- EverVigilant.net - "The condition upon which God hath given liberty to man is eternal vigilance; which condition if he break, servitude is at once the consequence of his crime and the punishment of his guilt." - John Philpot Curran
Aaron Russo, who produced such Hollywood hits as Trading Places and The Rose, passed away on Friday, August 24, after a long battle with cancer. He was 64.
Over the last decade, Russo gained popularity as a political activist, candidate, and Ron Paul supporter. But those of us in conservative/libertarian circles will remember him for his most recent film, America: From Freedom to Fascism.
He will be missed.
You can view America: From Freedom to Fascism in its entirety on Google Video.
If the government were to declare martial law, they may try to seek a little help from above. From KSLA TV:
Could martial law ever become a reality in America? Some fear any nuclear, biological or chemical attack on U.S. soil might trigger just that. KSLA News 12 has discovered that the clergy would help the government with potentially their biggest problem: Us. ...
... If martial law were enacted here at home, like depicted in the movie The Siege, easing public fears and quelling dissent would be critical. And that's exactly what the "Clergy Response Team" helped accomplish in the wake of Katrina.
Dr. Durell Tuberville serves as chaplain for the Shreveport Fire Department and the Caddo Sheriff's Office. Tuberville said of the clergy team's mission, "the primary thing that we say to anybody is, 'let's cooperate and get this thing over with and then we'll settle the differences once the crisis is over.'"
Such clergy response teams would walk a tight-rope during martial law between the demands of the government on the one side, versus the wishes of the public on the other. "In a lot of cases, these clergy would already be known in the neighborhoods in which they're helping to diffuse that situation," assured Sandy Davis. He serves as the director of the Caddo-Bossier Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness.
There's a fine line between trying to keep people calm and actually aiding and abetting enemies of the Constitution (which, by the way, is the proper Romans 13 "governing authority" in this country). My concern is that most clergy in America today wouldn't be able to tell the difference.
Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales, under political siege for his handling of the U.S. attorney firings and other issues, is to get expanded powers to hasten death penalty cases under regulations being developed by the Justice Department.
The rules would give Gonzales the authority to approve "fast-track" procedures by states in death penalty cases, enabling them to carry out sentences more speedily and with fewer opportunities for appeal if those states provide adequate representation for capital defendants.
Such powers were previously held by federal judges, but a provision of the USA Patriot Act reauthorization bill approved by Congress last year hands the authority to the attorney general.
Come on, Bush apologists. Still think we don't have to worry about governmental abuse of power under the Patriot Act? Don't say we didn't warn you.
Local and national news outlets are reporting the collapse of a section of the I-35 bridge near downtown Minneapolis. From WCCO News:
Both the northbound and southbound lanes of 35W are lying in the Mississippi River.
There are multiple cars in the river and a couple cars on fire. According to one witness, there was a school bus full of children on the bridge.
Cars are still on the bridge.
There was no immediate word on injuries, but dozens of rescue vehicles were there. Divers were also in the water.
Tons of concrete have collapsed and people are injured. Survivors are being carried up the riverbank.
Some people are stranded on parts of the bridge that aren't completely in the water.
A tractor-trailer is on fire at the collapse scene.
Some cars are still precariously perched on the bridge. Sections of the bridge are mangled, some are pointing up in the air and some are in the river.
"My truck got completely torn in half," said Gary Bavanaugh, who was on the bridge when it collapsed. "The bridge started shaking and it went down fast."
Bavanaugh said he was headed northbound on I-35W when he heard a huge rumbling and he saw a huge cloud of white dust as the bridge collapsed. He had his seatbelt on and said if he hadn't, his head would have gone through the windshield.
Bavanaugh said a school bus full of children was ahead of him. He got on the bus and helped children, who he estimated to be 8-12 years old, off the bus and off the bridge.
"It is just horrific," said witness Marilyn Franzen, who saw the bridge collapse. Franzen said she saw a school bus that managed to stop before the going over the edge of the bridge that she said was carrying 20-30 children between the ages of 8 and 12 years old.
According to witnesses, cars are crushed and mangled under the bridge where it collapsed onto the shore of the river. Street signs also crushed cars.
The road has been under construction since the beginning of the summer.
Here's what the scene looked like shortly before this post:
I live in St. Paul, but drive on this section of highway all the time. It's one of the most heavily traveled in the Twin Cities.
** UPDATE ** The latest report this morning (Aug. 2) was 7 people confirmed dead, 60 injured, and 20 missing. Also, video from a security camera showing the bridge as it collapsed has been released:
Aaron Russo, who produced such Hollywood hits as Trading Places and The Rose, passed away on Friday, August 24, after a long battle with cancer. He was 64.
