Recordings from the former US President's ill-fated second term reveal his private views on everything from abortion to the Jews and beautiful womenNixon addicts everywhere are not to be disturbed as they devour one more delicacy served up by the National Archives: 150 more hours of secretly taped conversations from the White House in early 1973 packed with fresh tidbits from the often angry synapses of the late, disgraced president's mind. The latest instalment of Nixonalia, held back until now in part because the poor quality of the under-the-table recordings, is unlikely to change history's perception of the 37th president. Rather, it will re-enforce the national memory of a hard-boiled leader prone to blasphemy, bursts of impatience and views on modern society - notably here on abortion, Jews and women - that were, well, not quite modern. It was a day after the Supreme Court legalised abortion in its Roe vs Wade ruling, and Mr Nixon wonders aloud about wisdom of the judgement with his senior aide Charles Colson. He worries that abortion "breaks the family" and its legalisation could encourage "permissiveness". On the other hand, he offers: "There are times when an abortion is necessary. I know that. When you have a black and a white. Or a rape."
Nixon addicts everywhere are not to be disturbed as they devour one more delicacy served up by the National Archives: 150 more hours of secretly taped conversations from the White House in early 1973 packed with fresh tidbits from the often angry synapses of the late, disgraced president's mind.
The latest instalment of Nixonalia, held back until now in part because the poor quality of the under-the-table recordings, is unlikely to change history's perception of the 37th president. Rather, it will re-enforce the national memory of a hard-boiled leader prone to blasphemy, bursts of impatience and views on modern society - notably here on abortion, Jews and women - that were, well, not quite modern.
It was a day after the Supreme Court legalised abortion in its Roe vs Wade ruling, and Mr Nixon wonders aloud about wisdom of the judgement with his senior aide Charles Colson. He worries that abortion "breaks the family" and its legalisation could encourage "permissiveness". On the other hand, he offers: "There are times when an abortion is necessary. I know that. When you have a black and a white. Or a rape."
It's standard practice for nightclubs to enforce dress codes, banning T-shirts, sneakers or hats. But in Kansas City, Mo., a new entertainment district has established some pretty strict rules that some say discriminate against young African-Americans and Latinos. And now the city is trying to encourage business development downtown, while ensuring patrons' civil rights. <...> ... "You can't put a major attraction like that right next to the center of the African-American community and expect them to feel comfortable restricting what they wear, and only what they wear, really." <...> Cordish Vice President Zed Smith says they adopted the dress codes on the advice of police. "We had two specific goals in mind -- public safety and decorum," Smith says. "It has absolutely nothing to do with race." <...> Brian Bass is a contributing editor to Nightclub & Bar Magazine. He says dress codes are standard at nightclubs -- they help bouncers keep troublemakers out. "[Because] without a dress code, then it certainly becomes a lot more sticky," Bass says. "You know when people are dressing up, there's some thought there that people will behave better than they do on a normal day as well." Marcus McMiller disagrees. In September, he was turned away from Power and Light for wearing a chain with a cross on it, and long shorts. "We have different styles in the way we dress; we have different styles in the way we wear our hair," McMiller says. "You know, so again it just comes back to, who are you trying to cater to with this dress code?" ...
... "You can't put a major attraction like that right next to the center of the African-American community and expect them to feel comfortable restricting what they wear, and only what they wear, really." <...>
Cordish Vice President Zed Smith says they adopted the dress codes on the advice of police.
"We had two specific goals in mind -- public safety and decorum," Smith says. "It has absolutely nothing to do with race." <...>
Brian Bass is a contributing editor to Nightclub & Bar Magazine. He says dress codes are standard at nightclubs -- they help bouncers keep troublemakers out.
"[Because] without a dress code, then it certainly becomes a lot more sticky," Bass says. "You know when people are dressing up, there's some thought there that people will behave better than they do on a normal day as well."
Marcus McMiller disagrees. In September, he was turned away from Power and Light for wearing a chain with a cross on it, and long shorts.
"We have different styles in the way we dress; we have different styles in the way we wear our hair," McMiller says. "You know, so again it just comes back to, who are you trying to cater to with this dress code?" ...
The background is a campaign by a feminist activist group ("Bara bröst", translated into "Bare breasts" or "Just breasts") to get equal clothing rules by breaking them. This has led the municipality to revaluate the rules and - after failing to formulate a non-discriminatory basis for the rules - the municipality opted to change the rules.
I somehow find it appropriate that this comes in the same week as the burqa discussion. A vote for PES is a vote for EPP! A vote for EPP is a vote for PES! Support the coalition, vote EPP-PES in 2009!
