When I first heard about the Boston Marathon bombing, I assumed it was likely a case of domestic terrorism. Foreigners tend not to be so aware of the historical relevance of the Boston Marathon–that it takes place on Patriots Day, the commemoration of the start of Americas Revolutionary War–when the first shots were fired at the Old North Bridge in Concord, MA. (The Oklahoma City bombing, a case of domestic terrorism, occurred on Patriots Day in 1995.)
Around the same time the Boston Marathon is being held, theres a reenactment of that first battle between British Red Coats and the Minute Men. Its not only a legal holiday in Massachusetts, but its a big deal day, on a par with July 4. The Boston Red Sox always play a home game, and it begins at 11 a.m., so it can be sure to end right around the same time as the Boston Marathons first runners are crossing the finish line a few blocks away.
My point is that the spirit of Patriots Day and the American Revolution runs strong in Massachusetts, and tends to rub off on everyone who settles in the area. Red Sox slugger David Ortiz, only a U.S. citizen since 2008 (he hails from the Dominican Republic), was defiant in his pre-game speech yesterday at Fenway Park: This is our fucking city.
As a political conflict takes shape nationally over how to deal with the Boston bombings, its encouraging to learn that the strongest calls for respect of the surviving suspects civil rights seem to be coming from Massachusetts, as are the initial calls for a thorough investigation. Gov. Deval Patrick said he was hoping for a host of reasons the suspect survives because we have a million questions, and those questions need to be answered.” The Boston Globe, in its lead article today, points to questions being raised about the FBIs role in investigating the Tsarnaev brothers implicated in the bombings; the FBI has admitted its agents interviewed the older brother two years ago.
In that article, a Massachusetts Congressman, Stephen Lynch, is quoted as asking basic questions about the Tsarnaev brothers–who financed them, what motivated them.
It would be ironic if the entire matter gets a public airing because the victims sought inquiry, including respect for the suspects rights, rather than simple revenge. That was the essential spirit of the American Revolution–a rising up of people beaten down by a lack of respect for basic civil rights. I dont want to go too far afield, but I know that spirit has encouraged me to pursue the issue of food rights–out of a sense that our government shouldnt be setting absolute limits on what foods we choose to nourish ourselves with…and out of a sense the matter should be a subject of public debate rather than arbitrary decree.
Well see how far toward the truth the Boston Marathon bombings case is allowed to go. Its encouraging so far that the lessons of the American Revolution seem still to be glimmering.
I would bet that many American were not aware of this, before the bombings. Sadly I wasn’t aware. (I’ve learned more history as an adult, than I learned in school). .
Hopefully there will be a public airing of this whole event.
“Unjust laws exist; shall we be content to obey them, or shall we endeavor to amend them, and obey them until we have succeeded, or shall we transgress them at once? Men generally, under such a government as this, think that they ought to wait until they have persuaded the majority to alter them. They think that, if they should resist, the remedy would be worse than the evil. But it is the fault of the government itself that the remedy is worse than the evil. It makes it worse. Why is it not more apt to anticipate and provide for reform? Why does it not cherish its wise minority? Why does it cry and resist before it is hurt? Why does it not encourage its citizens to be on the alert to point out its faults, and do better than it would have them?”
Henry David Thoreau (Civil Disobedience and Other Essays (Collected Essays))
“If you need to muse on something, you might remember a few significant events that occurred on or around Patriots Day, the anniversary of the opening battles in the American Revolution:
Final attack on the Waco Branch Davidian compound: April 19, 1993.
Oklahoma City bombing: April 19th, 1995.
Columbine school shooting: April 20, 1999.
Virginia Tech shooting: April 16, 2007.
Boston Marathon bombing: April 15, 2013
Dont worry your pretty little head about it, though. Things happen. Theyre meaningless.
But have faith.
Thats right. I forgot. Were supposed to take it on trust.”
[end quote]
Taken from this link: http://jonrappoport.wordpress.com/2013/04/20/boston-locking-down-the-city-where-the-american-revolution-was-born/
Jon has several good articles leading up to the capture. They can be found on his blog here – – – > http://jonrappoport.wordpress.com/
For now, the first article is the one I posted above. It is a roving blog. Keep scrolling to find the rest of his recent stuff. He has a really good one about the FBI. =8 -}
Many times when I’d help someone entangled in the coils of the law, they’d tell me PART of their tale of woe, while leaving out something crucial, which they knew was embarassing. Seems this may have happened with Vernon Hershberger : his constitutional challenge on the basis of religion is not quite as simple as we were led to believe. Undermined by the fact (?) that, previously, he’d participated in an action in that same wicked playground of the Cult of the Black Robe.
For Sure = no real Christian would haul his brother in Christ before the worldly authorities, but the Apostle Paul had no problem asserting his right as a Roman, to have accusations against him, heard by Caesar. So the Amish are dead wrong on their notion that the Bible barrs them from answering an allegation in the state court
every time you see “tenant” in the item below, it ought to be “tenet”
———— news report ————-
Case against raw milk farmer continues
By Tim Damos, Capital Newspapers
A Loganville dairy farmers religious beliefs do not absolve him of certain legal responsibilities, a judge ruled Monday.
Attorneys for Vernon Hershberger, who faces criminal charges involving unlicensed dairy production and food sales, argued their clients Christianity prevented him from contesting state action related to the case.
None of (the religious tenants cited by Hershberger) prohibit, on their face, the exercise of any secular rights, said Sauk County Circuit Court Judge Guy Reynolds as he gave his oral ruling Monday.
In June 2010, state inspectors with the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection raided Hershbergers farm and sealed coolers of food. They ordered him to discontinue sales.
One of the charges against Hershberger alleges that he violated that hold order. State attorneys say he never exercised his rights under the law to appeal the order and have it reviewed.
But Hershbergers attorneys have said he could not have done so, because certain religious tenants would have characterized such an appeal as an act of aggression.
State attorneys have pointed out that Hershberger already has appealed bond conditions in his criminal case. However, the dairy farmers attorneys say the religious tenants only apply to civil matters, such as the DATCP hold order that was issued before the criminal case began.
This is a somewhat nuanced tenant that the defendant has the burden of identifying, Reynolds said Monday. He ruled Hershberger and his attorneys had not provided sufficient evidence for their argument.
Further, Reynolds said, even if such tenants do exist; it does not appear that Hershberger has relied on them in the past.
He was listed as a defendant in a 2007 civil case that involved an automobile crash with a horse-drawn planter. Hershberger mounted a legal defense in that case.
He even filed a five-page motion to have the case dismissed.
Theres no evidence in that motion that deals with any such religious tenant, Reynolds said. I think this really goes to the sincerity of the religious beliefs asserted here.
The case is scheduled for a final pre-trial conference May 7, which is to be followed by a 5-day jury trial beginning May 20.
Thanks, Gordon. The reporting about the decision is accurate, but the reporter had little knowledge about the implications of the ruling. It’s very narrow, affecting one witness (so far), and possibly the amount of focus at the trial on the pros and cons of raw milk. I discuss briefly in my latest blog post. BTW, this article got it wrong–says the ruling allows the trial to go forward; that is inaccurate, the trial was going forward regardless of the ruling.