Free Republic

Last month, the grossly exaggerated testimony of a 30-year-old Georgetown law student delivered before an ad hoc congressional committee quite blatantly attempted to expand the legal definition of the term, “denial of services.” When the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services held that all employers, even religious institutions, must provide health insurance coverage for contraceptive services, including those aiding abortions, to its employees, it set off a firestorm within the Roman Catholic community. The department’s mandate directly conflicts with the church’s 2,000-year history celebrating the sanctity of life. When health officials issued their decision, U.S. Rep. Darrell E. Issa,...

FBI to change definition of ‘rape’ for the first time since 1929BY Rheana Murray NEW YORK DAILY NEWS Updated: 11:04 am The FBI’s definition of “rape” is about to get a long-awaited update, for the first time since 1929. The revamped description will be broader, pleasing activists who say the current definition leads to the low-balling of sexual assault cases, and also discourages victims to come forward. An agency panel voted on Tuesday to change the narrow definition that’s currently in use: “Carnal knowledge of a female forcibly and against her will.” The new definition, which will more closely match...

AG Eric Holder attempts to avoid question about lying to congress. Saying that lying depends on one's state of mind. (December 8, 2011)

Evidently, the newspeak definition of ‘misinformation’ is actually ‘opinions with which I don’t agree’. According to Media Matters for America that is, as The Right Sphere points out. They use an example given in Howard Kurtz’s article “Partisan Organizations Use Sound Bite Warfare” wherein Kurtz describes the “bat signal” given out by MMFA. This coordinated attack sprung from Governor Mike Huckabee making a remark on a radio show about Natalie Portman’s pregnancy and how he thought she was “boasting” about unwed motherhood: Media Matters mission, and what presumably allows them the tax exempt 501(c)(3) status, is as follows: Media Matters...

Last week, Steve Clemons organized a contingent of foreign-policy officials and commentators to send a letter to President Obama urging the U.S. to support the anti-settlement resolution at the UN. It included many prominent critics of the Israel — Peter Beinart, Chas Freeman, and Andrew Sullivan, to name just a few. Based on their well-documented eagerness to condemn Israel whenever possible, the Washington Post’s Jennifer Rubin referred to the group as “Israel-bashers” – prompting an angry response from Clemons and setting off a debate about the meaning of “pro-Israel,” according to Ben Smith: The group J Street has been waging,...

Meg Whitman says she lives by the principle of doing the right thing. It's there in the very first line of her autobiography. "What is the right thing to do here?" she recalls challenging her underlings at EBay, where she was chief executive, .. I've been trying to reconcile that principle with her actions in what's become known as her "spinning" scandal. Eight years ago, it came out that Whitman was among an elite group of favored executives who had accepted preferential stock deals from Goldman Sachs while it was seeking business from their companies. In spinning, executives would typically...

Koh recently said "modern right-protecting democracy" according to answers.com. "Right" can be defined as -In accordance with fact, reason, or truth. -Fitting, proper, or appropriate. -Most favorable, desirable, or convenient. With this definition, it seems that the right can be anything as long as it is most favorable, desirable, or convenient. Maybe, this isn't what the founding father meant. I think the explicit definition is required.. almost bordering the legalism. can someone define what the "right" is and de-construct the "modern right-protecting democracy"? Thank you

Client Alert - December 4, 2008 Brought to you by California Peace Officers' Association To All Members: From: Paul R. Coble, Esq., The Law Firm of Jones & Mayer CITIZEN CARRYING FIREARM IN PLAIN VIEW It has recently come to our attention from a variety of points around the State that officers are with increasing frequency encountering individuals carrying holstered pistols in plain view on a gun belt, but with ammunition close at hand either in bandolier fashion or a loaded magazine affixed to the gun belt. It is believed that these individuals are attempting to provoke a law enforcement...

The U.S. Supreme Court has accepted an appeal from a religion that you probably never heard of until it hit the news yesterday. Summum is rooted in gnostic Christianity (or, at least modern understandings of gnosticism) and ancient Egyptian religion (or, at least contemporary understandings of ancient Egyptian religion). It was founded in 1975 and has its headquarters in (of all places) Utah. You can get more information at the official Summum web site. The case before the Supreme Court is based on the fact that the small town in Utah has a large, stone monument in the city park...

