![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
solarbirdSlow day today, presumably to the American holiday. So this issue includes a COMIC STRIP! YAY! Well, a link to one. It's on theme. CLICKIE!
This Philip Slater essay, ganked from![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
zarq, is one attempt to discuss the roots of rising global fundamentalism and other, similar movements. If something else is on that page - I couldn't find a permalink - you can grab the 11-page PDF from here.
Focus on the Family continues attacking "Plan B," the emergency (or morning-after) birth control pill; continues to state as fact the complete fabrication that it causes abortions;
FotF on efforts spearheaded by fundamentalists in Georgia to attack Gay-Straight Alliance and similar clubs; "George Considers Outing Extracurricular Clubs"; they've also been trying to ban them in violation of the same Supreme Court ruling that they site when talking about evangelical clubs; revives "recruiting our children" language;
FotF self-interview on the globalisation of their anti-gay, anti-abortion-rights efforts; working to file suits overturning the parliamentary legalisation of marriage rights for same-sex couples in Spain; working to combat abortion rights globally; working to spread "ex-gay" rhetoric up and down the Americas;
Fundamentalists had gotten a revision to the Air Force guidelines on religious practices that they approved of; the people who had sued over religious harassment have decided to continue their suit after all, because the new guidelines put the previous status quo substantially back into place; Andrew Sullivan mentioned this last week as a "quiet victory" for the fundamentalist movement, so now it's going to go to the courts again;
Focus on the Family angry that a Missouri judge has approved a lesbian couple's foster-parent application; blames Lawrence v. Texas, which declared "sodomy" laws making all gay and lesbian people effectively illegal to be unconstitutional;
FotF quotes French report: marriage rights for queers, adoption for queers, and procreation-assistance for same-sex couples should all be illegal; I have no details on this report, they're quoting LifeNews quoting it;
And the Bonus Comic Page: Bob the Angry Flower. CLICKIE!
----- 1 -----
WHY AMERICA IS POLARIZED
Philip Slater
Online as of February 20, 2006
http://www.philipslater.com/index.htm
Political analysts have been impressed lately by the polarization of the American public between "reds" and "blues". Eighty percent of our population has declared itself impervious to persuasion. Why has this happened? Why have political positions hardened while the pragmatic center has shrunk?
While the media speak of the new importance of 'moral values', as if this were some recent fashion trend that had just burst upon the scene, this 'red/blue' division is rooted in major historical changes--changes that are welcomed by half of our nation, appalling to the other half. Furthermore, this division is not simply an American phenomenon, but a global one, rooted in the most revolutionary cultural shift in the history of our species.
[More at URL]
----- 2 -----
PRO-ABORTION LAWMAKERS LOBBY FOR PLAN B
Pro-life advocates say morning-after pill supporters should look at the science.
Focus on the Family
Family News in Focus
February 20, 2006
http://www.family.org/cforum/news/a0039595.cfm
Some pro-abortion Democrats in the U.S. House of
representative are accusing the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) of letting politics stall the
approval process of over-the-counter sales for the
morning-after pill.
Reps. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., and Sam Farr, D-Calif.,
expressed concern that ideology might supersede public
health. Despite pressure from the left, the FDA has
maintained that a decision on Plan B will be based on
science, not politics.
Jim Sedlak, vice president of the American Life League,
called the Democrats' claims ridiculous.
"The politics is all coming from the other side," he said.
"Science here would say be cautious. Science here would
say this is not an over the counter drug and we believe
that true science would say this is a drug that shouldn't
even be on the market in the United States."
Pro-life advocates have opposed the morning-after pill
because it can sometimes cause an early abortion.
[More at URL]
----- 3 -----
Georgia Considers Outing Extracurricular Clubs
SUMMARY: Gay student clubs fight to maintain secrecy.
Focus on the Family
Family News in Focus
February 20, 2006
http://www.family.org/cforum/news/a0039594.cfm
Some Georgia lawmakers say they have a solution for
parents who worry about controversial school clubs: The
House passed a bill requiring parents to sign off on their
child's participation in all extracurricular groups.
Support for the legislation grew after homosexual
activists threatened to sue schools for blocking gay
student clubs -- often called "gay-straight alliances."
Edward Gray, executive director of Youth Pride, a gay
advocacy group in Atlanta, said the legislation would harm
gay students by making them "come out" to their parents
before they're ready.
"We don't say that young people should keep anything
secret from their parents," he told Family News in Focus.
"We also don't say you should tell your parents
everything."
State Rep. Bobby Reese voted for the measure. He accused
gay groups of enlisting kids.
[More at URL]
----- 4 -----
Q&A: FOCUS ENGAGED IN WORLDWIDE FIGHT FOR FAMILY VALUES
Focus partners with organizations the world over in the fight for family values.
Focus on the Family
Family News in Focus
by Pete Winn, associate editor
February 20, 2006
http://www.family.org/cforum/feature/a0039597.cfm
The pro-family battle isn't just for people in the U.S.,
it's a global fight, and there are pro-family movements
around the world -- just as there is a global movement to
redefine marriage and promote abortion.
Yuri Mantilla, director of international government
affairs for Focus on the Family, spoke with CitizenLink
about Focus' worldwide involvement.
Q. Focus on the Family is taking part in the worldwide
pro-family movement. Why? And what kinds of things are we
involved in?
A. There is an increasing influence of left-wing movements
in, for example, Latin America, and many of these
movements are promoting the legalization of homosexual
marriage. And as you know, in those countries abortion is
still illegal, but they are trying to promote the
legalization of abortion.
[...]
TO READ THE REST OF THIS STORY: Click on this link.
http://www.family.org/cforum/feature/a0039597.cfm#jump
[...]
[Q.] The issues that we face may be global, but many of them are exported by the United States, aren't they?
[A.] But, as I said, it is not about ethnicity. It is about the sanctity of human life which starts at the time of conception. It is about marriage as the union of a man and a woman. And because of that I think the rest of the world can see that our movement is vibrant, is multicultural, and they will embrace what we want to tell them.
I think the overwhelming majority of people around the world are with us — except maybe for some parts of Western Europe — most of the world understands that the family is the foundation for social and economic development.
I do think we need to realize that our movement is a movement which is based on God's absolute truth, and people around the world share our values.
[...]
[Q.] In line with what you were saying, I understand that "Love Won Out" (Focus on the Family's conference which educates parents and others on the truth about homosexuality) has now gone global.
[A.] A couple of months ago, we went with Mike Haley (Focus on the Family's director of gender issues) and the entire Love Won Out team to Mexico City. It was the first time such an event has been held in Latin America.
[...]
That's why are going to do the same thing now in Spain. In Spain, the government of President (Jose Luis Rodriguez) Zapatero has legalized homosexual marriage. And that is having an incredible influence around the world. So, we went in there with Church leaders giving public-policy conferences to mobilize the Church to oppose the legalization of same-sex marriage. And the fight there continues. There are some legal instruments and constitutional challenges that may help overrule that decision. So I think that the fact that Mike and his team are going there and by showing to the Spanish people that it's about compassion, we can really take a different approach.
[More at URL]
----- 5 -----
Attorney Calls Air Force Guidelines Unconstitutional
Focus on the Family
Newsbriefs
February 20, 2006
[Received in email; no URL]
The attorney representing an ex-Air Force Academy graduate
in a pending lawsuit said new guidelines on religious
expression for airmen are unconstitutional.
The Justice Department requested that the case be
dismissed, but Mikey Weinstein's attorney, Sam Bregman,
said dismissing the lawsuit would be "ridiculous" in light
of the new guidelines.
"They completely, thoroughly violate the Constitution of
the United States," he said.
Weinstein filed a lawsuit last October, claiming cadets
and officials illegally imposed their Christian beliefs on
fellow cadets.
----- 6 -----
Missouri Grants Lesbian Couple the Right to Be Foster Parents
Focus on the Family
Newsbriefs
February 20, 2006
[Received in email; no URL]
A judge in Missouri ruled Friday that homosexuals can be
foster parents, The Kansas City Star reported.
The state originally denied a license to Lisa Johnston
because she had a same-sex relationship, which is illegal
under Missouri law. Johnston wanted to raise a child with
partner Dawn Roginski.
Citing the 2003 U.S. Supreme Court decision Lawrence v.
Texas, which ruled existing state sodomy laws
unenforceable, Jackson County Judge Sandra Midkiff said
the state had no basis to deny Johnston the license.
"This is a victory for all the children in the Missouri
foster-care system," Johnston said. "I'm overwhelmed with
joy."
Deborah Scott, spokeswoman for the Department of Social
Services, said the state plans to ask the court to stay
its decision while the appeals process plays out.
She said the department was "disappointed by the decision
and its implications for the state of Missouri."
Bill Maier, vice president and psychologist in residence
at Focus on the Family, said a child is better served in a
home with married, heterosexual parents.
By approving same-sex parenting, he said, "you are
deliberately depriving a child of either a mom or a dad."
----- 7 -----
French Report Says Marriage Should be Protected
Focus on the Family
Newsbriefs
February 20, 2006
[Received in email; no URL]
A French government report says marriage between people of
the same sex is "biologically neither real, nor
plausible," LifeSite News reported.
An investigation by a government commission, requested by
the president of the French National Assembly, concluded
homosexual marriage, adoption by same-sex couples and
medically assisted procreation for same-sex couples should
remain illegal.
The commission spent more than a year examining current
law and administrative practices in order to make
recommendations for needed changes.
After listening to 14 round-table discussions and
traveling to Spain, the United Kingdom, Belgium, the
Netherlands and Canada to review the marriage and adoption
laws of those countries, the commission concluded gay
marriage would not be in the best interests of the
children of France.
"To affirm and protect children's rights and the primacy
of those rights over adult's aspirations," was the basis
for the findings described in the study. "Marriage is not
merely the contractual recognition of the love between a
couple; it is a framework that imposes rights and duties,
and that is designed to provide for the care and
harmonious development of the child."
This Philip Slater essay, ganked from
zarq, is one attempt to discuss the roots of rising global fundamentalism and other, similar movements. If something else is on that page - I couldn't find a permalink - you can grab the 11-page PDF from here.Focus on the Family continues attacking "Plan B," the emergency (or morning-after) birth control pill; continues to state as fact the complete fabrication that it causes abortions;
FotF on efforts spearheaded by fundamentalists in Georgia to attack Gay-Straight Alliance and similar clubs; "George Considers Outing Extracurricular Clubs"; they've also been trying to ban them in violation of the same Supreme Court ruling that they site when talking about evangelical clubs; revives "recruiting our children" language;
FotF self-interview on the globalisation of their anti-gay, anti-abortion-rights efforts; working to file suits overturning the parliamentary legalisation of marriage rights for same-sex couples in Spain; working to combat abortion rights globally; working to spread "ex-gay" rhetoric up and down the Americas;
Fundamentalists had gotten a revision to the Air Force guidelines on religious practices that they approved of; the people who had sued over religious harassment have decided to continue their suit after all, because the new guidelines put the previous status quo substantially back into place; Andrew Sullivan mentioned this last week as a "quiet victory" for the fundamentalist movement, so now it's going to go to the courts again;
Focus on the Family angry that a Missouri judge has approved a lesbian couple's foster-parent application; blames Lawrence v. Texas, which declared "sodomy" laws making all gay and lesbian people effectively illegal to be unconstitutional;
FotF quotes French report: marriage rights for queers, adoption for queers, and procreation-assistance for same-sex couples should all be illegal; I have no details on this report, they're quoting LifeNews quoting it;
And the Bonus Comic Page: Bob the Angry Flower. CLICKIE!
----- 1 -----
WHY AMERICA IS POLARIZED
Philip Slater
Online as of February 20, 2006
http://www.philipslater.com/index.htm
Political analysts have been impressed lately by the polarization of the American public between "reds" and "blues". Eighty percent of our population has declared itself impervious to persuasion. Why has this happened? Why have political positions hardened while the pragmatic center has shrunk?
While the media speak of the new importance of 'moral values', as if this were some recent fashion trend that had just burst upon the scene, this 'red/blue' division is rooted in major historical changes--changes that are welcomed by half of our nation, appalling to the other half. Furthermore, this division is not simply an American phenomenon, but a global one, rooted in the most revolutionary cultural shift in the history of our species.
[More at URL]
----- 2 -----
PRO-ABORTION LAWMAKERS LOBBY FOR PLAN B
Pro-life advocates say morning-after pill supporters should look at the science.
Focus on the Family
Family News in Focus
February 20, 2006
http://www.family.org/cforum/news/a0039595.cfm
Some pro-abortion Democrats in the U.S. House of
representative are accusing the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) of letting politics stall the
approval process of over-the-counter sales for the
morning-after pill.
Reps. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., and Sam Farr, D-Calif.,
expressed concern that ideology might supersede public
health. Despite pressure from the left, the FDA has
maintained that a decision on Plan B will be based on
science, not politics.
