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Conservatives wage PR battle against gay service
Social conservatives, sensing they are on the losing side of a public relations war, are plotting ways to turn military leaders against the service of gays and lesbians, according to emails obtained this week by the Palm Center, a think tank at the University of California, Santa Barbara. In an exchange between Colleen Holmes, director of the Eagle Forum, and Jack Jett, a talk show host, the Eagle Forum leader inadvertently forwarded a message laying out a strategy to use “horror stories” about gays in the military to show that gay troops “threaten our national security” and the “personal safety” of other soldiers.
The email from Holmes suggests using the “horror stories” tactic as part of what she calls a “PR battle that it seems needs to be waged” to “recruit members of the military” to enlist in a culture war against gays and lesbians. It acknowledges that such “horror stories are very difficult to find,” but could be wielded as an effective tool to combat the “‘Will and Grace’ effect” in which the cultural trend toward tolerance of homosexuality works to “manipulate and flat-out bully many Americans away from taking any position indicating that homosexuality is wrong.”
Read the whole article by clicking on the cartoon. Social conservatives, sensing they are on the losing side of a public relations war, are plotting ways to turn military leaders agains... more -
11 Racist Lies Conservatives Tell to Avoid Blaming Wall Street for the Financial C...
Conservative pundits and politicians have piled onto the excuse like shipwreck victims clinging to a passing log: The real blame for the current economic crisis, conservatives would have you believe, lies not with anything they did, but rather with the 1977 Community Reinvestment Act -- a successful Carter-era program designed to get banks to stop covert discrimination, and encourage them to invest their money in low-income neighborhoods.
It's always easy to tell when the cons are completely lost at sea. The lies get more absurdly preposterous -- and also more transparently self-serving. But when they go so far as to openly and unapologetically latch onto race and class as an excuse for their woes (which this is, at its heart), you know they're taking on water fast -- and scared of going under entirely.
You can hear the conservative commentators burbling this CRA fable from the Wall Street Journal to the National Review; from Rush to YouTube. Neil Cavuto put the essence of the argument right out there on Fox News: "Loaning to minorities and risky folks is a disaster." See! It's all the liberals' fault for insisting on social justice!
Conservatives are twisting the facts beyond the breaking point to support their revisionist history. But don't be fooled: the financial crisis was caused by conservative financial follies and bankers run amok and nothing more. Here are the basic myths they're trying to push about the CRA -- and the facts that will enable you to fire back.
1.... 2.... 3.... .... 11 (read on) Conservative pundits and politicians have piled onto the excuse like shipwreck victims clinging to a passing log: The real blame for t... more -
Turning a Wall Street giveaway into a rescue for all Americans
Turning a Wall Street Giveaway Into a Rescue for All Americans
Charting a progressive response to the crisis
By DAVID SIROTA
[Editor’s note: The following article provides a summary of the complex issues involved in negotiations over how to respond to the credit market crisis. For the sake of simplicity and navigability, it is broken into five separate parts, which you can scroll to individually: 1) The State of Play 2) Leadership Moves 3) Alternatives 4) Likely Outcomes and 5) The Progressive Bottom Line.]
Following the astounding rejection of Henry Paulson’s speculator bailout plan in the U.S. House of Representatives on Monday, a wave of doomsday propaganda from Washington, both presidential candidates and the media has flooded the airwaves — all aimed at trying to force public opinion to support handing over $700 billion to Wall Street, no strings attached. But as the Washington Post poll today shows, the public isn’t budging. Indeed, after 16 years of aggressive deregulation from both the Clinton and Bush administrations, the country has figured out that when the Establishment in unison backs something for Wall Street, it means taxpayers are about to get fleeced.
With the Dow shooting up and down across the nation’s television screens, Americans are worried about their jobs, pensions and savings. They are also confused about what their government is going to do. And so as Congress prepares to reconvene on Wednesday, here’s the state of play, the likely outcomes, and what progressives must demand.
