Today's Cultural Warfare Update, Episode I
Jun. 1st, 2005 12:52 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
solarbirdIndianapolis judge orders parents not to expose their son to their religion - they're Wiccans;
Minnesotan judge takes dim view of encryption software;
Rare moment of parity: American Family Association sides with Wiccan couple in above story - good for them (seriously - credit where credit is due);
Air Force trying to crack down on abuse by fundamentalist evangelicals in the Air Force Academy;
American Family Association announces boycott of Ford Motor over fair treatment of queer employees;
FotF notes Kentucky court upholds their anti-marriage amendment; appeal will be pending;
FotF News Briefs include article supporting anti-birth-control pharmacists;
Another FotF News Brief: Kentucky judge sentencing drug and alcohol offenders to jail - or to attend worship services (go to church or go to jail?);
FotF news article and action item against the APA possibly endorsing marriage rights for gayfolk;
FotF rails against hate-crime legislation in Congress;
FotF congratulates Exxon/Mobil for again refusing to extend nondiscrimination language and DP benefits to queer employees;
FotF action item to support Tom DeLay and write letters complaining about the "slur" against him on Law and Order; includes action item to send NBC complaint letters;
FotF commentary: the fight on judges isn't over;
FotF action item against the "car wash" ad for a burger chain, featuring One Of Those Annoying Celebrities famous for being rich and stupid;
Today's Family News in Focus;
FotF's Citizen Magazine's cover story: Terri Schiavo
Citizen Magazine: seven bills they want their readership to support. Bills include a Constitutional anti-marriage amendment, bills to prohibit stem-cell research, anti-abortion-rights bills, and a bill to allow partisan activities by tax-exempt religious groups (but, as always, not by tax-exempt secular groups);
----- 1 -----
Judge: Parents can't teach pagan beliefs
Father appeals order in divorce decree that prevents couple from exposing son to Wicca.
May 26, 2005
By Kevin Corcoran
kevin.corcoran@indystar.com
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050526/NEWS01/505260481
An Indianapolis father is appealing a Marion County judge's unusual order that prohibits him and his ex-wife from exposing their child to "non-mainstream religious beliefs and rituals."
The parents practice Wicca, a contemporary pagan religion that emphasizes a balance in nature and reverence for the earth.
Cale J. Bradford, chief judge of the Marion Superior Court, kept the unusual provision in the couple's divorce decree last year over their fierce objections, court records show. The order does not define a mainstream religion.
Bradford refused to remove the provision after the 9-year-old boy's outraged parents, Thomas E. Jones Jr. and his ex-wife, Tammie U. Bristol, protested last fall.
Through a court spokeswoman, Bradford said Wednesday he could not discuss the pending legal dispute.
The parents' Wiccan beliefs came to Bradford's attention in a confidential report prepared by the Domestic Relations Counseling Bureau, which provides recommendations to the court on child custody and visitation rights. Jones' son attends a local Catholic school.
"There is a discrepancy between Ms. Jones and Mr. Jones' lifestyle and the belief system adhered to by the parochial school. . . . Ms. Jones and Mr. Jones display little insight into the confusion these divergent belief systems will have upon (the boy) as he ages," the bureau said in its report.
But Jones, 37, Indianapolis, disputes the bureau's findings, saying he attended Bishop Chatard High School in Indianapolis as a non-Christian.
Jones has brought the case before the Indiana Court of Appeals, with help from the Indiana Civil Liberties Union. They filed their request for the appeals court to strike the one-paragraph clause in January.
"This was done without either of us requesting it and at the judge's whim," said Jones, who has organized Pagan Pride Day events in Indianapolis. "It is upsetting to our son that he cannot celebrate holidays with us, including Yule, which is winter solstice, and Ostara, which is the spring equinox."
[More at URL]
----- 2 -----
Minnesota court takes dim view of encryption
Published: May 24, 2005, 3:02 PM PDT
By Declan McCullagh
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
http://news.com.com/Minnesota+court+takes+dim+view+of+encryption/2100-1030_3-5718978.html
A Minnesota appeals court has ruled that the presence of encryption software on a computer may be viewed as evidence of criminal intent.
Ari David Levie, who was convicted of taking illegal photographs of a nude 9-year-old girl, argued on appeal that the PGP encryption utility on his computer was irrelevant and should not have been admitted as evidence during his trial. PGP stands for Pretty Good Privacy and is sold by PGP Inc. of Palo Alto, Calif.
But the Minnesota appeals court ruled 3-0 that the trial judge was correct to let that information be used when handing down a guilty verdict.
"We find that evidence of appellant's Internet use and the existence of an encryption program on his computer was at least somewhat relevant to the state's case against him," Judge R.A. Randall wrote in an opinion dated May 3.
Randall favorably cited testimony given by retired police officer Brooke Schaub, who prepared a computer forensics report--called an EnCase Report--for the prosecution. Schaub testified that PGP "can basically encrypt any file" and "other than the National Security Agency," nobody could break it.
The court didn't say that police had unearthed any encrypted files or how it would view the use of standard software like OS X's FileVault. Rather, Levie's conviction was based on the in-person testimony of the girl who said she was paid to pose nude, coupled with the history of searches for "Lolitas" in Levie's Web browser.
[More at URL]
----- 3 -----
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/26/AR2005052601444.html
Divorced Wiccans Fight Judge's Order
By KEN KUSMER
The Associated Press
Thursday, May 26, 2005; 8:26 PM
INDIANAPOLIS -- A Wiccan activist and his ex-wife are challenging a court's order that they must protect their 9-year-old son from what it calls their "non-mainstream religious beliefs and rituals."
The Indiana Civil Liberties Union has appealed the stipulation written into the couple's divorce order, saying it is unconstitutionally vague because it does not define mainstream religion.
Thomas Jones, a Wiccan activist who has coordinated Pagan Pride Day in Indianapolis for six years, said he and his ex-wife, Tammy Bristol, were stunned by the order. Neither parent has taken their son to any Wiccan rituals since it was issued, he said.
"We both had an instant resolve to challenge it. We could not accept it," Jones said Thursday. "I'm afraid I'll lose my son if I let him around when I practice my religion."
[...]
"There continues to be misunderstanding and prejudice and discrimination, not only against Wicca but against any religion that is not centered on monotheism," said the Rev. Elena Fox, high priestess and senior minister of Circle Sanctuary, a Wiccan church and pagan resource center near Madison, Wis.
The head of a conservative Christian group also sided with the Wiccans.
"The parents have the right to raise their child in that faith, just as I have the right to raise my child in the Christian faith," said Micah Clark, executive director of the American Family Association of Indiana.
----- 4 -----
Air Force Enforces 'Religious Respect'
By ROBERT WELLER, Associated Press Writer Fri May 27, 2:26 AM ET
Yahoo! News
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050527/ap_on_re_us/air_force_religion;_ylt=AjDaLucrVv0ON9yJjsS3qcpG2ocA;_ylu=X3oDMTBiMW04NW9mBHNlYwMlJVRPUCUl
DENVER - The Air Force has told its top commands worldwide to make sure officers don't use their positions to advance religious beliefs, following criticism of religious intolerance at the Air Force Academy.
An Air Force task force spent several days at the academy two weeks ago looking into allegations that Jews and others were harassed by evangelical Christians. A new values statement was sent to all major commands on Tuesday.
"From an Air Force perspective, one of the reasons we did that is because we are taking what is happening at the Air Force Academy seriously," Air Force spokeswoman Jennifer Stephens said Thursday from the Pentagon.
The statement, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press, said that "climate surveys at our Air Force Academy have pointed out instances where respect may be lacking or where declaring one's religious beliefs may be perceived as imposing on others."
"Commanders must be alert to the issue of religious respect throughout our Air Force," the statement added.
Capt. MeLinda Morton, an Air Force Academy chaplain who says she was fired for criticizing the power of evangelicals at the academy, said the statement "speaks for the fact that they are beginning to recognize that they have a problem, and that it isn't just at the academy and there needs to be some clarity."
[More at URL]
----- 5 -----
Ford Motor Company Supports Homosexual Marriage Movement
American Family Association
[Received via email: no URL]
[Link to BoycottFord.com site]
I urge you to take action today. Sign the petition to boycott Ford. Call your local Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, Volvo, Jaguar, Mazda and/or Land Rover dealer (all are part of Ford Motor Company) and inform them you will not be buying a Ford product until they stop their promotion of the homosexual movement and homosexual marriage.
Be sure to forward this information to your friends and family. They will be as surprised as you to learn of Ford’s extensive promotion of homosexuality.
Click here [URL: http://www.boycottford.com/ ] to go to BoycottFord.com and take the action listed on the right hand side (signing the pledge and calling your local dealer). Remember, calling your local dealer is very important. Please be polite. If the dealer wants more information, refer him to the BoycottFord.com page.
Sincerely,
Don
Donald E. Wildmon, Founder and Chairman
American Family Association
P.S. Don’t forget to call your dealer and to forward this to family and friends.
Marriage: One Man One Woman - Take a stand for marriage. Rear Window/Bumper Stickers. Printed on weather-proof, laminate, vinyl stock. [URL links to the AFA store.]
It's Not Gay: This 28-minute video presents a story that few have heard, allowing former homosexuals the opportunity to tell their own story in their own words. Along with medical and mental health experts, these individuals express a clear warning that the sanitized version of homosexuality being presented to students is not the whole truth. [URL links to the AFA store.]
You are receiving this mailing because you took action on an AFA-sponsored poll, petition, or action alert. You are subscribed to afapetition as [REDACTED].
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Copyright 2005
American Family Association
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All Rights Reserved
----- 6 -----
KENTUCKY COURT UPHOLDS MARRIAGE AMENDMENT
by Josh Montez, Correspondent
A judge has said no to homosexual activists bent on
redefining marriage.
http://www.family.org/cforum/fnif/news/a0036725.cfm
Franklin County Circuit Judge Roger Crittenden has upheld
Kentucky's constitutional amendment defining marriage as
between one man and one woman.
