In Other News Today.....

[Angel4Truth]

Texas House passes contentious abortion bill​

The bill requires doctors to have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals, only allow abortions in surgical centers and ban abortions after 20 weeks. Democrats and women's rights activists have protested the bill for weeks. The measure failed to win enough support during the regular session, then died in the first special session due to a 13-hour filibuster by state Sen. Wendy Davis, a Fort Worth Democrat. Republican leaders, including Gov. Rick Perry and Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, are intent on passing it quickly through the Republican-controlled Legislature in a second special session. Democrats can do little but slow the bill down, attract as much attention as possible and lay the groundwork for a federal lawsuit to block it once it becomes law. Davis' successful filibuster put the Texas bill in the spotlight of the national abortion debate. On Monday night, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee spoke to abortion rights opponents. The Planned Parenthood Federation of America announced a statewide bus tour Tuesday morning, dubbed Stand With Texas Women. "It seems like every time women looked up from doing their laundry of helping children with their homework, the Texas Legislature is right there taking aim at them again," said Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America. "Over the past few years, more than 50 women's health centers have been shut down."

source

Good bill or bad bill?

It's funny that this bill will be passed on the state level but Texas democrats are going to "lay the groundwork for a federal lawsuit to block it once it becomes law".

When will pro-lifers realize that the federal government is a roadblock to pro-life legislation? It doesn't matter how many GOP-appointed justices are on the SCOTUS. Giving the authority to the states is the only way to pass real reform.

If protecting women is really the liberal goal, why would they object to a bill that protects them even better?

 

[WizardofOz]

Bradley Manning sentenced to 35 years in prison

#Manning sentenced to 35 years. Means he'll likely serve about 8 to 8.5 yrs more in confinement and be out by the time he's 33 or 34. — Col. Morris Davis (@ColMorrisDavis) August 21, 2013

Fair? Too harsh or not harsh enough?

 

[WizardofOz]

George Zimmerman briefly taken into custody after incident with gun

George Zimmerman has been taken into custody following an incident involving a gun, CBS News has confirmed. In a telephone interview the Lake Mary, Florida police chief said George Zimmerman is in "investigative detention" after his estranged wife, Shellie, called authorities to say he was threatening her and her parents with a gun. Lake Mary police say they were called to the Sprucewood Road home of Shellie Zimmerman's parents Monday afternoon. As of 3:45 p.m., George Zimmermn was no longer in custody, reports CBS affiliate WKMG. "He's in his car and he continually has his hand on his gun and he keeps saying 'step closer' and he's just threatening all of us," Shellie Zimmerman said in a 911 call, reports the station, adding that George Zimmerman was "trying to shut the garage door" on her. "He punched my dad in the nose my dad has a mark on the nose. I saw his glasses were on the floor," Shellie Zimmerman said in the call. "He then accosted my father then took my iPad out of my hands." Lake Mary police spokesman Zach Hudson tells the station police are "trying to determine what exactly happened."

 

[Rusha]

Oh that just can't be. George Zimmerman would never get violent. I bet the dad threatened him. With Skittles even.

 

[WizardofOz]

Oh that just can't be. George Zimmerman would never get violent. I bet the dad threatened him. With Skittles even.

I heard the father-in-law was wearing a hoodie so it was justified

 

[WizardofOz]

Kids, parents fight back after humanist group threatens another school over Christmas toy drive

source

When a national humanist organization threatened to sue SkyView Academy for collecting toys for needy children, students at the Colorado charter school decided to fight back. Officials at SkyView Academy announced earlier this week that they were dropping its participation in Operation Christmas Child, a ministry of Samaritan’s Purse. The project involves stuffing toys, candy and hygiene items to disadvantaged children around the world. But the American Humanist Association said the school’s participation in the program violated the U.S. Constitution and sent a letter demanding they cease and desist. A small charter school in South Carolina received a similar letter last week and complied with the AHA’s demands. Even though the project at SkyView was student-initiated and student-led, school officials determined they could not afford to pay for a court battle. The school’s board said they were disappointed by the humanists’ threats. Kimberly Saviano, a member of Humanists of Colorado, defended the national organization’s attack on the school. “The school was promoting it and they were using school resources to get it together,” she told the newspaper. “By promoting it during school time, it gives the air of authority to it, as if the administration endorses the religion.”

What a bunch of scumbags. :madmad:

:mock: American Humanist Association
:mock: Kimberly Saviano

 

[WizardofOz]

follow up

follow up

This is pretty big news here in Australia right now.

Sydney Police attended a call regarding a shop being robbed in the CBD. When they arrived, they found no one there but did spot a man walking nearby. When they tried to arrest the man, he resisted so they used Capsicum Spray and the Tazer.