[CLICK THE LINK ABOVE TO GO TO THIS EASY-TO-READ ARTICLE.] Turning a Wall Street Giveaway Into a Rescue for All Americans Charting a progressive response to the crisis By DAVID SIROTA ... more -
An Inconvenient Bag
The green giveaway of the moment - the reusable shopping bag - is a case study in how tricky it is to make products environmentally friendly.
It's manufactured in China, shipped thousands of miles overseas, made with plastic and could take years to decompose. It's also the hot "green" giveaway of the moment: the reusable shopping bag.
Ouch! The green giveaway of the moment - the reusable shopping bag - is a case study in how tricky it is to make products environmentally fr... more -
Wedding Video - First CA Lesbian Wedding
On June 16, 2008, lesbian rights pioneers Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon were married in the first same-sex marriage ceremony since the California Supreme Court ruled in May that it was unconstitutional for the state to deny the right to marry to gay or lesbian couples. The Court-issued equality ruling went into effect at 5pm on June 16th. And moments later, Del and Phyllis were married.
Sadly, Del Martin, 87, passed away in August, just six weeks after her wedding. She and Phyllis had shared 55 years together and are widely acknowledged as two of the founders of the lesbian and gay civil rights movement.
Today GroundSpark is honored to release this exclusive footage of Phyllis and Del’s historic wedding ceremony, which was officiated by Mayor Gavin Newsom in his office at San Francisco City Hall.
We do so in tribute to Del Martin, a true civil rights pioneer for her entire life, and in support of the efforts across the United States to guarantee the right to marry for all U.S. citizens, regardless of sexual orientation.
GroundSpark’s executive director, Debra Chasnoff, visited Del and Phyllis this summer and asked them if they wanted to share this wedding video with the world. They talked about the upcoming ballot initiative to amend the California constitution to eliminate this new right to marry for same-sex couples and about similar ballot measures in Arizona and Florida. “If it will help,” Del said in a whisper, “then let’s do it.”
Enjoy. On June 16, 2008, lesbian rights pioneers Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon were married in the first same-sex marriage ceremony since the C... more -
Wedding Video - First CA Lesbian Wedding
On June 16, 2008, lesbian rights pioneers Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon were married in the first same-sex marriage ceremony since the California Supreme Court ruled in May that it was unconstitutional for the state to deny the right to marry to gay or lesbian couples. The Court-issued equality ruling went into effect at 5pm on June 16th. And moments later, Del and Phyllis were married.
Sadly, Del Martin, 87, passed away in August, just six weeks after her wedding. She and Phyllis had shared 55 years together and are widely acknowledged as two of the founders of the lesbian and gay civil rights movement.
Today GroundSpark is honored to release this exclusive footage of Phyllis and Del’s historic wedding ceremony, which was officiated by Mayor Gavin Newsom in his office at San Francisco City Hall.
We do so in tribute to Del Martin, a true civil rights pioneer for her entire life, and in support of the efforts across the United States to guarantee the right to marry for all U.S. citizens, regardless of sexual orientation.
GroundSpark’s executive director, Debra Chasnoff, visited Del and Phyllis this summer and asked them if they wanted to share this wedding video with the world. They talked about the upcoming ballot initiative to amend the California constitution to eliminate this new right to marry for same-sex couples and about similar ballot measures in Arizona and Florida. “If it will help,” Del said in a whisper, “then let’s do it.”
Enjoy. On June 16, 2008, lesbian rights pioneers Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon were married in the first same-sex marriage ceremony since the C... more -
indexed: Busy, busy, busy.
Thought that I'd share this site with you -- a blog wherein the blogger's opinion/issue of the day is depicted, not in an essay, but in a graph of her own making. It's like a short course in thinking about graphics the way scientists and statisticians do. But, hers depict ordinary ideas or comments or issues or debates. She has a lovely mind and expresses herself in a delightful way. Thought you'd like to know....
