Taking down the Widener Law version of the 1st Amendment. #DESen @ChristineOD

The below I got in email from a friend. It's a pretty definitive smackdown of Erin Daly, the Law Professor from Widener who thought it smart to trash Delaware Republican Senate Candidate Christine O'Donnell on the 1st Amendment and "Separation of Church and State".

Enjoy!

OPEN LETTER TO ERIN DALY

Professor of Law and Associate Dean of Faculty Research and Development

Widener Law

Christine was absolutely right about "Separation of Church and State" not being in the First Amendment or the Constitution. As I am sure you know, but may not admit, the phrase "Separation of Church and State" comes from a letter from President Jefferson to a private group. It did not appear in Supreme Court decisional law until Reynolds v. United States, 98 U.S. 145, 164 (1878), a hundred years after the Revolution.

"Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between a man and his God; that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship; that the legislative powers of the government reach actions only, and not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should “make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”—Thomas Jefferson, letter to the Danbury, Connecticut, Baptists.

The First Amendment was ratified in 1791, a dozen years before the Supreme Court’s 1803 decision in Marbury v. Madison.

On NPR and Juan Williams. Holding to it's principles, NPR fires Juan for speaking the truth.

In case you haven't heard yet, Juan Williams was fired by the taxpayer subsidized NPR (National Public Radio). He was fired for saying that he too has anxiety when he sees people in Muslim garb on a plane with him. He was fired for telling the truth, as Erick Erickson noted in the linked post.

Juan's anxiety is a completely normal human response to a traumatic event perpetrated by people citing their Muslim faith as reason and justification for the same. Juan was speaking from his own experience, with empathy for others who have also suffered losses due to Islamic Terrorism.

Despite these natural human inclinations, Juan went on to explain that we shouldn't lump everyone together. To a degree I think Juan is correct. We shouldn't let stereotypes cloud our judgments, nor should we allow a PC culture to do the same.

Even with these qualifications on his overall statements, NPR decided to fire him. He simply wasn't toeing the line for the NPR mission. This is a good point that I will briefly address after the full O'Reilly segment.

1, 2, 3, Currahee

About a year ago my father died and over this past year, not a day has gone by that I didn't think of him. Sometimes those thoughts would bring pain, other times joy. Today I was checking out the blogs looking for something interesting to read/watch when I found a post on iOwntherworld. The title was Currahee, and I immediately smiled.

Before even watching the video in the post, I was already thinking of my father proudly. For those who don't know, not that you would, my father was in the 101st Airborne in Vietnam. More specifically, he was an artilleryman on FSP Ripcord in 1970. It is an honor to have had a father that fought with "The Stand Alone Battalion", 2nd Battalion (Currahees), 506th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division (Airmobile).

I also think that my father would be happy and honored to know that the Curahees are still amazing soldiers who defy all the odds.

Get your tissues ready...



1, 2, 3 Currahee!!

A Smart Band with SmartphonesGiving Techno a New Meaning

h/t to Instupundit

Having had their instruments "stolen", Atomic Tom decided to put on an impromptu concert with their iPhones.



I have been to far worse concerts.

Consider this an open thread.

Aaron B. Gardner

Imagine a JumpSaturday Open Thread

This is a mashup of Imagine by John Lennon and Jump by Van Halen. As odd as that may sound, it's actually pretty dang brilliant.

Enjoy...




Aaron B. Gardner

New Background on the Site.

I know it is probably such a subtle change that my 3 readers didn't even notice, but I changed the background just now.

It used to be a stock woodsy photo all blurred up. I didn't like it but it was a close in stock match for a Vermont feel when I first revamped this blog.

I decided to change it, and start blogging here again, earlier this week when I took this picture just down the road from where I live.



Living here certainly has it's benefits. I get to see some of God's great handiwork every day.

I am truly blessed.

Aaron B. Gardner

Still, another new ad from @ChristineOD #DESen

In this ad Christine O'Donnell, Republican candidate for Delaware Senate, has a Wilmington City Councilman talk about Chris "The Bearded Marxist" Coons tax policy.







Go Christine!



Aaron B. Gardner

See this Amp at http://bit.ly/bQcxgL

Delaware's Problem Isn't Christine O'Donnell.If I lived in Delaware I would be looking for Tom Ross' replacement.

I know that it's become popular to get all down in the dumps about the Delaware Senate race. I know that it's all a "done deal" and no amount of campaigning or prodding can change the outcome. The die has been cast.

Alea iacta est.

These words were made famous when Julius Caesar spoke them as he led his army across the Rubicon. Caesar was now in direct defiance and civil war and past the point of no return.

O'Donnell won her primary despite the best efforts of the Delaware GOP and Castle. This race was a contentious one and it has been, more than any other, like a civil war between the moderate and conservative factions of the party.

Since her win she has largely been on her own, still fighting the smears on the left and the potshots from the right. She has had to do all the post primary work, like reuniting the party, without the assistance of the State party. Despite this she has launched what I think is a good ad campaign combined with mailings. She also beat Coons in back to back debates in a matter of 24 hours.

At this point, two weeks out from election day and 2 debates left, a new Rasmussen poll shows Coons at 51% and O'Donnell at 40%.

Now ask yourself this.

If the Delaware GOP had held just one event for O'Donnell since the primary, could this race be closer?

If the Delaware GOP had posted a full throated endorsement of O'Donnell, might that have caused this race to tighten?

Peter Shumlin (D) Drops in on Brian Dubie's Campaign HQ. #VTGov #RGA

I bet Shumlin thought it would be really clever to bring T.V. cameras down to Dubie campaign HQ 45 minutes prior to a debate. I also bet he didn't expect to be engaged in a losing debate with one of the campaign workers.







Oops. Thanks for the donuts though, in fact, that inspired the VT GOP to ask for 12 dollar donations to honor the dozen donut debate.



Well played Peter, well played.



Aaron B. Gardner



P.S. Dubie for Vermont.



P.P.S. Phil Scott too.



P.P.P.S Did I mention Len Britton for Senate?

See this Amp at http://bit.ly/92Mg8H