A U.S. court of appeals panel has said the U.S. government can use federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. The decision reverses a judge’s injunction last year, but does not end the original legal challenge.
For background, read Judge Stops Obama Funding of Embryo Destruction
UPDATE 7/28/11: Fight to protect unborn to march forward despite recent ruling favoring Obama embryo destruction
UPDATE 6/6/11: RINO IL Sen. Kirk to "lock in" Obama embryo destruction
UPDATE 3/20/12: Obama Administration OKs Aborted Baby Brain Experiments
-- From "Appeals court lifts ban on human stem cell funding" by Del Quentin Wilber, Washington Post 4/29/11
In a 2 to 1 decision, a panel of judges for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit lifted a preliminary injunction that had blocked such funding, sending the case back to a trial judge.
The appellate court decision centered on a 1996 law, called the Dickey-Wicker Amendment, that prohibits federal funding for “research in which a human embryo or embryos are destroyed, discarded, or knowingly subjected to risk or injury or death greater than that allowed for research on fetuses in utero.”
The issue of federal financing of stem cell research is a contentious one — pitting scientists who say that stem cells will lead to medical advances against opponents who say it is immoral to destroy human embryos to obtain stem cells.
On Friday, Obama administration officials hailed the decision.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Stem cell research: Court gives Obama a victory, but policy still on trial" By Warren Richey, Staff writer, Christian Science Monitor 4/29/11
At issue before the appeals court was whether US District Judge Royce Lamberth was correct in August when he ordered the government to stop funding embryonic stem cell research projects. His ruling had been stayed pending appeal, allowing research projects to continue.
Each administration dating to President Clinton has grappled with the ethical, legal, and public policy challenges of human embryonic stem cell research, as has Congress.
There are no legal restrictions banning the destruction of embryos in privately-funded stem cell research. But researchers complain that there are few sources of private funding.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Court lifts injunction on embryonic stem cell research funding" posted at CNA/EWTN News 4/30/11
The majority opinion . . . noted that Congress has re-enacted the 1996 [Dickey-Wicker] law year after year with the knowledge that the government has been funding embryonic stem cell research since 2001. They said this was evidence that Congress considers such funding permissible, the Associated Press reports.
[The lone dissenting] Judge Henderson thought that the lawsuit was likely to succeed. She argued her colleagues performed “linguistic jujitsu” by turning a straightforward case into a complicated 21-page ruling “that would make Rube Goldberg tip his hat.”
Two doctors who conduct research in adult stem cells [where no human life is destroyed], James Sherley of the Boston Biomedical Research Institute and Theresa Deisher of AVM Biotechnology, had challenged the legality of the funding. They also argued that the administration’s rules will result in increased competition for limited federal funding and will injure their ability to compete successfully for research money from the National Institutes of Health.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Also read Stem Cell Science Advances Without Embryos and see the list of related previous articles at the bottom of this posting.
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Obama's Czar: Gay Agenda Parallels Slavery
President Obama's "Safe Schools" Czar, Kevin Jennings (founder of the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network) gave Maryland high school students a Gay Agenda "history lesson" comparing discrimination against sexually deviant behavior to slavery and racial segregation, despite his lecture being billed as concerning bullying,
Parents were neither notified of the event, nor given any "opt out" alternative.
For background, read Gay Recruitment of Kids: Obama's Czar Legacy
-- From "After student's suicide: Anti-bullying workshop at Maryland high school" by Autria Godfre, WJLA-TV7 (ABC Arlington, VA) 4/28/11
A special assembly on bullying at Bethesda [Maryland] Chevy Chase High School is reminding students just how much weight their words can carry. The program comes as students remember classmate Aiden Rivera Schaeff, who committed suicide just one year ago.
Aiden entered the 9th grade as Caitlin, but soon began the transition to becoming a boy. His family said that he started taking hormones and dressing as a boy. He starting going by a boy’s name. One year ago Aiden committed suicide, just one month shy of his 18th birthday.
His former school is hoping to keep Aiden's story from being repeated. Kevin Jennings who heads up the safe and drug free school initiative for the obama administration, spoke at the event Thursday. Administrators hit a nerve with students who say Aiden's agony is still fresh.
Aiden’s [lesbian] mothers say they couldn't be happier the school is taking such a stance on the issue that took their son.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Safe Schools Czar Compares Anti-Gay Discrimination to Slavery and Racial Segregation" by Penny Starr, CNSNews.com 4/29/11
Jennings included many details about his personal life in his lecture and Power Point presentation, including his older brother’s interracial marriage and how his nephew followed in his father’s footsteps.
He then displayed a chart of U.S. presidents to show the students which men were in office when slavery was legal, which ones were president when segregation was legal, and that homosexuals have never had equality under any president, including Barack Obama.
Jennings then said that for most of U.S. history it would have been unthinkable and dangerous to consider a black man to run for president or for a white woman to marry a black man. Social and legal changes in favor of such actions have only happened "very, very, very recently," he said.
"The same thing has happened around gay and lesbian people in American history history," said Jennings, who then noted the pro-homosexual achievements of the last 35 years but also noted that legal and employment restrictions against homosexuals still exist in more than 30 states. "It is still legal in over 30 states to fire people from their jobs because they're gay and they have no legal protections against this," said Jennings.
"So, even under President Obama we have not reached a period where it is completely safe for a gay person to tell the truth about who they are and not fear that they might lose their job,” Jennings said.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Parents were neither notified of the event, nor given any "opt out" alternative.
For background, read Gay Recruitment of Kids: Obama's Czar Legacy
-- From "After student's suicide: Anti-bullying workshop at Maryland high school" by Autria Godfre, WJLA-TV7 (ABC Arlington, VA) 4/28/11
A special assembly on bullying at Bethesda [Maryland] Chevy Chase High School is reminding students just how much weight their words can carry. The program comes as students remember classmate Aiden Rivera Schaeff, who committed suicide just one year ago.
Aiden entered the 9th grade as Caitlin, but soon began the transition to becoming a boy. His family said that he started taking hormones and dressing as a boy. He starting going by a boy’s name. One year ago Aiden committed suicide, just one month shy of his 18th birthday.
His former school is hoping to keep Aiden's story from being repeated. Kevin Jennings who heads up the safe and drug free school initiative for the obama administration, spoke at the event Thursday. Administrators hit a nerve with students who say Aiden's agony is still fresh.
Aiden’s [lesbian] mothers say they couldn't be happier the school is taking such a stance on the issue that took their son.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Safe Schools Czar Compares Anti-Gay Discrimination to Slavery and Racial Segregation" by Penny Starr, CNSNews.com 4/29/11
Jennings included many details about his personal life in his lecture and Power Point presentation, including his older brother’s interracial marriage and how his nephew followed in his father’s footsteps.
He then displayed a chart of U.S. presidents to show the students which men were in office when slavery was legal, which ones were president when segregation was legal, and that homosexuals have never had equality under any president, including Barack Obama.
Jennings then said that for most of U.S. history it would have been unthinkable and dangerous to consider a black man to run for president or for a white woman to marry a black man. Social and legal changes in favor of such actions have only happened "very, very, very recently," he said.
"The same thing has happened around gay and lesbian people in American history history," said Jennings, who then noted the pro-homosexual achievements of the last 35 years but also noted that legal and employment restrictions against homosexuals still exist in more than 30 states. "It is still legal in over 30 states to fire people from their jobs because they're gay and they have no legal protections against this," said Jennings.
"So, even under President Obama we have not reached a period where it is completely safe for a gay person to tell the truth about who they are and not fear that they might lose their job,” Jennings said.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Sadomasochistic Exhibit Funded by Univ. of Chicago
The University of Chicago provided nearly $3,200 to a "kink" student group for a traveling sadomasochistic "leather library" exhibit at the University that eroticized pedophilia, incest, and the most deviant pornographic perversions known to mankind.“We had maybe one person who had some uptight body language about the material but nobody has said anything. We have a very supportive campus.”-- From "University of Chicago hosts traveling kink book exhibit" by Kara Spak, Chicago Sun-Times Staff Reporter 4/27/11
The world of kink and fetish again has found a home on a prestigious Chicago university campus.
The University of Chicago currently is hosting a traveling exhibit from the Carter-Johnson Leather Library, a collection of hundreds of books and magazines including “Macho Sluts,” a limited edition “The Spankers” by Duchess of Pain, “Run Little Leather Boy” and “Diapers,” a magazine with a cover featuring a grown man wearing a diaper, holding a stuffed panda and sucking on a bottle.
The university is the first college in the country to host the exhibit, which typically travels to leather and kink shows, said Vi Johnson, who developed the collection with her partner.
“When it travels to kink events, essentially we’re preaching to the choir,” Johnson said. “Being able to bring this display to a college campus, put a 300-year-old book in the hands of a 20-year-old and say ‘Here’s your history’ — it’s such a rush.”
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "University of Chicago Promotes S&M and Pedophilia to Students -- in Name of Diversity" posted at Christian Newswire 4/29/11
Americans For Truth about Homosexuality (AFTAH) sent a reporter Wednesday to the exhibit -- at the University's International House -- and came back with photos of the shockingly perverse offerings of the "Carter Johnson Leather Library," including:
• The lesbian porn book "Macho Sluts," by Pat Califia, which includes a story about a mother who engages in sadistic, violent "sex play" with her own 13-year-old daughter;Incredibly, the University of Chicago now officially sanctions a "student group" for sexual sadists: RACK (Risk-Aware Consensual Kink), through which the traveling "leather library" exhibit was funded. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, RACK "received nearly $3,200 in university grant money to bring the display to campus."
• "Gay" pornographic fiction books with pederastic themes, including one 1975 book, "Small Town Boy," about a 15-year-old boy who meets up with and is sodomized by an adult businessman visiting from New York City;
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Also read, Casual Sex Encouraged at Univ. of Chicago
Friday, April 29, 2011
States Will Defund Planned Parenthood
After Congress recently failed to strip the nation's largest abortion provider of all federal funding, Indiana, Kansas, North Carolina, New Hampshire and Texas legislatures hope to stop the money flow, but now all eyes are on Indiana's governor: Will he break his "truce" that the GOP should stop battling The Culture War.
