The law's interest in a monopoly of violence vis-a-vis individuals is not explained by the intention of preserving legal ends but, rather, by that of preserving the law itself; that violence, when not in the hands of the law, threatens it not by the ends that it may pursue but by its mere existence outside the law.

Here Benjamin restates one of the fundamental goals of classical liberal political philosophy, at least for philosophers such as Hobbes and Locke, namely to eliminate the use of violence from everyone except the state and its duly appointed deputies. This is why in Locke, the state "agrees" to protect the rights of individuals in exchange for individuals giving up their right of retribution and punishment. The right of violence becomes the sole provenance of the state, whether through the death penalty, prisons or defense of the state itself.

Continue Reading...

“An aggressive man insulted us, using homophobic statements. He began to choke one of my friends and punched him in the face. When he recognized me he spat in my face, raised his fists and and kicked me in the stomach,” Biedron said of the assault.

He said the incident is an important reminder that violence against gays and lesbians remains problem in Poland, though he remarked that, in contrast to previous years, no stones or bottles were thrown at marchers over the weekend.

Continue Reading...

Carie Charlesworth had been a teacher for 14 years before Holy Trinity School placed her on temporary leave following a domestic violence incident in which Charlesworth's ex-husband came to the school parking lot in defiance of a temporary restraining order; as a result, the school was placed on lockdown and Charlesworth and her children were asked to leave. Administrators fired Charlesworth three months later, informing her in a letter that because the district was concerned about her ex-husband's "threatening and menacing behavior" that they could "not allow" her to teach at Holy Trinity -- or anywhere else in the area:

We know from the most recent incident involving you and [principal] Mrs. Wright while you were still physically at Holy Trinity School, that the temporary restraining order in effect were not a deterrent to him. Although we understand he is currently incarcerated, we have no way of knowing how long or short a time he will actually serve and we understand from court files that he may be released as early as next fall. In the interest of the safety of the students, faculty and parents at Holy Trinity School, we simply cannot allow you to return to work there, or, unfortunately, at any other school in the Diocese.

Continue Reading...

Kiadii told CBS New York that he was beaten up by a group of teenagers in Brooklyn's Prospect Park:

Continue Reading...

Circuit Judge Debra Nelson ruled that the data was not admissible as evidence in opening statements, aligning with prosecution arguments that Martin's history is irrelevant to the case -- the business of which is to determine whether Zimmerman's claim of shooting in self-defense stands up. Via ABC News:

Zimmerman's lawyer argued that Martin's marijuana use and history of fighting was central to proving that Zimmerman acted in self-defense.

"We have a lot of evidence that marijuana use had something to do with the event," Zimmerman's lawyer Mark O'Mara said. "It could have affected his behavior."

Nelson said that evidence would not be permitted in opening statements, but left open the possibility it could eventually be submitted during the trial.

 

Continue Reading...

As a liberal, I’m against drones essentially by reflex. At least, I used to be. Recently, I’ve begun to reconsider that view; and I’m no longer sure where I come down on the morality of drone strikes. Disturbing as I find state-sponsored violence, when drones do the killing instead of soldiers, it seems apparent that we have an easier time recognizing the violence as horrific. War, in its traditional form, distorts our moral reasoning. Drones do not. And as much it grates against my broader political commitments to say so, this is plainly a benefit of drone warfare, other shortcomings notwithstanding.

Continue Reading...

After filing the request on Monday, gay rights activist Nikolai Alexeyev announced a plan to hold the march for Vladislav Tornovoi, “whether authorities grant permission or not."

City officials denied the request, saying there is "no need for such events in the city," as the Moscow Times reports:

Continue Reading...

Along with the bullets, the Sigolsheim mayor was sent a copy of the interview scrawled over with homophobic slurs. He called the threat "odious."

As reported by English-language French news site the Local, Speitel is not the only French politician to receive death threats as the opposition to marriage equality in France becomes increasingly vocal -- and threatening:

Continue Reading...

