Birdsong's Law Blog

Germany: This is a weird one!  A German student who had an argument with some Hell’s Angels mooned the motorcycle gang, then tossed an innocent puppy at them in the Bavarian town of Allenhausen near Munich. The puppy thrower fled the scene on a bulldozer, but was soon arrested.  It is reported that the pup is in good condition and is being cared for in a shelter.

Can it be said that the “pup lived through hell?”

Ridge Manor, FL: Here is another dog story.  Christopher Bishop, 43, was checking under his ford pick up truck for an oil leak.  The vehicle was in neutral and the passenger door was open. Unexpectedly, Bishop’s dog jumped into the truck and knocked it into gear.  The truck rolled over Bishop.  His injuries were not life threatening.

Doesn’t sound much like the work of man’s best friend.

UTAH: Sylvia Beagley, 31, of Utah stole two cars and led police on a wild chase, all while she was naked.  She first stole a car from a man who was

Daniel Burgess was a student in Professor Birdsong’s  Refugee and Asylum course last spring.  He has written an interesting paper that derives from his examination  and research  concerning China’s one child policy.  Mr. Burgess addresses the issue of whether an unborn child should be granted asylum. There is an ongoing debate about whether a fetus is a person.  Why not read it and learn something.  Mr. Burgess is a good creative writer and thinker.

Life, or Something Like It

A Reflection on China’s One-Child Policy and its Effects on the Unborn

Daniel W. Burgess, Jr.

April 22, 2010

 Introduction

 “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses…” and your unborn. [1] There are many unfortunate individuals living in parts of the world who are “yearning to breathe free” from persecution. But there is a persecuted class that is yearning for a chance to breathe its first natural breath: the unborn. Worldwide, laws tend to view the unborn as merely a fetus and not as a human life. They do not share the same rights as a viable human living outside his or her mother’s womb. They are viewed as less than human by the laws of man. 

This paper addresses whether an unborn child should be granted asylum. There is an ongoing debate about whether a fetus is a person. The pro-choice camp would argue that a fetus is not afforded the protection of law until it is a viable life, while those in the pro-life camp would argue that a fetus is a person from the moment of conception. The reality is that until a fetus is universally recognized as a person, an unborn child will continue to be the subject of a form of persecution that strips their life away before they were ever given the chance to live it.

This author initially became interested in immigration and refugee law while visiting Hope Community Center in Apopka, Florida, during the summer of 2009. I was enrolled in a social justice seminar that was discussing immigration reform. Hope Community Center is run by the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, a Roman Catholic religious order. In 2009, the Sisters were named Orange County’s Citizen’s of the Year for their work with the poor and migrant community in Central Florida. Their mission is to strengthen and support the working poor and immigrant communities of Central Florida through faith, advocacy, education, leadership and economic development programs. [2]

During my visit, I was able to meet with many immigrants who came to the United States to escape the horrible living conditions of their homeland in search of a better

Marietta, GA:  The New York Post recently reported that a man in Marietta was sentenced to life in prison after he confessed to killing his neighbor in 2008 with a knife and fork, puncturing her face, head and neck.  The violence was percipitated over a bad $100 check the man received for posing with another woman in pornographic photos.

The headline blared: “Keep the silverware well out of his reach.”

San Diego, CA: An off duty police officer just happened to be in line at the KFC when  Matthew Vough, 46, allegedly whipped out a chain, slammed it on the counter and