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Segami
Segami's Journal
Segami's Journal
August 28, 2013
CENK:
"...no matter what you think and the American people think,....WE MUST GO TO MILITARY OPTION!.....and thats how propaganda works and so by the end, all you hear is the same thing,...WAR,...WAR,...WAR.
War is the answer, we forgot the question...."
How US Media Is PUSHING FOR WAR With Syria
How do media organizations help lead the US into war, using an intervention in Syria as the latest example? Using clips from CNN with various politicians and pundits, The Young Turks host Cenk Uygur breaks it down.
CENK:
"...no matter what you think and the American people think,....WE MUST GO TO MILITARY OPTION!.....and thats how propaganda works and so by the end, all you hear is the same thing,...WAR,...WAR,...WAR.
War is the answer, we forgot the question...."
August 28, 2013
In a filing to a federal appeals court, the Justice Department argues that a reporter for the New York Times has no constitutional right to a reporter’s privilege in a case involving a leak allegedly committed by a former CIA officer. The case involves a former CIA officer, Jeffrey Sterling, who face charges of violating the Espionage Act for disclosing information to the press on a classified program “intended to impede Iran’s efforts to acquire or develop nuclear weapons,” which was published in Times reporter James Risen’s book, State of War. Since January 2008, the Justice Department has been trying to force Risen to testify against Sterling. Risen, backed by other media and press freedom organizations, has been fighting government efforts that have continued under the administration of President Barack Obama. The latest court filing from the Justice Department is in response to a petition from Risen to have the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals rehear arguments that he should be protected from testifying by a reporter’s privilege. (Last month, the Fourth Circuit reversed a district court order that had held he was protected by a reporter’s privilege.)
The Justice Department argues that none of the decisions Risen cites, when arguing that he has a reporter’s privilege, hold “that a reporter who witnesses a crime and promises not to identify the perpetrator…has a privilege not to testify in a criminal proceeding. Indeed, every court of appeals to confront that situation has agreed with the panel.” Also, even if he did have a “reporter’s privilege,” the Justice Department suggests he may have waived his claim of privilege at some point and, “even if he did not, the qualified privilege he asserts would be overcome in light of the specific evidence at issue in this case.” The decision by the Justice Department to continue to fight in the courts for Risen to testify suggests a complete disregard for the concerns expressed by forty-six media organizations in a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder. The letter sent on August 21 by the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press (RCFP) demanded the subpoena against Risen be withdrawn
According to the letter,
After the 2011 ruling, according to POLITICO‘s Josh Gerstein, where Brinkema ruled Risen would not be forced to testify, Justice Department Criminal Division Senior Litigation Counsel William Welch indicated the case would continue to go forward. The case moved onward until Brinkema ruled that “two important witnesses would be barred from testifying as a result” of a delayed disclosure of information to the defense. The government decided to file an appeal when this happened and decided to resume efforts to force Risen to testify. Times executive editor Jill Abramson has said the effort against Risen is detrimental to “the ongoing important work that journalists do in holding powerful institutions and the government accountable to the people.” She has also expressed concern that the “process of news gathering is being criminalized” and that the Obama administration’s actions are frightening potential sources.
cont'
http://dissenter.firedoglake.com/2013/08/27/obama-administration-remains-committed-to-forcing-reporter-to-testify-against-his-source/
Obama Administration Remains Committed to FORCING REPORTER TO TESTIFY Against His Source
In a filing to a federal appeals court, the Justice Department argues that a reporter for the New York Times has no constitutional right to a reporter’s privilege in a case involving a leak allegedly committed by a former CIA officer. The case involves a former CIA officer, Jeffrey Sterling, who face charges of violating the Espionage Act for disclosing information to the press on a classified program “intended to impede Iran’s efforts to acquire or develop nuclear weapons,” which was published in Times reporter James Risen’s book, State of War. Since January 2008, the Justice Department has been trying to force Risen to testify against Sterling. Risen, backed by other media and press freedom organizations, has been fighting government efforts that have continued under the administration of President Barack Obama. The latest court filing from the Justice Department is in response to a petition from Risen to have the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals rehear arguments that he should be protected from testifying by a reporter’s privilege. (Last month, the Fourth Circuit reversed a district court order that had held he was protected by a reporter’s privilege.)
