Posts with the tag state

McCain's V.P. Choice

funkfresh01 — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 18:12:16 EDT

After months of slamming Barack Obama for "inexperience," here's who John McCain has chosen to be one heartbeat away from the presidency: a right-wing religious conservative with no foreign policy experience, who until recently was mayor of a town of 9,000 people.

Huh?

Who is Sarah Palin? Here's some basic background:

She was elected Alaska's governor a little over a year and a half ago. Her previous office was mayor of Wasilla, a small town outside Anchorage. She has no foreign policy experience. (1)

Palin is strongly anti-choice, opposing abortion even in the case of rape or incest. (2)

She supported right-wing extremist Pat Buchanan for president in 2000. (3)

Palin thinks creationism should be taught in public schools. (4)

She's doesn't think humans are the cause of climate change. (5)

True American Hero's...

Gene Madison — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 15:21:12 EDT

American Hero's seem to be few and far between these days, and the lack of understanding of the U.S. Constitution by the majority of Americans is truly significant of a sad day in what once made our Country of Liberty truly grand.

Jury Nullification is a term used to describe one extremely important radical in our version of a Justice system. The U.S. Constitution as it was written and later ratified by the people of the individual states making up two-thirds of the members established several checks and balances. This is why we have Jury Duty. And it was expected that each juror would determine guilt as well as applicability of the laws.

So when a juror asked a Judge whether or not there had been an addition to the U.S. Constitution that allows the federal government to prosecute prohibition, it wasn't long before he was removed from the Jury, and a guilty verdict followed shortly after.

Separation of Church and State

Rob-33704 — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 20:16:21 EDT

With the first debate taking place at Saddleback Church tomorrow evening this might be a good time to ask ourselves if we do in fact have a separation of church and state as required by the constitution.

By that requirement do we mean that there should not a state church such as the Church of England?
Then yes, we have separation of church and state.

On the other hand, do we mean that there should be no state control of churches? If that is what we mean then I would argue that we do not have separation of church and state.

Why????

Because virtually all churches are IRS Code 501.3.C
entities. That is, they have a not for profit tax exempt status.

So????

To maintain that tax exempt status they must not engage in "politics".

Some of you may recall that a few years ago the pastor of an Episcopal Church in California comdemned the war in Iraq during a sermon. The church later received a letter from the IRS threatening to revoke their tax exempt status.

That didn't happen as far as I know but I never heard anything else about the pastor continuing to preach against the war.

Many dictatorships around the world would like to exercise that kind of control over their churches.

What I find really offensive is that most churches
actually prefer this status.

Why????

Because they don't want to run the risk of offending anyone.

The result is that most churches - and probably synagogues and even mosques - serve up a very diluted theology.

Reports of Mosque Surveillance Concerns Muslims

funkfresh01 — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 22:55:45 EDT

http://religion.info/english/articles/article_385.shtml

Source: Religioscope
Author: Richard Cimino

While there have been allegations in the past of government investigation of mosques on issues relating to terrorism, the recent report, first featured in the San Diego Union-Tribune newspaper, is said to be the first confirmation that surveillance is taking place.

An article in the Los Angeles Times (May 29) reports that information about the alleged spying surfaced in a case about classified files concerning terrorism that were stolen from a secure office used by military and civilian law enforcement officials at Camp Pendleton. Some of these classified records referred to the surveillance of Muslim communities in Southern California, specifically, the Islamic Center of San Diego. The records alleged that the mosque had been monitored as part of a federal surveillance program targeting Muslim groups, according to the Union-Tribune article.

The FBI's Plan to ‘Profile’ Muslims

funkfresh01 — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 17:28:30 EDT

http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2008/07/10/muslim_profiling/index.html

Source: Salon
Author: Juan Cole

The U.S. Justice Department is considering a change in the grounds on which the FBI can investigate citizens and legal residents of the United States. Till now, DOJ guidelines have required the FBI to have some evidence of wrongdoing before it opens an investigation. The impending new rules, which would be implemented later this summer, allow bureau agents to establish a terrorist profile or pattern of behavior and attributes and, on the basis of that profile, start investigating an individual or group. Agents would be permitted to ask "open-ended questions" concerning the activities of Muslim Americans and Arab-Americans. A person's travel and occupation, as well as race or ethnicity, could be grounds for opening a national security investigation.

