California prisons are embarking on a dangerous program of social engineering–as a result of a court ruling–that cells will not be segregated on the basis of race. Prisons are among the most violently racist places you can find in America, but the big brains behind the curtain hope to change that by mixing it up in the tiny cells prisoners share. Good luck.

San Quentin and 30 or so other state penal facilities are gearing up to carry out a federal court mediation agreement for integrating double cells and ending the use of race as the sole determining factor in making cell assignments.

Men in California’s prisons have long been segregated in cells to quell racial tensions. [...]

Lt. Rudy Luna, assistant to the warden at San Quentin, said there is some concern among prison officials about the change because much of the violence is already based around racial gangs.
[Prisons prepare to integrate cellmates, San Francisco Chronicle, May 27, 2008]

The policy is ill considered and likely to produce more prison violence. The guards have one of the toughest jobs on earth already, and this won’t help.

The article did have a fascinating statistic tucked in the lower paragraphs:

Among the state’s male inmates, about 28.9 percent are black, 39.3 percent are Latino, 25.9 percent are white, and 5.9 percent are classified as other, according to figures from the state Department of Corrections.

That’s California–always leading in diversity!

While Barr may be a backslider on mass immigration, he’s no John McCain.

“John McCain’s consistently weak position on illegal immigration and support for a ‘comprehensive reform’ is going to backfire with his Republican base in November,” stated Michael Erickson, chairman of Republicans for the National Interest. “There are indications of growing support among conservative voters for the [Libertarian] Bob Barr candidacy and even though we may not see eye to eye with Mr. Barr on every issue, his strong stance on immigration is going to be very popular.”

Mr. Erickson further noted Mr. McCain is scheduled to address the annual La Raza convention in July, making him the first Republican to do so. La Raza is a controversial Hispanic rights group criticized for its separationist sentiments and open border advocacy.[McCain, Conservatives Clash On Immigration Once Again, By Joe Murray, The Bulletin - Philadelphia's Family Newspaper, May 27, 2008]

Slate Media critic Jack Shafer says that the Wall Street Journal Editorial Report is “The worst show on a cable news network.” He has specifics about the style

Hosted by Wall Street Journal Editorial Page Editor Paul Gigot, the show draws its guest list almost exclusively from Gigot’s staff and contributors to his page, making each installment an extended exercise in groupthink. Dim groupthink. Dim groupthink punctuated with laughter and knowing nods.

and

I wish I could write that The Journal Editorial Report has gotten worse since I first reviewed it two years ago, but it hasn’t. Instead, it has preserved its 2006 badness as if it’s an archeological artifact. Gigot still serves mostly softballs to his staff and guests, and the show makes almost no news. As if to acknowledge the show’s ongoing badness, Fox still buries The Journal Editorial Report in the 11 p.m. Saturday time slot, when most of the nation’s televisions take their weekly nap.

But what I object to is that if I watched it, I see things like this:

PAUL GIGOT:Still ahead, federal officials say it was the largest raid in U.S. history and has put the issue of illegal immigration in the headlines once again. When we come back, is there a case to be made for open borders?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GIGOT: Nearly 400 suspected illegal immigrants were arrested this week in a raid on a meatpacking plant in Iowa. Federal officials say it was the largest operation of its kind in U.S. history.

Wall Street Journal editorial board member, Jason Riley, is author of the new book “Let Them In, A Case for Open Borders.”, He joins me now.

Jason, a lot of Americans will say, looking at a raid like this at a plant and finding 400 illegals, why should these people have a right to break the law and come and work in this country?

JASON RILEY, EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBER: I think the real lesson to take away from this is — well, there are a couple legislation ones. Do we want our homeland security resources be put to use this way? Is this the best most efficient use of them? [FOXNews.com - Transcript: 'The Journal Editorial Report,' May 17, 2008 - FOX Network The Journal Editorial Report]

In fact, many  people want to see homeland security resources used that way–just not the Wall Street Journal editorial board.

This is from Glenn Beck in 2006–I found it interesting that in referring to Eisenhower’s “Operation Wetback”, he felt he had to precede the reference with “Warning: Historically accurate but politically incorrect phrase about to be uttered.”