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After the autopsy report - Terri who ?"The report generally supported the contention of Ms. Schiavo's husband, Michael, accepted by judges in six courts over the years, that she was unaware and incapable of recovering. And it countered arguments by her family, who badly wanted to win custody of Ms. Schiavo, that she was responsive and could improve with therapy."Tom DeLay, House Majority LeaderOn 6/15/05: A spokesman for Mr. DeLay declined to answer any questions about the autopsy, except to say that his "thoughts and prayers remain with the family and friends of Terri Schiavo."What he said on 3/20/05: "Ms. Schiavo's condition, I believe, has been misrepresented by the media,"...... "Terri Schiavo is not brain dead; she talks and she laughs, and she expresses happiness and discomfort. Terri Schiavo is not on life support."Bill Frist, Senate Majority Leader (he is a transplant surgeon)3/17/05: Dr. Frist, in his floor statement said that after viewing videotape of Ms. Schiavo, it was clear she was responsive. "To be able to make a diagnosis of persistent vegetative state - which is not brain dead; it is not coma; it is a specific diagnosis and typically takes multiple examinations over a period of time because you are looking for responsiveness - I have looked at the video footage," Dr. Frist said. "Based on the footage provided to me, which was part of the facts of the case, she does respond."6/15/05: Dr. Frist did not respond to questions about the autopsy findings, saying he had not had time to review them. His spokeswoman, Amy Call, sought out reporters who asked about the case to assert that Dr. Frist "never made a diagnosis."And the response from the White House"It doesn't change the position that the president took," said its spokesman, Scott McClellan. "The president believes we should stand on the side of defending and protecting life."Source: New York Times"This country has come to feel the same when Congress is in session as when the baby gets hold of a hammer. " ---Will Rogers, American humorist (1879-1935)

Victory for The Mothers of Plaza de Mayo (also known as Mothers of "Disappeared"The Supreme Court of Argentina has ruled that the infamous "Amnesty Law" is unconstitutional. "The court upheld a decision by the Argentine Congress in August 2003 to scrap the amnesty laws." The Supreme Court ruling came in the case of former police officer Julio Simon, accused in the disappearance of a couple and of having taken their daughter as his own.The law was put in place in 1986 by the military junta involved in murder and torture during the Dirty War against left-wing opponents. Civil liberties groups claim that as many as 30,000 were killed or went "missing" during the years when the country was under dictatorship."The ruling clears the way for prosecutions of officials suspected of human rights abuses during military rule between 1976 and 1983."Under Argentine law, the decision will act as a precedent in other cases involving the Dirty War."Mothers of Plaza de Mayo "A group of women who became a symbol of human rights activism and courage. Dressed in black, they have been demonstrating for years every Thursday at 3:30 in the afternoon, in the famous Plaza de Mayo in Buenos Aires, demanding to know the fates of their loved ones. Marching around the statue of liberty, in front of the presidential palace, they used to tie white hadkerchiefs imprinted with names of disappeared sons and daughters, around their heads, and carry signs emblazoned with photographs of those about whose destinies they sought information. The Mothers' use of the imagery of Christian motherhood made them particularly effective against the professedly Catholic military regime.The mothers are a symbol of courage; leading the struggle for justice, they started their demonstrations while the junta was still in power. Several of them, including their founder, Azucena Villaflor de Vicenti, disappeared themselves as a result."The United States Government was involved in aiding and abetting the Argentinian military junta. Dr. Henry Kissinger was the architect of our foreign policy during those years. The 1982 movie, "Missing" by Costa-Gavras, starring Jack Lemmon and Sissy Spacek, is a realistic depiction of the atrocities that took place in Argentina, Chile, and other Latin American countries.Link:Madres de Plaza de MayoMissingBBC-Argentina

First, the good newsThis is a follow up to my post earlier today. According to a press release from Voice of America:"The Bush administration says it has intervened with Pakistan at senior levels in the case of Mukhtaran Mai, and that the Pakistani woman is now free to travel abroad, including to the United States."Applause. Our government acted. Thanks to Nicholas Kristof of the NY Times and others who took up the cause of Mukhtar Mai.Sharia Laws and Indian MuslimsDon't know where they crawl out from but some Muslims in India do not want to be behind their brethren in Pakistan." An Indian woman who was allegedly raped by her father-in-law is now being ordered by a Muslim council of community elders to marry him. The council says under Islamic law the rape has nullified her marriage, according to media reports. ...

