Shoot it Down, Supreme Court
By John Scott,March 4, 2010
Regulating Guns is a Safer Alternative to Prohibition In the 1925 Supreme Court case Gitlow v. New York, Justice Edward Terry Sanford, wrote the majority opinion, solidified the “bad tendency” test and expanded the amount of speech the federal government could regulate. In the middle of his opinion, Sanford incidentally extended protection of free speech and free press against state governments. Although incorporation of two fundamental First Amendment rights into the Due Process Clause of... Read more »
Intelligence vs. Ignorance: The Necessity of Free Speech
By John Scott,February 25, 2010
One can wield the power of unlimited reverence by employing a broad interpretation of the First Amendment. The proclamation for protection of speech, even those utterances contrary to one’s beliefs and values, is the profession of sound reason throughout society. Although I advocate for an almost unanimous protection of speech, there are obviously certain conditions where the government may find it necessary to restrict expression. For example, the government should regulate expression that takes... Read more »
Shovel Your Own Snow, Harrisonburg
By John Scott,February 18, 2010
Under Harrisonburg city code Section 6-1-15, “sidewalks are to be clear within three hours of the end of snowfall or by ten in the morning if the snow has fallen overnight.” Talk about an inconsistently enforced policy: The code was enforced Monday — 10 days after it should have gone into effect. According to the Harrisonburg Public Information Office, “[d]ue to the significant snowfall accumulation and the frequency of storms, the city has allowed more leeway than usual in this matter.” How... Read more »
Va. Fights for States’ Rights
By John Scott,February 12, 2010
The Virginia Healthcare Freedom Act, submitted by Republican Delegate Bob Marshall, protects a Virginian’s right to participate in or decline to participate in a health care system. The bill is a challenge to the U.S. Senate’s version of health insurance reform which mandates that all citizens purchase health insurance. If passed and signed by Gov. Bob McDonnell, the legislation will grant Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli the power to defend any Virginia taxpayer against the Internal... Read more »
Dukes Should Help Haiti
By John Scott,February 4, 2010
Haiti has gone through an extraordinary level of disaster. Its infrastructure is heavily damaged, its government is crippled and its people are in unbearable despair. On Jan. 27, Haitian President René Préval stated that nearly 170,000 bodies had been counted. According to an international studies professor at the University of Miami, the earthquake left an estimated two million people homeless — that’s more than 100 times the total number of enrolled JMU students. Imagine if you experienced... Read more »
Web Exclusive: We ‘Want Results, Not Rhetoric’
By John Scott,January 28, 2010
President Obama is a fine rhetorician; he crafts his arguments using a variety of techniques. However, last night’s state of the union address was a mixed message for all those involved. His talking points can be classified into three parts — the good, the bad and the ugly. Let’s start with the good parts. It seems the president truly wants bipartisan support on the issues of energy and education. He tied the creation of clean energy jobs to “a new generation of safe, clean nuclear power... Read more »
Health Care Reform is Immoral
By John Scott,January 21, 2010
King’s Letter From Birmingham Jail Calls for Disobedience Against Unjust Laws The health care reform passed by the Senate is unconstitutional. The current interpretation of the Interstate Commerce Clause says the federal government may regulate all economic activities. Rather, the Senate is regulating the lack of economic activities by demanding citizens purchase health insurance or otherwise be penalized with fines and jail time. The founders of this country never dreamed Congress would manipulate... Read more »
Republicans Retaliate with a Move Back to Conservative Principles
By John Scott,January 14, 2010
Last year, the Obama administration and the Democratically-controlled Congress celebrated multiple victories: a Democratic inauguration, successful stimulus package, groundbreaking cap-and-trade program and sincere progress on health care reform. With all of these impressive accomplishments, how could the Democrats worry about the 2010 congressional elections in November? It would seem the majority power will gain seats for next term. For all Republicans, Election Night 2008 was a nightmare, and... Read more »
Consequences of Ads Ban
By John Scott,November 19, 2009
Considering the number of columns this publication has dedicated to the First Amendment and alcohol responsibility, I felt compelled to comment on the Nov. 16 Breeze article entitled “Alcohol Ads Ban is Appealed.” First, it is naïve to assume an alcohol distributor will completely abandon its attempts to advertise to college students. Any student, under or over the age of 21, can obtain a copy of the Daily News-Record in Carrier Library, where the printing of alcohol ads is permitted. Also,... Read more »
A November 5 to Remember
By John Scott,November 5, 2009
Just as the last triumphs of victory over free speech on campus faded, the university, again through Judicial Affairs, defiantly stood by their inability to recognize the First Amendment’s importance and the rights that come with it. This time, Judicial Affairs charged Tim Chapman, Breeze editor-in-chief, and Katie Hibson, contributing news writer, for trying to conduct their jobs and gather information concerning a recent peeping Tom incident in Hillside Hall. Historically, questions concerning... Read more »
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