Fresh Political View

By: Jacob M. Keck With the up coming Olympics in Sochi, Russia , I figured I'd give my two cents on the event. Many issues can be raised about having the Olympics in Russia and in Sochi in particular, from the significant terror threat to the recent anti-gay laws as well as state supported physical attacks on gays. So lets look at these two major issues and why I could not care less about this years Olympics in Sochi. First, lets take a look at the safety issues of the event. Just last month a group of Chechen rebels sent two suicide bombers that killed at least 31 Russians in response to the Olympic Games being held in, as they see them, their ancestral lands. Also, the Chechen rebels take exception to Russia turning this area into a tourist destination. This has lead to the promise of terror attacks on the games and the millions expected to visit in the coming weeks.  The terror threat doesn't look to deter athletes or spectators, even as there have been reports ...

The Supreme Court this week struck down the Defense of Marriage Act( DOMA ), opening the door to Gay Marriage nationwide.  The 5-4 ruling was not a sweeping ruling that legalized gay marriage across the nation. The ruling simply gave access to at least 1,000 different federal benefits and the ability to file joint tax returns by gay couples who have been married in states that allow gays to marry, by striking down section 3 of DOMA. It might not have been a sweeping ruling, but it opened the door to lawsuits to fight gay marriage bans in the states at the federal level. Anthony Kennedy, writing for the majority said DOMA violated gay couples right to equal protection guaranteed by the 5th Amendment.  On the same day the High Court also made a decision on California's Prop. 8, that banned gay marriage in the state. The  Court said the supporters of Prop. 8 had no standing to appeal the earlier ruling and ordered the lower court to reverse the decision th...