The Justice Department argues that none of the decisions Risen cites, when arguing that he has a reporter’s privilege, hold “that a reporter who witnesses a crime and promises not to identify the perpetrator…has a privilege not to testify in a criminal proceeding. Indeed, every court of appeals to confront that situation has agreed with the panel.” Also, even if he did have a “reporter’s privilege,” the Justice Department suggests he may have waived his claim of privilege at some point and, “even if he did not, the qualified privilege he asserts would be overcome in light of the specific evidence at issue in this case.” The decision by the Justice Department to continue to fight in the courts for Risen to testify suggests a complete disregard for the concerns expressed by forty-six media organizations in a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder. The letter sent on August 21 by the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press (RCFP) demanded the subpoena against Risen be withdrawn
According to the letter,
“New Department policy authorizes a subpoena to a member of the news media only ‘as a last resort, after all reasonable alternative investigative steps have been taken, and when the information sought is essential to a successful investigation or prosecution.’” This is what was adopted after the uproar over the Justice Department’s seizure of phone records from the Associated Press. Yet, the Justice Department does not appear to be following the guideline. The letter notes that US District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema rejected the argument by the government that Risen is “the only source” of information needed to prosecute the case. Brinkema noted in her July 29, 2011, opinion “the abundant circumstantial and documentary evidence that supported the proposition that the government sought to prove, ‘including numerous telephone records, email messages, computer files, and testimony [from two other witnesses] that strongly indicates that Sterling was Risen’s source.’”
After the 2011 ruling, according to POLITICO‘s Josh Gerstein, where Brinkema ruled Risen would not be forced to testify, Justice Department Criminal Division Senior Litigation Counsel William Welch indicated the case would continue to go forward. The case moved onward until Brinkema ruled that “two important witnesses would be barred from testifying as a result” of a delayed disclosure of information to the defense. The government decided to file an appeal when this happened and decided to resume efforts to force Risen to testify. Times executive editor Jill Abramson has said the effort against Risen is detrimental to “the ongoing important work that journalists do in holding powerful institutions and the government accountable to the people.” She has also expressed concern that the “process of news gathering is being criminalized” and that the Obama administration’s actions are frightening potential sources.
cont'
http://dissenter.firedoglake.com/2013/08/27/obama-administration-remains-committed-to-forcing-reporter-to-testify-against-his-source/
August 27, 2013
SNOWBILLY GOES HUNTING FOR TURTLE.......
The Republican Obamacare meltdown continues as Sarah Palin has aligned herself with a conservative group that’s running radio ads targeting Mitch McConnell on ACA funding. Palin put out a statement through the Senate Conservatives Fund:
Forced enrollment in Obama’s “Unaffordable Care Act” is weeks away. This beast must be stopped — by not funding it. Today, Todd and I joined with many of our fellow citizens to urge those in the U.S. Senate to not fund Obamacare.
We The People must continue to make our voices heard and hold those elected to serve this great nation accountable. Those in the Senate and those seeking to serve there must stand strong against this devastating program before it reveals its true face now recognized by both sides of the aisle as the bureaucratic and economic beast that will deny our families, our businesses, and our sick the ability to access health care.
The time for rhetoric and ceremonial votes in Congress is over. The time to take serious action to stop Obamacare is now. Join us in urging Senators — Don’t Fund Obamacare! Just remember – if you fund it, you own it!
http://www.senateconservatives.com/site/post/2232/sarah-palin-signs-defund-obamacare-petition
Beyond Palin’s usual gibberish, what’s interesting is that she has aligned herself with a group that is currently running a radio ad in Kentucky that is targeting Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. The radio spot claims that McConnell is refusing to lead the fight to defund Obamacare, “Republicans in Congress can stop Obamacare by refusing to fund it, but Senator Mitch McConnell refuses to lead the fight. Mitch McConnell voted to give President Obama money to implement Obamacare earlier this year, and he’ll do it again if you don’t make your voice heard today. Obamacare is unaffordable, unworkable and it’s unfair. It will hurt Kentucky families. Many could lose their doctors. Others may be forced to pay higher premiums. Obamacare is a job killer, yet Mitch McConnell refuses to stop funding for this liberal train wreck.”
Putting aside for a second the fact that none of the claims made in the radio ad and Palin’s statement are actually true, Republican extremists like Palin and Sens. Ted Cruz and Mike Lee are trying to destroy their own party’s leaders. Needless to say that when Republicans decided to campaign on Obamacare in 2014, this is not what they had in mind. The Republican movement to defund the government unless Obamacare is repealed is the gift that keeps on giving to the Democratic Party. While conservatives and Republicans waste their money and resources fighting each other, Democrats can be out defending the law and its benefits to the American people. If Republicans insist on shutting down the government, Democrats can use this against them next year in the 2014 election.
cont'
http://www.politicususa.com/2013/08/27/republicans-destruct-palin-joins-group-targeting-mitch-mcconnell.html
BWHAHAHAHAHAHAHA: Republicans SELF DESTRUCT as PALIN Joins Group That’s TARGETING Mitch McConnell
SNOWBILLY GOES HUNTING FOR TURTLE.......
The Republican Obamacare meltdown continues as Sarah Palin has aligned herself with a conservative group that’s running radio ads targeting Mitch McConnell on ACA funding. Palin put out a statement through the Senate Conservatives Fund:
Forced enrollment in Obama’s “Unaffordable Care Act” is weeks away. This beast must be stopped — by not funding it. Today, Todd and I joined with many of our fellow citizens to urge those in the U.S. Senate to not fund Obamacare.
