Tucson Welcomes Veterans Home With a Parade
March 31, 2012
By Michael Bryan
Today Tucson did something very commendable. And it was not the city government that did it – it was the people of Tucson. They came together to throw a welcome home parade for the men and women who served their nation in war over the last dozen years in Afghanistan and Iraq, but also in prior conflicts.
Rachel Maddow gave the all-volunteer effort a shout-out as one of the best new things in the world – I heartily agree.
See footage of the parade taken by yours truly after the flip…
A Biblical Response to Homophobic Christians in Arizona
March 31, 2012
By Michael Bryan
I have heard anti-gay sentiments too often from GOP candidates for office in Arizona. Frank Antenori has been one of the most vocal and blunt here in southern Arizona, but he is certainly not alone. I find it all distasteful, offensive, and scripturally indefensable.
Frank's recent comments about the Left loving to tear families apart in connection with his support for traditional marriage against same-sex marriages, and his blunt statements against repeal of the "don't ask, don't tell" policy of the armed forces, lead me to conclude that, at the very least, Frank has a problem with gays getting equal treatment under our laws.
Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu's candidacy for Congress was certainly, and rightly, sunk by the scandals in which he has immured himself. But one wonders, would he have been able to weather those storms with GOP primary voters were his lover a young Latina woman? I believe that Babeu's downfall was not his indiscretion, poor judgment, and potential abuses of power – after all, these seem to be par for the course among GOP politicians in Arizona – but his sexual orientation.
Too many GOP politicians find they can get support and donations by appealing to Christians' discomfort with gays. What is the basis of that ingrained bigotry against gays by Christians?
Turns out it's just six passages in scripture – out of some 31,000 passages. How strong is the Biblical basis for anti-gay prejudice? Not very.
Take a listen to Matthew Vines, an impressively articulate and thoughtful Christian gay man, who would like to challenge your settled notions of what the scriptures actually say about homosexuality.
Matthew's scholarship is impressive. It boils down to this:
"The Bible never directly addresses, and it certainly does not condemn, loving, committed same-sex relationships. There is no biblical teaching about sexual orientation, nor is there any call to lifelong celibacy for gay people. But the Bible does explicitly reject forced loneliness as God’s will for human beings, not just in the Old Testament, when God says that “[i]t is not good for the man to be alone,” but in the New Testament as well."
There is no sound foundation for condemnation of the sexual orientation and loving relationships of homosexuals in the Bible. Homophobia's popularity among Christians is merely the last terrible bigotry that remains acceptable in our culture, because many claim the Bible condones it. It does not.
The bitter truth is that bigots will find a reason to indulge their hatred, not because God commands it, but because deep in their hearts, they enjoy it. Their hatred is a reflection of the fallen nature of man. They know hatred and bigotry are not reflections of the godly nature granted humans by their Creator, but rather than be ashamed and purge their hatred through compassion and understanding and the inspiring life of Jesus, they seek to justify their hatred by claiming God shares it.
God hates none of his creation; certainly not the many men and women he created in his image whose hearts and souls, and libidos, respond only to persons of the same sex.
The capacity to love one another, to cleave together, to create loving families, is the godly nature of mankind. To condemn this capacity in some, because God gave them a loving nature different than the majority is not Christian: it is monstrous.
Matthew points out that Jesus taught that we shall know a true teacher by his fruits. The shame, self-destruction, suffering of young gay men and women are the bitter fruits of a misguided teaching. Spit it out.
Watch Matthew present his argument after the flip. If you can still bring yourself to claim God's consent to your hatred of gays, you haven't a heart to appeal to…
Today’s César Chávez March
March 31, 2012
by
by David Safier
A reasonable crowd showed up at the César Chávez March. One the one hand, the crowd could have been larger, but on the other hand, the number of youth there was encouraging and impressive.
The march began at a church near Pueblo High instead of the school itself, which had been the staging grounds in years past, because TUSD said, basically, you can't talk about the Mexican American Studies controversy or badmouth TUSD on the school grounds. Tedski put it best when he noted that people say bad things about the city government all the time at protests held at city parks. That's called free speech. Pueblo High School's walls would not have come tumbling down like Jericho's if a few Hispanic Joshuas blew there horns on the football field. The District would have withstood the blast. But when the first domino fell with the disbanding of Mexican American Studies, the next dominoes — the banning of books, the silencing of teachers' voices in their classrooms and today's prohibition of negative talk about the District — were sure to fall as well. One bad decision begets other bad decisions.
