Samples of the GOP's extreme pandering to the religious right this week. Of course, some of the information may be a bit older, but it came to my attention this week.
First up, the State of Virginia:
Next, we question whether or not Rep. Tom Delay intentionally insulted millions when he delivered the following passage:
He said this at the 109th Congressional prayer service, and then promptly sat down after saying it. In politics, when most things public are done for the sake of appearance, why would he choose this particular phrase, and then let it stand by itself with no explanation?
Finally, we come to the severly misguided Rep. Mark Souder from Indiana. Rep. Souder claims that democracy cannot exist without a Judeo-Christian belief system. He also continues the false claim that American was founded as a Christian nation.
So, democracy cannot exist without Judeo-Christian values? Tell that to Japan, one of the most democratic nations on the planet. They are also quite successful in their endeavor. Also, try telling that to India, the world's largest democracy.
And for those GOPers that love to split hairs and bemoan that we are not a democracy, allow me this tangential, disjointed paragraph. 1) There are many republics that are not based on J-C values, such as China [PRC] and North Korea [DPRK]. 2) People saying we are not a democracy often do so because they go back to the founding and the specific definition that word had at the time... mob rule. Needless to say, we have a form of democracy in this country, and always have. We just did not call it such. Additionally, why do these very same people, the ones against mob-rule democracy, tend to offer arguements that are rife with mob-rule mentality? Ever heard someone that thought this way say, "75% of American's hate the idea of gay marriage, therefore it should be banned!" or similar things to that effect? I hear this all the time. In one sentence, "America is a republic, not a democracy" and in the next "the majority of Americans are Christian, therefore laws should be based on the bible!" And when you try to 'educate' them by pointing out the semantical contradiction, they get pissed off.
Anyway, that last section turned more into a rant than anything, so I will end it here.
First up, the State of Virginia:
Of course, in this case, a Class 1 Misdemeanor translates to up to 12 months in jail. As currently written, a female that had a first trimester miscarriage, which is a fairly common occurence, would be subjected to this rule.
Next, we question whether or not Rep. Tom Delay intentionally insulted millions when he delivered the following passage:
http://amcop.blogspot.com/2005/01/choice-words.html
He said this at the 109th Congressional prayer service, and then promptly sat down after saying it. In politics, when most things public are done for the sake of appearance, why would he choose this particular phrase, and then let it stand by itself with no explanation?
Finally, we come to the severly misguided Rep. Mark Souder from Indiana. Rep. Souder claims that democracy cannot exist without a Judeo-Christian belief system. He also continues the false claim that American was founded as a Christian nation.
In what way is our military anchored in Judeo-Christian beliefs? If you wonder why I ask this question, please reference this link.
So, democracy cannot exist without Judeo-Christian values? Tell that to Japan, one of the most democratic nations on the planet. They are also quite successful in their endeavor. Also, try telling that to India, the world's largest democracy.
And for those GOPers that love to split hairs and bemoan that we are not a democracy, allow me this tangential, disjointed paragraph. 1) There are many republics that are not based on J-C values, such as China [PRC] and North Korea [DPRK]. 2) People saying we are not a democracy often do so because they go back to the founding and the specific definition that word had at the time... mob rule. Needless to say, we have a form of democracy in this country, and always have. We just did not call it such. Additionally, why do these very same people, the ones against mob-rule democracy, tend to offer arguements that are rife with mob-rule mentality? Ever heard someone that thought this way say, "75% of American's hate the idea of gay marriage, therefore it should be banned!" or similar things to that effect? I hear this all the time. In one sentence, "America is a republic, not a democracy" and in the next "the majority of Americans are Christian, therefore laws should be based on the bible!" And when you try to 'educate' them by pointing out the semantical contradiction, they get pissed off.
Anyway, that last section turned more into a rant than anything, so I will end it here.