BTW, check out her past stuff so that you can see the range of her illustrations.... Thought that I'd share this site with you -- a blog wherein the blogger's opinion/issue of the day is depicted, not in an es... more -
COINTELPRO Comes to My Town: My First-Hand Experience With Government Spies
Finally, at long last, I have something in common with Muhammad Ali.
No, I'm not the heavyweight champion of the world, and haven't been named spokesperson for Raid bug spray. Like "the Greatest" - not to mention far too many others -- I have been a target of state police surveillance for activities -- in my case against the death penalty -- that were legal, non-violent, and, so we assumed, constitutionally protected. In classified reports compiled by the Maryland State Police and the Department of Homeland Security, I am "Dave Z." This nickname was given by an undercover agent known to us as "Lucy." She sat in our meetings of the Campaign to End the Death Penalty, smiling and engaged, taking copious notes about actions deemed threatening by the Governor of Maryland, Robert Ehrlich. Our seditious crimes, as Lucy reported, involved such acts as planning to set up a table at the local farmer's market and writing up a petition. Adding a dash of farce to this outrage, she was monitoring us in the liberal enclave of Takoma Park, Maryland, a place known more for vegans than violence, more for tie-dying than terrorism. Finally, at long last, I have something in common with Muhammad Ali. ... more -
Rendering public opinion irrelevant - Glenn Greenwald - Salon.com
ne of the most striking aspects of our political discourse, particularly during election time, is how efficiently certain views that deviate from the elite consensus are banished from sight -- simply prohibited -- even when those views are held by the vast majority of citizens. This discrepancy is a potent commentary on how our democracy functions. ne of the most striking aspects of our political discourse, particularly during election time, is how efficiently certain views that d... more
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Acceptance of Gay People in Military Grows Dramatically
Public attitudes about gays in the military have shifted dramatically since President Bill Clinton unveiled what became his administration's "don't ask, don't tell" policy 15 years ago today.
This Story
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Acceptance of Gay People in Military Grows Dramatically
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Poll Data: Washington Post-ABC News Poll
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15 Years of Don't Ask, Don't Tell
Seventy-five percent of Americans in a new Washington Post-ABC News poll said gay people who are open about their sexual orientation should be allowed to serve in the U.S. military, up from 62 percent in early 2001 and 44 percent in 1993.
Majorities of Democrats, Republicans and independents alike now believe it is acceptable for openly gay people to serve in the U.S. armed forces. Shortly after he took office in 1993, Clinton faced strong resistance to his campaign pledge to lift the military's ban on allowing gay people to enlist. At that time, 67 percent of Republicans and 75 percent of conservatives opposed the idea. A majority of independents, 56 percent, and 45 percent of Democrats also opposed changing the policy.
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Today, Americans have become more supportive of allowing openly gay men and women to serve in the armed forces. Support from Republicans has doubled over the past 15 years, from 32 to 64 percent. More than eight in 10 Democrats and more than three-quarters of independents now support the idea, as did nearly two-thirds of self-described conservatives.
Changing attitudes on the issue parallel broader swings in public views about homosexuality. In their recent review of 20 years of polling data, the Pew Research Center reported "a major shift away from highly negative attitudes toward gays and support for punitive actions against gays." In the 2007 Pew data, for example, 28 percent said local school boards should have the right to fire teachers known to be gay; that was down sharply from the 51 percent who said so in 1987.
In the new Post-ABC poll, military veterans are less apt than others to say gay people should be allowed in the military. While 71 percent of veterans said gay people who do not declare themselves as such should be allowed to serve, that number drops sharply, to 50 percent, for those who are open about their sexuality. Non-veterans, by contrast, are as likely to support those who "tell" as those who do not.
Fifty-seven percent of white evangelical Protestants now support allowing openly gay service members in the military, compared with 82 percent of white Catholics and 80 percent of those with no declared religious affiliation. Three-quarters of both married and single people support the idea, both significantly higher than in 1993.