The rumored changes have provoked protests from Muslim American and Arab-American groups. The Council on American Islamic Relations, among the more effective lobbies for Muslim Americans' civil liberties, immediately denounced the plan, as did James Zogby, the president of the Arab-American Institute. Said Zogby, "There are millions of Americans who, under the reported new parameters, could become subject to arbitrary and subjective ethnic and religious profiling." Zogby, who noted that the Bush administration's history with profiling is not reassuring, warned that all Americans would suffer from a weakening of civil liberties.

New York Muslim’s Struggle for Justice in America

funkfresh01 — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 16:30:37 EDT

http://atlanticfreepress.com/content/view/4016/32/ Source: Atlantic Free Press Author: Stephen Lendman Yassin Aref is a 37 year old Albany, New York resident and one of many Muslim victims of police state justice in post-9/11 America. They've been hunted down, rounded up, held in detention, kept in isolation, denied bail, restricted in their right to counsel, tried on secret evidence and trumped-up charges, then incarcerated as political prisoners or deported to where they face possible arrest and torture. Because of his faith and ethnicity, Aref was victimized by US "justice" in a post-9/11 climate of fear. He's an Iraqi Kurd who emigrated to the US as a UN refugee in 1999 with his wife and three young children. He's now in federal prison but committed no crime. He's also the author of a poignant memoir/autobiography titled "Son of Mountains: My Life as a Kurd and a Terror Suspect." He wrote it in custody at Troy, New York's Rensselaer County Jail after his wrongful conviction in October 2006.

Muslim Activists Seeking Probe of Reported Surveillance

funkfresh01 — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 15:33:24 EDT

http://www.pe.com/localnews/rivcounty/stories/PE_News_Local_C_muslim30.426eaa8.html Source: Press-Enterprise Author: Paige Austin A civil-rights group and a coalition of Muslim activists headed by a Corona man called on Congress this week to investigate a report that military and law enforcement officials stole surveillance records of Southland Muslims from Camp Pendleton. The request stems from a news report that military officials and law enforcement members of the Los Angeles County Terrorist Early Warning Group illegally took the top-secret documents from the base's Strategic Technical Operations Center. According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, Marine Gunnery Sgt. Gary Maziarz has been court-martialed and convicted for his role in the thefts. While the details of the surveillance and the alleged theft remain largely unknown, the incident provides confirmation that the military and law enforcement groups have been gathering information about local Muslim communities, said Michael German, policy counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union's Washington Legislative Office.

Florida Muslim Leaders Testify at United Nation Racism Hearing

funkfresh01 — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 20:26:22 EDT

(MIAMI, FL, 6/4/08) - On June 2, 2008, Florida Muslim leaders met with Doudou DiÃ¨ne, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, at a Miami hearing to discuss Islamophobia and anti-Muslim discrimination. For photos of the event: http://picasaweb.google.com/bedier/UNMiamiHearingOnRacism Special Rapporteur DiÃ¨ne is visiting several cities across the United States to "gather first-hand information on issues related to racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia." Reuters: U.N. racism investigator to visit U.S. http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSL16843098

Candidates for Federal, State and Legislative Offices, Oklahoma

Mike W — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 21:16:01 EDT

Candidates for Federal, State and Legislative Offices

Filed at the Oklahoma State Election Board
June 2-4, 2008
http://www.ok.gov/~elections/cflist08.html

or
http://www.ok.gov/~elections/listbk08.pdf
PDF 33-pages

Candidates by office, district and political affiliation
* United States Senator
* United States Representative
* Corporation Commissioner (Full Term)
* Corporation Commissioner (Short Term)
* State Senator
* State Representative

U.S. MARINES ACCUSED OF PROSELYTIZING IN FALLUJAH

funkfresh01 — Sat, 31 May 2008 21:46:29 EDT

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2004444827_iraqgospel29.html Source: McClatchy Newspapers Author: Jamal Naji and Leila Fadel At the western entrance to the Iraqi city of Fallujah on Tuesday, Muamar Anad handed his residence badge to the U.S. Marines guarding the city. They checked to be sure he was a city resident, and when they were done, Anad said, a Marine slipped a coin out of his pocket and put it in his hand. Out of fear, he accepted it, Anad said. When he was inside the city, the college student said, he looked at one side of the coin. "Where will you spend eternity?" it asked. He flipped it over, and on the other side it read, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:16."

THE SOUL PURPOSE OF THE NEO-CONVERSATIVE RELIGIOUS RIGHT

funkfresh01 — Tue, 13 May 2008 20:16:19 EDT

Please read, copy, paste to your email, and forward this News Release.