Kentuckians voted 3-to-1 in favor of a traditional
marriage amendment on November 2. Homosexual activists
immediately sued to have the vote overturned on a
technicality.
"Our amendment had two phrases in it," Kent Ostrander
executive director of The Family Foundation explained. "It
basically said marriage would be one man and one woman and
then it went on in the second phrase to say nothing
substantially similar would be validated or recognized."
The activists argued the amendment contained two separate
questions and that, according to the amendment process,
only one question may be placed before voters.
"We maintained that it was simply an effort to protect
marriage from any kind of redefinition," Ostrander said.
"The first phrase defined marriage and the second phrase
said that no other definition would be allowed. The judge
obviously agreed with our perspective."
Jodi Whitaker, press secretary for Gov. Ernie Fletcher,
expressed continued support for the amendment.
"The governor's office believes that Judge Crittenden's
decision is consistent with the timeless understanding of
marriage," she said, "and with the clearly expressed will
of the people of the commonwealth."
Matt Daniels, president of the Alliance for Marriage, said
Crittenden did the right thing.
"He didn't overturn the will of the people in court, but
that is not the trend, the trend nationally is in the
other direction," he said. "We are going to see more of
that in the months and years ahead."
Daniels said he fears the federal courts may eventually
overturn the state's marriage law, as one recently did in
Nebraska.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: For the status of efforts to pass
state marriage amendments around the country, click on the
following link.
http://www.family.org/cforum/extras/a0036194.cfm
----- 7 -----
'Right of Conscience' Cited by Illinois Pharmacists
Focus on the Family
News Briefs
31 May 2005
[Received in email; no URL]
Four more pharmacists in Illinois have joined the battle
seeking to overturn a governor's order that requires them
to dispense abortion-inducing drugs such as "Plan B,"
LifeNews.com reported.
The lawsuit, filed by the American Center for Law and
Justice (ACLJ), contends that Gov. Rod Blagojevich's order
forcing pharmacists to dispense such medicine inherently
requires they put their religious beliefs aside to keep
their jobs and therefore is in violation of the Illinois
Health Care Right of Conscience Act.
"A growing number of pharmacists believe the governor's
directive forces them to dispense abortion-producing
drugs," said ACLJ attorney Frank Manion, "something that
violates their deeply held religious beliefs."
The Illinois right of conscience law makes it against the
law to discriminate or punish any person who refuses to
"participate in any way in any particular form of health
care services contrary to his or her conscience."
ACLJ originally filed suit in April listing two
plaintiffs; an amended lawsuit was filed today in the
Circuit Court of the Seventh Judicial Circuit in
Springfield adding four more pharmacists to the list.
----- 8 -----
Kentucky Judge Offers Choice of Church or Jail
Focus on the Family
News Briefs
31 May 2005
[No URL; received in email]
A judge in the Bluegrass State has taken to giving some
drug and alcohol offenders a choice -- either attend
worship services or go to jail, FoxNews.com reported.
District Judge Michael Caperton said he has offered the
option about 50 times to repeat offenders -- something
that has some critics crying foul, with claims the
practice violates separation of church and state.
American Civil Liberties Union lawyer David Friedman said
offering a choice of church as an alternative sentence
raises "serious constitutional problems."
Caperton disagrees.
"I don't think there's a church-state issue," he said,
"because it's not mandatory and I say 'worship services'
instead of 'church.' "
The judge, a devout Christian, said his only goal is to
"help people and their families."
----- 9 -----
Psychiatrist's Group Moves Toward Endorsing Gay Marriage
by Pete Winn, associate editor
Focus on the Family
May 27, 2005
SUMMARY: The American Psychiatric Association may soon
endorse gay marriage.
http://www.family.org/cforum/fnif/statenews/a0036700.cfm
Last Sunday the representative assembly of the American
Psychiatric Association (APA), approved by voice vote a
resolution supporting the legalization of gay marriage.
The proposal came from the organization's gay and lesbian
caucus and will go to the organization's directors in
June.
Attempts to contact the APA for comment were not
successful. But the psychiatric group's official
statements already stop just short of calling for gay
marriage and strike a clearly political tone.
The APA "calls on all international health organizations
and individual psychiatrists in other countries, to urge
the repeal in their own country of legislation that
penalizes homosexual acts by consenting adults in
private," the organization's Web site proclaims.
"And further the APA calls on these organizations and
individuals to do all that is possible to decrease the
stigma related to homosexuality wherever and whenever it
may occur."
Dr. Warren Throckmorton, a professor and counselor at
Grove City College in Pennsylvania said the recommendation
being considered by the nation's psychiatrists is similar
in scope to one adopted by the American Psychological
Association in 2004 -- at the recommendation of a
committee made up of gay and lesbian psychologists.
"Clearly, the psychiatrists and the psychologists are out
of touch with the American people," he said. "When the
people voted last November -- in 11 elections they
overwhelmingly affirmed traditional marriage."
But Throckmorton, a distinguished psychologist and
counselor, said it's important to keep in mind that these
pronouncements don't represent the considered decision of
all 36,000 of the nation's practicing mental health
experts.
"We don't really know how the profession as a whole
feels," he said. "There haven't been any polls taken. I
think, however, this is a situation where some gay and
lesbian psychiatrists and psychologists are using their
profession for political advocacy."
Throckmorton said there is no need for a professional
organization to take a position on issues of conscience
and ideology. He speaks as the past president of one such
professional organization -- The American Mental Health
Counselors Association.
"We don't take positions on social matters or political
matters," he said, "because we realize we can't possibly
represent all of our members in a position statement. Nor
is it fair to the side of the issue -- whichever side it
might be -- which dissents. They feel disenfranchised."
Alan Chambers, President of Exodus International, the
largest network of former homosexuals, said he fails to
see how the unfounded political recommendation has a place
in an organization that prides itself on scientific logic
and research.
"As men and women who embraced gay life," he said, "and
found it emotionally and psychologically detrimental in
many ways before finding the strength to leave it, the
APA's consistent endorsement of homosexuality is greatly
troubling to us."
Dr. Bill Maier, vice president and
psychologist-in-residence at Focus on the Family, said
this year's recommendation by psychiatrists is no more
based on science than last year's recommendation by
psychologists was.
"What troubles me most," he said, "is that the American
public gets the perception that the vast majority of
mental health professionals are in favor of same-sex
marriage and same-sex parenting, when, in fact, that's not
the case at all. What we have are small numbers of
individuals within these organizations -- typically
committees -- making these recommendations based solely on
politics, not on science."
Maier said such pronouncements are meaningless -- or even
detrimental -- in terms of advancing science, but can have
a disturbing practical impact.
"I can foresee these recommendations being used in court
cases," he said. "When a judge at the local or state level
is considering, let's say, a case involving gay adoption,
homosexual advocacy groups will surely use these
recommendations in their argument, and some judges may
give them weight."
The leadership of the APA is callously placing adult
desire above the best interests of children, Maier said.
"It behooves all of us," Maier said, "to understand that
just because a recommendation comes from a respected
professional organization, it doesn't necessarily mean
that recommendation is backed up by good solid science.
Oftentimes, such recommendations are based strictly on
politics -- and generated by the powerful gay lobbies
within those professional organizations."
TAKE ACTION: If you are a voting member of the American
Psychiatric Association, please examine this approval and
make your views known to the organization's leadership.
The organization's Web site is:
http://www.psych.org
In addition, we recommend reading "Marriage on Trial," by
Glenn T. Stanton and Dr. Bill Maier; and "The Homosexual
Agenda: Exposing the Principal Threat to Religious Freedom
Today," by Alan Sears and Craig Osten.
http://www.family.org/resources/itempg.cfm?itemid=4951&refcd=CE05ECZL&tvar=no
http://www.family.org/resources/itempg.cfm?itemid=4215&refcd=CE05ECZL&tvar=no
(NOTE: Referral to Web sites not produced by Focus on the
Family is for informational purposes only and does not
constitute an endorsement of the sites' content.)
----- 10 -----
Gays Float New Hate-Crimes Bill
by Bill Wilson, Washington, D.C., correspondent
Focus on the Family
SUMMARY: U.S. Rep. Barney Frank pushes legislation that
would offer special protections to "transgendered" people.
http://www.family.org/cforum/fnif/news/a0036696.cfm
Congressional advocates of special rights for homosexuals
are once again pitching the Hate Crimes Prevention Act,
calling their latest attempt "new and improved" because it
adds "transgendered" people to those given protection from
"feeling fearful and angry" over any crimes committed
against them.
A news conference held to announce the legislation, as
diverse as the barroom scene in the first "Star Wars"
movie, was actually more of a pep rally for deviant sexual
lifestyles.
Openly homosexual U.S. Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass.,
explained the heart of his bill as a "very carefully
worked out statutory scheme."
Frank's lesbian colleague, Wisconsin Democratic Rep. Tammy
Baldwin, offered the details of that scheme.
"For the first time in our nation's history," she said,
"transgendered citizens would be accorded the same
protection that most Americans take for granted."
Then a well-dressed woman, about 6'3", took the podium.
She was once a he.
"I have mixed feelings about being here today," said Mara
Keisling, executive director of the National Center for
Transgender Equality. "I'm fortunate. I've never been
personally physically attacked. But I know what it is like
to feel the message that I am unwelcome and unsafe."
Frank's bill establishes as federal offenses those
"involving actual or perceived" acts that are attempted or
end in violence." When asked how his legislation defines
for prosecution subjective feelings such as anger and
fear, Frank bristled.
"You missed my point entirely," he said. "And I will
repeat it: No, my point is, under this bill, there has to
be an act of violence first."
