Colorado Conservative

What A Country

An 11-year-old Muslim girl suspended from a Muskogee, Oklahoma school for wearing a religious head scarf may soon have the help of the U.S. Department of Justice. A federal attorney filed a brief yesterday in U.S. District Court, requesting the Justice Department be named as a plaintiff along with Nashala Hearn. The girl was suspended from Ben Franklin Science Academy after she refused to remove her Muslim head scarf. The Justice Department says it wants to make sure public schools aren't discriminating against anyone based on religion. Muskogee public school officials say they have a district policy against hats, caps or head coverings of any kind. They also filed a brief yesterday, asking that the case be dismissed.

The United States "hates" Muslims so much, they help them maintain their religious freedoms. Not many countries are interested in the rights of everyone. That must be why everyone hates us so much.

Good News

The University of Wisconsin college student missing since last Saturday morning has been found alive in Madison. Police spokesman Larry Kamholz confirmed that Audrey Seiler (SEA-ler) was found today and has been taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. Kamholz said police are searching the area where she was found for a gunman. Police with guns drawn are doing a car-to-car search for whoever took her. A Madison Fire Department emergency vehicle responded to the scene when word came out that she had been found.

Anytime a kidnapped person is found alive, it's good news.

A Racist Study

Triple-A is asking for new research to look into what it calls the "alarming public health epidemic" of highway deaths among Latinos in the U.S. Citing information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Triple-A says motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death in Hispanic men age one to 44, and that Latino children ages five to 12 are 72 percent more likely to die in a traffic crash than non-Hispanic whites of the same age. A study of Mexican-born immigrants by Triple-A also found a link between the percentage of a person's lifetime spent in the U.S. and seatbelt use. The study was conducted because the World Health Organization has chosen the theme of road safety for next week's World Health Day.

Not really of course, but any time minorities are singled out, even for their own good, it can only mean one thing....racism.

Solving ADD

A Ventura, California doctor says marijuana is better than Ritalin at treating attention deficit and similar disorders. The "Ventura County Star" reports that Dr. Claudia Jensen says she has seen marijuana change dozens of lives, including one student who went from three F's one semester to A's and B's the next. Jensen will testify tomorrow in Washington DC before the House Subcommittee on Criminal Justice, Drug Policy and Human Resources in support of the medical use of marijuana. Others in her field aren't convinced. The "Star" reports the evidence is purely anecdotal. To date, no clinical study exists proving the effectiveness of marijuana on attention deficit type disorders.

Yeah, just forget about the munchies...plus you may concnetrate better, but then you forget what you were just concentrating on.

No Kidding.....

"Road rage" may do more than cause traffic accidents and lead to violence. Research shows the stress it causes for drivers may be hazardous to their health. BBC reports that the initial anger of being cut off in traffic or having a parking space "stolen" releases stress hormones that are harmful to the body. Leon James, a professor of traffic psychology at the University of Hawaii, says the stress is especially hazardous when it happens again and again. He says experiencing that anger and impatience every day can be harmful to the heart and have other negative health effects. James describes road rage as driving under the influence of adrenaline. That's the hormone that prepares the body for a fight.

You mean, angry people get stressed and heart problems? Naww couldn't be.

Heads Up

Federal officials are trying to track down a commercial airliner that apparently dropped a chunk of ice on a Pennsylvania house. The Delaware County house belongs to the Gunn family and wound up with a hole in the roof after a chunk of ice the size of a basketball fell from the sky. Authorities believe the ice may have fallen from the wheel well when the pilot put down the landing gear. Nobody was hurt in the incident.

Thank Goodness no one was hurt. And thank goodness it wasn't from the toilets...which they also freeze.

A Problem

A drinking binge left a Northern California college student dead and charges may be on the way. According to police, 21-year-old Steve Saucedo had been part of a drinking game last Thursday night and was found dead in his apartment the next morning. The exact cause of his death won't be known for a few weeks until toxicology reports are completed. However, friends of the late UC Berkeley student may face criminal charges.

What, no fraternity involved? You mean college kids who aren't in the Greek System can die from drinking too much too. Wow! I thought fraternities and football teams were the root of all evil on a college campus.

This is Funny

A elementary school teacher is in hot water in New York after accusations he hung a student on a coat hook by the belt loop. Jason Schoenberger is a second-year teacher with P.S. 279 and authorities say he hung the five-year-old by the belt loop of his waistline on a coat hook in the classroom. Schoenberger is charged with reckless endangerment and endangering the welfare of a child. He's been assigned to administrative duty and faces disciplinary action and possibly termination. Schoenberger allegedly pulled the stunt as a prank.

The problem? He shoulda done it on Thursday!

On this Day in History

In 1981, President Ronald Reagan was shot by a would-be assassin as he left Washington's Hilton Hotel. Three other people were wounded in the attack. Reagan spent the next two weeks in a hospital recovering from his wounds. John Hinckley, Jr., was ordered to spend the rest of his life behind bars for the attack.

Just something to reflect on.

eTalkinghead

I have a new post at eTalkinghead, regarding Condoleezza Rice's upcoming testimony.

I'm amazed that Democrats not only allowed this to happen, but openly challenged Rice to testify.

Rice's testimony will destroy any credibility the Dems may have thought they had after Richard Clarke's turn in front of the Commission. Rice has been sharing her side of the story all week. In many instances, in the face of very tough questioning. Her facts are straight, her credibility is strong, her testimony will be powerful. Rice's testimony will also be the last word the voting public will hear before the commission adjourns. And as we all know, the last word is often the best, and most remembered.

Check it out. And check out the whole site, thoughful posts from both sides.