The Daily Top Five: March 8, 2007

1. Sen. Sam Brownback, a long-shot candidate for President, wants to apologize to Native Indian tribes for past treatment. LaShawn Barber explains why that is a bad idea, among other reasons:

[H]ow far back should we go with this apology nonsense? Should Christians demand that Jews apologize on behalf of Jews of the Sanhedrin for crucifying our Savior? While somebody’s drafting that resolution, let’s ask Arabs all over the globe to apologize for their people’s part in the American slave trade and the slave trade still going on in Africa. Yeah, that’s the ticket. If ever a blanket apology was warranted, it’s one from present-day Arabs to present-day black Africans.

The problem with apologies for past actions is that the supporters of such ideas are, by definition, looking back at a past that you cannot change and can't really explain. We as a nation need to realize we weren't the paragons of virtue we thought we were and keep moving forward, trying our best to be our best.

2. George Will reminds us that perfection is unattainable in the human realm and in political candidates most of all.

3. Joanne Jacobs points to a story in Oregon about the curfew in Portland. Apparently teh police are going to begin fining parents for blown curfews.

Officers will focus on two areas of the city where masses of young teenagers have caused havoc in the past year: Northeast Portland and downtown.

A police officer will bring the child to the Northeast Precinct community room, and a parent will be contacted. The adult could be given a citation to appear in juvenile court about a month later, an unusual occurrence that will be unique to Portland. Silverton, which became the first in the state in 1995 to adopt a local parental responsibility law, has parents report to its municipal court.

At the Portland court appearance, a judge will issue parents a warning, explain their responsibilities and alert them that a second violation could lead to a fine of up to $1,000.

Sometimes it takes a law to make parents actually parent, which is a sad state of affairs.

4. Rod Paige has some very kind words for Steve Jobs. I agree with jobs and with this comment by Paige:

teacher unions have become a major barrier to the improvement of our public schools. Holding this view does not mean that I am anti-teacher. To the contrary: I view the many incredible teachers I know as heroes. Holding this view also does not mean that I believe all teacher unions are bad.

5. Dale Carpenter is talking about push in Congress to expand the hate crimes bill.

The current main federal law (18 U.S.C. 245) was passed in 1968 during the civil rights struggle. It covers only race, ethnicity, national origin, and religion, provides assistance to local authorities to deal with such crimes, and allows federal prosecution only where the victim is engaged in a federally protected activity (like a civil-rights demonstration).

snip

The proposed hate-crimes law (H.R. 2662) would drop the requirement that the victim be engaged in a federal activity, thus greatly expanding the scope of federal prosecution. It would provide federal investigation and prosecution of crimes motivated by bias against a person's sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, and disability, thus adding to the categories covered. And it would give money and other resources to state and local authorities to investigate and prosecute these crimes.

The problem I have with hate crimes laws is that first it assumes that crimes committed against the protected classes is somehow motivated by the victims class status, when it may not. Second, "hate" can be a factor in aggravation for sentencing, but shouldn't be a crime in and of itself. Hate crimes punish people for feelings, which is getting awfully close to mind control.

Carpenter is a former victim of a hate crime and is very skeptical about the legislation. Read the whole thing.