Hate-crimes legislation has been defeated in the last two
Congresses.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: To learn more about the real agenda
behind the push for hate-crimes legislation, read the
Citizen magazine feature "The Hate Crimes Express" by Matt
Kaufman.
http://www.family.org/cforum/citizenmag/features/a0016964.cfm
----- 11 -----
Exxon Rebuffs Gay Agenda Again
by Steve Jordahl, correspondent
Focus on the Family
May 27, 2005
SUMMARY: Oil company a rarity in modern corporate America
for refusing to extend special rights to homosexuals.
http://www.family.org/cforum/fnif/news/a0036695.cfm
For the seventh year in a row, Exxon/Mobil shareholders
have resoundingly defeated a proposal to add sexual
orientation language to the company's nondiscrimination
policy.
Fewer than 30 percent of shareholders voted for the
proposal this time around -- keeping Exxon the only
company in the Fortune 50 that refuses to give in to
pressure from the homosexual lobby.
Mac McQuiston of the CEO Forum said Exxon's stand comes
right from the top.
"They've said, 'You know what? Right is right,' "
McQuiston explained. "And Lee Raymond, who's the CEO, has
said, 'As long as I'm CEO, we're going to do what's
right.' "
Kermit Rainman, a gender issues analyst for Focus on the
Family, said the pressure on the corporation is intense,
including protests and a barrage of phone calls at its
corporate meeting in Dallas this week.
"One of the major strategic plans by the gay activists'
leadership has been to target corporate America in getting
them to change their policies," he noted. "By doing that
they know that they can change the culture of our
country."
New York City, which owns more than eight million shares
of Exxon, is also pressuring the oil giant to cave in. Tom
Strobhar of Pro-Vita Advisors said standing up for right
will ultimately be rewarded.
"God honors this in God's time," he said, "but clearly
Exxon/Mobil's under a great deal of pressure -- and I
thank God for the courageous people at Exxon/Mobil."
Three years ago, Exxon/Mobile repealed a gay
nondiscrimination policy at the request of shareholders.
----- 12 -----
DeLay Irate Over Jibe in NBC Drama
Focus on the Family
May 27, 2005
[No URL: received in email]
House Majority Leader Tom DeLay has shot an angry letter
to NBC, saying a character on a network drama this week
"slurred" him, reports the New York Post.
On an episode of "Law and Order: Criminal Intent"
Wednesday, the fictional detectives were investigating a
right-wing group's connection to the murder of an
appellate judge.
One detective quipped, "Maybe we should put out an APB for
somebody in a Tom DeLay T-shirt."
In his letter to Jeff Zucker, NBC's entertainment chief,
DeLay wrote, "This manipulation of my name and
trivialization of the sensitive issue of judicial security
represents a reckless disregard for the suffering
initiated by recent tragedies and a great disservice to
the public discourse."
TAKE ACTION: You can read the complete text of Delay's
letter here:
http://www.foxnews.com/printer_friendly_story/0,3566,157848,00.html
If you'd like to pen your own letter to Zucker, you can
find contact information in the CitizenLink Action Center:
http://www3.capwiz.com/fof/dbq/media/?command=ind_pages&ind_id=18003&deptid=8800
(NOTE: Referral to Web sites not produced by Focus on the
Family is for informational purposes only and does not
necessarily constitute an endorsement of the sites'
content.)
----- 13 -----
It Ain't Over Yet; the Judicial Fight will Continue
by Candi Cushman, Citizen magazine associate editor
Focus on the Family
http://www.family.org/cforum/fnif/commentary/a0036688.cfm
"How are you this morning, sir? Not too good? Okay sir, I
can relay your opinion to the Senator."
"I am very sorry about your frustration, sir. But I
appreciate your calling and voicing your opinion."
Those were the conversations I heard being constantly
repeated by the front-desk receptionists in the office of
Sen. Mike DeWine, R-Ohio. It was the morning after he and
six other Republican senators announced their infamous
"compromise" on judicial nominees.
The phone calls were pouring in. It took three staff
members just to handle them all. Clearly, DeWine had upset
a large portion of his voter base: A spokeswoman for the
senator told me he'd received a combined total of 2,500
phone calls in support of abolishing judicial filibusters
just the week before -- and only 1,000 in support of
maintaining them.
But he wasn't the only one who went against the will of
many Red State voters.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., also helped craft the
compromise.
His office had already received some 500 phone calls by
the time I visited it the next day.
"People at home are going to be very upset with me for
awhile," acknowledged Sen. Graham.
And values voters have every right to be upset.
After all, they turned out in record numbers in the last
election to put a majority of conservatives in the Senate.
They didn't do that just to empower a political party --
they did it specifically to counteract the liberal agenda
being forced upon Americans through activist courts.
The urgent need for such action is clear. The same week
the Senate judicial battle erupted, a federal court
overturned a Nebraska constitutional amendment passed by
70 percent of voters that would have protected their state
from gay marriage. I personally attended a meeting in
which three pastors expressed their concern over that
ruling to Nebraska Senator Chuck Hagel, a Republican who,
at the time, was reported to be on the fence about whether
to end the Democrats' ability to filibuster judicial
nominees.
"We got slapped in the face as a state [by the federal
court ruling] and the people of Nebraska resent that," Stu
Kerns, senior pastor of Zion Church, told Citizen after
the meeting. "People turned out in record numbers [in the
'04 election] because they want to be heard," he said.
"Christians across America feel like they are losing their
voice."
But instead of obeying the mandate to support judicial
nominees who will follow the constitution instead of
political agendas, a few squishy Republicans struck a bad
deal -- their compromise essentially puts the ball in the
liberals' court by allowing the them to pick and choose
which future nominees should be blocked.
And if the events of the past few days are any clue,
there's no doubt that judges who dare to express their
faith and their pro-life views will be the first to fail
the litmus test.
The really sad part about all this is it cedes key ground
before the start of the real war: When the president
nominates someone to the Supreme Court.
That being said, values voters need not despair.
Because I observed a few things on Capitol Hill this week
that should give us all reason for hope:
First, the church is awakening. I watched as dozens of
pastors, black and white, descended on Capitol Hill to
make it clear the faith community won't sit idly by while
politicians ignore the values of their parishioners.
Second, the compromisers are feeling the heat, especially
those from Red States. "They've gotten lots of calls,
lots of e-mails," said Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., who did
not join in the compromise. "And so I think there might be
a little hesitancy to do that again . . . particularly in
the states like ours, Red States, where people are
concerned about what this means."
Third, there's "the other seven." As their compromising
counterparts were making deals behind closed doors, DeMint
and six other freshman Republican senators stood in front
of the capitol and proclaimed their solidarity. They
refused any compromise that did not allow for a "fair
up-or-down vote" on every single one of President Bush's
court nominee.
Their boldness is unusual -- "freshman senators are
typically seen but not heard," according to the Associated
Press. But it has encouraging implications for
values-voters who want to win the war, not just the
battle.
Take John Thune for example. The South Dakota freshman
campaigned on a pledge to stop the obstruction of
President Bush's judicial nominees. He ran against top
Democrat Tom Daschle, considered undefeatable and a
firmly-entrenched South Dakota institution.
But Thune did something Daschle did not: He listened to
voters.
And he won the election.
"You talk to any of the freshman Republicans who came in
with me last fall," Thune told Citizen, "and they will
tell you that the one guaranteed applause line in their
speeches was the issue of making sure that judges get an
up-or-down vote in the United States Senate. We remember.
It's fresh in our minds."
And that memory is making these freshmen bolder than many
of their more seasoned colleagues.
"Maybe those of us who are new just feel more of a sense
of urgency to get the things done that we talked about
during the campaign," said DeMint. "Since I've been in
office I get more questions about what we're going to do
about judges . . . than any other issue."
In addition to standing strong on the constitutional
option, these "other seven" were among the first to
sponsor the Marriage Protection Amendment that would
constitutionally define marriage as one man, one woman.
The uncompromising stance of these freshmen is heartening
-- because it demonstrates it is possible to elect people
whose passion for principle will outweigh temptation to
compromise for the sake of temporary party favor and press
accolades. And as we face upcoming battles over another
Supreme Court vacancy and the marriage amendment, we may
want to start thinking about electing another round of
Thunes and DeMints who won't sell us out. And whose
presence would make another disappointing compromise
unlikely, if not impossible. "The people in this country,
I think in the last elections, spoke about judges, they
spoke about marriage," Thune said. "And I think what
people in Congress need to understand is that the election
wasn't a fluke."
FORE MORE INFORMATION: Candi Cushman's in-depth coverage
of the filibuster fight is scheduled for the August 2005
edition of Citizen magazine. For subscription information
click on this link:
http://www.family.org/resources/itempg.cfm?itemid=67&refcd=CE05ECZL&tvar=no
----- 14 -----
Indecent Burger Ad Draws Criticism
by Aaron Atwood, assistant editor
SUMMARY: Don't just be offended by a racy burger
commercial -- be heard.
http://www.family.org/cforum/feature/a0036675.cfm
A burger company infamous for objectionable commercials
repeats the theme with Paris Hilton.
CKE Restaurants, owner of Carl's Jr. and Hardee's, is at
it again. By now many have seen the explicit car-washing
spot, headlining Hilton, a water hose and a Bentley. The
ad is filled with enough innuendo to make Freud blush.
It's currently running under a Carl's Jr. banner with ads
for Hardee's slated for June.
"This blatant, sexually charged ad has no place on the
public airwaves, and especially when children are in the
audience," said Brent Bozell, president of the Parents
Television Council. "Carl's Jr. / Hardee's need to be held
responsible for marketing their raunchy, sexually graphic
ad to millions of children via broadcast television and at
the Carl's Jr. / Hardees' web sites without any
restrictions."
The most recent ad is no surprise, considering CKE's
history. It has aired several explicit commercials,
including one with Playboy's Hugh Heffner.