Hudood (Rape) Laws and What they Mean - Catch 22Back in March I wrote about Mukhtar Mai of Pakistan who was gang raped. Unlike others in her situation, she fought back---sought legal recourse. The four men charged with rape were at first freed but the intense publicity generated by the case and outcry from women's organizations forced the court to put them in prison.Now they are being released. The Government of Pakistan placed Mukhtar Mai in house arrest (supposedly "for her own safety") and banned her from traveling. The criticism in foreign press was quick and scathing. The authorities caved in. According to latest news, she will be allowed to travel. The government was concerned that her appearance before international organizations would damage the "image of Pakistan".Mukhtar Mai Pakistan's antiquated Hudood laws are shameful. While educated and wealthy Pakistanis remain largely immune from them, in some areas of the country the enforcement of Hudood is very much in evidence. More and more Pakistani women are speaking out against the laws and customs which relegate women to little more than slaves.This is from the web site of LHRA (Lawyers for Human Rights and Legal Aid), Pakistan.The Zina Hudood Ordinance(1979)Defined The Hudood Ordinance criminalizes Zina, which is defined as extra-marital sex including adultery or fornication. It also criminalizes Zina-bil-jabr, which is defined as rape outside of a valid marriage. The Hudood Ordinance further defines Zina and Zina-bil-jabr on the basis of the assigned criminal punishment. Hence there is Zina and Zina-bil-jabr liable to Hadd (punishment ordained by the Holy Quran or Sunnah), and there is Zina and Zina-bil-jabr liable to tazir that is, any punishment other then Hadd. The Hadd punishment is stoning to death, and the tazir punishment for Zina is up to ten years of imprisonment and whipping - up to 30 lashes and/or a fine. The tazir punishment for Zina-bil-jabr is up to 25 years of imprisonment and whipping up to 30 lashes.Now, here is the icing on the cake. To press charges against the perpetrator(s), the victim must provide proof as described below. Proof of zina or zina-bil-jabr liable to hadd shall be in one of the following forms, namely:-- (a) the accused makes before a Court of competent jurisdiction a confession of the commission of the offence; or (b) at least four Muslim adult male witnesses, about whom the Court is satisfied, having regard to the requirements of tazkiyah al-shuhood [credibility of witnesses], that they are truthful persons and abstain from major sins (kaba’ir), give evidence as eye-witnesses of the act of penetration necessary to the offence (P.L.D. 1979, 53; Bokhary 1979, 182; Major Acts 1992, 12).3 Talk about a classic Catch 22---this is the mother of them all! Hard to believe that such barbaric laws and practices exist in the 21st century but they are real.As avowed champion of human rights the Bush administration ought to raise the plight of Mukhtar Mai and others with the Government of Pakistan. Don't hold your breath; not going to happen. President Musharraf of Pakistan is our ally in the fight against terrorists. So our government looks the other way. The hypocrites continue to utter platitudes.Links:LHRA PakistanRape Laws-Pakistan

