Friday Shakedown

I know it's Saturday, but I'm still calling it the Friday Shakedown...

We begin the cavalcade of crazy with Congressman Louie Gohmert (R-TX).  He loves his conspiracy theories so much and is a great example of what is wrong with this country.  Here is what he said this week about the Obama administration:

“He has advisers around him that do not have the same goal as he does. He has people around him giving advice who support the Muslim Brotherhood and who steer him in wrong directions,”

He really thinks the President has advisors who support radical Islam.  This isn't the first time he has said things to that effect.  Thank you, Texas, for sending this clown to Congress.  The rest of the country is so excited to have him help make decisions on their behalf.

Next, we have a story from the University of Arizona.  Anyone that has frequented a college camp in the past several years knows there are always very religious people holding signs, telling people they are going to hell, or otherwise trying to spread the "good" word.  I saw this a lot in my undergraduate days.

At the University of Arizona, there is a student, Dean Saxton, who regularly does this.  He has been nicknamed "Brother Dean" and seems to have become a fixture of the campus.  Here is a video of his demonstration on Tuesday where he held up a sign that said "You Deserve Rape."  The video is long but the introduction fills in some of the story.

University of Arizona spokeswoman Jennifer Fitzenberger released a statement to The Huffington Post on the controversial Brother Dean demonstration:

The University of Arizona does not endorse or condone the message of the campus speaker - in fact, it considers it to be vile and repugnant. However, because universities in particular are bastions for free speech, even when it is offensive, the University of Arizona will uphold the right of this speaker and all others to engage in constitutionally protected speech on its campus. Should the University receive complaints or otherwise become aware of allegations of misconduct that fall outside the realm of constitutionally protected speech, it will investigate and deal with them as appropriate.

In a way, he's like a live-action internet troll.

CNN's Don Lemon Discusses BSA Lifting Ban On Gays

CNN invited John Stemberger and Zack Wahls on Don Lemon's show earlier this week to discuss the Boy Scout's proposal of lifting the ban on homosexuals for scouts but not scouters.  

Here is the exchange:

John Stemberger says it is an awful proposal, and that seems to be the end of where he and I agree.

Stemberger says that it would destroy Scouting as we know it. He lists a bunch of religious groups that would not agree with the change of policy and warns of a mass exodus from the Boy Scouts. I don’t see how this is necessarily a bad thing. All the bigots will be out of the organization just like that and you will be left with an organization that can teach leadership and camping skills without all the discrimination.

“Foster open homosexuality among its boys” Does he think this means someone is going to sprinkle gay people in among the troops? What a ridiculous proposition. It simply means you cannot discriminate based on sexual preference, open or otherwise.

This man is a disgrace to scouting. Like Zach Wahls stated, he wants gay scouts to violate the first tenant of the Scout Law, trustworthy. He wants them to lie about who they are. Being open and comfortable with who you are is liberating and allows you to concentrate on other things, like maybe Scouting for Food or other programs that help people.

There are many LGBT folks involved in Scouting now whether Stemberger acknowledges it or not. They are doing good work and it is only fair to them, and the organization, to allow them to continue serving those troops without lying about who they are.

They’re halfway there. Now, we need them to get rid of the ban completely.

Child Dies From Parent Negligence... Again

Herbert and Catherine Schaible were on probation for the 2009 death of their child after he became sick and they refused to take him to the doctor. They prescribe to a Christian sect that believes in faith healing and have not been to a doctor themselves in a long time. They lost their 8-month-old son last week after he was suffering from diarrhea and breathing problems for over a week.  

Faith healing doesn't work, medical science does. This is simply a fact and the conditions that the children died from were very treatable. The boy who died in 2009 suffered from coughing, congestion, crankiness and a loss of appetite.  

The parents are grieving, and I'm sure it is genuine. I don't think anyone would argue that their feelings are not real.  However, in cases like this, the argument needs to be brought up: Why to we give religion a pass often when they believe silly things?

Authorities are waiting to press charges until after the autopsy of the child but they will be charged with something.  But what is the appropriate level they should be charged?  Is it manslaughter because they didn't mean to kill their son?  Is it child neglect?  I don't think prayer can be considered adequate attention to the child's health.  Maybe it will be a combination of charges.  

There is no excuse for these beliefs in 2013.  This couple killed their son, end of story.  Their inaction is inexcusable and should be punished.  They certainly demonstrate that Christian fundamentalism is alive and well in America.

California Bill Targets Boy Scouts' Policy

The Boy Scouts of America has been under fire for a while due to its policy of discrimination against gay scouts and scouters. However, a new California bill that passed the Senate Governance and Finance Committee with a vote 5 to 2 would eliminate tax breaks for organizations that discriminate against youths.  The bill would protect gays, transgender, and even atheists whose discrimination is often glossed over.

This is the first bill of its kind in any state.  It would make groups, like the Boy Scouts, who discriminate to pay taxes on donations and other contributions.  

The Youth Equality Act, sponsored by Sen. Ricardo Lara, D-Long Beach, would deny tax-exempt status to youth groups that discriminate on the basis of gender identity, race, sexual orientation, nationality, religion or religious affiliation.

