Arrogant Politicians (Revisited)

In a follow-up to my last blog...

Georgia State Representative David Graves of Macon, in an apparent attack of conscience, or perhaps as a "CYA", has decided to drop his claim of legislative immunity, claiming that he was ill-advised by his attorney in the first place.

Please click here for the full AJC.com article.

According to an article in the Macon Telegraph, there is already talk among Georgia's state legislators to consider drafting a bill to either repeal the constitutional provision in question or otherwise modify it to, as State Senator Eric Johnson of Savannah put it, "prevent that clause from being abused".

Please click here for the full Macon Telegraph article.

Per the Georgia State Constitution, proposed amendments have to go before the voters in a statewide referendum and be approved accordingly, such as the most recent amendment defining marriage as between a man and a woman.

If the Georgia General Assembly wants us to know that they truly respect our laws and freedoms, then they should vote unanimously for outright repeal of the amendment in question. Nothing less should suffice.

IMHO, the United States Constitution already protects each legislator through the 1st Amendment (freedom of speech) and the 14th Amendment (no denying anyone their freedom without due process of law), just as both amendments protect the everyday American citizen.

Also IMHO, a free press (again, see the 1st Amendment), in airing this story, helped bring about Mr. Graves's sudden "change of heart". Too many nations worldwide do not enjoy the freedoms we have, and as a result, their leaders abuse their citizens. If you don't believe it, then take a real good look at these places: Saddam's Iraq, the Taliban's Afghanistan, Nazi Germany, and the Soviet Union.

Finally, here's a little "food for thought"...

In 1776, our founding fathers had to use the bullet to win our freedom and sacrificed a whole heck of a lot in the process.

Today, thanks to their sacrifices and determination, we are able to use the ballot to keep our freedoms.

YOU HAVE THE POWER TO KEEP AMERICA FREE. USE THE BALLOT TO DO SO!!!

God bless America, God bless you, and please visit again.

Great Moments In Political Arrogance

From the "Great Moments In Political Arrogance" files, here's a gem for you...

David Graves, a Georgia State Representative from Macon, was charged with DUI in Cobb County.

Please click here for the full article from AJC.com.

Despite the overwhelming evidence Cobb authorities have to prosecute him (Blood-Alcohol Content of 0.13, slurred speech, etc.), Mr. Graves and his attorney have decided to invoke a rarely-used paragraph (Section IV, Paragraph IX) within Georgia's constitution regarding "Privilege of Members". Here's the paragraph in its entirety:

The members of both houses shall be free from arrest during sessions of the General Assembly, or committee meetings thereof, and in going thereto or returning therefrom, except for treason, felony, or breach of the peace. No member shall be liable to answer in any other place for anything spoken in either house or in anycommittee meeting of either house.

For the full Georgia Constitution, please click here.

Fortunately, Cobb County State Court Judge Irma Glover saw through his story (treating a party as an officially sanctioned "committee meeting") and ruled that his arrest was indeed constitutional. Thank goodness we have someone on the bench who uses common sense. In the meantime, Mr. Graves and his attorney are appealing this matter to the Georgia Supreme Court. I hope that Judge Glover's ruling would be upheld, but that will ultimately be the justices' decision.

The constitutional provision was designed so that rival politicans would not be using the criminal justice system to punish and imprison those fellow legislators who disagree with them. I do not believe for one millisecond that the law was intended to be an arbitrary "Get Out of Jail Free" card. Apparently, we have at least one legislator who sees it in such a light.

Assuming Mr. Graves is convicted on his DUI charges, I hope that the Georgia House of Representatives and Governor Perdue would punish his arrogance by having him removed from office. If they don't do it, then I hope that his constituents will do so on election day.

Folks, it's ultimately up to us, the people, to hold our elected officials accountable, whether they are the President of the United States or even the local dog catcher. Too many people who are otherwise eligible to vote don't do so... and look what we are getting as a result. If we don't do our part, then government of, by, and for the people will eventually perish from this earth and we might as well put our federal and state constitutions through the paper shredder.

Finally... Mr. Graves, for your show of political arrogance against the good people of Georgia, we, the staff of LouieWilliamsJr.com, hereby bestow upon you the not-so-coveted Bill Engvall "Here's Your Sign" Award... in fact, we even bestow this award upon your attorney.

That's all for now. Thanks for visiting and please come again.

Another TV Legend Leaves Us

"Sorry about that, Chief." - Maxwell Smart ("Agent 86"), TV Series "Get Smart".

Not too long ago, we lost Gilligan (Bob Denver)... now Maxwell Smart leaves us. :(

Yesterday, at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles, legendary comic actor Don Adams of "Get Smart" fame died of a lung infection. He was 82. Please click here for the news article.

In my mind, I can still see the opening to "Get Smart", where Don Adams, as CONTROL "Agent 86", goes through a corridor of multiple heavy doors that slam behind him... and then he steps into a phone booth, dials the phone (back before touch-tone), and then drops down a chute.

