Section 8. The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;

To borrow Money on the credit of the United States;

To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes;

To establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization, and uniform Laws on the subject of Bankruptcies throughout the United States;

To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign Coin, and fix the Standard of Weights and Measures;

To provide for the Punishment of counterfeiting the Securities and current Coin of the United States;

To establish Post Offices and post Roads;

To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries;

To constitute Tribunals inferior to the supreme Court;

To define and punish Piracies and Felonies committed on the high Seas, and Offences against the Law of Nations;

To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water;

To raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation of Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years;

To provide and maintain a Navy;

To make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces;

To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions;

To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining, the Militia, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States, reserving to the States respectively, the Appointment of the Officers, and the Authority of training the Militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress;

To exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten Miles square) as may, by Cession of particular States, and the Acceptance of Congress, become the Seat of the Government of the United States, and to exercise like Authority over all Places purchased by the Consent of the Legislature of the State in which the Same shall be, for the Erection of Forts, Magazines, Arsenals, dock-Yards, and other needful Buildings;--And

To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof.

Section 9. The Migration or Importation of such Persons as any of the States now existing shall think proper to admit, shall not be prohibited by the Congress prior to the Year one thousand eight hundred and eight, but a Tax or duty may be imposed on such Importation, not exceeding ten dollars for each Person.

The Privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in Cases of Rebellion or Invasion the public Safety may require it.

No Bill of Attainder or ex post facto Law shall be passed.

No Capitation, or other direct, Tax shall be laid, unless in Proportion to the Census or Enumeration herein before directed to be taken.

No Tax or Duty shall be laid on Articles exported from any State.

No Preference shall be given by any Regulation of Commerce or Revenue to the Ports of one State over those of another: nor shall Vessels bound to, or from, one State, be obliged to enter, clear or pay Duties in another.

No Money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law; and a regular Statement and Account of Receipts and Expenditures of all public Money shall be published from time to time.

No Title of Nobility shall be granted by the United States: And no Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State.

Section 10. No State shall enter into any Treaty, Alliance, or Confederation; grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal; coin Money; emit Bills of Credit; make any Thing but gold and silver Coin a Tender in Payment of Debts; pass any Bill of Attainder, ex post facto Law, or Law impairing the Obligation of Contracts, or grant any Title of Nobility.

No State shall, without the Consent of the Congress, lay any Imposts or Duties on Imports or Exports, except what may be absolutely necessary for executing it's inspection Laws: and the net Produce of all Duties and Imposts, laid by any State on Imports or Exports, shall be for the Use of the Treasury of the United States; and all such Laws shall be subject to the Revision and Controul of the Congress.

No State shall, without the Consent of Congress, lay any Duty of Tonnage, keep Troops, or Ships of War in time of Peace, enter into any Agreement or Compact with another State, or with a foreign Power, or engage in War, unless actually invaded, or in such imminent Danger as will not admit of delay.

Article II

Section 1. The executive Power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America. He shall hold his Office during the Term of four Years, and, together with the Vice President, chosen for the same Term, be elected, as follows:

Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors, equal to the whole Number of Senators and Representatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress: but no Senator or Representative, or Person holding an Office of Trust or Profit under the United States, shall be appointed an Elector.

The Electors shall meet in their respective States, and vote by Ballot for two Persons, of whom one at least shall not be an Inhabitant of the same State with themselves. And they shall make a List of all the Persons voted for, and of the Number of Votes for each; which List they shall sign and certify, and transmit sealed to the Seat of the Government of the United States, directed to the President of the Senate. The President of the Senate shall, in the Presence of the Senate and House of Representatives, open all the Certificates, and the Votes shall then be counted. The Person having the greatest Number of Votes shall be the President, if such Number be a Majority of the whole Number of Electors appointed; and if there be more than one who have such Majority, and have an equal Number of Votes, then the House of Representatives shall immediately chuse by Ballot one of them for President; and if no Person have a Majority, then from the five highest on the List the said House shall in like Manner chuse the President. But in chusing the President, the Votes shall be taken by States, the Representation from each State having one Vote; A quorum for this Purpose shall consist of a Member or Members from two thirds of the States, and a Majority of all the States shall be necessary to a Choice. In every Case, after the Choice of the President, the Person having the greatest Number of Votes of the Electors shall be the Vice President. But if there should remain two or more who have equal Votes, the Senate shall chuse from them by Ballot the Vice President.

The Congress may determine the Time of chusing the Electors, and the Day on which they shall give their Votes; which Day shall be the same throughout the United States.

No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any Person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty five Years, and been fourteen Years a Resident within the United States.

In Case of the Removal of the President from Office, or of his Death, Resignation, or Inability to discharge the Powers and Duties of the said Office, the Same shall devolve on the Vice President, and the Congress may by Law provide for the Case of Removal, Death, Resignation or Inability, both of the President and Vice President, declaring what Officer shall then act as President, and such Officer shall act accordingly, until the Disability be removed, or a President shall be elected.

The President shall, at stated Times, receive for his Services, a Compensation, which shall neither be encreased nor diminished during the Period for which he shall have been elected, and he shall not receive within that Period any other Emolument from the United States, or any of them.

