Today's Cultural Warfare Update
Aug. 4th, 2005 11:11 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
solarbirdI'm sorry this is so late, but on the other hand, no, I'm not, because zomg, 'splody! It turns out that John Roberts did Pro Bono work _against_ the anti-gay Amendment 2 in Colorado, that the Supreme Court struck down as a violation of equal protection. (It barred civil rights protection against queers, but preserved it for straight people, so that you couldn't be fired for being heterosexual, but could be for being gay.) Question of the day: does this tie back to the rumour floated that he is gay?
First, the LA Times article;
Then, a collected set of the responses so far from fundamentalist groups - expect more as they come in - note that while people are arguing over the extent of the involvement, nobody is denying it outright, and Focus on the Family wants him to talk about it in front of the Senate;
Dobson compares embryonic stem-cell research to "Nazi science," and defends his assertions in that regard;
Senator Rick Santorum plugs his book on Focus on the Family - interview link. On NPR today, he said that it wasn't okay for the government to leave people alone in their bedrooms, and actually used those words. It was neat;
FotF article about multiple fundamentalist events following the passage of several anti-abortion bills in Oklahoma;
FotF praises President Bush, who said that Intelligent Design should be taught with evolution in science classes;
FotF defends public school Bible classes - Texas group charges them with sectarian prejudices;
Tom DeLay to speak at "Justice Sunday II" megachurchcast;
Focus on the Family claims 2/3 majority against overturning Roe v. Wade are "confused," makes strange claims about court rulings;
California Supreme Court rules state anti-discrimination law requires golf club to recognise state-registered DPs;
Red Cross employee fired over anti-gay email; called gayfolk "a sexual cancer, that we all know is eroding our society," amoungst other things, in a long exchange of letters with management protesting gay pride month that included saying that he couldn't do his job in promotions as long as the Red Cross was GBLT-friendly - Concerned Women for America pitches it as "fired for failing to celebrate homosexuality";
Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council attacks Bill Frist over stem-cell research support;
WorldNetDaily readership reacts _very_ strongly against Roberts following news of his Amendment 2 pro-bono work - fewer than 1% neutral or positive, 68.93% feel betrayed;
John Cole has detailed information on the Texas Bible Curriculum mentioned above, used in public school, which does indeed have major and important sectarian leanings, some of which he details.
----- 1 -----
Roberts Donated Help to Gay Rights Case
In 1996, activists won a landmark anti-bias ruling with the aid of the high court nominee.
By Richard A. Serrano, Times Staff Writer
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-roberts4aug04,1,3952062.story?coll=la-headlines-nation
WASHINGTON — Supreme Court nominee John G. Roberts Jr. worked behind the scenes for gay rights activists, and his legal expertise helped them persuade the Supreme Court to issue a landmark 1996 ruling protecting people from discrimination because of their sexual orientation.
Then a lawyer specializing in appellate work, the conservative Roberts helped represent the gay rights activists as part of his law firm's pro bono work. He did not write the legal briefs or argue the case before the high court, but he was instrumental in reviewing filings and preparing oral arguments, according to several lawyers intimately involved in the case.
Gay rights activists at the time described the court's 6-3 ruling as the movement's most important legal victory. The dissenting justices were those to whom Roberts is frequently likened for their conservative ideology: Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist, Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas.
Roberts' work on behalf of gay rights activists, whose cause is anathema to many conservatives, appears to illustrate his allegiance to the credo of the legal profession: to zealously represent the interests of the client, whoever it might be.
There is no other record of Roberts being involved in gay rights cases that would suggest his position on such issues. He has stressed, however, that a client's views are not necessarily shared by the lawyer who argues on his or her behalf.
The lawyer who asked for Roberts' help on the case, Walter A. Smith Jr., then head of the pro bono department at Hogan & Hartson, said Roberts didn't hesitate. "He said, 'Let's do it.' And it's illustrative of his open-mindedness, his fair-mindedness. He did a brilliant job."
Roberts did not mention his work on the case in his 67-page response to a Senate Judiciary Committee questionnaire, released Tuesday. The committee asked for "specific instances" in which he had performed pro bono work, how he had fulfilled those responsibilities, and the amount of time he had devoted to them.
[More at URL]
----- 2 -----
Focus on the Family wants Roberts questioned about his Amendment 2 pro-bono work in front of the Senate at the confirmation hearings. Here's the reactions of the groups I monitor most as of 9:30pm Thursday night:
----- Concerned Women for America:
Dropped from four stories/action items on the front page down to one. (The one does link through to a new page with the old alerts. Softpeddling, or just a scale-down in reaction? I don't know. They're slow, historically, to react to surprises.
----- Traditional Values Coalition:
No reaction yet. They're also very slow to react to things.
----- Family Research Council has reacted immediately and is downplaying it as much as possible pending learning "more about this report":
To: Friends of Family Research Council
From: Tony Perkins, President
August 4, 2005 - Thursday
Please forward this to your Friends and Family!
Hot News or Hot Air?
Today the Los Angeles Times reported that Supreme Court nominee John Roberts did pro bono work on the 1996 Supreme Court case that resulted in the striking down of a Colorado state constitutional amendment that prevented local government from offering protected minority status or preferences based on homosexual or bisexual orientation or conduct. Judge Roberts did the uncompensated legal work on the case, Romer v. Evans, while he was an attorney for the DC law firm Hogan and Hartson. After further investigation we were told that Roberts' role was apparently limited to providing a few hours of participation in a moot court procedure, as he routinely did for all the firm's pro bono clients. More on this as we learn more about this report.
----- Focus on the Family also downplays it as much as possible for now, but wants him questioned about it in front of the Senate:
Report: Roberts Did Pro-Bono Work for Gay Activists
John Roberts, President Bush's nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court, did a small amount of pro-bono legal work for homosexual activists a decade ago, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The paper clearly positioned its story today as something to rile up social conservatives who have thus far praised Circuit Judge John Roberts' qualifications and judicial philosophy. But pro-family groups like Focus on the Family Action were far less than riled at the news.
