In his 2nd Epistle to the Corinthians the Apostle Paul wrote, "Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. Then there will be equality." (8:13-14)

The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the United States during the second quarter of this fiscal year was more than $14,256.5 billion. That is more than $15,000 a month for every man, woman, and child in the United States.

This at time when we are in the midst of a foreclosure crisis because people cannot afford to pay their mortgages.

At a time when people cannot afford to purchase food for their families or gasoline for their vehicles so that they can go to work.

The corporate greed which is enslaving the people of the United States and of the other nations of the world must not be allowed to continue. Please join with us in opposing greed by championing economic equality.

The charge of Sexism is being thrown around by women too much these days.

Whats the difference between a man calling a woman a bitch and a woman calling a man a Brute. Both reduce the person to an object.
How about the case where a woman lies to a man telling him the child she just gave birth to is his, then he learns it is not his and the courts make him support the child of another man. Why isn't the woman arrested and tried for fraud.
Why can a woman go on Public TV and ask women to vote for her because she is a woman. What if a man said vote for me because I'm a man. I bet we'd hear plenty from the phoney feminists.
What is equality of the sexes, I'm not sure anymore. The only thing I'm sure of is that there is none now.
Women say they want to be equal but still expect to be bribed with diamonds when asked to marry. They still expect to be paid for the rest of their lives just because they were married to a man. Sounds like extortion to me.
Why did Paul McCarthys wife of 4 years deserve 50 million of dollars just for being his wife.
The politically Correct gang has rigged the system as the dictionary now reads;
American Heritage Dictionary - n.
Discrimination based on gender, especially discrimination against women.
Attitudes, conditions, or behaviors that promote stereotyping of social roles based on gender.

"...especially discrimination against women."?????????

Orwell was right; "All animals are equal but some are more equal than others."

http://washingtontimes.com/article/20080421/NATION/438135169/1001


By Rowan Scarborough

A coalition of American Muslim groups is demanding that Sen. John McCain stop using the adjective "Islamic" to describe terrorists and extremist enemies of the United States.

Muneer Fareed, who heads the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), told The Washington Times that his group is beginning a campaign to persuade Mr. McCain to rephrase his descriptions of the enemy.

"We've tried to contact his office, contact his spokesperson to have them rethink word usage that is more acceptable to the Muslim community," Mr. Fareed said. "If it's not our intent to paint everyone with the same brush, then certainly we should think seriously about just characterizing them as criminals, because that is what they are."

An aide to Mr. McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee who is counting on his pro-Iraq war stance to attract conservative voters, said the senator from Arizona will not drop the word.   Read More »

http://www.thetimes-tribune.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19501048&BRD=2185&PAG=461&dept_id=415898&rfi=6

BY ROJA HEYDARPOUR, STAFF WRITER
Source: Times Tribune

It’s been said many times: this is an election year of firsts. The first viable woman presidential candidate. The first viable black presidential candidate.


But the first Muslim presidential candidate?

One in 10 Americans believes that Illinois Sen. Barack Obama is a Muslim, according to a Pew Research Center News Interest Index survey taken in March.

Mr. Obama is, in fact, a practicing Christian, as underscored by the debate over the controversial sermon delivered by his pastor after Sept. 11, 2001.

The same survey found that 79 percent of the general public had heard rumors that Mr. Obama is Muslim, while 38 percent had heard “a lot” about it.   Read More »

http://nwaonline.net/articles/2008/04/20/religion/041908relislamdem.txt

By Bettina Lehovec
The Morning News

Islam is more than a religion - it's a way of life, adherents believe.

A cornerstone of the faith is shariah, or Quranic law. It's seen as the ultimate frame of reference, governing everything from permissible food to marriage and divorce.

Most of the world's Muslim nations are ruled by military strongmen or kings. A recent push toward democratization has been accompanied by regime change and war.

As Muslims struggle to take their place in an increasingly global community, they must address some big questions: Is separation of church and state possible? What would an Islamic version of democracy look like? Is there a peaceful means to get there?

Two scholars tackled the questions at a forum on Islam and Democracy at the University of Arkansas on April 11. Sponsored by the Al-Islam (The Peace) Students Association and the UA Multicultural Center, the forum was one of a series hosted by the student organization to educate the community about Islam.   Read More »

Look - I hate to say this ...

BUT EVERY VOTE SHOULD COUNT!!!!

call me young, call me crazy, but EVERY VOTE SHOULD COUNT!!!

What is the matter with everyone ... I don't care if FL and MI voted for NADER to be president... they are part of "WE THE PEOPLE" and they should have a say just as much as the next guy.