----forward this to people or colleagues you know, thank you ----

WARNING: THE SOUL PURPOSE OF THE NEO-CONVERSATIVE RELIGIOUS RIGHT

Click the following link to view the full article:
http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-20686?ref=email

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
iReport.com - Unedited. Unfiltered. News.
http://www.ireport.com/

Poll Watchers-State Poll Statistics.

Michael Tiffany — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 04:51:45 EST

From my understanding there is a need for poll watchers needed for the polls on 02-05-08, and if you are interested you need to contact either me to pass it on to the person that got me into it here in Missouri, or you should contact someone locally ASAP. I do not know which states are in need of poll watchers, or exactly which polling places need them, but I will post a list of states below that are voting on 02-05-08.

Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Utah

Nevada Dems Release Caucus Video

MT — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 16:42:30 EDT

The caucus education video that debuted on Cox and Charter Communications last week is now available for free on the NV State Party Web site. Check it out:
nvdemscaucus.com under "featured video."

"The Water Front"

Robert Ware — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 01:42:16 EDT

I think I will call a little news letter about water related items "The Water Front" I think it fits as one of the issues we as American's should be concerned with is water.

I visited with congressman Todd Platts (R) PA 19th and spoke with him about my ideas of a National Water Bank system. Though I debated each hurdle he placed about the need of such a system he still insisted that it was a local, regional, state and private supplier concern. He acknowledged that the federal government has played parts in developing some water resources. He sited that there was no immediate market driven forces that indicated the need for such a system.

Steve "Susan" Stanton. The Largo city manager

Richard P. Rawald — Fri, 20 Apr 2007 16:07:35 EDT

I do not know what everyone believes in or does not believe in but there should be a separation from your personnel life and where you work. He however has had both areas of his life blend together. I do understand people losing confidence in him but I believe he or she should of been given a chance at continuing there job. At least, for a time period allowed him to continue his job and see how it will effect him. I know people had mixed reviews about him and the city didn't want a controversy but by doing what they did they created a larger one. My post however is on the newest events. Stanton would like to become a city manager at a new city and is writing a book. The newest events incorporate his latest ideas for progressing his career. He has recently deleted files from his computer and the city wishes to punish him or pursue legal action. Should they pursue? His attorney states he has done nothing wrong but the city thinks different. Do you believe he is being abused and they should just let him move on? Do you think he was wrongly "fired"? Do you believe he was at fault?

A Lesson for the Powerless

Ron McBride — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 14:10:22 EST

How one person operating at the local level can have a national impact!

Several years ago, we discovered that our state's pollution ranked very high, that there were toxins in the air and water that were affecting our health; moreover the burning of fossil fuels to create power and the effluents of upstream manufacturing plants were turning our "paradise" into a living hell.

To make matters worse, the County officials in our State decided policy virtually on their own without checks and balances.

What Happened to the Separation of church and State

Progressive — Mon, 18 Dec 2006 19:39:22 EST

When the founding fathers had a vision of their peoples future one of the guidelines they used was the seperation of church and state. They were seeing revolutions against the church in other countries, and saw that sometimes religious beliefs can obscure the thought process of certain people. Many they thought they wanted their people to live there own lives and not be obligated to certain religious beliefs. The colonies were composed of many relgions anyways and it would unjust to force a religious view upon many whom arent part of that particular religion. Monarchy wasn't the answer for them, so this ground rule was accepted when developing our government. This leads to my point, when did this rule dissapear? Republicans use God in about every speech, they tried to make a Muslim congressman take oath on the bible, we have the ten commandments in our court houses, and we have "under god" on our monetary units...what happened? I supposed we could just disregard our founding fathers beliefs, so does that mean we can just form a monarchy and make Bush the King or Pope or whatever. Really, Bush believes hes a messanger of God, unless God showed him a cartoon for him to even be able to understand religion and how big it actually is, i doubt it..Why make a Muslim congressman swear on a document that literally mean nothing to him, we do want him to serve a good term dont we? It just get on my nerves when conservatives use the bible as a political Shield, essentially thats what it is. Not the story of the Lord or Gods Will its become a tool thats all, "we dont want gay people married", WHY? "Umm because in the bible it says man and a woman", so much for the land of the free, next thing you know the republicans will have found lost passages about abortions, liberals, flag burning, and worst of all mexicans are the anti christ. OH LORD! May God help us All!