For background, read GOP Rinos Fund Planned Parenthood and also read Pro-life Legislation Floods America
UPDATE 5/7/12: White House counters states' efforts - Obama demands Planned Parenthood be funded
UPDATE 4/25/12: Arizona defunds Planned Parenthood
UPDATE 12/17/11: Wisconsin Shifts Money Away from Planned Parenthood
UPDATE 8/20/11: Judge blocks North Carolina defunding of Planned Parenthood pending lawsuit
UPDATE 6/16/11: North Carolina votes to defund Planned Parenthood
UPDATE 6/13/11: Tennessee Planned Parenthood Abortion Biz Loses Tax Funding
UPDATE 5/25/11: Several states making progress
UPDATE 5/4/11: Indiana Squeezes Obama in Abortion Battle via Medicaid
UPDATE 5/17/11: Kansas Restricts Abortion, Defunds Planned Parenthood
UPDATE 4/29/11: Gov. will sign defunding bill
UPDATE 5/1/11: Planned Parenthood will sue to block law
-- From "Several States Take Up Fight Over Defunding Planned Parenthood" by Stephen Clark, FoxNews.com 4/28/11
Following a Senate vote earlier this month in Indiana, the House on Wednesday voted 66-32 to cut off $3 million in federal money the state distributes to the family planning group. The bill is now in Gov. Mitch Daniels' hands, and some say he risks losing $4 million in federal Medicaid money if he signs it into law, a claim that is in dispute. Planned Parenthood officials are urging Daniels to veto the bill or face a court challenge to the defunding.
In Kansas, Gov. Sam Brownback has proposed in his 2012 budget stripping Planned Parenthood of $300,000 in federal family planning funds and redirecting it to state and local health clinics. Lawmakers are expected to vote on the proposed budget in the coming weeks. If passed, it will take effect on July 1.
In North Carolina, the proposed state budget includes a ban on state contracts with Planned Parenthood for teen pregnancy prevention and family planning that would cause the organization to lose $473,000.
In New Hampshire, where Republicans took control of the Legislature in November, the House is considering a bill that would cut $700,000 in public money state sends to Planned Parenthood. The legislation bans all state contracts with any service provider that offers abortions.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Battle over Planned Parenthood heads to states, starting with Indiana" by Mark Guarino, staff writer, Christian Science Monitor 4/28/11
[Gov.] Daniels has not yet commented on whether or when he will sign the bill. However, regarding the presidential campaign, he has said he will announce his decision following the end of the legislative session, which is Friday.
Daniels is considered a moderate Republican who last summer told The Weekly Standard that the next president needs to declare “a truce on the so-called social issues” in favor of tackling America’s economic woes. During his two terms as governor, Daniels has preferred to focus on union issues, budgeting, and education.
According to state law, a veto from Daniels could be overridden by the state Senate, which is majority Republican. That could provide him the convenience of not bearing direct responsibility for the measure becoming law.
Indiana’s Planned Parenthood chapter says it will seek an injunction against the bill if it becomes law.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Rick Santorum to Mitch Daniels: Defund Planned Parenthood in Indiana" by Christine Delargy, CBS News 4/28/11
Former Sen. Rick Santorum, who has criticized Gov. Mitch Daniels for his call for a "truce" on social issues, is now calling on his potential 2012 rival to sign a controversial bill to cut $3 million in funding to Planned Parenthood in Indiana.
Santorum, who may face Daniels in a Republican presidential primary, reiterated his support for "strong families, strong marriages" and his opposition to concessions on social issues.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Also read Ignore Abortion & Gay Agenda, Says GOP Establishment & Media as well as Defund Abortionists, Say All Pres. Candidates
For background, read GOP Rinos Fund Planned Parenthood and also read Pro-life Legislation Floods America
UPDATE 5/7/12: White House counters states' efforts - Obama demands Planned Parenthood be funded
UPDATE 4/25/12: Arizona defunds Planned Parenthood
UPDATE 12/17/11: Wisconsin Shifts Money Away from Planned Parenthood
UPDATE 8/20/11: Judge blocks North Carolina defunding of Planned Parenthood pending lawsuit
UPDATE 6/16/11: North Carolina votes to defund Planned Parenthood
UPDATE 6/13/11: Tennessee Planned Parenthood Abortion Biz Loses Tax Funding
UPDATE 5/25/11: Several states making progress
UPDATE 5/4/11: Indiana Squeezes Obama in Abortion Battle via Medicaid
UPDATE 5/17/11: Kansas Restricts Abortion, Defunds Planned Parenthood
UPDATE 4/29/11: Gov. will sign defunding bill
UPDATE 5/1/11: Planned Parenthood will sue to block law
-- From "Several States Take Up Fight Over Defunding Planned Parenthood" by Stephen Clark, FoxNews.com 4/28/11
Following a Senate vote earlier this month in Indiana, the House on Wednesday voted 66-32 to cut off $3 million in federal money the state distributes to the family planning group. The bill is now in Gov. Mitch Daniels' hands, and some say he risks losing $4 million in federal Medicaid money if he signs it into law, a claim that is in dispute. Planned Parenthood officials are urging Daniels to veto the bill or face a court challenge to the defunding.
In Kansas, Gov. Sam Brownback has proposed in his 2012 budget stripping Planned Parenthood of $300,000 in federal family planning funds and redirecting it to state and local health clinics. Lawmakers are expected to vote on the proposed budget in the coming weeks. If passed, it will take effect on July 1.
In North Carolina, the proposed state budget includes a ban on state contracts with Planned Parenthood for teen pregnancy prevention and family planning that would cause the organization to lose $473,000.
In New Hampshire, where Republicans took control of the Legislature in November, the House is considering a bill that would cut $700,000 in public money state sends to Planned Parenthood. The legislation bans all state contracts with any service provider that offers abortions.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Battle over Planned Parenthood heads to states, starting with Indiana" by Mark Guarino, staff writer, Christian Science Monitor 4/28/11
[Gov.] Daniels has not yet commented on whether or when he will sign the bill. However, regarding the presidential campaign, he has said he will announce his decision following the end of the legislative session, which is Friday.
Daniels is considered a moderate Republican who last summer told The Weekly Standard that the next president needs to declare “a truce on the so-called social issues” in favor of tackling America’s economic woes. During his two terms as governor, Daniels has preferred to focus on union issues, budgeting, and education.
According to state law, a veto from Daniels could be overridden by the state Senate, which is majority Republican. That could provide him the convenience of not bearing direct responsibility for the measure becoming law.
Indiana’s Planned Parenthood chapter says it will seek an injunction against the bill if it becomes law.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Rick Santorum to Mitch Daniels: Defund Planned Parenthood in Indiana" by Christine Delargy, CBS News 4/28/11
Former Sen. Rick Santorum, who has criticized Gov. Mitch Daniels for his call for a "truce" on social issues, is now calling on his potential 2012 rival to sign a controversial bill to cut $3 million in funding to Planned Parenthood in Indiana.
Santorum, who may face Daniels in a Republican presidential primary, reiterated his support for "strong families, strong marriages" and his opposition to concessions on social issues.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Also read Ignore Abortion & Gay Agenda, Says GOP Establishment & Media as well as Defund Abortionists, Say All Pres. Candidates
Thursday, April 28, 2011
R.I. Punts Same-sex 'Marriage' to Civil Unions
The openly gay speaker of the Rhode Island House says the Legislature is not ready to pass a same-sex marriage bill and he now wants to legalize civil unions.
For background, read R.I. Same-sex 'Marriage' by Fiat - Ignore Voters
UPDATE 4/30/11: Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence urging lawmakers to reject civil unions
-- From "R.I. speaker gives up on same-sex marriage" by UPI 4/28/11
In a letter to lawmakers Wednesday, Gordon D. Fox, a Democrat, said he supports same-sex marriage and hopes it eventually will become legal in Rhode Island. He urged protesters at the statehouse demanding same-sex marriage to support his move.
Gov. Lincoln Chafee, an independent, said he was hoping to sign a same-sex marriage bill this year. But he agreed that legalizing civil unions would be a step in the right direction.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "RI Civil Union bill to be introduced Tuesday" by The Associated Press 4/28/11
A House spokesman said Thursday that lawmakers are reviewing civil union laws in other states to help them craft the proposal, which could be introduced Tuesday.
Groups that fought for gay marriage say they'll oppose any proposal that falls short of full marriage. Gay marriage opponents also oppose civil unions.
Rep. Frank Ferri, a Warwick Democrat who is gay, tells The Associated Press that he wants to see the bill's details before making up his
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
For background, read R.I. Same-sex 'Marriage' by Fiat - Ignore Voters
UPDATE 4/30/11: Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence urging lawmakers to reject civil unions
-- From "R.I. speaker gives up on same-sex marriage" by UPI 4/28/11
In a letter to lawmakers Wednesday, Gordon D. Fox, a Democrat, said he supports same-sex marriage and hopes it eventually will become legal in Rhode Island. He urged protesters at the statehouse demanding same-sex marriage to support his move.
Gov. Lincoln Chafee, an independent, said he was hoping to sign a same-sex marriage bill this year. But he agreed that legalizing civil unions would be a step in the right direction.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "RI Civil Union bill to be introduced Tuesday" by The Associated Press 4/28/11
A House spokesman said Thursday that lawmakers are reviewing civil union laws in other states to help them craft the proposal, which could be introduced Tuesday.
Groups that fought for gay marriage say they'll oppose any proposal that falls short of full marriage. Gay marriage opponents also oppose civil unions.
Rep. Frank Ferri, a Warwick Democrat who is gay, tells The Associated Press that he wants to see the bill's details before making up his
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Six Abortion Bills Pass Florida House
Amid passionate debate, some Florida Democrats supported Republicans as bills passed ranging from parental notification for abortion, to mothers viewing their child by ultrasound, and late-term abortion bans.
For background, read Tea Party Christians Dominate Florida, Target Abortion and also read Pro-life Legislation Floods America
UPDATE 8/1/11: Scott ceremonially signs four anti-abortion bills at governor’s mansion
UPDATE 6/24/11: Governor continues signing more bills
UPDATE 6/3/11: Gov. Rick Scott begins signing bills
-- From "House passes six abortion bills" by Dara Kam, Palm Beach Post 4/27/11
The chamber spent nearly five hours debating the measures that will require women to have an ultrasound before getting an abortion, make it more difficult for minor girls to get a judicial bypass for the procedure without parents’ consent, impose strict regulations on abortion clinics and ban some private insurers from providing abortion coverage.
“For many people this is a moral issue, this is a life and death issue,” said Rep. Dennis Baxley, R-Ocala, former executive director of the Florida Christian Coalition.
Republicans admitted the bills are aimed at reducing the number of abortions in Florida.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Abortion limits stir conflict among Democrats" by Janet Zink, Miami Herald/Times Tallahassee Bureau 4/27/11
. . . an argument between two Democrats created the most drama, with papers flying and a pen angrily tossed into a waste basket. The fireworks broke out when Rep. Daphne Campbell, D-Miami, quoted the Bible and said she planned to break ranks.
“Thou shall not kill,” Campbell told her colleagues before a vote on HB 1247, the parental notification bill. It passed 82-35.
“This is not a bill for Republicans or Democrats because it’s a Republican bill,” Campbell said during discussion of HJR 1179, which proposes a constitutional amendment to prohibit public funding of abortions. “This is Bible principles.”
