TBC: Morning Musing 12.22.14

So, I have 2 articles for you this morning and then a quiz my sister and I put together last night!

First, a sliver of hope for justice:

A Startling Admission By The Ferguson Prosecutor Could Restart The Case Against Darren Wilson

In intentionally presenting false testimony to the grand jury, McCulloch may have committed a serious ethical breach. Under the Missouri Rules of Professional Conduct, lawyers are prohibited from offering “evidence that the lawyer knows to be false.”

McCulloch justified his actions by asserting that the grand jury gave no credence at all to McElroy’s testimony. But this is speculation. Under Missouri law, the grand jury deliberations are secret and McCulloch is not allowed to be present.

A Missouri lawmaker, Karla May, called Friday for a legislative investigation of McCulloch’s conduct. May said that there is evidence to suggest that McCulloch “manipulated the grand jury process from the beginning to ensure that Officer Wilson would not be indicted.”

Even before Friday’s interview, many legal experts were highly critical McCulloch’s use of the grand jury. Marjorie Cohn, a professor at Thomas Jefferson School of Law, said she believed McCulloch “did not want an indictment” of Darren Wilson and turned the grand jury process on its head, acting as an advocate for the defense.

Jump!

Second, a good article that ties things together:

America’s Decay Into a Violent, Cruel Place

The acknowledgment of America’s need to learn to live together has a simplicity that masks its profundity. Robert Putnam, in Bowling Alone, documented the extent of Americans’ isolation from each other. Mass shootings, rates of violent crime higher than the rest of the developed world and outrages like Garner’s and Brown’s deaths demonstrate that the inability to peacefully coexist in America goes beyond race. It is a bone-deep dysfunction with social costs, political implications and spiritual disasters. Inequality will continue to grow and injustice will continue to worsen until America is made to actually deal with its levels of selfish indifference to suffering, from ordinary people on grand juries to those who occupy the highest thrones of power.

The sane minority might ostensibly protest the racism of the criminal justice system, but they are actually demanding that America become a civilized society. No civilization would tolerate what America has recently done, but it is that very concept – the idea of civilization -that the silent majority so fiercely seems to hate and reject.

Lastly, a quiz about Christmas Carols. Can you guess which carols these are? I’ll be by throughout the day to see if anyone got them! And #11 is tricky, so don’t worry about that one; you have to know me on Facebook to get it. But you can hazard a guess. 😀

1: in a distant bovine diner

2: who’s the mystery kid?

3: holiday birdhouse

4: the deity wishes happy boys to nap

5: a question of shared auditory

6: pastoral woolies nocturnally overseen

7: miniature Nazarene village

8: planetary exuberance

9: canticle of the deeply inverted metal cups

10: muted darkness

11: the original facebook friend

12: a few monarchs from the far east

13: ungulate mows down female ancestor

14: pious period of darkness

15: depressed holiday

16: auditory perception of drugged cherubs

17: exclamation of advocatory cantering cherubs

18: grayish deeply inverted metal cups

19: uncolored holiday

20: arctic male of frozen precipitation

21: a holiday dozen revolutions

22: viewed maternal figure canoodling rosy cheeked rotund male

23: cold season marvelous terra firma

So how you doin’? 😀

7 comments

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  1. Today is bread and cookie baking day. Tomorrow it’s pie.

    Went for a walk this AM and found it a bit cooler than predicted. It’s been overcast since Friday and Wednesday looks like a washout.

    It was fairly obvious from the transcripts of Witness #40 that she was lying and may well have been coached. She may even have met with prosecutors and/or Wilson, to get their stories straight. Even with what is known about how this GJ was manipulated, I have my doubt that there will ever be any justice for Michael Brown.

    The Staten Island case may end differently. As anyone who has ever lived here can tell you the majority of whites are racists. This is the reddest county in southeast NY. Even without the officers’, who were involved, there would never have been an indictment. The DA Donovan is in too tight with the police department. That said, the case is now in the hands of the DOJ and the woman, who is Obama’s nominee for AG, is in charge of the investigation. There is no immunity deals for any of the cops involved and Ms. Lynch has a reputation for being very thorough before she indicts anyone. Our House Rat, Michael Grimm is squirming to stay out of jail. She handed up a 20 count indictment that includes tax fraud and lying to the FBI that are virtually iron clad to land his butt in the pokey. Here’s hoping that there will be some justice for the Garner family.

    Now, just off the top of my head without too much analysis or, for that matter thinking, here’s my fist answers:

    1.Away in a manger; 2. What Child is This?; 4. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen; 5. Do You Hear What I Hear?; 6. While Shepherds Watched 7. Oh Little Town of Bethlehem; 8. Joy to the World; 9. Carol of the Bells; 10, Silent Night; 12. We Three Kings of Orient Are; 13. Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer; 14 Oh Holy Night; 15. A Blue Christmas; 16. Angels We Have Heard on High; 17, Hark the Herald Angels Sing; 19. White Christmas; 20. Frosty the Snowman; 21. The 12 Days of Christmas; 22. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus; 23. Winter Wonderland.

    No idea about 3; 11; or 18

  2. 1-away in a manger

    2-what child is this

    3-oh christmas tree

    4-god rest ye merry gentlemen

    5-do you hear what i hear

    6-while shephards watched

    7-oh little town of bethlehem

    8-joy to the world

    9-carol of the bells

    10-silent night

    11-the first noel

    12-we three kings

    13-grandma got run over by a reindeer

    14-oh holy night

    15-i’ll have a blue christmas

    16-angels we have heard on HIGH

    17-hark the herald angels sing

    18-silver bells

    19-white x-mas

    20-frosty the snowman

    21-12 days of christmas

    22-I saw mommy kissing santa claus

    23-winter wonderland

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