They should get a re-do... and the DNC should help pay for it... 50-50. They should both have a caucus that assigns 49% of the delegates and a primary that assigns 51% of the delegates.

Not counting them is what divides us. If the DNC told me I didn't matter, I'd be far more willing to vote Nader or McCain. Luckily, the DNC likes my state. Why WHY would ANYONE vote for a party that doesn't think their vote counts?

Use some logic people. Treat everyone equally!

Dean and the DNC are being stubborn to teach a lesson and all they are going to do is hurt democracy and alienate thousands and thousands of Americans.

Why is everyone so against allowing MI and FL to count?

The words you are saying, the issues you are highlighting, is what is keeping racism and sexism alive!


It was Kevin Michael Connor suggestion on a reply that enlightened me to the Poor People's Campaign, and it was the article at wikipedia that solidified my opinion (and I suggest if anyone that doesn't know of this campaign, look into it). I thought because of that suggestion anyone would have came to the same conclusion. Nonetheless, I see your post and the replies that follow and are dishearten.   Read More »

This was in todays local news here in NW, Fl.
--------------------------------------------


The American Civil Liberties Union says a Holmes County 11th grader should be allowed to express her support for Gay Rights at Ponce De Leon High School. The A-C-L-U and the student Heather Gillman filed a federal lawsuit against the Holmes County School Board and the school's principal, David Davis.

Davis allegedly told a lesbian student she should not be gay or tell anyone she is gay. He allegedly organized a “morality assembly” with an anti gay preacher as the guest speaker.

Then Davis allegedly suspended several students for five days after they expressed support for gay rights and threatened to stage a walk-out at the assembly.

The A-C-L-U and Gillman want the school system and Davis to stop what they see as violations of the first and 14th amendments. The lawsuit claims the school is violating the freedom of speech of students who wanted to express support for gay rights, by wearing T-shirts with pro-gay messages, rainbow belts, or gay movement logos on their notebooks.

Ms. Gillman is not gay, but argues she should be able to express her feelings, regardless of her sexual orientation. She and the A-C-L-U also want remedial action taken.

www.wjhg.com
------------------------------------------

damn right wing fascist....

Keeping in line with the traditional 2 faced politicians, Gov. Charlie Crist of Florida, has gone against his word of supporting civil unions.

The closet case Republican Governor of Florida, stated numerous times during his campaign that does not believe in same sex Marriage, but he does support Civil Unions. After he led the Defence of Marriage act in Florida, it was passed and same sex marriage was banned, but not civil unions. But when southern baptist groups were going around gathering signitures to get their Gay Marriage (which was already banned) Civil Union, and Domestic partnership ban, put on Floridas ballot, Charlie Crist signed the petition, and now supports the amendemt, going back on his word to work for the passing of civil unions.

Hopefully we will have enough supporters in Florida turn out to vote against this amendment, which requires %60 of the vote to pass. We must now defend ourselves from yet another flip-flopping Republican.....

LOS ANGELES, CA -- New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson issued a statement tonight clarifying an answer to a question during the Human Rights Campaign Presidential Forum in Los Angeles. The question came from panelist Melissa Etheridge, who asked if he believed homosexuality is a choice.

"Let me be clear -- I do not believe that sexual orientation or gender identity happen by choice," Governor Richardson said. "But I'm not a scientist, and the point I was trying to make is that no matter how it happens, we are all equal and should be treated that way under the law. That is what I believe, that is what I have spent my career fighting for. I ask that people look at my record and my actions and they will see I have been a true supporter of the LGBT community."

Governor Bill Richardson has an accomplished record fighting for the rights of all Americans. Since taking office, Governor Richardson has:

Expanded anti-discrimination laws to include sexual orientation. [Senate Bill SB 28, 2003 Legislature]
Signed into law the state's first hate crimes legislation for acts including those based on sexual orientation. [SB 38, 2003 Legislature]
Provided state health insurance for domestic partnerships. [Executive Order 03 010]
Signed the Billy Griego HIV and AIDS Act, which was designed to ensure that consumers are the focus of the funding and services provided in all the state's HIV and AIDS cases. [Senate Bill 314, 2005 Legislature]
Created the state's first HIV and AIDS Policy Commission charged with reviewing and making recommendations on state HIV and AIDS policies. The commission also studies and makes recommendations on all factors affecting the availability, quality and accessibility of health services for persons with HIV and AIDS. [Senate Bill 313, 2005 Legislature]
Called a Special Session of the NM State Legislature to push for Domestic Partnerships Legislation, among other issues, after it failed by one vote in the Senate during the Regular Session. Governor Richardson has pledged to push for the legislation again during the next Legislative Session.
As President, Bill Richardson will:

Continue to fight for equal rights for ALL Americans.
Champion a repeal of the US Military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy.
Appoint his Vice-President to be the Chair of the HIV/AIDS Commission.

