Friday, April 24, 2009

Jay S Bybee and Monica Goodling: Both Products of a Religious Education

Born 1953 in Oakland, CA Federal Judicial Service: Judge, U. S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit Nominated by George W. Bush on January 7, 2003, to a seat vacated by Proctor R. Hug, Jr.; Confirmed by the Senate on March 13, 2003, and received commission on March 21, 2003. Education: Brigham Young University, B.A., 1977 Brigham Young University, J. Reuben Clark Law School, J.D., 1980

Assistant attorney general, Office of Legal Counsel, U.S. Department of Justice, 2001-2002

I post this because this is a such a lack luster education (Brigham Young University is owned by the Mormon Church) for a man with the power to write the justification for torture. I misunderstood the importance of a religious education or a mid-life conversion ( G W Bush) for those looking for the power to implement a policy of ideological indoctrination for all government employees at every level, and to turn us into into a nation with a torture program. It's hard to imagine that a religious education relieves a man of scruples and the capacity to know right from wrong. Or that a conversion mid-life isn't accompanied by a strong commitment to doing the work of Jesus, which is all about love, acceptance and forgiveness.

A boy from Oakland would go to a school like BYU for a couple of reasons: Either he didn't get offered scholarship money anywhere else, or he's a true believer. It's about as well known for it's law school as Regent University, Pat Robertson's law school. And we all know how well Monica Goodling (the best known graduate of Regent) did in her short legal career. It's okay, I guess, so long as you have no real curiosity and no serious ambition. That is unless you hitch your wagon to an administration looking for those who are not terribly well educated but have a fundamentalist background and a lack of ethics. This was a hallmark of the Bush Administration. From top to bottom, they are the most vociferous proponents of "Christian Values" ( wanting to find a way to force their version of them on all of us) yet the least ethical public servants of any I've seen in my long life. They happily trample the rule of law and seem without any discernible ethics or conscience.

5 comments:

Life As I Know It Now said...

It is seriously offensive when these people take power and begin to abuse it by using torture and bankrupting this country to assuage their greed.

Ingrid said...

Amen..how simple and real is that? You're absolutely right. Those christian values are a bunch of hogwosh when it comes down to the practicing of them. But then, they've been co-opted by politicos who can offer them a way to baby salvation so that seems like a fair trade of sorts right?

Ingrid

Connecticut Man1 said...

Utah Savage: I am sorry for the gross oversight of mine... I had thought I had put your link on my Blogroll already? I fixed that as soon as I saw your comment.

Utah Savage said...

Cman1, nice to see you here, and come back often.

Kulkuri said...

At the very least Monica Goodling should have her law license revoked and if there was any justice in this country, Regent would no longer be allowed to grant law degrees.

My favorite lawyer joke is: Why do lawyers wear neckties??
Answer; So the foreskin won't cover their eyes!!