Prodigality as a Moral Value: $40M

The New York Times > Washington > Price of Bush Inauguration Party Is Too Rich for Some: "The Presidential Inaugural Committee raised at least $8 million through last week toward a tab that could top $40 million. Most of the money is coming from wealthy individuals and corporations, which can contribute up to $250,000. In return, top inaugural donors get stacks of tickets to events and admission to a special lunch with the president. The money collected from fund-raisers by LogiCom, which has a contract with the Republican National Committee, will similarly be used to offset the costs of various inauguration festivities."

This party is going to be conducted while hundreds of thousands die and more will die in the Asian disaster. This party is going to be conducted for a price tag of $40,000,000 while the US initially only offered $15,000,000 in aid. Only when it was pointed out how awful this was did the aid increase to $35,000,000. There are many who observe this reality. This is Moral Values America. This is caring for the needy. This is the values of the Christian Religion™ in action. One finds it hard to imagine how this First Christian manages to square all this with his founder. Jesus was a great teacher, but it appears Yale professors are not the only teachers from whom there has been little learning.

Ethics: Let's just ignore it. Want to?

Rigging the Rules (washingtonpost.com): 'A member . . . officer or employee of the House shall conduct himself at all times in a manner that shall reflect creditably on the House.' -- Code of Official Conduct, Rule XXIII, Clause 1. OF ALL THE ethical rules governing the conduct of House members, this is perhaps the most critical. It has been used to discipline members for taking bribes, fixing parking tickets and having sex with House pages. ... Perhaps most pertinent, it was the rule cited by the House ethics committee earlier this year in its serial admonishments of Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Tex.) for hosting a golf fundraiser for energy lobbyists on the eve of House consideration of the energy bill; offering to endorse the political campaign of a lawmaker's son in exchange for the member's vote on the prescription drug bill; and enlisting Federal Aviation Administration officials to hunt down fleeing Texas lawmakers who were foiling his redistricting plans for his home state.

It is interesting that this generates so little interest. I wonder if people think it doesn't really matter? Do they think their interests are served when legislation is pushed through only because it is backed by the wealthy? Perhaps it is only because the path from the corruption to their doorstep seems long and winding. Perhaps it is avoidance. It is difficult to admit that your beloved country could be engaging in actions that are totalitarian in nature, so one wants to excuse the use of the Federal government to coerce the democratic process of the local state. It is only a beginning. It shouldn't be a problem that the energy companies can do what they want under the cover of darkness. It is only a small crack in the dike. Let's just ignore it. Want to? Surely it will not result in anything awful down the road. It shouldn't be a problem if bribery is allowed. Let's just ignore it. Want to? It shouldn't be a problem that lawmakers are hunted down and forced to legislate. That wouldn't lead to other occasions of such behavior. Let's just ignore it. Want to? Let's pretend it isn't really all that bad that a key leader of congress is indicted for violating the law. Let's just let them do what they want. They will anyway, right? So let's just ignore it. Want to?

If the I do something stupid, I'll sue you

The New York Times > National > 6 Members of Elite Navy Force Sue News Agency Over Photos: "In one photo published by The A.P., ...; another shows a man in white boxer shorts, with what looks like blood dripping down his chest, his head in a black hood. In another, a grinning man in uniform is apparently sitting on a prisoner. The faces of most of the prisoners are obscured, but those of their captors are not."

So, a Navy Seal takes an awful and brutal picture and sends it to his partner who posts it on an Internet website. Let's just stop there. At this point, whatever the AP did or didn't do to obtain the photos is not half as much an issue as the fact they were taken and shared. Is this moral values? Does this contribute to the effort to win the hearts and minds of the Iraqi people or the so-called Arab World? What are we doing as a military that would allow this sort of behavior in the first place, let alone the photographing of it like a trophy?

[satire alert]Well men, we are fighting a war here, but we know you'll want trophies of the hunt. Feel free to share these photos with your loved ones at home, but don't allow any of them to get in the hands of the press. Those softies back home still think these Iraqi's are human beings.