Rep. Scott Randolph, a Democrat from Orlando who has been one of the most vocal opponents of the GOP abortion bills, was so upset with Campbell for siding with Republicans that he told her he’d get an opponent to unseat her in two years.
Campbell’s retort: “You have no right. God put me here.”
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Florida House Passes Mandatory Ultrasound, Other Pro-Life Bills" by Kevin Derby, Sunshine State News 4/28/11
The ultrasound measure, similar to the one that passed the Legislature last year but was vetoed by then-Gov. Charlie Crist, passed 81-37.
Legislators debated the measure, which was introduced by Rep. Elizabeth Porter, R-Lake City, for more than an hour and a half, clashing on medicine, the necessity of the legislation and over who would pay for the ultrasound.
“This is the only opportunity for the child to provide input,” insisted Rep. Mike Weinstein, R-Jacksonville, who pointed to the importance of ultrasounds in making mothers feel connected to their unborn children.
Democrats fired back, questioning the need for the bill when the economy continued to struggle and the budget remained incomplete.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
For background, read Tea Party Christians Dominate Florida, Target Abortion and also read Pro-life Legislation Floods America
UPDATE 8/1/11: Scott ceremonially signs four anti-abortion bills at governor’s mansion
UPDATE 6/24/11: Governor continues signing more bills
UPDATE 6/3/11: Gov. Rick Scott begins signing bills
-- From "House passes six abortion bills" by Dara Kam, Palm Beach Post 4/27/11
The chamber spent nearly five hours debating the measures that will require women to have an ultrasound before getting an abortion, make it more difficult for minor girls to get a judicial bypass for the procedure without parents’ consent, impose strict regulations on abortion clinics and ban some private insurers from providing abortion coverage.
“For many people this is a moral issue, this is a life and death issue,” said Rep. Dennis Baxley, R-Ocala, former executive director of the Florida Christian Coalition.
Republicans admitted the bills are aimed at reducing the number of abortions in Florida.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Abortion limits stir conflict among Democrats" by Janet Zink, Miami Herald/Times Tallahassee Bureau 4/27/11
. . . an argument between two Democrats created the most drama, with papers flying and a pen angrily tossed into a waste basket. The fireworks broke out when Rep. Daphne Campbell, D-Miami, quoted the Bible and said she planned to break ranks.
“Thou shall not kill,” Campbell told her colleagues before a vote on HB 1247, the parental notification bill. It passed 82-35.
“This is not a bill for Republicans or Democrats because it’s a Republican bill,” Campbell said during discussion of HJR 1179, which proposes a constitutional amendment to prohibit public funding of abortions. “This is Bible principles.”
Rep. Scott Randolph, a Democrat from Orlando who has been one of the most vocal opponents of the GOP abortion bills, was so upset with Campbell for siding with Republicans that he told her he’d get an opponent to unseat her in two years.
Campbell’s retort: “You have no right. God put me here.”
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Florida House Passes Mandatory Ultrasound, Other Pro-Life Bills" by Kevin Derby, Sunshine State News 4/28/11
The ultrasound measure, similar to the one that passed the Legislature last year but was vetoed by then-Gov. Charlie Crist, passed 81-37.
Legislators debated the measure, which was introduced by Rep. Elizabeth Porter, R-Lake City, for more than an hour and a half, clashing on medicine, the necessity of the legislation and over who would pay for the ultrasound.
“This is the only opportunity for the child to provide input,” insisted Rep. Mike Weinstein, R-Jacksonville, who pointed to the importance of ultrasounds in making mothers feel connected to their unborn children.
Democrats fired back, questioning the need for the bill when the economy continued to struggle and the budget remained incomplete.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Outlawing Teaching of Homosexuality in Tenn.
The Tennessee Senate will vote on the "Don’t Say Gay" bill that would outlaw "the teaching or furnishing of materials on human sexuality other than heterosexuality in public school grades K-8."
UPDATE 1/18/12: House takes up bill; expected to pass, but not soon
UPDATE 5/21/11: Senate OKs bill, but House won't act until next year
-- From "Tennessee Considers Banning Teaching Homosexuality in Elementary Schools" posted at FoxNews.com 4/26/11
Public school teachers in Tennessee could lose their tenure or their jobs for discussing homosexuality with their students under a new bill.
The author of the bill, state Sen. Stacey Campfield, has been trying to advance the bill for several years as member of the House. But he only got momentum when Republicans won control of the governor's mansion, House and Senate in November for the first time since the Civil War-era.
Campfield said his bill aims to stop gay-rights activists from pushing their agenda in the classroom. He cited children's programming that taught homosexuality and said "several" teachers have informed him that they're already teaching the material.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "'Don't Say Gay' Bill May Ban Tennessee Teachers From Discussing Homosexuality" by Kayla Webley, Time Magazine 4/25/11
The bill supporters, including sponsor Sen. Stacey Campfield, a Republican from Knoxville who unsuccessfully pushed the same bill in the House for six years before being elected to the Senate, say the bill is "neutral" and simply leaves it up to families to decide when it is an appropriate time to talk to their kids about sexuality.
But in only restricting speech about homosexuality, not heterosexuality, the measure seems to have a more one-sided agenda than the sponsor purports. That point has led gay-rights activists to call the bill a form of discrimination, especially as it bars teachers from talking about gay issues or sexuality even with students who identify as gay or have gay parents.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Talks on Homosexuality Not for Classroom, Says 'Don't Say Gay' Bill Author" by Lawrence D. Jones, Christian Post Reporter 4/27/11
Families, not schools, should decide when it is an appropriate time to discuss issues on sexuality, the Tennessee senator behind the "Don’t Say Gay" bill told CNN Tuesday.
The measure, SB49, is expected to head to the Tennessee Senate floor on Thursday. It was cleared by the Tennessee Senate Education Committee 6 to 3 last Wednesday. All the no votes came from Democrats.
His proposal would leave the handling of controversial topics in the hands of parents. According to the congressman, the bill is neutral and not discriminatory because it would prevent anyone with an agenda from speaking on homosexuality in the classroom, either for or against.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Click headlines below to read previous articles:
Homosexual Indoctrination Mandated for Schools
'Teaching Gay History' Law for California
Another Homosexual Training Law for Calif. Schools
Gay Recruitment of Kids: Obama's Czar Legacy
Supreme Court Allows Gay Agenda to Trump Parental Rights
UPDATE 1/18/12: House takes up bill; expected to pass, but not soon
UPDATE 5/21/11: Senate OKs bill, but House won't act until next year
-- From "Tennessee Considers Banning Teaching Homosexuality in Elementary Schools" posted at FoxNews.com 4/26/11
Public school teachers in Tennessee could lose their tenure or their jobs for discussing homosexuality with their students under a new bill.
The author of the bill, state Sen. Stacey Campfield, has been trying to advance the bill for several years as member of the House. But he only got momentum when Republicans won control of the governor's mansion, House and Senate in November for the first time since the Civil War-era.
Campfield said his bill aims to stop gay-rights activists from pushing their agenda in the classroom. He cited children's programming that taught homosexuality and said "several" teachers have informed him that they're already teaching the material.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "'Don't Say Gay' Bill May Ban Tennessee Teachers From Discussing Homosexuality" by Kayla Webley, Time Magazine 4/25/11
The bill supporters, including sponsor Sen. Stacey Campfield, a Republican from Knoxville who unsuccessfully pushed the same bill in the House for six years before being elected to the Senate, say the bill is "neutral" and simply leaves it up to families to decide when it is an appropriate time to talk to their kids about sexuality.
But in only restricting speech about homosexuality, not heterosexuality, the measure seems to have a more one-sided agenda than the sponsor purports. That point has led gay-rights activists to call the bill a form of discrimination, especially as it bars teachers from talking about gay issues or sexuality even with students who identify as gay or have gay parents.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Talks on Homosexuality Not for Classroom, Says 'Don't Say Gay' Bill Author" by Lawrence D. Jones, Christian Post Reporter 4/27/11
Families, not schools, should decide when it is an appropriate time to discuss issues on sexuality, the Tennessee senator behind the "Don’t Say Gay" bill told CNN Tuesday.
The measure, SB49, is expected to head to the Tennessee Senate floor on Thursday. It was cleared by the Tennessee Senate Education Committee 6 to 3 last Wednesday. All the no votes came from Democrats.
His proposal would leave the handling of controversial topics in the hands of parents. According to the congressman, the bill is neutral and not discriminatory because it would prevent anyone with an agenda from speaking on homosexuality in the classroom, either for or against.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Click headlines below to read previous articles:
Homosexual Indoctrination Mandated for Schools
'Teaching Gay History' Law for California
Another Homosexual Training Law for Calif. Schools
Gay Recruitment of Kids: Obama's Czar Legacy
Supreme Court Allows Gay Agenda to Trump Parental Rights
Liberalism Causes Poverty in America: Study
A new study showing that 1 in 4 American children are raised by a single parent, coupled with the well-known fact of higher poverty rates resulting from single parenthood, demonstrates that the liberals' destruction of the family unit through sexualization of children, no-fault divorce, same-sex 'marriage' and the it-takes-a-Village mentality is the root cause of poverty in America.
UPDATE 12/26/12: Violence & Poverty due to Absence of Intact Family
UPDATE 8/17/11: Child poverty rate climbs to 20%
UPDATE 5/31/11: Marriage culture key to economy, study says
-- From "25 Percent Of U.S. Children Raised By Single Parent" posted at KWTX-TV News 10 (Waco, TX) 4/27/11
One in four children in the U.S. is being raised by a single parent, which is higher than in other developed countries, a new report says.
Experts list a variety of factors to explain the high U.S. figure, including a cultural shift toward greater acceptance of single parent child rearing.
The report also found that single parents in the United States were more likely on average to be employed, but noted they also had higher rates of poverty.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "1 in 4 children in US raised by a single parent" by Christine Armario, Associated Press 4/27/11
The report noted that public spending on child welfare and education is higher in the U.S. than in other countries—$160,000 per child compared to $149,000. . . .
Childhood poverty rates in the U.S. are also expected to climb—23.5 percent from 20 percent. . . .
The single parent phenomenon has been occurring over recent decades. The study noted the U.S. and England have higher teenage birthrates than other countries, partially contributing to the higher single-parent numbers, though the proportion of children born outside marriage was not significantly higher than the other countries.
Christina Gibson Davis, a professor at Duke University's Sanford School of Public Police, said changing gender roles, the rise of contraception, high incarceration rates in some communities and an acceptance of having children out of wedlock have all contributed to the growing number.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
UPDATE 4/16/15: Decades of Income Inequality is due to Demise of Married-parent Families with Children, Study Shows
UPDATE 5/30/14: President Obama Replaces Fathers with Government Mentors
Click headlines below to read related articles:
Cohabitation Soars, Children Suffer: Study
Unwed Mothers in Poorer Health: Study
Marriage Essential for Children: Studies
Pro-family = Anti-poverty: Colorado State Rep.