Even more embarassing for the District than a little badmouthing, people might have applauded Sean Arce, and since TUSD is planning to end his contract at the end of the school year, that could have been embarrassing. (More on Arce's removal in another post.)
Here's a pic of the march. You can see a few other pics below the fold.
Super Saturday of Events Today
March 31, 2012
Posted by AzBlueMeanie:
For those of you who are not participating in Arizona's Democratic Presidential Caucuses today to elect delegates who will attend the DNC National Convention in Charlotte, NC later this year, there are two other events today from which you can pick and choose to participate.
Saturday, March 31, 9:00 a.m.: Join the César E. Chavez Holiday Coalition for the 12th Annual César E. Chávez March and Rally. We will honor the legacy of a great Arizonan and national labor leader, respect for non-violence, and support for Raza Studies. March will leave from St. John's Catholic Church (602 W. Ajo Way) around 9:00 a.m. and end at Rudy Garcia Park (5001 S. Nogales Hwy.) There will be music, speakers, tables, and food at the park. Let's celebrate Cesar Chavez and his legacy together, it is critical now more than ever! Tables are free and vendors are welcome. To request table space or get information to be a food vendor, please contact Laura Dent at ljdent@gmail.com.
Saturday, March 31, 10:30 a.m.: The City of Tucson Veterans' Affairs Committee is hosting a 'Welcome Home' parade for any and all veterans returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The parade will begin at 10:30 a.m. in Downtown Tucson. All parade viewers are encouraged to bring their very own 'red, white and blue' to wave to welcome home these brave military heroes. Though the parade will focus on current returning veterans, those from Iraq and Afghanistan, all veterans are encouraged to participate! The parade route will start north on Stone Avenue and continue on Pennington Street, then move west on Franklin street turning south on Main Avenue, east on Alameda Street, and south on Church to end up back on Pennington. The end of the parade will be at Stone and Pennington. The parade organizing committee welcomes parade entries, sponsorships, volunteers, and donations. Forms are available on the event’s Facebook page at http://tinyurl.com/TWHVP. For more information, please contact Alan Toppel at (520) 495-7064 or email tucsonswelcomehome@gmail.com.
The Rachel Maddow Show gave Tucson a big shout out last night for our Welcome Home Parade, so get your butts up off the couch, wear your red, white and blue and grab a flag, and head Downtown to welcome our troops home. Let's do our town proud to honor our service men and women who have proudly served their country.
Video below the fold.
Antenori Claims the Left Loves to Tear Families Apart
March 30, 2012
By Michael Bryan Frank with someone whom he thinks wants to destroy his marriage I am deeply disappointed in Frank Antenori. Frank tends to get carried away by his own rhetoric. That's usually fine, if not exactly useful. Every politician loves the sound of his or her own voice. But what Frank said at the … Read more
Jesse Kelly Brings His Weird Act to Hannity
March 30, 2012
By Michael Bryan
Not content to embarrass himself on local television and debates, Jesse Kelly took his wooden-headed act national on Hannity's show on Fox "News" to discuss the Trayvon Martin slaying.
Really? Is Jesse the guy you want to talk to about gun violence and vigilantism? OK…
The subject of discussion is a lone incident of a flash mob at a Walgreens in Florida "protesting" the slaying. It has conservatives across America seeing flashbacks of the Watts riot. Conservative media is abuzz with condemnation of this misguided idiocy. The alacrity with which conservatives are trying to use this single incident to change the subject is amusing and sad.
Given a chance to open his yap on the flap, Jesse let this emerge:
"I think it's 100% the fault of Barack Obama and the other politicians in Washington.."
So, I guess now every stupid thing done in America is Obama's fault. Good to know.
Hannity interjects:
"Why do you think Barack Obama is at fault? Because of his comment?"
(referring to Obama's dead-obvious and innocuous comments that every parent should understand why the killing must be investigated, and that if he had a son, he would look like Trayvon, presumably)
Jesse blathers on:
"Because he's willing to stick his nose in anything right now to get the American people's minds off the fact that's there's really 14% unemployment, and gas at 4 dollars a gallon when we have more oil than Saudi Arabia in this country. He will literally try anything to get the American people to stop thinking about that, and I can't wait until we a President who actually loves this country in November!"
Really, Jesse? That's the best you have? President Obama doesn't love America? What a shining example of Congressional-level comment on the state of the nation and the tragic slaying of an innocent young black man.
You are a hateful windbag without ideas or character, Sir.
The panelists were surprised at Jesse's weird and sudden pivot into substance-free campaign rhetoric, but were clearly pleased that such an effective talking point 'bot was running for elective office.
