Year: 2010

Pennsylvania State Sen. John Eichelberger Introduces Anti-Gay Marriage Bill

Posted on by TL

From the Philadelphia Gay News:

About eight months after he pledged to introduce a bill that would institute a ban on same-sex marriage in the state constitution, Pennsylvania Sen. John Eichelberger (R-30th Dist.) has made good on his promise.

SB 707, which Eichelberger introduced Jan. 26, would add to the Pennsylvania Constitution the language: “Only a union of one man and one woman shall be valid and recognized as marriage.”

Eichelberger announced his intention to spearhead such an initiative last May, and Sen. Daylin Leach (D-17th Dist.) shortly thereafter introduced a measure that seeks to legalize same-sex marriage in the Keystone State.

To amend the constitution, both chambers of the state legislature would have to pass the so-called Marriage Protection Amendment in two consecutive sessions before the question is posed to voters.

I don’t get it at all. Gays and Lesbians want to do one of the most conservative things possible: get married.

Get over.

More here.

Jordan Brown, 12, A Child Accused of Murder, May Be Charged As An Adult

Posted on by TL

Jordan Brown is a 12-year-old child accused of murder. A Pennsylvania judge is expected to rule today on whether the juvenile will be tried as an adult.

From WTAE Pittsburgh:

Judge Dominick Motto will hear arguments over whether Jordan Brown should be tried as an adult or a juvenile for allegedly killing his father’s pregnant fiancée.

Prosecutors said Brown, who was 11 at the time, shot and killed 26-year-old Kenzie Houk and her unborn baby as she lay sleeping in her Wampum home last February.

If tried as a juvenile, the court’s jurisdiction would end when Brown turns 21 and he would be released.If Brown is tried as an adult, he would face life in prison.

Brown has been charged with one adult count of criminal homicide and is being held without bail in a juvenile facility.

How this child got his hands on a loaded weapon is another matter entirely.

I’ve written about this before. Jordan Brown is a child. He should be charged as a juvenile.

Virginia School District Pulls Anne Frank’s Diary Over ‘Vagina’ Passage

Posted on by TL

You have got to be kidding.

From the Washington Post:

This isn’t the first time that a classic book has been pulled off a library shelf because a parent didn’t want their darling child to read it, but it is equally obscene every time it happens.

In Culpeper County Public Schools, a version of the “Diary of A Young Girl,” by Anne Frank, was just removed from schools because a parent complained about graphic sexual language, according to the Star Exponent.

Anne Frank wrote her memoir of her life from June 12, 1942 until Aug. 1, 1944, while her family was in hiding from the Nazis during the German occupation of the Netherlands during World War II. She was caught by the Nazis and thrown into concentration camps, where she died of typhus shortly before the camp she was in was liberated by British troops in 1945.

The book was originally published in 1947 by her father, who retrieved the diary after the war. Later more of her entries from the period were found and authenticated and a fuller version was later published.

That is the one that was challenged in Culpeper, according to the Star Exponent, which quoted Jim Allen, director of instruction for the school system, saying, “What we have asked is that this particular edition will not be taught. I don’t want to make a big deal out of this. So we listened to the parent and we pulled it.”

Ever think your vote doesn’t count? Ever wonder if one person can make a difference?

What about thousands of voices protesting this horribly ridiculous decision?

I can’t believe the district capitulated to one parent.

Park Forest Police Seek Missing Woman

Posted on by TL
Dana Hayes

Dana Hayes

Park Forest, IL– The Park Forest Police Department is attempting to learn the whereabouts of Dana Hayes, who has been missing from her Park Forest home since Monday, January 25, 2010, police said Thursday afternoon. According to her family, Ms. Hayes dropped her son off at Rich East High School Monday morning but never arrived at her place of employment. The license plates on her car were run by the South Holland Police on the morning of January 25, but neither she nor the car has been seen since.

The South Suburban Major Crimes Task Force is assisting in the search for Ms. Hayes, a rare move in a missing person’s case, according to police.

According to Ms. Hayes family, it is totally out of character for her to be gone from home and not notify her son or other family members, or to not appear at work.

Ms. Hayes is described as an African American 35-year-old female, 5’2” tall, weighing 135 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. Her car is a 2005 silver Kia Spectra four door, Illinois license plate A273099. The vehicle has a Masonic placard with the letters OES on the trunk lid.

The Park Forest Police Department is asking anyone who might have information on Ms. Hayes or her vehicle to contact Detective Brian Rzyski at 708-748-1309, or Deputy Chief Mike McNamara at 708-748-8390.

Source: PFPD

Justice Samuel Alito Says ‘Not True’ During State Of The Union When Prez Calls Out SCOTUS

Posted on by TL

Watch Justice Samuel Alito’s lips. He’s sitting on the far left (no pun intended) behind Cheif Justice John Roberts. Justice Alito says, "Not true," when President Obama shares his reservations about the latest Supreme Court ruling regarding corporate spending in elections.

