"The Supreme Court now demands that religious people engage in conduct that seriously violates their beliefs."
Yes, so long as those beliefs are held in some sort of blind faith, instead of science...absolutely. You may not, in the name of your religion, deny a person the benefit of blood, organ, or tissue donation simply because you personally believe that such acts are ungodly or might transfer evil from one to another. Just because you pay monthly premiums, does not give you the right to decide what procedure(s) a doctor recommends or provides to another patient! Your beliefs have no standing in the halls of medicine and science.
Another point to consider is the origin of these beliefs...it is the Bible, specifically the Old Testament. Therein you'll find all sorts of laws and rules. Some of which to most might seem arcane, yet some still cling to them as though they were codified god-law. I mean if you like bacon, pork chops, ribs, shrimp, crab, lobster, or catfish, then stay out of the Old Testament! You aren't even allowed to cook your corn or potatoes with butter thereon?! And did you know that you are supposed to leave the corners of your field for the weird? I can assure you that any weirdos wandering the corners of fields through the Bible Belt would be shot on sight!
My point is that the Bible, or any other religious doctrine, isn't a cafeteria bar from the ancient past that you get to pick and choose which dish you will offend to non-believers with today. The Bible is for you to consume at your leisure, for you.
You have the right to do with your life as you please...that's it and no more. You don't need to personally agree with someone else's life choices to prepare them a hamburger, rent them a room, serve them pie at a counter, or bake them a wedding cake.
It is restrictive of interstate commerce to use your personal or religious biases to decide which patrons you will provide services you and won't. Imagine yourself, a pilgrim in an unholy land, unable to procure food, gas, or hotel services all because you openly prefer bacon-burgers and buttery popcorn?
Thursday, August 20, 2015
Tuesday, June 2, 2015
A New Way of Campaigning
"You can't get money out of politics."
Well, I say, if we can not get it out, then we should put it to good use. I am encouraging all progressive, forward-thinking, politicians to stop printing yard placards, brochures, bumper stickers, buttons, and for humanity's sake STOP paying for media advertisements. These benefit society naught. I suggest we take another tact, and send the money directly into the district or state the candidate is running.
Instead of running an ad in a particular county with donations, you build a park, repair a road, paint a crosswalk, and take special consideration to query local supporters and municipalities for their feedback as to what that community or county really needs. In this way, things get better just from running for office, so that even if you do not win, things are improved because of your campaign efforts. If you are absolutely compelled to spend money embossing your name on things, it should be for big projects like schools, hospitals, and bridges. There really is no project too large so long as it has campaign support.
When enough works have been done, the people will see them and elect you, and if not we will have improved the campaign district anyway...
It is time to change the status quo, money has become far too corruptive an influence to allow it unfettered access into our legislative halls. Let us redirect the billions of dollars tossed about in fits mudslinging to actual productive ends?
Well, I say, if we can not get it out, then we should put it to good use. I am encouraging all progressive, forward-thinking, politicians to stop printing yard placards, brochures, bumper stickers, buttons, and for humanity's sake STOP paying for media advertisements. These benefit society naught. I suggest we take another tact, and send the money directly into the district or state the candidate is running.
Instead of running an ad in a particular county with donations, you build a park, repair a road, paint a crosswalk, and take special consideration to query local supporters and municipalities for their feedback as to what that community or county really needs. In this way, things get better just from running for office, so that even if you do not win, things are improved because of your campaign efforts. If you are absolutely compelled to spend money embossing your name on things, it should be for big projects like schools, hospitals, and bridges. There really is no project too large so long as it has campaign support.
When enough works have been done, the people will see them and elect you, and if not we will have improved the campaign district anyway...
It is time to change the status quo, money has become far too corruptive an influence to allow it unfettered access into our legislative halls. Let us redirect the billions of dollars tossed about in fits mudslinging to actual productive ends?
Friday, March 20, 2015
Republican Constitutional Violations
“I wanted to make sure,” Boehner later explained on Fox News, “there was no interference.”
Speaker of the House, Representative John Boehner, invited Prime Minister of Israel to address Congress. Benjamin Netanyahu accepted the offer, and addressed Congress on March 3, 2015. The White House would say only that this was breaking with protocol. For a party that heralds Constitutional standards at every given opportunity, that no one has yet addressed GOP violations of Article II, Section 3, Clause 4, both stuns and appalls me.
Nowhere in Article I, will one find that Congress has any duty or authority to receive foreign dignitaries. This is an explicitly enumerated duty of the executive, wherein Speaker Boehner has trespassed. So, where's the lawsuit, removal from office procedures, censure of Congress? Where's ANY mention of this violation on political shows, radio, TV, or otherwise?
I argue no such story or argument exists because liberals just don't think this way. We tend to first not offend, and accusing republicans of undermining the President is a very strong claim. Sure there has been scores of useless attempts to undermine his signature legislation, making this Congress the least productive in our nation's history, but that doesn't mean anything, right??
Liberal Democrats and progressives alike need to stand up, and say what is happening here...
Speaker John Boehner and his Republican Congressional backers are undermining our Constitution, and thus the Country. They should be brought up on charges and dismissed from office.
Speaker of the House, Representative John Boehner, invited Prime Minister of Israel to address Congress. Benjamin Netanyahu accepted the offer, and addressed Congress on March 3, 2015. The White House would say only that this was breaking with protocol. For a party that heralds Constitutional standards at every given opportunity, that no one has yet addressed GOP violations of Article II, Section 3, Clause 4, both stuns and appalls me.
"The President shall from time to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration such Measures as he/she shall judge necessary and expedient; he may, on extraordinary Occasions, convene both Houses, or either of them, and in Case of Disagreement between them, with Respect to the Time of Adjournment, he/she may adjourn them to such Time as he/she shall think proper; he/she shall receive Ambassadors and other public Ministers; he/she shall take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed, and shall Commission all the Officers of the United States."
Nowhere in Article I, will one find that Congress has any duty or authority to receive foreign dignitaries. This is an explicitly enumerated duty of the executive, wherein Speaker Boehner has trespassed. So, where's the lawsuit, removal from office procedures, censure of Congress? Where's ANY mention of this violation on political shows, radio, TV, or otherwise?
I argue no such story or argument exists because liberals just don't think this way. We tend to first not offend, and accusing republicans of undermining the President is a very strong claim. Sure there has been scores of useless attempts to undermine his signature legislation, making this Congress the least productive in our nation's history, but that doesn't mean anything, right??
Liberal Democrats and progressives alike need to stand up, and say what is happening here...
Speaker John Boehner and his Republican Congressional backers are undermining our Constitution, and thus the Country. They should be brought up on charges and dismissed from office.
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