"While this is certainly not welcome news to those of us who advocate for traditional values, it is by no means a given that John Roberts' personal views are reflected in his involvement in this case," the pro-family group said in a statement. "Roberts was a private-practice attorney expected by his firm to do pro-bono legal work."
The Supreme Court eventually ruled in favor of the gay pressure groups in the case in question, Romer v. Evans, which involved a Colorado ordinance banning special rights for homosexuals. Roberts offered only minimal assistance to the attorneys preparing the legal arguments brought before the Court.
"It is worth noting that it was not Roberts who recommended taking on this case," Focus Action said. "His minimal involvement was requested by a colleague, who served as the lead attorney, because that colleague so respected Roberts' legal acumen.
"That's what lawyers do -- represent their firm's clients, whether they agree with what those clients stand for or not. Nothing we've read today alters our belief that Judge Roberts deserves a fair hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee and a timely up-or-down confirmation vote in the full Senate.
"We look forward to him being given the opportunity during his hearing to discuss his role in the Romer case, and all of his relevant experience, so that senators can make an informed decision on his nomination."
----- 3 -----
Dr. Dobson Answers Critics Over Stem-Cell Comments
by Pete Winn, associate editor
Focus on the Family
http://www.family.org/cforum/extras/a0037455.cfm
SUMMARY: Focus on the Family Action chairman will address
politically motivated attacks over his stand against
destructive embryonic stem-cell research in Friday
broadcast.
Focus on the Family Action Chairman James C. Dobson,
Ph.D., is devoting a special edition of his Friday radio
broadcast to answer liberal critics who have lambasted him
for his opposition to science that relies on the
destruction of human life.
Dobson was assailed today for comments he made on his
broadcast earlier this week comparing destructive
embryonic stem-cell research to Nazi "science."
U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Colo, co-sponsor of a bill to
expand federal funding of embryonic stem-cell research,
issued a statement condemning Dobson, while
Anti-Defamation League National Director Abraham Foxman
sent a letter calling on Dobson to apologize and
"immediately repudiate" his remarks.
"While reasonable, decent people may legitimately differ
in their views of embryonic stem-cell research," Foxman
said, "it is a gross distortion -- and an offensive misuse
of the Holocaust -- to compare stem-cell research to the
hideous barbarities of Nazi pseudoscience."
Dobson countered that his statement was being "spun like a
top by those who don't care about unborn life."
He said the original comment -- "Experimentation on the
blastocytes, which are fertilized eggs, has a Nazi-esque
aura to it" -- was being taken out of context by those who
support embryonic stem-cell research.
"What part of 'We condemn what the Nazis did and it was
horrible' . . . don't they get?" Dobson asked. "The truth
is these are ultraliberals who want the legal approval --
and the federal money to experiment on unborn life -- and
don't care a whit about unborn life at any age."
[More at URL]
----- 4 -----
'It is a Call to Common Sense'
by Pete Winn, associate editor
Focus on the Family
http://www.family.org/cforum/feature/a0037449.cfm
SUMMARY: U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum says there's nothing
groundbreaking about the ideas in his new book, "It Takes
a Family."
In his new book, "It Takes a Family: Conservatism and the
Common Good," U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., takes up the
challenge of looking at the "principled conservative" view
of society.
Santorum, who serves as chairman of the Senate Republican
Conference, is the No. 3 man in the Senate, and a
long-time pro-life, pro-family lawmaker.
He talked with CitizenLink recently about the book
(published by ISI Books) -- and conservatism.
Q. Why did you do this book, Senator?
A. The original reason I started out to write the book was
to actually lay out a conservative vision for helping
those in need in our society. It's something I thought we
were sort of lacking as conservatives. We have a lot of
publications out there talking about conservative
economics and social policy . . . but nothing really
focused on our view of helping those in need in our
society.
We needed to lay out an agenda of not just how politics
and government can be more family-friendly and focus on
helping build and maintain the traditional family from a
public policy point of view, but I talk in terms of how
the culture can do it -- how educational institutions can
do it, how we as a society generally, in our social
interactions . . . can contribute to strengthening the
family. So it's sort of a broad-brush book talking about a
general prescription for strengthening the American
family. And by the way, when you strengthen the family,
you strengthen America.
Q. Now the title of your book -- and what you've been
discussing -- would seem to play off of, or to be a
response to Hillary Rodham Clinton's 1996 book, "It Takes
a Village."
A. It's not a response to her book. It's really a response
to the ideology of the left, which believes in a top-down
approach to a society. It believes in the village's
ability to positively manage and influence individual
lives in America -- as opposed to the conservative point
of view that it takes a family to raise children. It takes
a family to inculcate values. It takes a family to explain
a child's role in society and in that family, as opposed
to government or what I call "The Bigs" -- which is
Hollywood and the educational establishment, and those
influences from above that try to inculcate their values
into every individual; as opposed to a family, which
conservatives believe is the basic unit of society,
nurturing and supporting the individual in the traditional
values that families hold.
Q. I understand, though, you would like to "duke it out"
-- to debate -- Sen. Clinton on these topics.
[More at URL]
----- 5 -----
Oklahoma Groups to Celebrate Pro-Life Legislative
Victories
Focus on the Family
August 4, 2005
[Received in email; no URL]
After years of diligent work by pro-lifers in the state,
the Oklahoma Legislature and Gov. Brad Henry have enacted
several pro-life measures into law this year. For the most
part, these measures received widespread bipartisan
support in the Legislature.
The bills that have passed include informed-consent
language, parental-notification requirements and language
modeled after the federal Laci and Conner's law.
To celebrate, a coalition of pro-life/pro-family groups is
hosting two rallies, one in Oklahoma City and the other in
Tulsa. The Oklahoma City rally will be held Sunday at
State Capitol Park, while the Tulsa rally will happen on
Aug. 14 at Memorial Bible Church -- both will last from 2
to 5 p.m.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: To learn more about the rallies,
contact the Oklahoma Family Policy Council at
405-787-7744.