Defeating Marriage & Destroying Family: Survey
White House Orders Redefinition of Family
Divorce Still Damaging to Children Despite Being More Acceptable
Marriage Obsolete: American Poll
Marriage Trend: Confined within Church
'Intact Family' Nearly Extinct among Blacks
Government Destines Black Children to Poverty
Fewer Get Married, but Stay Married: Census
UPDATE 6/14/13: Former Congressman Allen West asserts liberal government responsible for African-American broken families and unemployment
AGENDA: Grinding America Down (full movie on YouTube):
AGENDA: Grinding America Down (Full Movie) FREE to watch for a limited time (click here)! from Copybook Heading Productions LLC on Vimeo.
UPDATE 12/26/12: Violence & Poverty due to Absence of Intact Family
UPDATE 8/17/11: Child poverty rate climbs to 20%
UPDATE 5/31/11: Marriage culture key to economy, study says
-- From "25 Percent Of U.S. Children Raised By Single Parent" posted at KWTX-TV News 10 (Waco, TX) 4/27/11
One in four children in the U.S. is being raised by a single parent, which is higher than in other developed countries, a new report says.
Experts list a variety of factors to explain the high U.S. figure, including a cultural shift toward greater acceptance of single parent child rearing.
The report also found that single parents in the United States were more likely on average to be employed, but noted they also had higher rates of poverty.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "1 in 4 children in US raised by a single parent" by Christine Armario, Associated Press 4/27/11
The report noted that public spending on child welfare and education is higher in the U.S. than in other countries—$160,000 per child compared to $149,000. . . .
Childhood poverty rates in the U.S. are also expected to climb—23.5 percent from 20 percent. . . .
The single parent phenomenon has been occurring over recent decades. The study noted the U.S. and England have higher teenage birthrates than other countries, partially contributing to the higher single-parent numbers, though the proportion of children born outside marriage was not significantly higher than the other countries.
Christina Gibson Davis, a professor at Duke University's Sanford School of Public Police, said changing gender roles, the rise of contraception, high incarceration rates in some communities and an acceptance of having children out of wedlock have all contributed to the growing number.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
UPDATE 4/16/15: Decades of Income Inequality is due to Demise of Married-parent Families with Children, Study Shows
UPDATE 5/30/14: President Obama Replaces Fathers with Government Mentors
Click headlines below to read related articles:
Cohabitation Soars, Children Suffer: Study
Unwed Mothers in Poorer Health: Study
Marriage Essential for Children: Studies
Pro-family = Anti-poverty: Colorado State Rep.
Defeating Marriage & Destroying Family: Survey
White House Orders Redefinition of Family
Divorce Still Damaging to Children Despite Being More Acceptable
Marriage Obsolete: American Poll
Marriage Trend: Confined within Church
'Intact Family' Nearly Extinct among Blacks
Government Destines Black Children to Poverty
Fewer Get Married, but Stay Married: Census
UPDATE 6/14/13: Former Congressman Allen West asserts liberal government responsible for African-American broken families and unemployment
AGENDA: Grinding America Down (full movie on YouTube):
AGENDA: Grinding America Down (Full Movie) FREE to watch for a limited time (click here)! from Copybook Heading Productions LLC on Vimeo.
Calif. Pastor Arrested for Reading Bible in Public
Police arrested three men for "impeding an open business" when one man read Scripture aloud (unamplified) in the public parking lot, standing over 50 feet from the doors of the State DMV office.
UPDATE 7/5/12 Related Story: Phoenix Christian Jailed for Home Worship Gatherings
UPDATE 10/15/14: Houston Lesbian Mayor Subpoenas Opposition Pastors' Sermons
UPDATE 3/29/12 FOX News video:
UPDATE 4/30/11 (The Associated Press): Church is suing the California Highway Patrol
-- From "Assistant Pastor and Aides Arrested for Reading Bible Out Loud at CA DMV" by God Discussion Reporter 4/27/11
People standing in line on the morning of February 2 at the Hemet, California, Department of Motor Vehicles had no choice but to listen to a man from Calvary Chapel read the Bible.
A security guard asked Mark Mackey to stop. He refused to do so and was later arrested. After his arrest, the two men who had accompanied him, assistant pastor Brett Coronado and Ed Flores, were arrested for impeding business. Coronado and Flores reportedly did not read the Bible out loud.
According to their attorneys' press release, "The men believed that they had a First Amendment right to free speech as they were standing in a planter within the parking lot and were located on public property. Further, they were not interfering with any business of the DMV and were not yelling or disturbing the peace."
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Christian Arrested for Reading the Bible in Public -- Caught on Video" posted at Christian Newswire 4/26/11
. . . a California Highway Patrolman approached Mr. Mackey as he read, took the Bible out of his hands, and arrested him. As the CHP officer was arresting him and putting him in his patrol car, the two men who were with him -- Assistant Pastor of Calvary Chapel Hemet, Brett Coronado, and Ed Flores -- asked the officer, "What law was he breaking?" Instead of identifying a legal violation, the officer asked, "Were you preaching too?" After continuing to ask the officer for the legal violation, Pastor Coronado and Ed Flores were also arrested by another CHP officer who had come to the DMV and were also cited for "impeding an open business." Neither Pastor Coronado nor Mr. Flores ever read the Bible out loud anywhere on DMV premises.
The charge of "impeding an open business" was enacted in large part to protect businesses against protestors who block the doors of an open business. At the time of the arrest of these men, the DMV was closed, and they were standing at least fifty feet away from the entrance.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "3 men arrested for reading Bible" © 2011 WorldNetDaily 4/26/11
"Whether this was an intentional violation of our clients' constitutional liberty or whether this was an act of ignorance on the part of the CHP, this lawsuit is important in order to preserve the liberty to read the Bible aloud on public property without fear of criminal prosecution,” said Robert Tyler, general counsel for Advocates for Faith & Freedom.
The case notes that the officers told the three men they were not allowed to preach to a "captive audience," and warned them against "trespassing" on public property.
"Plaintiffs' presence and Bible reading on the sidewalk and in the parking lot were not activities that were incompatible with the normal business activities of the DMV, particularly at an hour before the DMV opened for business," it explains.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Also read Calif. Pastor Wins Free Speech Lawsuit for Witnessing in Mall
UPDATE 7/5/12 Related Story: Phoenix Christian Jailed for Home Worship Gatherings
UPDATE 10/15/14: Houston Lesbian Mayor Subpoenas Opposition Pastors' Sermons
UPDATE 3/29/12 FOX News video:
UPDATE 4/30/11 (The Associated Press): Church is suing the California Highway Patrol
-- From "Assistant Pastor and Aides Arrested for Reading Bible Out Loud at CA DMV" by God Discussion Reporter 4/27/11
People standing in line on the morning of February 2 at the Hemet, California, Department of Motor Vehicles had no choice but to listen to a man from Calvary Chapel read the Bible.
A security guard asked Mark Mackey to stop. He refused to do so and was later arrested. After his arrest, the two men who had accompanied him, assistant pastor Brett Coronado and Ed Flores, were arrested for impeding business. Coronado and Flores reportedly did not read the Bible out loud.
According to their attorneys' press release, "The men believed that they had a First Amendment right to free speech as they were standing in a planter within the parking lot and were located on public property. Further, they were not interfering with any business of the DMV and were not yelling or disturbing the peace."
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Christian Arrested for Reading the Bible in Public -- Caught on Video" posted at Christian Newswire 4/26/11
. . . a California Highway Patrolman approached Mr. Mackey as he read, took the Bible out of his hands, and arrested him. As the CHP officer was arresting him and putting him in his patrol car, the two men who were with him -- Assistant Pastor of Calvary Chapel Hemet, Brett Coronado, and Ed Flores -- asked the officer, "What law was he breaking?" Instead of identifying a legal violation, the officer asked, "Were you preaching too?" After continuing to ask the officer for the legal violation, Pastor Coronado and Ed Flores were also arrested by another CHP officer who had come to the DMV and were also cited for "impeding an open business." Neither Pastor Coronado nor Mr. Flores ever read the Bible out loud anywhere on DMV premises.
The charge of "impeding an open business" was enacted in large part to protect businesses against protestors who block the doors of an open business. At the time of the arrest of these men, the DMV was closed, and they were standing at least fifty feet away from the entrance.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "3 men arrested for reading Bible" © 2011 WorldNetDaily 4/26/11
"Whether this was an intentional violation of our clients' constitutional liberty or whether this was an act of ignorance on the part of the CHP, this lawsuit is important in order to preserve the liberty to read the Bible aloud on public property without fear of criminal prosecution,” said Robert Tyler, general counsel for Advocates for Faith & Freedom.
The case notes that the officers told the three men they were not allowed to preach to a "captive audience," and warned them against "trespassing" on public property.
"Plaintiffs' presence and Bible reading on the sidewalk and in the parking lot were not activities that were incompatible with the normal business activities of the DMV, particularly at an hour before the DMV opened for business," it explains.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Also read Calif. Pastor Wins Free Speech Lawsuit for Witnessing in Mall
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Calif. Same-sex 'Marriage' Ruling Biased
Attorneys standing up for Californians who voted for marriage (Prop 8) in 2008, have filed a court motion asking the ruling by the homosexual judge against marriage be over-ruled.
For background, read Homosexual Judge Rules for Same-sex 'Marriage' in California and also read Homosexual Judge Says Children Don't Need Parents
UPDATE 2/7/12: U.S. Court of Appeals for 9th Circuit upholds biased ruling saying citizens can't define marriage as one-man-one-woman; appeal to Supreme Court inevitable
UPDATE 6/27/11: Prop 8 backers appeal ruling favoring homosexual judge
UPDATE 6/14/11: "Gay Judge" ruling upheld by successor Chief U.S. District Judge James Ware
-- From "Proposition 8 backers: Gay judge's ruling should be thrown out" by Ashley Hayes, CNN 4/26/11
Supporters of Proposition 8, California's voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage, are asking that a judge's injunction barring the measure's enforcement be thrown out because the judge failed to disclose his involvement in a long-term same-sex relationship.
In August, then-U.S. Chief Judge Vaughn Walker ruled the measure violates the Constitution's equal protection clause. "Proposition 8 does nothing more than enshrine in the California Constitution the notion that opposite-sex couples are superior to same-sex couples," Walker wrote in his 136-page opinion.
But on April 6, Walker ended months of speculation by publicly disclosing "that he is gay and that he has been in a committed relationship for more than 10 years," said a motion filed Monday by Proposition 8 backers. In previous press reports, according to the motion, Walker refused comment on his sexual orientation.
While the press reports do not address the question of whether Walker and his partner have any interest in marrying, the motion said, Walker should have either recused himself from the case or disclosed his sexual orientation "so that the parties could consider and decide, before the case proceeded further, whether to request his recusal."
