Right-Wing Hatemongering Fueled by Christianity?

I can only breath a sigh of relief that bigotry bashing has finally gone mainstream and we are finally collectively calling a duck a duck.

Right-Wing Hatemongering Fueled by Christianity?
By Frank Schaeffer, AlterNet
Posted on September 21, 2009, Printed on September 28, 2009
http://www.alternet.org/story/142755/

Former president Jimmy Carter went on the record to point out that he believes that racism is at the heart of the great deal of the extreme animosity being leveled at President Obama  (NBC News September 15). Carter identified himself as a Southerner with an insider's understanding.  There's something he didn't mention however: the special culpability of his own religion -- Evangelical Christianity -- for the anti-Obama hyperventilating and furious reaction to our first black president. And that reaction has less to do with race and more to do with the ugliest side of religion.

The fact is that if you're going to blame one group above all others for the willful ignorance and continuing ugliness of the response to President Obama the best candidate would be the evangelical/fundamentalist community.  The angry part of the South Carter spoke of is racist because it's dominated by a certain type of "Christian" culture.

Since Carter is also an evangelical Christian (as well as a Southerner) he would have done well to use his evangelical  insider status to point to not just racism but to scream bloody murder about a bigger problem today: the hijacking of Christianity as the source of the hate and anger directed against all things "other" by a vocal (and health care lobby-organized and funded) angry  minority of voters who are poisoning the American body. 

American Christianity Is At The Heart Of Our Worst Problems

Are the New Atheists leading us to enlightenment? The problem with the recent New Atheist attacks on Christianity is that they mirror the hostility of the evangelical/fundamentalist subculture toward the secular society that it so disdains.  The real answer to the question; "Can Christianity be saved from the Christians?" is not going to be found coming from people like Dawkins, Hitchens and Harris et al. Instead that answer may be found in the life and work of Christians such as former president Jimmy Carter, President Obama,  the late writer John Updike, and other public figures from Desmond Tutu to Nelson Mandela who's faith can be taken seriously because of the moral authority given them by their achievements outside the realm of theology.

The people running around calling Obama is "Hitler", the so-called "birthers" and all the rest can't be understood outside of the context of the hermetically sealed world-hating gated community known as Evangelical Christianity.  As a former Evangelical and son of an Evangelical Religious Right leader, let me share a little of the insider perspective that I wish Carter had brought to the subject.

What Defines American Evangelicals These Days?

The key to understanding the Evangelicals is to understand the popularity of the Left Behind series of books about the "return of Christ" (and the whole host of other End Times "ministries" from the ever weirder Jack-the-Rapture-is-coming!-Van-Impe to the smoother but no less bizarre pages of Christianity Today magazine). This isn't some new or sudden interest in prophecy, but evidence of the deepening inferiority complex suffered by the evangelical/fundamentalist community.

Left Behind

The words "left behind" are ironically what the books are about, but not in the way their authors intended. The evangelical/fundamentalists, from their crudest egocentric celebrities to their "intellectuals" touring college campuses trying to make evangelicalism respectable, have indeed been left behind by modernity. They won't change their literalistic anti-science, anti-education, anti-everything superstitions, so now they nurse a deep grievance against "the world."

This has led to a profound fear of the "other." Jenkins and LaHaye (the Left Behind authors) provide the ultimate revenge fantasy for the culturally left behind against the "elite." The Left Behind franchise holds out hope for the self-disenfranchised that at last soon everyone will know "we" were right and "they" were wrong. They'll know because Spaceship Jesus will come back and whisk "us" away, leaving everyone else to ponder just how very lost they are because they refused to say the words, "I accept Jesus as my personal savior" and join our side while there was still time!

The bestselling status of the Left Behind novels proves that, not unlike Islamist terrorists who behead their enemies, many evangelical/ fundamentalist readers relish the prospect of God doing lots of messy killing for them as they watch in comfort from on high. They want revenge on all people not like them--forever.

Generations Of Indoctrination

We are several generations into the progeny of leaders such as James Dobson and his radio show Focus On The Family. These offspring extol the virtues of corporal punishment, patriarchy, applying biblical law to public governance and so forth.  Millions of evangelicals have been raised in homes where they've been isolated from the wider culture, home schooled and/or sent to "Christian schools" where they have been indoctrinated to believe that the Federal Government is the enemy of all true believers, that the "End" is near, that secular society is their enemy as is art, learning and culture.

They now form a Fifth Column of the deliberately intellectually disenfranchised. They know they are out of the loop and hate the rest of us for their own self-imposed isolation. I'm afraid they will soon turn to violence.