----- 6 -----
SCORE TWO FOR INTELLIGENT DESIGN
Focus on the Family
by Aaron Atwood, assistant editor
August 3, 2005
http://www.family.org/cforum/news/a0037433.cfm
SUMMARY: President Bush's endorsement of teaching
alternatives to evolution comes on the heels of an
evolutionist retracting false statements she made against
an intelligent design proponent.
President Bush has come out in favor of teaching
alternatives to evolution in public schools, telling
reporters this week that students should learn about
intelligent design -- the scientific view that attributes
creation to a creator.
"I think that part of education is to expose people to
different schools of thought," Bush said. "You're asking
me whether or not people ought to be exposed to different
ideas. The answer is yes."
The Discovery Institute, the nation's leading think tank
supporting research on intelligent design, applauded
Bush's comments.
"President Bush is to be commended for defending free
speech on evolution and supporting the right of students
to hear about different scientific views about evolution,"
said John West, associate director of the institute's
Center for Science and Culture.
[More at URL]
----- 7 -----
Public School Bible Class Under Fire
from staff reports
Focus on the Family
August 3, 2005
http://www.family.org/cforum/news/a0037428.cfm
SUMMARY: Liberal Texas group challenging the legality of
curriculum on grounds that it only addresses Protestant
views.
A Bible class curriculum for public schools is being
attacked from the left for not teaching evolution or
including the views of other religions -- but those behind
the study are standing their ground.
The National Council on Bible Curriculum in Public Schools
says the course has been approved for use in 312 school
districts in 37 states.
"We've had over 170,000 students already take the course,"
said Elizabeth Ridenour, the council's president.
Texas has 52 districts carrying the curriculum -- which is
not going unnoticed by the liberal Texas Freedom Network.
The group's spokesman, Dan Quinn, claimed there are
problems with the Bible class.
"Well, for one thing," he told Family News in Focus, "it's
a Bible study course that essentially looks at almost
exclusively a Protestant -- conservative Protestant
--interpretation of the Bible.
[More at URL]
----- 8 -----
DELAY TO ATTEND JUSTICE SUNDAY II
Conservative congressman to speak at Aug. 14 Supreme Court simulcast.
Focus on the Family
August 3, 2005
http://www.family.org/cforum/news/a0037436.cfm
The second most powerful man in the U.S. House of
Representatives has agreed to take part in Justice Sunday
II on Aug. 14 in Nashville, Tenn.
Rep, Tom DeLay, R-Texas, the majority leader of the House,
has been openly critical of the activist nature of the
federal courts. That makes him a natural for the event, to
be simulcast coast to coast, in which speakers ranging
from Focus on the Family Action's Dr. James Dobson to
former U.S. Sen. Zell Miller will discuss the need to end
judicial tyranny.
DeLay, second only to Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert
in his party's leadership, has been especially critical of
certain members of the U.S. Supreme Court in recent
months. He has been particularly critical of Justice
Anthony Kennedy, along with outgoing Justice Sandra Day
O'Connor a key swing vote DeLay believes has played an
activist role in several decisions on important cases.
"Tom DeLay will be a great asset to the Justice Sunday
simulcast," Family Research Council President Tony Perkins
said, "because he has been outspoken on the need for
judicial restraint and will help in painting the overall
picture of why this is important to the American public."
[More at URL]
----- 9 -----
Country at Odds Over Sanctity of Life Issues
Focus on the Family
August 3, 2005
Newsbriefs
[Received in email; no URL]
A Pew Research Center poll released today found a majority
of Americans view abortion as a very important issue to be
addressed by the courts -- although there are
contradictory attitudes about the sanctity of life.
Pew found that most Americans favor restrictions on
abortion but are not sure how to accomplish that goal.
While 73 percent agree that parental-consent laws are
important and 59 percent would like to see the number of
abortions reduced, 65 percent oppose overturning Roe v.
Wade -- the 1973 Supreme Court decision that legalized
abortion on demand.
Focus on the Family Action Bioethics Analyst Carrie Gordon
Earll isn't so sure the last number is accurate.
"The Pew survey exemplifies a common misconception about
abortion and Roe v Wade," she said. "Most Americans have
no idea that Roe, in conjunction with its companion
ruling, Doe v Bolton, allows abortion for any reason
during the entire nine months of pregnancy -- even for
minors without parental knowledge and paid by tax dollars.
[More at URL]
----- 10 -----
California Clubs Ordered to Charge Gay Couples Same as Married Couples
Focus on the Family
August 2, 2005
Newsbriefs
[Received in email; no URL]
The California Supreme Court ruled Monday that country
clubs must extend the same rates to same-sex partners they
do to married couples, a decision that many are worried
will extend beyond the country club golf course, The
Associated Press reported.
The Bernardo Heights Country Club, at the center of the
court battle, allowed children, grandchildren and spouses
of married members to golf for free -- all other guests
had to pay a fee.
Birgit Koebe paid a monthly membership of $500 and sued
for the right to bring her lesbian partner, Kendall
French, as a spouse rather than pay extra each time they
golfed.
"We aren't activists," Koebe said. "We just wanted to play
golf together, and we just really felt we had every human
right to do that."
The court ruled in her favor, stating that the current
policy of the club signifies discrimination.
"The Legislature has made it abundantly clear that an
important goal of the Domestic Partner Act is to create
substantial legal equality between domestic partners and
spouses," Justice Carlos Moreno wrote. "We interpret this
language to mean that there shall be no discrimination in
the treatment of registered domestic partners and
spouses."
Jon Davidson of the Lambda Legal Defense and Education
Fund, a homosexual advocacy group, said the ruling will
reach far beyond the country club set and may affect any
business that has a separate policy and fee scale for
married versus unmarried couples.