Apparently, the wife "put the photographs on [the Web site] as a kind of backup storage, her lawyer said, 'and planned to go back and organize them or delete them later.'" She planned to do what? Organize them? Into what, the family scrapbook?

[satire alert] Now, here, little Johnny, is your grandfather treating another human being worse than an animal. Oh, yes, we decided at that time that they were not human. We've since expanded the list of non-humans, but back in those days we only had a few categories of non-humans.

Is there a justification for this sort of behavior? And what lack of shame to not feel so horrified in the first place that you would actually sue someone over this? When are we planning to apologize to the world? I'm guessing not before 2009.

Aid Grows Amid President's Absence

Aid Grows Amid Remarks About President's Absence (washingtonpost.com): "Among the world's two dozen wealthiest countries, the United States often is among the lowest in donors per capita for official development assistance worldwide, even though the totals are larger. According to the Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development of 30 wealthy nations, the United States gives the least -- at 0.14 percent of its gross national product..."

As my good friend Chase has discussed the role of our fearless leader, I will only observe that we seem to be a poor excuse for a friend and neighbor. I think more is required and more would be in our best interest. The only way to continue to grow our economy and secure our future is to secure the future and grow the economy of the rest of the world. There is little we can do that would be more effective than working to increase the wealth of the rest of the world. In doing so, we will have more opportunities for our own wealth production. Even without this perspective, there is a moral imperative to assist. We would expect it of our wealthy neighbors, and they should expect it of us. Finally, an observation for those interested in a theocracy: if we are interested in a Bible-based government, I believe the Bible would argue for a 10% tithe to others; not 0.14%. But perhaps there is a multiplicity in the interpretation of this text.

Morality battles Faith

The True Values of The Day (washingtonpost.com): How many among the cardinals and bishops and pastors and preachers and televangelists who now enjoy favor in high places would have the courage to do what Archbishop Romero did? In fairness, how many of the rest of us would? Isn't that a question of values?

As I have mentioned before (2004-12-24-10:00), the moral fiber of our country is very much at issue because of the lack of integrity on display in the corridors of power. Many have argued that morality is not derived from the imagination of faith, but from the practical and substantive immediacy of our lives. On the other side of this argument stand many that would favor theocracy or at least argue for the infusion of religion into the function of government. One of their tenents is that morality requires faith. If the current Administration and a majority of the current Congress are people of strong faith, as is posited, then this would be a clear and living denunciation of the argument that morality grows from faith. In fact, based on the current performance, I would suggest that morality is in a constant battle with the ignorance and fear of Western faith traditions.

Adjusting Blog Template

I found all sorts of interesting ways of changing the template for a blog. When you visit the advanced help section of Blogger, you can find all sorts of interesting tools. I recently tweaked my style sheet and added this functionality to expand and hide the text of the posts. If you want this template, just email me and I'll send it along. More importantly, please let me know if this new functionality is helpful. If it isn't, I'm sure there is a better way to organize things. Thanks for visiting!

Laughing at Book Burning in Maine

Book Blog -- ReadersRead.com: "Horrified by the 'immoral' themes of the book, Ms. Minnon wasn't content to stop her son from reading the book. She wants the entire freshman class not to have to read it. No word yet if her son has gone into therapy yet from the mortification of being a high school boy whose mother is leading a crusade against classic literature."

This one made me laugh. While one should always stamp out the burning of books or the censorship of others, one is gratified for the opportunity to laugh at the breathtaking stupidity of those who suppose that preventing knowledge is a path to enlightenment and happiness.

An Attack on our Liberty

Dispatches from the Culture Wars: Gay Parents and the Religious Right: For those who think that Judge Roy Moore's Ten Commandments fetish is merely a matter of religious expression and doesn't effect his work as a judge, he oversaw a case in February of 2002...It is important to note that in neither the trial court or the appeals court was the mother's lesbian relationship part of the decision. Neither court addressed it or based any part of their decision upon it...This is from his concurring opinion: 'Upon these two foundations, the law of nature and the law of revelation, depend all human laws; that is to say, no human laws should be suffered to contradict these.'