Praise the Lord and sign the LegislationFrom The Associated Press 6/12/05"Texas Governor Mobilizes Evangelicals"Now some wonder whether Gov. Rick Perry overplayed his hand last week trying to stick to the playbook used by old friend George W. Bush and political whiz Karl Rove, mobilizing evangelicals for last year's presidential race."Governor Perry and his people are just not as good as Bush and Rove," Southern Methodist University political scientist Cal Jillson said. "Governor Perry knows the steps, but he's got no rhythm."There is more. "Dishonoring Texas" is the title of an editorial in The Washington Post."THE DAY TEXAS Gov. Rick Perry (R) ceremonially signed a state constitutional amendment defining marriage as an exclusively heterosexual matter, he may not have been intending to spit in the faces of countless men and women fighting for their country in Iraq. But that is what he did. Mr. Perry was asked by a reporter what he had to say "to gays and lesbians who are serving in the military right now in Iraq who are going to come back to Texas and may not be entitled to the same rights as the rest of us?" Mr. Perry responded that 'Texans have made a decision about marriage, and if there is some other state that has a more lenient view than Texas, then maybe that's a better place for them to live.'"Zealots at the Air Force AcademyIn Colorado, some officials of the Air Force Academy are encouraging proselytizing. Cadets are "being pressured to adopt Christian beliefs and practices". Religious intolerance is alive and well.Editorial in The New York Times"June 11, 2005Zealots at the Air Force AcademyIn an overdue burst of candor, the superintendent of the Air Force Academy has acknowledged that his campus is so permeated with evangelical proselytizing that it will take years to rid the institution of religious intolerance. Lt. Gen. John Rosa Jr. said he finds the problem of cadets unfairly pressured to adopt Christian beliefs and practices occurring throughout "my whole organization," with offenders among faculty, staff and students."Perception is reality," the general apologetically declared of numerous complaints that cadets' constitutional rights have been violated by militant evangelists wielding peer pressure with the blessing of authority figures in the chain of command.In a meeting with concerned Jewish civilians, General Rosa said recently that the problem is "something that keeps me awake at nights," and that he even had to reprimand his second in command, a born-again Christian, for fervidly pressuring cadets. One campus chaplain went so far as to warn hundreds of cadets that those "not born again" would "burn in the fires of hell," according to campus interviews by the Yale Divinity School. In an authorized study, Yale investigators concluded the problem was rife.Yet the superintendent's admission was the Air Force's most honest acknowledgment of how bedeviled the campus is. "If everything goes well, it's probably going to take six years to fix it," General Rosa estimated. The problem, however, is that all is not going well. Reforms were promised last year, but were compromised by heavy-handed editing from the Air Force's chief chaplain. When Capt. MeLinda Morton, a Lutheran chaplain, dared to complain of cadets being abused by "systemic and pervasive" proselytizing, the Air Force transferred her to Asia. General Rosa should bring the major back if he is serious about the cleanup.An inspector general's report is promised soon from the Air Force. But it will take much more prodding, especially civilian pressure from President Bush, Congress and taxpayers, to undo the damage and restore the separation of church and state as a showcase principle at the academy.""President Bush, Congress and taxpayers, to undo the damage......."! That would be the day when the president and Congress act to prevent the attacks against separation of church and state.Links:AP-Matt Curry-Texas GovernorWashington Post-Dishonoring Texas

"The Quiet Master"Yasujiro Ozu (1903-1963) The films he made were way ahead of their time. The sub-titles, of course, cannot be overlooked but the stories and the characters cast a spell that transcends the location and language. Those who like Satyajit Ray's films will find similarities.My favorites:Late Spring(1949) "Yasujiro Ozu creates a poignant and exquisitely realized portrait of devotion, separation, and familial love in Late Spring. By providing minimal plot and eliminating external catalysts, Ozu portrays an honest reflection of contemporary Japanese middle and lower class family life, the shomin-geki. Stripped of a manipulative and artificial storyline, Late Spring reveals a sincere concern for the plight of the common man, an affectionate celebration for the subtle beauty of everyday life, and a profound sympathy for the inevitable passage of time."An Autumn Afternoon (1962) "In his final film Yasujiro Ozu returns to the story of a widowed father giving up his favorite daughter in marriage, only to be left alone. The setting is the industrialized Japan of the 1960s, with small but intense traces of traditional Japanese culture and morals present in each of the characters and their struggles. The melancholy of the widowed father as he drinks away his sorrows at a favorite bar is portrayed in a sweet and gentle treatment, and the aesthetic beauty of the film's heightened color and peaceful pacing make this one of Ozu’s most beautiful and touching films."Tokyo Story (1953)"Yasujiro Ozu’s most widely distributed and best-known film presents the story of an elderly couple in post World War II Japan who come to Tokyo to visit their various children and realize that the family has essentially fallen apart. The couple is received coldly by their two modernized children and only their widowed daughter-in-law seems glad to see them. The children shuttle their aging parents off to a health spa in an attempt to get them out of the way. They learn later that the mother has fallen ill upon her return and arrive too late to say their good-byes."Chisu Ryu (think of Gregory Peck) stars in all of them.Film buffs might like to read Peter Bradshaw's tribute to Ozu in The Guardian, June 10, 2005."Debates over the best film of all time tend to go no further than Hollywood classics such as Citizen Kane. But the influential Halliwell's Film Guide now says the title belongs to Tokyo Story, a little-known Japanese film in which nothing much happens."Link:Guardian-Peter Bradshaw-The Quiet Master