Here Are The Alternatives To Change the Theologically-Induced Hate Landscape:

A) all sane Americans must become atheists or agnostics,

or...

B) those of us who are Christians must rescue Christianity from the willfully ignorant evangelicals and fundamentalists.

I favor the second alternative.  First, having been raised in an evangelical/fundamentalist home I've long since moved beyond my background when it comes to my politics and my theology. That proves something; people can change their minds! I did.

But I believe more strongly than ever that we human beings are spiritual beings with or without the permission of those who take a purely rationalist approach to human existence.  The better -- and I think only realistic option -- is to regard religion as an evolving process of human consciousness and work to reform rather than eliminate it

In my soon-to-be published book Patience With God: Faith For People Who Don't Like Religion (Or Atheism) I have very deliberately started a radical conversation through which I hope many of us can carve out a position that embraces religion while absolutely rejecting the type of insanity that has become synonymous with the word "Christian" in contemporary America.

Two "Threads" In Religion

As I argue in my new book the choice between the absolutist secular fundamentalism of the New Atheism and the authoritarianism of James Dobson's-type of "Christianity" is no choice at all. The better alternative is to understand that there are two main threads running all through almost all religions including Christianity:

1) an open, inclusive and questioning thread

and...

2) a closed and exclusionary thread.

The more open thread is not some modern phenomenon developed by "liberal thinking." As I explain in Patience With God this "thread" can be found in the earliest Christianity and Judaism.

If you look around and see  good results from Christianity, say from the invention of modern hospitals, which have their roots in religious groups or the music of JS Bach, you're looking at the fruits of the best of the open tradition and thread.  When you see a group of scared racist white people like Joe Wilson in Washington DC screaming "liar" or "Obama is a socialist" or "Obama wasn't born in America" you're seeing the madness of the other thread: fundamentalism that wants absolute certainty about everything, and forces its followers to live in a narrower and narrower field of existence.

Conclusion

Christianity is worth saving from the Christians for two reasons.  First, because as moral and spiritual beings religion should feed our souls rather then strip out our humanity.  Second, because whether we like it or not, religion is here to stay. Better to shape it rather than to simply denounce it.

I may be an idealist but I believe that if others will step forward and add to what I have tried to begin with my new book together we can give good answers to both the extremes of the New Atheists and to the hate of the Evangelical fundamentalists. Join me to build a better vision. We might actually be able to change the conversation in America about religion. 

Is that important? Yes, like it or not religion will not go away. It motivates the worst in the American psyche and some of the best too. It is Joe Wilson's religion of hate but it also motivated Martin Luther King Jr.

Perhaps a generation from now the image of a typical Christian won't be a hate-monger like James Dobson but rather a lover of peace such as Bishop Desmond Tutu, or a literary giant like John Updike, and yes, a President Obama.

The only real answer to the hijacking of Christianity by the Religious Right, the longevity of religion-based racism, and the backward and inward looking movement we now call "American Christianity" is not to talk everyone out a having faith but rather to fight for the humane and ancient thread found within the Christian tradition. Blaming everything on race is too easy.

If you get the chance to read Patience With God please let me know what you think of it. I'm asking one big question in the book: Can Christianity be rescued from the Christians? You tell me.

Frank Schaeffer is a writer and author of Crazy for God: How I Grew Up As One Of The Elect, Helped Found The Religious Right, And Lived To Take All (Or Almost All) Of It Back.
© 2009 Independent Media Institute. All rights reserved.
View this story online at: http://www.alternet.org/story/142755/

What the hell are you women putting on your FACES?!!!!

What the hell are you women putting on your FACES?!!!!

Terrorism suspect Najibullah Zazi plotted for more than a year to detonate homemade bombs in the United States, had recently bought bomb-making supplies from beauty supply stores and was looking for "urgent" help in the past two weeks to make explosives, an indictment charged today.

Address : <http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/sep/24/terrorism-usa-najibullah-zazi-denver>
I've gotta say that this is some pretty scary stuff! The guy bought his bomb making supplies at BEAUTY SUPPLY STORES?

Guys, how many times have you seen some bar fly with a ton of make-up on at the end of the bar light up a cig? How many times have YOU lit it for her? And she held it with fingernails painted florescent RED?
I don't know if I'll ever be able to get close enough to a terroristic, makeup wearing woman to kiss her ever again! (Not that anyone wants me to kiss them anyway).

Ya know, I don't mean to belittle this incident. I'm quite sure that there are people out there that are truly planning to attack innocent civilians here in the United States. It's a real problem that deserves real attention.