When the laws of a land are subject only to the imagined revelation as interpreted and understood by a particular sect, be assurred that there is no refuge for whatever you believe. It will eventually come to pass that you too will be among the outcast. One has to wonder why this awful excuse for a judge did not see fit to quote the Vedic texts? Or perhaps the Book of Morman? In a country that was explicitly not founded on any particular religious tradition, this seems a rather blatant offense. Take care with our liberties, or they will wash away.

No peace on Earth during unjust war

No peace on Earth during unjust war: "This time of the year we celebrate ''peace on Earth to men of good will.'' Americans must face the fact that they can no longer claim to be men and women of good will, not as long as they support an unnecessary, foolish, ill-conceived, badly executed and, finally, unwinnable war. If most people in other countries blame the war on Americans, we earned that blame in the November election..."

Succinctly put. With an interesting note at the end that was clearly posted later. When you cannot respond to someone with substance, it seems it is always possible to question their reputation which is a veiled form of questioning their humanity. Many thanks to Steve at Reason & Liberty for sharing this excellent article.

Inaugural Prodigality and Moral Values

The New York Times > Washington > Energy Companies Help Lift Inaugural Fund to $8 Million:ExxonMobil, the Occidental Petroleum Corporation, ChevronTexaco and the Southern Company were among more than 20 donors to give the maximum $250,000, which entitles executives to attend the ceremonies, black-tie balls and events with the president. Many others gave smaller amounts in return for fewer perks, like the $100,000 contributed by the military contractors Boeing and Northrop Grumman. The Presidential Inaugural Committee is seeking to raise as much as $40 million to kick off Mr. Bush's second term, with multiple events leading up to the Jan. 20 swearing-in, and has spent much of December soliciting donors across the country, despite the holidays and the exhaustion brought by an election that raised record amounts.

I thought this was the Presidency of Moral Values? Where is the morality in this sort of spending on a party? I'm receiving appeals to send phone cards to the soldiers in Iraq for the holidays, and this so-called Moral Values President is spending $8,000,000 on a party? This doesn't even get to the question of undue influence by the donors. In part because I am a realist. The wealthy always have influence and access that I would not have. This is the way the world works and in large part, it is a functional system. One of the important reasons it generally functions is the moral values of the individuals who are wealthy and/or powerful. It isn't a problem because of the typical condemnation of hypocrisy (about which Christians should be especially concerned given the teachings of their founder), but it is a serious civic problem because we cannot trust the government if it is run by those who lack the moral fiber to understand that greed and wanton displays of wealth are anathama to the civilized. Be afraid of the hypocrisy for these practical reasons.

Elaborate Shows of Faith

Elaborate Shows of Faith (washingtonpost.com): "According to Associate Pastor Kevin Matthews, the 15 performances cost $524,000 and were attended by more than 32,000 people. Such productions are increasingly common because of the growing number of large churches in the Washington area."

One is shocked by this sort of blatant materialism from an organization and religion that proposes to be about helping the poor and doing good. One understands that many Christians are moral people and that many believe their religion to be the foundation of their morality, but in my life, this is immoral. If the message were consistent with the teachings of Jesus, this kind of money would be allocated as $24,000 for the overt marketing and advertising effort, and $500,000 (one half million dollars) allocated for the feeding the hungry of the world. And that may even be too much. What a shockingly prodigal waste of resources.

Coburn the Fanatic

Doctor's Order (washingtonpost.com): "He told a meeting of local Republicans that 'the gay community has infiltrated the very centers of power. They are the greatest threat, that agenda is the greatest threat to our freedom that we face today.' "

Fascinating. I don't feel like the greatest threat. I wonder what it is I'm going to do by loving my husband, caring for an elderly relative, raising my son and working hard for my employer? And what is my agenda, anyway? Equal rights? Well, at least I don't want them only for myself. If that is the agenda, I want it for everyone. My comfort comes from the probability that fanaticism will trip over its own sword. The sad part will be the harm done to Oklahoma in having ineffective representation in the Senate.

"Good God," [Joe Scarborough] recalls thinking. "May God help the leadership of the Republican Senate. I just can't imagine. I can't imagine how much fun it's going to be to watch Tom Coburn go after his own."