We The People must continue to make our voices heard and hold those elected to serve this great nation accountable. Those in the Senate and those seeking to serve there must stand strong against this devastating program before it reveals its true face now recognized by both sides of the aisle as the bureaucratic and economic beast that will deny our families, our businesses, and our sick the ability to access health care.
The time for rhetoric and ceremonial votes in Congress is over. The time to take serious action to stop Obamacare is now. Join us in urging Senators — Don’t Fund Obamacare! Just remember – if you fund it, you own it!
http://www.senateconservatives.com/site/post/2232/sarah-palin-signs-defund-obamacare-petition
Beyond Palin’s usual gibberish, what’s interesting is that she has aligned herself with a group that is currently running a radio ad in Kentucky that is targeting Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. The radio spot claims that McConnell is refusing to lead the fight to defund Obamacare, “Republicans in Congress can stop Obamacare by refusing to fund it, but Senator Mitch McConnell refuses to lead the fight. Mitch McConnell voted to give President Obama money to implement Obamacare earlier this year, and he’ll do it again if you don’t make your voice heard today. Obamacare is unaffordable, unworkable and it’s unfair. It will hurt Kentucky families. Many could lose their doctors. Others may be forced to pay higher premiums. Obamacare is a job killer, yet Mitch McConnell refuses to stop funding for this liberal train wreck.”
Putting aside for a second the fact that none of the claims made in the radio ad and Palin’s statement are actually true, Republican extremists like Palin and Sens. Ted Cruz and Mike Lee are trying to destroy their own party’s leaders. Needless to say that when Republicans decided to campaign on Obamacare in 2014, this is not what they had in mind. The Republican movement to defund the government unless Obamacare is repealed is the gift that keeps on giving to the Democratic Party. While conservatives and Republicans waste their money and resources fighting each other, Democrats can be out defending the law and its benefits to the American people. If Republicans insist on shutting down the government, Democrats can use this against them next year in the 2014 election.
cont'
http://www.politicususa.com/2013/08/27/republicans-destruct-palin-joins-group-targeting-mitch-mcconnell.html
August 27, 2013
UPDATE:
The war criminals in Washington and other Western capitals are determined to maintain their lie that the Syrian government used chemical weapons. Having failed in efforts to intimidate the UN chemical inspectors in Syria, Washington has demanded that UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon withdraw the chemical weapons inspectors before they can assess the evidence and make their report. The UN Secretary General stood up to the Washington war criminals and rejected their demand. The US and UK governments have revealed none of the "conclusive evidence" they claim to have that the Syrian government used chemical weapons. Listening to their voices, observing their body language, and looking into their eyes, it is completely obvious that John Kerry and his British and German puppets are lying through their teeth. This is a far more shameful situation than the massive lies that former Secretary of State Colin Powell told the UN about Iraqi weapons of mass destruction. Colin Powell claims that he was deceived by the White House and did not know that he was lying. Kerry and the British, French, and German puppets know full well that they are lying.
The face that the West presents to the world is the brazen face of a liar.
************
Washington and its British and French puppet governments are poised to yet again reveal their criminality. The image of the West as War Criminal is not a propaganda image created by the West's enemies, but the portrait that the West has painted of itself. The UK Independent reports that over this past week-end Obama, Cameron, and Hollande agreed to launch cruise missile attacks against the Syrian government within two weeks despite the lack of any authorization from the UN and despite the absence of any evidence in behalf of Washington's claim that the Syrian government has used chemical weapons against the Washington-backed "rebels," largely US supported external forces, seeking to overthrow the Syrian government. Indeed, one reason for the rush to war is to prevent the UN inspection that Washington knows would disprove its claim and possibly implicate Washington in the false flag attack by the "rebels," who assembled a large number of children into one area to be chemically murdered with the blame pinned by Washington on the Syrian government. Another reason for the rush to war is that Cameron, the UK prime minister, wants to get the war going before the British parliament can block him for providing cover for Obama's war crimes the way that Tony Blair provided cover for George W. Bush, for which Blair was duly rewarded. What does Cameron care about Syrian lives when he can leave office into the waiting arms of a $50 million fortune?
The Syrian government, knowing that it is not responsible for the chemical weapons incident, has agreed for the UN to send in chemical inspectors to determine the substance used and the method of delivery. However, Washington has declared that it is "too late" for UN inspectors and that Washington accepts the self-serving claim of the al Qaeda affiliated "rebels" that the Syrian government attacked civilians with chemical weapons. See also here. In an attempt to prevent the UN chemical inspectors who arrived on the scene from doing their work, the inspectors were fired upon by snipers in "rebel" held territory and forced off site, although a later report from RT says the inspectors have returned to the site to conduct their inspection. The corrupt British government has declared that Syria can be attacked without UN authorization, just as Serbia and Libya were militarily attacked without UN authorization.