But those who are charged with the task of ferreting out these threats have cried wolf about "Islamic Fundamentalist" with ties to Iran, Afghanistan, and other Islamic countries too many times for me to be very worried about these people much. I figure that they are for the most part watching with glee as we tear ourselves apart from the inside!

And that being said, I suspect that the real violent threat from within lies in the far right fringe groups. You know, like the ones who kill doctors in their church for doing their job. The ones who walk into museums and shoot everyone in sight. The "TeaBagger" type who simply "want our country back"!

You know, the kind who listen to and support people like Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Lou Dobbs, Bill O'Rielly, and their ilk?

You know... fascists.

The Truth About Two Racists—Beck and Limbaugh

For the record:

The Truth About Two Racists—Beck and Limbaugh
http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/20090923_the_racist_truth_about_beck_and_limbaugh/
Posted on Sep 24, 2009

By Joe Conason

With admirable calm, President Obama has sought to deflect the supercharged politics of race by expressing his optimism about American attitudes and ignoring the most extreme statements by his critics. For his own sake, as well as the nation’s, he is wise to give a pass to the likes of Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh. That is not, however, what they deserve.

The behavior of those media provocateurs over the past few months is almost beyond parody. They call the president a racist, even though there is no evidence of prejudice on his part and much evidence to the contrary. They demand that nobody should ever point out racial prejudice, but spend hours on the airwaves making false claims of bias against whites. And they whine constantly about being called racists, even though the president has never made that accusation against them.

“You can’t get your agenda,” protested Beck the other day, speaking of the president, “so you unleash the hounds and point the fingers, and everybody is a racist.” That was around the same time Obama’s spokesman said quite emphatically that the president does not believe his opponents are motivated by racism.

But since Beck and Limbaugh seem to be obsessed with this touchy subject, let’s examine their record. It turns out that both established their keen racial sensitivity on air long ago.

Back when Beck was simply a coked-out zoo-style morning talk jock on a Kentucky station—rather than a national political philosopher—he regularly mimicked African-American speech patterns for fun. “He used to do a funny ‘black guy’ character, really over the top,” recalls one of his former colleagues, quoted by biographer Alexander Zaitchik in a fascinating Salon profile.

Beck also became a devotee of the Mormon crank author and conspiracy theorist W. Cleon Skousen, whose writings he enthusiastically promotes to this day. Among Skousen’s pet theories was that Southern slave owners were actually the victims of the plantation system, which according to him favored the lazy and pampered slaves, whose children he called “pickaninnies.” Like his ultraright friends in the John Birch Society and kindred groups, Skousen was a dedicated foe of civil rights legislation.

Does that mean Beck is a bigot? If Obama had ever endorsed the writings of Louis Farrakhan, replete with vile slurs against whites and especially Jews, that would certainly be enough for Beck—who says he believes that the president has “a deep-seated hatred for white people, or the white culture.” That must be why the Obama White House has so many whites of all ethnic and religious backgrounds advising the president, from the Cabinet down.

As for Limbaugh, perhaps nobody remembers the time that he told a black caller to “take that bone out of your nose”; or the time when he said the nonviolent NAACP “should get a liquor store and practice robberies”; or the many times when he would play the “Movin’ On Up” theme from the old “Jeffersons” TV show to accompany his commentary about Carol Moseley Braun, the first black woman in the United States Senate. He used to do mocking bits in black dialect, too. But who needs to remember those sorry episodes when he continues that ugly pattern on air nearly every day?

The Limbaugh show reached a new low recently when he began a campaign around a school-bus incident in Belleville, Ill., in which two black students were videotaped beating up a white kid. Police authorities first said they believed the assailants were motivated by race, but later said it was just a nasty bullying assault (for which the two little thugs are now being prosecuted).

But Limbaugh could not resist the opportunity to turn that nastiness into something much more dangerous. “It’s Obama’s America, is it not? Obama’s America—white kids getting beat up on school buses now. I mean, you put your kids on a school bus, you expect safety, but in Obama’s America, the white kids now get beat up, with the black kids cheering.” In a more reflective mood, he later asked, “Can this nation really have an African-American president?”

Yes, we can—and despite the racial poison spread by Beck and Limbaugh, most Americans are proud that at long last, we do.

Address : <http://www.truthdig.com/report/print/20090923_the_racist_truth_about_beck_and_limbaugh/>

Highly religious states have top teen birth rates

Highly religious states have top teen birth rates

A new study shows that states that skew towards more conservative religious beliefs tend to have higher rates of teenage girls giving birth. (Shocking, I know.)