Clear evidence of Lack of faith in the PresidentIs readership of the venerable Christian Science Monitor confined to anti-war liberals? Not likely.Yet, an internal poll conducted by the newspaper reflects surprising lack of support for the president's call for renewal of the Patriot Act. This is what I found when I went to the CSM web site at 1:15 PM Sunday, June 12,2005."Should the Patriot Act be beefed up?No. The act goes too far in restricting civil liberties as it is. 93.95 % (1009)Yes. Agents need broader authority in order to increase the number of key terror-related arrests. 6.05 % (65)Total votes: 1074"Apparently, this one slipped past the spin meisters in the White House before they could line up party faithful to distort the poll.Perhaps people are waking up. Be prepared to see a flurry of terrorist alerts.Link:Related story: Patriot Act, Part II: The political tug of war intensifies by LindaFeldman.CSM-Linda Feldman

The Secret Downing Street MemoGutless DemocratsOn May 1,2005, The London Times published a highly classified document which has come to be known as The Downing Street Memo (see link). The date of the memo--July 23, 2002.If there were any doubts about President Bush's plans, in which Prime Minister Tony Blair fully colluded, to launch an attack against Iraq long before the lies to the nation and to the world, including the charade before the United Nations Security Council, the publication of this document dispelled them. This was the "smoking gun". And what happened? Nothing. It is business as usual.The death toll of men and women wearing the uniform of the United States has exceeded 1,700. The number of severely injured is nearing 13,000. Where is the outrage?Is it apathy, ignorance, denial or a sense of patriotism (that the loss of lives and limbs are for a just cause) that explains the silence of those to whom the losses are personal?Then there is the 9/11 syndrome. We have become so cowed by the propaganda machine that for many it has become a conditional reflex. We do not question, we do not think. We follow.The gutless Democrats who supported the call for war are contemptible for their cowardice. While millions of people were marching in protest, they meekly fell in line. Some went out of their way to display their hawkishness. Because of their shameful role they remain subservient. Sickening.But there is one sign that American families are backing off---falling recruitment. Don Edwards in The Washington Post 6/11/05." Nearly every day, anywhere from one to several U.S. soldiers or Marines die in Iraq, and even more are wounded. The news doesn't always make the front pages anymore, but the casualty rate has apparently registered deeply in the consciousness of young Americans and their families. The result is a dangerous decline in new enlistments that is depleting U.S. military resources and weakening our capacity to face additional conflicts or threats from abroad."Links:TimesonLine-Downing Street MemoWashingtonPost-DonEdwards-Ten HutIraq Coalition Casualties

"Some day historians will look back at America in the decade bracketing the turn of the 21st century and identify the era's major themes: Religious fundamentalism. Terrorism. War in Iraq. Economic dislocation. Bioengineering. Information technology. Nuclear proliferation. Globalization. The rise of superpower China.And, of course, Damsels in Distress."Eugene Robinson's article in today's Washington Post, "(White ) Women We Love", is going to ruffle some feathers. He said what needed to be said.There is no question that the public's interest in such news is largely fueled by the media. The media nurtures the reports, embellishes them, does all it can to keep the stories alive simply because there is a market for them. Media goes where the money is, and there is a lot of money to be made from unhealthy fascination in reports about "damsels in distress", especially when the damsels are white.Link: Washington Post-Eugene Robinson(White) Women We Love

Death toll goes up and up and up."Sorrowing Lies My Land" is the title of a book written by the late Goan author, Lambert Mascarenhas. The book is not about our misadventure in Iraq. There are many families in America for whom the deaths and injuries have personal meaning. Then there are others who grieve over the waste of lives (of all nationalities) in this unjustified war.From USA Today:"As of Wednesday, at least 1,682 members of the U.S. military have died since the beginning of the Iraq war in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count. At least 1,289 died as a result of hostile action, according to the Defense Department. The figures include four military civilians."From Agence France-Presse/Yahoo (6/8/05):"Three US soldiers were killed in two separate attacks late Tuesday north of Baghdad, the military said. ...