For those of you who may not know, "Get Smart" was a 1960's sitcom spoofing spy movies (i.e. James Bond) that were very popular during that particular time period.

Adams played the main character, Maxwell Smart ("Agent 86"), a bungling secret agent who used a phone that was built into one of his shoes (similar to a bulky 1980's hand-held cellphone) and constantly got on his boss's nerves... everytime apologizing by saying, "Sorry about that, Chief."

His sidekick was the brilliant and gorgeous "Agent 99", played by Barbara Feldon.

Their main nemesis was a group called CHAOS.

After the series ended its final season in the early 1970's, Adams brought back his famous role as Maxwell Smart in the 1980 movie "The Nude Bomb" (a.k.a. "The Return of Maxwell Smart"), and in 1995, he and co-star Feldon reunited in a new but very short-lived "Get Smart" on Fox. I watched all three (the original series, the movie, and the 1995 series) and remember them to be pretty entertaining IMHO.

Here's something I just learned... during World War II, Adams was a Marine who fought at Guadalcanal and later ended his military career as a drill instructor. Who'd've thunk it. :)

Mr. Adams, thank you for sharing your gift of comedy with us and for serving your country with honor. May you rest in eternal peace.

That's all for now. Thanks for visiting and please come again.

The Pledge of Allegiance Is For Nazis...

... at least that's how San Francisco U.S. District Judge Lawrence Karlton seems to feel about it.

If he and his fellow extreme leftists have their way, your children won't be reciting the Pledge of Allegiance at school. Please click here to read the article for yourself.

What an ugly, steaming, disgusting pile of rubbish this is!!!

First of all, I do not see the harm in your local public school having a morning Pledge of Allegiance.

Last I remember, there was no federal, state, or local law that required any person to recite the Pledge at school or any other event (club meetings, ballgames, etc.). For example, I have known some people who, when the Pledge is given, simply stand silently due to their religious and/or personal beliefs on the subject. They do not chastise me for reciting the pledge, and I appreciate them respecting my rights as much as I respect theirs. Thank God I still live in a nation where we all have the right to exercise our beliefs so long as respect others' rights in the process.

Based on my reading of the Constitution, I strongly believe that Judge Karlton's ruling is unconstitutional as per the Ninth Amendment, which is as follows:

"The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people."

I, as an American, retain my right to say the Pledge, and this means that no governmental branch (executive, legislative, and especially judicial) has absolutely no right to take this away from me or any of my fellow Americans!!!

I also believe that his ruling is unconstitutional as per the First Amendement:

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

Again, as stated earlier, we already have the right to recite (or not recite) the Pledge as per the First Amendment's guarantee of free speech. Furthermore, the religious freedom portion refers to our nation not having an official church or other government-sanctioned religious body (i.e. the Church of England, where the monarch is its official head). While the pledge has "under God" within it, this does not, in and of itself, endorse or advocate any particular religion or denomination thereof. Therefore, the Pledge is constitutional!!!

BTW, here's a copy of the United States Constitution. Please click here and study it!!!

Abraham Lincoln ended his famous "Gettysburg Address" as follows:

"...government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."

We, the American people, hold the ultimate destiny of our nation in our hands. If we choose to take no action, then those who have given their lives will have died in vain, our nation will perish, and we will have no one to blame but ourselves.

That's all for now, folks. Thanks for visiting and please come back again.

Our Fall 2005 TV Picks

"When did reality become TV?" - "1985", a song by Bowling For Soup.

Today, on Yahoo! News, there was an article citing an AP-TV Guide survey of Americans regarding the so-called "reality TV" genre. 4 out of 5 respondents think there are too many of these type of shows on the air. Please click here for the full article.

My response to this article and it's contents can be summarized as follows... "Amen, brother!" :)
I've always been told that either you are part of the problem or part of the solution. We, the staff at LouieWilliamsJr.com, choose to help you, the American viewer, by giving a list of our favorites, new and old:

The Simpsons (FOX - SUndays @ 8 PM ET):

America's ubiquidous dysfunctional family is back with all-new episodes for Fall, 2005.

The season premiere found Marge leaving Homer for allowing "Fat Tony" (the Springfield Mafia boss) and his gang shoot an adult film in their house, all as payback for football bets he (Homer) lost.

Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, Maggie, and all the crew are still at their wackiest after 15 years, and we here still love 'em all to death.

NOTE TO VIEWER: Ratings are mostly TV-PG, with the occasional TV-14 episode. Still not exactly "family-friendly" after all these years, but OK for mature adult viewers.

The War At Home (NEW!!! FOX - Sundays @ 8:30 PM ET):

Here's a new show that takes some influence from the legendary FOX favorite "Married... With Children".