Researcher Joseph Strayhorn of Drexel University College of Medicine and University of Pittsburgh says,"We conjecture that religious communities in the U.S. are more successful in discouraging the use of contraception among their teenagers than they are in discouraging sexual intercourse itself."

Now, obviously studies like these have the whole correlation/causation issue going on - but from the work I did write The Purity Myth, this study makes sense to me.

If you grow up in an area where you're taught that sex is bad and contraception is evil (and that it can kill you), when you do have pre-marital sex - as 95% of Americans will - you're much less likely to protect yourself. Not only because you've been taught that condoms cause cancer and other such ridiculousness, but also because you may think that if sex happens in the heat of the moment - and you didn't plan for it like a bad, slutty girl - you're not as tainted.
Posted by Jessica - September 21, 2009, at 08:31AM

http://www.feministing.com/archives/017841.html 

These very same people tend to be the least educated as well. There is something in nearly all religions that suggests that education, open mindedness, and open inquiry are inherently evil. They are taught certain core beliefs from birth upon which to base all other beliefs. And these core beliefs are fallacious myths which are expected to be accepted by faith. Reaching these people with factual information is like trying to strike a match under water.   

Former Bush Official Loses It ... Accuses Obama of Having 'Fascist, Socialist Ideals'

Former Bush Official Loses It ... Accuses Obama of Having 'Fascist, Socialist Ideals'

TPMDC reports that Ellen Sauerbrey, who served as President Bush’s Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees, and Migration, told a local Republican group in Maryland last week that President Obama was following in the footsteps of global dictators:

She said that the Obama administration advanced “fascist, socialist ideals.”

“I’m really afraid for the future of our country,” Sauerbrey told attendees at the annual Lincoln/Reagan Dinner of Sept. 12 in Callaway. “Our Constitution is indeed being dismantled.”

In an interview with TPMDC, Sauerbrey tried to back away from her comments, insisting that she “mentioned Hitler’s name other than when the reporter came up to me afterwards,” she said. “And I said, look, I am not making a direct comparison Obama and Hitler. I’m making a comparison between policies in countries, and that history has a way of repeating itself.” Bush’s appointment of Sauerbrey in 2005 was widely panned because she had “no experience responding to major crises calling for international relief” and was nothing more than a “patronage” appointment. [via Alternet]

Yeah, tolerance for different races and cultures is certainly a Fascist Ideal. Assbag.

...she has relentlessly pressed an antiabortion and anti-family-planning agenda at international conferences meant to focus on urgent problems like sexual trafficking and the spread of AIDS. She also oversaw the admissions of refugees for permanent resettlement in the United States. One who is anti-immigrant?

The only part that I see where she got anything even partially right is where she said the Constitution "is being" dismantled. Indeed, her boss GW did a great job of that. If Mr. Obama even wanted to reinstate Constitutional Rights, he would have to fight an army of bipolar conservatives.

And just so you (and every other moron) know it, Fascism is a tendency of the extreme right. It blows my mind to hear all of these fascists accusing everyone of being fascist.

But it demonstrates that someone (not necessarily the moron doing the screaming) has been doing their homework:

Propaganda Student Handout

Types of Propaganda

There are many different propaganda techniques used during World War II. The following is a list with a short description of each type.

1. APPEAL TO AUTHORITY: Appeals to authority cite prominent figures to supports a position, idea, argument, or course of action.

2. BANDWAGON: The basic idea behind the bandwagon approach is just that, "getting on the bandwagon." Either everyone is doing it or supporting this person or cause, so you should too. The bandwagon approach appeals to the conformist in all of us: No one wants to be left out of what is perceived to be a popular trend.

3. TESTIMONIAL: This is the endorsement of a philosophy, movement or candidate. While celebrities are usually used, it can be people who supposedly "know" about the topic or situation.

4. PLAIN FOLKS: Here the candidate or cause is identified with common people from everyday walks of life. The idea is to make the candidate/cause come off as grassroots, all-American, for the common man.

5. TRANSFER: Transfer employs the use of symbols, quotes or the images of famous people to convey a message not necessarily associated with them. In the use of transfer, the posters attempt to persuade us through the indirect use of something we respect, such as a patriotic or religious image, to promote specific ideas.

6. FEAR: This technique is very popular during wartime. The idea is to present a dreaded circumstance and usually follow it up with the kind of behavior needed to avoid that horrible event.

7. GLITTERING GENERALITIES: This approach is closely related to what is happening in TRANSFER (see above). Here, a generally accepted virtue is usually employed to stir up favorable emotions. The problem is that these words mean different things to different people and are often manipulated for the propagandists' use. The important thing to remember is that in this technique the propagandist uses these words in a positive sense. They often include words like: democracy, family values (when used positively), rights, civilization, even the word "American."