In other words, the Western democracies have already established precedents for violating international law. "International law? We don't need no stinking international law!" The West knows only one rule: Might is Right. As long as the West has the Might, the West has the Right. In a response to the news report that the US, UK, and France are preparing to attack Syria, the Russian Foreign Minister, Lavrov, said that such unilateral action is a "severe violation of international law," and that the violation was not only a legal one but also an ethical and moral violation. Lavrov referred to the lies and deception used by the West to justify its grave violations of international law in military attacks on Serbia, Iraq, and Libya and how the US government used preemptive moves to undermine every hope for peaceful settlements in Iraq, Libya, and Syria.
cont'
http://www.opednews.com/articles/Syria-Another-Western-War-by-Paul-Craig-Roberts-Chemical_Crime_Crimes-Against-Humanity_International-130826-300.html
SYRIA: Another Western WAR CRIME In The Making
UPDATE:
The war criminals in Washington and other Western capitals are determined to maintain their lie that the Syrian government used chemical weapons. Having failed in efforts to intimidate the UN chemical inspectors in Syria, Washington has demanded that UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon withdraw the chemical weapons inspectors before they can assess the evidence and make their report. The UN Secretary General stood up to the Washington war criminals and rejected their demand. The US and UK governments have revealed none of the "conclusive evidence" they claim to have that the Syrian government used chemical weapons. Listening to their voices, observing their body language, and looking into their eyes, it is completely obvious that John Kerry and his British and German puppets are lying through their teeth. This is a far more shameful situation than the massive lies that former Secretary of State Colin Powell told the UN about Iraqi weapons of mass destruction. Colin Powell claims that he was deceived by the White House and did not know that he was lying. Kerry and the British, French, and German puppets know full well that they are lying.
The face that the West presents to the world is the brazen face of a liar.
************
Washington and its British and French puppet governments are poised to yet again reveal their criminality. The image of the West as War Criminal is not a propaganda image created by the West's enemies, but the portrait that the West has painted of itself. The UK Independent reports that over this past week-end Obama, Cameron, and Hollande agreed to launch cruise missile attacks against the Syrian government within two weeks despite the lack of any authorization from the UN and despite the absence of any evidence in behalf of Washington's claim that the Syrian government has used chemical weapons against the Washington-backed "rebels," largely US supported external forces, seeking to overthrow the Syrian government. Indeed, one reason for the rush to war is to prevent the UN inspection that Washington knows would disprove its claim and possibly implicate Washington in the false flag attack by the "rebels," who assembled a large number of children into one area to be chemically murdered with the blame pinned by Washington on the Syrian government. Another reason for the rush to war is that Cameron, the UK prime minister, wants to get the war going before the British parliament can block him for providing cover for Obama's war crimes the way that Tony Blair provided cover for George W. Bush, for which Blair was duly rewarded. What does Cameron care about Syrian lives when he can leave office into the waiting arms of a $50 million fortune?
The Syrian government, knowing that it is not responsible for the chemical weapons incident, has agreed for the UN to send in chemical inspectors to determine the substance used and the method of delivery. However, Washington has declared that it is "too late" for UN inspectors and that Washington accepts the self-serving claim of the al Qaeda affiliated "rebels" that the Syrian government attacked civilians with chemical weapons. See also here. In an attempt to prevent the UN chemical inspectors who arrived on the scene from doing their work, the inspectors were fired upon by snipers in "rebel" held territory and forced off site, although a later report from RT says the inspectors have returned to the site to conduct their inspection. The corrupt British government has declared that Syria can be attacked without UN authorization, just as Serbia and Libya were militarily attacked without UN authorization.
In other words, the Western democracies have already established precedents for violating international law. "International law? We don't need no stinking international law!" The West knows only one rule: Might is Right. As long as the West has the Might, the West has the Right. In a response to the news report that the US, UK, and France are preparing to attack Syria, the Russian Foreign Minister, Lavrov, said that such unilateral action is a "severe violation of international law," and that the violation was not only a legal one but also an ethical and moral violation. Lavrov referred to the lies and deception used by the West to justify its grave violations of international law in military attacks on Serbia, Iraq, and Libya and how the US government used preemptive moves to undermine every hope for peaceful settlements in Iraq, Libya, and Syria.
cont'
http://www.opednews.com/articles/Syria-Another-Western-War-by-Paul-Craig-Roberts-Chemical_Crime_Crimes-Against-Humanity_International-130826-300.html
August 27, 2013
Anti-Obamacare dead-enders have reached the phase of their campaign to destroy the Affordable Care Act where they’re inviting mockery and derision from the very people they’re trying to convince. The latest headline-grabber comes out of Ohio, where conservatives are organizing a protest outside of one of House Speaker John Boehner’s congressional offices where they’ll be chanting about “Boehnercare” — a new moniker intended to serve as a wakeup call to GOP congressional leaders: If you don’t adopt our self-defeating tactics, you’ll be as responsible for the ACA as Obama and the Democrats.
