Articles Posted by Ralph E. Stone

I was born in Massachusetts; graduated from Middlebury College and Suffolk Law School; served as an officer in the Vietnam war; retired from the Federal Trade Commission (consumer and antitrust law); travel extensively with my wife Judi; and since retirement involved in domestic violence prevention and consumer issues.

  • Syria and Chemical Weapons of Mass Destruction

    by Ralph E. Stone on May 01, 2013 | 1 Comment

    Evidence of alleged sarin gas use has supposedly come from human tissue samples. A few dozen Syrians are said to have been killed. If true, did Assad forces or the opposition forces use these chemical weapons and why was only a small amount of sarin used?

    Posted in Crime, War

  • Tyranny of the Minority Sinks Meaningful Gun Control Legislation

    by Ralph E. Stone on Apr 20, 2013 | 4 Comments

    Failed gun control legislation has again fallen victim to the tyranny of the minority. Legislation strengthening background checks – supported by 90 percent of Americans – has been defeated in the U.S. Senate 54 to 46.

    Posted in Crime, Culture, Law, Opinion, Politics

  • Roe v. Wade: Still Controversial After 40 Years

    by Ralph E. Stone on Mar 27, 2013 | No Comments

    On January 22, 1973, the U.S. Supreme Court in Roe v. Wade legalized abortion. In the case, Jane Roe, a pseudonym for Norma Leah McCorvey brought a class action suit challenging the constitutionality of a Texas criminal abortion law…

    Posted in Healthcare, Human Interest, Opinion

  • The Tenth Anniversary of Rachel Corrie’s Death

    by Ralph E. Stone on Mar 17, 2013 | 2 Comments

    Rachel Corrie, a 22-year old peace activist from Washington State, was killed on March 16, 2003 by a Caterpillar bulldozer operated by the Israeli military while trying to stop a Palestinian family’s home from being destroyed. Israel has destroyed more than 24,000 Palestinian homes since 1967 and more than 1,500 orders exist for future demolitions in East Jerusalem alone.

    Posted in Land Use, Opinion, Politics

  • Time for a Reform-Minded Pope to Reform a Church in Tatters

    by Ralph E. Stone on Mar 12, 2013 | 4 Comments

    With the surprise announcement of Pope Benedict’s resignation and the present selection of a new pope, it is equally surprising that the mainstream media has not included a discussion of the widespread allegations of sexual child abuse by Catholic clergy or the coverup by church officials.

    Posted in Opinion, Religion

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    Time to Implement Laura’s Law

    by Ralph E. Stone on Feb 23, 2013 | 15 Comments

    AB 1569 was recently signed into law, which means authority in the Laura’s Law statute for a county to operate, establish or continue a program of Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT), has been extended until December 31, 2017.

    Posted in Crime, Healthcare, Law, Opinion, Politics

  • Obama: End CIA-Directed Drone Strikes Now

    by Ralph E. Stone on Feb 12, 2013 | 5 Comments

    Drone strikes have dramatically increased under the Obama administration. As of September 2012, Obama has authorized 238 drone strikes in Pakistan, six times more than during President George W. Bush’s eight years in office, resulting in between 1,494 and 2,618 estimated deaths with only about 13 percent of them of a militant leader.

    Posted in Opinion, Politics, Religion, Technology, War