The characters consist of a husband and his frustrations regarding modern-day family life in the new millenium, where he deals with the promiscuous daughter and the supposedly gay son, among other things.

Each family member makes brief commentaries to the audience reacting to all sorts of crazy situations that arise.

NOTE TO VIEWER: Ratings are TV-PG or TV-14. Not "family-friendly" due mostly to language and sexual innuendo, but OK for mature adult viewers.

Family Guy (FOX - Sundays @ 9 PM ET):

This is a "Simpsons-like" show featuring a ficticious Quahog, Rhode Island, family, the Griffins.

Peter is the father (voiced by show creator Seth MacFarlane) who likes to hang out at the local watering hole, "The Drunken Clam", along with their alcoholic family dog, Brian.

He has a loving and extremely understanding wife, Lois (voiced by Alex Borstein of "MAD TV" fame), and their 3 children, Meg (voiced by Mila Kunis of "That 70's Show" fame), a "wallflower" who tries to be one of the popluar girls at "James Woods High School", Chris, their clueless idiot son, and finally, their baby, Stewie, a psycho who speaks with an English accent and constantly plots to kill Lois and take over the world in the process.

Peter's friends include local pervert Quagmire (who constantly bobs his head and says, "giggity, giggity...") and Cleveland, his African-American neighbor whose ex-wife had a fling with Quagmire last season.

Adam West (whom you may remember as the 1960's cheesy "Batman") is the mayor of their city, Quahog.

NOTE TO VIEWER: This show is mostly rated TV-14, for lots of sexual innuendo, language, and some animated nudity. I definitely would not kids watch this show, but otherwise, my wife and I get a kick out of their hijinks.)

American Dad (FOX - Sundays @ 9:30 PM):

Co-created by "Family Guy's" Seth MacFarlane, "American Dad" is set in the ficticious Washington, DC, suburb of Langley Falls, Virginia.

The father, Stan Smith (voiced by MacFarlane) is an ultra right-wing conservative who works for the CIA as a middle-management type. (Actor Patrick Stewart, "Captain Picard" of Star Trek fame, does the voice of his boss.)

The family consists of his wife, Francine, who teaches Bible classes at their home and constantly tries to get Stan to notice her romantically, their son Steve, who constantly tries to score with the ladies, their daughter Hayley, an ultra-liberal "tree-hugger" who constantly bashes her dad with comments such as "fascist", Roger, a gay alien who sounds and acts like the late Paul Lynde, and Klaus, their "Dr. Strangelove-like" Nazi goldfish who occasionally his on Francine.

All of the above elements make a wonderful comedic potpourri that will have you laughing your butt off.

NOTE TO VIEWER: Ratings are TV-PG to TV-14. Like "Family Guy" it is not a "family-friendly" cartoon (sexual innuendo, language, etc.), so don't let the young 'uns watch it.

Again, while we do not recommend the above shows for family viewing, we do believe that you, the adult viewer, will enjoy watching them and encourage you to check them out. BTW, if you have "TiVo", just program it to record the above shows and watch them at your leisure. We've had a "TiVo" DVR and it's a lot better than VCRs ever were. :)

Oh yeah... for "real reality", you'd be much better off going out your front door instead of watching the "fake reality" rubbish on TV.

That's all for now. Thanks for visiting and please come again.

RIP, "Little Buddy"

"Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale, a tale of a faithful trip..." - "Gilligan's Island" Theme Song, written by Sherwood Schwartz (series creator).

Yes, it's true, folks, Gilligan has left the planet.

Bob Denver, the actor who portrayed the S.S. Minnow's bungling but lovable first mate Gilligan, died Friday in a North Carolina hospital at age 70. Here's the obituary from Yahoo News.

I still remember as a child growing up in Snellville watching "Gilligan's Island" reruns on channel 17 (before it became "Superstation TBS"). I believe that it came on TV weekdays at 4 PM back in those days. At the time, I was highly amused by Gilligan's antics and how he'd drive the Skipper (the late Alan Hale, Jr.) and the other five castaways totally bonkers. Hey, Ginger (Tina Louise) wasn't too bad looking back in the day, and Mary Ann (Dawn Wells) was kinda cute, too. :)

By the time I was a teenager, I "outgrew" the show. However, I must give the show due credit for becoming a legend in the hearts and minds of millions worldwide. It also deserves credit for proving that you could get laughs without resorting to so-called "toilet humor" a-la "South Park" (another show I used to watch but "outgrew" when I started dating my future wife, Mary).

We, the staff at LouieWilliamsJr.com, urge you to join us in keeping Mr. Denver's family in your thoughts and prayers.

Rest In Peace, "Little Buddy".

That's all for now. Thanks for visiting and please come again.

P.S. Don't forget the folks along the Gulf Coast who were affected by Katrina. They need your assistance, thoughts, and prayers as they struggle to rebuild their homes and lives. (Please see my last blog for giving info.)