Bill Richardson has the best record on fighting for LGBT equality. As governer of New Mexico, Bill Richardson pushed for and passed hate crimes legislation that extended protections to not only gays but transexuals as well. He did that same on the states employment non-descrimination act. He has worked with gay rights groups scince the mid 80's

When the Democratic leadership tried to pass new hate crimes & equal employment legislation in the US Senate earlier this year, they would not offer protection to transexuals. Bill Richardson was very critical of them. When Hillary Clinton's husband signed 'Don't ask, Don't tell' into law while she siliently stood by, Bill Richardson opposed it, because he believes any law that does not allow gays to OPENLY serve in the military, does nothing for gay equality.

Earlier this year, Bill Richardson called a special session of the state senate, to pass Domestic Partnerships..it lost by only 1 vote, and again this was in a red state. He has pledged not only to bring the issue back before the Senate again next year, but has also pledged to be an Activist President on LGBT Issues.

Bill Richardson is all out on his support of LGBT rights, and by far has the best record.

www.RichardsonForPresident.com

Bill Richardson will fight for the right to choose, and work to make abortion safe, legal, and rare. The governemnt should not have control of someones body.

He will expand equal rights. He has been very active and successful in not only supporting equality and protection for gays, but also transexuals, even when the Democratic leadership decided to leave them off their revised hate crimes bill and employment non-discrimination act. Who has a record that come close to Bill's on working for gay equality? He doesn't vote on failed amendments, he pushes for and passes successful legislation.

We need to go to a single paper ballot system to help prevent tampering with votes, and make sure they are all counted.

America will follow the policies set forth by the Geneva Conventions, and ban torture as President. This is America, we are better than that.

And unlike most of the Democratic party, Bill Richardson opposes taxing your internet service.

He is one of the few candidates in the race that has committed to getting all of our troops out of Iraq now. While the rest of the front runners have folded and now oppose committing to an immediate withdrawl, Bill Richardson has stood firm in his committment to ending the war.

Unlike the other front runners, Bill Richardsons health plan does NOT require a tax increase to be implemented. Everyone who needs coverage will get an advance refundable tax credit based on income. Richardson's plan will give every veteran returning from active duty a Heroes Health Card that provides them with a choice of physicians wherever they live. He will invest in healthy lifestyles and prevention.

and see who your candidate is working with. this is a fascinating piece from huffpo.

Link

By Sam Graham-Felsen - Sep 25th, 2007 at 12:11 pm EDT Today we honor the Little Rock Nine on the fiftieth anniversary of their heroic stand. 

Barack Obama: 

Five decades ago, the Little Rock Nine took the lead in America’s long march to freedom. Despite slurs, taunts, and all kinds of indignities, these nine students kept their heads high and their backs straight, integrating Little Rock Central High School, and helping realize our founding promise of justice and equality for all. They proved that Brown could work, signaling the beginning of the end of Jim Crow, and making a life of hope and opportunity possible for someone like me.

And yet a half-century later, much work remains.  Too many of our schools are crumbling.  Disparities have widened. And our Supreme Court has argued that voluntary integration is the same as Jim Crow segregation, that promoting diversity in our schools is tantamount to the plight of Linda Brown or the Little Rock 9.

But I’m hopeful. Because fifty years ago, nine young men and women showed the world that in the face of impossible odds, ordinary people could do extraordinary things. And that’s what we saw last week, when ten thousand Americans rallied to the side of justice in Jena. So if we’re serious about living up to our founding ideals, we need to reconnect our politics with the core decency of the American people – we need to recapture in this country the dignity and courage embodied by the Little Rock Nine. And we need to do the hard work to make sure that this nation lives up to its creed.

Or be maimed, beaten, robbed for people to realize that Hate Crimes are real and something must be done? The sickening part is that the number of hate crimes reported by the FBI are way low as many victims are afraid to report the crimes, police departments file reports incorrectly , or states just fail to turn in the numbers to the FBI.








How Many Must Die? podcast   Read More »

I am stunned beyond belief that Chris Matthews would give air time to Ann Coulter and help her spread her vileness across the national air waves. Ann Coutler's voice is not one that should be given airtime. Her message of hate and intolerance needs to be squashed.   Read More »

Hello fellow citizens, minorities, and fellow democrats. This is a time of dire crisis. We all know of the Republican Right's campaign and widly outrageous support of the Iraqi Conflict. However, what it widly unknown to the masses and not covered by the media machine is the internal conflicts we have at home.

