Southern California must have truly been an idyllic place in the 1930’s and 40’s. It was mostly quite wonderful when I was growing up here in the 1960’s. As it is now, though, the bloom is sadly long off the rose, with the near-perfect climate having to square off against overcrowding, massive illegal immigration, high taxes, and absurd and contradictory racially-motivated political divides.
Then again, contradiction in these parts is nothing new. Our state was the home of Earl Warren, fire-breathing Republican governor of yesteryear, who was a huge proponent of internment camps for completely innocent people. He then presided over a goodly number of Supreme Court decisions, that did their best to PREVENT the internment of completely guilty people!
Submitted, for your approval, (thank you Rod Serling) are a few verbal snapshots from the Golden State…
Plaintiff’s Attorneys Really Are Different From You And Me
Ed Masry, a Thousand Oaks (LA suburb) personal injury lawyer made famous in the movie “Erin Brockovich,” is being sued for sexual harassment by former employee Kissandra Cohen. Cohen, claimed to be the “youngest lawyer in the United States,” describes a lewd and crass work environment.
Meanwhile, Brockovich and her ex settled a lawsuit regarding defaming statements she had made about his child support payments.
Is “Choice” So Important?
Incumbent Democratic governor Gray Davis is making opponent Bill Simon’s pro-life stance a big issue in the upcoming election. No doubt, Davis will get some traction from this, but for those still interested in logic and right reason, the theory is puzzling, at best.
Until January 22, 1973, the regulation of abortion was left to the states, in accordance with the tenth amendment of the US Constitution. Roe v. Wade, drawing on a “right to privacy” established in Griswold v. Connecticut (1965), effectively put the Feds in the abortion business, and kicked the states out. As such, how Simon is doing anything more than voicing his personal opinion, an act originally guaranteed by the first amendment, defies all explanation. As governor, he certainly cannot prevent abortion in California.
Davis, normally quite dense, understands all of this, but knows that most knee-jerk voters won’t bother to think about it.
On another front altogether, State Senator Deborah Ortiz (D-Sacramento) is introducing The California Childhood Obesity Prevention Act. Believe it or not, this bill would prevent the sale of soft drinks in California public schools. It would also effectively eliminate most student extra-curricular activities, by removing a key source of income.
Perhaps, there is a perverse logic here. Ortiz, of course, is pro-choice on abortion, and has a big reputation as one who is interested in health issues. While some of you may argue that killing babies in utero is the ultimate in “dangerous to health,” Ortiz would urge you to see beyond your own prejudices. Being born these days is a rare event, she would hold. Therefore, we must protect the precious children from their own bad habits. This is far too important a matter to be left to “choice.”
Science Teacher Gives Private Lessons To 15-year-old Student
Denying that there was any mufky-fufky, San Bernardino high school teacher Tanya Joan Hadden, 33, went on a fling with young Richard Pena, whom she “loves.” They just got in her car to talk, and talk they did until they ended up crossing the Nevada line, and spent the night (separate beds, natch) in a Las Vegas hotel.
My take is that while this is way better than a school shooting, it exposes some serious maturity and morality issues on behalf of teacher and student. Do you think if the perp were a celebrity, she would have ended up in jail like Hadden?
Just another day in paradise.