Before he enter on the Execution of his Office, he shall take the following Oath or Affirmation:--"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."

Section 2. The President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the several States, when called into the actual Service of the United States; he may require the Opinion, in writing, of the principal Officer in each of the executive Departments, upon any Subject relating to the Duties of their respective Offices, and he shall have Power to grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offences against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment.

He shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to make Treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur; and he shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States, whose Appointments are not herein otherwise provided for, and which shall be established by Law: but the Congress may by Law vest the Appointment of such inferior Officers, as they think proper, in the President alone, in the Courts of Law, or in the Heads of Departments.

The President shall have Power to fill up all Vacancies that may happen during the Recess of the Senate, by granting Commissions which shall expire at the End of their next Session.

Section 3. He shall from time to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration such Measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient; he may, on extraordinary Occasions, convene both Houses, or either of them, and in Case of Disagreement between them, with Respect to the Time of Adjournment, he may adjourn them to such Time as he shall think proper; he shall receive Ambassadors and other public Ministers; he shall take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed, and shall Commission all the Officers of the United States.

Section 4. The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.

Article III

Section 1. The judicial Power of the United States, shall be vested in one supreme Court, and in such inferior Courts as the Congress may from time to time ordain and establish. The Judges, both of the supreme and inferior Courts, shall hold their Offices during good Behaviour, and shall, at stated Times, receive for their Services, a Compensation, which shall not be diminished during their Continuance in Office.

Section 2. The judicial Power shall extend to all Cases, in Law and Equity, arising under this Constitution, the Laws of the United States, and Treaties made, or which shall be made, under their Authority;--to all Cases affecting Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls;--to all Cases of admiralty and maritime Jurisdiction;--to Controversies to which the United States shall be a Party;--to Controversies between two or more States;--between a State and Citizens of another State;--between Citizens of different States;--between Citizens of the same State claiming Lands under Grants of different States, and between a State, or the Citizens thereof, and foreign States, Citizens or Subjects.

In all Cases affecting Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, and those in which a State shall be Party, the supreme Court shall have original Jurisdiction. In all the other Cases before mentioned, the supreme Court shall have appellate Jurisdiction, both as to Law and Fact, with such Exceptions, and under such Regulations as the Congress shall make.

The Trial of all Crimes, except in Cases of Impeachment, shall be by Jury; and such Trial shall be held in the State where the said Crimes shall have been committed; but when not committed within any State, the Trial shall be at such Place or Places as the Congress may by Law have directed.

Section 3. Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort. No Person shall be convicted of Treason unless on the Testimony of two Witnesses to the same overt Act, or on Confession in open Court.

The Congress shall have Power to declare the Punishment of Treason, but no Attainder of Treason shall work Corruption of Blood, or Forfeiture except during the Life of the Person attainted.

Article IV

Section 1. Full Faith and Credit shall be given in each State to the public Acts, Records, and judicial Proceedings of every other State. And the Congress may by general Laws prescribe the Manner in which such Acts, Records, and Proceedings shall be proved, and the Effect thereof.

Section 2. The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States.

A Person charged in any State with Treason, Felony, or other Crime, who shall flee from Justice, and be found in another State, shall on Demand of the executive Authority of the State from which he fled, be delivered up, to be removed to the State having Jurisdiction of the Crime.

No Person held to Service or Labour in one State, under the Laws thereof, escaping into another, shall, in Consequence of any Law or Regulation therein, be discharged from such Service or Labour, but shall be delivered up on Claim of the Party to whom such Service or Labour may be due.

Section 3. New States may be admitted by the Congress into this Union; but no new States shall be formed or erected within the Jurisdiction of any other State; nor any State be formed by the Junction of two or more States, or Parts of States, without the Consent of the Legislatures of the States concerned as well as of the Congress.

The Congress shall have Power to dispose of and make all needful Rules and Regulations respecting the Territory or other Property belonging to the United States; and nothing in this Constitution shall be so construed as to Prejudice any Claims of the United States, or of any particular State.

Section 4. The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government, and shall protect each of them against Invasion; and on Application of the Legislature, or of the Executive (when the Legislature cannot be convened) against domestic Violence.

Article V

The Congress, whenever two thirds of both Houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose Amendments to this Constitution, or, on the Application of the Legislatures of two thirds of the several States, shall call a Convention for proposing Amendments, which, in either Case, shall be valid to all Intents and Purposes, as Part of this Constitution, when ratified by the Legislatures of three fourths of the several States, or by Conventions in three fourths thereof, as the one or the other Mode of Ratification may be proposed by the Congress; Provided that no Amendment which may be made prior to the Year One thousand eight hundred and eight shall in any Manner affect the first and fourth Clauses in the Ninth Section of the first Article; and that no State, without its Consent, shall be deprived of its equal Suffrage in the Senate.

Article VI

All Debts contracted and Engagements entered into, before the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be as valid against the United States under this Constitution, as under the Confederation.

This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in Pursuance thereof; and all Treaties made, or which shall be made, under the Authority of the United States, shall be the supreme Law of the Land; and the Judges in every State shall be bound thereby, any Thing in the Constitution or Laws of any State to the Contrary notwith-standing.