"Parents need to express their outrage, in this case, with
their wallets," said Daniel Weiss, analyst for media and
sexuality issues at Focus on the Family. "Carl's Jr. is
hoping to profit from all this publicity, but it needs to
know it's hurting families by exposing children to images
like this."
Weiss noted recent studies that found children who view
sexual content on television are twice as likely to act
out sexually as those who do not.
The response from Carl's Jr.?
"Get a life," CEO Andy Puzder told CNN. "There is no
nudity, there is no sex acts -- it's a beautiful model in
a swimsuit washing a car."
Weiss was quick to point out that nudity does not define
what is pornographic. Pornography can be any sexual
depiction that objectifies a person.
TAKE ACTION: If you'd like to let company officials know
exactly how you feel about the commercial, you can call,
toll-free, 1-877-799-7827 or click on the link below to
send an e-mail to company headquarters.
http://www3.capwiz.com/fof/mail/compose/?alertid=7648826&target=CU&customid=7648816&type=CU
If you'd like to further ask the Federal Communications
Commission to review the content of the ad in light of
federal indecency laws, click the link below to compose
one message that can be sent to all four FCC
commissioners.
http://www3.capwiz.com/fof/mail/compose/?alertid=7648736&target=CU&target=CU&target=CU&target=CU&customid=4234561&customid=4234586&customid=4234611&customid=4234621&type=CU
----- 15 -----
Family News in Focus
Focus on the Family
Wednesday, June 1, 2005
Bob Ditmer
* The Supreme Court rules that prisoners don’t lose their religious liberties
1. Upheld "Religious Land Use and Institutionalised Persons Act." Prisons must make every effort to accommodate the religious beliefs of inmates. One group plays soccer with inmates, who goes in, plays soccer against an inmate team, and during halftime, preaches to them. "Religious accomodation statues being an effort by the government to accommodate religious acts... as a first amendment rite." Says case may apply to public display of religious symbols on public property.
* Washington wants single moms on welfare to find jobs – Should the government pay for increased child care costs?
3. "Workfare" helps keep get people off welfare, but child care becomes a problem. Bush says churches should help. Fundamentalist groups say "marriage is the key," rather than government aid for child care.
* Charter schools outperform traditional public schools
4. According to EdSource, who looked at California schools. "57% met performance targets." Vs. 46% for public schools. (Ed. Note: I don't know who EdSource is, and they aren't identified.)
* Ford Motor Company finds itself in crosshairs of American Family Association
5. AFA "is calling for a nationwide boycott of the Ford Motor Company." "One of the groups that Ford has given money to is the Gay and Lesbian Alliance against Defamation Organisation." Petition drive saying people will not buy Fords "until Ford stops supporting the homosexual agenda and homosexual marriage." Ford says, "We're glad to see the spirit of inclusion in the practices of other automakers." Traditional Values Coalition says that all religious conservatives need to be involved and made aware. Claims people "are not going to be excited about the kind of groups Ford is supporting." "Ford should stick to carmaking."
* Drug or alcohol offense in Knox County, Ky might carry sentence to attend church
2. Judge Michael Caperton. Church instead of rehab or prison. ACLU of Kentucky is upset.
----- 16 -----
Terri's Legacy
by Karla Dial
Citizen Magazine
Focus on the Family
What we can do to honor the memory of Terri Schiavo, and protect others like her.
http://www.family.org/cforum/citizenmag/coverstory/a0036037.cfm
It is ironic that a woman who couldn't speak had the ability to get an entire nation talking.
Because of Terri Schiavo, who died March 31 at age 41 after 13 days without food and water, the medical community's definitions of words like "coma" and "life support" and "persistent vegetative state" are being questioned more aggressively than ever—along with the reliability of the diagnostic tools used to assess the conditions of brain-damaged patients like Terri.
Because of Schiavo, some laws may be changed to protect life in cases where the patients' wishes are not already crystal-clear: At presstime, 20 state legislatures had already acted this year to strengthen or define terms of consent and guardianship. Others were seeking to change the law to err on the side of life—rewriting statutes to presume that incapacitated people who leave no advance directives want food and water.
And perhaps most importantly, because of Schiavo, millions of everyday Americans are taking a hard look at all these issues, asking themselves what they would do if someone they loved wound up in a situation like hers. What they would do if, God forbid, they were the ones to become incapacitated, how they would protect themselves.
This is Schiavo's legacy—and it is a powerful one.
"Terri has become that silent spokesperson, and many are galvanized by that," said Carrie Gordon Earll, Focus on the Family's senior analyst for bioethics. "What it speaks to is our human dignity and our place in a civilized society."
A Bad Diagnosis
Over the past several years, the mainstream media's coverage of the Schiavo case has helped educate people about the different kinds of states brain-injured people may enter—though that education may have been mostly accidental. A plethora of terms were applied to her case, usually inaccurately. Some early stories described her as being "brain-dead" (meaning there is no blood flow to the brain at all), "comatose" or "terminally ill." Many said she was on "artificial life support"; even the day her feeding tube was removed, some broadcasters were referring to the battle over taking out her "breathing tube."
None of those terms applied to Schiavo, said Dr. Lawrence Huntoon, a neurologist and editor-in-chief of the Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons. After seeing videotapes of Schiavo interacting with her mother before her death, he filed a court affidavit offering to test her awareness.
" 'Coma' is basically a person who is in an unresponsive state. But what most people don't know is that coma doesn't last more than a few weeks," he told Citizen. "After two or three weeks, they may emerge into a persistent vegetative state (PVS). Their eyes open, and in fact they adopt what would appear to be sleeping and waking cycles" but "the person is unaware of themselves or their environment. They don't appear to be interacting with you or themselves."
From there, Huntoon said, some patients who improve into a minimally conscious state (MCS), "where there is some evidence of awareness of themselves or their environment." Like Schiavo, they might be able to follow objects with their eyes and respond to family members through facial expressions.
"So how do you determine awareness? How much of a response does a patient have to show to be aware?" Huntoon asked. "That's a key question that the courts have to decide."
That lack of clarity was a key issue in the Schiavo case: Her court-appointed doctors originally found her to be in PVS, from which there is little hope of recovery—and the courts based their ultimate decisions on that fact. But more than 30 neurologists and speech therapists filed affidavits in Schiavo's case stating they believed her to be in MCS and offering to test her to make sure.
The distinction is important, Huntoon said, but often overlooked: Studies show that anywhere from 18 to 43 percent of PVS patients are misdiagnosed, and have more potential for recovery than doctors believe.
"These were misdiagnosed people [in the studies] who had capabilities that were significant," he said. "Seventy-five percent could use simple words. Sixty-nine percent were able to carry out simple arithmetic. They could remember things, talk. It's very scary."
[More at URL]
----- 17 -----
Seven bills that would protect natural marriage, preborn babies and religious speech.
Citizen Magazine
Focus on the Family
http://www.family.org/cforum/citizenmag/departments/a0036728.cfm
Seven bills that would protect natural marriage, preborn babies and religious speech are awaiting action in the U.S. Congress. Listed below are each bill's benefits, chief sponsor and status at presstime. Encourage your congressman and senators to support these bills by calling the Capitol switchboard (202-224-3121), or sending an e-mail through CitizenLink.
MARRIAGE PROTECTION AMENDMENT S.J. RES. 1
What it does: This proposed amendment to the U.S. Constitution defines marriage as the union of a man and a woman. It also prohibits federal and state courts from recognizing any other kind of union as equivalent to marriage.
Chief sponsor: Sen. Wayne Allard, R-Colo.
Status: Awaiting action in the Senate Judiciary Committee, and awaiting introduction in the House. Two-thirds majorities required in both chambers.
HUMAN CLONING PROHIBITION ACT H.R. 1357, S. 658
What it does: Prohibits all forms of human cloning.
Chief sponsors: Rep. Dave Weldon, R-Fla.; Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan.
Status: Awaiting action in the House Judiciary Committee and the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions.
CHILD INTERSTATE ABORTION NOTIFICATION ACT H.R. 748
What it does: Prohibits transportation of minors across state lines to obtain an abortion if done to evade a parental consent law in the girl's home state. Requires physicians to inform parents of a minor's intent to obtain an abortion in another state.
Chief sponsor: Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla.
Status: Passed by the House Judiciary Committee for consideration by the full House.
CHILD CUSTODY PROTECTION ACT S. 8
What it does: Prohibits transportation of minors across state lines to obtain an abortion if done to evade a parental consent law in the girl's home state.
Chief sponsor: Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev.
Status: Awaiting action in the Senate Judiciary Committee.
UNBORN CHILD PAIN AWARENESS ACT H.R. 356, S. 51
What it does: Requires abortionists to notify pregnant women (past 20 weeks) that abortion inflicts pain on the preborn child, and offer the mother anesthesia for her preborn child.
Chief sponsors: Rep. Christopher Smith, R-N.J.; Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan.
Status: Awaiting action in the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, and in the House Committee on Energy and Commerce
PRENATALLY DIAGNOSED CONDITION AWARENESS ACT S. 609
What it does: Provides for services to parents whose preborn children are diagnosed with Down syndrome and other prenatally diagnosed conditions.
Chief sponsors: A political odd couple—Sens. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., and Edward Kennedy, D-Mass.
Status: Awaiting action in the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions.
HOUSES OF WORSHIP FREE SPEECH RESTORATION ACT H.R. 235
What it does: Allows church leaders to discuss moral and political matters or elections during regular religious services without violating campaign-finance laws.
Chief sponsor: Rep. Walter Jones, R-N.C.
Status: Awaiting action in the House Ways and Means Committee.
For up-to-date information on these bills, search this government site using the bill's name or number.