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Prop. 8 backers: Walker shouldn't have judged case" by Bob Egelko, San Francisco Chronicle Staff Writer
"No man can be a judge in his own case," said Charles Cooper, lawyer for the opponents of same-sex marriage. Because Walker has never disavowed the possibility that he will marry his partner, he had a "clear and direct stake in the outcome" of his own ruling, Cooper said.
He asked the San Francisco district's new chief judge, James Ware, who has inherited Walker's cases, to set aside the Aug. 4 decision declaring Prop. 8 unconstitutional. Cooper's clients, a religious coalition called Protect Marriage, are also appealing the ruling to the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
The Chronicle first disclosed Walker's sexual orientation during the trial, a fact he had neither discussed publicly nor tried to conceal. The 67-year-old judge retired from the bench in February, then met with reporters April 6 and discussed the case and his longtime partner.
Walker said he considered his sexual orientation irrelevant to the case and noted that neither side had asked him to step down after The Chronicle's article appeared.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Gay-marriage foes: Judge was biased" by Jennifer Epstein, Politico 4/26/11
“The American people have a right to a fair judicial process, free from even the appearance of bias or prejudice,” Andrew Pugno, general counsel for Protect Marriage, said in a statement. “Judge Walker’s ten-year-long same-sex relationship creates the unavoidable impression that he was not the impartial judge the law requires. He was obligated to either recuse himself or provide full disclosure of this relationship at the outset of the case. These circumstances demand setting aside his decision.”
Protect Marriage is leading the charge on defending Prop. 8 because former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) and current Gov. Jerry Brown (D) both oppose it, and have refused to permit the state’s attorneys to defend it.
Protect Marriage had already appealed Walker’s ruling to the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, which has, in turn, asked the California Supreme Court to decide whether the group has the legal standing to defend ballot measures in court. The state high court’s ruling is expected this year.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Also read California Homosexualists Fear Public Opinion
For background, read Homosexual Judge Rules for Same-sex 'Marriage' in California and also read Homosexual Judge Says Children Don't Need Parents
UPDATE 2/7/12: U.S. Court of Appeals for 9th Circuit upholds biased ruling saying citizens can't define marriage as one-man-one-woman; appeal to Supreme Court inevitable
UPDATE 6/27/11: Prop 8 backers appeal ruling favoring homosexual judge
UPDATE 6/14/11: "Gay Judge" ruling upheld by successor Chief U.S. District Judge James Ware
-- From "Proposition 8 backers: Gay judge's ruling should be thrown out" by Ashley Hayes, CNN 4/26/11
Supporters of Proposition 8, California's voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage, are asking that a judge's injunction barring the measure's enforcement be thrown out because the judge failed to disclose his involvement in a long-term same-sex relationship.
In August, then-U.S. Chief Judge Vaughn Walker ruled the measure violates the Constitution's equal protection clause. "Proposition 8 does nothing more than enshrine in the California Constitution the notion that opposite-sex couples are superior to same-sex couples," Walker wrote in his 136-page opinion.
But on April 6, Walker ended months of speculation by publicly disclosing "that he is gay and that he has been in a committed relationship for more than 10 years," said a motion filed Monday by Proposition 8 backers. In previous press reports, according to the motion, Walker refused comment on his sexual orientation.
While the press reports do not address the question of whether Walker and his partner have any interest in marrying, the motion said, Walker should have either recused himself from the case or disclosed his sexual orientation "so that the parties could consider and decide, before the case proceeded further, whether to request his recusal."
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Prop. 8 backers: Walker shouldn't have judged case" by Bob Egelko, San Francisco Chronicle Staff Writer
"No man can be a judge in his own case," said Charles Cooper, lawyer for the opponents of same-sex marriage. Because Walker has never disavowed the possibility that he will marry his partner, he had a "clear and direct stake in the outcome" of his own ruling, Cooper said.
He asked the San Francisco district's new chief judge, James Ware, who has inherited Walker's cases, to set aside the Aug. 4 decision declaring Prop. 8 unconstitutional. Cooper's clients, a religious coalition called Protect Marriage, are also appealing the ruling to the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
The Chronicle first disclosed Walker's sexual orientation during the trial, a fact he had neither discussed publicly nor tried to conceal. The 67-year-old judge retired from the bench in February, then met with reporters April 6 and discussed the case and his longtime partner.
Walker said he considered his sexual orientation irrelevant to the case and noted that neither side had asked him to step down after The Chronicle's article appeared.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Gay-marriage foes: Judge was biased" by Jennifer Epstein, Politico 4/26/11
“The American people have a right to a fair judicial process, free from even the appearance of bias or prejudice,” Andrew Pugno, general counsel for Protect Marriage, said in a statement. “Judge Walker’s ten-year-long same-sex relationship creates the unavoidable impression that he was not the impartial judge the law requires. He was obligated to either recuse himself or provide full disclosure of this relationship at the outset of the case. These circumstances demand setting aside his decision.”
Protect Marriage is leading the charge on defending Prop. 8 because former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) and current Gov. Jerry Brown (D) both oppose it, and have refused to permit the state’s attorneys to defend it.
Protect Marriage had already appealed Walker’s ruling to the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, which has, in turn, asked the California Supreme Court to decide whether the group has the legal standing to defend ballot measures in court. The state high court’s ruling is expected this year.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Also read California Homosexualists Fear Public Opinion
Rev. Graham Talks Jesus, Obama Talks Graham
In Easter Sunday morning's interview, ABC News gave Rev. Franklin Graham the opportunity to give a remarkable Christian witness, but the White House focused on Rev. Graham's suggestion that Obama provide America with his birth records.
UPDATE 4/26/11 Franklin Graham amplifies ABC interview on FOX News:
UPDATE 2/29/12: Graham apologizes for implying that he can't discern if Obama is a Christian
-- From "'This Week' Transcript: God and Government" ABC News 4/24/11
ABC NEWS CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR: What's the word that you most dearly associate with Easter? Is it sacrifice, is it love? What is it?
REV. FRANKLIN GRAHAM: It's all of that. It's God's love, it's the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for me. When I look at Easter, I look at my sins and realize that Jesus Christ paid my debt in full when he died on that cross, he died for me, he died for you, Christiane
AMANPOUR: you have also said that we live in the time of the anti-Christ.
GRAHAM: Yes.
AMANPOUR: How do you reconcile those two?
GRAHAM: I look at the world in which we live today, and the secularism is anti-Christ. It's every bit anti-Christ. We can't talk about Jesus in our schools. God has been kicked out of our government. Whether it's Europe or whether it's here, yes. The spirit of anti-Christ is in the world today.
AMANPOUR: So, describe what sort of era we are, Biblically right now, in terms of a second coming, in terms of a change.
GRAHAM: Well, I believe we're -- no question, I believe we are in the latter days of this age. When I say "latter days," could it be the last hundred years or the last thousand years or the last six months, I don't know. But the Bible, the things that the Bible predicts, earthquakes and famines, nation rising against nation, we see this happening with more frequency and more intensity. But there's other things. When the anti-Christ comes, we talk about the number of the anti-Christ, that he'll have an economic mark that will be on your forehand -- or, on your right hand or your forehead. And that economic mark, you can't buy, sell, or trade unless you have that number.
AMANPOUR: And you believe in that? [She asked with amazement on her face]
GRAHAM: I believe the Bible, Christiane, from cover to cover. Absolutely word-for-word. I believe the Bible.
To read the entire transcript above, CLICK HERE.
Read related article Obamas' Rare Church Attendance is Easter
From "Obama spokesman fires back at Franklin Graham" by Richard Wolf, USA TODAY 4/26/11
Graham, who 10 years ago delivered the opening prayer at the first inauguration of George W. Bush, told ABC's This Week with Christiane Amanpour Sunday that Obama "has some issues to deal with" when it comes to proving his nationality.
"He can solve this whole birth certificate issue pretty quickly," the son of the Rev. Billy Graham said. "I was born in a hospital in Asheville, N.C., and I know that my records are there. You can probably even go and find out what room my mother was in when I was born. I don't know why he can't produce that."
In the last question tossed at him during Monday's White House briefing, [White House spokeman Jay] Carney was asked to comment on Graham's musings, as well as his recent allegation that the Muslim Brotherhood had infiltrated the Obama administration.
"I think it's unfortunate that a religious leader would choose Easter Sunday to make preposterous charges," Carney said. "And I'll leave it at that."
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "White House: Franklin Graham Made 'Preposterous' Charges Against Obama" by Ethan Cole, Christian Post Reporter 4/26/11
The eldest son of renowned evangelist Billy Graham, who was often affectionately called the pastor to presidents, also seemed to question Obama’s definition of Christian when he was asked if he believes Obama is a Christian or Muslim. Graham said that Obama has told him he is a Christian, but the evangelical leader said the debate is how does Obama define Christian.
“For him, going to church means he’s a Christian. For me, the definition of a Christian is whether we have given our life to Christ and are following him in faith, and we have trusted him as our Lord and Savior,” said the BGEA president. “That’s the definition of a Christian; it’s not as to what church you’re a member of. A membership doesn’t make you a Christian.”
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
UPDATE 4/26/11 Franklin Graham amplifies ABC interview on FOX News:
UPDATE 2/29/12: Graham apologizes for implying that he can't discern if Obama is a Christian
-- From "'This Week' Transcript: God and Government" ABC News 4/24/11
ABC NEWS CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR: What's the word that you most dearly associate with Easter? Is it sacrifice, is it love? What is it?
REV. FRANKLIN GRAHAM: It's all of that. It's God's love, it's the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for me. When I look at Easter, I look at my sins and realize that Jesus Christ paid my debt in full when he died on that cross, he died for me, he died for you, Christiane
AMANPOUR: you have also said that we live in the time of the anti-Christ.
GRAHAM: Yes.
AMANPOUR: How do you reconcile those two?
GRAHAM: I look at the world in which we live today, and the secularism is anti-Christ. It's every bit anti-Christ. We can't talk about Jesus in our schools. God has been kicked out of our government. Whether it's Europe or whether it's here, yes. The spirit of anti-Christ is in the world today.
AMANPOUR: So, describe what sort of era we are, Biblically right now, in terms of a second coming, in terms of a change.
GRAHAM: Well, I believe we're -- no question, I believe we are in the latter days of this age. When I say "latter days," could it be the last hundred years or the last thousand years or the last six months, I don't know. But the Bible, the things that the Bible predicts, earthquakes and famines, nation rising against nation, we see this happening with more frequency and more intensity. But there's other things. When the anti-Christ comes, we talk about the number of the anti-Christ, that he'll have an economic mark that will be on your forehand -- or, on your right hand or your forehead. And that economic mark, you can't buy, sell, or trade unless you have that number.
