I would like to propose a political movement titled the

American Reformation of 2016.

The Republican Party implemented a similar strategy in 1994 called the Contract With America. The success they achieved during that midterm election demonstrated the high level of frustration experienced by the U.S. electorate. Over the past 20 years, that frustration has greatly heightened, which may enable independents to step to the forefront of U.S. politics.

The 114th Congress is now in session and the environment is decidedly Republican. The GOP took control of both chambers of Congress after the midterm elections, in which only 36 percent of voters participated. With the new makeup of Congress, here are 5 senators to keep an eye on this session.

Malice never was his aim, He lash'd the vice but spar'd the name. No individual could resent, Where thousands equally were meant. His satyr points at no defect, But what all mortals may correct; For he abhorr'd that senseless tribe, Who call it humor when they jibe.

--Jonathan Swift, “Verses on the Death of Dr. Swift”

 

Judging from the comments on my most recent post, a non-trivial number of IVN Facebook followers believe that the United States should lead the way in eradicating Islam from the earth—preferably with nuclear weapons. Whatever the merits of such a proposal may be, let’s assume for the sake of argument that it’s just not going to happen.

Two days after a deadly shooting took place at the Paris headquarters of the French satirist magazine, Charlie Hebdo, unconfirmed reports indicate the three gunmen suspected of the shooting were killed in two separate police raids on Friday.

According to early reports from French media, standoffs with French authorities resulted in two hostage situations at different locations; a printing warehouse in Dammartin-en-Goele (a town about an hour north east of Paris), and a kosher market in porte de Vincennes inside Paris.

To all those media outlets who have convinced themselves that they don’t need to publish the Charlie Hebdo cartoons of Mohammed in reporting the recent events in Paris: you are profoundly wrong.

Your raison d’etre is to present news. The Hebdo cartoons are a natural part of the story of the murders in Paris. To assert that a description of an image is anything like the image, itself, is a rationalization of cowardice. The only reason to “describe images” without publishing them is fear of the consequences of publishing.