Category Archives: Ethics

UPDATED II (12/6): The Kate Steinle Verdict: A Nation Of Laws? What Laws? Cui Bono?

BAB's A List, Boyd Cathey, Ethics, IMMIGRATION, Law, Left-Liberalism And Progressivisim

By Dr. Boyd Cathey

After the decision by a San Francisco jury in the Kate Steinle murder case and the acquittal on all murder charges of the five times illegal immigrant and seven times felon, Jose Garcia Zarate, American citizens—at least the ones who still care about the rule of law and about the future of this country—should be rightfully outraged. Not even found guilty of the lesser murder charge, involuntary manslaughter, which given Zarate’s defense should have been what he might have hoped for—the California jury found him innocent on all counts of murder, with a slap on the wrists for possession of a purloined firearm. That’s it. And the jury was not even permitted to take into consideration the illegal Mexican’s history of criminality—repeated felonies and multiple illegal entries (each time returning across the porous California border to commit more crimes).

Here is how Ron Woodard, of NC Listen, an immigration reform organization, characterized what happened:

Jose Ines Garcia Zarate, the illegal immigrant who murdered Kate Steinle in San Francisco, was acquitted of murder and manslaughter charges but found guilty of being a felon in possession of a firearm.  San Francisco has in effect urinated on our Constitution and the rule of law as Kate Steinle’s parents grieve again as the murderer of their daughter will likely serve only 2-3 years in California prison.  Assuming California does not turn Zarate lose yet again after serving in their prison, Zarate may serve a couple of additional years in federal prison for having been deported so many times, but again the total prison time given the crime is a slap on the wrist.

“I actually met Kate’s Mom in Washington, DC this past September while attending a FAIR event along with meeting with staff members of Republican members of Congress from North Carolina and Senator Richard Burr.  Please pray for Kate’s family as they suffer again due to today’s gross miscarriage of justice.

“Garcia Zarate had been deported five times and the federal government was seeking to deport him a sixth time when he was instead released by San Francisco authorities under their sanctuary policy restricting cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.  Kate Steinle’s death was totally preventable and a stain on our judicial system.  This is another sad day for our nation.” [November 30, 2017; ronwoodard@ncisten.com]

As he has been in jail for nearly two years awaiting trial and the minimum he can get for the firearms violation is two years, possibly in a month Zarate will walk free—once again. True, the federal immigration authorities will probably deport him one more time, but, who is to say that within a month or so he won’t be back in Sanctuary City San Francisco, or at least back in Sanctuary State California, which have become like illegal immigrant Meccas in horse pastures to swarms of nutrient-seeking flies? And which new victim will die needlessly next time?

San Francisco and California have made it very clear to any and all illegals, whether violent criminals or not, that they are welcome, and that the state and municipal governments will do everything in their power to protect and coddle them, including providing top drawer legal counsel for the basest of criminals—if they are illegal immigrants.

Yet, the simple fact is this: Zarate and others like him are not American citizens. How can they—how does he—merit attorneys paid-for-by-American-taxpayers, indeed, the very best lawyers that most Americans could never afford? What kind of “justice” system is that? And what kind of system is so degenerate that, with passion and zeal, it basically drops all other concerns to spend its time, efforts and money on defending a murderer who, had he been a regular white male citizen, would no doubt have been thrown to the dogs?

But it goes further than this. After the verdict was reached and defense attorney Matt Gonzalez and his co-counsel went to the microphone to comment, they could not resist turning this judicial circus into a vicious ideological attack on President Trump and anyone who believes in protecting our borders. Indeed, instead of a case which should have been about justice for the murdered Kate Steinle, both men attempted to convert it crassly into a political circus, which undoubtedly for them it was. They launched into a defense of illegal immigration and an assault on the president and his agenda as “racist” and “bigoted.” In other words, if anyone raises even the slightest question or doubt, not just about the verdict but about illegal immigration, itself, then ipso facto, that is a manifestation of the now unforgivable sin of racism.

The jury verdict and the comments by Zarate’s attorneys were an affront to millions of hardworking, law-abiding citizens, and one more illustration of the nature of this nation’s immigration system. But they also clearly indicate the ideological significance of the country’s growing illegal population and the uses to which that population is put by America’s political elites. And it is not just limited to manipulation by Leftist Democrats searching for “replacement” voters to take the place of former blue collar Democrats in places like Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania who have finally figured out where their essential interests lie, but it embraces much of the Republican establishment and “conservative” movement and their inability to actually deal with the problem (or if they do, to basically cave to Open Border zealots or to the enticements from Big Business).

Thus, it is no exaggeration to state that the blood of Kate Steinle and thousands like her does not just weigh down on and indict the legal system and leaders of San Francisco and California, it also is an indictment of culture traitors like Senators John McCain and Jeff Flake, and the reprehensible Thom Tillis from North Carolina, securely snuggled away in the deep pockets of the Chambers of Commerce and big agri-business, with their reassuring belief in “universal equality and human rights” as somehow conservative values. Their misplaced “humanitarianism” and their subservience to their major donors is both shameful and potentially fatal to the very existence of the American nation.