AMANPOUR: And you believe in that? [She asked with amazement on her face]
GRAHAM: I believe the Bible, Christiane, from cover to cover. Absolutely word-for-word. I believe the Bible.
To read the entire transcript above, CLICK HERE.
Read related article Obamas' Rare Church Attendance is Easter
From "Obama spokesman fires back at Franklin Graham" by Richard Wolf, USA TODAY 4/26/11
Graham, who 10 years ago delivered the opening prayer at the first inauguration of George W. Bush, told ABC's This Week with Christiane Amanpour Sunday that Obama "has some issues to deal with" when it comes to proving his nationality.
"He can solve this whole birth certificate issue pretty quickly," the son of the Rev. Billy Graham said. "I was born in a hospital in Asheville, N.C., and I know that my records are there. You can probably even go and find out what room my mother was in when I was born. I don't know why he can't produce that."
In the last question tossed at him during Monday's White House briefing, [White House spokeman Jay] Carney was asked to comment on Graham's musings, as well as his recent allegation that the Muslim Brotherhood had infiltrated the Obama administration.
"I think it's unfortunate that a religious leader would choose Easter Sunday to make preposterous charges," Carney said. "And I'll leave it at that."
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "White House: Franklin Graham Made 'Preposterous' Charges Against Obama" by Ethan Cole, Christian Post Reporter 4/26/11
The eldest son of renowned evangelist Billy Graham, who was often affectionately called the pastor to presidents, also seemed to question Obama’s definition of Christian when he was asked if he believes Obama is a Christian or Muslim. Graham said that Obama has told him he is a Christian, but the evangelical leader said the debate is how does Obama define Christian.
“For him, going to church means he’s a Christian. For me, the definition of a Christian is whether we have given our life to Christ and are following him in faith, and we have trusted him as our Lord and Savior,” said the BGEA president. “That’s the definition of a Christian; it’s not as to what church you’re a member of. A membership doesn’t make you a Christian.”
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Free Porn is the Law, Say NYC Librarians
Computer users at New York City libraries are welcome to look at hard core pornography because it's their first amendment right; over time, porn will be the only purpose for the computers, as non-porn-viewing patrons shun the proximity of the smut.
-- From "City libraries say 'checking out' porn protected by First Amendment" by Douglas Montero and Bob Fredericks, New York Post 4/25/11
The electronic smut falls under the heading of free speech and the protection of the First Amendment, library officials say.
"Customers can watch whatever they want on the computer," said Brooklyn Public Library spokeswoman Malika Granville, describing the anything-goes philosophy that's the rule at the city's 200-plus branches.
Library patron Daisy Nazario, 60, said she was grossed out when she discovered she was sitting next to an elderly porn watcher in the Brooklyn Central Library recently.
"It is very disrespectful to the children."
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
-- From "City libraries say 'checking out' porn protected by First Amendment" by Douglas Montero and Bob Fredericks, New York Post 4/25/11
The electronic smut falls under the heading of free speech and the protection of the First Amendment, library officials say.
"Customers can watch whatever they want on the computer," said Brooklyn Public Library spokeswoman Malika Granville, describing the anything-goes philosophy that's the rule at the city's 200-plus branches.
Library patron Daisy Nazario, 60, said she was grossed out when she discovered she was sitting next to an elderly porn watcher in the Brooklyn Central Library recently.
"It is very disrespectful to the children."
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
Dead Fetus Found, Police Say it's 'No Crime'
A dog-walking pedestrian passing an abortion clinic was stunned when the dog found a fetus in the parking lot. When notified, the police said that it's no crime to discard abortion remains, even though the abortionist is otherwise under investigation.
UPDATE 6/13/11: Second abortion clinic illegally dumps aborted babies in dumpsters
-- From "Human Fetus Found In Central El Paso Parking Lot" by KVIA-TV7 (El Paso, TX) 4/22/11
El Paso Police were called to Hillside Family Planning Clinic around 11:45 a.m. Friday on a report of human remains found.
Officers were given a black plastic bag containing a human fetus between nine to 12 weeks old. According to citizens who were gathered peacefully outside the clinic to protest against it, a passer-by found the remains.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Fetus found in bag near West Side abortion clinic" By Daniel Borunda, El Paso Times 4/23/11
Police officials determined that no crime had been committed, but pro-life activists were appalled after the trash bag with dime-sized limbs was apparently found outside the Hill Top Women's Reproductive Clinic, 300 E. Schuster.
"The medical examiner and the Crimes Against Persons (unit) made the determination it was not a crime," said Detective Mike Baranyay, a police spokes man. The fetus was 9 to 12 weeks old, police said.
Detectives and the medical examiner staff went to the scene but have not confirmed whether the fetus came from the clinic or elsewhere. "We do not know the origin of the fetus," Baranyay said.
Baranyay said the proper disposal of human tissue was a health department matter, not a police matter.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Abortion Practitioner Under Probe Where Aborted Baby Found" by Steven Ertelt, LifeNews.com 4/25/11
The facility is one of the abortion businesses operated by abortion practitioner Franz Theard, who is currently under investigation by the state medical board for numerous violations after an Operation Rescue investigation employing undercover phone calls showed him willing to violate Texas’ abortion laws.
The remains of the aborted baby, including discernible arms and hands, feet and legs, were discovered on Friday by the abortion clinic’s neighbor after his dog began to root in the trash near the Hilltop abortion center’s dumpster. He bagged the remains and later gave them to sidewalk Counselor Gaby Federico, of the pro-life group Live Action.
“We will be contacting the Texas Medical Board to inform them of this obvious case of illegal dumping of human remains,” said [Operation Rescue president Troy] Newman. “They can add this incident to their ongoing investigation.”
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
UPDATE 6/13/11: Second abortion clinic illegally dumps aborted babies in dumpsters
-- From "Human Fetus Found In Central El Paso Parking Lot" by KVIA-TV7 (El Paso, TX) 4/22/11
El Paso Police were called to Hillside Family Planning Clinic around 11:45 a.m. Friday on a report of human remains found.
Officers were given a black plastic bag containing a human fetus between nine to 12 weeks old. According to citizens who were gathered peacefully outside the clinic to protest against it, a passer-by found the remains.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Fetus found in bag near West Side abortion clinic" By Daniel Borunda, El Paso Times 4/23/11
Police officials determined that no crime had been committed, but pro-life activists were appalled after the trash bag with dime-sized limbs was apparently found outside the Hill Top Women's Reproductive Clinic, 300 E. Schuster.
"The medical examiner and the Crimes Against Persons (unit) made the determination it was not a crime," said Detective Mike Baranyay, a police spokes man. The fetus was 9 to 12 weeks old, police said.
Detectives and the medical examiner staff went to the scene but have not confirmed whether the fetus came from the clinic or elsewhere. "We do not know the origin of the fetus," Baranyay said.
Baranyay said the proper disposal of human tissue was a health department matter, not a police matter.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Abortion Practitioner Under Probe Where Aborted Baby Found" by Steven Ertelt, LifeNews.com 4/25/11
The facility is one of the abortion businesses operated by abortion practitioner Franz Theard, who is currently under investigation by the state medical board for numerous violations after an Operation Rescue investigation employing undercover phone calls showed him willing to violate Texas’ abortion laws.
The remains of the aborted baby, including discernible arms and hands, feet and legs, were discovered on Friday by the abortion clinic’s neighbor after his dog began to root in the trash near the Hilltop abortion center’s dumpster. He bagged the remains and later gave them to sidewalk Counselor Gaby Federico, of the pro-life group Live Action.
“We will be contacting the Texas Medical Board to inform them of this obvious case of illegal dumping of human remains,” said [Operation Rescue president Troy] Newman. “They can add this incident to their ongoing investigation.”
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Accolades to Sex Professor in Maryland
At a conference last year, she presented a paper called “Gender stereotypes at crotch level: Cultural discourses about genitalia.” For a recent campus performance of “The Vagina Monologues,” [the professor] portrayed a dominatrix obsessed with the different ways women moan during sex.
-- From "For Maryland professor of the year, human sexuality courses engage beyond books" by Daniel de Vise, Washington Post 4/21/11
Students walked into Deborah Stearns’s classroom at Montgomery College . . . They were in for an engaging afternoon. Stearns, 43, earned the honor Maryland Professor of the Year in November for a distinctive brand of teaching, alternately rigorous, inspirational and playful. And this was her signature course: human sexuality.
Some of her early scholarship dealt with morality and the balance of power in relationships, particularly among same-sex couples. In recent years, Stearns has ventured into the cultural trappings of human sexuality.
In her human sexuality class on a recent day, Stearns led a lengthy discussion of sex acts, gathering opinion on the boundaries between healthy and unhealthy, normal and abnormal. She said her students are often surprised, even liberated, to learn their wildest bedroom proclivities are not really that unusual.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
-- From "For Maryland professor of the year, human sexuality courses engage beyond books" by Daniel de Vise, Washington Post 4/21/11
Students walked into Deborah Stearns’s classroom at Montgomery College . . . They were in for an engaging afternoon. Stearns, 43, earned the honor Maryland Professor of the Year in November for a distinctive brand of teaching, alternately rigorous, inspirational and playful. And this was her signature course: human sexuality.
Some of her early scholarship dealt with morality and the balance of power in relationships, particularly among same-sex couples. In recent years, Stearns has ventured into the cultural trappings of human sexuality.
In her human sexuality class on a recent day, Stearns led a lengthy discussion of sex acts, gathering opinion on the boundaries between healthy and unhealthy, normal and abnormal. She said her students are often surprised, even liberated, to learn their wildest bedroom proclivities are not really that unusual.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
Liberals, Abortionists Watch America Go Right
They thought the conservative sweep of the 2010 elections was confined to fiscal issues, but now liberals observe that electing Christians brings multi-dimensional priorities.
For background, read Proved: Tea Party Movement is Christian and also read Pro-life Legislation Floods America
-- From "GOP uses majorities for social legislation" by Lois Romano, Washington Post 4/24/11
As state legislatures adjourn over the coming weeks, new Republican majorities backed by GOP governors are leaving their mark in a wave of legislation that reaches far beyond the economic issues that dominated the midterm elections last fall.
The measures are among the thousands of bills proposed as newly empowered GOP state [h]ouses take advantage of their first opportunity in decades to have such a broad impact on policy. Twenty legislative bodies across the country flipped from Democratic to Republican control, and the party picked up governorships in 10 states.
Liberals have criticized the focus on conservative social plans.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Republican gains in legislatures tug nation to the right" by Ann Sanner and Calvin Woodward, The Associated Press 4/23/11
A tug to the right was in the cards ever since voters put the GOP in charge of 25 legislatures and 29 governors’ offices in the 2010 elections. That is turning out to be every bit as key to shaping the nation’s ideological direction as anything happening in Washington.