Minnesotan judge takes dim view of encryption software;
Rare moment of parity: American Family Association sides with Wiccan couple in above story - good for them (seriously - credit where credit is due);
Air Force trying to crack down on abuse by fundamentalist evangelicals in the Air Force Academy;
American Family Association announces boycott of Ford Motor over fair treatment of queer employees;
FotF notes Kentucky court upholds their anti-marriage amendment; appeal will be pending;
FotF News Briefs include article supporting anti-birth-control pharmacists;
Another FotF News Brief: Kentucky judge sentencing drug and alcohol offenders to jail - or to attend worship services (go to church or go to jail?);
FotF news article and action item against the APA possibly endorsing marriage rights for gayfolk;
FotF rails against hate-crime legislation in Congress;
FotF congratulates Exxon/Mobil for again refusing to extend nondiscrimination language and DP benefits to queer employees;
FotF action item to support Tom DeLay and write letters complaining about the "slur" against him on Law and Order; includes action item to send NBC complaint letters;
FotF commentary: the fight on judges isn't over;
FotF action item against the "car wash" ad for a burger chain, featuring One Of Those Annoying Celebrities famous for being rich and stupid;
Today's Family News in Focus;
FotF's Citizen Magazine's cover story: Terri Schiavo
Citizen Magazine: seven bills they want their readership to support. Bills include a Constitutional anti-marriage amendment, bills to prohibit stem-cell research, anti-abortion-rights bills, and a bill to allow partisan activities by tax-exempt religious groups (but, as always, not by tax-exempt secular groups);
----- 1 -----
Judge: Parents can't teach pagan beliefs
Father appeals order in divorce decree that prevents couple from exposing son to Wicca.
May 26, 2005
By Kevin Corcoran
kevin.corcoran@indystar.com
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050526/NEWS01/505260481
An Indianapolis father is appealing a Marion County judge's unusual order that prohibits him and his ex-wife from exposing their child to "non-mainstream religious beliefs and rituals."
The parents practice Wicca, a contemporary pagan religion that emphasizes a balance in nature and reverence for the earth.
Cale J. Bradford, chief judge of the Marion Superior Court, kept the unusual provision in the couple's divorce decree last year over their fierce objections, court records show. The order does not define a mainstream religion.
Bradford refused to remove the provision after the 9-year-old boy's outraged parents, Thomas E. Jones Jr. and his ex-wife, Tammie U. Bristol, protested last fall.
Through a court spokeswoman, Bradford said Wednesday he could not discuss the pending legal dispute.
The parents' Wiccan beliefs came to Bradford's attention in a confidential report prepared by the Domestic Relations Counseling Bureau, which provides recommendations to the court on child custody and visitation rights. Jones' son attends a local Catholic school.
"There is a discrepancy between Ms. Jones and Mr. Jones' lifestyle and the belief system adhered to by the parochial school. . . . Ms. Jones and Mr. Jones display little insight into the confusion these divergent belief systems will have upon (the boy) as he ages," the bureau said in its report.
But Jones, 37, Indianapolis, disputes the bureau's findings, saying he attended Bishop Chatard High School in Indianapolis as a non-Christian.
Jones has brought the case before the Indiana Court of Appeals, with help from the Indiana Civil Liberties Union. They filed their request for the appeals court to strike the one-paragraph clause in January.
"This was done without either of us requesting it and at the judge's whim," said Jones, who has organized Pagan Pride Day events in Indianapolis. "It is upsetting to our son that he cannot celebrate holidays with us, including Yule, which is winter solstice, and Ostara, which is the spring equinox."
[More at URL]
----- 2 -----
Minnesota court takes dim view of encryption
Published: May 24, 2005, 3:02 PM PDT
By Declan McCullagh
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
http://news.com.com/Minnesota+court+takes+dim+view+of+encryption/2100-1030_3-5718978.html
A Minnesota appeals court has ruled that the presence of encryption software on a computer may be viewed as evidence of criminal intent.
Ari David Levie, who was convicted of taking illegal photographs of a nude 9-year-old girl, argued on appeal that the PGP encryption utility on his computer was irrelevant and should not have been admitted as evidence during his trial. PGP stands for Pretty Good Privacy and is sold by PGP Inc. of Palo Alto, Calif.
But the Minnesota appeals court ruled 3-0 that the trial judge was correct to let that information be used when handing down a guilty verdict.
"We find that evidence of appellant's Internet use and the existence of an encryption program on his computer was at least somewhat relevant to the state's case against him," Judge R.A. Randall wrote in an opinion dated May 3.
Randall favorably cited testimony given by retired police officer Brooke Schaub, who prepared a computer forensics report--called an EnCase Report--for the prosecution. Schaub testified that PGP "can basically encrypt any file" and "other than the National Security Agency," nobody could break it.
The court didn't say that police had unearthed any encrypted files or how it would view the use of standard software like OS X's FileVault. Rather, Levie's conviction was based on the in-person testimony of the girl who said she was paid to pose nude, coupled with the history of searches for "Lolitas" in Levie's Web browser.
[More at URL]
----- 3 -----
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/26/AR2005052601444.html
Divorced Wiccans Fight Judge's Order
By KEN KUSMER
The Associated Press
Thursday, May 26, 2005; 8:26 PM
INDIANAPOLIS -- A Wiccan activist and his ex-wife are challenging a court's order that they must protect their 9-year-old son from what it calls their "non-mainstream religious beliefs and rituals."
The Indiana Civil Liberties Union has appealed the stipulation written into the couple's divorce order, saying it is unconstitutionally vague because it does not define mainstream religion.
Thomas Jones, a Wiccan activist who has coordinated Pagan Pride Day in Indianapolis for six years, said he and his ex-wife, Tammy Bristol, were stunned by the order. Neither parent has taken their son to any Wiccan rituals since it was issued, he said.
"We both had an instant resolve to challenge it. We could not accept it," Jones said Thursday. "I'm afraid I'll lose my son if I let him around when I practice my religion."
[...]
"There continues to be misunderstanding and prejudice and discrimination, not only against Wicca but against any religion that is not centered on monotheism," said the Rev. Elena Fox, high priestess and senior minister of Circle Sanctuary, a Wiccan church and pagan resource center near Madison, Wis.
The head of a conservative Christian group also sided with the Wiccans.
"The parents have the right to raise their child in that faith, just as I have the right to raise my child in the Christian faith," said Micah Clark, executive director of the American Family Association of Indiana.
----- 4 -----
Air Force Enforces 'Religious Respect'
By ROBERT WELLER, Associated Press Writer Fri May 27, 2:26 AM ET
Yahoo! News
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050527/ap_on_re_us/air_force_religion;_ylt=AjDaLucrVv0ON9yJjsS3qcpG2ocA;_ylu=X3oDMTBiMW04NW9mBHNlYwMlJVRPUCUl
DENVER - The Air Force has told its top commands worldwide to make sure officers don't use their positions to advance religious beliefs, following criticism of religious intolerance at the Air Force Academy.
An Air Force task force spent several days at the academy two weeks ago looking into allegations that Jews and others were harassed by evangelical Christians. A new values statement was sent to all major commands on Tuesday.
"From an Air Force perspective, one of the reasons we did that is because we are taking what is happening at the Air Force Academy seriously," Air Force spokeswoman Jennifer Stephens said Thursday from the Pentagon.
The statement, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press, said that "climate surveys at our Air Force Academy have pointed out instances where respect may be lacking or where declaring one's religious beliefs may be perceived as imposing on others."
"Commanders must be alert to the issue of religious respect throughout our Air Force," the statement added.
Capt. MeLinda Morton, an Air Force Academy chaplain who says she was fired for criticizing the power of evangelicals at the academy, said the statement "speaks for the fact that they are beginning to recognize that they have a problem, and that it isn't just at the academy and there needs to be some clarity."
[More at URL]
----- 5 -----
Ford Motor Company Supports Homosexual Marriage Movement
American Family Association
[Received via email: no URL]
[Link to BoycottFord.com site]
I urge you to take action today. Sign the petition to boycott Ford. Call your local Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, Volvo, Jaguar, Mazda and/or Land Rover dealer (all are part of Ford Motor Company) and inform them you will not be buying a Ford product until they stop their promotion of the homosexual movement and homosexual marriage.
Be sure to forward this information to your friends and family. They will be as surprised as you to learn of Ford’s extensive promotion of homosexuality.
Click here [URL: http://www.boycottford.com/ ] to go to BoycottFord.com and take the action listed on the right hand side (signing the pledge and calling your local dealer). Remember, calling your local dealer is very important. Please be polite. If the dealer wants more information, refer him to the BoycottFord.com page.
Sincerely,
Don
Donald E. Wildmon, Founder and Chairman
American Family Association
P.S. Don’t forget to call your dealer and to forward this to family and friends.
Marriage: One Man One Woman - Take a stand for marriage. Rear Window/Bumper Stickers. Printed on weather-proof, laminate, vinyl stock. [URL links to the AFA store.]
It's Not Gay: This 28-minute video presents a story that few have heard, allowing former homosexuals the opportunity to tell their own story in their own words. Along with medical and mental health experts, these individuals express a clear warning that the sanitized version of homosexuality being presented to students is not the whole truth. [URL links to the AFA store.]
You are receiving this mailing because you took action on an AFA-sponsored poll, petition, or action alert. You are subscribed to afapetition as [REDACTED].
In keeping with our privacy policy, AFA may periodically contact you regarding issues of concern to the family. Rest assured that your subscription e-mail address will be kept in the strictest confidence. We do not divulge, nor make available to any third party, our subscription list. Your privacy is paramount to us!
Questions or comments about AFA? Contact us via email, phone, fax, or postal mail.
www.afa.net
Copyright 2005
American Family Association
PO Drawer 2440
Tupelo, MS 38803
1-662-844-5036
All Rights Reserved
----- 6 -----
KENTUCKY COURT UPHOLDS MARRIAGE AMENDMENT
by Josh Montez, Correspondent
A judge has said no to homosexual activists bent on
redefining marriage.
http://www.family.org/cforum/fnif/news/a0036725.cfm
Franklin County Circuit Judge Roger Crittenden has upheld
Kentucky's constitutional amendment defining marriage as
between one man and one woman.