Watch the video closely.

Obama Declares ‘I Don’t Quit’ in First State of the Union Address

Posted on by TL

From the Chicago Sun-Times:

Declaring “I don’t quit,”‘ an embattled President Barack Obama vowed in his first State of the Union address Wednesday night to make job growth his topmost priority and urged a divided Congress to boost the still-ailing economy with fresh stimulus spending. Defiant despite stinging setbacks, he said he would not abandon ambitious plans for longer-term fixes to health care, energy, education and more.

“Change has not come fast enough,” Obama said before a politician-packed House chamber and a TV audience of millions. “As hard as it may be, as uncomfortable and contentious as the debates may be, it’s time to get serious about fixing the problems that are hampering our growth.”

Obama looked to change the conversation from how his presidency is stalling — over the messy health care debate, a limping economy and the missteps that led to Christmas Day’s barely averted terrorist disaster — to how he is seizing the reins.

A chief demand was for lawmakers to press forward with his prized health care overhaul, which is in severe danger in Congress, and to resist the temptation to substitute a smaller-bore solution for the far-reaching changes he wants.

“Do not walk away from reform,” he implored. “Not now. Not when we are so close.”

Republicans applauded the president when he entered the chamber, and even craned their necks and welcomed Michelle Obama when she took her seat. But the warm feelings of bipartisanship disappeared early.

I don’t know how “embattled” President Obama is right now. Every president is “embattled.” I found the tone of the SOTU remarkable. But Congress needs to remember how to be a parliament, and they’re not there yet. Republicans say, “NO!” Democrats let the tail wag the dog and give up the fight. The intelligence factor in Congress is rather low right now, I fear, on both sides of the aisle. Republicans are too dumb to realize that there is more to life than cheap politics, and Democrats are too dumb to know how to make Congress work.

Too bad.

I’m glad this president does not “give up.” We still have work to do.

Christopher Hayes: Health Care Moving in the Right Direction

Posted on by TL

From Chris Hayes at The Nation:

For the first time since the Massachusetts debacle, I’m cautiously optimistic about the fate of health care reform. Here’s why: In the wake of Scott Brown’s election, what was most dispiriting was the total leadership vacuum and chaotic, every-man-for-himself atmosphere among congressional Democrats. There didn’t seem to be any hard consensus on what to do next. Some said: break it up into smaller pieces, radically pare down the bill, go back and find Republican support (ha!) or let the thing die. Every one of these options would actually spell the death of health care reform, and one of the most stunning legislative failures in recent memory. To even consider such a move seemed insane, and yet those of us paid to observe Congress have spent the last two weeks watching, with mouth agape, as congressional Democrats slowly raised a loaded gun to their collective mouths and volubly considered pulling the trigger.

But sanity has, tentatively, provisionally prevailed. After spending much of yesterday talking to folks on capitol hill, it’s clear there is increasingly consensus on a path forward: As I explained last night on Rachel Maddow, it involves a few steps, but is relatively straightforward. The House has to come up with a list of changes to the Senate bill that will get them to 218 votes (and will also pass muster with the procedural constraints of “reconciliation”. For more on that you can listen to last week’s episode of The Breakdown.) They then send those changes to the Senate leadership, which can pass them through reconciliation, a process that requires a simple majority. Once that process has moved forward or (better!) is completed, the House can then pass in quick succession the Senate bill, and the amended fix.

To be honest, I want to read this in depth later on.  Just placing a link to Hayes’ post here so I can come back to it later on.

But this is good news.

Original Anti-Gay Cartoon in Notre Dame’s Observer Was Equally Horrible

Posted on by TL

Notre Dame gay fine by me t-shirt

Both versions of the strip considered by editors, including the original rejected submission (second from the top). Beneath the strips is a gmail chat between one of the comic creators and an Observer staffer.

I was patient, I believe, with the flap over the anti-gay comic strip Mobile Party that ran in Notre Dame’s Observer earlier this month. I was patient and more forgiving until I saw the original comic considered by editors at the Observer. In the original, the punch line was uglier, if that’s at all possible.

From IrishCentral:

The cartoon depicts a conversation between two figures that reads:

“What’s the easiest way to turn a fruit into a vegetable?"

“No idea.”

“A baseball bat.”

Earlier, the cartoonist, who has not yet been named, posted the original version of the cartoon on his blog. In this version, it shows the punch line as “AIDS” instead of “a baseball bat.” The paper, he claimed, preferred “not to make light of fatal diseases.”

The original chat between the Observer and creators of the comic strip is above. According to The Observer, the primary authors of the strip are Notre Dame seniors Colin Hofman, Jay Wade and Lauren Rosemeyer.

