Balance Sheet

Jeff Taylor from the August/September 2005 issue

(Page 2 of 2)

A Marion County, Indiana, judge rules that a divorced couple, both of whom practice Wicca, may not expose their 9-year-boy to "non-mainstream religious beliefs and rituals." The ruling is under appeal.

Secret Sex Ed

In Montgomery County, Maryland, parental visits to schools during sex education lessons are not welcome, lest they disturb the atmosphere. Officials cite a "chilling effect" parents would have on a new sex curriculum.

Plane Disgusting

Tiny, lost general aviation craft spur governmental panic across D.C., complete with police officers urging building evacuees to run to the nearest exit. A planned warning-laser system evidently will not work in the rain. Various bureaucratic confusions about shoot-down authority pop up.

Corrupted Info

A former immigration inspector, a former Army sergeant, a former federal prison guard, current and former members of the state corrections department, and a local police officer are among those charged with taking bribes to help smuggle drugs into Arizona from Mexico.

Space Nuts

The Federal Aviation Administration is worried about billboards in space and wants clear authority to stop any "obtrusive" ads. Good to know that the FAA has solved all other issues related to air travel in the U.S.

Judge-Less Justice

The PATRIOT Act not being sufficient, the FBI wants new powers to use so-called administrative subpoenas to quickly seize business and private records. This will combat terrorism and protect freedom from...wait, scratch that. This will combat terror.