The man stopped breathing and despite efforts from the Police Officers, died at the scene.

Now, it looks like the man wasn't even involved with the robbery.


http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/man-who-d...may-not-have-been-suspect-20120318-1vczf.html

Still no charges filed as far as I can tell :sigh: "The Police involved in the Tasering of Roberto Laudisio Curti remain in their current roles. However they had their tasers taken away from them but are still carrying guns."

Death of Beto Laudisio

He did steal biscuits (not armed robbery as reported) and was on LSD but the action taken by police was excessive to say the least.

 

[Thunder's Muse]

Still no charges filed as far as I can tell :sigh: "The Police involved in the Tasering of Roberto Laudisio Curti remain in their current roles. However they had their tasers taken away from them but are still carrying guns."



Death of Beto Laudisio



He did steal biscuits (not armed robbery as reported) and was on LSD but the action taken by police was excessive to say the least.

Luckily this is a rare thing here but really shouldn't have happened at all.


Posted from the TOL App!

 

[WizardofOz]

Atheist display to counter Nativity scene at Florida Capitol​

source

Groups that advocate for the separation of religion and government say the display is on solid constitutional grounds because the state is not spending money on it and it has designated the Capitol rotunda as a public forum. A disclaimer was posted near the Nativity scene that said the state does not support or endorse the display, which is across the rotunda from a giant menorah that marks the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah. And it's why the state is letting the Freedom From Religion Foundation to hang a banner with its views. The banner is expected to be hung Thursday. It will depict Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and the Statue of Liberty adoring the Bill of Rights placed in a crib typically used to depict Jesus and the Nativity scene. "Let us also honor the birth of our Bill of Rights, which reminds us there can be no freedom OF religion without having freedom FROM religion in government," the banner reads in part. The group also has signs up to counter Nativity scenes in the Wisconsin and Illinois capitols that declare there are no gods, heaven or hell. "We don't think there should be religion or irreligion in any state Capitol, but if they're going to start allowing religion and call it a public forum then certainly the non-religious point of view should be there, too," said Annie Laurie Gaylor, co-president of the Madison, Wisc.-based foundation. Olsen said that's their right. "The ACLU should be up here saying `Freedom of speech is what we fight for,"' Olsen said. "The atheists can come up and set up a table if they go through the permitting process and do the same thing." While Simon said he thought the celebration at the Capitol was over the top, he did agree with Olsen. "The state can create a public forum wherever it wants," Simon said. "From an ACLU point of view, the more speech the better." And based on previous Supreme Court rulings, there are no constitutional issues that would prevent the display if sponsored by a private group, said David Barkey, the national religious freedom lawyer for the Anti-Defamation League. "It's sounds like they're welcoming everybody. By welcoming everybody, if the Satanists want to put something up, they'd have to let the Satanists put something up. Sometimes it's, "Be careful for what you wish,"' Barkey said. "As long as they're applying neutral time, space and manner restrictions, it's kosher."

:dizzy:

It does come across as a mockery and not an actual celebration of anything. The Bill of Right in a nativity crib and signs/banners declaring there is no God or heaven or hell?

These people need to get a life or at least come up with a positive message. They come across like whiny children.

:mock:Freedom From Religion Foundation
:mock:Annie Laurie Gaylor

Anyone feel this is a worthwhile effort?

 

[bybee]

Atheist display to counter Nativity scene at Florida Capitol​

source

Groups that advocate for the separation of religion and government say the display is on solid constitutional grounds because the state is not spending money on it and it has designated the Capitol rotunda as a public forum. A disclaimer was posted near the Nativity scene that said the state does not support or endorse the display, which is across the rotunda from a giant menorah that marks the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah. And it's why the state is letting the Freedom From Religion Foundation to hang a banner with its views. The banner is expected to be hung Thursday. It will depict Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and the Statue of Liberty adoring the Bill of Rights placed in a crib typically used to depict Jesus and the Nativity scene. "Let us also honor the birth of our Bill of Rights, which reminds us there can be no freedom OF religion without having freedom FROM religion in government," the banner reads in part. The group also has signs up to counter Nativity scenes in the Wisconsin and Illinois capitols that declare there are no gods, heaven or hell. "We don't think there should be religion or irreligion in any state Capitol, but if they're going to start allowing religion and call it a public forum then certainly the non-religious point of view should be there, too," said Annie Laurie Gaylor, co-president of the Madison, Wisc.-based foundation. Olsen said that's their right. "The ACLU should be up here saying `Freedom of speech is what we fight for,"' Olsen said. "The atheists can come up and set up a table if they go through the permitting process and do the same thing." While Simon said he thought the celebration at the Capitol was over the top, he did agree with Olsen. "The state can create a public forum wherever it wants," Simon said. "From an ACLU point of view, the more speech the better." And based on previous Supreme Court rulings, there are no constitutional issues that would prevent the display if sponsored by a private group, said David Barkey, the national religious freedom lawyer for the Anti-Defamation League. "It's sounds like they're welcoming everybody. By welcoming everybody, if the Satanists want to put something up, they'd have to let the Satanists put something up. Sometimes it's, "Be careful for what you wish,"' Barkey said. "As long as they're applying neutral time, space and manner restrictions, it's kosher."