Unless you live in Oklahoma and were looking for a US Senator who would move forward the agenda of the state. In that case, it seems unlikely you'll have much fun.

Catholic Canards

Gay News From 365Gay.com: "'It's not exactly a surprise if a Catholic church leader comes out and says homosexuality is a sexual aberration,' O'Brien's spokesperson told the Herald newspaper. 'I don't think anyone could claim to be surprised or shocked by his remarks -- they're Catholic viewpoints.'"

And I totally agree. What is shameful (and equally unsurprising) is the way they maintain this position in the face of overwhelming contradiction from the scientific community. And what is awful is the way they continue to prosecute this rhetoric in the face of faithful members of their community who are gay. It is hurtful and no amount of equivocation in terms of "helping them see their way to salvation" can obscure the rank bigotry that it is. Oh God, do please save me from your followers. Amen.

This is Class Warfare

This is Class Warfare: More Thoughts on Social Security This was a rather well thought out argument on an interesting topic. The question of taxation is usually not cast in terms of the Religious Right's favorite religion, so I think we can take Bruce's discussion here, mix in a little moral content along the lines of the teaching of Jesus of Nazareth, and let's see where it takes us? Thanks, Bruce.

US War Crimes

War Crimes (washingtonpost.com): "For now the appalling truth is that there has been no remedy for the documented torture and killing of foreign prisoners by this American government. "

I don't really have any comment here. It just makes me feel ill.

The Fall of Rome

Editor's Cut has a detailed discussion of the beginning of the end of the American Empire. The Fall of Rome was not caused by any internal immorality (or it would have fallen with the reign of Tiberius), but rather by the hunger of the tribes on the other side of the Rhine.

Political Hijaking

Gay Sanctuary: Life in the Woods: "This article from the Arkansas Times is wonderful, and I hope it, along with other things I've been reading indicate a new momentum behind the progressive x-tian movement."

Wow! Gay Sanctuary has really found a winner here. And from Arkansas! I am not a Christian, but if more Christians were to start working along the lines discussed in this excellent article, I could at least be supportive.

Arkansas Times :: I want my faith back:But we also have black-and-white beliefs, just like conservatives do: Greed is wrong. Poverty is unjust. Compassion is commanded. If it’s certainty people want, we can give it to them in spades.

I strongly recommend this article to your attention! ------------------------------- And while we're on the subject, here is a great related piece: A Better Nation: Inventing Christianity

Participation and Traditions

The New York Times > National > Court in California Hears Gay Marriage Arguments: Though they differed in their reasons, the state and other lawyers argued there was nothing unconstitutional or discriminatory about a law that defines marriage in a manner consistent with tradition and the desire of most Californians. 'The word 'marriage' has a particular meaning to them, and they don't want that meaning to change,' said Louis R. Mauro, a senior assistant attorney general. Mr. Mauro added, 'Complex social policies should not be determined in this courtroom' and 'the public needs to be a part of the process.'

How would the desires of the people be relevant in a discussion of minority rights? If the codification of bigotry is subject to the desires of the people, do you really think we would allow African-Americans into our Anglo-American schools? Let's try it this way:

Existential Redux: Though they differed in their reasons, the state and other lawyers argued there was nothing unconstitutional or discriminatory about a law that defines humanity in a manner consistent with tradition and the desire of most Californians. 'The word 'human' has a particular meaning to them, and they don't want that meaning to change,' said Louis R. Mauro, a senior assistant attorney general. Mr. Mauro added, 'Complex social policies should not be determined in this courtroom' and 'the public needs to be a part of the process.'

Picture the discussion being the rights of almost any minority group. Imagine trying to abolish segregation through "the public." Picture a world where the relative calm of a courtroom is removed from the process. Weren't the McCarthy hearings a participation of the public in the process? Wouldn't red scare be consistent with the desires of the public at that time? Furthermore, if we want to base marital benefits upon tradition, then let us engage in a full examination of this tradition. Based upon the tradition, I would like to see a constitutional amendment banning divorce and clarifying the nature of a wife as property. And while we are working on these issues of tradition, let's make it illegal for women to work. Otherwise, they might choose to avoid getting married altogether! All this would be a violation of the tradition of marriage.

