It’s a challenge just to keep up with with the flood of misanthropic behavior by leaders and supporters of the Republican party. Here are three of the low points.
Yesterday, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) signed a bill into law that will allow people to bring concealed weapons into houses of worship. The Times-Picayune reports on the bill:
[State Rep. Henry] Burns’ bill would authorize persons who qualified to carry concealed weapons having passed the training and background checks to bring them to churches, mosques, synagogues or other houses of worship as part of a security force.
The pastor or head of the religious institution must announce verbally or in weekly newsletters or bulletins that there will be individuals armed on the property as members of he security force. Those chosen have to undergo eight hours of tactical training each year. […]
The bill also allows a house of worship to hire off-duty police or security guards to protect congregants.
Burns said that he proposed the bill so that religious institutions in “declining neighborhoods” can have extra protection against crime. “I was born and raised with Mayberry, riding my bicycle any time of the day or night,” said Burns. “But we live in different times.” To be clear, however, houses of worship can authorize any person to receive a concealed handgun permit after eight hours of training — whether or not the purpose is to help them fight crime.
Last year, Ken Pagano, pastor of the New Bethel Church in Louisville, KY, invited his congregation to bring their firearms to church. “God and guns were part of the foundation of this country,” said Pagano, adding, “I don’t see any contradiction in this… [emphasis original]
Inserted from <Think Progress>
Dang! I’d hate to be a member of the choir. Sing off key and BANG!! 🙁
Seriously, I could not worship in an environment where guns are the instrument of God’s love. This must come from the gospel of GOP Supply-side Jesus, nit the real one.
Hawaii’s governor, Republican Linda Lingle, has vetoed a civil unions bill that was passed by the state legislature in April. Her reasoning was interesting:
Lingle said voters should decide the fate of civil unions, not politicians.
"The subject of this legislation has touched the hearts and minds of our citizens as no other social issue of our day," she said. "It would be a mistake to allow a decision of this magnitude to be made by one individual or a small group of elected officials."
Wait, isn’t that how representative democracy works?…
Inserted from <PFAW>
Her stated reason is a lie. Were it true, she would have vetoed everything the legislature passed. The real reason, of course, is that as a GOP bigot, she has no respect for the rights of LGBT people.
Virginia "Ginni" Thomas, wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, as a new job, running a think tank she founded to appeal to Tea Party supporters. Liberty Central, according to Kenneth P. Vogel, writing in Politico, "appears to be positioning itself as a hybrid think tank/advocacy group/campaign arm for the tea party movement."
Thomas herself explained it this way to Human Events magazine, Vogel reports:
“I’m getting to know the Tea Party groups and the new citizen activists,” Thomas told Human Events late last month. “What I think I can bring to the table is a connective (t)issue between the new people and the old people.”
On the Liberty Central Web site, visitors are urged to sign a "pledge to activism" [Teabaggers delinked] that states the organization’s commitment to small government, saying, in part:
In an effort to hold their government accountable to its constitutional limitations, many Americans have voiced their opposition to a “Big Government” agenda through protests and election upsets only to be blatantly ignored by many elected representatives,
Therefore, I pledge to be more informed and more active, and encourage others to do likewise, in order to maximize my impact and influence in preserving, protecting and promoting liberty, freedom, and limited Constitutional government in America.
Call it the Great Convergence, this coming together of old-guard groups and extremists under the Tea Party brand — something perhaps that only someone very close to a major power center in the U.S. government could pull off. Unlike grass-roots Tea Party organizations that struggle for donations, Thomas got off to a quick start last year with two large donations, according to Politico — one for $50,000 and another for $500,000 — whose source the group declines to disclose… [emphasis added]
Inserted from <Alternet>
I see this as a major conflict of interest. While I fully support Mrs. Thomas’ right to espouse whatever warped views she chooses, her position as the wife of an Injustice [sp. intentional] on SCOTUS gives the reception of large contributions, especially from unnamed donors, the appearance of impropriety. Fortunately, people far more influential than I agree.
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It may be completely innocent. That $500,000 donation may be nothing more than a thank you from the Coca-Cola company for all the publicity they received, when Clarence Thomas put a pubic hair on Anita Hill’s Coke. But unless we know, Thomas has no business judging cases.
4 Responses to “GOP Follies – 7/8/2010”
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Guns in church – I’m sure Jesus would be very supportive – not.
Ok, if she wants a referendum on this, then let her have it. But no out of state money to influence the people. Yeah, I’m talking to you Mormon Church.
Of course having Mrs. Thomas as the head of a teabagger org is a conflict of interest. But it’s not like Clarence says anything on the court. He just sits there and votes with the other assholes. Obermann is right though; she should reveal her donors or Clarence has to resign. Can’t have it both ways.
I agree, Lisa. Someone will get hurt.
How wild to read this only days after hearing a sermon explaining the famous Psalm 46 quote, “Be still and know that I am God,” strictly translated in context means, “Cease fire.”
I’ve spent quite a lot of time in churches in “declining neighborhood”–for over a year I was music director for a Baptist church in South Central LA, dead center in Bloods’ territory. During my interview, the pastor actually warned me not to wear blue to church. (“I know you’re a white boy, but down here skin color doesn’t matter; blue is Crips, red is Bloods.”) But even Rev. Moss wouldn’t go for concealed arms in the sanctuary. The most awful tragedy imaginable would be one “trained” worshiper misfiring and murdering another. I don’t see why Louisiana churches can’t do what most other “declining neighborhood” churches do: hire uniformed, armed guards to patrol the grounds when church doors are open. An armed guard outside makes a lot more sense than an undercover fool inside. But then we’re talking about the state that elected Jindal…
Re Lingle’s crafty pen. Your point is well taken, Tom. Touché. The gay marriage issue is a losing battle for the GOP. The longer they fight it, the worse off they’ll be. And the gay community is learning these setbacks are blessings in disguise. They keep the topic timely, sparing us from being lambasted for pushing our agenda. As long as the far right stays spooked, the dialogue will thrive. I personally think the majority of Americans are getting weary with it, and will eventually embrace legalizing same-sex marriage just to get the controversy to go away. (Of course, I may be suffering heat stroke from walking down the sunny side of the street.)
SF, I would have no problem whatsoever with armed guards. They are trained professionals. It’s a big difference from wing-nuts with ideological hate issues.
Tim, gay sexuality can be a very frightening thing, especially to straight males. I am told that many gay men find the very notion of sex with a woman repulsive. I can relate, because that how I feel about the idea of me having sex with a man. So naturally, homophobia was the last prejudice of mine to go. What did it for me, was a gay man named Charlie, who befriended me and stuck by it despite my clear animosity toward him. Eventually his kindness broke down my resistance to his friendship, and he was just Charlie, a ‘dirty fagot’ no more. Once he realized that I accepted him as me, the SOB took great delight in embarrassing me. 🙂 I think that before the controversy goes away, we’re going to need a lot more Charlies.