Conservatives welcome the pace and breadth of it all. “When you have one side that’s been put out in the legislative wilderness, there’s a lot of pent-up ideas that are going to move quickly,” said Dallas Woodhouse, director of Americans for Prosperity in North Carolina.
So is a conservative tide sweeping the nation?
If Republicans are overreaching, it’s also true that voters did not elect them to govern like Democrats.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
For background, read Proved: Tea Party Movement is Christian and also read Pro-life Legislation Floods America
-- From "GOP uses majorities for social legislation" by Lois Romano, Washington Post 4/24/11
As state legislatures adjourn over the coming weeks, new Republican majorities backed by GOP governors are leaving their mark in a wave of legislation that reaches far beyond the economic issues that dominated the midterm elections last fall.
The measures are among the thousands of bills proposed as newly empowered GOP state [h]ouses take advantage of their first opportunity in decades to have such a broad impact on policy. Twenty legislative bodies across the country flipped from Democratic to Republican control, and the party picked up governorships in 10 states.
Liberals have criticized the focus on conservative social plans.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Republican gains in legislatures tug nation to the right" by Ann Sanner and Calvin Woodward, The Associated Press 4/23/11
A tug to the right was in the cards ever since voters put the GOP in charge of 25 legislatures and 29 governors’ offices in the 2010 elections. That is turning out to be every bit as key to shaping the nation’s ideological direction as anything happening in Washington.
Conservatives welcome the pace and breadth of it all. “When you have one side that’s been put out in the legislative wilderness, there’s a lot of pent-up ideas that are going to move quickly,” said Dallas Woodhouse, director of Americans for Prosperity in North Carolina.
So is a conservative tide sweeping the nation?
If Republicans are overreaching, it’s also true that voters did not elect them to govern like Democrats.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Obamas' Rare Church Attendance is Easter
After a round of golf Saturday at Andrews Air Force Base . . . the commander-in-chief attended Sunday Easter services with the first family at Shiloh Baptist Church in Washington, D.C.
UPDATE 4/25/11: No White House Easter proclamation made (unlike proclamations for Ramadan, Eid al Fitr, Eid al Adha, Hajj and Earth Day --
see video at bottom)
UPDATE 4/1/13: Obama's Apostate Easter Sermon at D.C. ECUSA
UPDATE 4/6/12: President Obama Reads Easter Message Speech
UPDATE 4/19/11: Obama's Easter Re-election Campaign
UPDATE 4/8/12: Obamas' church attendance increases as election approaches
UPDATE 8/3/11: Obama Ramadan Proclamation Low-key, Having Missed Easter
UPDATE 4/25/11 (video) Obamas' Easter Pastor says America is racist likening all conservatives to KKK:
UPDATE 7/17/11 BREAKING NEWS: Obamas attend church!
-- From "Obama Golfs, Goes To Church On Easter" by NewsCore 4/24/11
The president, First Lady Michelle Obama and daughters Sasha and Malia received a standing ovation as they entered the church, one of the oldest African-American congregations in the city.
Dressed in their Easter Sunday best, the Obamas sang along with the rest of the 3,000-member strong congregation and a live band.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Obama attends Easter church services in D.C." by David Jackson, USA TODAY 4/24/11
The Rev. Dr. Wallace Charles Smith, the senior minister, told the First Family that parishioners are praying for them.
Another speaker, name unknown, suggested that some of the prayers include Obama's re-election next year.
"Lord, they are going to need you for next six years," the speaker said.
From "First Family Attends Easter Service" by ABC News Radio 4/24/11
Prior to Sunday’s church attendance, the last time the Obamas attended service was in January just before Martin Luther King Day at the Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Obama, family attend Easter services at historic Shiloh Baptist Church near White House" by The Associated Press 4/24/11
Last Easter, the Obamas worshipped at a historically black Methodist church in a different part of the city. In 2009, Obama visited St. John’s Church across Lafayette Square from the White House, the pale yellow place of worship that other presidents have favored over the years.
Attending a National Prayer Breakfast on Thursday, Obama said his faith has deepened during his two years in the White House and he urged members of Congress to rely on their own faith to build a spirit of civility in Washington. He said that at a time of bitter partisanship, lawmakers must find a way to be open to the ideas of others, while staying true to their core principles.
“I pray that God will show me and all of us the limits of our understanding and open our ears and our hearts to our brothers and sisters with different points of view, that such reminders of our shared hopes and our shared dreams and our shared limitations as children of God will reveal a way forward that we can travel together,” the president said.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Also read/view Rev. Franklin Graham comments on President Obama's Christianity
UPDATE 4/25/11: No White House Easter proclamation made (unlike proclamations for Ramadan, Eid al Fitr, Eid al Adha, Hajj and Earth Day --
see video at bottom)
UPDATE 4/1/13: Obama's Apostate Easter Sermon at D.C. ECUSA
UPDATE 4/6/12: President Obama Reads Easter Message Speech
UPDATE 4/19/11: Obama's Easter Re-election Campaign
UPDATE 4/8/12: Obamas' church attendance increases as election approaches
UPDATE 8/3/11: Obama Ramadan Proclamation Low-key, Having Missed Easter
UPDATE 4/25/11 (video) Obamas' Easter Pastor says America is racist likening all conservatives to KKK:
UPDATE 7/17/11 BREAKING NEWS: Obamas attend church!
-- From "Obama Golfs, Goes To Church On Easter" by NewsCore 4/24/11
The president, First Lady Michelle Obama and daughters Sasha and Malia received a standing ovation as they entered the church, one of the oldest African-American congregations in the city.
Dressed in their Easter Sunday best, the Obamas sang along with the rest of the 3,000-member strong congregation and a live band.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Obama attends Easter church services in D.C." by David Jackson, USA TODAY 4/24/11
The Rev. Dr. Wallace Charles Smith, the senior minister, told the First Family that parishioners are praying for them.
Another speaker, name unknown, suggested that some of the prayers include Obama's re-election next year.
"Lord, they are going to need you for next six years," the speaker said.
From "First Family Attends Easter Service" by ABC News Radio 4/24/11
Prior to Sunday’s church attendance, the last time the Obamas attended service was in January just before Martin Luther King Day at the Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Obama, family attend Easter services at historic Shiloh Baptist Church near White House" by The Associated Press 4/24/11
Last Easter, the Obamas worshipped at a historically black Methodist church in a different part of the city. In 2009, Obama visited St. John’s Church across Lafayette Square from the White House, the pale yellow place of worship that other presidents have favored over the years.
Attending a National Prayer Breakfast on Thursday, Obama said his faith has deepened during his two years in the White House and he urged members of Congress to rely on their own faith to build a spirit of civility in Washington. He said that at a time of bitter partisanship, lawmakers must find a way to be open to the ideas of others, while staying true to their core principles.
“I pray that God will show me and all of us the limits of our understanding and open our ears and our hearts to our brothers and sisters with different points of view, that such reminders of our shared hopes and our shared dreams and our shared limitations as children of God will reveal a way forward that we can travel together,” the president said.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Also read/view Rev. Franklin Graham comments on President Obama's Christianity
Saturday, April 23, 2011
ACLU Loses: MT Marriage Amendment Holds
A District Judge in Helena has ruled against the American Civil Liberties Union in a case questioning whether Montana fails to provide full legal protection for same-sex couples.
-- From "MT judge rules against couples in same-sex rights case" by Dennis Bragg & Melissa Anderson, KXLH-TV9 (Helena, MT) 4/21/11
The ACLU filed the case last summer on behalf of seven couples from several Montana cities, representing 14 gay men and lesbian women who are involved in what the agency called "committed, intimate, same-sex relationships" and raising children.
The ACLU claimed the state offers "numerous protections, rights and benefits" to "different-sex" couples that aren't available to same-sex couples.
Montana's Constitution doesn't recognize same-sex marriage and state law doesn't provide other provisions like "domestic partnerships" available in some other states.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Montana judge rejects gay couple rights suit" by The Associated Press 4/21/11
The gay couples weren't asking for the right in the lawsuit to marry, which the Montana Constitutional defines as between a man and a woman. Rather they wanted to be able to make burial, health care and other decisions, while enjoying such benefits as jointly filing taxes.
The attorney general's office has countered in court that Montana can't extend spousal benefits to gay couples because those benefits are limited to married couples by definition since Montana voters in 2004 approved the marriage amendment.
The state argued in court that the Legislature is free to create a new, separate class for couples regardless of sexual orientation. It argued such a policy choice should be made by the state, and not the courts.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Montana Family Foundation praises ruling favoring traditional marriage" by David Jay, KTVQ-TV2 (Billings, MT) 4/21/11
In his ruling, District Court Judge Jeffrey Sherlock dismissed the case. He stated he can not instruct the legislature to pass laws to give same sex couples the same rights as married couples.
"This court can not grant the relief that the Plantiffs seek," Sherlock wrote. "To do would violate the constitutional separation of powers existing in the state of Montanan."
On its website, the ACLU says it has not decided if it will appeal, but it disagrees with the decision.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
-- From "MT judge rules against couples in same-sex rights case" by Dennis Bragg & Melissa Anderson, KXLH-TV9 (Helena, MT) 4/21/11
The ACLU filed the case last summer on behalf of seven couples from several Montana cities, representing 14 gay men and lesbian women who are involved in what the agency called "committed, intimate, same-sex relationships" and raising children.
The ACLU claimed the state offers "numerous protections, rights and benefits" to "different-sex" couples that aren't available to same-sex couples.
Montana's Constitution doesn't recognize same-sex marriage and state law doesn't provide other provisions like "domestic partnerships" available in some other states.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Montana judge rejects gay couple rights suit" by The Associated Press 4/21/11
The gay couples weren't asking for the right in the lawsuit to marry, which the Montana Constitutional defines as between a man and a woman. Rather they wanted to be able to make burial, health care and other decisions, while enjoying such benefits as jointly filing taxes.
The attorney general's office has countered in court that Montana can't extend spousal benefits to gay couples because those benefits are limited to married couples by definition since Montana voters in 2004 approved the marriage amendment.
The state argued in court that the Legislature is free to create a new, separate class for couples regardless of sexual orientation. It argued such a policy choice should be made by the state, and not the courts.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Montana Family Foundation praises ruling favoring traditional marriage" by David Jay, KTVQ-TV2 (Billings, MT) 4/21/11
In his ruling, District Court Judge Jeffrey Sherlock dismissed the case. He stated he can not instruct the legislature to pass laws to give same sex couples the same rights as married couples.
"This court can not grant the relief that the Plantiffs seek," Sherlock wrote. "To do would violate the constitutional separation of powers existing in the state of Montanan."
On its website, the ACLU says it has not decided if it will appeal, but it disagrees with the decision.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
ABC News Scrutinizes Faith of GOP Candidates
Obviously ABC News recognizes that Christians decided the 2010 elections and so these liberal journalists have decided to "unchristianize" the conservatives running for president, thus ignoring their hallowed separation of church and state mantra.