What were these young adults thinking? How could they have possibly thought that either of those jokes were acceptable?

From College Media Matters:

Among the criticisms emanating from faculty and students at Notre Dame and its sister school St. Mary’s, here is part of a statement from student representatives of St. Mary’s Straight and Gay Alliance (Notre Dame does not officially recognize a GSA-related group on its campus): “You may not like it but Notre Dame and Saint Mary’s is a home to lesbian, gay and bisexual students. Your call as both a Christian and as a human being is to respect them. Making light of the very real threat of homophobic motivated hate crimes is a poor excuse for humor and a despicable action. I completely support and defend a person’s freedom of belief, expression and speech. However, when expressing that belief takes the form of language which encourages violence against a group of people, you have crossed a professional and ethical line.”

Similarly, in a piece touching on the comic’s status as a symbol of a larger discriminatory and ignorant mindset at the school, a Notre Dame sociology professor writes, “This [the comic controversy] is no isolated incident on our campus. . . . Getting a cheap laugh at the expense of the abused, bashed, disabled and even murdered not only belittles these horrific experiences but encourages more violence.”

The administration at the University of Notre Dame must step up and do more. The administration must finally sponsor a gay-straight alliance. That takes courage in the face of the United States Catholic bishops who are so incredibly out of touch, and the Vatican, which exists in a parallel universe.

What would Jesus do? I know that’s a simple question.

The answer is simple too.

The University of Notre Dame must finally and completely embrace its gay and lesbian students, faculty and staff.

Notre Dame Students Rally Support for GLBT Community

Posted on by TL

Notre Dame gay fine by me t-shirt

From  Irena Zajickova at the Observer at Notre Dame:

Student, faculty and other members of the Notre Dame community will participate in events this week to demonstrate their desire for the administration to add sexual orientation to the University’s non-discrimination clause.

The events kicked off yesterday when students wore “Gay? Fine By Me” T-shirts to show their support for Notre Dame’s Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/Transgender (GLBT) community. Senior Patrick Bears, a member of the Core Council for Gay and Lesbian Students, said that in light of a controversial comic published in the Jan. 13 edition of The Observer, there has never been a more important time for students to show support for the GLBT community.

“Generally we try to coincide T-shirt day with StaND Against Hate week or National Coming Out Day, but given the controversy surrounding the comic we thought it would be better to do a weeklong initiative promoting these issues,” Bears said.

More students and alumni than ever expressed interest in obtaining T-shirts to wear, he said.

Former Notre Dame wide receiver Golden Tate said he wanted to get involved with the initiative to help show Notre Dame’s GLBT community that he and others on campus support their decisions.

“I wanted to participate in the project because just like everyone else, [the GLBT community] are people and have rights,” Tate said. “The Notre Dame community is a family and family members support one another to make the family stronger.”

Three cheers for old Notre Dame! These kids make you proud to wear the blue and gold.

The administration must take the lead and permit a gay-straight alliance group to meet on campus, fully sponsored by the University.  That is unquestionably the moral, ethical, and ultimately the Christian thing to do.

More here.

No, Commissioner Tony Peraica Did Not Pull A ‘Ross Perot’ With ‘Those Folks’

Posted on by TL

Give me a break.

Look, I would never vote for Tony Peraica, but he did not use a racial slur Tuesday at a meeting of the Cook County Board, and Commissioner Deborah Sims should be ashamed.

Here’s the rub from the Chicago Sun-Times:

Peraica, who is white and represents the western suburbs, was talking about how cutting the county’s share of the sales tax could help the unemployed — mentioning specifically how the African American community has been hit especially hard by joblessness and how "those folks" could benefit from slashing the tax.

"What we need to do is concern ourselves with the taxpayers. We had 70,000 foreclosures in Cook County last year, we have conventions leaving, we have 11.2 unemployment rate in Cook County," he said.

"In the African American community, it’s probably 40, 50 percent unemployment, among males in particular. This is not the way to help them. The way to help those folks is to let them keep their money in their pockets."

At that point someone yelled out "Those folks?"

Peraica quickly responded: "All folks, all folks — everybody who makes up Cook County."

But the original two words set off Commissioner Deborah Sims, an African American whose district covers Chicago’s South Side and the south suburbs.

"I’m offended. ‘Those folks?’ If that isn’t the most racist statement that’s ever been made in this board," Sims fired back.

First off, Commissioner Sims, I’m sure that was not the ‘most racist statement that’s ever been made in [the Cook County] board." The board has had quite a ride. Peraica was obviously expressing empathy, and that’s a good thing. We could use more of that in Cook County.

More here at the Sun-Times, but it’s really not worth it. I’m not voting for Commissioner Sims in the primary. Hopefully others will follow suit.