OMAHA, Neb. -- A unique case in an Omaha courtroom involved U.S. attorneys trying to use an unusual method to convict a man. KETV in Omaha reported that attorneys had a conundrum on their hands -- they had the evidence to prove the convicted felon was in possession of a gun, but they couldn’t prove the gun was a gun. What attorney’s had on their hands was an American double-action revolver that was manufactured between 1880 and 1941. The problem is that federal code states that the weapon is not a firearm unless it was manufactured after 1896. Without a...

It's been a tough November... Sometimes, to understand a concept, it is useful to break the word down and trace its etymological roots. Let's take the word "Politics" Politics: A word formed from two distinct words. Poli, Greek for many, and tics, the Latin derivative of the blood sucking insect common to North America. So, from this we get the true definition of Politics: Many bloodsuckers. I know, it's an old joke, but I thought it was time to dust it off and bring it back. :)

The president's nomination of generals David Petraeus and Raymond Odierno to take command of U.S. Central Command and Multinational Force-Iraq, respectively, was obviously the right decision. By experience and temperament and demonstrated success, both men are perfectly suited to these jobs. Given the political climate in Washington, however, their nominations are likely to be attacked with the same tired arguments war critics used to try to drown out reports of progress in Iraq during the recent Petraeus-Crocker hearings. So before the shouting begins again, let us consider in detail one of the most important of these arguments: that no one...

need help finding the definition I saw once, maybe in a 'conservative dictionary'. couldn't find it. possibly pj o'rourke?

Yesterday FReeper Dark Skies posted an editorial by Andy Martin from Political Gateway with the following lead comment: “Swift boating" is a term that came into use during the 2004 presidential election to reflect Senator John Kerry’s flaccid response to attacks on his wartime record in Viet-Nam. The term, a noun, adjective and verb, has entered the political lexicon and is usually invoked when liberals and Democrats are stung trying to defend themselves against unpleasantly truthful accusations hurled by conservatives. I took exception to that definitiion and emailed my objection to Mr. Martin as follows: "Swift boating” is a term...

On this page, there are several definitions of a Freeper. We are getting a very bad rap. We need to Freep the thumbs up and down and correct this. You will also find other definitions like, Moonbat, DUmmies, and Free Republic. We need your help, please! See some of the definitions below: 1 - Right-wing political activist. So-called, because it is the nickname of the denizens of the ultra-right wing Web site FreeRepublic.com. Similar to "ditto-head." Also spelled FReeper Bill thinks that anyone who opposes President Bush should be thrown in jail. He's a total Freeper. 3 - A pseudo-conservative...

Paul’s Definition of a Christian "No Confidence in the Flesh” a Biblical Reflection by John Hendryx I often make it a practice to familiarize myself with a book of the Bible by reading and saturating myself in it for 30 days in a row. I find this incredibly helpful. If the book is too long to read in one sitting, then I divide it into sections, reading each for 30 days. Currently I am reading through the Paul’s Epistle to the Philippians and ran across some good material that I wanted to share with anyone who will listen. In chapter...

I use a Dr. Thomas Sowell quote on my email signature: "The most fundamental fact about the ideas of the political left is that they do not work. Therefore we should not be surprised to find the left concentrated in institutions where ideas do not have to work in order to survive" This may not have been a good choice because I am being challenged to quantify that. I have never actually thought of the left versus right. My approach in the past was a little like "I don't know art but I know what I like". Do any of...

I sometimes like to visit liberal forums and chuckle at how preposterous they are. Some kid asked them what a liberal is and they directed him to the link below. The liberals' definition of "liberal" is.......well, here's how one liberal that managed to chew through the leather straps puts it: "One who is polically speaking, party neutral. One who examines both sides of an issue before making a stance, and also will re-examine their stance upon presentation of new evidence. A liberals views are not limited by bigotry, tradition, dogma, tradtion, etc. They are based on the results of their...

CARY, N.C. - The joke around here is that this town's name is really an acronym for "Containment Area for Relocated Yankees." As far as Vernon Yates is concerned, they haven't been contained well enough. Nearly surrounded by pricey subdivisions, the cinderblock Yates Grocery and Farm Supply sells neither anymore. As if things weren't bad enough, style maven Martha Stewart has chosen this Raleigh suburb to build a signature neighborhood of houses designed after her homes in Maine and New York. Holding court near a potbellied stove, the 69-year-old man in the suspenders and NASCAR shirt laments that his old...