I interpret the news as a late act of desperation from a segment of the conservative base that’s running out of time and options. Though the entire movement is united behind the belief that Obamacare needs to be repealed, only part of it has accepted the obvious fact that the 2012 election put that goal nearly out of reach. The rest are holding on to a fantasy (a lucrative, publicity-rich fantasy) that Obamacare can be repealed or hobbled or at least delayed before its major benefits come into effect over the coming weeks. And though their efforts this summer have been remarkably unsuccessful — I don’t think one GOP leader or party elder has publicly endorsed the defund-or-shutdown strategy — you can see the effect this has had on the party over just a few short weeks.
In that sense, this August’s congressional recess has been a case study in how minority parties react when faced with opponents they can’t defeat. Instead of uniting in common cause against the enemy, they turn on each other. With their backs against the wall, they aim fire to either side, instead of straight ahead. And there’s some new evidence that it’s taking a toll on the party at a national level. Ruy Teixeira, a liberal political scientist and senior fellow at both the Century Foundation and the Center for American Progress, points to evidence that Republicans are either misleading themselves about the wisdom of their Obamacare obsession or are suffering from a collective action problem — that doing what makes political sense in each individual GOP congressional district adds up to a national disaster.
Obamacare remains unpopular, but not as unpopular as support for full repeal. If Republicans are focusing on top lines, they’re missing the fact that a big reason Obamacare is underwater is that many people want to strengthen it — not repeal it. In House GOP town halls and other conservative cocoons, the only thing more certain than death and taxes is that Obamacare must be repealed. Nationwide, this is electoral poison.
Our generic congressional trial heat shows a relatively narrow, three-point advantage for Democratic candidates (44%) over Republicans (41%) nationwide. However, when the choice in the 2014 election is presented as “a Democrat who favors fixing and improving Obamacare rather than repealing it altogether” versus “a Republican who wants to totally repeal Obamacare,” voters favor the Democratic candidate (51%) over the Republican candidate (36%) by 15 percentage points.
http://thinkprogress.org/health/2013/08/26/2524121/obamacare-counterproductive-republicans/
http://www.salon.com/2013/08/27/backs_against_the_wall_republicans_turn_on_each_other_over_obamacare/
Obamacare Infighting Pits The GOP REALISTS vs.THE FANTASISTS: Result Is Desperate & Catastrophic
Anti-Obamacare dead-enders have reached the phase of their campaign to destroy the Affordable Care Act where they’re inviting mockery and derision from the very people they’re trying to convince. The latest headline-grabber comes out of Ohio, where conservatives are organizing a protest outside of one of House Speaker John Boehner’s congressional offices where they’ll be chanting about “Boehnercare” — a new moniker intended to serve as a wakeup call to GOP congressional leaders: If you don’t adopt our self-defeating tactics, you’ll be as responsible for the ACA as Obama and the Democrats.
I interpret the news as a late act of desperation from a segment of the conservative base that’s running out of time and options. Though the entire movement is united behind the belief that Obamacare needs to be repealed, only part of it has accepted the obvious fact that the 2012 election put that goal nearly out of reach. The rest are holding on to a fantasy (a lucrative, publicity-rich fantasy) that Obamacare can be repealed or hobbled or at least delayed before its major benefits come into effect over the coming weeks. And though their efforts this summer have been remarkably unsuccessful — I don’t think one GOP leader or party elder has publicly endorsed the defund-or-shutdown strategy — you can see the effect this has had on the party over just a few short weeks.
In that sense, this August’s congressional recess has been a case study in how minority parties react when faced with opponents they can’t defeat. Instead of uniting in common cause against the enemy, they turn on each other. With their backs against the wall, they aim fire to either side, instead of straight ahead. And there’s some new evidence that it’s taking a toll on the party at a national level. Ruy Teixeira, a liberal political scientist and senior fellow at both the Century Foundation and the Center for American Progress, points to evidence that Republicans are either misleading themselves about the wisdom of their Obamacare obsession or are suffering from a collective action problem — that doing what makes political sense in each individual GOP congressional district adds up to a national disaster.
Obamacare remains unpopular, but not as unpopular as support for full repeal. If Republicans are focusing on top lines, they’re missing the fact that a big reason Obamacare is underwater is that many people want to strengthen it — not repeal it. In House GOP town halls and other conservative cocoons, the only thing more certain than death and taxes is that Obamacare must be repealed. Nationwide, this is electoral poison.