But since we are on the subject of a President who actually loves America, let's explore that a bit. Presumably, Jesse is talking about the presumptive GOP nominee to take on Obama: Mitt Romney. How much does Mitt love America? Enough to outsource his fellow American's jobs to make his fortune. Enough to pay less than 15% taxes on his immense wealth. Enough to oppose reforming Wall Street excesses which brought our economy to this pass in the first place. This country is dying of Romney's GOPish kind of love: the love of a vampire for the blood of his victims.
Now, the psuedo-fact that America has more oil than Saudi Arabia has become standard stump line for Jesse. It's a claim that has no basis in reality: it even has it's own Snopes page, but it has become a standard talking point for a lot of GOPers. Maybe because 88% of oil company political donations are flowing to Republicans this cycle? Should be interesting to see who is paying for Jesse's reality-challenged bullshit come FEC report time.
Seems Jesse is trotting out a new talking point: the real unemployment rate is 14%. Well, it all depends on how you calculate it, of course. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported rate in February is 8.3%. But if you add in all the folks who stopped looking it's over 10%. And if you add those who are 'underemployed' – doing part-time, free-lance, and under-skilled work – then you can beef that number up to 14% or 15%. Starting to look a lot more politically useful, now, isn't it? But why stop there? Why not calculate it in whatever batshit manner Jeromi Corsi, the genius behind Sheriff Joe's 'cold case' investigation of the President's birth certificate, does and come up with something really eye-popping like 22.5%?
Hannity goes on to deplore the rush to judgement on the matter.
Jesse, displaying a truly professional-level of lack of self-awareness, comes back with:
"That's the problem. No one knows the facts yet [maybe because the only witness other than the gunman is dead, Jesse…], and to have everybody grandstanding on it, everybody making a statement on it, trying, as I said, to capitalize on a horrible tragedy like this is more than just gross: it's sad, really."
I couldn't agree with you more, Jesse. It's just gross and sad.
See the stunning video of Jesse capitalizing and grandstanding on the Trayvon Martin slaying after the flip…
Wisconsin Update: Total Recall
March 30, 2012
Posted by AzBlueMeanie:
Governor Scott Walker of Wisconsin got a double dose of bad news on Friday.
First, A federal judge in Wisconsin today struck down part of the state's union-stripping bill. Federal court strikes down parts of Act 10 (pdf of the ruling).
The plaintiff unions challenged three specific provisions of Act 10:
– Restricting the subject of "general employee" unions' collective bargaining to base wages only, and prohibiting fair-share agreements by which nonunion members pay the unions for the benefits won through the unions' efforts.
– Requiring annual re-certification of general employee unions by an absolute majority of all employees in the bargaining unit.
– Prohibiting the automatic deduction of dues and fair-share payments from payroll checks of general employees.
The unions argued all three provisions violated the equal protection clause, and that the ban on automatic dues deduction hampered the workers First Amendment rights.
But Conley found the unions failed to show that the first restriction on broader collective bargaining in place for public safety employees bears no rational relationship to the government's interest in avoiding strikes by those workers.
The fact that those same employees' unions supported Gov. Scott Walker may make the rules look like political favoritism, but Conley said even if it is, it's not enough to make the court use a stricter standard of review.
However, Conley found that the two other changes – annual recertification and a ban on automatic dues deduction – violated the First Amendment rights of the affected workers.
"The court would be remiss not to at least note the likely burden the annual recertification process imposes on the members' speech and association rights," he wrote.
The state's justification for allowing greater bargaining by public safety workers – avoidance of strikes – does not stand up as a rational basis for requiring other public worker unions to annually recertify by absolute majority, and denying them automatic dues deductions, the court said.
Automatic dues deductions for general employee unions should start again at the end of May – barring appeals or higher court rulings that would block or postpone Conley's order.
The court's order came just hours after state election officials ordered a recall election for Walker. That recall effort was sparked by the governor's bill on collective bargaining.
12th Annual Roosevelt-Kennedy Fundraising Dinner
March 30, 2012
Posted by AzBlueMeanie: Coconino County Democratic Party fundraising event: Roosevelt-Kennedy Fundraising Dinner 12th Annual Roosevelt Kennedy Dinner Radisson Woodlands Hotel Flagstaff1175 W. Route 66 Saturday, April 14, 2011Cash bar at 5:30 pm, Dinner at 7:00 pm Cost: $85.00 per person in advance* Ordinary Table of 8 $680 $1000 for a VIP table of 8** … Read more