For background, read Proved: Tea Party Movement is Christian
UPDATE 5/8/11: Media Prepare Anti-Christian Campaign for 2012
-- From "Republican Presidential Hopefuls Get Religious Scrutiny Before 2012 Primary Campaign" posted at ABC News 4/22/11
. . . as voters begin to scrutinize the lives of a wide-open field of unofficial GOP presidential contenders, several personal histories might raise red flags in some religious circles.
Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty's transition from the Catholic Church to evangelical Protestantism in the 1990s . . . could hurt his appeal among some Catholic primary voters, several Catholic political activists said.
[Donald] Trump has also been put on the spot by Christian evangelicals for his two failed marriages. . . .
And then there's former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney's Mormonism, which stunted his bid in 2008, and could remain a touchy subject with religious conservative voters in 2012.
Religious leaders in Iowa and South Carolina . . . [are] really looking for genuine religiosity, which may be a problem for some Republican hopefuls who've stumbled along the road to Damascus.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
For background, read Proved: Tea Party Movement is Christian
UPDATE 5/8/11: Media Prepare Anti-Christian Campaign for 2012
-- From "Republican Presidential Hopefuls Get Religious Scrutiny Before 2012 Primary Campaign" posted at ABC News 4/22/11
. . . as voters begin to scrutinize the lives of a wide-open field of unofficial GOP presidential contenders, several personal histories might raise red flags in some religious circles.
Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty's transition from the Catholic Church to evangelical Protestantism in the 1990s . . . could hurt his appeal among some Catholic primary voters, several Catholic political activists said.
[Donald] Trump has also been put on the spot by Christian evangelicals for his two failed marriages. . . .
And then there's former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney's Mormonism, which stunted his bid in 2008, and could remain a touchy subject with religious conservative voters in 2012.
Religious leaders in Iowa and South Carolina . . . [are] really looking for genuine religiosity, which may be a problem for some Republican hopefuls who've stumbled along the road to Damascus.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
Friday, April 22, 2011
Pro-life States Press Personhood, Abortionists Sue
Personhood bills are seen as a direct attack on Roe v. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court decision that made abortion a right under the U.S. Constitution. Roe implied that if unborn babies were legal “persons,” they would have a right to life under the 14th Amendment, pro-life groups say.
For background, read Unborn Are People Too and also read Personhood Amendment Pushed in Mississippi
-- From "Drive grows for states to recognize ‘personhood’" by Cheryl Wetzstein, The Washington Times 4/21/11
Mississippi voters are likely to be the first in the nation to add to their state constitution “personhood” language that declares unborn children to be persons, effectively outlawing abortion and setting up a potential Supreme Court showdown — if they get a chance to vote on it in November.
The Alabama Legislature is considering two personhood bills this month, and at least seven other state legislatures introduced similar bills this year, said Keith Mason, a Christian minister who launched Personhood USA in 2008 with fellow evangelist Cal Zastrow.
“Sanctity of life” handles emerging issues like “destructive stem-cell research,” human cloning and creation of human-animal chimeras, said Daniel Becker, president of Georgia Right to Life and author of “Personhood: A Pragmatic Guide to Prolife Victory in the 21st Century and the Return to First Principles in Politics.”
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
UPDATE 6/6/11: Mississippi Supreme Court hears arguments on personhood amendment
From "Legal challenge to Mississippi ‘Personhood’ amendment maybe headed to state Supreme Court" by Ashley Lopez, The Florida Independent 4/22/11
According to a press release from Personhood USA issued today, the ACLU and Planned Parenthood have appealed to the state Supreme Court in their challenge to Mississippi’s controversial Personhood Amendment.
Mississippi’s Personhood Amendment 26 states that the “term ‘person’ or ‘persons’ shall include every human being from the moment of fertilization, cloning or the functional equivalent thereof.” The amendment could result in making all abortions across the board illegal in the state of Mississippi. Such legislation is seen by members of the anti-abortion movement as walking “right through” a door that Roe v. Wade leaves open.
The Personhood movement has seen some legislative victories in various other states. State legislatures in North Dakota and Iowa have passed bills. According to a Personhood USA press release, representatives in Montana, Texas and Oklahoma have introduced similar legislation. Mississippi remains somewhat unique by seeking fetal “personhood” through a state constitutional amendment — a method that is seen as less likely to provide results.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Planned Parenthood Ignores Fetal Pain; Goes After Personhood Amendments" by Keith Mason, Personhood USA, posted at Christian Newswire 4/21/11
In July of 2010, Planned Parenthood and the ACLU filed suit to disallow Mississippi voters from voting on the Mississippi Personhood Amendment. In October, the lawsuit was rejected. The Court decision read "Initiative Measure No. 26 has received more than the required amount of signatures to be placed on the ballot and the Constitution recognizes the right of citizens to amend their Constitution."
Now Planned Parenthood and the ACLU have appealed to the State Supreme Court, a decision made especially conspicuous by Planned Parenthood's recent refusal to challenge various "Fetal Pain" bills. According to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, one abortion in 2010 would have been prevented by the Fetal Pain bill. By contrast, Mississippi's Personhood Amendment 26 would make all abortion illegal by recognizing the personhood rights, first and foremost the constitutional right to life of all children, born and preborn.
This is not the first time that the ACLU and Planned Parenthood have tried to stop Personhood USA -- numerous lawsuits have been filed, albeit largely unsuccessfully, in an attempt to stop Personhood USA and its state affiliates.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "New bills in Alabama would grant personhood at the ‘moment of fertilization’" By Sofia Resnick, The American Independent 4/4/11
These proposed laws do not address abortion or the legal implications therein, but [attorney Ben DuPré of the Foundation for Moral Law] told The American Independent that if the personhood bills pass, then Alabama lawmakers will have to address “whatever flows from that.”
DuPré . . . also noted that Alabama’s constitution defines corporations as persons, but not unborn babies.
Asked how the this type of state constitutional amendment would stand up against U.S. law, which grants the legal right to an abortion, DuPré said that within the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision, there is a particular passage that opens up the case for personhood:
The appellee and certain amici argue that the fetus is a person within the language and meaning of the Fourteenth Amendment. . . . If this suggestion of personhood is established, the appellant’s case, of course, collapses, for the fetus’ right to life would then be guaranteed specifically by the Amendment. Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113, 156-57 (1973).
“Roe v. Wade leaves a door open and the Personhood amendment walks right through that,” DuPré said.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Also read Pro-life Legislation Floods America as well as Life to Personhood Means Death to Roe v. Wade
For background, read Unborn Are People Too and also read Personhood Amendment Pushed in Mississippi
-- From "Drive grows for states to recognize ‘personhood’" by Cheryl Wetzstein, The Washington Times 4/21/11
Mississippi voters are likely to be the first in the nation to add to their state constitution “personhood” language that declares unborn children to be persons, effectively outlawing abortion and setting up a potential Supreme Court showdown — if they get a chance to vote on it in November.
The Alabama Legislature is considering two personhood bills this month, and at least seven other state legislatures introduced similar bills this year, said Keith Mason, a Christian minister who launched Personhood USA in 2008 with fellow evangelist Cal Zastrow.
“Sanctity of life” handles emerging issues like “destructive stem-cell research,” human cloning and creation of human-animal chimeras, said Daniel Becker, president of Georgia Right to Life and author of “Personhood: A Pragmatic Guide to Prolife Victory in the 21st Century and the Return to First Principles in Politics.”
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
UPDATE 6/6/11: Mississippi Supreme Court hears arguments on personhood amendment
From "Legal challenge to Mississippi ‘Personhood’ amendment maybe headed to state Supreme Court" by Ashley Lopez, The Florida Independent 4/22/11
According to a press release from Personhood USA issued today, the ACLU and Planned Parenthood have appealed to the state Supreme Court in their challenge to Mississippi’s controversial Personhood Amendment.
Mississippi’s Personhood Amendment 26 states that the “term ‘person’ or ‘persons’ shall include every human being from the moment of fertilization, cloning or the functional equivalent thereof.” The amendment could result in making all abortions across the board illegal in the state of Mississippi. Such legislation is seen by members of the anti-abortion movement as walking “right through” a door that Roe v. Wade leaves open.
The Personhood movement has seen some legislative victories in various other states. State legislatures in North Dakota and Iowa have passed bills. According to a Personhood USA press release, representatives in Montana, Texas and Oklahoma have introduced similar legislation. Mississippi remains somewhat unique by seeking fetal “personhood” through a state constitutional amendment — a method that is seen as less likely to provide results.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Planned Parenthood Ignores Fetal Pain; Goes After Personhood Amendments" by Keith Mason, Personhood USA, posted at Christian Newswire 4/21/11
In July of 2010, Planned Parenthood and the ACLU filed suit to disallow Mississippi voters from voting on the Mississippi Personhood Amendment. In October, the lawsuit was rejected. The Court decision read "Initiative Measure No. 26 has received more than the required amount of signatures to be placed on the ballot and the Constitution recognizes the right of citizens to amend their Constitution."
Now Planned Parenthood and the ACLU have appealed to the State Supreme Court, a decision made especially conspicuous by Planned Parenthood's recent refusal to challenge various "Fetal Pain" bills. According to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, one abortion in 2010 would have been prevented by the Fetal Pain bill. By contrast, Mississippi's Personhood Amendment 26 would make all abortion illegal by recognizing the personhood rights, first and foremost the constitutional right to life of all children, born and preborn.
This is not the first time that the ACLU and Planned Parenthood have tried to stop Personhood USA -- numerous lawsuits have been filed, albeit largely unsuccessfully, in an attempt to stop Personhood USA and its state affiliates.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "New bills in Alabama would grant personhood at the ‘moment of fertilization’" By Sofia Resnick, The American Independent 4/4/11
These proposed laws do not address abortion or the legal implications therein, but [attorney Ben DuPré of the Foundation for Moral Law] told The American Independent that if the personhood bills pass, then Alabama lawmakers will have to address “whatever flows from that.”
DuPré . . . also noted that Alabama’s constitution defines corporations as persons, but not unborn babies.
Asked how the this type of state constitutional amendment would stand up against U.S. law, which grants the legal right to an abortion, DuPré said that within the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision, there is a particular passage that opens up the case for personhood:
The appellee and certain amici argue that the fetus is a person within the language and meaning of the Fourteenth Amendment. . . . If this suggestion of personhood is established, the appellant’s case, of course, collapses, for the fetus’ right to life would then be guaranteed specifically by the Amendment. Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113, 156-57 (1973).
“Roe v. Wade leaves a door open and the Personhood amendment walks right through that,” DuPré said.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Also read Pro-life Legislation Floods America as well as Life to Personhood Means Death to Roe v. Wade