The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.

Article VII

The Ratification of the Conventions of nine States, shall be sufficient for the Establishment of this Constitution between the States so ratifying the Same.

Done in Convention by the Unanimous Consent of the States present the Seventeenth Day of September in the Year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and Eighty seven and of the Independence of the United States of America the Twelfth

In witness whereof We have hereunto subscribed our Names,

George Washington--President and deputy from Virginia

New Hampshire: John Langdon, Nicholas Gilman

Massachusetts: Nathaniel Gorham, Rufus King

Connecticut: William Samuel Johnson, Roger Sherman

New York: Alexander Hamilton

New Jersey: William Livingston, David Brearly, William Paterson, Jonathan Dayton

Pennsylvania: Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Mifflin, Robert Morris, George Clymer, Thomas FitzSimons, Jared Ingersoll, James Wilson, Gouverneur Morris

Delaware: George Read, Gunning Bedford, Jr., John Dickinson, Richard Bassett, Jacob Broom

Maryland: James McHenry, Daniel of Saint Thomas Jenifer, Daniel Carroll

Virginia: John Blair, James Madison, Jr.

North Carolina: William Blount, Richard Dobbs Spaight, Hugh Williamson

South Carolina: John Rutledge, Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, Charles Pinckney, Pierce Butler

Georgia: William Few, Abraham Baldwin

Source: The Pennsylvania Packet, September 19, 1787

 

 

 

 

 

God and Country is just one of many Scott Mactavish projects. Not only did he make the film give people a glimpse behind the scenes of the military, he is also using the proceeds to help families of deployed troops.

When former Veteran Scott Mactavish set out to work on his latest project, he had a couple of ideas in mind. He wanted tell to a story of someone who exemplified character, and he also wanted to focus on the military's humanitarian efforts.

"The one thing that's important to me is that the public needs to understand how little these people make for their sacrifice. They're over there putting their life on the line; they re-enlist, they want to go back and they believe in the mission," said Mactavish.

"God and Country" takes the audience into the life of fallen marine Brad Arms. Arms was a graduate of the Covenant School in Charlottesville and a U.S. Marine that lost his life in the battle of Fallujah.

"When you see the story of Brad Arms and how he courageously went into battle, know that his job was very dangerous and very difficult. Still, he believed so passionately in the mission, it really hammers home how noble our men and women are," said Mactavish.

With Independence Day right around the corner, Mactavish thought this would be the perfect time to honor our military and show the country just how much they do.

"We're coming up on a celebration of a country's birthday and our military are our ambassadors overseas. When the international community sees our men and woman doing this good stuff, it's a really positive light that shines on the military," said Mactavish.

Mactavish hopes after seeing the Brad Arms story that people will have a more positive outlook on the military and the freedom they provide for our country.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Monday , June 29, 2009

Scattered applause and whoops broke out in the crowded Manhattan courtroom after U.S. District Judge Denny Chin issued the maximum sentence to the 71-year-old defendant, who said he lives "in a tormented state now, knowing all the pain and suffering I've created."

Chin rejected a request by Madoff's lawyer for leniency and said he disagreed that victims of the Ponzi scheme were seeking mob vengeance.

"Here the message must be sent that Mr. Madoff's crimes were extraordinarily evil and that this kind of manipulation of the system is not just a bloodless crime that takes place on paper, but one instead that takes a staggering toll," Chin said.

The judge said the estimate that Madoff has cost his victims more than $13 billion was conservative because it did not include money from feeder funds.

"Objectively speaking, the fraud here was staggering," he said.

Click here for photos.

Click here to view Madoff's plea allocution.

Click here to view the complaint against Madoff.

Click here to read the statement from Ruth Madoff

Chin announced the sentence with Madoff standing at the defense table, wearing a dark suit, white shirt and a tie, and looking thinner than his last court appearance in March. He gave no noticeable reaction when the sentence was announced.

He also showed no emotion earlier in the hearing as he listened to nine victims spend nearly an hour describing their despair. Some openly wept. Others raised their voices in anger.

"Life has been a living hell. It feels like the nightmare we can't wake from," said Carla Hirshhorn.

"He stole from the rich. He stole from the poor. He stole from the in between. He had no values," said Tom Fitzmaurice. "He cheated his victims out of their money so he and his wife Ruth could live a life of luxury beyond belief."

Dominic Ambrosino called it an "indescribably heinous crime" and urged a long prison sentence so "will know he is imprisoned in much the same way he imprisoned us and others."

He added: "In a sense, I would like somebody in the court today to tell me, how long is my sentence?"

When asked by the judge whether he had anything to say, Madoff slowly stood, leaned forward on the defense table and spoke in a monotone for about 10 minutes. At various times, he referred to his historic fraud as a "problem," "an error of judgment" and "a tragic mistake."

He claimed he and his wife were tormented, saying she "cries herself to sleep every night, knowing all the pain and suffering I have caused," he said. "That's something I live with, as well."

He then finally looked at the victims lining the first row of the gallery.

"I will turn and face you," he said. "I'm sorry. I know that doesn't help you."

Afterward, Ruth Madoff — often a target of victims' scorn since her husband's arrest — broke her silence by issuing a statement through her lawyer. She said she, too, had been misled.

