We're on the road today. Here's an open thread. Please, be nice. Ok, how about civil?

We're on the road today. Here's an open thread. Please, be nice. Ok, how about civil?

Amnesty International reports that there are 4,500 children in jail in Pakistan--most of whom have committed no crimes.

The charges are contained in a report called "Pakistan: denial of basic rights for child prisoners," the BBC reported Thursday. The report claims children are sometimes jailed for years because their impoverished parents cannot pay their bail. When the children's cases finally come to court, the conviction rate can be as low as 15 percent, the report charged.

Other sickening details: There are 350 children on death row in Punjab and children are often housed with adult prisoners--which is illegal under Pakistani law.

Amnesty's press release is here. The report, "Pakistan: denial of basic rights for child prisoners" is available here.

Article 40, United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, provides:

"State parties recognize the right of every child alleged as, accused of, or recognized as having infringed the penal law to be treated in a manner consistent with the promotion of the child's sense of dignity and worth, which reinforces the child's respect for the human rights and fundamental freedoms of others and which takes into account the child's age and the desirability of promoting the child's reintegration and the child's assuming a constructive role in society."

Amnesty International reports that there are 4,500 children in jail in Pakistan--most of whom have committed no crimes.

The charges are contained in a report called "Pakistan: denial of basic rights for child prisoners," the BBC reported Thursday. The report claims children are sometimes jailed for years because their impoverished parents cannot pay their bail. When the children's cases finally come to court, the conviction rate can be as low as 15 percent, the report charged.

Other sickening details: There are 350 children on death row in Punjab and children are often housed with adult prisoners--which is illegal under Pakistani law.

Amnesty's press release is here. The report, "Pakistan: denial of basic rights for child prisoners" is available here.

Article 40, United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, provides:

"State parties recognize the right of every child alleged as, accused of, or recognized as having infringed the penal law to be treated in a manner consistent with the promotion of the child's sense of dignity and worth, which reinforces the child's respect for the human rights and fundamental freedoms of others and which takes into account the child's age and the desirability of promoting the child's reintegration and the child's assuming a constructive role in society."

From the transcript of the bench conference in the trial of sniper suspect John Muhammad on whether he wants his lawyers back:

Judge: I believe that you can competently represent yourself in the sense that you are intelligent enough to represent yourself. I think that you have a grasp enough so that you can represent yourself, and I think you've actually been making some points. I think even you yourself have to contrast your ability to question and make decisions with the ability of Mr. Greenspun and Mr. Shapiro. I've seen them in court. I think that they are more effective -- and I think you'll have to agree -- to try this. They've got fifty-some years of experience between the two of them. This is the first opportunity we've had. I wanted you to think again about whether you want to continue to represent yourself.

From the transcript of the bench conference in the trial of sniper suspect John Muhammad on whether he wants his lawyers back:

Judge: I believe that you can competently represent yourself in the sense that you are intelligent enough to represent yourself. I think that you have a grasp enough so that you can represent yourself, and I think you've actually been making some points. I think even you yourself have to contrast your ability to question and make decisions with the ability of Mr. Greenspun and Mr. Shapiro. I've seen them in court. I think that they are more effective -- and I think you'll have to agree -- to try this. They've got fifty-some years of experience between the two of them. This is the first opportunity we've had. I wanted you to think again about whether you want to continue to represent yourself.

Democratic contender Joe Lieberman says Florida Governor Jeb Bush did the right thing in signing legislation to reinsert feeding tubes into Terri Schiavo.

Democrat Joe Lieberman sided Wednesday with Republican Gov. Jeb Bush of Florida for ordering a feeding tube reinserted into a brain-damaged woman, saying government must "honor life."

In a wide-ranging interview with Associated Press editors and reporters, the presidential candidate waded into another medical debate, breaking with President Bush's policy to limit scientific research involving human embryonic cells.

"The day I walk into the Oval Office, the first thing I'm going to do is rescind the Bush administration restrictions on stem-cell research," the Connecticut senator said. "They're not compassionate. They block work that will save lives and extend lives."

The New York Times excoriates Bush for the Florida ruling, calling the law the work of the conservative religious right.

Almost all the legal scholars we've read on the topic agree that the law violates the separation of powers doctrine and that the law is poorly drafted.

Our prior post on this case is here--it has generated a lot of comments, including a recent one of our own.

Matt Stoller of the Clark Sphere discusses reactionary politics in the Democratic and Republican Parties--based upon his experiences with the Kerryand Clark Campaigns. It's a continuing series of essays. Part II is here.

Matt Stoller of the Clark Sphere discusses reactionary politics in the Democratic and Republican Parties--based upon his experiences with the Kerryand Clark Campaigns. It's a continuing series of essays. Part II is here.

Skippy asks a pertinent question:

Why is it that when the will of the people to recall a democratic governor and install a repubbblican one, it's a good thing, but when that same electorate votes to allow use of medical marijuana, it's a bad thing?

Prop. 215 , the Compassionate Use Act, was passed by the California voters 7 years ago. Its purpose is to allow those suffering from chronic pain and other medical problems to obtain relief through the use of marijuana. Why are those running marijuana co-ops getting jail time instead of support from state authrorities?

Skippy asks a pertinent question:

Why is it that when the will of the people to recall a democratic governor and install a repubbblican one, it's a good thing, but when that same electorate votes to allow use of medical marijuana, it's a bad thing?

Prop. 215 , the Compassionate Use Act, was passed by the California voters 7 years ago. Its purpose is to allow those suffering from chronic pain and other medical problems to obtain relief through the use of marijuana. Why are those running marijuana co-ops getting jail time instead of support from state authrorities?

The Senate voted today 97-0 to restrict E-Mail spam:

It targets the most unsavory senders of unsolicited commercial e-mail by prohibiting messages that peddle financial scams, fraudulent body-enhancement products and pornography. The legislation also draws on amendments from Sens. Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.) and Orrin G. Hatch (R-Utah) that would criminalize the techniques used by spammers to thwart detection -- disguising identities, masking the locations of computers used to send junk e-mail and automating spam attacks.

The bill has its critics:

...several anti-spam and consumer groups have argued that the bill has too many loopholes that could enable so-called legitimate marketers to bombard consumers with unwanted e-mail.

The bill would preempt all state anti-spam laws, some of which are tougher than the Burns-Wyden bill. And it would prohibit private lawsuits against spammers, allowing suits only by providers of e-mail accounts, such as Yahoo Inc., Microsoft Corp., EarthLink Inc. and America Online Inc., all of which also market to their own members.