8. NAME-CALLING: This is the opposite of the GLITTERING GENERALITIES approach. Name-calling ties a person or cause to a largely perceived negative image.

"Propaganda Techniques" is based upon "Appendix I: PSYOP Techniques" from "Psychological Operations Field Manual No.33-1" published by Headquarters; Department of the Army, in Washington DC, on 31 August 1979

Source

New Protest Over Government Spending

Hold on to your heads for this one, folks...

Rep. Kevin Brady [R-TX8] asked for an explanation of why the government-run subway system didn’t, in his view, adequately prepare for this past weekend’s rally to protest government spending and government services.

Seriously.

The Texas Republican on Wednesday released a letter he sent to Washington’s Metro system complaining that the taxpayer-funded subway system was unable to properly transport protesters to the rally to protest government spending and expansion.
Address : http://blogs.wsj.com

So, he is mad that the government didn't spend enough money to prepare for the Teabaggers to come and protest government spending.

Can anyone spell d-e-m-e-n-t-i-a? I suppose it would be too much to hope that these idiots will one day see how retarded they appear to the rest of us.

Is Glenn Beck Bad for America?

Is Glenn Beck Bad for America?

The inevitable question is, How much of this industry is sincere? Last year, shortly after the election, Beck spoke with TIME's Kate Pickert, and he didn't sound very scared back then. Of Obama's early personnel decisions, he said, "I think so far he's chosen wisely." Of his feelings about the President: "I am not an Obama fan, but I am a fan of our country ... He is my President, and we must have him succeed. If he fails, we all fail." Of the Democratic Party: "I don't know personally a single Democrat who is a dope-smoking hippie that wants to turn us into Soviet Russia." Of the civic duty to trust: "We've got to pull together, because we are facing dark, dark times. I don't trust a single weasel in Washington. I don't care what party they're from. But unless we trust each other, we're not going to make it."

For the record, as if it needs to be said (and actually, I guess someone needs to say it and keep repeating it), Glenn Beck is not anyone's messiah. He is a snake oil salesman, a street hawking, insincere fake who is only making a buck off of fostering and festering extremist fear.

Don't buy into it. Boycott Beck!

Limbaugh Wants Jim Crow Back: "We Need Segregated Buses"

Limbaugh Wants Jim Crow Back: "We Need Segregated Buses"

Limbaugh Wants Jim Crow Back: "We Need Segregated Buses"

Posted by Zaid Jilani, Think Progress at 8:22 AM on September 17, 2009.

In "Obama's America," Rush cries, "the white kids now get beat up."

Last week, a video of a school bus beating showing two African American children assaulting a white student began circulating the internet. Despite claims by authorities that the attack was not necessarily racially motivated, hate radio host Rush Limbaugh jumped on the story and claimed that in "Obama's America the white kids now get beat up." Yesterday, Limbaugh proposed a solution to this problem -- a return to segregated busing:

LIMBAUGH: I think the guy's wrong. I think not only it was racism, it was justifiable racism. I mean, that's the lesson we're being taught here today. Kid shouldn't have been on the bus anyway. We need segregated buses -- it was invading space and stuff. This is Obama's America.

This is a dangerous man. He actually carries more weight (no pun intended) with conservatives than Bilbo Beck!

I mean, think about it. I man with millions of "followers" (sheeple, extremists, fundamentalists) in America advocating segregation? What does THIS guy have to do to get canned? He has actually said a lot more offensive stuff than what Beck said, not that what Beck said is out of bounds because it most certainly is.

But if we can pressure advertisers to stop sponsoring hate speech coming from the mouth of Beck, why can't we stop the scurrilous stuff coming from Boss Hogg and his medicated mind? News flash: the meds ain't working! He's an ass on and off of them!

Text Of The Resolution Of Disapproval Of Rep. Joe Wilson

Text Of The Resolution Of Disapproval Of Rep. Joe Wilson | LiveWire

Whereas on September 9, 2009, during the joint session of Congress convened pursuant to House Concurrent Resolution 179, the President of the United States, speaking at the invitation of the House and Senate, had his remarks interrupted by the Representative from South Carolina, Mr. Wilson; and

Whereas the conduct of the Representative from South Carolina was a breach of decorum and degraded the proceedings of the joint session, to the discredit of the House: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the House of Representatives disapproves of the behavior of the Representative from South Carolina, Mr. Wilson, during the joint session of Congress held on September 9, 2009.

Gee, if those guys need some help with harsh rebukes I'd be glad to offer my assistance. I hope this "disapproval" means a little more than it sounds like it does. I'm not sure that I would even be satisfied with censure, though.