"I am embarrassed and ashamed," she said. "Like everyone else, I feel betrayed and confused. The man who committed this horrible fraud is not the man whom I have known for all these years."

Prosecutor Lisa Baroni said Madoff deserved a life sentence because he "stole ruthlessly and without remorse."

The jailed Madoff already has taken a severe financial hit: Last week, a judge issued a preliminary $171 billion forfeiture order stripping Madoff of all his personal property, including real estate, investments and $80 million in assets Ruth Madoff had claimed were hers. The order left her with $2.5 million.

The terms require the Madoffs to sell a $7 million Manhattan apartment where Ruth Madoff still lives. An $11 million estate in Palm Beach, Fla., a $4 million home on Long Island and a $2.2 million boat will be put on the market, as well.

Before Madoff became a symbol of Wall Street greed, he earned a reputation as a trusted money manager with a Midas touch. Even as the market fluctuated, clients of his secretive investment advisory business — from Florida retirees to celebrities such as Steven Spielberg, actor Kevin Bacon and Hall of Fame pitcher Sandy Koufax — for decades enjoyed steady double-digit returns.

But late last year, Madoff made a dramatic confession: Authorities say he pulled his sons aside and told them it was "all just one big lie."

Madoff pleaded guilty in March to securities fraud and other charges, saying he was "deeply sorry and ashamed." He insisted that he acted alone, describing a separate wholesale stock-trading firm run by his sons and brother as honest and legitimate.

Aside from an accountant accused of cooking Madoff's books, no one else has been criminally charged. But the family, including his wife, and brokerage firms that recruited investors have come under intense scrutiny by the FBI, regulators and a court-appointed trustee overseeing the liquidation of Madoff's assets.

The trustee and prosecutors have sought to go after assets to compensate thousands of burned victims who have filed claims against Madoff. How much is available to pay them remains unknown, though it's expected to be only a fraction of the astronomical losses associated with the fraud.

The $171 billion forfeiture figure used by prosecutors merely mirrors the amount they estimate that, over decades, "flowed into the principal account to perpetrate the Ponzi scheme." The statements sent to investors showing their accounts were worth as much as $65 billion were fiction.

The investigation has found that in reality, Madoff never made any investments, instead using the money from new investors to pay returns to existing clients — and to finance a lavish lifestyle for his family.

In bankruptcy filings, Trustee Irving Picard say family members "used customers accounts as though they were their own," putting Madoff's maid, boat captain and house-sitter in Florida on the company payroll and paying nearly $1 million in fees at high-end golf clubs on Long Island and in Florida.

Picard has sought to reclaim ill-gotten gains by freezing Madoff's business bank accounts and selling legitimate portions of his firm. (Its season tickets for the Mets went for $38,100.) He's also sued big money managers and investors for billions of dollars, claiming they were Madoff cronies who also cashed in on the fraud.

The defendants include leading philanthropists Stanley Chais and Jeffry Picower — from whom Picard is seeking at least $5.1 billion alleged to have come out of victims' pockets — and hedge fund manager J. Ezra Merkin. All have denied any wrongdoing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court has ruled that white firefighters in New Haven, Conn., were unfairly denied promotions because of their race, reversing a decision that high court nominee Sonia Sotomayor endorsed as an appeals court judge.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Experts cannot agree on a single reason for this increase, but most attribute it to both a population increase and an increase in reporting.  Other factors that are sometimes cited include changing a wider definition of child abuse, increased reporting requirements, states providing more accurate information, better recording systems, and changes in data collections.   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Murder inquiry begins in Father’s Day beating

By Patricia Wen and John Ellement, Globe Staff  |  June 26, 2009

WORCESTER - The family of 7-year-old Nathaniel Turner remained in seclusion yesterday, asking for privacy as they consulted with hospital doctors about when to remove life support for the boy who has already been deemed brain dead after an alleged brutal beating by his father on Father’s Day.

A court-appointed advocate for Nathaniel has said the family planned to donate his organs, so the timing of the removal of life support may be affected by that decision. The Worcester district attorney’s office also said it has begun a murder investigation, though charges are not expected to be filed for at least a day or two.

The father - Leslie Schuler, 36, of Worcester, who had petitioned a court for visitation with his son to establish a paternal bond - is behind bars on $250,000 cash bail after being arrested on multiple child abuse charges.

It remained unclear how the child came to live with Schuler, whom he never knew and who had an extensive criminal record. Though the father had petitioned a judge this year for visitation, court records do not indicate the request was approved, officials said. Also, the state Department of Children and Families, the child protection agency, said yesterday that it had no involvement overseeing the child’s care in different homes during his life.

It appears the boy’s upbringing was largely determined by informal arrangements within his extended family. The boy’s maternal grandmother, Christine Taylor, raised him virtually since birth, court records show. She took on that role because her daughter suffered from mental problems and obtained temporary guardianship of Nathaniel that expired four years ago. A few years ago, the grandmother took Nathaniel with her when she moved from Worcester to her hometown of Eufaula, Ala.

This year, the father apparently told the grandmother he had won a court order allowing the boy to join him in Worcester, and the grandmother went along without any indication of his potential for violence, a relative said.

