At least I still have my AK

lada land is generally a "politics free" zone. But my civil liberty radar has been bleeping at me more and more since moving south. (Did you click on civil liberty? You should. I heart the Urban Dictionary.) The most notable blips:

Amendment I
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

• This month Evolutionary Biology was removed from the list of acceptable fields of study for recipients of a federal education grant for low-income college students - until the New York Times made a stink and it was quickly added to a revised list citing a "misunderstanding".
• I am at a loss to find a reason not to sell alcohol on Sundays (actually from 7:00PM Saturday night to 7:00AM Monday morning). No bottle of wine with dinner on Saturday night. No margaritas at the dinner party. No beer with football. Granted it is merely an annoyance because I will just keep a well stocked fridge, but it still rankles. If I am over twenty-one and not operating a vehicle, why the hell is Sunday different than any other day of the week?
  "Because the Lord rested on that day" they say, "It is the Lord's day." Umm, didn't the Lord rest with a brew and little weenies like I do on Sunday? Come on people there are 228 references to wine in the bible. Including John 2:1-11 where Jesus kept a wedding reception bumbin' by changing the water into a fine wine when the host ran out - seriously, it was like 150 gallons worth. I think the Big Guy is okay with us drinking on his special day. Which doesn't really matter because those who don't believe in said "Big Guy" should not be restricted by the believers'...uh...beliefs.
• N. Carolina statute 14 - 201.5: "It shall be unlawful for any person to practice the arts of phrenology, palmistry, clairvoyance, fortune-telling and other crafts of a similar kind in the counties named herein. Any person violating any provision of this section shall be guilty of a Class 2 misdemeanor." Which means if lada gives up on astrology and invests in tarot cards (in her own home, for her own use!) she is screwed.
• A man was arrested for tattooing in his hometown of Florence, S. Carolina in 1999 after he tattooed on a South Carolina television news program in protest of the law banning tattooing in the state. He was convicted of the offense, and appealed his case to the S.C. Supreme Court. In 2002, In a 4-1 decision, the high court said a 1960's state law banning tattooing didn't violate free speech rights under the First Amendment. (?) The biggest problem was State Senator Jakie Knotts. Here's some of what he had to say on the subject:
  - "If God wanted you to have a tattoo, you would have been born with one....here in South Carolina, we still believe in God."
  - "It's spelled out very vividly in the Bible that tattooing is taboo."
  - "I just don't believe in marking up the body that the good Lord gave you."
  - "You get me a letter from the president of the South Carolina Baptist Association endorsing Senator Mescher's bill and I just might change my mind ."
  
  Then Whitewater attorney, Kenneth "let me introduce you to Monica Lewinsky" Starr decided to take the case. Long story short, Body Art Ink Tattoos just opened up in Myrtle Beach and celebrated inking the first legal tattoo in the state this year on March 28. Wow, 2006 and not a day too soon. Chalk another one up for Satan.

Quote of the day - Leviticus 19:27-29: "Do not cut the hair at the sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard. Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the LORD."

- Thou shalt have no other blogs besides lada