11/7 Morning Report

In Georgia, a man was arrested, charged, jailed and convicted by a municipal judge for distributing religious pamphlets. Supposedly, he violated the city’s “parade law” by not getting permission to pass out tracts. In August, the charges were dropped—after the case got to Superior Court. Well, now the issue is in Federal Court in hopes of gaining a preliminary injunction.

Baumann spent two days in jail for violating the parade ordinance. ADF (Alliance Defense Fund) attorneys have since asked for the preliminary injunction, which would allow Baumann and others to share their faith in public without having to gain permission from government authorities.

Maybe I’m just naïve, but freedom of religious expression is a constitutional right. It is the responsibility of the Federal Government, since the constitution gives this power to the Feds, to protect religious freedoms—Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, whatever. So, can anyone tell me why I think the Feds will duck this issue?


In another “public safety” item (…this one really is…) Mattel recalled more toys. These toys were made in Mexico. Small parts could break off and create a choking hazard. And, so far, there is only one reported case of a problem in the UK. Meanwhile, Mattel is facing a liable suit from China after the company announced that 85% of those August recalls were caused by a company design problem—not Chinese manufacturers.


Meanwhile, in Iraq, some Shi’ite groups are seeking the same autonomies as the Kurds. For some, that type of government is proving successful. Al-Najaf, for example, is beginning to thrive due to religious pilgrimages, and using the money through local power building. But, that same religious power could create problems among various Islamic groups. The discussion of federalism is a hot issue. Sunnis claim it will lead to an unequal sharing of oil wealth. It will be interesting to see where this goes in the end.

(…personally, I think there will be either separate states, or autonomous regions…your thoughts?...)


And, contrary to the voices of the media, people are returning to Iraq.

"As a result of the improvement of the security situation in the capital Baghdad the total number of Iraqis returning from outside through Iraqi border exit points during October reached 46,030," Baghdad security spokesman Brigadier-General Qassim Moussawi told a news conference.

With civilian deaths for October the lowest in over a year, some are giving credit to the success of the Surge. While not commenting on the figures, because they had not seen them yet, even the International Organization for Migration (IOM) says the numbers of returning Iraqis has been increasing.

(…let’s see what the cut-and-run crowd does with this…)