That's the answer to the question: "What has the state of Arkansas given to our great nation"? Truly.

Leprosy, the rare disfiguring skin disease that can lead to the sytematic loss of the nose and digits, has made an alarming appearance in Springdale, Arkansas. Nine cases have shown up among immigrants to Springdale from the Marshall Islands, where leprosy is not uncommon.

Dr. Jennifer Bingham, a local physician, is stressing the importance of early, as in immediate, stoppage of the spread of the disease. There is no vaccine and Leprosy is air born and can quickly spread. The Doctor has been quoted at KFSM TV:

Dr. Bingham is requesting the public take action, and write everyone from legislators, and presidential candidates, to Congress, and the Health Department. She says, "the only way to truly protect our community and our economic growth, is to think of this as a very important, panic-mode attempt to treat leprosy: before it gets out of hand."

The appearance of the rare disease in the American heartland has highlighted the necessity for stricter immigration policies relative to health and the spread of infectious diseases.

Image: Medieval illustration of Leper with bell. Lepers were sequestered or forced to ring a bell when they moved about in public. People could hear their approach and avoid contact with them.

Via Lucianne

Found this fact-filled piece from the Wall Street Journal at Lucianne. Naomi Shaefer Riley looks at Baptists on the left and the the New Baptist Covenant. The group is made up of liberal Baptists unhappy with their failure to attain transformative influence within the conservative Southern Baptist Conference. The break-out group met recently to do their thing.

Al Gore, the Global Warming Guru, was there giving his Chicken Little-the-sky-is-falling power point presentation, but with a new, religious spin. Quite a few other Baptist movers and shakers on the left attended, including Jimmy Carter, one of the group's founding members.

The author points out that, tellingly, most of the attendees were of a greyer, more seasoned variety. (Their younger Baptist downline tend to be more conservative than their liberal parents, and anti-abortion, to boot). The author points out that that particular demographic usually doesn't bode well for the heady spread of a movement.

Bill Clinton closed the conference, by the way, with a plea that conferees to respond to critics with a spirit of love. (Insert astonished spit take here). Folks, you just can't make this stuff up.

Image: Former President Bill Clinton responding to a perceived critic "with a spirit of love". (Click photo to access video of the conversation about the Nevada teachers' lawsuit to restrict caucus access).

Video.

The Anglican Archbishop with the owly eyebrows has shown a lack of owlish wisdom of late, alas. The churchman in question was none other than the Church of England's leader. Dr. Rowan Williams has recently advocated for the inevitability of Islamic Sharia in the UK and the flap arising therefrom has been instant and vociferous.

Dr. Rowan's position as reported at the BBC.
The Bishop of Hulme, the Right Reverend Stephen Lowe stands up for the Archbishop of Canterbury and calls the furor "shameful" reported at The Guardian.
Finally, a passel of the many churchmen and others who say Sharia in the UK would be "disastrous" reported at The Telegraph.

Don't miss a discussion of possible running mates for John McCain. (Our favorite, Michael Steele is mentioned and Gov. Palin of Alaska sounds like an excellent choice, as well). (There are two posts so far).

Secondly, scan down to the bottom for Bush Warmly Received at CPAC.

Image: Yup, that's Gov. Palin. On a scale of 1 to 10, an 11.