This government, and it's supporters, have trampled all over the very foundations of this government, the foundations established by our cherished and magnificent fore fathers. These foundations, and literally the core of the grand vision founded by our former great leaders, was equality for each man, woman, and child who is to step foot upon this soil and call it home.

It is not in the media's interest to cover these topics. Why, such a bold accusation? It is the simple fact that stories covering these topics will not sell the papers or draw masses to the screen like that of the images of war, conflict, morning, and loss. The people want to see spilt blood, they want to quinch their thirst for vengnece, they wish to empty their pocket books to the Right and press for a campaign of bulliness and massacre.

The 2004 election hot topic of gay marriage was a poster child of the Anti-Equality Campaign. This country, boldly shouting the promise that this is the golden land of opportunity has turned those words simply into a marketing campaign to get the people of the globe to continue to support and favor us and our actions.
We, the citizens, those who are wronged and trampled by the government know that this is in fact not true. It is a lie - all lies.

It is true, the issue of gay marriage is not the only social, moral, and civil atrocity that has taken place in this country, especially by the current administration. Hate crimes are on the rise. The country is even more divided then ever before. Marketing companies, big business, and the media capitalize on this division and are pressing for two entirely different ways of life. Yes, the media and the government have effectively looked to blindly drive people to support their products, visions, and morals. However, what we are seeing now is a nation that is far from what it was founded to become, it is lost, and confused. It is a very angry, vengeful, materialistic society that has two opposing sides that can barely coexist.

The first thing cried out by the minorities is special rights, special protection, special liberties to support their way of life. However, I demand for equal protection, equal enforcement of the law. Some citizens need to compromise and join together - at a common ground.

What must happen is a multi-step process that will take much, much time. However, two major things we must have is as follows:

1. We, as citizens, must stop looking out only for ourselves, but we must, absolutely must look out for each other. We are all equal and we are all people of the land - this land, and we must stop bickering over petty differences and stand united to make this nation a better one. We must band together to help eliminate the moral and social crises that face us today.

2. The second thing we must do is not act for special rights, but we must go to the agencies that create, uphold, and enforce the laws and rights of this nation and demand that everyone be protected and given equal protection. No individual stands differently in this nation. Law Enforcement Agencies must punish their officers and staff who abuse their power and do not uphold the law fairly and equally. Agencies must learn to turn a blind eye to prejudice and advocate for equality. They are, after all, enforcers of the law and they must also protect the those laws and the rights of the nation.

They are, and should be, responsible for more than catching criminals in the masses, in the public, but they also much catch those inside of their own organizations. They must also look beyond just punishing the bad, but they should, no must, become a good example of the law and show that it is used for protection and not just punishment.

We are in dark times - both globally and locally. It is time we look inwards on this nation and work on how we treat every citizen with equality and dignity. It is time we maintian the home, not just the globe. The government was established to help insure every citizen was safe and that we lived in a happy, peaceful society. We have fallen from that goal and we have become very troubled. And it is due to this negligence from those at Capital Hill that we are facing social and moral injustice. The first thought of all nations is to insure it's people are safe and secure - it is time the United States reach into the hearts of the people and help make our nation a better place . . .

Thank you;

-Dave Anderson

The 39th aniversery of one the worst assasinations in this nations history just passed, the murder of Robert Kennedy. this left me to wonder who follows the RFK vision the best. it was a vision of peace, equallity, strength, wisdom, courtesy, freedom, justice, and care.I feel although no current canidate is perfect Obama, Edwards, Richardson, Kucinich, and Dodd fit it well enough to be president. Gore or Fiengold(whose anounced he wont run) would also fit it well. But there are 2 people in polotics that fit this vision perfectly.
Over the Past 4 months for extra credit in history I've conpiled a voting record project where I look at the voting record of every senator, retired senator, supreme court justice and presidental canidate as well as some reps, political comentators, and governor and found just 2 perfect records: Robert Kennedy Jr (D-NY) and Barney Frank (D-MA). I sugest we run RFK jr as president and Barney Frank as vice president.
Some may say it is a ticket doomed to fail (Barney Frank is openly gay and RFK jr has a voice disorder) but I say if you stick to your principals you have a better chance of sucseeding than if you sell out to pick an electable canidate.
lets take a look at RFK jr's atributes. He has tryed to bring big buisness to justice for years. He spoke up about the stolen election in 2004. He is a heavy enviornmentalist. He is against the war. He dose not shugar code the truth to fit his agenda. he beleives in equal rights. he is against limiting our civil libertys. In addition to that he was raised by Robert Kennedy. In my view he is the perfect cantidate in 2008.
PS some one please e-mail this to Barney Frank and/or Robert Kennedy jr and coment when you have done it.