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~ DR. BOYD D. CATHEY is an Unz Review columnist, as well as a Barely a Blog contributor, whose work is easily located on this site under the “BAB’s A List” search category. Dr. Cathey earned an MA in history at the University of Virginia (as a Thomas Jefferson Fellow), and as a Richard M Weaver Fellow earned his doctorate in history and political philosophy at the University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain. After additional studies in theology and philosophy in Switzerland, he taught in Argentina and Connecticut before returning to North Carolina. He was State Registrar of the North Carolina State Archives before retiring in 2011. He writes for The Unz Review, The Abbeville Institute, Confederate Veteran magazine, The Remnant, and other publications in the United States and Europe on a variety of topics, including politics, social and religious questions, film, and music.

UPDATE (2/12):

UPDATE (12/6):

Ethical Ignorance Guarantees Voters Won’t Detect Transgressions In Their Candidate Or Collect On Campaign Promises

Democracy, Donald Trump, Elections, Ethics, Intelligence, Morality, Reason

Republicans—blind followers of the Big Man—often lack even an elementary idea of what’s ethical and what’s not. Take the fact that former daytime talk show host Geraldo Rivera is a bosom buddy of Sean Hannity. The fact of the two’s friendship makes a mockery out of their canned TV “debates.” Differently put, it’s intellectually dishonest to rotate your friends on your opinion show. You shouldn’t hire your friends.

A talker should feature interesting, independent opinion and avoid in-house hires. You could say Geraldo Rivera is a Hannity friend with benefits. Responses to this no-brainer on social media tell me that people no longer grasp elementary ethics.

Ethical practices entail keeping your (journalistic) work and friendships APART—just as you should keep your wife out of the office of the president (Mugabe) and your kids out of the White House (Trump). Avoiding conflicts of interest, and the commitment to intellectual honesty implicit in your relationship with your audience (Hannity’s): These were once understood by people. I think the populace is too dumbed-down and consequently corrupted to have a feel for these finer points.

Certainly when it comes to their guy, Trump (or Bush) voters lack a basic sense of what’s ethical and what’s not. This ethical ignorance and hyper-partisanship guarantees voters will be powerless to detect transgressions in their candidate or collect on campaign promises.

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Why The American Leaders Win, And The American People Lose

America, Donald Trump, Ethics, Family, Judaism & Jews, Politics, Republicans

Gen. John Kelly may have performed a most excellent maneuver. Perhaps his best, as a news headline blared: “White House Officials Discuss Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner Departing By 2018.”

This is terrific news for Deplorables, whether we want to admit it or not. The two New York liberals, a nepotistic addition to the administration, have been a disaster for the agenda which President Trump promised and for which we voted.

Alas, Deplorables, at least on social media, are blaming “dem Jews” for POTUS having largely abandoned his fundamental promise of America First (quit the denial). But Trump has clearly gone neoconservative to gain approval among “con-servatives,” which he’s getting galore. Deplorables aren’t being betrayed by Jews; but by Trump.

We Americans never hold leaders responsible for what they promise and what they fail to deliver. Instead, we retreat to our partisan corners and defend “our” guy (Bush/Trump), no matter what he does to us. He wins; we lose. ‘Tis the American way. The leaders win; the people lose. And everyone seems happy. Not I.

As I see it,  a leader is nothing but a hired hand who must deliver on the contract, or else.

NEW COLUMN: Conservatism’s Perennial Piñata

Colonialism, Conservatism, Criminal Injustice, Ethics, History, Neoconservatism

THE NEW COLUMN is “Conservatism’s Perennial Piñata.” “Politically powerless and proud, Native-Americans are an easy target.” It’s currently on WND.com. An excerpt:

…  As they heap contempt upon Native-American societies—establishment bobble heads, with admirable exceptions, are at the beck and call of African-American interests. Most conservatives agree about the legitimacy of African-Americans’ eternal grievances (“the fault of Democrats,” they intone). The same establishment offers incontinent exhilaration about the greatness of African-American heroes (MLK über alles). And the only argument mustered in these quarters for raising, rather than removing, statues for the South’s heroes is, “We need to preserve our history, horribly flawed with respect to African-Americans, mea culpa.” Or, “Who’s next? Jefferson?”

Conservatives seem constitutionally (as in physically) incapable of arguing the merits of Robert E. Lee , something Lord Acton managed on solid philosophical grounds.

Here’s a theory as to why conservatives use American Indians as their perennial piñata, while generally acceding to the aggressive demands for permanent victim status levied by African-Americans. …

… READ THE REST. “Conservatism’s Perennial Piñata” is currently on WND.com.

You can read the Mercer Column weekly on the Unz Review, WND.com, Daily Caller, frequently at American Thinker, very occasionally on Townhall.com, and certainly on the other fine outlets listed here. It’s always posted, eventually, on IlanaMercer.com, under Articles. Please share.