Please offer your expertise and research into the "State of the High Definition TV". Is plasma or LCD the way to go? I heard that most of the makers bring out new models in the April-May period next year. Will prices for 2005 models plunge then after New Year's? What manufacturers offer superior quality? Should one wait a year or two due to rapid change in technology? When will the technology advancement in HD TV slow? Best Buy has a 42 inch plasma from Panasonic for about $2900. What types of prices are you seeing out there for various size...

As is often the case these days, offensive language or behavior is in the eye of the beholder. It depends on whether one subscribes to old school or new-age definitions of words that have been around for centuries. This word discrimination used to be a compliment of sorts, as in “one has discriminating tastes” based on the old school definition “To make a clear distinction; distinguish: discriminate among the options available. To make sensible decisions; judge wisely.” Of course the new-age definition is much less flattering, “to treat one person or group worse than others or better than others, usually...

In Quadrennial Political Garage Sale, MoveOn Buys Democratic Party! In something of a surprise announcement to Terry McAuliffe and the leaders of the Democratic Party, MoveOn has claimed ownership of the Democratic Party as a result of the grassroots movement started by Howard Dean during the primary season of the 2004 Presidential Elections. According to YahooNews (“MoveOn to Democratic Pary: ‘We Own It!’, 9 December 2004), in an angry e-mail addressed to “professional election losers” (a polite way to refer to Bob Shrum) leaders of MoveOn wrote: “We bought it. We own it. We are going to take it back.”...

[Editor’s Note: The American Thinker believes in calling things by their proper names. Euphemism is a tool of misrepresentation and ultimately of control, stripping away accurate and evocative connotations, and substituting false associations. ....] The word “liberal” has a bad odor to it these days, a situation which the American left blames on conservatives, accusing them of “demonizing” it in the public mind. From their perspective, the average citizen is incapable of coming to an independent judgment, having observed decades of failed liberal policies. Instead, it must be evil conservatives who have propagandized the public into believing American liberalism is...

<p>PIERRE - An effort to define marriage in South Dakota was defeated in the state Legislature on Monday even though it enjoys the support of four of every five lawmakers.</p> <p>Backers of the proposal hoped to form a bulwark against a recent court decision in Massachusetts and developments in other states that allow gays and lesbians to legally marry. But the language of the 39-word bill, which would make civil unions and domestic partnerships illegal in South Dakota, proved too vague for lawmakers. It was defeated 12-1 by the House State Affairs Committee.</p>

The many definitions of troop morale By Ward Sanderson, Stars and StripesEuropean edition, Thursday, October 16, 2003 Marni McEntee / S&S Marines in southern Iraq use spare time to keep fit in the desert heat. Many Marines said they have adjusted to their changing mission very well. (ms# 61p xg) Scott Schonauer / S&S Two soldiers from the 1st Armored Division relax and watch TV at one of Odai Hussein's former palaces in Baghdad. Marni McEntee / S&S Petty Officer 2nd Class Steve Umfleet of Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 15, out of Kansas City, Mo., helps frame a building...

The disclosure this week of a "probable" case of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in Arkansas has created a new distinction for Arkansans in dealing with a largely untreated disease - the difference between "probable" and "suspect" SARS cases. The SARS web site of the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, Ga., distinguishes between the two classes in medical terms of "clinical," or symptom-based and "epidemiological," or exposure-based, criteria. In either case of "probable" or "suspect" cases of SARS, the basic symptoms remain the same: Consistent body temperature of 100.4 degrees or greater accompanied by typical respiratory disease symptoms such...

The Bill Of Attainder Project is a civil liberties organization started by the Libertarian Party of Oklahoma. The project contacts political activists, organizations and others to forward the cause of preventing laws that plunder life, liberty, and property. The following information presents the issues, and the solution to stopping laws and legal devices that can be described as bills of attainder. Please feel free to contact us about this issue. About Bills Of Attainder"We the people are the rightful masters of Congress and the courts, not to overthrow the Constitution, but to overthrow men who pervert the Constitution." -Abraham Lincoln....

Editor’s note: Ruth Wood joins the American News editorial page today as an occasional columnist. Election campaigning time is here again. How can we tell? Count the number of times you hear the words “liberal” and "conservative.” From the sound of the political advertisements, the perception seems to be that conservative is good and liberal is bad. There are some candidates who seem to judge the power of their campaign ads by how many times they can use the word conservative. Since I am a retired teacher, I always go to the dictionary. What on earth is being said? The...