"What the court said," Davidson noted, "was that if a
business in California provides benefits to married
couples, it has to provide them equally to couples who
register as domestic partners."
----- 11 -----
Man Fired By American Red Cross For Not Celebrating Homosexuality
Concerned Women for America
8/4/2005
By Lindsey Douthit
The Red Cross even has Corporate Diversity committees that oversee the implementation of a "diversity code."
The American Red Cross fired an employee, Michael Hartman, for expressing his disagreement with homosexuality.
http://www.cwfa.org/articles/8652/CFI/family/index.htm
Hartman had been a volunteer and donor for the Red Cross for over 30 years when he became an employee at the San Diego, California, center. He had been there for about eight months when, in the latter part of May 2005, a mass e-mail was sent to employees reminding everyone that June was Gay and Lesbian Pride Month and employees were encouraged to "observe" the celebration.
The e-mail, distributed by Chief Diversity Officer David Wilkins, stated, "It is my pleasure to announce that June will be recognized as Gay and Lesbian Pride Month at national headquarters…It is only fitting that we reinforce our organization's commitment to inclusion…by recognizing this important group and celebrating the many accomplishments they have made to our organization…I'd like to take this opportunity during the month of June to encourage field units to extend their reach into gay and lesbian communities."
As a Christian, Hartman was concerned by the e-mail and expressed his sentiments to his female supervisor, "who did not care." He then e-mailed several head administrators, who immediately called him into the Red Cross regional center in Pomona, California. Hartman was reprimanded and told that his e-mail was "not appropriate."
The "inappropriate" e-mail that Hartman sent contained the following statements:
"I would like to start by stating that I am a Christian not willing to compromise my beliefs to promote the agenda of the homosexual community. I would also like to say that I think it's disgraceful that while most of us [at the Red Cross] are trying to save lives, a select few are using this organization to promote their own lifestyles which in my opinion are unacceptable."
(emphasis added).
Hartman went on to say that if anyone reading his e-mail "is personally involved in this lifestyle…I think it's important that you know I have nothing against you as a person but the life you've chosen to live." He added Bible verses including Galatians 6:7 and Joshua 24:15.
After being reprimanded, Hartman took a week off of work because his mother, a U.S. Marine, had passed away. When he returned to the office, he noticed that Gay and Lesbian Pride posters were placed all over the office.
In a later e-mail to the Pacific Justice Institute, an organization that Hartman contacted after his termination, he wrote, "One of my primary jobs is recruiting and promoting the Red Cross. Under the present circumstances I cannot promote something that harbors and encourages this sexual cancer, that we all know is eroding our society."
Convicted that he had to take action, Hartman "prayed about it" and put together an e-mail to the Southern California region of the Red Cross. In the e-mail, he reiterated, "I respect and value your opinions" but added, "as you explained to me, celebrating homosexual pride month is consistent with our recognition of Black History Month, Women's History Month, Older Americans Month, and Asian Pacific Islanders Heritage Month…I'm still struggling to see a correlation between celebrating Great Americans and celebrating a sexual preference."
[More at URL]
----- 12 -----
A Heart After...Bad Science
Tony Perkins, President
Family Research Council
July 29, 2005 - Friday
Please forward this to your Friends and Family!
http://www.frc.org/get.cfm?i=WA05G66#WA05G66
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist has now publicly supported human embryonic stem cell research and expansion of President Bush's policy regarding funding of such research. The statement from someone who seeks the support of the pro-life community [and who once had Presidential aspirations] is very disappointing but not a surprise. It is reminiscent of the speech he gave to the 2004 Republican platform committee, where he squelched open debate on the ethics of embryonic stem cell research, as well as a 2001 Senate hearing testimony where he advocated production of hundreds of human embryonic stem cell lines which would have required destruction of thousands of human embryos. This reflects a unwise and unnecessary choice both for public policy and for respecting the dignity of human life.
Under the current policy, 22 human embryonic stem cell lines, and over 3500 vials of such cells, are available for research; 39 more lines wait in the freezer for researchers to use them, and there is no cap on the federal money available for this research. Yet after 24 years of work with mouse and human embryonic stem cells, this "promising" research has not delivered a single treatment for human patients. Meanwhile, thousands of patients are better TODAY after umbilical cord blood and adult stem cell treatments for at least 65 conditions. This includes over 200 heart patients, the results of which heart surgeon Dr. Frist should take notice. The current embryonic stem cell policy provides ample cells and funds for advocates to try to make their case, but does not encourage or reward further destruction of innocent human life. The real promise of adult stem cells, with real results for suffering human patients, is what needs more encouragement and funding. Senator Frist, please support good science, good ethics, and good public policy.
[More at URL]
----- 13 -----
WorldNetDaily
Daily Reader Poll
August 4, 2005
What do you think about John Roberts donating legal services to 'gay' activists?
