Beware of tax protest conspiracy theories

David Thornton/IRS

As we approach April 15, the deadline for filing federal income tax returns for most individual taxpayers, many people question whether Americans are really required to pay an income tax. Scores of Youtube videos featuring people such as former IRS agentJoseph Bannister claim that the federal income tax is illegal and that Americans cannot be forced to pay taxes to the IRS. In celebration of the Ides of April, let us once again don our tin foil hats and delve into the world of income tax protesters.

One claim made by tax protesters is that there is no law on the books that permits a federal income tax. It is true that the original incometax signed into law by Abraham Lincoln in 1861 was found unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in 1895. This problem was fixed with the ratification of the 16th Amendment in 1913. Some tax protesters argue that the 16th Amendment was never properly ratified. Professor Jonathan Siegel of the George Washington University Law School explains that the 16th Amendment had the same ratification process as other amendments and really is part of the Constitution.

Read the rest on Examiner.com:

 

http://www.examiner.com/article/tax-protester-conspiracy-theories-can-lead-to-jail-fines

Occupy violence may hurt Democrats in elections

Occupiers are anarchists, not Democrats.

Occupy protesters celebrated May Day, the traditional labor and communist holiday, with spasms of violence across the country on Monday.  According to Buzz Feed, “Black Bloc” protesters in New York, the cradle of the Occupy movement, attacked photographers and tried to take their cameras.  The New York Daily News reports that the NYPD arrested 86 protesters on charges “ranging from disorderly conduct to assaulting cops.”

On the West Coast, there was even more violence.  In Oakland, police used tear gas and “flash bang” grenades to break up demonstrations and arrested at least 25 protesters according to CBS News.  In Seattle, the violence seemed to be the worst as Occupiers dressed in black broke windows, vandalized cars, blocked traffic and did extensive damage to the federal courthouse MSNBC reports.

 

Read this article on Examiner.com:

http://www.examiner.com/article/occupy-protests-pose-election-year-liability-for-democrats

Roe v. Wade and the global war on girls

Harald Kreutzer/Wikimedia

In the 39 years since the Supreme Court’s ruling in Roe v. Wade, abortion has resulted in a holocaust of unborn babies, not just in the United States, but around the world.  One of the great ironies of the abortion debate is that what its proponents tout as “a woman’s right to choose” has resulted in a genocide against baby girls in many countries.

The root of the problem is that abortion is being coupled with sex determination techniques in many parts of the world.  In many countries, it is considered more desirable to have a boy than a girl.  In some cases, they are patriarchal societies with a bias against women.  In other cases, the reasons are more practical.  Boys can help work the fields and will be better able to care for parents in their old age than a girl who will likely marry and move away from home.  Boys are also needed to maintain the family lineage.

 

This article was first published on Examiner.com:

http://www.examiner.com/conservative-in-atlanta/occupy-atlanta-back-woodruff-park

Occupy Atlanta back in Woodruff Park

The new encampment in Woodruff Park (David W. Thornton)

Four months after Atlanta police evicted Occupy Atlanta protesters from Woodruff Park, they are back.  With apparently little to no fanfare, a small number of Occupiers and less than ten tents have again taken up residence the downtown Atlanta park.

The new encampment is a far cry from the group that was evicted in October.  In mid-October, the activists had set up a thriving hamlet within the confines of what they called “Troy Davis Park” in a nod to the convicted cop-killer who was executed by Georgia in September.  At that time, the activists in the park easily numbered more than 100 and scores of tents filled the park.  There was a “free store,” a medical tent, and a “free child care” tent.  Signs proclaiming “we are the 99 percent” littered the grounds of the park.  Visitors were welcomed at tables under a large canopy.  The sound of drums permeated the air and protesters marched up and down the sidewalks at intervals.  (View photos from the October occupation here.)

Read the rest of this article on Examiner.com:

http://www.examiner.com/conservative-in-atlanta/occupy-atlanta-back-woodruff-park

A visit to Occupy Atlanta

An acivist at Occupy Atlanta (David W. Thornton)

As Occupy Atlanta entered its second week, I decided to see for myself what  was going on at Woodruff Park.  With my three-year-old daughter in tow, I  set out for downtown Atlanta to find out if the local occupiers were as rowdy as  the Occupy Wall Street crowd in New York.

My first brush with the activists occurred as I was driving down Peachtree  St. toward Woodruff Park.  Appropriately enough, as I approached Peachtree  and Wall St., I heard drums and saw marchers parading up the sidewalk,  accompanied by a bicyclist who was somewhat reminiscent of Grizzly Adams.   I snapped a couple of pictures as they passed by and then continued toward the  main encampment.

Continue reading on Examiner.com A visit to Occupy Atlanta – Atlanta Conservative | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/conservative-in-atlanta/a-visit-to-occupy-atlanta#ixzz1bGtkNfOs

Slideshow of pictures from Occupy Atlanta:  http://www.examiner.com/conservative-in-atlanta/occupy-atlanta-picture-1

Occupiers vs. Tea Party

(David Shankbone http://blog.shankbone.org/)

The recent movement to “occupy” Wall St. and various American cities is being likened to a progressive Tea Party by many on the left and in the media.  There are important distinctions between the three-year-old Tea Party movement and the three-week-old occupations.

The most obvious is that the Tea Party is a right-wing movement made of conservatives and libertarians.  These are people who do not normally take part in demonstrations.  Conversely, the left-wingers that make up the occupation movement will typically demonstrate at the drop of a hat.  Over the years there have been leftist demonstrations to save the whales, encourage a nuclear freeze, end global warming, save the spotted owls, and end whichever war is going on at the time, among many others.

Read this article on Examiner.com:

http://www.examiner.com/conservative-in-atlanta/occupy-movement-vs-the-tea-party

Is the Egyptian uprising good or bad?

Anti-Mubarak demonstration in Australia (http://www.flickr.com/people/81043308@N00)

As the people of Georgia watched the Egyptian crowds rallying in opposition to Hosni Mubarak, many probably wondered what will come next and what it means for the rest of the world. While Georgians from Egypt Community in Effingham County to Cairo in Grady County likely are happy for the newfound freedom of the Egyptians, it is equally likely that they profoundly hope that it does not lead to further violence that will require American involvement.

As the protests in Egypt turned increasingly violent today, many in this country and around the world are asking what comes next. The answer to that question largely depends on who comes next. At this point there is no credible leader to replace current Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. Mubarak recently bowed to public pressure and announced that he will not seek re-election in national elections this September.

Continue reading on Examiner.com: Is the Egyptian uprising good or bad? – Atlanta Conservative | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/conservative-in-atlanta/is-the-egyptian-uprising-good-or-bad#ixzz1CrVwbLE1

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