Our generic congressional trial heat shows a relatively narrow, three-point advantage for Democratic candidates (44%) over Republicans (41%) nationwide. However, when the choice in the 2014 election is presented as “a Democrat who favors fixing and improving Obamacare rather than repealing it altogether” versus “a Republican who wants to totally repeal Obamacare,” voters favor the Democratic candidate (51%) over the Republican candidate (36%) by 15 percentage points.
http://thinkprogress.org/health/2013/08/26/2524121/obamacare-counterproductive-republicans/
http://www.salon.com/2013/08/27/backs_against_the_wall_republicans_turn_on_each_other_over_obamacare/
August 27, 2013
CHURCH WALKING IN CHRIST'S FOOTSTEPS..........I THINK NOT!!!....
Kat Cooper is a detective with the Collegedale Police Department in Collegedale, Tennessee. Her family has attended the same church for three generations and because they love her, they are no longer welcome by the congregation. The Ridgedale Church of Christ discovered the Cooper family supporting Kat’s fight to get the city to extend government employee benefits to gays and lesbians. Kat herself is also a lesbian. So when the Ridgedale Church saw a picture of her family in attendance at the city council meeting in which the council approved the new measure, they issued the family an ultimatum: apologize in front of the congregation for not hating your lesbian daughter or be kicked out of the church.
Naturally, the Coopers chose to leave the church rather than submit to the hateful values it now practices. That seems to suit minister Ken Willis just fine. He claims that it was the duty of the church to reject the Coopers for openly standing by their daughter instead of abandoning her. In his eyes, the family should have chosen hate over love. That’s interesting, considering the fact that Jesus commands us to love our neighbors no matter what in the very Bible conservative Christians cherry-pick and misinterpret to justify their hatred of others. Church is supposed to be a place that welcomes anybody. Apparently that is no longer the case. And religious fanatics wonder why people are leaving the church in droves. Because of their un-Christian action of rejecting a family for daring to love their own daughter no matter what, the Ridgedale Church has experienced an avalanche of outrage on their Facebook page. Feel free to visit them and add your voice to the many who are calling this so-called “Christian” church out for their hate.
Gay rights are human rights. Homosexuals only seek the same rights heterosexuals have enjoyed for over a thousand years. They want to be able to marry their consenting partner, the person they love. Just as many heterosexual couples want religion to play a role in their marriage, the same applies to many homosexuals as well. No church that claims to practice Christian values should abandon families for loving their children, just as no church should practice hatred against homosexuals. Churches can hide behind their Bibles all they want, hate masquerading as religion is still hate. Hate, not love, should be rejected by churches. Any church that disagrees isn’t a church at all.
http://www.addictinginfo.org/2013/08/27/tennessee-church-expels-family-over-lesbian-daughter/
‘CHRISTIAN’ Church In Tennessee EXPELS Whole Family For NOT ABANDONING Lesbian Daughter
CHURCH WALKING IN CHRIST'S FOOTSTEPS..........I THINK NOT!!!....
Kat Cooper is a detective with the Collegedale Police Department in Collegedale, Tennessee. Her family has attended the same church for three generations and because they love her, they are no longer welcome by the congregation. The Ridgedale Church of Christ discovered the Cooper family supporting Kat’s fight to get the city to extend government employee benefits to gays and lesbians. Kat herself is also a lesbian. So when the Ridgedale Church saw a picture of her family in attendance at the city council meeting in which the council approved the new measure, they issued the family an ultimatum: apologize in front of the congregation for not hating your lesbian daughter or be kicked out of the church.
Naturally, the Coopers chose to leave the church rather than submit to the hateful values it now practices. That seems to suit minister Ken Willis just fine. He claims that it was the duty of the church to reject the Coopers for openly standing by their daughter instead of abandoning her. In his eyes, the family should have chosen hate over love. That’s interesting, considering the fact that Jesus commands us to love our neighbors no matter what in the very Bible conservative Christians cherry-pick and misinterpret to justify their hatred of others. Church is supposed to be a place that welcomes anybody. Apparently that is no longer the case. And religious fanatics wonder why people are leaving the church in droves. Because of their un-Christian action of rejecting a family for daring to love their own daughter no matter what, the Ridgedale Church has experienced an avalanche of outrage on their Facebook page. Feel free to visit them and add your voice to the many who are calling this so-called “Christian” church out for their hate.
Gay rights are human rights. Homosexuals only seek the same rights heterosexuals have enjoyed for over a thousand years. They want to be able to marry their consenting partner, the person they love. Just as many heterosexual couples want religion to play a role in their marriage, the same applies to many homosexuals as well. No church that claims to practice Christian values should abandon families for loving their children, just as no church should practice hatred against homosexuals. Churches can hide behind their Bibles all they want, hate masquerading as religion is still hate. Hate, not love, should be rejected by churches. Any church that disagrees isn’t a church at all.
http://www.addictinginfo.org/2013/08/27/tennessee-church-expels-family-over-lesbian-daughter/
The Coopers of Collegedale, TN had been members of the Ridgedale Church of Christ for over three generations. That all changed when they were photographed at a city council meeting that voted 4-1 to approve same-sex benefits to government employees. The Coopers' daughter, Kat, is a lesbian and a detective with the Collegedale Police Department and had been leading the cause to have those benefits extended to gay couples. Because they showed up to support her, the church met privately with Kat's parents, aunt, and uncle and gave them an ultimatum: repent for their sins and ask forgiveness in front of the congregation, or leave the church, the Times Free Press reports.