Reader Responses
Once again, Christian conservatives have traded loyalty for rhetoric while real power goes to those hostile to their values - 68.93% (1136)
I just knew Bush would let us down - 27.79% (458)
It doesn't change the way I feel about his nomination one way or the other - 0.97% (16)
It has me deeply concerned he's another Souter or Kennedy - 0.97% (16)
I don't like it but I'm sticking with the president on his pick - 0.55% (9)
I can't support his confirmation as a result of this - 0.55% (9)
Other - 0.12% (2)
I still don't support him but his work on behalf of homosexual rights is commendable - 0.06% (1)
It strengthens my support of his nomination - 0.06% (1)
I didn't support his appointment until this news broke - (0)
TOTAL VOTES: 1648
----- 14 -----
Surprise, Surprise
By: John Cole at 10:42 am
Balloon Juice
http://www.balloon-juice.com/?p=5162
The Texas Bible Curriculum gets a failing grade. Apparently it isn’t an ecumenical study of the bible, but instead nothing more than indoctrination of a sectarian viewpoint. Who would have thunk it? An example:
First, the LA Times article;
Then, a collected set of the responses so far from fundamentalist groups - expect more as they come in - note that while people are arguing over the extent of the involvement, nobody is denying it outright, and Focus on the Family wants him to talk about it in front of the Senate;
Dobson compares embryonic stem-cell research to "Nazi science," and defends his assertions in that regard;
Senator Rick Santorum plugs his book on Focus on the Family - interview link. On NPR today, he said that it wasn't okay for the government to leave people alone in their bedrooms, and actually used those words. It was neat;
FotF article about multiple fundamentalist events following the passage of several anti-abortion bills in Oklahoma;
FotF praises President Bush, who said that Intelligent Design should be taught with evolution in science classes;
FotF defends public school Bible classes - Texas group charges them with sectarian prejudices;
Tom DeLay to speak at "Justice Sunday II" megachurchcast;
Focus on the Family claims 2/3 majority against overturning Roe v. Wade are "confused," makes strange claims about court rulings;
California Supreme Court rules state anti-discrimination law requires golf club to recognise state-registered DPs;
Red Cross employee fired over anti-gay email; called gayfolk "a sexual cancer, that we all know is eroding our society," amoungst other things, in a long exchange of letters with management protesting gay pride month that included saying that he couldn't do his job in promotions as long as the Red Cross was GBLT-friendly - Concerned Women for America pitches it as "fired for failing to celebrate homosexuality";
Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council attacks Bill Frist over stem-cell research support;
WorldNetDaily readership reacts _very_ strongly against Roberts following news of his Amendment 2 pro-bono work - fewer than 1% neutral or positive, 68.93% feel betrayed;
John Cole has detailed information on the Texas Bible Curriculum mentioned above, used in public school, which does indeed have major and important sectarian leanings, some of which he details.
----- 1 -----
Roberts Donated Help to Gay Rights Case
In 1996, activists won a landmark anti-bias ruling with the aid of the high court nominee.
By Richard A. Serrano, Times Staff Writer
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-roberts4aug04,1,3952062.story?coll=la-headlines-nation
WASHINGTON — Supreme Court nominee John G. Roberts Jr. worked behind the scenes for gay rights activists, and his legal expertise helped them persuade the Supreme Court to issue a landmark 1996 ruling protecting people from discrimination because of their sexual orientation.
Then a lawyer specializing in appellate work, the conservative Roberts helped represent the gay rights activists as part of his law firm's pro bono work. He did not write the legal briefs or argue the case before the high court, but he was instrumental in reviewing filings and preparing oral arguments, according to several lawyers intimately involved in the case.
Gay rights activists at the time described the court's 6-3 ruling as the movement's most important legal victory. The dissenting justices were those to whom Roberts is frequently likened for their conservative ideology: Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist, Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas.
Roberts' work on behalf of gay rights activists, whose cause is anathema to many conservatives, appears to illustrate his allegiance to the credo of the legal profession: to zealously represent the interests of the client, whoever it might be.
There is no other record of Roberts being involved in gay rights cases that would suggest his position on such issues. He has stressed, however, that a client's views are not necessarily shared by the lawyer who argues on his or her behalf.
The lawyer who asked for Roberts' help on the case, Walter A. Smith Jr., then head of the pro bono department at Hogan & Hartson, said Roberts didn't hesitate. "He said, 'Let's do it.' And it's illustrative of his open-mindedness, his fair-mindedness. He did a brilliant job."
Roberts did not mention his work on the case in his 67-page response to a Senate Judiciary Committee questionnaire, released Tuesday. The committee asked for "specific instances" in which he had performed pro bono work, how he had fulfilled those responsibilities, and the amount of time he had devoted to them.
[More at URL]
----- 2 -----
Focus on the Family wants Roberts questioned about his Amendment 2 pro-bono work in front of the Senate at the confirmation hearings. Here's the reactions of the groups I monitor most as of 9:30pm Thursday night:
----- Concerned Women for America:
Dropped from four stories/action items on the front page down to one. (The one does link through to a new page with the old alerts. Softpeddling, or just a scale-down in reaction? I don't know. They're slow, historically, to react to surprises.
----- Traditional Values Coalition:
No reaction yet. They're also very slow to react to things.
----- Family Research Council has reacted immediately and is downplaying it as much as possible pending learning "more about this report":
To: Friends of Family Research Council
From: Tony Perkins, President
August 4, 2005 - Thursday
Please forward this to your Friends and Family!
Hot News or Hot Air?
Today the Los Angeles Times reported that Supreme Court nominee John Roberts did pro bono work on the 1996 Supreme Court case that resulted in the striking down of a Colorado state constitutional amendment that prevented local government from offering protected minority status or preferences based on homosexual or bisexual orientation or conduct. Judge Roberts did the uncompensated legal work on the case, Romer v. Evans, while he was an attorney for the DC law firm Hogan and Hartson. After further investigation we were told that Roberts' role was apparently limited to providing a few hours of participation in a moot court procedure, as he routinely did for all the firm's pro bono clients. More on this as we learn more about this report.
----- Focus on the Family also downplays it as much as possible for now, but wants him questioned about it in front of the Senate:
Report: Roberts Did Pro-Bono Work for Gay Activists
John Roberts, President Bush's nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court, did a small amount of pro-bono legal work for homosexual activists a decade ago, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The paper clearly positioned its story today as something to rile up social conservatives who have thus far praised Circuit Judge John Roberts' qualifications and judicial philosophy. But pro-family groups like Focus on the Family Action were far less than riled at the news.
"While this is certainly not welcome news to those of us who advocate for traditional values, it is by no means a given that John Roberts' personal views are reflected in his involvement in this case," the pro-family group said in a statement. "Roberts was a private-practice attorney expected by his firm to do pro-bono legal work."
The Supreme Court eventually ruled in favor of the gay pressure groups in the case in question, Romer v. Evans, which involved a Colorado ordinance banning special rights for homosexuals. Roberts offered only minimal assistance to the attorneys preparing the legal arguments brought before the Court.
"It is worth noting that it was not Roberts who recommended taking on this case," Focus Action said. "His minimal involvement was requested by a colleague, who served as the lead attorney, because that colleague so respected Roberts' legal acumen.
"That's what lawyers do -- represent their firm's clients, whether they agree with what those clients stand for or not. Nothing we've read today alters our belief that Judge Roberts deserves a fair hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee and a timely up-or-down confirmation vote in the full Senate.
"We look forward to him being given the opportunity during his hearing to discuss his role in the Romer case, and all of his relevant experience, so that senators can make an informed decision on his nomination."
----- 3 -----
Dr. Dobson Answers Critics Over Stem-Cell Comments
by Pete Winn, associate editor
Focus on the Family
http://www.family.org/cforum/extras/a0037455.cfm
SUMMARY: Focus on the Family Action chairman will address
politically motivated attacks over his stand against
destructive embryonic stem-cell research in Friday
broadcast.
Focus on the Family Action Chairman James C. Dobson,
Ph.D., is devoting a special edition of his Friday radio
broadcast to answer liberal critics who have lambasted him
for his opposition to science that relies on the
destruction of human life.
Dobson was assailed today for comments he made on his
broadcast earlier this week comparing destructive
embryonic stem-cell research to Nazi "science."
U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Colo, co-sponsor of a bill to
expand federal funding of embryonic stem-cell research,
issued a statement condemning Dobson, while
Anti-Defamation League National Director Abraham Foxman
sent a letter calling on Dobson to apologize and
"immediately repudiate" his remarks.
"While reasonable, decent people may legitimately differ
in their views of embryonic stem-cell research," Foxman
said, "it is a gross distortion -- and an offensive misuse
of the Holocaust -- to compare stem-cell research to the
hideous barbarities of Nazi pseudoscience."
Dobson countered that his statement was being "spun like a
top by those who don't care about unborn life."
He said the original comment -- "Experimentation on the
blastocytes, which are fertilized eggs, has a Nazi-esque
aura to it" -- was being taken out of context by those who
support embryonic stem-cell research.
"What part of 'We condemn what the Nazis did and it was
horrible' . . . don't they get?" Dobson asked. "The truth
is these are ultraliberals who want the legal approval --
and the federal money to experiment on unborn life -- and
don't care a whit about unborn life at any age."
[More at URL]
----- 4 -----
'It is a Call to Common Sense'
by Pete Winn, associate editor
Focus on the Family
http://www.family.org/cforum/feature/a0037449.cfm
SUMMARY: U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum says there's nothing
groundbreaking about the ideas in his new book, "It Takes
a Family."
In his new book, "It Takes a Family: Conservatism and the
Common Good," U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., takes up the
challenge of looking at the "principled conservative" view
of society.
Santorum, who serves as chairman of the Senate Republican
Conference, is the No. 3 man in the Senate, and a
long-time pro-life, pro-family lawmaker.
He talked with CitizenLink recently about the book
(published by ISI Books) -- and conservatism.
Q. Why did you do this book, Senator?
A. The original reason I started out to write the book was
to actually lay out a conservative vision for helping
those in need in our society. It's something I thought we
were sort of lacking as conservatives. We have a lot of
publications out there talking about conservative
economics and social policy . . . but nothing really
focused on our view of helping those in need in our
society.
We needed to lay out an agenda of not just how politics
and government can be more family-friendly and focus on
helping build and maintain the traditional family from a
public policy point of view, but I talk in terms of how
the culture can do it -- how educational institutions can
do it, how we as a society generally, in our social
interactions . . . can contribute to strengthening the
family. So it's sort of a broad-brush book talking about a
general prescription for strengthening the American
family. And by the way, when you strengthen the family,
you strengthen America.
Q. Now the title of your book -- and what you've been
discussing -- would seem to play off of, or to be a
response to Hillary Rodham Clinton's 1996 book, "It Takes
a Village."
A. It's not a response to her book. It's really a response
to the ideology of the left, which believes in a top-down
approach to a society. It believes in the village's
ability to positively manage and influence individual
lives in America -- as opposed to the conservative point
of view that it takes a family to raise children. It takes
a family to inculcate values. It takes a family to explain
a child's role in society and in that family, as opposed
to government or what I call "The Bigs" -- which is
Hollywood and the educational establishment, and those
influences from above that try to inculcate their values
into every individual; as opposed to a family, which
conservatives believe is the basic unit of society,
nurturing and supporting the individual in the traditional
values that families hold.
Q. I understand, though, you would like to "duke it out"
-- to debate -- Sen. Clinton on these topics.
[More at URL]
----- 5 -----
Oklahoma Groups to Celebrate Pro-Life Legislative
Victories
Focus on the Family
August 4, 2005
[Received in email; no URL]
After years of diligent work by pro-lifers in the state,
the Oklahoma Legislature and Gov. Brad Henry have enacted
several pro-life measures into law this year. For the most
part, these measures received widespread bipartisan
support in the Legislature.
The bills that have passed include informed-consent
language, parental-notification requirements and language
modeled after the federal Laci and Conner's law.
To celebrate, a coalition of pro-life/pro-family groups is
hosting two rallies, one in Oklahoma City and the other in
Tulsa. The Oklahoma City rally will be held Sunday at
State Capitol Park, while the Tulsa rally will happen on
Aug. 14 at Memorial Bible Church -- both will last from 2
to 5 p.m.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: To learn more about the rallies,
contact the Oklahoma Family Policy Council at
405-787-7744.
----- 6 -----
SCORE TWO FOR INTELLIGENT DESIGN
Focus on the Family
by Aaron Atwood, assistant editor
August 3, 2005
http://www.family.org/cforum/news/a0037433.cfm
SUMMARY: President Bush's endorsement of teaching
alternatives to evolution comes on the heels of an
evolutionist retracting false statements she made against
an intelligent design proponent.
President Bush has come out in favor of teaching
alternatives to evolution in public schools, telling
reporters this week that students should learn about
intelligent design -- the scientific view that attributes
creation to a creator.
"I think that part of education is to expose people to
different schools of thought," Bush said. "You're asking
me whether or not people ought to be exposed to different
ideas. The answer is yes."
The Discovery Institute, the nation's leading think tank
supporting research on intelligent design, applauded
Bush's comments.
"President Bush is to be commended for defending free
speech on evolution and supporting the right of students
to hear about different scientific views about evolution,"
said John West, associate director of the institute's
Center for Science and Culture.
[More at URL]
----- 7 -----
Public School Bible Class Under Fire
from staff reports
Focus on the Family
August 3, 2005
http://www.family.org/cforum/news/a0037428.cfm
SUMMARY: Liberal Texas group challenging the legality of
curriculum on grounds that it only addresses Protestant
views.
A Bible class curriculum for public schools is being
attacked from the left for not teaching evolution or
including the views of other religions -- but those behind
the study are standing their ground.
The National Council on Bible Curriculum in Public Schools
says the course has been approved for use in 312 school
districts in 37 states.
"We've had over 170,000 students already take the course,"
said Elizabeth Ridenour, the council's president.
Texas has 52 districts carrying the curriculum -- which is
not going unnoticed by the liberal Texas Freedom Network.
The group's spokesman, Dan Quinn, claimed there are
problems with the Bible class.
"Well, for one thing," he told Family News in Focus, "it's
a Bible study course that essentially looks at almost
exclusively a Protestant -- conservative Protestant
--interpretation of the Bible.
[More at URL]
----- 8 -----
DELAY TO ATTEND JUSTICE SUNDAY II
Conservative congressman to speak at Aug. 14 Supreme Court simulcast.
Focus on the Family
August 3, 2005
http://www.family.org/cforum/news/a0037436.cfm
The second most powerful man in the U.S. House of
Representatives has agreed to take part in Justice Sunday
II on Aug. 14 in Nashville, Tenn.
Rep, Tom DeLay, R-Texas, the majority leader of the House,
has been openly critical of the activist nature of the
federal courts. That makes him a natural for the event, to
be simulcast coast to coast, in which speakers ranging
from Focus on the Family Action's Dr. James Dobson to
former U.S. Sen. Zell Miller will discuss the need to end
judicial tyranny.
DeLay, second only to Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert
in his party's leadership, has been especially critical of
certain members of the U.S. Supreme Court in recent
months. He has been particularly critical of Justice
Anthony Kennedy, along with outgoing Justice Sandra Day
O'Connor a key swing vote DeLay believes has played an
activist role in several decisions on important cases.
"Tom DeLay will be a great asset to the Justice Sunday
simulcast," Family Research Council President Tony Perkins
said, "because he has been outspoken on the need for
judicial restraint and will help in painting the overall
picture of why this is important to the American public."
[More at URL]
----- 9 -----
Country at Odds Over Sanctity of Life Issues
Focus on the Family
August 3, 2005
Newsbriefs
[Received in email; no URL]
A Pew Research Center poll released today found a majority
of Americans view abortion as a very important issue to be
addressed by the courts -- although there are
contradictory attitudes about the sanctity of life.
Pew found that most Americans favor restrictions on
abortion but are not sure how to accomplish that goal.
While 73 percent agree that parental-consent laws are
important and 59 percent would like to see the number of
abortions reduced, 65 percent oppose overturning Roe v.
Wade -- the 1973 Supreme Court decision that legalized
abortion on demand.
Focus on the Family Action Bioethics Analyst Carrie Gordon
Earll isn't so sure the last number is accurate.
"The Pew survey exemplifies a common misconception about
abortion and Roe v Wade," she said. "Most Americans have
no idea that Roe, in conjunction with its companion
ruling, Doe v Bolton, allows abortion for any reason
during the entire nine months of pregnancy -- even for
minors without parental knowledge and paid by tax dollars.
[More at URL]
----- 10 -----
California Clubs Ordered to Charge Gay Couples Same as Married Couples
Focus on the Family
August 2, 2005
Newsbriefs
[Received in email; no URL]
The California Supreme Court ruled Monday that country
clubs must extend the same rates to same-sex partners they
do to married couples, a decision that many are worried
will extend beyond the country club golf course, The
Associated Press reported.
The Bernardo Heights Country Club, at the center of the
court battle, allowed children, grandchildren and spouses
of married members to golf for free -- all other guests
had to pay a fee.
Birgit Koebe paid a monthly membership of $500 and sued
for the right to bring her lesbian partner, Kendall
French, as a spouse rather than pay extra each time they
golfed.
"We aren't activists," Koebe said. "We just wanted to play
golf together, and we just really felt we had every human
right to do that."
The court ruled in her favor, stating that the current
policy of the club signifies discrimination.
"The Legislature has made it abundantly clear that an
important goal of the Domestic Partner Act is to create
substantial legal equality between domestic partners and
spouses," Justice Carlos Moreno wrote. "We interpret this
language to mean that there shall be no discrimination in
the treatment of registered domestic partners and
spouses."
Jon Davidson of the Lambda Legal Defense and Education
Fund, a homosexual advocacy group, said the ruling will
reach far beyond the country club set and may affect any
business that has a separate policy and fee scale for
married versus unmarried couples.
"What the court said," Davidson noted, "was that if a
business in California provides benefits to married
couples, it has to provide them equally to couples who
register as domestic partners."
----- 11 -----
Man Fired By American Red Cross For Not Celebrating Homosexuality
Concerned Women for America
8/4/2005
By Lindsey Douthit
The Red Cross even has Corporate Diversity committees that oversee the implementation of a "diversity code."
The American Red Cross fired an employee, Michael Hartman, for expressing his disagreement with homosexuality.
http://www.cwfa.org/articles/8652/CFI/family/index.htm
Hartman had been a volunteer and donor for the Red Cross for over 30 years when he became an employee at the San Diego, California, center. He had been there for about eight months when, in the latter part of May 2005, a mass e-mail was sent to employees reminding everyone that June was Gay and Lesbian Pride Month and employees were encouraged to "observe" the celebration.
The e-mail, distributed by Chief Diversity Officer David Wilkins, stated, "It is my pleasure to announce that June will be recognized as Gay and Lesbian Pride Month at national headquarters…It is only fitting that we reinforce our organization's commitment to inclusion…by recognizing this important group and celebrating the many accomplishments they have made to our organization…I'd like to take this opportunity during the month of June to encourage field units to extend their reach into gay and lesbian communities."
As a Christian, Hartman was concerned by the e-mail and expressed his sentiments to his female supervisor, "who did not care." He then e-mailed several head administrators, who immediately called him into the Red Cross regional center in Pomona, California. Hartman was reprimanded and told that his e-mail was "not appropriate."
The "inappropriate" e-mail that Hartman sent contained the following statements:
"I would like to start by stating that I am a Christian not willing to compromise my beliefs to promote the agenda of the homosexual community. I would also like to say that I think it's disgraceful that while most of us [at the Red Cross] are trying to save lives, a select few are using this organization to promote their own lifestyles which in my opinion are unacceptable."
(emphasis added).
Hartman went on to say that if anyone reading his e-mail "is personally involved in this lifestyle…I think it's important that you know I have nothing against you as a person but the life you've chosen to live." He added Bible verses including Galatians 6:7 and Joshua 24:15.
After being reprimanded, Hartman took a week off of work because his mother, a U.S. Marine, had passed away. When he returned to the office, he noticed that Gay and Lesbian Pride posters were placed all over the office.
In a later e-mail to the Pacific Justice Institute, an organization that Hartman contacted after his termination, he wrote, "One of my primary jobs is recruiting and promoting the Red Cross. Under the present circumstances I cannot promote something that harbors and encourages this sexual cancer, that we all know is eroding our society."
Convicted that he had to take action, Hartman "prayed about it" and put together an e-mail to the Southern California region of the Red Cross. In the e-mail, he reiterated, "I respect and value your opinions" but added, "as you explained to me, celebrating homosexual pride month is consistent with our recognition of Black History Month, Women's History Month, Older Americans Month, and Asian Pacific Islanders Heritage Month…I'm still struggling to see a correlation between celebrating Great Americans and celebrating a sexual preference."
[More at URL]
----- 12 -----
A Heart After...Bad Science
Tony Perkins, President
Family Research Council
July 29, 2005 - Friday
Please forward this to your Friends and Family!
http://www.frc.org/get.cfm?i=WA05G66#WA05G66
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist has now publicly supported human embryonic stem cell research and expansion of President Bush's policy regarding funding of such research. The statement from someone who seeks the support of the pro-life community [and who once had Presidential aspirations] is very disappointing but not a surprise. It is reminiscent of the speech he gave to the 2004 Republican platform committee, where he squelched open debate on the ethics of embryonic stem cell research, as well as a 2001 Senate hearing testimony where he advocated production of hundreds of human embryonic stem cell lines which would have required destruction of thousands of human embryos. This reflects a unwise and unnecessary choice both for public policy and for respecting the dignity of human life.
Under the current policy, 22 human embryonic stem cell lines, and over 3500 vials of such cells, are available for research; 39 more lines wait in the freezer for researchers to use them, and there is no cap on the federal money available for this research. Yet after 24 years of work with mouse and human embryonic stem cells, this "promising" research has not delivered a single treatment for human patients. Meanwhile, thousands of patients are better TODAY after umbilical cord blood and adult stem cell treatments for at least 65 conditions. This includes over 200 heart patients, the results of which heart surgeon Dr. Frist should take notice. The current embryonic stem cell policy provides ample cells and funds for advocates to try to make their case, but does not encourage or reward further destruction of innocent human life. The real promise of adult stem cells, with real results for suffering human patients, is what needs more encouragement and funding. Senator Frist, please support good science, good ethics, and good public policy.
[More at URL]
----- 13 -----
WorldNetDaily
Daily Reader Poll
August 4, 2005
What do you think about John Roberts donating legal services to 'gay' activists?
Reader Responses
Once again, Christian conservatives have traded loyalty for rhetoric while real power goes to those hostile to their values - 68.93% (1136)
I just knew Bush would let us down - 27.79% (458)
It doesn't change the way I feel about his nomination one way or the other - 0.97% (16)
It has me deeply concerned he's another Souter or Kennedy - 0.97% (16)
I don't like it but I'm sticking with the president on his pick - 0.55% (9)
I can't support his confirmation as a result of this - 0.55% (9)
Other - 0.12% (2)
I still don't support him but his work on behalf of homosexual rights is commendable - 0.06% (1)
It strengthens my support of his nomination - 0.06% (1)
I didn't support his appointment until this news broke - (0)
TOTAL VOTES: 1648
----- 14 -----
Surprise, Surprise
By: John Cole at 10:42 am
Balloon Juice
http://www.balloon-juice.com/?p=5162
The Texas Bible Curriculum gets a failing grade. Apparently it isn’t an ecumenical study of the bible, but instead nothing more than indoctrination of a sectarian viewpoint. Who would have thunk it? An example:
This curriculum goes beyond observing that Christians and Jews believe in the divine inspiration of the Bible. It explicitly and repeatedly endorses those beliefs by presenting such inspiration as a fact. Furthermore, the curriculum attempts to persuade teachers and students to adopt viewsof the Bible that are common in some conservative Protestat circles but are rejected by most scholars (Christian and non-Christian), other branches of Christianity, and Jews. It presents its own sectarian views as objectively true, and in many cases those views are the only ones presented…Read the whole report. (URL to PDF: http://www.tfn.org/files/fck/BibleCurriculum.pdf )As the report will indicate, such problems are not limited to the passages noted above [I have not included them]; they are present throughout the curriculum.