“She did not think the dad was dangerous,’’ said Gardeen Carter, the boy’s great-aunt who lives in Brewton, Ala.

Court records indicate that Schuler has an assault conviction in 2001 involving domestic violence and a pending assault charge in which he allegedly struck another person with a pipe.

If Nathaniel’s grandmother or mother had suspected the father was dangerous or wanted to prevent the boy from being with him, they could have petitioned a Massachusetts judge to investigate his background. A probate and family court judge could then have ordered a criminal background check, though such a check is not automatic in the family courts.

Nathaniel was brought to St. Vincent’s Hospital Monday by the boy’s father and his girlfriend, Tiffany Hyman, 28.

Police said the boy was the victim of emotional and physical abuse beginning on May 19, culminating in the fatal beating Sunday.

The state’s child-protection agency took over legal custody soon after the boy arrived at the hospital, though it returned legal custody to the biological mother after a court hearing Wednesday that paved the way for removal of life support.

Nathaniel’s first-grade teacher at Eufaula Primary School, Kelli Whitehead, said she is devastated the boy will never return to her school. “He was a straight-A student, great all across the board but particularly strong in math,’’ she said. “He would always give me hugs.’’

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Formal opening of Roxbury mosque, two days of events set for this month

By Michael Paulson, Globe Staff  |  June 14, 2009

The long-awaited, much-debated new mosque in Roxbury Crossing is scheduled formally to open at the end of this month.

The Muslim American Society, which is operating the new Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center, or ISBCC, has scheduled two days of events to celebrate the completion of the building. The building had a soft opening last fall, during Ramadan, and has been in use since then, but the events on June 26 and 27 mark its formal inauguration as the Muslim community prepares to expand programming in the building. Major inaugural events will include an interfaith breakfast at the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center, across the street from the mosque; a ribbon-cutting, call-to-worship, and prayer service at the mosque; and a celebratory dinner at the Boston Marriott Copley Place. The dinner will feature a speech by US Representative Keith Ellison, a Minnesota Democrat who is the first Muslim to serve in Congress; the breakfast will feature William A. Graham, Harvard Divinity School dean and a noted scholar of Islam, as well as a variety of local religious leaders. Mosque officials say they expect Governor Deval Patrick to attend the breakfast and Mayor Thomas M. Menino to attend the ribbon-cutting.

"I see this as continuing the historic role that Boston has played in the cultural and religious history of America," said Bilal Kaleem of the Muslim American Society. "This is where the Pilgrims landed and where a lot of the country's first churches are, and we really see Muslim history in America having one of its key moments here."

Kaleem argued that the ISBCC is different from other mosques in America because it is located in the city rather than the suburbs and because in addition to serving as a mosque, it aspires to function as a community center with a mission of "integrating Muslims into active civic life."

The 68,000-square-foot mosque has a capacity of about 3,000 worshipers and is already drawing about 600 to Friday worship, Kaleem said. The mosque has been in the works for nearly 20 years, has cost about $15.6 million so far, and has been riven by controversy and litigation over a variety of comments and organizational affiliations of mosque backers as well as over the city's role in providing the land for the mosque.

Defenders of the mosque have suggested that the criticism is intensified, if not motivated, by bias; critics of the mosque have said they have legitimate concerns about the associations and ideas of its leaders.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Recent examples of athletes who have been sentenced to jail time while still active in their playing careers:

Tank Johnson (NFL), December 2006
• Lineman was arrested at his home in suburban Chicago and charged with six counts of possessing an unlicensed gun. Johnson was on probation for a previous weapons charge. Sentenced to house arrest, 4 months in jail for probation violation, fined $2,500, suspended one game by the NFL. Was later suspended 8 games by the NFL for additional legal trouble and released by the Bears.

 Ugueth Urbina (MLB), November 2005
• Relief pitcher was arrested by Venezuelan authorities on a charge of attempted murder. Allegedly attacked five farm workers on his property and tried to injure them both with a machete and by attempting to pour gasoline on them. Was convicted in March 2007 of attempted murder and other charges. Sentenced to 14 years in prison, ending his professional baseball career.

Jamal Lewis (NFL), February 2004
• Running back was indicted on federal drug charges involving a drug deal in summer 2000. Was charged with conspiring to possess cocaine with the intent to distribute and using a cell phone in the commission of the crime. Pleaded guilty to using a cell phone to set up a drug deal. Spent 4 months in prison, suspended 2 games by the NFL.

