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Category: Courts
Posted by: an okie gardener
Good news. The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled to uphold the Congressionally approved restrictions on partial-birth abortions. Story here. The 5-4 vote underscores the importance of the '08 elections. In all probability the next president will nominate one and perhaps two Supreme Court judges. We should be asking presidential candidates, and Senate candidates, what sort of judges they want on the courts.

Here is the link from the Supreme Court official site to the ruling (pdf file). I'll comment after I've read all 73 pages.
Category: Courts
Posted by: an okie gardener
Reader and commentator Photognome points us to this article on a court case in Austria that may give rights to apes.

Personally, I am against cruelty to animals, and think that the more intelligent animals (such as chimps, elephants, dolphins, etc) deserve special protection. I am not sure that the structure of "rights" is the best way to go, though. I see potential court problems if this is the approach taken.

On a related note, while I think the idea of human rights is a handy way of thinking and talking, the idea has its limits. Perhaps it is no accident that neither of the two pillars of Western thought--Greek philosophy and Judaism/Christianity--think in terms of rights. Both think in terms of justice tied into a suprahuman agency.