Uruguay and US fear arms race

Tabaré Vázquez and Hillary Clinton express concern that recent weapons purchases could lead to an arms race

Uruguay and the United States expressed concern today that recent weapons purchases could lead to an arms race in South America.

In a joint appearance, Tabaré Vázquez, Uruguay's president, and Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state, also pledged cooperation on trade.

Clinton singled out Venezuela, urging it to disclose its arms purchases and make clear what they are for. She said: "They should be putting in place procedures to ensure that weapons they buy are not diverted to insurgent groups or illegal organisations like drug trafficking gangs and other cartels."

"We hope that we can see a change in behaviour and attitudes on the part of the Venezuelan government."

Vázquez said he feared that an arms race in the region could divert funds from economic development in the poor countries of the region. "We believe that it is quite inconvenient to the region to devote such significant economic resources for purchasing arms," he said, speaking through an interpreter.

Hugo Chávez, Venezuela's president, said on Sunday that Russia has opened a $2.2bn line of credit with which his country could buy weapons. He said Venezuela needed more arms because it felt threatened by Colombia's decision to give US troops greater access to its military bases.

Address : http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/sep/15/uruguay-arms-race-venezuela

How about Ms Clinton and the United States put "in place procedures to ensure that weapons they buy are not diverted to insurgent groups or illegal organisations like drug trafficking gangs and other cartels" regarding their own transactions? (Iran-Contra, Iraq/Iran, Afghanistan/USSR, etc.)

You know, if you want to demand "transparency" from others, you might consider a little transparency of your own. You self-righteous pot calling kettle black a$$h0le.

Polling place church sign questioning Obama’s citizenship

Polling place tiff erupts over North Richland Hills church sign questioning Obama’s citize...

Polling place tiff erupts over North Richland Hills church sign questioning Obama’s citizenship

By AMAN BATHEJA

abatheja@star-telegram.com

Democrats and Republicans are divided over what to do about Maplewood Baptist Fellowship.

The North Richland Hills church has operated as a polling place for over 15 years but has recently drawn attention for a sign questioning President Barack Obama’s citizenship.

Pastor Gary Hopkins said he put up the message "Where’s the Birth Certificate?" on his church’s sign about two months ago. He changed the message last week.

"I put it up to get people to ask questions, just to provoke thoughts and that’s pretty much it," Hopkins said. "I do know there are a lot of people asking that question, and my understanding is that question has not been answered."

Local Democrats first noticed the sign last month. The Tarrant County Democratic Party posted a photo of the sign on its Web site with the message: "Do you feel comfortable with this being a polling location?"

Tarrant County Elections Administrator Steve Raborn said he was sent the photo of the sign and contacted Hopkins about it. Raborn said the church can remain a polling place as long as it does not post any political messages during elections.

"We have other polling places at nonelection times that have political activities," Raborn said.

I have long objected to churches being used as political elections polling locations. To begin with, at face value it is a clear violation of the separation of church and state. I would think that this alone would be clear to all. But then their behavior, as described in this piece and countless others, should serve to demonstrate exactly why these places should be excluded. Besides posting their clearly partisan beliefs, they can also intimidate others in making their personal choices in the elections. Intimidation techniques that they employ are passive/aggressive in nature.

You know, the "you'll go to hell" kind of crap.

"May the good Lord takes a liking to you and blow you up real good."

These are the people we should all fear:




Not these guys:

Statement from ACORN regarding recent news reports

Author: Bertha Lewis
People's Weekly World Newspaper, 09/12/09 15:45

The following is a statement from ACORN Chief Organizer Bertha Lewis, September 12, 2009, Regarding Recent News Reports

The relentless attacks on ACORN’s members, its staff and the policies and positions we promote are unprecedented. An international entertainment conglomerate, disguising itself as a “news” agency (Fox), has expended millions, if not tens of millions of dollars, in their attempt to destroy the largest community organization of Black, Latino, poor and working class people in the country. It is not coincidence that the most recent attacks have been launched just when health care reform is gaining traction. It is clear they’ve had these tapes for months.

We are their Willy Horton for 2009. We are the boogeyman for the right-wing and its echo chambers. If ACORN did not exist, the right-wing would have needed to create us in order to achieve their agenda, their missions, their ideal, retrograde America. This recent scam, which was attempted in San Diego, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia to name a few places, had failed for months before the results we’ve all recently seen. I am appalled and angry; I cannot and I will not defend the actions of the workers depicted in the video, who have since been terminated. But it is clear that the videos are doctored, edited, and in no way the result of the fabricated story being portrayed by conservative activist “filmmaker” O’Keefe and his partner in crime. And, in fact, a crime it was - our lawyers believe a felony - and we will be taking legal action against Fox and their co-conspirators.