Scouting executives are slated to vote on changing the policy, to make it more inclusive, in May.

Saturday Shakedown

I missed posting yesterday so here is a rare Saturday Shakedown!

North Carolina will not be establishing a religion thanks to the Speaker of the NC State Legislature, Thom Tillis (R).  He has announced that the measure will not be brought up for a vote.  This is a relief because we shouldn't be having a discussion like that in this day and age.  This is a settled issue with hundreds of years of precedent.

However, this discussion in North Carolina has prompted some polls to be taken with some frightening results.  

The new survey finds that 34 percent of adults would favor establishing Christianity as the official state religion in their own state, while 47 percent would oppose doing so. Thirty-two percent said that they would favor a constitutional amendment making Christianity the official religion of the United States, with 52 percent saying they were opposed.

 Tennessee is proposing a bill that would withhold welfare assistance to families whose children are not doing well in school.  There is already a revolving door when it comes to poverty and poor education, why make it worse with something like this?  Education is important and there are a lot of factors that contribute to poverty.  We cannot hurt kids by withholding food because they get a bad grade.  That is cruel and unusual.

Sean Hannity Vs. Congressman Keith Ellison

Why Rep. Ellison agreed to come on Hannity's show at all is a mystery to me.  I'm sure he could have imagined how it would go, and potentially what would be the result.

Round 1:

Sean Hannity opened the segment talking about something that didn't sit very well with the Congressman.  He was apparently misrepresenting the President, as well.  I know what you're saying, "Hannity wouldn't do such a thing!," but believe it.

Right before he cuts to Congressman Ellison he plays a video of the president giving speeches on the problems the sequester cuts would have on people.  Hannity calls it "The Obama Sequester" and then claims he is more interested in fear-mongering than finding a solution to the problem he, President Obama, created.  He then says that the President is very good at staying on message.

Here is a video of the exchange:

HANNITY: I guess that's what we can describe as staying on message, something the Democratic Party I would argue is very good at.

ELLISON: You're pretty good at it too.

HANNITY: Thank you.

ELLISON: Quite frankly you are the worst excuse for a journalist I've ever seen.

HANNITY: I can't hear you.

ELLISON: You heard me.

HANNITY: No, say it again. I didn't hear you.

ELLISON: What you just displayed was not journalism, It was yellow journalism. It wasn't anything close to trying to tell the American people what's really going on, and I mean, it's just shocking.

Sean Hannity is trying really hard to pin all the problems that the cuts will cause on the President.  This is simply unfair and I have a hunch that he knows that.  The President is the one that has come up with a plan to fix the issue and the Republicans will not even consider it.  His plan has been regarded as fair by many and it certainly is not as arbitrary as the sequester cuts were set up to be.  

Rep. Ellison should have known this would not be the end of this.

Round 2:

On his Thursday show, Hannity implied the Congressman was an anti-semite and a racist.  He unearthed some old attacks on Ellison from when he ran for Congress in 2006.

During the 1990's, while Ellison was in law school, he worked with a group that helped organize the Million-Man March. This group included Louis Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam.  Ellison wrote in his school newspaper defending Farrakhan from charges of anti-semitism.

Ellison had apologized saying he did not “adequately scrutinize the positions and statements” of the Nation of Islam and Farrakhan six years ago. He wrote this in a letter to the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas.

“I wrongly dismissed concerns that they were anti-Semitic,” he wrote, adding, “They were and are anti-Semitic and I should have come to that conclusion earlier than I did.” “I have long since distanced myself from and rejected the Nation of Islam due to its propagation of bigoted and anti-Semitic ideas and statements, as well as other issues.”

When these statements surfaced people that went to law school with Ellison dismissed the idea of him being an anti-semite.  They said they never got that impression from him. Also, in the 2006 campaign, Ellison was endorsed by American Jewish World, the newspaper for Minnesota’s Jewish community.  This doesn't exactly scream anti-semite.  I don't think Jewish groups are in the habit of endorsing anti-semitic people for Congress.  

I believe Hannity has a problem with Rep. Ellison because he is Muslim, and even if he doesn't personally, he is playing it up for his audience that probably do have a problem with Muslims in general.  It's despicable and really proves all of the Congressman's critiques he made at the beginning of their interview.  The sad thing is people watch this guy and think they're getting real information.

Once Congressman Ellison was elected, he chose to be sworn in on the Qur'an because he is Muslim.  Hannity compared this to a racist being sworn in on Hitler's Mein Kampf, as he put it, the Nazi Bible.

And then, this:

Apparently going back five years on something he said, that he never retracted, is too far.  Pulling up an issue that happened in the 1990's and was resolved seven years ago is fair game.

Stay classy, Sean.

Friday Shakedown

It's Friday, time for another shakedown.

As everyone knows, because the media was obsessed with this story since it broke and not for no reason, the Pope retired yesterday.  Every time any news channel ran a story on this the question was always: "What's next?" We now have an answer to that question.

