation. Men looking to hook up communicate almost exclusively through eye contact. I pass men of every shape, age and ethnicity, but no one talks. They sit...