We will not be intimidated by this international conglomerate, which has made as its mission the destruction of our organization. ACORN members are committed to the empowerment of their communities - Black, Latino, poor, and working class – at the deepest level. We are an organization committed to halting the foreclosure crisis and keeping people in their homes. We are an organization committed to ensuring quality, affordable health care for every American. We are an organization that will not be stopped in our commitment to our members and our communities which has included:

Helping hundreds of thousands of African-American and Latino voters register to vote and get to the polls in recent years;

Preparing, since 2004, approximately 150,000 free tax returns totaling $190 million in refunds and increased earned income tax credit participation;

Providing effective foreclosure prevention advocacy saving thousands of American families from losing their homes to foreclosure.

ACORN's website: www.acorn.org
Address : http://pww.org

Capitol Briefing - Lobbying Firm Says It Only Forged 13 Letters, Not 14

Capitol Briefing - Lobbying Firm Says It Only Forged 13 Letters, Not 14

Lobbying Firm Says It Only Forged 13 Letters, Not 14

By David A. Fahrenthold
A day after Congressional investigators said they'd found a 14th forged letter written to Congress by a lobbying firm working for the coal industry, the firm on Friday said that was not the case.

Bonner & Associates, the firm at which a now-fired employee wrote the faked letters, said there were 13 and no more. The 14th letter, which appeared to come from an American Legion post in Rocky Mount, Va., was legitimate, the firm said.

Or at least, legitimate by the rules of Washington lobbying.

Here's the firm's account of what happened, from Bonner's attorneys at the firm Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld:

An employee at Bonner & Associates, which was working for the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity, talked to someone at the American Legion post. Then they FedExed a pre-written letter to the post, asking U.S. Rep. Tom Perriello (D-Va.) to protect American energy independence and keep electricity costs low as the House debated a climate-change bill.

Then the letter was FedExed back, with the signature of post Adjutant Charles Santrock.

"We have no indication that it isn't legitimate," said John Sopko, a partner at Akin Gump.

But, on Capitol Hill today, a spokesman for the committee investigating the letters say they still believe the letter is faked. Eben Burnham-Snyder, a spokesman for the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, said investigators have talked to Santrock, and he told them it's not his signature.

"The story hasn't changed," Burnham-Snyder said.

Santrock, of course, is the one person who might clear this up. But, when the Washington Post called this afternoon, a woman who answered the phone said he was out playing golf.

By all means, don't bother the guy during his game of golf!

I'm glad we have this pesky little matter taken care of. I certainly wouldn't want to accuse them of 14 counts of fraud when they only committed 13!

Liberty University chaplain faces drug and burglary charges

WLNI FM

Liberty University chaplain faces drug and burglary charges
A Liberty University chaplain is facing drug and burglary charges. Last week, a homeowner caught Scott Ray on surveillance video breaking into a home to steal painkillers. Ray, who is the chaplain for the men's basketball team and the Director of Convocation, is also suspected in other Campbell County break-ins. In 2005 he was arrested and charged with the same thing. Ray has been suspended by the school and it's believed he's checked into a rehab program. Investigators also say Ray has not yet been arrested but additional indictments are pending.

Awe.

Help Stop Glenn Beck's EXTREMIST Hate

ColorOfChange.org

As you may know, right-wing talk show hosts have been bringing race-based fear mongering into the mainstream, but FOX's Glenn Beck has taken it to another level.

I signed ColorOfChange.org's petition to stop Glenn Beck's lies and distortions, and so far, 62 major companies have stopped their ads from running on his show. These companies have decided they don't want to be associated with Beck's race-baiting.

But Beck is only stepping up his fear-mongering, so we can't stop now. We have to make sure advertisers keep leaving, and stay away from his show.

Will you take a stand and be counted, and invite your friends and family to do the same? It takes just a moment:

http://www.colorofchange.org/beck/?id=1901-1103857

This summer, Beck said:

This president has exposed himself as a guy over and over and over again who has a deep-seated hatred for white people... this guy is, I believe, a racist.

That statement fits into a pattern of rhetoric from Beck designed to stoke racial paranoia and fear. He has claimed that President Obama has a "reparation appetite" and a desire to use his policies to settle old racial scores. Beck's overall plan is to create an atmosphere in which the White House can accomplish nothing, and he's carrying it out by preying on race-based fears and mobilizing hate. Beck relies on dishonesty, distortion and exaggeration, and he is embarking on character assassinations of Obama administration officials with whom he disagrees.