:dizzy:

It does come across as a mockery and not an actual celebration of anything. The Bill of Right in a nativity crib and signs/banners declaring there is no God or heaven or hell?

These people need to get a life or at least come up with a positive message. They come across like whiny children.

:mock:Freedom From Religion Foundation
:mock:Annie Laurie Gaylor

Anyone feel this is a worthwhile effort?

As with all crybabies they cast themselves as victims who must bite heels of their oppressors! They are not creative merely destructive.
Boring!

 

[WizardofOz]

Lesbian waitress accused of duping well-wishers into giving her money after claiming couple didn't tip her because she's gay is fired​

source

The lesbian waitress accused of falsely claiming a couple left her an offensive note instead of a tip has been fired. Dayna Morales, 22, was let go from her job at Gallop Asian Bistro in Bridgewater, New Jersey, nearly a month after she made national headlines over what’s likely a hoax. It comes just a few days after MailOnline exclusively revealed she had started paying back well-wishers who donated thousands of dollars to her. The waitress had apparently doctored the receipt to make it look like they hadn't tipped her. The receipt allegedly said: ‘I’m sorry but I cannot tip because I don’t agree with your lifestyle and how you live your life.’ But the former marine's story fell apart just days later when the couple came forward with their copy of the receipt showing an $18 tip.

:mock: Dayna Morales

 

[WizardofOz]

As with all crybabies they cast themselves as victims who must bite heels of their oppressors! They are not creative merely destructive.
Boring!

Agreed. I don't understand how or why they view themselves as victims but they obviously do. Rather than create a positive holiday message they must factor the nativity into their own display with negative messages that adds nothing to the positive spirit of the holidays.

There is a "giant menorah" there as well but that isn't what this group is choosing to target.

What a bunch of busybodies.

 

[WizardofOz]

Satanists want statue beside Ten Commandments monument at Oklahoma Legislature​

source

OKLAHOMA CITY -- In their zeal to tout their faith in the public square, conservatives in Oklahoma may have unwittingly opened the door to a wide range of religious groups, including satanists who are seeking to put their own statue next to a Ten Commandments monument on the Statehouse steps. The Republican-controlled Legislature in this state known as the buckle of the Bible Belt authorized the privately funded Ten Commandments monument in 2009, and it was placed on the Capitol grounds last year despite criticism from legal experts who questioned its constitutionality. The Oklahoma chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union has filed a lawsuit seeking its removal. But the New York-based Satanic Temple saw an opportunity. It notified the state's Capitol Preservation Commission that it wants to donate a monument and plans to submit one of several possible designs this month, said Lucien Greaves, a spokesman for the temple.

 

[WizardofOz]

Portugal Decriminalized All Drugs Eleven Years Ago And The Results Are Staggering​

source

On July 1st, 2001, Portugal decriminalized every imaginable drug, from marijuana, to cocaine, to heroin. Some thought Lisbon would become a drug tourist haven, others predicted usage rates among youths to surge.Eleven years later, it turns out they were both wrong. Over a decade has passed since Portugal changed its philosophy from labelling drug users as criminals to labelling them as people affected by a disease. This time lapse has allowed statistics to develop and in time, has made Portugal an example to follow. First, some clarification. Portugal’s move to decriminalize does not mean people can carry around, use, and sell drugs free from police interference. That would be legalization. Rather, all drugs are “decriminalized,” meaning drug possession, distribution, and use is still illegal. While distribution and trafficking is still a criminal offence, possession and use is moved out of criminal courts and into a special court where each offender’s unique situation is judged by legal experts, psychologists, and social workers. Treatment and further action is decided in these courts, where addicts and drug use is treated as a public health service rather than referring it to the justice system (like the U.S.), reports Fox News. The resulting effect: a drastic reduction in addicts, with Portuguese officials and reports highlighting that this number, at 100,000 before the new policy was enacted, has been halved in the following 10 years. Portugal’s drug usage rates are now among the lowest of EU member states, according to the same report. One more outcome: a lot less sick people. Drug related diseases including STDs and overdoses have been reduced even more than usage rates, which experts believe is the result of the government offering treatment with no threat of legal ramifications to addicts.

