Slate's Bizbox
today's blogs: The latest chatter in cyberspace.

Oh, Give Me a Home

By Bidisha Banerjee
Posted Thursday, June 23, 2005, at 6:03 PM ET

Bloggers discuss the Supreme Court's ruling on eminent domain; they also respond to the conviction of ex-Ku Klux Klan leader Edgar Killen and effuse about the Onion's 2056 edition.

Oh, give me a home: In today's 5-4 decision in Kelo v. New London, the Supreme Court ruled that local governments can take away land from private citizens in the interest of economic development.

Bloggers of all stripes are outraged. Libertarian writer and editor Thomas L. Knapp calls the decision "a complete break with the Constitution, history, tradition, the English language and, well, reality." Commenting on BlondeSense, a liberal blog, Red State Blues laments, "That's two in quick succession that the so-called liberal wing of the court has gotten wrong (the other being the medical maijuana stuff)." Conservative law professor Stephen Bainbridge believes that the decision shows "just how essential it is that Bush pick somebody reliably—and permanently—conservative when there's an opening." On Reason's blog Hit & Run, Julian Sanchez concludes, "The straightforward implication is that any taking of a private residence to hand it over to a business, or just from a poor person to a wealthy person, will be a taking in service of a public purpose."

But honestpartisan's Democrat Jack Stoller goes against the grain. He supports the decision, saying it reinforces the Fifth Amendment's "takings" clause. Applauding the justices for basing their decision on the fact that it wasn't their job to decide, he writes, "The point is not whether New London's plan is good on the merits, the point is whether this issue will be decided by democratic bodies or by undemocratic courts."

Read more about the Supreme Court decision on eminent domain.

Justice delayed, but not denied: Former KKK leader Edgar Ray Killen, 80, was sentenced yesterday to 60 years in prison on manslaughter charges for his involvement in the 1964 murders of three civil rights workers.

Some bloggers are unimpressed. Land of Oz's Jim-of-Oz, who lives in Saginaw, Mich. writes, "How about spending some of the money that's been wasted on idiots like Michael Jackson, Robert Blake, OJ and an 80 year old KKK ding-a-ling on solving murders that are happening here and now." Others are frustrated that the conviction took so long. Pay No Mind's Seth, a legal editor, writes, "It is a true disgrace to our legal system that it has taken this long for justice to be served on this degenerate. On top of that the story indicates that he was a 'part-time minister'—this is where the concept of religion fails. All too often it is used as a crutch for despicable acts of cruelty and intolerance."

Others are dissecting the details of the trial. "What in the world was Killen's defense attorney thinking when he called up [former Philadelphia mayor] Harlan Majure as a character witness?" wonders Independent Sources' Insider, a self-described "South Park conservative." He continues, " ... Majure swears that the Klan is peaceful but then tells about how they beat both blacks and whites. He says that he isn't prejudiced but then criticizes the civil rights movement." And Mercurial Circus' Ironcat, a Canadian student, asks, "Was Killen really on trial for what he did, or is he serving as an effigy of every KKK-lynch mob? One man to represent the whole bloody mess of racism, violence, and segregation hardly seems fair. Seems to me that Killen's trial is a PR-fest to prove how liberal and open-minded Mississippi has become." She emphasizes, "The case, which finally addresses the vicious and unnecessary death of three people, shouldn't be seen as the end of anything. Rather, let it be the first opportunity to call attention to racial segregation and injustice."

Read more about Killen's conviction.

In the year 2056: Bloggers are gushing about the Onion's 2056 edition. Favorite headlines include, "Million Robot March Attended by Exactly 1,000,000 Robots" and "Government May Restrict Use of Genetically Modified Farmers."

"I think the future's gonna be A-OK after all! USA! USA!" writes X-Ray Spex's Will Pfeifer. "With stories like 'Final Installment of Frogger Trilogy Poised To Sweep Oscars', 'Halliburton Wins Bid To Rebuild Midwest', and 'Kansas Outlaws Teaching of the Unified Field Theory in Schools', the 22 June 2056 edition of The Onion reads like nothing has changed in fifty years," observes Famous and Non-Famous Strangers' Gary.

Read more about the Onion's 2056 edition.

Questions? Comments? E-mail

Print This ArticlePRINTDiscuss this in The FrayDISCUSSEmail to a FriendE-MAIL
Share on FacebookPost to MySpace!Share with MixxDigg ThisShare with RedditShare with del.icio.usShare with FurlShare with Ma.gnolia.comShare with SphereShare with Stumble Upon
Bidisha Banerjee is a former Slate editorial assistant.
Questions or comments? Please e-mail . (Reader e-mail may be quoted by name unless author stipulates otherwise.)
Join the Fray: our reader discussion forum
What did you think of this article?
POST A MESSAGE | READ MESSAGES
Washington Post
The Washington Post
OPINIONS
Imagine if...
Hiatt | What if McCain had waged his campaign based on respect?
Editorial: Meddlesome PalinKing: The Danger of Palin Power