The Right Stuff: ‘Behold here cometh the Dreamer’

By Jim McCully April 04, 2022 | Posted in Local Opinion Columnists

Jim McCully: The Right Stuff The Right Stuff has published two articles on the Ukrainian invasion. Russian President and War Criminal Vladimir Putin attacked a peaceful Ukraine starting Feb. 24. We have watched this horror unfold.

Occasionally, I refer to the Bible for inspiration. Genesis 37:19-20 (King James Version) says, “They said one to another, behold here cometh the dreamer, let us slay him and we shall say some beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams.” Who is the beast and who the dreamer?

Putin clearly stated his intentions, not only toward Ukraine but other former Soviet bloc nations last summer. He wants to recreate a buffer zone between Russia and western Europe. He, like all autocrats, will accomplish his aims by whatever means necessary. He’s a very dangerous man. [...read more]

The Right Stuff: Presidential executive orders are not law

By Roger Oberbeck March 28, 2022 | Posted in Local Opinion Columnists

Roger Oberbeck: The Right Stuff There is no explicit definition in the U.S. Constitution of executive orders, proclamations and presidential memoranda. Thus, there is no provision authorizing their issuance.

Article I of the U. S. Constitution says, “All legislative powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress . . . ,” and Article II says, “The executive power shall be vested in a president . . . .” To most of us it is clear that the legislative branch should do all legislating and the executive branch should do enforcement of laws. However, there is an unsupported opposing school of thought that believes presidential executive orders and memoranda have the power of law.

In a Supreme Court majority opinion (Youngstown v. Sawyer, 342 US 579, Jun 1952), Justice Hugo Black stated, “The president’s power to see that laws are faithfully executed refutes the idea that he is to be a lawmaker . . . executive orders stem either from an act of Congress or from the Constitution itself.” [...read more]

The Right Stuff: At what price deception?

By Earl Heal March 21, 2022 | Posted in Local Opinion Columnists Misinformation, disinformation, exaggerations, fibs, white lies and lies are each different, but in final analysis, the user’s intent is to deceive the recipient.

One question remains. After an adult deceives you, how do you ever act on anything that person says without separate verification? I survived a 30-year military career where one lie can terminate an officer’s career. That explains my impatience with government officials’ constant deception.

A recent television program on this subject ironically illuminated the speaker inadvertently being guilty of deception herself. She was attempting to explain the concern against Proposition 47, which redefines the dollar amount stolen for determining felony versus misdemeanor charges. She was defending the proposition by saying, contrary to common beliefs, Proposition 47 does not prevent the prosecution of a misdemeanor and was building the impression Proposition 47 is OK in its intention.

[...read more]