Posturing and Staying out of the Cold

Red Dirt has offered a topic for some discussion and my good friend Chase has offered some thoughts that were, as usual, clearly presented. Chase brings to mind two points that I would have about the question of the vocabulary related to these winter solstice celebrations.

Cutting to the Chase: "Here ye, for I say to both the Religious Right and the Secular Left: A pox on both your houses!"

I can't agree with this one completely. The Montague and Capulet houses were equals with an implication of equal blame in their Verona feud. It is not reasonable to propose that the Religious Right is on an equal playing field with the Secular Left. In fact, it is precisely this that is my first point. The posturing of the Religious is amazing in their protestations of persecution in the United States. They have the advantage of capital, assets both liquid and real, and numbers that are leveraged off the enormous moderate Christian community. When Franklin Graham makes the statement Chase quoted, he is engaging in a manipulative polemic. The long history of fear-based politics requires a sense of attack. As Chase so eloquently put it,

"much of this current outcry ... is ginned up by the Religious Right for the chief purpose of stretching that so-called cultural divide. Empowerment and righteousness do not arise from complacency. Those things come from having your back against the wall. Those things come from being in the fight."

When you are the establishment, however, it is not possible to be the persecuted. When the power structure of this country swings all the way from its current position of sympathetic support, through constitutional neutrality, to a policy of aggressive attack, then we can start talking about the persecution of Christians. In the meantime, it is nothing more than a shameless attempt to aggregate power. Furthermore, I do think it is possible to recognize the long and storied nature of this season without maudlin references to "the real meaning of Christmas." As Chase aptly points out in reference to the Christmas tree, the thing has pagan origins. This holiday season is a time to celebrate in order to remind us that the darkness of the winter solstice is a passing time that will be replaced with the bright light of spring. So, we celebrate with plants that remain green through the dark of winter such as the pines and the Live Oak. It is wonderful that the Winter Solstice means Christ Mass to millions. For them. It is not any less a wonderful celebration because I do not see the meaning in the celebration of a birthday that is unlikely to have occurred at this time (not that this is significant since we move birthday celebrations all the time). As a final point, I would observe that these rather insignificant discussions are actually a big part of traditional winter activities. When you are holed up with your tribe in a Manhattan cave during the ice and snow and dark, arguing about what you call that 200 year old recently-killed pine tree in the front yard can be quite a way to pass the time. :-) May the years bring to your chosen family the reflection of the cool winter night and the warmth of the bright summer day. Happy Winter Solstice!

Gay Bashing Hurts Everyone

Social Security Backtracks On Marriage Documents From Gay Friendly Towns: "The refusal by Social Security to recognize the marriages from the four communities had been in place for months, but the Administration failed to notify local officials. It came as a shock to one straight couple in the town."

Discrimination and bigotry tend to be bad for all of a society. When the government makes distinctions based on faith statements that are beyond objective examination, it could be you that is denied the protection of the law. This is relevant here because we are still waiting for an argument against homosexuality that is free of a faith foundation.

The burden of persuasion on gay parenting

Reason & Liberty: Shifting the burden of persuasion on gay parenting: "Thus, the burden must be on those who seek to exclude gays from these institutions to justify that exclusion by means of concrete arguments and actual evidence about how gay families produce harm or diminish social utility. To retreat to assertions about tradition or 'morality,' red herrings about incest or polygamy, or cliches about being 'pro-family' is simply to admit you have nothing more rational and persuasive to offer."

Steve Sanders makes a cogent point in observing that we must stop allowing the bigots to walk away from actually defending their perspectives in terms of political science. Along these same lines, where is the argument that says the homosexual undermines society? I know the statement is made often, but where is the argument? Upon what facts is this based?

All Hat, No Cattle

Editor's Cut: "[Time's reason for awarding Bush Person of the Year] sounds like a polite way of saying, Bush proved you can be a really rotten president and still get reelected. As Texans say, the man is 'all hat, no cattle.' And Time fell for it hook, line and sinker."