For critics of American foreign policy, it’s all but axiomatic that the designation of a violent act as “terrorism” says as much about the accuser as it does about the accused. The U.S. government itself can’t decide on a single working definition of the term, but a standard one denotes unlawful politically-motivated violence designed to intimidate a government or civilian population. Put pressure on any part of this definition and it starts to buckle.

“Unlawful”? Why can’t terrorists — as per the word’s original meaning — be state actors? “Civilian population”? The category becomes meaningless if individuals can be retroactively subtracted from it for the crime of being struck by an American drone.

Continue Reading...

In the final reading of the proposal on Tuesday, the National Assembly voted 331 to 225 to adopt the bill. Soon after, anti-gay marriage protestors in Paris began to clash with riot police stationed in the area.

As reported by the Local:

Despite the requests of organizers that marchers disperse peacefully, a hard core group of around 500 refused to leave the Invalides.

Their anger soon boiled over as bottles and firecrackers were hurled at the riot police, who had blocked off a street leading to the parliament.

One officer was taken to hospital with a head wound after being hit by a brick. “The clashes were extremely violent,” one officer told French media.

Police, who responded with tear gas, made 12 arrests. The protesters also turned their ire on journalists in the vicinity, shouting “scumbags" and “collaborators” at the members of the press. At one point a mob of masked protesters chased a group of journalists down the street and a photographer from AFP was sprayed with tear gas.

Interior Minister Manuel Valls later said those arrested were linked to far-right organizations.

There were also violent clashes in the city of Lyon, where anti-gay marriage protesters took to the streets to express their anger. Police said they had made 44 arrests.

Continue Reading...

I was at work when the bomb went off. Everything on my desk shifted. In my naiveté, I wondered: Did one of the silos blow up? We turned on the news, and saw the chaos, the building torn away. I thought, “Thank God no one I love is in that building.”

My husband’s parents were taking care of Ashley that day. My husband’s father had an appointment at the Social Security Building at 9 o’clock, which I didn’t realize was in the federal building. When it finally sunk in what was happening, I collapsed in on myself. It’s a very hopeless feeling, not knowing.

Continue Reading...

"Adam would come home with bruises all over his body," the relative told the Daily News. "His mom would ask him what was wrong, and he wouldn't say anything. He would just sit there."

The family member went on to say that Lanza's mother was distressed by the abuse, and didn't believe school officials were protecting her son: "Nancy felt fiercely protective of him. She was convinced the school wasn't doing enough to protect Adam. It made her irate."

The relative also appears to attribute Lanza's emotional and mental health problems to the experience, telling the Daily News that he never "seemed right" after his time in Sandy Hook.

“He was a sick boy,” the relative said.

Continue Reading...

The first lady elevated the conversation Wednesday, during a rare return to her hometown of Chicago. In a city ravaged by violence, with more than 500 gun-related homicides last year alone, she spoke eloquently -- and apolitically -- transcending the partisan politics that seem to subvert her husband's efforts for reasonable gun control legislation.

But what was most unique was for whom, and to whom, Michelle spoke. Her words gave voice to an oft ignored (but disproportionately affected) victim of America's gun violence: the black mother.

The first lady spoke of Hadiya Pendleton, the slain 15-year-old student, gunned down just blocks from the Obama's Chicago home -- and only days after Pendleton had attended the president's second inauguration. With tears in her eyes, Michelle said, "Hadiya Pendleton was me and I was her." The first lady went on to add that Pendleton's family is "just like" her own.

Continue Reading...

"No Guns Allowed" is a track off of his new album, "Reincarnated." In a clip from his upcoming documentary of the same title, the rapper explains that the track and his daughter's involvement in it is meant to set things right with his family after his darker, more volatile past.

Continue Reading...

Two months ago my brothers and I reconnected with our 17-year-old half-brother via Facebook.  None of us have seen him since he was a little baby.

