Jared W. Smith

The video didn’t catch it, but there were snowflakes, too. :)

I never thought I would see something like this so soon in my lifetime. Being an optimist, I was sure I’d see it maybe when I was 40 or 50, but 24? Incredible.

There will be more to write in the days ahead. For now, though, silence. And sleep. And rejoicing in the end of a nearly two-year presidential campaign cycle that couldn’t be over soon enough.

We all know that I’m not a fan of immunity for telecommunications companies that helped the government in its (at best) legally-questionable warrantless wiretapping program. (Which, thankfully, the House grew some backbone and stopped on Thursday! :) ) Today, Facebook and ABC News asked about telecom immunity in its latest poll question, and I jumped in a bit. I like talking about this topic; it’s gone fairly unnoticed with all the election hubris, and it’s a pretty pivotal deal in terms of rule of law in America.

At first, the debate was level-headed, a quiet discussion of the facts in the situation and a respectful exchange on both sides.

Then enter M, who clearly takes a cue from Sean Hannity or other hate radio purveyors, with gems like this, a happy wish for those who oppose warrantless wiretapping:

To those of you who believe that it’s wrong of the government to be doing this, it’s my every wish that a terror attack affects your family.

Thanks, M. I’ll be sure to pass your wishes along to my family, who also read my blog.

After another post by him telling me that he didn’t want to “die for my stupidity,” I pretty much let him have his soapbox. He then mentioned that he didn’t know what good things Truman did as President and that there should be a separate country for liberals. He was then fed to the virtual equivalent of rabid lions.

I love the Internet(s), and I love this country, because despite how nasty it may be, he has the right to state that opinion. There’s nothing in the Constitution about decorum in free speech, after all. However, it’s unfortunate that we still have to deal with the poison in our public discourse, particularly over the Internet. It’s not about calmly bringing issues to the table and debating their merits anymore; it’s about shouting, name-calling, ad hominem garbage that drives traffic and ad revenue. Both sides do it. It’s plainly obvious where our divisions come from; the fringes have mobilized very well on the Internet and began their shouting, which is so loud that the moderates are largely drowned out (Joe Gandelman & co. being an exception). And I think, despite what the fringes want you to think, that a majority of America is still moderate and understands the value in a calm debate of the issues.

Or maybe I’m just being idealistic, young, and foolish again.

This makes me ill (via NYT):

The Senate rejected a series of amendments that would have restricted the government’s surveillance powers and eliminated immunity for the phone carriers, and it voted in convincing fashion — 69 to 29 — to end debate and bring the issue to a final vote. That vote is expected later this afternoon, with the result all but assured.

So how, exactly, can anybody say with a straight face that this warrantless surveillance is legal if we have to immunize the culpable parties? Isn’t giving them immunity basically an admission that these telecoms have been breaking the law by listening to Americans’ phone conversations? Where will it end? I’m almost scared to find out. This Congress, one of the most spineless in history, is now officially useless to me. We have officially legalized a total surveillance state, where the agents of the government are private enterprise, who are not bound by any constitution and are apparently above the law.

They say they do it to protect us from those who do us harm — but isn’t a government that respects the rule of law only when it benefits itself just as bad, if not WORSE, than any tyranny a foreign agent could unleash upon us?

The 2008 run to the presidency is notable for just how much the candidates on both sides of the aisle really seem to be purveyors of mediocrity (possibly excepting Ron Paul) and aren’t really doing a great job of catching my attention, at least. Well, at least, until now.

Stephen Colbert has declared his candidacy in South Carolina. If he manages to get on the ballot, I’ll actually throw a vote his way — it’d be a great protest of the utter lack of choice that our system provides. Is it bad that there is no candidate on either side that can really get me engaged in the process this time around? This year’s elections, more than ever, scream why we need more than two viable parties in this country, because it’s clear that candidates of both parties do an excellent job of pandering to their base and not much else, leaving us moderate voters in the dust, as usual. I am just getting extremely frustrated with voting against a candidate rather than voting for one.

Scooter’s free. It must be nice to have friends in high places. He did the crime — he should have done time. The fine is a moot point. On the week of our nation’s birth, she is not a happy camper right now. It’s sickening and depressing. You know, until now Bush was actually very judicious about how he administered pardons and such, and I liked how he was rewarding citizens who had gone on and done good after serving their debt to society. His use of pardons was admirable if not miserly. And now? I can’t even get the words out of my mouth. This is just so bothersome to me on so many levels.

(For the record: Yes, I thought Clinton’s end of term pardons were shady as hell, too.)

It’s funny how our system works. Paris Hilton serves time for a drunken driving charge, but when a guy obstructs a federal investigation, is convicted, appeals like a madman and runs out of his appeals, he gets let off the hook because he’s the official friend of the Cheney branch. Where did Justice’s blindfold go, again?

I had to give away my Obama ticket today. We had an emergency come up at work, and I had to stop in and see what was up…and thus, I missed Obama. No fun. :( Did anyone in the Charleston blogosphere go? I’m so interested to see how this went.