It really is a remarkably uninspired choice to nominate Shrub as the Person of the Year. It would seem a stretch to come up with anything inspiring or interesting about the man. Read the van Heuvel post for a remarkably succinct listing of what a wonderful leader Shrub has been.

---

I have been reading the justification from Time for their remarkably awful choice of 2004 Person of the Year. Shocking. It is one thing to acknowledge that the man did win, but it is something else entirely to speak as if it were a strong win, a ringing endorsement, a mandate. This is the sort of pandering behavior that will continue to cement the totalitarian delusions of the current administration. We defeated Hitler in World War II, but we apparently learned little from the experience.

Open Source, Open Societies

The New York Times > Technology > On the Open Internet, a Web of Dark Alleys: Even if the government is able to shore up its networks against attack - one of many goals set forth by the intelligence reform bill passed last week - the ability of terrorists and other dark elements to engage in covert communications online remains a daunting security problem, and one that may prove impossible to solve.

The lessons of open source are hard to learn. Control is destructive and will not lead to success. In order to protect the network and protect the communication assets, we must be creative. Creative in this context does not refer to clever new ideas, but to the invention and production capacity of the society. The reason one is not concerned about the release of open source code is because the economics are shifted from history to the future. Rather than banking on what has been, one banks far more on what will be. This same principle is possible in security in an open society and an open networked economy. Take a proactive, forward oriented approach. Seal and protect and attack. But attempting to control the possiblity that the enemy is communicating amongst themselves, is a loser strategy. It is rather like the thought police mentality of a totalitarian state. An as a totalitarian strategy, it opens the doors to other totalitarian tendencies that can lead to the destruction of our society far faster than the occasional attacks of fringe criminal organizations.

The Persecution of Christians

The New York Times > Arts > Frank Rich: 2004: The Year of 'The Passion': ...it's only a matter of time before someone uncovers an anti-Christian plot in 'White Christmas.' It avoids any mention of religion and it was, as William Donohue might be the first to point out, written by a secular Jew.

Mr. Rich has a way of filling his column with actual journalism. You may not recognize it, but this is when a professional actually researches the issues.

[ibid]Mr. Sharpton doesn't even have a congregation; like Mr. Falwell, he is a politician first, a religious leader second (or maybe fourth or fifth). Gary Bauer and James Dobson are also secular political figures, not religious leaders, yet they are more frequently called upon to play them on television than actual clergy are.

Invoking the shroud of religion can lead to some powerful rhetoric. Tread with care, for history tells us the story of the shroud of religion becoming the shroud of death for millions.

My, it is getting DRAFTy in here...

The New York Times -- Washington -- Guard Reports Serious Drop in Enlistment: [The Army National Guard has] fallen 30 percent below its recruiting goals in the last two months and [will] offer new incentives, including enlistment bonuses of up to $15,000. In addition, the head of the National Guard Bureau, Lt. Gen. H Steven Blum, said on Thursday that he needed $20 billion to replace arms and equipment destroyed in Iraq and Afghanistan or left there for other Army and Air Guard units to use, so that returning reservists will have enough equipment to deal with emergencies at home.

20 BILLION Do you feel safer? Do you feel safer knowing that most of the US military is tied up in Iraq? Do you feel safer knowing that the National Guard is short 20 BILLION dollars worth of arms and equipment? Do you? Do you feel safer knowing that the volunteer army is having trouble finding volunteers? If you are under 25, you really should not feel all that safe. It only takes some shouting that questions the patriotism of negative votes, and that form you filled out when you turned 18 becomes a lot more real.

Media and the Theocracy

Washington Blade Online: When asked about the editing out of the lesbian kisses, producer Mark Burnett told Entertainment Weekly magazine, “I’d be an idiot not to notice both the way the country voted and the backlash from the FCC that came off of Janet Jackson’s [Super Bowl debacle]. I wanted to protect my franchise and didn’t think it was right to show both lesbian kisses at 8 o’clock.” ... According to a new FCC estimate obtained by Mediaweek magazine, "nearly all indecency complaints in 2003 -- 99.8 percent -- were filed by the Parents Television Council. This year, the trend has continued, and perhaps intensified."