Could a similar policy work in other nations? Would decriminalization have a positive impact on the United States or in your country?

 

[aCultureWarrior]

Portugal Decriminalized All Drugs Eleven Years Ago And The Results Are Staggering.

Could a similar policy work in other nations? Would decriminalization have a positive impact on the United States or in your country?​

(A drug pushing Paulbot Libertarian to the very end).

I have a better idea Aaron:

Since recreational drugs not only destroy the human body, but destroy the family and the society that we live in, how about we as a society legislate and enforce the death penalty for drug pushers, including politicians like Ron Paul who push poison on people, youth included?

 

[WizardofOz]

(A drug pushing Paulbot Libertarian to the very end).

How is a system that reduces addicts while keeping drugs illegal "drug pushing", spin doctor?

I have a better idea Aaron:

Since recreational drugs not only destroy the human body, but destroy the family and the society that we live in, how about we as a society legislate and enforce the death penalty for drug pushers, including politicians like Ron Paul who push poison on people, youth included?

Portugal is showing that recreational drugs use declines in their system of decriminalization and court-ordered rehab/counseling services. Do you want to discuss the article or jump on your soapbox to rant more inane nothings?

Isn't a system that reduces the negative effects of drug use worth considering?

You want to execute drug pushers and Ron Paul? You don't want to execute homosexuals but you want to execute former politicians whose views oppose yours?

Let's hear your justification/rationalization.

 

[aCultureWarrior]

Quote:
Originally Posted by aCultureWarrior
(A drug pushing Paulbot Libertarian to the very end).

How is a system that reduces addicts while keeping drugs illegal "drug pushing", spin doctor?

How can a country be soft on users, yet hard on those that sell drugs to those same people?

Recreational drug use is a cancer, it needs to be dealt with by using severe penalties across the board.


Quote:
Originally Posted by aCultureWarrior View Post
I have a better idea Aaron:

Since recreational drugs not only destroy the human body, but destroy the family and the society that we live in, how about we as a society legislate and enforce the death penalty for drug pushers, including politicians like Ron Paul who push poison on people, youth included?

Portugal is showing that recreational drugs use declines in their system of decriminalization and court-ordered rehab/counseling services. Do you want to discuss the article or jump on your soapbox to rant more inane nothings?

Isn't a system that reduces the negative effects of drug use worth considering?

You want to execute drug pushers and Ron Paul? You don't want to execute homosexuals but you want to execute former politicians whose views oppose yours?

Let's hear your justification/rationalization.

I live in the real world Aaron, I see junkies hourly, many of them juveniles. (Seattle is a small version of Portugal).

You can post all of the pro drug Libertarian statistics that you want, it doesn't take away from the fact that recreational drugs destroys the human body, the family and the society that allows it to occur.

 

[aCultureWarrior]

I saved these 3 links from the last time Aaron went on one of his drug pushing escapades.

Decriminalization of drugs in Portugal – The real facts!
http://www.wfad.se/latest-news/1-articles/123-decriminalization-of-drugs-in-portugal--the-real-facts

Scientific Proof that Drug Decriminalization in Portugal Saved Lives and Killed People
http://www.samefacts.com/2010/10/dr...on-in-portugal-saved-lives-and-killed-people/


PORTUGAL’S DRUG LAWS DRAW NEW SCRUTINY
http://www.encod.org/info/PORTUGAL-S-DRUG-LAWS-DRAW-NEW.html

 

[WizardofOz]

How can a country be soft on users, yet hard on those that sell drugs to those same people?

Answered in the article that you didn't read. "While distribution and trafficking is still a criminal offence, possession and use is moved out of criminal courts and into a special court where each offender’s unique situation is judged by legal experts, psychologists, and social workers."

Dealing is still criminal. I don't think they're executing anyone for dealing, though.

Recreational drug use is a cancer, it needs to be dealt with by using severe penalties across the board.

Like prison? Is that your "fix" for recreational drug use? How about a system that reduces addicts? Isn't reducing use the goal? Portugal's system seems to be working, doesn't it?

I live in the real world Aaron, I see junkies hourly, many of them juveniles. (Seattle is a small version of Portugal).

So, wouldn't reducing use be a worthwhile goal? What is Seattle doing to reduce use? :think:

You can post all of the pro drug Libertarian statistics that you want, it doesn't take away from the fact that recreational drugs destroys the human body, the family and the society that allows it to occur.

:doh: Address the article. Portugal seems to be doing a better job helping drug users kick the habit than Seattle. You're all about the means regardless of the results or lack thereof.

 

[chrysostom]

francis

time's man of the year