Jim Sedlak, vice president of the American Life League,
called the Democrats' claims ridiculous.
"The politics is all coming from the other side," he said.
"Science here would say be cautious. Science here would
say this is not an over the counter drug and we believe
that true science would say this is a drug that shouldn't
even be on the market in the United States."
Pro-life advocates have opposed the morning-after pill
because it can sometimes cause an early abortion.
[More at URL]
----- 3 -----
Georgia Considers Outing Extracurricular Clubs
SUMMARY: Gay student clubs fight to maintain secrecy.
Focus on the Family
Family News in Focus
February 20, 2006
http://www.family.org/cforum/news/a0039594.cfm
Some Georgia lawmakers say they have a solution for
parents who worry about controversial school clubs: The
House passed a bill requiring parents to sign off on their
child's participation in all extracurricular groups.
Support for the legislation grew after homosexual
activists threatened to sue schools for blocking gay
student clubs -- often called "gay-straight alliances."
Edward Gray, executive director of Youth Pride, a gay
advocacy group in Atlanta, said the legislation would harm
gay students by making them "come out" to their parents
before they're ready.
"We don't say that young people should keep anything
secret from their parents," he told Family News in Focus.
"We also don't say you should tell your parents
everything."
State Rep. Bobby Reese voted for the measure. He accused
gay groups of enlisting kids.
[More at URL]
----- 4 -----
Q&A: FOCUS ENGAGED IN WORLDWIDE FIGHT FOR FAMILY VALUES
Focus partners with organizations the world over in the fight for family values.
Focus on the Family
Family News in Focus
by Pete Winn, associate editor
February 20, 2006
http://www.family.org/cforum/feature/a0039597.cfm
The pro-family battle isn't just for people in the U.S.,
it's a global fight, and there are pro-family movements
around the world -- just as there is a global movement to
redefine marriage and promote abortion.
Yuri Mantilla, director of international government
affairs for Focus on the Family, spoke with CitizenLink
about Focus' worldwide involvement.
Q. Focus on the Family is taking part in the worldwide
pro-family movement. Why? And what kinds of things are we
involved in?
A. There is an increasing influence of left-wing movements
in, for example, Latin America, and many of these
movements are promoting the legalization of homosexual
marriage. And as you know, in those countries abortion is
still illegal, but they are trying to promote the
legalization of abortion.
[...]
TO READ THE REST OF THIS STORY: Click on this link.
http://www.family.org/cforum/feature/a0039597.cfm#jump
[...]
[Q.] The issues that we face may be global, but many of them are exported by the United States, aren't they?
[A.] But, as I said, it is not about ethnicity. It is about the sanctity of human life which starts at the time of conception. It is about marriage as the union of a man and a woman. And because of that I think the rest of the world can see that our movement is vibrant, is multicultural, and they will embrace what we want to tell them.
I think the overwhelming majority of people around the world are with us — except maybe for some parts of Western Europe — most of the world understands that the family is the foundation for social and economic development.
I do think we need to realize that our movement is a movement which is based on God's absolute truth, and people around the world share our values.
[...]
[Q.] In line with what you were saying, I understand that "Love Won Out" (Focus on the Family's conference which educates parents and others on the truth about homosexuality) has now gone global.
[A.] A couple of months ago, we went with Mike Haley (Focus on the Family's director of gender issues) and the entire Love Won Out team to Mexico City. It was the first time such an event has been held in Latin America.
[...]
That's why are going to do the same thing now in Spain. In Spain, the government of President (Jose Luis Rodriguez) Zapatero has legalized homosexual marriage. And that is having an incredible influence around the world. So, we went in there with Church leaders giving public-policy conferences to mobilize the Church to oppose the legalization of same-sex marriage. And the fight there continues. There are some legal instruments and constitutional challenges that may help overrule that decision. So I think that the fact that Mike and his team are going there and by showing to the Spanish people that it's about compassion, we can really take a different approach.
[More at URL]
----- 5 -----
Attorney Calls Air Force Guidelines Unconstitutional
Focus on the Family
Newsbriefs
February 20, 2006
[Received in email; no URL]
The attorney representing an ex-Air Force Academy graduate
in a pending lawsuit said new guidelines on religious
expression for airmen are unconstitutional.