FOX has a horrible track record on pushing racist propaganda, but Glenn Beck appears to be taking the network to an even lower standard. He's trying to divide and distract America when we should be coming together and talking about issues that really matter--like health care and the economy.

The good news is that we have the power to stop this. Over 175,000 people have joined this campaign, and 62 advertisers have already stopped their ads from being run during Beck's show. Please help keep the momentum building.

http://www.colorofchange.org/beck/?id=1901-1103857

Thanks.

Here are some links to more info:

"Beck: Obama has 'exposed himself as a guy' with 'a deep seated hatred for white people'"
http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/200907280008

"Glenn Beck: Obama agenda driven by 'reparations' and desire to 'settle old racial scores'"
http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/200907230040

Don't be a Dick!

Fanatic hijacked Mexican plane after 'revelation'

Boy, ya really gotta love those crazy Christians. Always good for a laugh!

Fanatic hijacked Mexican plane after 'revelation'

MEXICO CITY (AP) - A Bolivian religious fanatic briefly hijacked a jetliner from the beach resort of Cancun as it landed in Mexico City on Wednesday, police said. All passengers and the crew were released unharmed.

The Bible-carrying hijacker used a juice can he said was a bomb to hold the 103 passengers and crew on the tarmac for more than an hour. Masked police stormed the aircraft with their guns drawn and escorted several handcuffed men away without firing a shot. Police later said there was only one hijacker.

Jose Flores, 44, told investigators he hijacked Aeromexico Flight 576 after a divine revelation, according to Public Safety Secretary Genaro Garcia Luna. Flores said Wednesday's date - 9-9-09 - is the satanic number 666 turned upside down.

Flores, speaking to reporters after he was detained, said he took control of the aircraft with "a juice can with some little lights I attached."

"Christ is coming soon," he added, smiling.

As the plane was landing, Flores stood up and showed his contraption to a flight attendant, saying he and three others were hijacking the plane, Garcia Luna said. Flores later told police his three companions were "the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost."

He ordered the pilot to circle over Mexico City seven times and asked to speak with Mexican President Felipe Calderon, saying he wanted to warn him of an impending earthquake, Garcia Luna said.

Garcia Luna said Flores is a drug addict who was convicted of armed robbery in Bolivia, and has lived in Mexico for 17 years. Flores described himself as a pastor in southern Oaxaca state who had gone to Cancun to preach.

He is also a Christian music singer who in videos posted on YouTube sings of leaving drugs and finding God.

I wonder if this is the same revelation where health care equals death to all. Oh wait, I'm mixing my headlines here. That's not Christians, it's Republicans. Oh wait again, that's the same thing!

Judge: Homeland Security can’t require dependence on God

Judge: Homeland Security can’t require dependence on God : Bluegrass Politics

By John Cheves - jcheves@herald-leader.com

A judge on Wednesday struck down a 2006 state law that required the Kentucky Office of Homeland Security to stress “dependence on Almighty God as being vital to the security of the commonwealth.”

Franklin Circuit Judge Thomas Wingate ruled that the law violated the First Amendment’s protection against the establishment of a state religion. Homeland Security officials have been required for three years to credit “Almighty God” in their official reports and post a plaque with similar language at the state’s Emergency Operations Center in Frankfort.

“Even assuming that most of this nation’s citizens have historically depended upon God by choice for their protection, this does not give the General Assembly the right to force citizens to do so now,” Wingate wrote.

“This is the very reason the Establishment Clause was created: to protect the minority from the oppression of the majority,” he wrote. “The commonwealth’s history does not exclude God from the statutes, but it had never permitted the General Assembly to demand that its citizens depend on Almighty God.”

State Rep. Tom Riner, D-Louisville, a Southern Baptist minister, placed the “Almighty God” language into a homeland security bill without much notice.

“I think we can all feel a little safer now,” Kagin said. “The real threats to our society come from within, not without, and that includes building a theocracy here in Kentucky.”

Attorney General Jack Conway defended the law in court, arguing that striking down such laws risked creating a secular society that is wholly separated from religion. A Conway spokeswoman said the attorney general’s office is reviewing the ruling and will decide whether to appeal.

Free Thinkers really dodged the bullet on this one. Thank GOD! ...oh, wait a minute... Thank our Founding Fathers! (but they're dead, too). Oh, screw it! I'll just be an ungrateful, godless heathen, being that I am "wholly separated from religion" and all.

The End of The Road Runner

Be forewarned: This is not recommended for viewing with children present. But it IS hilarious.