Government can weigh in on the economics of a free-market and manipulate them for good and for this.

Bigotry and Lust

Washington Blade Online: "I think it was an exercise of self-aggrandizement," said protest co-organizer Craig Washington, who works for Positive Impact. "And we were clear that Eddie Long was not only acting out of bigotry and homophobia, but he was also courting faith-based initiative money and getting in bed with Republicans by scape-goating gays."

First, the visible leader of a people engages bigotry as a means to drive voters to the polls and win re-election. Is it not inevitable, then, that even more crass versions of this cynical politics will emerge? Here we see an example of the scum that will rise up to follow the example set by the under-evolved in their acquisitive lust for power.

It's About the Economy

HRC Fear of Anti-Gay Backlash Unfounded: "According to the survey, which was conducted by Opinion Research Corp. in June, 68 percent of adults would have no reaction to news that a company was going to promote its products or services to gays and lesbians. Eighty-one percent of the more than 1,000 respondents said it wouldn't matter if a company whose products they used began targeting gay and lesbian consumers." HRC Sole 'Zero' on HRC Corporate Equality Index Improves Score: "Companies are changing their policies to support gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender employees because it gives them a competitive advantage in recruitment, retention and productivity which translates into a better bottom line." Daryl Herrschaft, HRC workplace advocacy project.

Is it possible that in the US, economic choices are a barometer of social choices? Could the choices made by citizens in their purchasing be a better indicator than the answers they give to polling questions?

Fighting Words for a Secular America

Ms. Magazine Fighting Words for a Secular America: Ashcroft & Friends vs. George Washington & the Framers: Alert: Americans who honor the U.S. Constitution's strict separation of church and state are now genuinely alarmed. Agnostics and atheists, as well as observant people of every faith, fear -- sensibly -- that the religious right is gaining historic political power, via an ultraconservative movement with highly placed friends. But many of us feel helpless. We haven't read the Founding Documents since school (if then). We lack arguing tools, "verbal karate" evidence we can cite in defending a secular United States.

This article is a must-read. Robin Morgan in Ms. Magazine, has clearly laid out the basics in understanding the secular nature of the United States. Regardless of your position for or against a Christian theocracy (whose Chrisitianity is a big question), you should understand the facts concerning the intent and thinking of the Framers. Understand your history, your rights, your obligations and defend them, for you could lose everything. Silence = Death

Defending the Family

A dear friend was recently relating a conversation she had with a colleague. This colleague had posited that all lesbian and gay people were homosexual because they had experienced some form of abuse. My friend suggested two major points.

1. That the antecedent cannot be cause of the precedent. The homosexual adolescent may find themselves in a precarious position relative to an abusive relationship because our society rejects their sexuality and drives it underground, placing them in a position to be abused. When the adolescent is driven underground with their sexuality, it is typically the case that difficulties arise due to the need to associate with those one might otherwise avoid. With heterosexual adolescents where sexuality is not addressed honestly, the result is teenage pregnancy, and other problems. It would be considered ludicrous to posit that the heterosexuality is caused by teenage pregnancy. In any case, the person's sexuality precedes adolescence and the abuse is antecedent to the formation of sexuality.
2. That correlation does not prove causation. It is a fact that many homosexual men and women (not including yours truly) report some form of abuse in their adolescence. It does not, however, follow that this caused them to be homosexual. By way of illustrative analogy, it is a fact of viral pathology that many victims of Hepatitis C are also victims of HIV. It would be ludicrous, however, to state that Hepatitis C infection causes HIV infection. They are often present together because they are transmitted through a similar social environment. In like kind, the presence of abuse in the homosexual child's upbringing is not the cause of the homosexuality, but rather concurs with homosexuality due to the precarious position of the adolescent child in our social environment.

Editorial: A Watchdog Muted

The New York Times > Editorial: A Watchdog Muted: "...[Newly appointed chairman of The United States Commission on Civil Rights, Gerald Reynolds] has said the civil rights groups overstate the problem of discrimination. This approach may make for warmer relations with the White House, but it hardly seems likely to keep the commission on the leading edge of the struggle for civil rights." No surprises here. What is concerning is the apparent lack of awareness many have that Shrub seems so comfortable using minorities as a platform for his own self-aggrandizement. Found on the wall of Dachau when it was liberated in 1944. It was written by the Protestant Clergyman Martin Niemuhler (Niemoller).

