[April 24, 2000]
No, not for good - just for a couple of weeks. I've got more important things to do with my time. W
Florida State University, pending approval of the state legislature, may open the United States' first new medical school in twenty years.
Instead of working alongside doctors in a costly teaching hospital, students would train in a downtown clinic. Instead of being taught by research-oriented specialists, students would learn from physicians treating common allergies and arthritis. And instead of becoming surgeons, more students would leave medical school wanting to become family practitioners.
Now all we need is a school for HMO adjusters to learn compassion. W
[April 23, 2000]
I really find it ironic that some of the same folks who condemned the excesses of police in Seattle and Washington D.C. think that Saturday's INS raid was proper government behavior. As if Cubans protesting in Miami deserve to be tear-gassed, but WTO protesters in D.C. were always peaceful. I guess some folks really believe that the ends justify the means. W
Quoth Jason:
This leaves us with only the words of the March 21st ruling when answering both the question of custody and the question of whether or not the DOJ has the authority to enforce said custody determination.
I've read both opinions, and while you are correct that the Appellate Court decsion reserved ruling on custody issues, you have completely mischaracterized or misunderstood the holding of Judge Moore's decision. There is not a word in that decision about legal custody. Not a word. The issues decided by Judge Moore, and disfavored by the 11th Circuit, are legally distinct from parental custody rights: can Elian apply for asylum on his own behalf, and if not, who can, and can the Attorney General make that decision? Judge Moore said that Reno's decision is entitled to great deference by the courts. The 11th Circuit, in reaching its ultimate holding, had to conclude that there was a substantial chance that this was wrong, and explained themselves in great detail. So Jason, have you read the opinion you cite? If you did, you apparently don't understand it. The INS never has, and never will, decide who has parental rights over a child. It's not their job. W
And once again, just for Jason: The statute you cite does give the Attorney General broad powers - to enforce the Immigration Code. It's the meta portion, if you will. Once an alien, awaiting an asylum determination, has been released, the only statutory provision that allows the INS to take that alien back into custody is the one I cited below. Section 1003(a) does not authorize the Attorney General to order the surrender of, say, a political opponent, and then send in troops to enforce that order. She must have a basis in law for issuing the order, and only then can there be enforcement.
With respect to the psychiatric opinions.... geez. I'm a lawyer. I can find, given ten minutes and a phone book, a psychiatrist who will testify that you are a danger to society and shouldn't be left to your own recognizance. That psychiatrist's opinion should not be confused with truth. Nor should vague warnings of "imminent psychological harm" be used as a rationalization for putting a six-year-old boy in the middle of a military operation.
Oh, and the Disctrict Court opinion you cited? The Appellate Court demolished the reasoning used in that opinion. I'll take Edmondson, Dubina, and Wilson over Moore any day... not only are they apparently smarter, but they can pull rank. W
Yes, a few design tweaks. It's been a while since I've seen a site that wasn't in Verdana, Trebuchet, or Palatino. Arial is refreshingly retro. W