Author: KJ McElrath

The Fight For $15 – What It Means to All of Us

The Fight For $15 – What It Means to All of Us

Posted by | Jul 3, 2015 | , , |

We at Ring of Fire frequently post news about the ongoing Fight for a $15 hourly minimum wage. Given the enormous increases in the costs of basic necessities like food and housing, it’s really not enough. Taking all factors into consideration – not only inflation, but increases in productivity and worker expectations – the current minimum wage should be around $22.50. That’s extrapolating from a study three years ago from the Center for Economic and Policy Research (the figure given at that time was $21. 72). One city in the nation – Seattle, Washington – is mandating an $11...

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Alabama Supreme Court Lawyer Calls Upon Judges to Punish the Wicked and Protect the Righteous

Alabama Supreme Court Lawyer Calls Upon Judges to Punish the Wicked and Protect the Righteous

Posted by | Jul 3, 2015 | , |

Win Johnson sounds like a character from one of the 1950s  Hollywood “bare-chests-and-big-breasts” biblical epics like Sampson and Delilah. Recently, Johnson rose up like a vengeful Old Testament prophet, declaring that “Public officials are ministers of God, assigned the duty of punishing the wicked and protecting the righteous!” Tragically, he’s not an Old Testament prophet. He’s not even a member of the clergy. He’s the attorney who heads up the legal staff at the Alabama Administrative Office of Courts. Last time we all checked, that public position was a secular one, and still subject to the Constitution’s Establishment Clause...

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Hell Has Frozen Over – Scalia Writes Opinion to Help Criminal Sentencing be More Fair

Hell Has Frozen Over – Scalia Writes Opinion to Help Criminal Sentencing be More Fair

Posted by | Jul 2, 2015 | |

Once again, a U.S. Supreme Court decision flies in the face of the conservative politicians who thought that the justices were there to do its bidding. In a remarkable 8-1 decision, the SCOTUS ruled that the “Three Strikes Laws” in states across the country were unconstitutional. And the Justice who wrote the opinion for the majority?  None other than the Honorable Antonin “Jiggery-Pokery Gobbledygook” Scalia. The intention of the “Three Strikes” law was to “get tough on crime.” It’s an issue that swept many politicians into office on a wave of public outrage over repeat offenders. Not coincidentally, such...

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Another Blow to Public Funding for Private Religious Education

Another Blow to Public Funding for Private Religious Education

Posted by | Jul 2, 2015 | , |

The right-wing theocrats and other conservatives trying to privatize the public education system in the name of Jesus got another wake-up call in Colorado this week. The Centennial State’s highest court has laid down the law: anyone wanting to send their kids to private, religious schools is going to have to shell out for it themselves. For years, “school vouchers” have been touted as a way to provide parents with choices, giving them the means to send their children to private schools. Aside from its clear role in the conservative agenda to dismantle public education and turn it over...

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Oklahoma Bible Thumpers Find That Freedom Of (and From) Religion Works Both Ways

Oklahoma Bible Thumpers Find That Freedom Of (and From) Religion Works Both Ways

Posted by | Jul 1, 2015 | , |

The devout right-wing fundamentalist Christian folks of Oklahoma – long described as the “Buckle of the Bible Belt” – had a rude awakening yesterday. The Sooner State’s Supreme Court ruled that a monument in tribute of the Ten Commandments at the State Capitol must be removed.  According to the Court’s ruling, the Oklahoma State Constitution makes it illegal to use public funds for “religious purposes.” The Ten Commandments Monument was erected in 2012. The bill authorizing its construction was introduced by state representative Mike Ritze, whose family contributed $10,000 for the project. Not long after that, several other religious...

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