In early March 2010, the Supreme Court handed down a ruling of 8-1 in favor Fred Phelps and his Westboro Baptist Church. In case some of you have never heard of this notorious crowd of worshipers, they express their disapproval of the wickedness of modern America by the unpleasant practice of picketing funerals, particularly those of soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Funny the very people these people are picketing would not even be able to picket if those people had not died for their freedom.
The church's homophobia, anti-Catholics, and sense of spiritual superiority are communicated in offensive picket signs that read, "God Hates Fags," "Priests Rape Boys" and "You're Going to Hell."
What is sad is that the ruling by the Supreme Court of 8-1 was in favor of this to go on under free speech. What is even worse, is that these people call themselves “people of God” The WBC is not affiliated with any known Baptist conventions or associations. However, the church describes itself as following Primitive Baptist and Calvinist principles, though mainstream Primitive Baptists reject the WBC and Phelps.
Now looking into definition of a hate crime “A hate crime is usually defined by state law as one that involves threats, harassment, or physical harm and is motivated by prejudice against someone's race, color, religion, national origin, ethnicity, sexual orientation or physical or mental disability.”
It is interesting that the definition of a hate crime would cover exactly what Fred Phelps and his Westboro Baptist Church are doing. However, the lovely justices of the Supreme Court found it in their hearts to rule in favor of these heartless bastards.
The legislation also goes on to say:
It is the right of every person, regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, ethnicity, or physical or mental disability, to be secure and protected from threats of reasonable fear, intimidation, harassment, and physical harm caused by activities of groups and individuals.
Interesting stuff. I highly doubt that our founding fathers wanted the first amendment used a tool of harassment, and intimidation against those who serve and protect our country. Not to mention those who are homosexual, of a different religion, or for any reason they feel necessary. In fact, these vengeful people even considered picketing the funeral of the 9-year-old girl, Christina-Taylor Green who was shot and killed at the massacre where congressional representative Gabrielle Giffords was shot along with U.S. District Judge John Roll and Giffords' community outreach director Gabe Zimmerman who both were killed. The catch, they agreed not to protest the girl’s funeral in exchange for airtime with 102.1 The Edge in Toronto, Canada, and an interview with KXXT-AM in Phoenix, Ariz. on Saturday morning. They did however picket the funeral of U.S. District Judge John Roll.
Although I am a strong believer of the first amendment, I also believe that it is a person’s right to mourn peacefully the death of a loved one. I believe it is the right of every person to assemble peacefully, and to freedom of religion, as long as it is not hurting anyone.
So the first amendment says:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
As you can see this is a very broad statement, and now that we have hate crimes and hate laws in effect, maybe we should incorporate hate speech. Where our Hate crime laws so clearly state that this is harassment, and is causing emotional distress against families of mourners, how can our Supreme Court justify this as constitutional. Sickening I know.
The issue that bothers me the most here, is not the fact that this is freedom of speech, but the actions of the freedom of speech, these actions are in fact causing emotional distress, to people who are already in emotional distress. Again, I will go back to the legislation of the hate crime bill
It is the right of every person, regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, ethnicity, or physical or mental disability, to be secure and protected from threats of reasonable fear, intimidation, harassment, and physical harm caused by activities of groups and individuals.
All actions do have consequences, and the people suffering for the consequences are the ones who should be left alone, left to mourn, left to grieve. But no they are being made to suffer more.
Again let me remind you a large portion of the funerals these hateful people are picketing are for our American soldiers who are dying for our freedom, so these assholes can continue to protest, under an amendment that would have had Thomas Jefferson, Jon Adams, James Madison, and the others who wrote the constitution rolling in their graves.
Plain and simple this is intimidation and harassment and now after they have won their battle in the Supreme Court here is their latest picket
Seven Pennsylvania children died in a fire Tuesday (March 8) night. Westboro says the children’s deaths are linked to the recent Supreme Court decision, in which a father sued the church after it protested his slain Marine son's funeral in 2008. The family is Christian and has no relation to the group, now you tell me, harassment, hate, or vengeance.
Do you think the Supreme Court made the right decision?
Monday, March 14, 2011
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
A Deaf Ear to our Raising Gas Prices
In April 2010, we experienced one of the most devastating oil spill in history, the middle east is in an up roar and their governments are collapsing, in Wisconsin, 14 democrats are hiding out to avoid a vote on collective barging, we could be facing a government shut down if the house and senate cannot come to an agreement on a budget in two weeks, and did I mention Bernanke and his QE2 bond buying program. So with all of this going on, we the consumer, are paying at the pump, I am not sure about where you live, but I am paying $3.65 a gallon and that is for the cheapest gasoline, then you go to the grocery store and you see the price of fruit, vegetables, meat, everything going up in price.
If you will notice prices started going up right around November, I can account for this because this is around the time I had my surgery, when I was able to drive and get around, which was about a week, prices had gone up about ten cents a gallon. People chalked it up to the holidays, prices always go up around the holidays, but alas, this time they never went down, they kept going up, and up.
Now we have all the disturbance going on in the middle east, and you will have noticed that prices have gone up sometimes ten cents in one day alone. First of all this is ridiculous as we do not even get our main oil supply from the middle east.
With the value of our dollar decreasing, and our economy not getting any better despite what you hear, the prices at the pump are not going down any time soon. The million dollar question, what is our government doing about it?
In May 2004, The New York Times reported that congressional Democrats “were stepping up pressure on the Bush Administration to ease gasoline prices,” when prices were still under $2 a gallon. In 2006, Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) stated: “Since George Bush and Dick Cheney took over as president and vice president, gas prices have doubled…They are too cozy with the oil industry”.
Again, in 2008, then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) “blasted” the president for rising gas prices on his (and her) watch. In July 2008, ABC News asked the president what was his “short term advice for Americans about gas prices?” In April 2008, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) stated gas prices were “the number one issue facing America today.”
Since President Barack Obama was inaugurated, gas prices have been on the rise, as have home energy prices. During his term, he presided over perhaps the worst federal response to an oil spill in our nation’s history, yet there has been almost nothing said by the media as consumers face $3 a gallon gasoline at the pump in December for the first time in U.S. history and see their home heating bills soar in the winter months.How much has your bill gone up this winter????
Currently oil is over $100 a barrel and economist are saying $4 at the pump is not out of the question and is most likely a reality. $5 a gallon by 2012.... think about, can you afford to drive?
Understandably, the administration says it is trying to enforce new safety rules due to the April 20 explosion of the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig, Environmental groups say the administration is right to take its time because the Gulf disaster exposed the risks of offshore drilling.
However, the delay is hurting big oil companies such as Chevron Corp. and Royal Dutch Shell PLC, which have billions of dollars in investments tied up in Gulf projects that are on hold and are paying hundreds of thousands of dollars a day for rigs that are not allowed to drill. Smaller operators such as ATP Oil & Gas Corp., which have less flexibility to focus on projects in other regions, have been even harder hit.
The shock of the delays goes beyond the oil industry. The Gulf coast economy has been hit hard by the slowdown in drilling activity, especially because the oil spill also hurt the region's fishing and tourism industries. The Obama administration in September estimated that 8,000 to 12,000 workers could lose their jobs temporarily because of the freeze; some independent estimates have been much higher.
The slowdown also has long-term implications for U.S. oil production. The Energy Information Administration, the research arm of the Department of Energy, predicted that domestic offshore oil production will fall 13% this year from 2010 due to the freeze and the slow return to drilling; a year ago, the agency predicted offshore production would rise 6% in 2011. The difference: a loss of about 220,000 barrels of oil a day.
How is this helping us? Higher prices at the pump, mean higher prices for food, clothing, and all other necessities that travel by fuel and need energy. Waiting for the economy to recover, it will take a little longer, if we can not afford to drive to work, buy food, ect. Can we wait that long?
*Quick fact - many people that were re-hired after being laid off took a 20-30% pay cut.... The people that are getting re-hired are working for less.
We stimulate our economy by putting money into it, but if we cannot afford to put money back into the economy it will not be able to recover. So my question, is why where so many people shouting about gas prices back in 2004-2008, but you don't hear a single word about them now? Especially when we need to hear it the most. I am just asking you to think about it, it's your $ and your family to feed.
If you will notice prices started going up right around November, I can account for this because this is around the time I had my surgery, when I was able to drive and get around, which was about a week, prices had gone up about ten cents a gallon. People chalked it up to the holidays, prices always go up around the holidays, but alas, this time they never went down, they kept going up, and up.
Now we have all the disturbance going on in the middle east, and you will have noticed that prices have gone up sometimes ten cents in one day alone. First of all this is ridiculous as we do not even get our main oil supply from the middle east.
With the value of our dollar decreasing, and our economy not getting any better despite what you hear, the prices at the pump are not going down any time soon. The million dollar question, what is our government doing about it?
In May 2004, The New York Times reported that congressional Democrats “were stepping up pressure on the Bush Administration to ease gasoline prices,” when prices were still under $2 a gallon. In 2006, Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) stated: “Since George Bush and Dick Cheney took over as president and vice president, gas prices have doubled…They are too cozy with the oil industry”.
Again, in 2008, then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) “blasted” the president for rising gas prices on his (and her) watch. In July 2008, ABC News asked the president what was his “short term advice for Americans about gas prices?” In April 2008, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) stated gas prices were “the number one issue facing America today.”
Since President Barack Obama was inaugurated, gas prices have been on the rise, as have home energy prices. During his term, he presided over perhaps the worst federal response to an oil spill in our nation’s history, yet there has been almost nothing said by the media as consumers face $3 a gallon gasoline at the pump in December for the first time in U.S. history and see their home heating bills soar in the winter months.How much has your bill gone up this winter????
Currently oil is over $100 a barrel and economist are saying $4 at the pump is not out of the question and is most likely a reality. $5 a gallon by 2012.... think about, can you afford to drive?
Understandably, the administration says it is trying to enforce new safety rules due to the April 20 explosion of the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig, Environmental groups say the administration is right to take its time because the Gulf disaster exposed the risks of offshore drilling.
However, the delay is hurting big oil companies such as Chevron Corp. and Royal Dutch Shell PLC, which have billions of dollars in investments tied up in Gulf projects that are on hold and are paying hundreds of thousands of dollars a day for rigs that are not allowed to drill. Smaller operators such as ATP Oil & Gas Corp., which have less flexibility to focus on projects in other regions, have been even harder hit.
The shock of the delays goes beyond the oil industry. The Gulf coast economy has been hit hard by the slowdown in drilling activity, especially because the oil spill also hurt the region's fishing and tourism industries. The Obama administration in September estimated that 8,000 to 12,000 workers could lose their jobs temporarily because of the freeze; some independent estimates have been much higher.
The slowdown also has long-term implications for U.S. oil production. The Energy Information Administration, the research arm of the Department of Energy, predicted that domestic offshore oil production will fall 13% this year from 2010 due to the freeze and the slow return to drilling; a year ago, the agency predicted offshore production would rise 6% in 2011. The difference: a loss of about 220,000 barrels of oil a day.
How is this helping us? Higher prices at the pump, mean higher prices for food, clothing, and all other necessities that travel by fuel and need energy. Waiting for the economy to recover, it will take a little longer, if we can not afford to drive to work, buy food, ect. Can we wait that long?
*Quick fact - many people that were re-hired after being laid off took a 20-30% pay cut.... The people that are getting re-hired are working for less.
We stimulate our economy by putting money into it, but if we cannot afford to put money back into the economy it will not be able to recover. So my question, is why where so many people shouting about gas prices back in 2004-2008, but you don't hear a single word about them now? Especially when we need to hear it the most. I am just asking you to think about it, it's your $ and your family to feed.
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