 Leonard Little (NFL), October 1998

•  Drank and drove his SUV into Susan Gutweiler's car. A wife and mother, she died the next day. The Rams put Little on paid leave. He pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and served 90 days in jail, four years' probation and 1,000 hours of community service. Then NFL stated that Little could play in training camp and preseason games but was banned without pay for the first eight regular-season games. That half-season suspension cost him roughly $125,000.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Date	Presidential Approval Index	Strongly Approve	Strongly Disapprove	Total Approve	Total Disapprove
06/21/2009	-2	32%	34%	53%	46%
06/20/2009	+1	34%	33%	54%	46%
06/19/2009	+1	34%	33%	54%	45%
06/18/2009	+2	35%	33%	55%	45%
06/17/2009	+5	37%	32%	56%	43%
06/16/2009	+4	36%	32%	56%	43%
06/15/2009	+3	35%	32%	55%	44%
06/14/2009	+2	34%	32%	54%	45%
06/13/2009	+3	35%	32%	54%	46%
06/12/2009	+4	36%	32%	54%	45%
06/11/2009	+7	37%	30%	56%	43%
06/10/2009	+9	38%	29%	57%	42%
06/09/2009	+8	36%	28%	58%	41%
06/08/2009	+7	36%	29%	56%	43%
06/07/2009	+3	35%	32%	53%	46%
06/06/2009	+1	34%	33%	53%	47%
06/05/2009	0	34%	34%	54%	46%
06/04/2009	+2	33%	31%	55%	45%
06/03/2009	+3	34%	31%	55%	44%
06/02/2009	+5	33%	28%	58%	41%
06/01/2009	+7	35%	28%	58%	41%
05/31/2009	+10	36%	26%	58%	41%
05/30/2009	+9	37%	28%	58%	41%
05/29/2009	+10	37%	27%	59%	40%
05/28/2009	+6	35%	29%	56%	43%
05/27/2009	+5	34%	29%	56%	43%
05/26/2009	+1	31%	30%	55%	44%
05/25/2009	+3	33%	30%	56%	43%
05/24/2009	+5	34%	29%	57%	42%
05/23/2009	+6	36%	30%	57%	41%
05/22/2009	+6	35%	29%	57%	41%
05/21/2009	+7	36%	29%	56%	42%
05/20/2009	+7	36%	29%	58%	41%
05/19/2009	+8	36%	28%	58%	41%
05/18/2009	+5	35%	30%	57%	42%
05/17/2009	+4	34%	30%	56%	43%
05/16/2009	+4	34%	30%	55%	44%
05/15/2009	+7	36%	29%	57%	43%
05/14/2009	+8	37%	29%	57%	42%
05/13/2009	+7	36%	29%	57%	42%
05/12/2009	+5	35%	30%	56%	43%
05/11/2009	No Polling--Mother's Day
05/10/2009	+7	34%	27%	58%	41%
05/09/2009	+7	34%	27%	58%	41%
05/08/2009	+9	36%	27%	58%	41%
05/07/2009	+8	38%	30%	57%	43%
05/06/2009	+7	37%	30%	57%	43%
05/05/2009	+6	36%	30%	56%	43%
05/04/2009	+5	35%	30%	57%	43%
05/03/2009	+3	35%	32%	56%	43%
05/02/2009	+1	33%	32%	54%	45%
05/01/2009	+2	34%	32%	54%	45%
04/30/2009	+2	34%	32%	54%	45%
04/29/2009	+4	35%	31%	55%	43%
04/28/2009	+5	36%	31%	56%	43%
04/27/2009	+5	35%	30%	55%	44%
04/26/2009	+3	35%	32%	54%	45%
04/25/2009	+5	36%	31%	56%	43%
04/24/2009	+5	36%	31%	55%	44%
04/23/2009	+6	37%	31%	55%	44%
04/22/2009	+2	34%	32%	54%	46%
04/21/2009	+2	34%	32%	54%	45%
04/20/2009	+3	33%	30%	55%	45%
04/19/2009	+6	35%	29%	55%	44%
04/18/2009	+7	36%	29%	55%	44%
04/17/2009	+3	35%	32%	55%	43%
04/16/2009	+4	36%	32%	55%	43%
04/15/2009	+2	35%	33%	55%	44%
04/14/2009	+3	35%	32%	55%	44%
04/13/2009	+2	34%	32%	55%	44%
04/12/2009	+2	34%	32%	55%	44%
04/11/2009	+5	34%	29%	55%	43%
04/10/2009	+5	34%	29%	55%	44%
04/09/2009	+5	34%	29%	55%	44%
04/08/2009	+6	35%	29%	57%	42%
04/07/2009	+8	37%	29%	58%	41%
04/06/2009	+8	36%	28%	58%	41%
04/05/2009	+6	36%	30%	56%	43%
04/04/2009	+3	34%	31%	56%	43%
04/03/2009	+3	35%	32%	56%	44%
04/02/2009	+5	35%	30%	56%	44%
04/01/2009	+8	37%	29%	57%	41%
03/31/2009	+11	38%	27%	59%	39%
03/30/2009	+8	38%	30%	58%	40%
03/29/2009	+7	37%	30%	58%	41%
03/28/2009	+4	35%	31%	56%	43%
03/27/2009	+5	35%	30%	56%	43%
03/26/2009	+5	35%	30%	56%	43%
03/25/2009	+5	36%	31%	56%	43%
03/24/2009	+4	36%	32%	56%	43%
03/23/2009	+5	36%	31%	56%	42%
03/22/2009	+4	35%	31%	56%	43%
03/21/2009	+4	36%	32%	55%	44%
03/20/2009	+4	35%	31%	55%	43%
03/19/2009	+7	37%	30%	56%	43%
03/18/2009	+7	37%	30%	57%	42%
03/17/2009	+5	37%	32%	56%	43%
03/16/2009	+4	36%	32%	56%	43%
03/15/2009	+6	37%	31%	56%	43%
03/14/2009	+8	37%	29%	57%	41%
03/13/2009	+9	38%	29%	57%	42%
03/12/2009	+9	37%	28%	58%	41%
03/11/2009	+6	37%	31%	56%	43%
03/10/2009	+6	38%	32%	56%	43%
03/09/2009	+6	38%	32%	56%	43%
03/08/2009	+8	39%	31%	56%	43%
03/07/2009	+8	39%	31%	56%	43%
03/06/2009	+15	42%	27%	58%	40%
03/05/2009	+14	41%	27%	59%	40%
03/04/2009	+16	42%	26%	60%	38%
03/03/2009	+13	40%	27%	60%	39%
03/02/2009	+10	39%	29%	58%	41%
03/01/2009	+8	38%	30%	58%	40%
02/28/2009	+10	39%	29%	59%	39%
02/27/2009	+15	41%	26%	60%	40%
02/26/2009	+16	41%	25%	60%	40%
02/25/2009	+14	39%	25%	59%	40%
02/24/2009	+14	39%	25%	60%	39%
02/23/2009	+11	38%	27%	58%	40%
02/22/2009	+11	38%	27%	58%	41%
02/21/2009	+10	38%	28%	57%	41%
02/20/2009	+12	38%	26%	59%	40%
02/19/2009	+13	38%	25%	60%	39%
02/18/2009	+14	38%	24%	61%	38%
02/17/2009	+15	38%	23%	61%	37%
02/16/2009	+10	36%	26%	60%	39%
02/15/2009	+11	37%	26%	60%	39%
02/14/2009	+13	39%	26%	60%	39%
02/13/2009	+17	41%	24%	60%	38%
02/12/2009	+19	43%	24%	61%	37%
02/11/2009	+19	42%	23%	60%	38%
02/10/2009	+15	39%	24%	60%	38%
02/09/2009	+14	38%	24%	60%	38%
02/08/2009	+11	36%	25%	59%	39%
02/07/2009	+14	37%	23%	60%	38%
02/06/2009	+17	38%	21%	61%	36%
02/05/2009	+19	39%	20%	62%	36%
02/04/2009	+18	39%	21%	62%	36%
02/03/2009	+15	37%	22%	61%	36%
02/02/2009	+17	41%	24%	60%	38%
02/01/2009	+21	44%	23%	63%	34%
01/31/2009	+23	45%	22%	63%	34%
01/30/2009	+21	43%	22%	63%	36%
01/29/2009	+22	42%	20%	62%	36%
01/28/2009	+22	42%	20%	62%	36%
01/27/2009	+23	42%	19%	62%	36%
01/26/2009	+21	41%	20%	60%	37%
01/25/2009	+22	42%	20%	60%	36%
01/24/2009	+26	44%	18%	61%	33%
01/23/2009	+29	45%	16%	62%	29%
01/22/2009	+30	44%	14%	64%	29%
01/21/2009	+28	44%	16%	65%	30%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The fate of three of nine foreigners abducted in Yemen last week is known — their bodies were found, shot execution style. The whereabouts of the other six — including three children under the age of 6 — remain a mystery.

