Posts Tagged ‘law’

Observation and Deduction: Stanford University Channels Batman and Teaches Students a Lesson in Law

Posted: June 8, 2024 by datechguy in culture, education
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Greta:  He knocked over another ATM.  This time at knifepoint.  He needs your legal advice.

Fletcher Reede:  [taking the phone and shouting into it]  STOP BREAKING THE LAW ASSHOLE!

Liar Liar 1997

There was an old Batman comic story in Detective Comics 168 (1951) where Batman is invited as a guest instructor at State University to teach a course in criminology. The primary lesson that he teaches is the value of Observation and Deduction.

Detective Comics #168 1951 Bill Finger & Bob Kane with George Roussos on Inks

Well Stanford University deals in law rather than criminology and doesn’t have any masked Superheroes on faculty these days but has apparently discovered the value of Observation and Deduction.

  • OBSERVATION: High profile schools have allowed pro-hamas students to run wild at colleges at the cost of reputation, grants and enrollments and quality students who decide to go somewhere else where they can actually learn in safety.
  • DEDUCTION: When a group of Stamford student decided to occupy the President’s office, barricade themselves in and issue demands they decided the best move is to give said students a lesson in the application of law.

Rather than negotiate with them, the administration called the police. Police had to break through a door but then went inside and arrested all 13 students who were present. The administration also announced that seniors in the group would not graduate and everyone who was a current student would be suspended. But it turns out that was just the start. The Stanford Daily reports those students have now been charged with felonies.

The far left is already begging for money for their legal defense however I suspect even with a conviction they won’t do as well as Donald Trump did.

This move, along with the restoration of the SAT for incoming students shows that even colleges in blue states can, through observation and deduction, figure out that any short term cost in terms of leftists angry at this move will pay long term dividends in terms of the lesson it will teach potential student troublemakers:

  • OBSERVATION: The students who occupied the President’s office are facing suspension, expulsion & Felony chargers that could hinder the chances of getting a job or even a degree
  • DEDUCTION: It’s a good idea to steer clear of these protests and protesters concentrate on studies and or parties instead if I want a job after college

and of course it’s not just the current students who are getting this lesson in observation and deduction.

There are parents

  • OBSERVATION: Stamford is not putting up with this pro-hamas nonsense.
  • DEDUCTION: My $62K a year won’t be wasted and my kid will be safe and educated with a degree won’t be a red flag to employers.

Potential donors:

  • OBSERVATION: Stamford is not putting up with this pro-hamas nonsense.
  • DEDUCTION: My money won’t be wasted on folks who want to kill Jews or Destroy buildings

And of course potential employers:

  • OBSERVATION: Stamford is not putting up with this pro-hamas nonsense.
  • DEDUCTION: Hiring a Stamford grad means I’d get an employee who is not only educated but doesn’t carry the risk of causing trouble or embarrassment to the firm that a Columbia or Harvard grad might.

Of course as noted the left will try to pressure the university to reverse themselves and given the cost of tuition it’s likely that the parents of those students involved will have the resources to hire some heavy duty lawyers to defend them, but in the end the costs of such litigation and the annoyance of such pressure are miniscule compared to the returns that will come from standing their ground and preserving Stanford’s reputation as a school worth the $62K a year you will pay and these predators will likely move on to easier prey.

The only question is, will other universities in blue states Observe this result and come to the same deduction in time?

To fight back against the left, I say we should refer to all Illinois criminals as “justice-impacted individuals”

Posted: May 26, 2024 by John Ruberry in crime, News/opinion, opinion/news, politics
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By John Ruberry

Oh, for the days when Illinois was normal.

My state is a solid blue state, but it wasn’t always that way. 

In the 20th century, only twice, in 1912 and 1916, Illinois failed to back the presidential winner in the general election.

The Land of Lincoln, the home of the first Republican president, Abraham Lincoln, began its slide to the left in 1988, when George H.W. Bush won Illinois by just 95,000 votes in his blowout win, nationally that is, over Michael Dukakis. Democrat gerrymandering and feckless leadership from the state GOP have demoralized Illinois conservatives. Real conservatives, that is, not the country club phonies who are embarrassed by Donald Trump.

Illinois has now gone hard left, thanks to decades of gerrymandering. At the top of the heap is likely 2028 presidential candidate, J.B. Pritzker, who is nearly halfway into his second term as governor. 

To embellish his woke credentials for his presidential run, Pritzker signed into law and championed the SAFE-T Act, which abolishes cash bail in Illinois. It’s been in effect for nine months. The numbers are still coming in, but at least in Chicago, other than a slight dip in murders, violent crime is up.

Still, criminals manage to get caught and convicted in Illinois, despite the presence until December of a George Soros-funded so-called prosecutor, Kim Foxx, in the state’s largest county, Cook.

But some of those unlucky Illinois crooks soon may not soon be officially known as “felons,” “offenders,” or “convicts” or “ex-cons,” If it’s not on his desk already, it soon will be, but Illinois House Bill 4409 will classify participants in the Adult Redeploy Illinois program as “justice-impacted individuals.”

To be fair, not all convicted criminals in the state will be referred to as such if Pritzker signs HB 4409 into law, but considering that the billionaire governor has proven to be cautious about being out-woked, look for all lawbreakers to be referred to be officially classified as such in that sanitized, Orwellian phrase.

Conservatives and centrists, who, despite Democratic dominance in in the Land of Lincoln, still make up a majority in this state, have two surefire ways to fight back.

They can remind leftists that Illinois–for good reason–has been losing population annually for a decade. 

The other method of attack is to refer to criminals, when a progressive is in earshot or likely to read a social media post, as “justice-impacted individuals.” Leftists can’t process the wrongheadedness of their political beliefs, such as men being able to give birth, and they despise ridicule. 