Kentuckians voted 3-to-1 in favor of a traditional
marriage amendment on November 2. Homosexual activists
immediately sued to have the vote overturned on a
technicality.
"Our amendment had two phrases in it," Kent Ostrander
executive director of The Family Foundation explained. "It
basically said marriage would be one man and one woman and
then it went on in the second phrase to say nothing
substantially similar would be validated or recognized."
The activists argued the amendment contained two separate
questions and that, according to the amendment process,
only one question may be placed before voters.
"We maintained that it was simply an effort to protect
marriage from any kind of redefinition," Ostrander said.
"The first phrase defined marriage and the second phrase
said that no other definition would be allowed. The judge
obviously agreed with our perspective."
Jodi Whitaker, press secretary for Gov. Ernie Fletcher,
expressed continued support for the amendment.
"The governor's office believes that Judge Crittenden's
decision is consistent with the timeless understanding of
marriage," she said, "and with the clearly expressed will
of the people of the commonwealth."
Matt Daniels, president of the Alliance for Marriage, said
Crittenden did the right thing.
"He didn't overturn the will of the people in court, but
that is not the trend, the trend nationally is in the
other direction," he said. "We are going to see more of
that in the months and years ahead."
Daniels said he fears the federal courts may eventually
overturn the state's marriage law, as one recently did in
Nebraska.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: For the status of efforts to pass
state marriage amendments around the country, click on the
following link.
http://www.family.org/cforum/extras/a0036194.cfm
----- 7 -----
'Right of Conscience' Cited by Illinois Pharmacists
Focus on the Family
News Briefs
31 May 2005
[Received in email; no URL]
Four more pharmacists in Illinois have joined the battle
seeking to overturn a governor's order that requires them
to dispense abortion-inducing drugs such as "Plan B,"
LifeNews.com reported.
The lawsuit, filed by the American Center for Law and
Justice (ACLJ), contends that Gov. Rod Blagojevich's order
forcing pharmacists to dispense such medicine inherently
requires they put their religious beliefs aside to keep
their jobs and therefore is in violation of the Illinois
Health Care Right of Conscience Act.
"A growing number of pharmacists believe the governor's
directive forces them to dispense abortion-producing
drugs," said ACLJ attorney Frank Manion, "something that
violates their deeply held religious beliefs."
The Illinois right of conscience law makes it against the
law to discriminate or punish any person who refuses to
"participate in any way in any particular form of health
care services contrary to his or her conscience."
ACLJ originally filed suit in April listing two
plaintiffs; an amended lawsuit was filed today in the
Circuit Court of the Seventh Judicial Circuit in
Springfield adding four more pharmacists to the list.
----- 8 -----
Kentucky Judge Offers Choice of Church or Jail
Focus on the Family
News Briefs
31 May 2005
[No URL; received in email]
A judge in the Bluegrass State has taken to giving some
drug and alcohol offenders a choice -- either attend
worship services or go to jail, FoxNews.com reported.
District Judge Michael Caperton said he has offered the
option about 50 times to repeat offenders -- something
that has some critics crying foul, with claims the
practice violates separation of church and state.
American Civil Liberties Union lawyer David Friedman said
offering a choice of church as an alternative sentence
raises "serious constitutional problems."
Caperton disagrees.
"I don't think there's a church-state issue," he said,
"because it's not mandatory and I say 'worship services'
instead of 'church.' "
The judge, a devout Christian, said his only goal is to
"help people and their families."
----- 9 -----
Psychiatrist's Group Moves Toward Endorsing Gay Marriage
by Pete Winn, associate editor
Focus on the Family
May 27, 2005
SUMMARY: The American Psychiatric Association may soon
endorse gay marriage.
http://www.family.org/cforum/fnif/statenews/a0036700.cfm
Last Sunday the representative assembly of the American
Psychiatric Association (APA), approved by voice vote a
resolution supporting the legalization of gay marriage.
The proposal came from the organization's gay and lesbian
caucus and will go to the organization's directors in
June.
Attempts to contact the APA for comment were not
successful. But the psychiatric group's official
statements already stop just short of calling for gay
marriage and strike a clearly political tone.
The APA "calls on all international health organizations
and individual psychiatrists in other countries, to urge
the repeal in their own country of legislation that
penalizes homosexual acts by consenting adults in
private," the organization's Web site proclaims.
"And further the APA calls on these organizations and
individuals to do all that is possible to decrease the
stigma related to homosexuality wherever and whenever it
may occur."
Dr. Warren Throckmorton, a professor and counselor at
Grove City College in Pennsylvania said the recommendation
being considered by the nation's psychiatrists is similar
in scope to one adopted by the American Psychological
Association in 2004 -- at the recommendation of a
committee made up of gay and lesbian psychologists.
"Clearly, the psychiatrists and the psychologists are out
of touch with the American people," he said. "When the
people voted last November -- in 11 elections they
overwhelmingly affirmed traditional marriage."
But Throckmorton, a distinguished psychologist and
counselor, said it's important to keep in mind that these
pronouncements don't represent the considered decision of
all 36,000 of the nation's practicing mental health
experts.
"We don't really know how the profession as a whole
feels," he said. "There haven't been any polls taken. I
think, however, this is a situation where some gay and
lesbian psychiatrists and psychologists are using their
profession for political advocacy."
Throckmorton said there is no need for a professional
organization to take a position on issues of conscience
and ideology. He speaks as the past president of one such
professional organization -- The American Mental Health
Counselors Association.
"We don't take positions on social matters or political
matters," he said, "because we realize we can't possibly
represent all of our members in a position statement. Nor
is it fair to the side of the issue -- whichever side it
might be -- which dissents. They feel disenfranchised."
Alan Chambers, President of Exodus International, the
largest network of former homosexuals, said he fails to
see how the unfounded political recommendation has a place
in an organization that prides itself on scientific logic
and research.
"As men and women who embraced gay life," he said, "and
found it emotionally and psychologically detrimental in
many ways before finding the strength to leave it, the
APA's consistent endorsement of homosexuality is greatly
troubling to us."
Dr. Bill Maier, vice president and
psychologist-in-residence at Focus on the Family, said
this year's recommendation by psychiatrists is no more
based on science than last year's recommendation by
psychologists was.
"What troubles me most," he said, "is that the American
public gets the perception that the vast majority of
mental health professionals are in favor of same-sex
marriage and same-sex parenting, when, in fact, that's not
the case at all. What we have are small numbers of
individuals within these organizations -- typically
committees -- making these recommendations based solely on
politics, not on science."
Maier said such pronouncements are meaningless -- or even
detrimental -- in terms of advancing science, but can have
a disturbing practical impact.
"I can foresee these recommendations being used in court
cases," he said. "When a judge at the local or state level
is considering, let's say, a case involving gay adoption,
homosexual advocacy groups will surely use these
recommendations in their argument, and some judges may
give them weight."
The leadership of the APA is callously placing adult
desire above the best interests of children, Maier said.
"It behooves all of us," Maier said, "to understand that
just because a recommendation comes from a respected
professional organization, it doesn't necessarily mean
that recommendation is backed up by good solid science.
Oftentimes, such recommendations are based strictly on
politics -- and generated by the powerful gay lobbies
within those professional organizations."
TAKE ACTION: If you are a voting member of the American
Psychiatric Association, please examine this approval and
make your views known to the organization's leadership.
The organization's Web site is:
http://www.psych.org
In addition, we recommend reading "Marriage on Trial," by
Glenn T. Stanton and Dr. Bill Maier; and "The Homosexual
Agenda: Exposing the Principal Threat to Religious Freedom
Today," by Alan Sears and Craig Osten.
http://www.family.org/resources/itempg.cfm?itemid=4951&refcd=CE05ECZL&tvar=no
http://www.family.org/resources/itempg.cfm?itemid=4215&refcd=CE05ECZL&tvar=no
(NOTE: Referral to Web sites not produced by Focus on the
Family is for informational purposes only and does not
constitute an endorsement of the sites' content.)
----- 10 -----
Gays Float New Hate-Crimes Bill
by Bill Wilson, Washington, D.C., correspondent
Focus on the Family
SUMMARY: U.S. Rep. Barney Frank pushes legislation that
would offer special protections to "transgendered" people.
http://www.family.org/cforum/fnif/news/a0036696.cfm
Congressional advocates of special rights for homosexuals
are once again pitching the Hate Crimes Prevention Act,
calling their latest attempt "new and improved" because it
adds "transgendered" people to those given protection from
"feeling fearful and angry" over any crimes committed
against them.
A news conference held to announce the legislation, as
diverse as the barroom scene in the first "Star Wars"
movie, was actually more of a pep rally for deviant sexual
lifestyles.
Openly homosexual U.S. Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass.,
explained the heart of his bill as a "very carefully
worked out statutory scheme."
Frank's lesbian colleague, Wisconsin Democratic Rep. Tammy
Baldwin, offered the details of that scheme.
"For the first time in our nation's history," she said,
"transgendered citizens would be accorded the same
protection that most Americans take for granted."
Then a well-dressed woman, about 6'3", took the podium.
She was once a he.
"I have mixed feelings about being here today," said Mara
Keisling, executive director of the National Center for
Transgender Equality. "I'm fortunate. I've never been
personally physically attacked. But I know what it is like
to feel the message that I am unwelcome and unsafe."
Frank's bill establishes as federal offenses those
"involving actual or perceived" acts that are attempted or
end in violence." When asked how his legislation defines
for prosecution subjective feelings such as anger and
fear, Frank bristled.
