The lit of the world

photo by David Guard/Stop the Drug War

Looks like Ken Starr, author of the titilating Starr Report, has gone all butch 'n' everything, apparently taking a page out of the Jack Abramoff sartorial playbook. Alas, Starr, even in his black hat -- which would look much more sexy on a hatstand, thinks your blogstress* -- can't hide his kill-joy spirit as he tries to vindicate, via the Supreme Court, the high-school principal who expelled a student for unfurling a banner that read, "Bong Hits 4 Jesus."

Mr. Starr appears to have missed the part of the New Testament known as the Semon on the Mount, wherein Jesus tells his followers:

"But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

Now, it's probably safe to assume that Mr. Starr regards the "Bong Hits 4 Jesus" kid as something of an enemy. And if he regards the "Bong Hits 4 Jesus" sign as something of a curse upon him, no less than Jesus himself has ordered Mr. Starr to bless the little stoner.

Some of the best coverage of this silly case has been by WashPost.com blogger Emil Steiner, who writes:

But is it just about "illegal substances" ("Guns, Cigarettes, and Doctor Prescribed Oxycontin 4 Jesus" would be okay?), or could this ruling allow schools to tear down any banners they simply don't like? And this is where the issue becomes slightly more bizarre. The New York Times reported yesterday that "organizations that litigate and speak on behalf of the religious right" (i.e., ones you'd expect to back Ken Starr) have thrown in a number of briefs on Fredrick's behalf. These groups even include Pat Robertson's American Center for Law and Justice, which "is dependent upon God and the resources He provides" to defend religious freedom. So what appeared at first to be a political slam dunk for social conservatives has now become something of an ideological key party, with the religious right jumping into bed with the ACLU and the National Coalition Against Censorship. I suppose all is fair in love and culture war.

For more photos of the players in this smoke-filled room (alas, for Ken Starr, no cigars at hand), go to StopTheDrugWar.org.

*Of course, your blogstress looks quite fetching in a man's black hat.