"When they came to get the Jews I didn't say anything because I wasn't one of them. When the Nazis came to get the Blacks I didn't say anything because I wasn't one of them. When they took the crippled, the mentally unstable and the insane away I didn't say anything. When they took the Catholics away I didn't say anything because I wasn't one of them. Now I can't say anything because they have come and taken me away." quote

College Fails in Bid to Grow Marijuana

The New York Times > National > College Fails in Bid to Grow Marijuana: "But Dr. Lyle E. Craker, the professor of plant biology at the University of Massachusetts who applied for the license three years ago, said researchers complained that the government's marijuana was weak and that it was hard to get permission to use it. 'We wanted to have a source independent from the government and with a known potency so doctors can run clinical trials,' he said. Researchers would still have needed D.E.A. permission to work with the drug." Oh, honestly. This is just typical. But, what can one expect when the chief executive of the executive branch is an anti-intellectual. Someone who doesn't read.

We certainly would not want to let scientists do any research! Why would you need to do any research? Surely it is obvious that what is true is true even when what is true is not substantiated with evidence?!? Why, I just don't understand what these scientists in that awful den of iniquity, Massachusetts, could hope to discover that any god-fearing person doesn't already know. Knowledge is always revealed to us by God. That's why it is important to indoctrinate your children, because The Lord is revealed.

Beware the comfort of ignorance. It is the poison of the polity; the redaction of reason; the pariah of peace. Beware.

Four more years of decline

Four more years of decline: "Only six weeks after his victory, the vibrations continue euphoric going on triumphalist. Depressed Democrats wonder if they could ever win again. Pundits ponder theses about eternal Republican hegemony. Talk is of more Bush power, more neoconservative solutions, more variations on a narrow and occasionally alarming agenda. But is that quite what unfolding events tell us?" [Peter Preston, The Guardian] Is is possible that we have reached the end of the road for denial politics? With a win where a fervant half of the population rejected his candidacy, Shrub has strutted as if he was possessor of, what was it he was going to spend? ah, yes, political capital. It seems to me a favorite tactic of the Right to deny or ignore what is inconvenient or outside "the message." While this has some powerful effects, it is also a short-term way to operate the government. I have and continue to agree with Mr. Preston's assessment. We can expect little from Shrub. It shall not grow to the stature of the original bush, and it most certainly will not be a tree.

Giuliani Apologized to Bush for Kerik

Guardian Unlimited World Latest Giuliani Apologized to Bush for Kerik I think it is concerning that this sort of thing is even necessary. It strikes me as indicative of the arrogance of Shrub and the way he is held as a sacred totem. Why should Giuliani apologize? Shouldn't Shrub apologize to the American public for not doing his homework on this candidate? The infallibility of the top of the hierarchy is a dangerous tendency that is indicative of the failing nature of the institution. Evidence the promulgation of such by the Vatican in the wake of the loss of the Papal States. It strikes me as a singluarly religious foolishness to be concerned about infallibility of any sort. The monotheistic occidental theologies seem to display the worst of these tendencies. In adopting, so many years ago, the concept of a singularity in the divine, this theological tradition seems to have made the collective leap to the singularity of action and choice by the omnipotent deity. There is only one right answer. This sense of singularity and infallibility seems to be transferred by the Right to Shrub. Is it not indicative of the influence of the Religious Right? We must gaurd against the growth of these theocratic tendencies or we will indeed find our Great Experiment smashed on the evil rocks from which many fled in establishing this polity.

A Beginning

A beginning. There are so many beginnings. For each beginning, there is an ending. For each ending, there is a beginning. There are so many endings. An ending. This content may fade to little or may grow in scope. My thoughts and my interests may perhaps appear here, but time is so precious. Making time available for the pursuit of this self-gratification may not be possible. We will engage the beginning. We will watch for the end. We will see what depth and breadth can be accomplished in the interim.

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