The Justice Department requested that the case be
dismissed, but Mikey Weinstein's attorney, Sam Bregman,
said dismissing the lawsuit would be "ridiculous" in light
of the new guidelines.
"They completely, thoroughly violate the Constitution of
the United States," he said.
Weinstein filed a lawsuit last October, claiming cadets
and officials illegally imposed their Christian beliefs on
fellow cadets.
----- 6 -----
Missouri Grants Lesbian Couple the Right to Be Foster Parents
Focus on the Family
Newsbriefs
February 20, 2006
[Received in email; no URL]
A judge in Missouri ruled Friday that homosexuals can be
foster parents, The Kansas City Star reported.
The state originally denied a license to Lisa Johnston
because she had a same-sex relationship, which is illegal
under Missouri law. Johnston wanted to raise a child with
partner Dawn Roginski.
Citing the 2003 U.S. Supreme Court decision Lawrence v.
Texas, which ruled existing state sodomy laws
unenforceable, Jackson County Judge Sandra Midkiff said
the state had no basis to deny Johnston the license.
"This is a victory for all the children in the Missouri
foster-care system," Johnston said. "I'm overwhelmed with
joy."
Deborah Scott, spokeswoman for the Department of Social
Services, said the state plans to ask the court to stay
its decision while the appeals process plays out.
She said the department was "disappointed by the decision
and its implications for the state of Missouri."
Bill Maier, vice president and psychologist in residence
at Focus on the Family, said a child is better served in a
home with married, heterosexual parents.
By approving same-sex parenting, he said, "you are
deliberately depriving a child of either a mom or a dad."
----- 7 -----
French Report Says Marriage Should be Protected
Focus on the Family
Newsbriefs
February 20, 2006
[Received in email; no URL]
A French government report says marriage between people of
the same sex is "biologically neither real, nor
plausible," LifeSite News reported.
An investigation by a government commission, requested by
the president of the French National Assembly, concluded
homosexual marriage, adoption by same-sex couples and
medically assisted procreation for same-sex couples should
remain illegal.
The commission spent more than a year examining current
law and administrative practices in order to make
recommendations for needed changes.
After listening to 14 round-table discussions and
traveling to Spain, the United Kingdom, Belgium, the
Netherlands and Canada to review the marriage and adoption
laws of those countries, the commission concluded gay
marriage would not be in the best interests of the
children of France.
"To affirm and protect children's rights and the primacy
of those rights over adult's aspirations," was the basis
for the findings described in the study. "Marriage is not
merely the contractual recognition of the love between a
couple; it is a framework that imposes rights and duties,
and that is designed to provide for the care and
harmonious development of the child."
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2006-02-21 01:18 pm (UTC)It's a parliamentary report, not a government one. It reflects the opinion of the present conservative majority in parliament. This part of the report starts with the words "The majority of this investigation group", meaning there was inner dissent.
On the other hand, FotF fails to report that the same document advocates increased rights for civil union contracts (PACS, whether same-sex or het), including a paid day off for the "wedding" and right to the deceased's retirement pension for the surviving spouse. Inheritance legislation is also being reviewed at the moment to take into account those contracts and other changes in society (about half the children in France today are born to unmarried couples).
no subject
Date: 2006-02-21 01:43 pm (UTC)> In 2001 scientists began to consider the possibility that >the "laws" of nature might not be immutable.
Off by about a century. Has this guy never heard of Einstein?
Stickmaker
no subject
Date: 2006-02-22 02:37 am (UTC)So I figure the article is merely a popularization piece written to introduce his ideas without properly documenting them or supporting them. He wrote a book, A Dream Deferred, in 1991 that appears to have more details.
Science fiction author David Brin often has a lively discussion about the battle between authoritarians and democracy in his blog Contrary Brin (http://davidbrin.blogspot.com/) if you are interested in such stuff.
Erin Schram
no subject
Date: 2006-02-21 03:56 pm (UTC)It's a parliamentary report, not a government one. It reflects the opinion of the present conservative majority in parliament. This part of the report starts with the words "The majority of this investigation group", meaning there was inner dissent.
On the other hand, FotF fails to report that the same document advocates increased rights for civil union contracts ("PACS", whether same-sex or het), including a paid day off for the "wedding" and right to the deceased's retirement pension for the surviving spouse. Inheritance legislation is also being reviewed at the moment to take into account those contracts and other changes in society (about half the children in France today are born to unmarried couples).