But terrorism experts say their abductors and killers are almost certainly not a mystery. They say the crimes bear the mark of Al Qaeda, and they fear they are the handiwork of the international terror organization's No. 2 man in the Arabian Peninsula: Said Ali al-Shihri, an Islamic extremist who once was in American custody — but who was released from the U.S. detention center in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

And if al-Shihri is behind the gruesome murders and abductions, they say, it raises grave concerns that the scheduled January 2010 closing of the Guantanamo prison and the release of most of its prisoners to foreign countries will galvanize Al Qaeda and compromise American national security.

The nine foreigners — four German adults, three small German children, a British man and a South Korean woman — were abducted on June 12 after they ventured outside the city of Saada without their required police escorts, according to a spokesman from the Yemeni Embassy in Washington. Days later the bodies of Rita Stumpp and Anita Gruenwald, German nurses in training, and Eom Young-sun of South Korea were found shot execution style in the Noshour Valley in the province of Saada, an area known to be a hotbed of Al Qaeda activity.

Stumpp and Gruenwald attended a Bible school, and Young attended a Christian missionary school in South Korea. Other members of the group had ties to missionary organizations, and all six adults worked for World Wide Services Foundation, a Dutch international medical relief group.

No one has claimed responsibility for the abductions and murders, but experts say killing women and children is considered off-limits among many jihadist groups — though not to al-Shihri, a Saudi national who was released from Guantanamo in November 2007 and sent to a Saudi Arabian "rehabilitation" program for jihadists. It wasn't long before a "cured" al-Shihri was released from the program, crossed into Yemen and rejoined Al Qaeda, with whom he quickly rose to deputy commander.

In addition to last week's kidnappings, he is believed to have been behind the September attacks that left 16 dead at the U.S. Embassy in the Yemeni capital of San'a.

“This bears the marks of al-Shihri’s activity and bears the signs of his beliefs and assumptions of his behavior that are not viewed by other jihadists,” said Robert Spencer, terror expert and director of Jihad Watch, referring to the killing of women and presumed killing of the three small children.