"You missed my point entirely," he said. "And I will
repeat it: No, my point is, under this bill, there has to
be an act of violence first."
Hate-crimes legislation has been defeated in the last two
Congresses.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: To learn more about the real agenda
behind the push for hate-crimes legislation, read the
Citizen magazine feature "The Hate Crimes Express" by Matt
Kaufman.
http://www.family.org/cforum/citizenmag/features/a0016964.cfm
----- 11 -----
Exxon Rebuffs Gay Agenda Again
by Steve Jordahl, correspondent
Focus on the Family
May 27, 2005
SUMMARY: Oil company a rarity in modern corporate America
for refusing to extend special rights to homosexuals.
http://www.family.org/cforum/fnif/news/a0036695.cfm
For the seventh year in a row, Exxon/Mobil shareholders
have resoundingly defeated a proposal to add sexual
orientation language to the company's nondiscrimination
policy.
Fewer than 30 percent of shareholders voted for the
proposal this time around -- keeping Exxon the only
company in the Fortune 50 that refuses to give in to
pressure from the homosexual lobby.
Mac McQuiston of the CEO Forum said Exxon's stand comes
right from the top.
"They've said, 'You know what? Right is right,' "
McQuiston explained. "And Lee Raymond, who's the CEO, has
said, 'As long as I'm CEO, we're going to do what's
right.' "
Kermit Rainman, a gender issues analyst for Focus on the
Family, said the pressure on the corporation is intense,
including protests and a barrage of phone calls at its
corporate meeting in Dallas this week.
"One of the major strategic plans by the gay activists'
leadership has been to target corporate America in getting
them to change their policies," he noted. "By doing that
they know that they can change the culture of our
country."
New York City, which owns more than eight million shares
of Exxon, is also pressuring the oil giant to cave in. Tom
Strobhar of Pro-Vita Advisors said standing up for right
will ultimately be rewarded.
"God honors this in God's time," he said, "but clearly
Exxon/Mobil's under a great deal of pressure -- and I
thank God for the courageous people at Exxon/Mobil."
Three years ago, Exxon/Mobile repealed a gay
nondiscrimination policy at the request of shareholders.
----- 12 -----
DeLay Irate Over Jibe in NBC Drama
Focus on the Family
May 27, 2005
[No URL: received in email]
House Majority Leader Tom DeLay has shot an angry letter
to NBC, saying a character on a network drama this week
"slurred" him, reports the New York Post.
On an episode of "Law and Order: Criminal Intent"
Wednesday, the fictional detectives were investigating a
right-wing group's connection to the murder of an
appellate judge.
One detective quipped, "Maybe we should put out an APB for
somebody in a Tom DeLay T-shirt."
In his letter to Jeff Zucker, NBC's entertainment chief,
DeLay wrote, "This manipulation of my name and
trivialization of the sensitive issue of judicial security
represents a reckless disregard for the suffering
initiated by recent tragedies and a great disservice to
the public discourse."
TAKE ACTION: You can read the complete text of Delay's
letter here:
http://www.foxnews.com/printer_friendly_story/0,3566,157848,00.html
If you'd like to pen your own letter to Zucker, you can
find contact information in the CitizenLink Action Center:
http://www3.capwiz.com/fof/dbq/media/?command=ind_pages&ind_id=18003&deptid=8800
(NOTE: Referral to Web sites not produced by Focus on the
Family is for informational purposes only and does not
necessarily constitute an endorsement of the sites'
content.)
----- 13 -----
It Ain't Over Yet; the Judicial Fight will Continue
by Candi Cushman, Citizen magazine associate editor
Focus on the Family
http://www.family.org/cforum/fnif/commentary/a0036688.cfm
"How are you this morning, sir? Not too good? Okay sir, I
can relay your opinion to the Senator."
"I am very sorry about your frustration, sir. But I
appreciate your calling and voicing your opinion."
Those were the conversations I heard being constantly
repeated by the front-desk receptionists in the office of
Sen. Mike DeWine, R-Ohio. It was the morning after he and
six other Republican senators announced their infamous
"compromise" on judicial nominees.
The phone calls were pouring in. It took three staff
members just to handle them all. Clearly, DeWine had upset
a large portion of his voter base: A spokeswoman for the
senator told me he'd received a combined total of 2,500
phone calls in support of abolishing judicial filibusters
just the week before -- and only 1,000 in support of
maintaining them.
But he wasn't the only one who went against the will of
many Red State voters.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., also helped craft the
compromise.
His office had already received some 500 phone calls by
the time I visited it the next day.
"People at home are going to be very upset with me for
awhile," acknowledged Sen. Graham.
And values voters have every right to be upset.
After all, they turned out in record numbers in the last
election to put a majority of conservatives in the Senate.
They didn't do that just to empower a political party --
they did it specifically to counteract the liberal agenda
being forced upon Americans through activist courts.
The urgent need for such action is clear. The same week
the Senate judicial battle erupted, a federal court
overturned a Nebraska constitutional amendment passed by
70 percent of voters that would have protected their state
from gay marriage. I personally attended a meeting in
which three pastors expressed their concern over that
ruling to Nebraska Senator Chuck Hagel, a Republican who,
at the time, was reported to be on the fence about whether
to end the Democrats' ability to filibuster judicial
nominees.
"We got slapped in the face as a state [by the federal
court ruling] and the people of Nebraska resent that," Stu
Kerns, senior pastor of Zion Church, told Citizen after
the meeting. "People turned out in record numbers [in the
'04 election] because they want to be heard," he said.
"Christians across America feel like they are losing their
voice."
But instead of obeying the mandate to support judicial
nominees who will follow the constitution instead of
political agendas, a few squishy Republicans struck a bad
deal -- their compromise essentially puts the ball in the
liberals' court by allowing the them to pick and choose
which future nominees should be blocked.
And if the events of the past few days are any clue,
there's no doubt that judges who dare to express their
faith and their pro-life views will be the first to fail
the litmus test.
The really sad part about all this is it cedes key ground
before the start of the real war: When the president
nominates someone to the Supreme Court.
That being said, values voters need not despair.
Because I observed a few things on Capitol Hill this week
that should give us all reason for hope:
First, the church is awakening. I watched as dozens of
pastors, black and white, descended on Capitol Hill to
make it clear the faith community won't sit idly by while
politicians ignore the values of their parishioners.
Second, the compromisers are feeling the heat, especially
those from Red States. "They've gotten lots of calls,
lots of e-mails," said Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., who did
not join in the compromise. "And so I think there might be
a little hesitancy to do that again . . . particularly in
the states like ours, Red States, where people are
concerned about what this means."
Third, there's "the other seven." As their compromising
counterparts were making deals behind closed doors, DeMint
and six other freshman Republican senators stood in front
of the capitol and proclaimed their solidarity. They
refused any compromise that did not allow for a "fair
up-or-down vote" on every single one of President Bush's
court nominee.
Their boldness is unusual -- "freshman senators are
typically seen but not heard," according to the Associated
Press. But it has encouraging implications for
values-voters who want to win the war, not just the
battle.
Take John Thune for example. The South Dakota freshman
campaigned on a pledge to stop the obstruction of
President Bush's judicial nominees. He ran against top
Democrat Tom Daschle, considered undefeatable and a
firmly-entrenched South Dakota institution.
But Thune did something Daschle did not: He listened to
voters.
And he won the election.
"You talk to any of the freshman Republicans who came in
with me last fall," Thune told Citizen, "and they will
tell you that the one guaranteed applause line in their
speeches was the issue of making sure that judges get an
up-or-down vote in the United States Senate. We remember.
It's fresh in our minds."
And that memory is making these freshmen bolder than many
of their more seasoned colleagues.
"Maybe those of us who are new just feel more of a sense
of urgency to get the things done that we talked about
during the campaign," said DeMint. "Since I've been in
office I get more questions about what we're going to do
about judges . . . than any other issue."
In addition to standing strong on the constitutional
option, these "other seven" were among the first to
sponsor the Marriage Protection Amendment that would
constitutionally define marriage as one man, one woman.
The uncompromising stance of these freshmen is heartening
-- because it demonstrates it is possible to elect people
whose passion for principle will outweigh temptation to
compromise for the sake of temporary party favor and press
accolades. And as we face upcoming battles over another
Supreme Court vacancy and the marriage amendment, we may
want to start thinking about electing another round of
Thunes and DeMints who won't sell us out. And whose
presence would make another disappointing compromise
unlikely, if not impossible. "The people in this country,
I think in the last elections, spoke about judges, they
spoke about marriage," Thune said. "And I think what
people in Congress need to understand is that the election
wasn't a fluke."
FORE MORE INFORMATION: Candi Cushman's in-depth coverage
of the filibuster fight is scheduled for the August 2005
edition of Citizen magazine. For subscription information
click on this link:
http://www.family.org/resources/itempg.cfm?itemid=67&refcd=CE05ECZL&tvar=no
----- 14 -----
Indecent Burger Ad Draws Criticism
by Aaron Atwood, assistant editor
SUMMARY: Don't just be offended by a racy burger
commercial -- be heard.
http://www.family.org/cforum/feature/a0036675.cfm
A burger company infamous for objectionable commercials
repeats the theme with Paris Hilton.
CKE Restaurants, owner of Carl's Jr. and Hardee's, is at
it again. By now many have seen the explicit car-washing
spot, headlining Hilton, a water hose and a Bentley. The
ad is filled with enough innuendo to make Freud blush.
It's currently running under a Carl's Jr. banner with ads
for Hardee's slated for June.
"This blatant, sexually charged ad has no place on the
public airwaves, and especially when children are in the
audience," said Brent Bozell, president of the Parents
Television Council. "Carl's Jr. / Hardee's need to be held
responsible for marketing their raunchy, sexually graphic
ad to millions of children via broadcast television and at
the Carl's Jr. / Hardees' web sites without any
restrictions."