At one point, 40 states in this country forbade the marriage of a white person to a person of color. Marriages between whites and persons of color were decried as "immoral" and "unnatural" and against God's will.

Thankfully, moral conscience and civil rights won out: in 1967 in the case of Loving v. Virginia, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the remaining interracial marriage laws across the country and declared that the "freedom to marry" belongs to all Americans, and that marriage was one of our "vital personal rights" and "essential to the orderly pursuit of happiness by a free people." Forty years later, though, some of us are still being denied those vital personal rights.

Eleven years after the Loving decision, the Supreme Court declared marriage to be "of fundamental importance to all individuals," describing marriage as "one of the 'basic civil rights of man'" and "the most important relation in life." The court also noted that "the right to marry is part of the fundamental 'right to privacy' " in the U.S. Constitution.

Note that the Constitution also mandates the separation of church and state, and that marriage is a Civil Right. Churches may add their blessings to state-sanctified unions, but religious ceremonies mean nothing in relation to tax laws, estate laws, or social benefits. They are important only as an affirmation of commitment before people of similar faith. The government has no right to tell churches who can and can't be joined in a covenent; but neither do churches have the right to deny American citizens equal protection under the law.

Republicans have tried to claim marriage as Conservative value, but it is in fact a universal desire--to pledge oneself to another with love and mutual respect. Republicans have tried to claim that they alone respect the sanctity of marriage. How can this be so, when Ronald Regan divorced the mother of his two children to marry Nancy, who delivered their first child, full term, just seven months later? And when Bob Dole divorced the mother of his child�"a woman who had nursed him through the long recovery from his war wounds? When Newt Gingrich divorced his wife, who was dying of cancer at the time? And when Rush Limbaugh, self-appointed voice of righteousness, and his current wife, Marta, have six marriages and four divorces between them? Which marriages are they defending? Which ones do they consider sacred, the first? The second? The last? (Democrats divorce too. But they are far less likely to trumpet their moral superiority in the face of contradictory evidence.)

We don't want special rights; quite the contrary. We want our government to join the growing number of countries who have abolished this groundless prejudice from their judicial systems. We want our government to respect the foundation of our wonderful country by heeding the words of the Constitution. Marriage IS something to be Defended. It is an amazing and wondrous thing to find someone you love so dearly, value so highly, and trust so implicitly that you would commit yourself in good faith to a lifetime together.

But these so-called "defenders of marriage" all ended their marriages: Representative Dick Armey; Senator Phil Gramm; Governor John Engler; Governor Pete Wilson; Ultraconservative pundit George Will; Senator Lauch Faircloth; Senator Alfonse D'Amato; Senator John Warner; Governor George Allen; Representative Helen Chenoweth; Senator John McCain; Representative John Kasich; Representative Susan Molinari (RNC Keynote Speaker!).... The list is so long that the running joke in Washington and elsewhere is, "Don't let gays destroy marriage�"that's the job of the Republicans!"

Unfortunately, this "joke" is NOT funny: legalized discrimination by these hypocritical officials is a very real threat to the Constitution, to the moral conscience of America, and to the truly faithful everywhere. Denying same-gender marriages does nothing to "protect" marriage. Instead, it takes rights away from some Americans and grants them to others: the Constitution should not be used to make discrimiation legal.

Should my son feel less American than yours? Will you make him a "bastard" by taking away my right to marry, thus condemning him to a life where his parents are deemed second-class citizens? Will we be relegated to the back of the bus next, and forced to live as separate--but UNequal--Americans? Will we end up in separate schools, separate churches, with separate water fountains?

The "special privileges" offered to appease--civil unions, domestic partnerships, spousal unions, reciprocal benefits--are insults to the integrity of the Constitution, which declares us all to have equal rights under the law. Separating religious ceremony from the legal realities that the word "marriage" automatically conveys and bestows honors those words. I am proud that New Hampshire has taken an important first step in allowing civil unions, but that is all it is�"a first step. We no longer have to sit at the back of the bus. But what good is that if they won't let us on in the first place?

I received this email and wanted to share.

The National Stonewall Democrats applauded the introduction today of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) within the 110th Congress. The federal legislation would generally prohibit employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. The legislation has the strong support of Democratic lawmakers

   Read More »