The sin of Kat's relatives, according to minister Ken Willis, is that of endorsing her 'lifestyle', which he says the Bible is explicit about. While Willis doesn't expect the Coopers to disown Kat, he says that while parents should still love their children they shouldn't support their sin; love the sinner, hate the sin. But it would also seem that loving a sinner is itself a sin, judging from the actions of Willis and the church authorities.
Willis insists that since Kat's actions and support from her family were made so public, they had no choice but to take action. The implication evidently is that if Kat had stayed in the closet or kept quiet about her lack of rights then the church wouldn't have had to punish her family for loving her. After 60 years, the Coopers chose to leave the church rather than repent for a sin they did not commit. Kat's mother is still driven to tears by the events, but the family remains resolute in the support of their daughter.
http://www.towleroad.com/2013/08/tennessee-church-kicks-out-family-for-supporting-lesbian-daughter.html
The sin of Kat's relatives, according to minister Ken Willis, is that of endorsing her 'lifestyle', which he says the Bible is explicit about. While Willis doesn't expect the Coopers to disown Kat, he says that while parents should still love their children they shouldn't support their sin; love the sinner, hate the sin. But it would also seem that loving a sinner is itself a sin, judging from the actions of Willis and the church authorities.
Willis insists that since Kat's actions and support from her family were made so public, they had no choice but to take action. The implication evidently is that if Kat had stayed in the closet or kept quiet about her lack of rights then the church wouldn't have had to punish her family for loving her. After 60 years, the Coopers chose to leave the church rather than repent for a sin they did not commit. Kat's mother is still driven to tears by the events, but the family remains resolute in the support of their daughter.
http://www.towleroad.com/2013/08/tennessee-church-kicks-out-family-for-supporting-lesbian-daughter.html
August 26, 2013
There was a brief moment where JP Morgan’s money almost paid off (with interest) when one of Wall Street’s most favored and supported politicians, Barack Obama, offered up his “Grand Bargain” that included cuts to Social Security and Medicare. Thankfully the deal fell apart. However, that has not stopped the JP Morgan funded Fix The Debt folks from lobbying like crazy. As the American worker comes out of the Great Recession with even lower wages, JP Morgan has continued to flout the law while snaking massive profits. From a spectacularly fraudulent trade in England to a bribery scandal in China, the bank has gone around the world wreaking havoc. All while here at home JPM funds a thoroughly duplicitous organization promoting cuts to the safety net. Perhaps now, before the next greed induced financial crisis, is the time we should start to consider the risks in not letting the banksters fail.
Update: Thanks to a user comment, I’m noting that Crandall Bowles, wife of Erskine Bowles of Simpson-Bowles debt commission fame, is on the Board of Directors of JP Morgan Chase. Interesting to keep track of these connections.
JPMorgan Chase & Co. Members of the Board
http://www.jpmorganchase.com/corporate/About-JPMC/board-of-directors.htm#bowles
http://news.firedoglake.com/2013/08/26/jp-morgan-gave-500000-to-group-promoting-cuts-to-social-security-and-medicare/
JP Morgan Gave $500,000 To Group PROMOTING CUTS To Social Security And Medicare
According to JP Morgan’s own financial disclosure the Too Big To Fail bank has decided to use its massive wealth and power to promote cuts to entitlement programs for current and future senior citizens. The group “Fix The Debt Coalition” received $500,00 from JP Morgan.
Despite the fact that JP Morgan received billions in bailout funds from taxpayers and loan guarantees from the Federal Reserve, the bank appears to believe austerity is the best program for the rest of the country. No more moochers. The Fix The Debt Coalition is an attempt to convince Democrats that other Democrats support Republican ideas. The group is mostly made up of Republicans who are trying to mask hard right economic policy with vacuous Corporate PR. Even for Washington that’s cynical.
Fix The Debt’s leadership structure is also politically balanced: Democrat Erskine Bowles and former Republican Sen. Alan Simpson (Wyo.) serve as the group’s co-chairs, and the two steering committee co-chairs are former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell (D) and former Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.).
But the bipartisanship is only skin deep, according to campaign finance records and non-profit tax filings reviewed by The Huffington Post, which reveal that Fix The Debt’s biggest backers and partners are Republicans and Republican-allied.