Across all three periodic Post-ABC surveys on the issue, women have been more apt than men to support gays in the military. Today, more than eight in 10 women support allowing openly gay soldiers, compared with nearly two-thirds of men. Fifteen years ago, half of women supported this stance; nearly two-thirds of men opposed it.
Furthermore, large majorities across age and education categories now support allowing openly gay individuals to serve in the military.
The Post-ABC poll was conducted by telephone July 10 to 13, among a random national sample of 1,119 adults. The results have a margin of sampling error of plus or minus three percentage points. Error margins are larger for subgroups. Public attitudes about gays in the military have shifted dramatically since President Bill Clinton unveiled what became his administra... more -
Getting Along (Homo/Hetrosexual Students in College)
I created a ten minute video about Homo/Heterosexual students here at my college University of Maryland Eastern Shore, and how they interact with each other. In the video you will see students opinions about the homosexual students at my college and how over time their opinion has changed due to the personal interaction here at UMES. I created a ten minute video about Homo/Heterosexual students here at my college University of Maryland Eastern Shore, and how they in... more
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Religion is the new social evil
According to a survey by the Rowntree foundation of 3500 people in the UK, they class religion as one of the main scourges of the 21st century by fuelling intolerance and war. According to a survey by the Rowntree foundation of 3500 people in the UK, they class religion as one of the main scourges of the 21st... more
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Iraqi war robots recalled following alarming behavior
Just a few weeks back there was a spirited debate over the ethics of deploying war robots in Iraq. Themachine gun carrying remote-controlled killing machines, TALON SWORDS robots, produced by the Army, were among the various robotic soldiers being experimentally deployed in Iraq. Just a few weeks back there was a spirited debate over the ethics of deploying war robots in Iraq. Themachine gun carrying remote-cont... more
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Americans fear the future
Over 80 percent of the American public feel that the country is going down the wrong path as we head towards a new election.
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Real Issues for Missouri Voters
After all the sound clips have simmered, Missourians want a focus on the American infrastructure and and end to Middle East conflicts. On Tuesday, the "Show Me State" intends to flex its democratic moxy. After all the sound clips have simmered, Missourians want a focus on the American infrastructure and and end to Middle East conflicts.... more
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US Dollars Fund Mexican Infrastructure
A key part of the trade relationship between the United States and Latin America is cash -- foreign workers in this country send tens of billions of dollars back home. Mexicans living abroad, many of them in the United States, are expected to send more than $25 billion this year. Most of that will go to their families -- but communities benefit, too, thanks to a matching program with a twist. The program is called "tres por uno," or "three for one." Whether it would be schools, public places, lighting -- whatever it may be -- for every dollar the Mexicans living abroad put into this program, the federal government adds one dollar, the state government adds another dollar and the municipal government adds another dollar. Since 2002, "tres por uno" has brought in $300 million, and grown from a handful of projects into more than a thousand last year. Agustin Escobar is a social anthropologist in Guadalajara. He has studied the program since it began in 2002 -- he says the biggest problem with "tres por uno" is that it's too small. Other critics say "tres por uno" sounds like the Mexican government is encouraging its citizens to leave. Then they will send money back home and fund the country's programs. Meanwhile, the US infrastructure is crumbling while states complain of not having enough money to rebuild our own infrastructure. A key part of the trade relationship between the United States and Latin America is cash -- foreign workers in this country send tens ... more
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Taxes Optional
I remember listening to my grandmother as a child when she would tell stories of her life. One story that has always stayed with me was when she told us about the introduction of taxes as a voluntary contribution. That's right....voluntary. I was very young so don't remember all the details but the gist of it was that the government asked people to contribute one dollar so they could use the money for, I believe it was, a war effort of some kind. It didn't matter what is was FOR....what mattered, and made me remember the story, was that it was voluntary. My grandmother said everyone was more than happy to contribute but she added, "if we had known then what we know now about where this would go...well, who knows."
