Tradition

If you should browse the current.com website, which belongs to the people behind currenttv (American cable channel founded by Al Gore), you’ll find a growing amount of content from yours truely. And as I posted a link to an article about the new French requirement that immigrants who wish their family members to join them in France must take a DNA test to prove they are really family, I received some interesting comments, and I say that not because several people agreed with me.

In discussing this topic on that website and amongst friends here in Amsterdam, one common concern that people bring up to defend the policy sounds something like this: “Using DNA will ensure that immigrants aren’t lying about who is family.”

I realize many people agree with this, on the surface it is a simple request, that people not lie. But when I hear this comment, my mind travels to the past.. to who I am and how I got to be where I am.. or better yet.. how I got to be at all. Or beyond me, what about all the people all over the world, who are the children of immigrants or the grandchildren of immigrants… what if they had had DNA testing?
The idea that people would not have been able to lie in any aspect of the immigration process would have basically changed the entire face of the western world, destination for many immigrants over the past 300 years. The midwest of the United States, with its huge Scandinavian population… imagine they had not been able to lie about who is who’s cousin or daughter.

I realize, there are immigration laws, there is a process, and it isn’t going away. I also realize that no matter the rules, if humans want to go somewhere, they will find a way, they will break or bend the rules, because it is a question of survival.

When it comes right down to it, history teaches us that there is a long and glorious tradition of lying for the sake of moving your family.. your hopes.. your dreams. It is a tradition that deserves our respect… it should be honored.. not disrespected with DNA tests that few migrants could ever afford anyway.

There are of course, numerous other criticisms of this policy that governments should take note of. But for right now, in this particular post, I just wanted to show my respect by defending the rights of immigrants.. of humans.. to not be DNA tested because they want to try and make a new life.. a better life.

Follow Law, Not the Law

It is an interesting era to live in, this age of new and better uses for the internet, as some people get it and some people.. well.. don’t yet. By interesting I mean sometimes it is exciting and enlightening, while other times it is extremely frustrating feeling like the guy who came from the future to tell everyone important information and no one will listen.

But I’m not from the future, I just live relatively close to the cutting edge when it comes to information and journalism. (or so I tell myself)

Therefore I like to share with all of you who are out there. A mix of individuals, some old friends, some new friends, some have never spoken to me before, and others see me all the time. You look to me for some reason, and the least I can do is bring some new ideas to light and recommend those who I consider to be essential sources for knowledge.

One such source relates to the world of law; JURIST. This is a blog from the University of Pittsburg that covers all the big legal issues going on in the world. Every day or so I run down the list of latest posts in their feed and follow their sources. Sometimes this leads me to a new story, or helps me to reach a more informed opinion on issues as far off as the new constitutional provisions in Kazakhstan or the mass release of improperly sentenced juveniles in Texas. Either way it concerns me as a citizen of the world who values social justice and human rights.

So if you’re in to these types of values… make sure to subscribe to JURIST.

Puppet Government

Recently I was watching some footage of the IRaqi parliament. An institution that I have to wonder about from the beginning as, to me, it wasn’t a truly elected (odd list system) and is basically a symbolic body to go along with a puppet government.
As I watched, the speaker of the parliament as well as all these guys sitting around him were laughing as a female member was passionately speaking about an issue that concerned her. The more she spoke the more they laughed…. at her. And others joined in.. and she kept trying to be heard over the growing laughter. Many people stood up and walked out in protest. It was an extremely sad sight.

I do remember when not so long ago a fist-fight broke out in that same parliament, one member apparently slapped another and it went on from there.

The only reason I bring it up is that I find it to be a testament to how ridiculous the entire adventure in Iraq has been, especially the thinking that you can force democracy on people and it will flourish.

Also interesting, as Juan Cole recently pointed out, the parliament passed a resolution that the seperation wall the US military is building in Baghdad must be dismantled. Of course, they won’t do it. Just a friendly reminder of who really makes the rules in Iraq.

Note: Podcasts and vlogs are delayed as Im struggling to complete a little freelance job and yet exhausted after a big ultimate competition in the south of the netherlands today.

bmtv34 The NJ Death Penalty Report

Click To Play

NJ’s Commission on the Death Penalty released some very important findings this month. While the press has given it some attention, I believe its important to see each conclusion with your own eyes. Also this should be put in the national context, where a very significant number of states are finally admitting the death penalty has been a huge failure. Link to the full text.

Haloween and Habeas Corpus

Im sure you heard about the recent death of Habeas Corpus.. which began with the Magna Carta back in 1215 and was destroyed by the Bush administration and the US congress in 2006.

In honor of that occasion, and since last night was haloween here in Amsterdam amongst the crazy Dutch, the expats, and the visiting bloggers, I came up with a special costume.

I haven’t gotten the best photos, but here are two to tide you over

UPDATE: The lovely Lyssa took some excellent photos of my costume… I present to you, the Ghost of Habeas Corpus: