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POPSQuaker statement on gay marriage "With half of marriages ending in divorce, unquestionably the right thing to do is to strengthen marriages. But diverting the question to whether two people of the same sex can have legal rights together completely loses track of the problem of frail marriages." If your union requires discrimination to strengthen it, it's already lost.
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POPSWhat Gay Marriage Teaches About the History of Marriage This is a long article about the history and definition of the word Marriage. The impact of gay marriage and rights on the definition. I respect a writer, particular one that writes our history, who admits to making a big mistake in his last book. Lots of ammo ( information) for those wanting to debate the definition of marriage as a right for all people, gay or straight, -- albeit buried in this wordy but well written article. History buffs and those that like to look deeply into the history of a word and its impact might enjoy this article. It certainly is not light reading.
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POPSProp 8: not a sign of the future, but the "last gasp of a fringe movement" More: On the front page of the New York Times today, reporters Jesse McKinley and Laurie Goodstein assert that the success of anti-gay marriage iniatives in California, Arizona and Florida has “ignited a debate about whether the movement to expand the rights of same-sex couples had hit a cultural brick wall.” That, frankly, is ridiculous. Here's why: … Therefore, this week’s victories for the religious right in California, Arizona and Florida are really the last gasp of a fringe movement trying to forestall the inevitable, rather than proof of a new “cultural brick wall.”
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POPSPublic defenders refuse new cases Citing unethical level of defense that results from huge caseloads. I have personally seen how egregiously unjust our justice system can be toward people without means to hire attorneys. They are virtually helpless, and an unethical prosecutor looking for votes can chew them up and spit them out for personal gain.
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POPSThe Extreme Team Behind Amendment 48
This constitutional amendment is not about protecting life. Amendment 48 does nothing less than rob us of the ability to make many of life's most important decisions. The architects of the proposed amendment know this. The initiative's sponsor Kristi Burton asserts, "As far as birth control, IVF and abortion and all that, our amendment doesn't ban anything." But then she slyly admits, "That would be up to the legislature and courts. If our amendment passes and that's (a fertilized egg) considered a person you'd have to view those issues in that way." Ms. Burton knows full well that the only purpose to granting a fertilized egg full human rights is to target the right to birth control, IVF and stem cell research. If it were simply about targeting the right to an abortion, then Amendment 48 would have attempted to define life as starting at the moment a pregnancy begins and not before, as Amendment 48 does. The groups supporting Amendment 48, as listed on the Personhood Col
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POPSMcCain rep doesn't know what VP does, either! Chris Matthews asks campaign spokesperson if she knows what the Constitution says - she doesn't - and he reflects on Palin's inability to answer the same question. How ironic - the party of strict constructionists puts up candidates who can't tell you their Constitutional job description.
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POPSThe Noose Tightens Noose Tightens Category: Depopulation, FISA, Globalization, Issues, NAFTA, News, North American Union, Patriot Act, Police State, Real id, Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America, Voting Rights & Fraud, War on Civil Liberties | “Since 9/11, our Constitutional rights have been systematically dismantled: 1. USA Patriot Act - A 342 page document presented to Congress one day before voting on it that allows the government access to your bank and email accounts, as well as your medical and phone records with no court order. They can also search your home anytime without a warrant. 2. USA Patriot Act II - This one allows secret government arrests, the legal authority to seize your American citizenship, and the extraction of your DNA if you are deemed a potential terrorist. 3. Military Commissions Act of 2006 - Ends habeas corpus, the right to an attorney, and the right to court review of one’s detention and arrest. Without this most basic right, all other ri
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POPSIt's Over: Obama 49, McCain 43 in Zogby Tracking Zogby is usually right on the mark. Independent voters make the difference if this extrapolation holds true. Meanwhile, the Constitution Party candidate is calling traditional conservatives and friends of limited, constitutional government (which Bush has trampled) to "not waste a vote on McCain", since he will lose: Ladies and gentlemen, Barack Obama is headed for an electoral landslide victory over John McCain. John McCain can no more beat Barack Obama than Bob Dole could beat Bill Clinton. I ask, therefore, Are not conservatives and Christians who vote for John McCain guilty of the same thing that they accuse people who vote for third party candidates of doing? Are they not voting for someone who cannot win? I like this quote, if only everyone would do this: As John Quincy Adams said, "Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone..."
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POPSConnecticut Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage This is such great news. Little by little, the U.S. is beginning to catch up with Canada, and other countries who are finally realizing that in a democracy ALL men and women and equal. This should never be subject to social interpretation.
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POPSTim Wise: This is Your Nation on White Privilege "White privilege is when you can attend four different colleges in six years like Sarah Palin did (one of which you basically failed out of, then returned to after making up some coursework at a community college), and no one questions your intelligence or commitment to achievement, whereas a person of color who did this would be viewed as unfit for college, and probably someone who only got in in the first place because of affirmative action. White privilege is when you can claim that being mayor of a town smaller than most medium-sized colleges, and then Governor of a state with about the same number of people as the lower fifth of the island of Manhattan, makes you ready to potentially be president, and people don’t all piss on themselves with laughter, while being a black U.S. Senator, two-term state Senator, and constitutional law scholar, means you’re “untested.” "
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POPSObama: "That's what we're protecting!" Writer says: "This is what first drew me to Obama: his ability to speak fearlessly and unapologetically on behalf of truth and of the principles that make this country a place worth living in."
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POPSLipstick Fascism "This is the path that America is on with Palin and McCain. The election of 2008 is a choice between the United States Constitution and Lipstick Fascism." Frank Schaeffer is the author of CRAZY FOR GOD-How I Grew Up As One Of The Elect, Helped Found The Religious Right, And Lived To Take All (Or Almost All) Of It Back.
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POPSSecret Spying Court Stays Secret ACLU: "The Bush administration says that the new law is necessary to protect the country against terrorism, but there's nothing in the law that prevents the government from monitoring the communications of innocent Americans," Jaffer said in a written statement. "The intelligence court should not be deciding important constitutional issues in secret judicial opinions issued after secret hearings at which only the government is permitted to appear."
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POPSPalin For Vice President: Palin on the Issues
SMALL BUSINESS – “As Mayor and CEO of the booming city of Wasilla, my team invited investment and encouraged business growth by eliminating small business inventory taxes, eliminated personal property taxes, reduced real property tax mill levies every year I was in office, reduced fees, and built the infrastructure our businesses needed to grow and prosper.” MILITARY - “I respect our military personnel and understand the importance of Alaska's National Guard. As I watched our military men and women being deployed I recognized how important it is for their families to know how much Alaska and America support them.” HEALTH CARE – “I support flexibility in government regulations that allow competition in health care that is needed, and is proven to be good for the consumer, which will drive down health care costs and reduce the need for government subsidies. I also support patients in their rightful demands to have access to full medical billing information.”
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POPSGov. Sarah Palin: On The Issues New Alaska Governor Is Strong Conservative Economy: She supports reducing property taxes and taxes for small businesses to grow the economy. Climate: However, she has been a vocal critic of scientists who suggest that climate change is leading to the decrease in polar bears in Alaska. She has also threatened to sue to have polar bears not listed as a threatened species. Immigration: Being that her state only borders Canada and is thousands of miles from the Mexican border, Palin has not often expressed her views publicly on illegal immigration. Health Care: According to her campaign Web site, Palin supports flexibility in government regulations that allow competition in health care. She believes it will drive down health care costs and reduce the need for government subsidies. Palin also feels patients should have access to full medical billing information. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXzY1FvYpnE YouTube: 10:19