The most recent ad is no surprise, considering CKE's
history. It has aired several explicit commercials,
including one with Playboy's Hugh Heffner.
"Parents need to express their outrage, in this case, with
their wallets," said Daniel Weiss, analyst for media and
sexuality issues at Focus on the Family. "Carl's Jr. is
hoping to profit from all this publicity, but it needs to
know it's hurting families by exposing children to images
like this."
Weiss noted recent studies that found children who view
sexual content on television are twice as likely to act
out sexually as those who do not.
The response from Carl's Jr.?
"Get a life," CEO Andy Puzder told CNN. "There is no
nudity, there is no sex acts -- it's a beautiful model in
a swimsuit washing a car."
Weiss was quick to point out that nudity does not define
what is pornographic. Pornography can be any sexual
depiction that objectifies a person.
TAKE ACTION: If you'd like to let company officials know
exactly how you feel about the commercial, you can call,
toll-free, 1-877-799-7827 or click on the link below to
send an e-mail to company headquarters.
http://www3.capwiz.com/fof/mail/compose/?alertid=7648826&target=CU&customid=7648816&type=CU
If you'd like to further ask the Federal Communications
Commission to review the content of the ad in light of
federal indecency laws, click the link below to compose
one message that can be sent to all four FCC
commissioners.
http://www3.capwiz.com/fof/mail/compose/?alertid=7648736&target=CU&target=CU&target=CU&target=CU&customid=4234561&customid=4234586&customid=4234611&customid=4234621&type=CU
----- 15 -----
Family News in Focus
Focus on the Family
Wednesday, June 1, 2005
Bob Ditmer
* The Supreme Court rules that prisoners don’t lose their religious liberties
1. Upheld "Religious Land Use and Institutionalised Persons Act." Prisons must make every effort to accommodate the religious beliefs of inmates. One group plays soccer with inmates, who goes in, plays soccer against an inmate team, and during halftime, preaches to them. "Religious accomodation statues being an effort by the government to accommodate religious acts... as a first amendment rite." Says case may apply to public display of religious symbols on public property.
* Washington wants single moms on welfare to find jobs – Should the government pay for increased child care costs?
3. "Workfare" helps keep get people off welfare, but child care becomes a problem. Bush says churches should help. Fundamentalist groups say "marriage is the key," rather than government aid for child care.
* Charter schools outperform traditional public schools
4. According to EdSource, who looked at California schools. "57% met performance targets." Vs. 46% for public schools. (Ed. Note: I don't know who EdSource is, and they aren't identified.)
* Ford Motor Company finds itself in crosshairs of American Family Association
5. AFA "is calling for a nationwide boycott of the Ford Motor Company." "One of the groups that Ford has given money to is the Gay and Lesbian Alliance against Defamation Organisation." Petition drive saying people will not buy Fords "until Ford stops supporting the homosexual agenda and homosexual marriage." Ford says, "We're glad to see the spirit of inclusion in the practices of other automakers." Traditional Values Coalition says that all religious conservatives need to be involved and made aware. Claims people "are not going to be excited about the kind of groups Ford is supporting." "Ford should stick to carmaking."
* Drug or alcohol offense in Knox County, Ky might carry sentence to attend church
2. Judge Michael Caperton. Church instead of rehab or prison. ACLU of Kentucky is upset.
----- 16 -----
Terri's Legacy
by Karla Dial
Citizen Magazine
Focus on the Family
What we can do to honor the memory of Terri Schiavo, and protect others like her.
http://www.family.org/cforum/citizenmag/coverstory/a0036037.cfm
It is ironic that a woman who couldn't speak had the ability to get an entire nation talking.
Because of Terri Schiavo, who died March 31 at age 41 after 13 days without food and water, the medical community's definitions of words like "coma" and "life support" and "persistent vegetative state" are being questioned more aggressively than ever—along with the reliability of the diagnostic tools used to assess the conditions of brain-damaged patients like Terri.
Because of Schiavo, some laws may be changed to protect life in cases where the patients' wishes are not already crystal-clear: At presstime, 20 state legislatures had already acted this year to strengthen or define terms of consent and guardianship. Others were seeking to change the law to err on the side of life—rewriting statutes to presume that incapacitated people who leave no advance directives want food and water.
And perhaps most importantly, because of Schiavo, millions of everyday Americans are taking a hard look at all these issues, asking themselves what they would do if someone they loved wound up in a situation like hers. What they would do if, God forbid, they were the ones to become incapacitated, how they would protect themselves.
This is Schiavo's legacy—and it is a powerful one.
"Terri has become that silent spokesperson, and many are galvanized by that," said Carrie Gordon Earll, Focus on the Family's senior analyst for bioethics. "What it speaks to is our human dignity and our place in a civilized society."
A Bad Diagnosis
Over the past several years, the mainstream media's coverage of the Schiavo case has helped educate people about the different kinds of states brain-injured people may enter—though that education may have been mostly accidental. A plethora of terms were applied to her case, usually inaccurately. Some early stories described her as being "brain-dead" (meaning there is no blood flow to the brain at all), "comatose" or "terminally ill." Many said she was on "artificial life support"; even the day her feeding tube was removed, some broadcasters were referring to the battle over taking out her "breathing tube."
None of those terms applied to Schiavo, said Dr. Lawrence Huntoon, a neurologist and editor-in-chief of the Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons. After seeing videotapes of Schiavo interacting with her mother before her death, he filed a court affidavit offering to test her awareness.
" 'Coma' is basically a person who is in an unresponsive state. But what most people don't know is that coma doesn't last more than a few weeks," he told Citizen. "After two or three weeks, they may emerge into a persistent vegetative state (PVS). Their eyes open, and in fact they adopt what would appear to be sleeping and waking cycles" but "the person is unaware of themselves or their environment. They don't appear to be interacting with you or themselves."
From there, Huntoon said, some patients who improve into a minimally conscious state (MCS), "where there is some evidence of awareness of themselves or their environment." Like Schiavo, they might be able to follow objects with their eyes and respond to family members through facial expressions.
"So how do you determine awareness? How much of a response does a patient have to show to be aware?" Huntoon asked. "That's a key question that the courts have to decide."
That lack of clarity was a key issue in the Schiavo case: Her court-appointed doctors originally found her to be in PVS, from which there is little hope of recovery—and the courts based their ultimate decisions on that fact. But more than 30 neurologists and speech therapists filed affidavits in Schiavo's case stating they believed her to be in MCS and offering to test her to make sure.
The distinction is important, Huntoon said, but often overlooked: Studies show that anywhere from 18 to 43 percent of PVS patients are misdiagnosed, and have more potential for recovery than doctors believe.
"These were misdiagnosed people [in the studies] who had capabilities that were significant," he said. "Seventy-five percent could use simple words. Sixty-nine percent were able to carry out simple arithmetic. They could remember things, talk. It's very scary."
[More at URL]
----- 17 -----
Seven bills that would protect natural marriage, preborn babies and religious speech.
Citizen Magazine
Focus on the Family
http://www.family.org/cforum/citizenmag/departments/a0036728.cfm
Seven bills that would protect natural marriage, preborn babies and religious speech are awaiting action in the U.S. Congress. Listed below are each bill's benefits, chief sponsor and status at presstime. Encourage your congressman and senators to support these bills by calling the Capitol switchboard (202-224-3121), or sending an e-mail through CitizenLink.
MARRIAGE PROTECTION AMENDMENT S.J. RES. 1
What it does: This proposed amendment to the U.S. Constitution defines marriage as the union of a man and a woman. It also prohibits federal and state courts from recognizing any other kind of union as equivalent to marriage.
Chief sponsor: Sen. Wayne Allard, R-Colo.
Status: Awaiting action in the Senate Judiciary Committee, and awaiting introduction in the House. Two-thirds majorities required in both chambers.
HUMAN CLONING PROHIBITION ACT H.R. 1357, S. 658
What it does: Prohibits all forms of human cloning.
Chief sponsors: Rep. Dave Weldon, R-Fla.; Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan.
Status: Awaiting action in the House Judiciary Committee and the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions.
CHILD INTERSTATE ABORTION NOTIFICATION ACT H.R. 748
What it does: Prohibits transportation of minors across state lines to obtain an abortion if done to evade a parental consent law in the girl's home state. Requires physicians to inform parents of a minor's intent to obtain an abortion in another state.
Chief sponsor: Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla.
Status: Passed by the House Judiciary Committee for consideration by the full House.
CHILD CUSTODY PROTECTION ACT S. 8
What it does: Prohibits transportation of minors across state lines to obtain an abortion if done to evade a parental consent law in the girl's home state.
Chief sponsor: Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev.
Status: Awaiting action in the Senate Judiciary Committee.
UNBORN CHILD PAIN AWARENESS ACT H.R. 356, S. 51
What it does: Requires abortionists to notify pregnant women (past 20 weeks) that abortion inflicts pain on the preborn child, and offer the mother anesthesia for her preborn child.
Chief sponsors: Rep. Christopher Smith, R-N.J.; Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan.
Status: Awaiting action in the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, and in the House Committee on Energy and Commerce
PRENATALLY DIAGNOSED CONDITION AWARENESS ACT S. 609
What it does: Provides for services to parents whose preborn children are diagnosed with Down syndrome and other prenatally diagnosed conditions.
Chief sponsors: A political odd couple—Sens. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., and Edward Kennedy, D-Mass.
Status: Awaiting action in the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions.
HOUSES OF WORSHIP FREE SPEECH RESTORATION ACT H.R. 235
What it does: Allows church leaders to discuss moral and political matters or elections during regular religious services without violating campaign-finance laws.
Chief sponsor: Rep. Walter Jones, R-N.C.
Status: Awaiting action in the House Ways and Means Committee.
For up-to-date information on these bills, search this government site using the bill's name or number.
