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Shooter’s real problem was mental, not political

“Shots Fired at Correspondents’ Dinner” dominated TV headlines following the gun attack at the Washington Hilton. Correction: Shots were not fired at the dinner but in the corridor outside. That’s where security had pinned the accused gunman, Cole Tomas Allen, on his stomach and handcuffed. Some journalists like to overdramatize everything, especially concerning themselves. Sure, the alleged attacker released a manifesto saying he wanted to take down Trump and members of his administration. But even if the suspect had made it inside, he probably wouldn’t have gotten past the ...

A secret act of judicial tyranny

In a famous Supreme Court one-liner, reminding the legal community of the finality of the court's rulings, the late Justice William J. Brennan Jr. is reputed to have said that the Constitution means whatever any five of us say it means. This reflects the basic math that five is a majority of nine. It also reflects the theory of realism in constitutional jurisprudence. Realism, in this context, is the view that the Constitution is stagnant and unenforceable of its own existence. Realism teaches that the Constitution is only enforceable when the government voluntarily complies with it or ...

Another Trump appointee about to bite the dust

You can be Secretary of Defense (War) and cause the mightiest military in the world to be brought to its knees, and still keep your job in the Trump regime. You can be in charge of public health and cause measles to reemerge as a major hazard to Americans, and still keep your job. You can be illegally enriching yourself and your family as Commerce Secretary, and still keep your job. But you'll be fired for actively and unnecessarily getting bad press. A few days ago, a senior White House official told Politico that FBI director Kash Patel's bad press was "not a good look for a ...

Is theft really a form of social justice?

Is robbing the Louvre a good idea? Left-wing influencer Hasan Piker and New Yorker writer Jia Tolentino did a much-discussed video interview with The New York Times on the ethics of theft, and came out four-square in favor of stealing things, including artwork from the Louvre. They consider larceny an appropriate response to the inherent corruption and injustice of the American capitalist system. The merits of this position aside, it's not clear why it justifies stealing paintings or sculptures from a museum owned and operated by the government of France. When asked about the ...

Be wary of newest set of scams

Decent people are assaulted regularly by scammers attempting to gain their personal information, their money, and usually, both. A new round of scam attempts has taken things up a notch by including the state seal of West Virginia in its attempt. Law-abiding citizens are used to being able to believe that if something comes with that kind of official imagery, they should pay attention. And because they ARE the kinds of people who want to do the right thing, they are more likely to fall for attempts by those who would prey on their sense of responsibility by using state seals, bank ...

Today’s rampant political violence is not normal

In just the past two years, there have been three serious attempts on the life of Donald Trump. In July 2024, a would-be assassin fired multiple shots at Trump during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania, wounding the former and future president and killing a member of the audience. In September 2024, secret service agents identified, engaged with, and later apprehended another hopeful assassin at Trump International Golf Club in Florida. And just days ago, gunshots erupted outside the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington, D.C., as yet another deranged individual ...