Defense officials said that "while there is suspicion that Said Ali al-Shihri is involved in these latest attacks, we can't confirm it."

“There is great presumption of his involvement, but it’s not open and shut,” Spencer said.

“If he believed that these people picnicking in Yemen were aiding in the war against Islam, then he can justify these killings as legitimate — it’s this kind of perspective that this guy holds to, that it’s right to kill people who would normally be considered off-limits,” Spencer said.

“Christians aren’t allowed to proselytize in the Muslim world, and if that’s what was going on here ... well then, there you go.”

Gregory Johnsen, the editor of a forthcoming book, "Islam and Insurgency in Yemen," agreed. “The most likely scenario is that Al Qaeda’s responsible," he said. "And if it does turn out that Al Qaeda is responsible, then it would be that al-Shihri had a hand in the operation whether behind the scenes or up front.”

And that involvement is an ominous sign for critics, who say the release of detainees from Guantanamo, under President Obama's plan to close the detention center by January 2010, could lead to future and more severe terrorist attacks.

The United States is negotiating with Yemen, according to Mohammed Albasha, spokesman for Embassy of the Republic of Yemen in Washington, over the possible release of the more than 100 Yemeni nationals currently behind bars in Gitmo to Saudi Arabia’s rehabilitation program — the same one al-Shihri attended.

Rep. Peter King (R-NY), Ranking Member on the House Homeland Security Committee, opposes closing Gitmo and says Obama is rushing "helter skelter" to find homes for the remaining detainees to meet his "arbitrary deadline," which he says may come at the cost of national security.

“The president’s policies are very very disturbing. He appears to have decided to close Guantanamo without any idea of where these detainees are going to go and is now trying desperately to find countries and places for these people to go,” King told FOXNews.com.

“By far largest number of detainees comes from Yemen, and they are hardcore dangerous people. Sending them back to Yemen, where prisoners who have been held there before somewhere magically escaped from prison, and is in many ways the centerpiece of the Al Qaeda movement — returning them to Yemen is just inviting disaster.

"Sending them to Saudi Arabia to the rehabilitation center is just putting off the inevitable threat to the United States,” King said. “I am very concerned that these prisoners will soon be back in the battlefield hurting Americans.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What a sucker punch that was!  Boxer apparently believes that an accomplished, seasoned diplomat, a renowned scholar and an adviser to two presidents like Rice is not fully qualified to make policy at the highest levels of the American government because she is a single, childless woman.  What if these comments were directed to a female Democratic Secretary of State from a female Republican Senator?  There would have been a media frenzy and a public outcry from fellow Democrats.  This scenario sounds so familiar, doesn't it?  (think Sotomayor's "Latina woman" comment against white male justices).  Apparently, only the Democrats are isolated from scrutiny when it comes to delivering left-handed jabs to another political party.  If there is any justice in this world, the Democrats' reigning party days will soon be over.

It may appear that Boxer is defending her title here, and some of you may agree with her saying she's exercising her right.  Well, if that is true, then maybe Brigadier General Michael Walsh should have exercised the same right by telling Boxer that she ought to call him Brigadier General, a title he has earned.

 

 

     

 

 

In case you forgot, Barbara Boxer is a senator. 

The feisty California lawmaker felt the need to remind an Army brigadier general of that fact Tuesday during a hearing before her Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, where the military officer testifying had the apparent gall to call Boxer "ma'am." 

Brig. Gen. Michael Walsh, with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, was testifying on the Louisiana coastal restoration process in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. He began to answer one of Boxer's questions with "ma'am" when Boxer immediately cut him off. 

"You know, do me a favor," an irritated Boxer said. "Could say 'senator' instead of 'ma'am?'"

"Yes, ma'am," Walsh interjected.

"It's just a thing, I worked so hard to get that title, so I'd appreciate it, yes, thank you," she said. 

"Yes, senator," he responded. 

YOU DECIDE: Super Sensitive or Right On?

However, Walsh surely meant no disrespect, as military protocol advises that officers may use "sir" or "ma'am" when addressing anybody higher than them on the chain of command. 

"We would call them 'sir' or 'ma'am' or 'senator such-and-such'," Army spokesman Lt. Col. Nathan Banks said. Banks said any of those terms would be "appropriate" when addressing a senator.  

According to one guide, the Navy and Coast Guard typically use "mister" or "miss" to address officers below the rank of commander, and "sir" or "ma'am," or a specific title, to address anyone at that rank or higher. 

"You can never go wrong by using 'Sir' or 'Ma'am,' but it is a nice touch if you can properly address a senior officer," says the guide, Military Protocol: Uniformed Services. 

A rep for Boxer said she and Walsh later spoke and discussed their respect for each other. 

"Senator Boxer called Brigadier General Walsh earlier today. They had a friendly conversation, expressed their respect for each other and talked about how they look forward to working together to protect our communities from natural disasters."

Tuesday's hearing was hardly the first time a military officer used those terms during sworn testimony. 

The same day at a Senate Armed Services subcommittee hearing, two Navy officials repeatedly referred to Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., with the title, "sir." 

"Yes, sir," Navy Vice Adm. Bernard McCullough said when answering questions. 

Wicker raised no objections.