So this got me thinking: What if taxes today were completely voluntary? Impossible you say. Why? Ok, I know we could get into knitty-gritty details of where this wouldn't work but on a most basic level, why couldn't people have the choice? If you pay it, you have access to all public services, programs, anything government maintained or sponsored. If you choose not to, you may not benefit from anything the government provides funding. They would have to provide for their own families; grow their own food, go off the grid (unless they pay someone privately to provide power), run their cars on veggie oil, home school their kids, etc. Think of ALL the areas of society where the government has their fingers where they don't really belong (and that we pay for). Too simplistic? Most likely. Unrealistic? Probably...but if people REALLY wanted REAL change, and were willing to sacrifice and do what had to be done to make it happen, I'll bet it would be possible. Think about it. If this were possible, which would you choose? I know all the exceptions to the rule here so don't bother with the insults and accusations. I'm genuinely interested in whether people would choose to pay or not and why. Who knows, I may even submit the results as an article or book proposal if there are enough replies. I remember listening to my grandmother as a child when she would tell stories of her life. One story that has always stayed with me wa... more -
BOY, ARE WE BEING DUPED!
THIS DOCUMENTARY IS TOO IMPORTANT TO MISS! It completely contradicts almost everything our government and President are telling us about how things are going in Iraq and it is FROM THE SOURCE; an Iraqi Doctor on the front line. Even he was finally forced to stop filming and to leave the country and is now studying journalism on a Fulbright Scholarship here in America. In this movie, you will hear Iraqis themselves tell you about the state of affairs over there (and NOT inside the protected Green Zone where all our people report from, where they are protected and shielded from the reality). There is an injured woman in the film riding in the back of an ambulance and she is wailing "Bring back Saddam. It was not like this under him." This woman is a Shia....they HATED Saddam...and welcomed the invasion at first, thinking they would be freed from Sunni rule...but now even the Shia say things are worse, that now even brothers kill brothers, that the violence is CONSTANT, every day there are bombings and killings. We are being lied to, our soldiers are being used, and the human tragedy is incomprehensible.------------------------------------------If you missed the first two showings of this already, there are still three more. Don't know if folks here have satellite or cable so check the HBO lineup for your provider. For satellite viewers, the last three showings are 1/31 at 12:45am, then gain on Saturday at 5pm and 8pm. The channel changes for each so check your schedule. THIS DOCUMENTARY IS TOO IMPORTANT TO MISS! It completely contradicts almost everything our government and President are telling us abo... more
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Iraqi Doctor & HBO Team Up For Documentary
Baghdad Hospital: Inside the Red Zone
Al-Yarmouk hospital, which has become a "field hospital in a civil war," is located in the most dangerous part of Baghdad and serves as the epicenter of hope and despair for thousands of wounded civilians and their families. Filmed by an Iraqi doctor, the new HBO documentary BAGHDAD HOSPITAL: INSIDE THE RED ZONE chronicles the chaos both inside the ER and on the streets of Baghdad. Premieres Tuesday, January 29 at 8:30.
Be sure to watch the HBO documentary tonight "Baghdad Hospital: Inside the Red Zone" and keep in mind while viewing it what the President said in his last State of the Union about how much the Iraqis love us being there, realize we are helping them, and want us to stay there until all the terroriists are gone and justice has prevailed. Baghdad Hospital: Inside the Red Zone ... more -
Goodbye Bush Celebrations: Jan. 2009
Here is but one site promoting grassroots organization of national "Goodbye Bush" celebrations in January 2009. Are you organizing one? Will you attend one? What would you suggest as a theme song for such a celebration? Here is but one site promoting grassroots organization of national "Goodbye Bush" celebrations in January 2009. Are you orga... more
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Public Opinion