Believers in common sense, you have your assignment. Think of yourselves as Groucho Marx and the leftist in front of you as the kind of pompous fool the legendary comedian regularly humiliated. 

With some laughs, we might be able turn Illinois, even slightly, to the right direction.

John Ruberry regularly blogs at Marathon Pundit.

Taxpayers should be able to sue crooked politicians for their corruption

Posted: December 24, 2023 by John Ruberry in crime, News/opinion, opinion/news, politics
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By John Ruberry

“Some men see things as they are and say, ‘Why?’ I dream things that never were and say, ‘Why not?’” Robert F. Kennedy Sr.

“When people fear the government, there is tyranny. When government fears the people, there is liberty.” Thomas Paine.

Former Chicago alderman alderperson Edward M. Burke, who for much of his–wait for it–54 years as a member of Chicago’s City Council, was the second-most powerful politician in the city, because he was the chairman of that body’s Finance Committee. 

Last week Burke was convicted on over a dozen corruption and racketeering charges. Burke, according to federal prosecutors, abused the powers of his office to shakedown businesses, such as the owner of a Burger King restaurant in his ward who was told by Burke if he wanted a construction permit, he needed to retain the alderman’s law firm. 

Developers of the massive old US Post Office and even the venerable Field Museum were victims of Burke’s extortion schemes. I suspect there were hundreds more.

Burke is appealing his guilty verdict of course. Once the appeals are exhausted, barring a successful appeal, the lifetime politician is likely headed to prison.

I’m not a lawyer–so forgive my naivete here. Then again, since I’m not an attorney–and not enmeshed in the gears of the rotten system–maybe I’m the right person to tackle this subject.

For thirteen years of Burke’s crooked career, I was a resident of Chicago. Because I was denied honest services by Burke, so that gives me standing to sue Burke for damages. Right?

Wrong. 

Qualified immunity protects public officials from such suits. My interpretation of the legal concept–again, I’m not an attorney—is that if officials, let’s say the head of a state highway department, fears being sued over a possible bridge collapse, it may mean that no new bridges are built.

Back to Burke.

It’s difficult to see where Burke’s public career as an alderman alderperson began and where his private legal practice ended. It was a hybrid beast. In short, Burke was running a racket.

So, since a jury ruled that Burke was using his public office for private gain, why should qualified immunity protect him?

Why shouldn’t Burke, and other corrupt Illinois pols such as former governors Rod Blagojevich and George Ryan, be subject to taxpayer lawsuits? Or class action lawsuits?

“To join this lawsuit now–call the 800 number on the bottom of your screen–time is limited! Make that politician pay!”

Taking my idea to the federal level, there’s a recent case with bribery allegations against a sitting US senator and his wife. I mean, I’m just saying…

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if crooked pols could be sued for every penny they have? And their vacation homes? And their gold bars?

Everything!

That just might scare these pols into honesty.

Change the law. Or laws. 

Drop qualified immunity for crooked public officials. Call it–ahem–Ruberry’s Law. Consider it my Christmas gift this year.

Back to Illinois.

As Illinois’ SAFE-T Act law–which by the way I believe it should be repealed–was being drafted, dropping qualified immunity for police officers was suggested. So clearly, at least in Illinois, qualified immunity is not sacred.

One more item. Since 1973, 38 members of the Chicago City Council have been convicted of crimes.

John Ruberry regularly blogs from Illinois at Marathon Pundit. During his lifetime, four Illinois governors have served time in federal prison.

Biden administration message: Sneak into America and you too can collect $450,000

Posted: October 31, 2021 by John Ruberry in Always look at the bright side of Trump, crime, immigration, News/opinion, politics
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By John Ruberry

Every once in a while you hear about a story where a burglar breaks into a home, is caught, and then sues the homeowner for damages after being shot. Here’s one example.

Getting shot is an understandable risk for a burglar. Under Trump sneaking into America had consequences.

Donald Trump promised a tough policy on illegal immigration and he followed through. Yes, Trump was very good about honoring his campaign promises. He said he’d enforce the law at the southern border–and Trump did so. It was called his “Zero Tolerance” policy. 

Joe Biden ran for office as the anti-Trump and his presidency, besides pushing America kicking and screaming into socialism, has been about repudiating his predecessor. So much for “Lunch Bucket Joe” from Scranton being a unifier. 

Illegal border crossings plummeted during the Trump presidency because the word got out that illegally crossing into America could you arrested and then sent back home. But not everyone got the message. Some migrants still entered America from Mexico, with their kids, and they were jailed. When you go to jail or prison you don’t bring your children with you. 

Now the Biden administration, according to the Wall Street Journal, is considering payments of $450,000 payments to these lawbreaking family members who were separated from their kids. There have been some lawsuits filed on behalf of the parents. Not surprisingly the ACLU is involved.

Illegal border crossings are at a 21-year high. The message received in Mexico, Central America, South America, and Haiti is clear. The border is open. C’mon over! Construction of the wall at the southern border is has ended. Yeah, yeah, I know. Vice President Kamala “Cackles” Harris, who is in charge of the southern border, unconvincingly said to migrants. “Do not come.” Yawn. Oh, there is another caravan on its way up here. Probably more than one.

Now some people considering entering America from Mexico might make the trek north because they think that maybe they too will collect a $450,000 windfall. Hold on for one moment. I’m not saying parents want be separated from their children in exchange for cash, but it’s not just Americans who see a headline on their smartphones and then come to an inaccurate conclusion without bothering to read the accompanying story.

Meanwhile American citizens make do with a couple of $600 COVID-19 payments. Families of military members killed in the line of duty receive only $400,000.

The American government has gone insane. 

Don’t blame me. I voted for Donald Trump. Twice.

John Ruberry regularly blogs at Marathon Pundit.

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