The President took a little heat today when he violated a huge taboo: confused Star Trek and Star Wars.  He said in a press conference that he is unable to do a Jedi mind meld on Congress to get them to do something on the sequester.  Of course, there is a Jedi mind trick and a Vulcan mind meld.  Two drastically different things on two entirely different planes of nerd-dom.  Twitter exploded because of this, of course.

The White House has rolled with it beautifully, however.  If you go to WH.gov/jedimindmeld it redirects to the President's plan for the sequester.

But seriously, it was good to see him take it too the Republicans.  He pointed out that he had a plan and had submitted it to Congress.  Most people had said that it was a reasonable plan and Congress would rather the arbitrary cuts go into affect ultimately hurting the economy.  I hope Congress as a whole, not just the Senate, can "get off their ass" and solve this problem before too many people are hurt.

Sean Hannity and Congressman Keith Ellison got into it this week, but more on that tomorrow.

Boy Scouts Delay Their Ruling on Gays

In an epic demonstration of timidity, the Boy Scouts of America have delayed their ruling on allowing gays into the organization until May.

How can the Boy Scouts join the world and stop this discrimination?  Well first, like with many causes, you have to follow the money.  Some of the largest donors are religious organizations like the Mormon church.  And we know how the Mormons stand on this issue from relatively recent events.  The Catholic Church and the Southern Baptists are also heavy contributors.  Neither of these groups have been sympathetic to this civil rights issue.

Over the years, the BSA has rubbed shoulders with hateful, bigoted people and now they are in a sticky situation because of it.  These people give them lots of money and while the country is moving on from the days when being gay was vilified, the BSA has painted themselves into a corner.  They are afraid of losing their base.

There is a large religious force in the Boy Scouts, and there doesn't need to be.  Morality doesn't come from a religion and can be taught without it.  Excluding people from a great organization that has helped countless men over the years is immoral.

I would have a lot of respect for the organization if they would thumb their nose at the bigots that they have found themselves surrounded with and join the rest of the country in welcoming LGBT folks.  If the radical religious crowd doesn't like it, they can form a new organization.  The BSA will shrink with time if they continue this archaic policy.  It is in their best interest, for the longevity of the organization, if they change their policy.

It will get better.

Christian Group Fears Jim Crow Laws Against Christians

1/2/13

This is a story that can only make you say “quoi?” the American Family Association sent out an email to their members with the intent to instill fear in them. The title of the email was “What will religion look like in the year 2060?”  They claim that within fifty years, Christians will be persecuted like African Americans were in the 1960’s. 

Some of their claims according to the email:

Conservative Christians will be treated as second class citizens, much like African Americans were prior to civil rights legislation in the 1960s.

Family as we know it will be drastically changed with the state taking charge of the children beginning at birth.

Cities with a name from the Bible such as St. Petersburg, Bethlehem, etc. will be forced to change their name due to separation of church and state.

I highly doubt that a large majority population of any country, especially the United States, will ever see the kind of persecution that has historically befallen minorities in this country.

This list is ridiculous. The third example simply tells me that the group does not understand what the separation of church and state means.  I have no problem with a place called Saint Louis retaining its name.  There is hardly a religious tone too it.  Saint in the name doesn’t mean it is a religious city anymore than Island in Grand Island, NE means that the city is on an island.

The list also says that we will have, or have had, a Muslim president.  I understand that the group is playing to the irrational fears of their members.  Having a Muslim president is not a bad thing like they imply.  Rep. Keith Ellison of Minnesota is Muslim and does a fantastic job representing his district in Congress.  Perhaps he could be that Muslim president eventually. 

It is important to stay vigilant with groups like this about.  These people vote and elections have consequences.

Wisconsin State Senator Attacks Kwanza

1/1/12

Wisconsin State Senator Glenn Grothman, who first came to my attention during the anti-union legislation in Madison in 2011, said yesterday that Kwanza is a holiday that "almost no black people today care about."  He continued, "Why must we still hearabout Kwanzaa?" Grothman asked, "Why are hard-core left wingers still trying to talk about Kwanzaa — the supposed African-American holiday celebration between Christmas and New Year’s?"

This was reported by Patch and is just another example of Republican foolishness.  Grothman complains about the origins of the holiday as a reason why it should be ignored.  He also says that people must be vigilant to ensure K-12 teachers are not passing it off as a real holiday.  Another complaint he has is that it is another way for liberals to divide Americans.

He is offensive in his remarks to be sure.  I don’t think the fact that he is talking about Kwanza is the offensive part.  Sure, if you celebrate Kwanza that part might sting a little bit.  I think one of the most offensive parts is his claim about this being another way for liberals to divide Americans.  His side of the political spectrum is continually harping on issues that truly divide people like abortion, voter id laws, etc.  They rail against the homosexual boogeymen and how their existence and increasing visibility in everyday culture is somehow harming families.  But somehow a holiday I hadn’t even heard anything about this season, other than seeing when it was on my calendar, is what is dividing Americans.

Grothman is a clown and unfortunately a good representation of what his party has become lately.  It is probably only matter of time before he runs for Congress.

Will I get to hear about the war on Kwanza next year on Fox News?