Lecture time

I promised a lecture. I think this more adequately can be described as a question and an "I told you so."

First, the question. How come people who feel the need to experience the sensations accompanying killing a human don't start with themselves? That way, they can experience the sensations fully - both as the "killer" and the "killee." And, it would save the rest of us some grief.

Second, the I-told-you-so. Yesterday, whilst driving to work, I heard a bit on NPR about the new supreme court season. Some "conservative" talking head was all but rubbing his hands together with glee as he talked about how this court was going to over turn decisions of prior courts that don't fit into the conservative platform. Funny, when Roberts and Alito were being grilled by the senate, didn't we hear over and over and over again that they would put aside their personal agendas and decide cases based on law and precedent ? Now, the conservatives, who so ardently tried to convince even middle America that these two justices would be more than puppets for a narrow segment of the political spectrum are blathering on about how it is necessary for these justices to decide cases not by law, but by conviction.

While listening, I asked myself about the whole issue of the doctrine of precedent within our legal system. Namely, we recognize that legislation may not cover every single situation that might arise before any given court, and thus, there is a long long history of judges relying on the decisions of others as the basis for their judgements. Apparently, the conservatives are willing to toss out anything they don't personally agree with.

Ironic, we see our selves as the banner carriers for democracy across the globe, whilst trampling it at home.