He's in high school in Idaho and he plans on going into the military and then to be a police officer after that. Recent FB posts of his scare THE CRAP OUT OF ME. He's started posting pictures of drawings he's done of people and animals with bloody eye sockets. Drawings of children with bloody stumps and eye sockets. Pictures of himself holding a shotgun and an assault rifle that apparently his mom or his stepdad bought for him. A picture of a police officer beating somebody with a caption saying, "I will protect and serve THE SHIT OUT OF YOU," and him saying that's the cop he wants to be.

At first I wanted to comment about how I'm a liberal activist and police brutality and blah-blah-blah. Then I just felt fear, and I stopped and didn't write anything. I haven't blocked him yet because I want to talk it over with my full brothers, and I don't want to call attention to myself just yet. UGH. SO SCARY. What if he's one of those kids who's going to shoot up his school? What if he's going to be a creepy cop who abuses his power? What do I do? Take screen caps and send them to his school? So scary.  So, so scary.

Continue Reading...

Continue Reading...

On Monday, the New York Daily News' Mike Lupica reignited the ever-popular "do video games cause mass murder" debate with a story bound to send young American males into a furor of rage and spitting madness. (That is, if they weren't already in that state after their most recent weekend-long marathon session of "Call of Duty: Black Ops 2.")

Lupica quotes at length the hearsay account of an unnamed law enforcement "veteran," who seems to take special care in enunciating the word "gamer" with the hatred and disgust that one might normally employ for "child rapist" or "genocidal totalitarian dictator."

"These guns, one of them an AR-15, in the hands of a violent, insane gamer. It was like porn to a rapist. They feed on it until they go out and say, enough of the video screen. Now I’m actually going to be a hunter.

"There really was no other subject matter inside his head. Just this: Kill, kill, kill. It really was like he was lost in one of his own sick games."

Continue Reading...

Peterson's mother, Harriet McNeill, told the New York Daily News that her attorney would file initial paperwork later this week to hold the city accountable for the broken collarbone her daughter suffered in the fall. “I’ve been telling the school that one of these kids is going to kill my daughter -- and on Friday it almost came true,” she said.

Education officials said that they are putting the boy who attacked Peterson on another route. Both students attend the Brooklyn Children's Center, a private school for students with emotional, behavioral and other health problems.

According to McNeill's attorney, the boy involved in the incident has a history of violent behavior. In addition to the driver, there was a bus monitor present during the incident. Neither face disciplinary action, according to city officials.

Continue Reading...

Suffolk County authorities filed misdemeanor charges of assault and endangering the welfare of a child and a noncriminal charge of harassment against the NRA's Richard D’Alauro following a domestic disturbance with his wife in their Long Island home. He pleaded guilty to the harassment charge, admitting that he intended to “harass, annoy or alarm” his wife “by subjecting her to physical contact,” according to a transcript of the proceedings obtained by the New York Daily News.

As a result of the charge, police confiscated a total of 39 firearms from D’Alauro's home, and a judge barred him from owning or purchasing additional guns until October 2013. But after the fall deadline passes, police will be forced to return D'Alauro's arsenal and he will once again be allowed to purchase more.

Federal and state law prohibit convicted domestic abusers from purchasing firearms, but those restrictions do not apply to D'Alauro because his offense is below the level of a misdemeanor.

Continue Reading...

A New York Times feature on Tuesday and a new Time magazine story both delve more deeply into the story of the 29-year-old whose life ended in a Pretoria bathroom on Valentine's Day, and the troubling epidemic of violence in South Africa that may have contributed to her death. The stories are both in their own ways haunting portraits of a nation that cultivates brutality and a woman who found herself the victim of it. And they're a bracingly far cry from the revolting glut of sexy swimsuit shots and attempted witticisms that dominated the news coverage of the case in its early days.

Continue Reading...