But the bipartisanship is only skin deep, according to campaign finance records and non-profit tax filings reviewed by The Huffington Post, which reveal that Fix The Debt’s biggest backers and partners are Republicans and Republican-allied.
There was a brief moment where JP Morgan’s money almost paid off (with interest) when one of Wall Street’s most favored and supported politicians, Barack Obama, offered up his “Grand Bargain” that included cuts to Social Security and Medicare. Thankfully the deal fell apart. However, that has not stopped the JP Morgan funded Fix The Debt folks from lobbying like crazy. As the American worker comes out of the Great Recession with even lower wages, JP Morgan has continued to flout the law while snaking massive profits. From a spectacularly fraudulent trade in England to a bribery scandal in China, the bank has gone around the world wreaking havoc. All while here at home JPM funds a thoroughly duplicitous organization promoting cuts to the safety net. Perhaps now, before the next greed induced financial crisis, is the time we should start to consider the risks in not letting the banksters fail.
Update: Thanks to a user comment, I’m noting that Crandall Bowles, wife of Erskine Bowles of Simpson-Bowles debt commission fame, is on the Board of Directors of JP Morgan Chase. Interesting to keep track of these connections.
JPMorgan Chase & Co. Members of the Board
http://www.jpmorganchase.com/corporate/About-JPMC/board-of-directors.htm#bowles
http://news.firedoglake.com/2013/08/26/jp-morgan-gave-500000-to-group-promoting-cuts-to-social-security-and-medicare/
August 26, 2013
Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean (D) on Sunday said Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) "doesn't know anything about healthcare" and questioned his suitability for higher office."Ted Cruz may be a very good politician, but he certainly does not know anything about health care," Dean said on CNN's "State of the Union."
The former governor called Cruz's plan for cross-state health insurance purchasing a "terrible idea," saying he wouldn't want Texas' insurance policies affecting Vermont's universal health care. "So, these are crazy ideas from the far right," Dean said. "He's a slick spokesman and God help us if he ever does get to be anything more than the senator from Texas."
http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/howard-dean-goes-after-ted-cruz-on-healthcare?ref=fpb
HOWARD DEAN: "God Help Us If Ted Cruz Becomes President"
Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean (D) on Sunday said Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) "doesn't know anything about healthcare" and questioned his suitability for higher office."Ted Cruz may be a very good politician, but he certainly does not know anything about health care," Dean said on CNN's "State of the Union."
The former governor called Cruz's plan for cross-state health insurance purchasing a "terrible idea," saying he wouldn't want Texas' insurance policies affecting Vermont's universal health care. "So, these are crazy ideas from the far right," Dean said. "He's a slick spokesman and God help us if he ever does get to be anything more than the senator from Texas."
http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/howard-dean-goes-after-ted-cruz-on-healthcare?ref=fpb
August 26, 2013
“Cancer patients using cannabis report better influence from the plant extract them from synthetic products.”
While there have been several studies in the past of marijuana cannabinoids positive effects on different forms of cancer, those studies have primarily been performed with synthetic cannabinoids. As marijuana is still considered a “scheduled one substance” within the controlled substance act, performing any studies with natural cannabinoids is still currently prohibited in United States. Fortunately for the world’s medical marijuana community, researchers at the Division of Oncology – Integrated Oncology and Palliative Care in Haifa, Israel – have no such restrictions. Offering more comprehensive research in a recently published edition of “Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine” the Israeli scientists discovered that the consumption of natural cannabinoids resulted in a “significant improvement” for “all cancer or anticancer treatment related symptoms." As should be expected…the scientist went on to report;
As a means of addressing this fundamental flaw, the Israeli scientists were careful to utilize natural cannabinoids, performed on human participants – rather than synthetic derivatives on some unsuspecting lab rat.
This new comprehensive study indicates;
The overall conclusion was that “the positive effects of cannabis on various cancer related symptoms… should push the use of cannabis in the practice of oncology palliative treatment.”
http://www.marijuana.com/news/2013/08/israeli-cannabis-study-natural-cannabinoids-provide-more-complete-pain-relief-for-cancer-symptoms/
Israeli CANNABIS Study: Natural Cannabinoids Provide More COMPLETE PAIN RELIEF for Cancer Symptoms
“Cancer patients using cannabis report better influence from the plant extract them from synthetic products.”
While there have been several studies in the past of marijuana cannabinoids positive effects on different forms of cancer, those studies have primarily been performed with synthetic cannabinoids. As marijuana is still considered a “scheduled one substance” within the controlled substance act, performing any studies with natural cannabinoids is still currently prohibited in United States. Fortunately for the world’s medical marijuana community, researchers at the Division of Oncology – Integrated Oncology and Palliative Care in Haifa, Israel – have no such restrictions. Offering more comprehensive research in a recently published edition of “Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine” the Israeli scientists discovered that the consumption of natural cannabinoids resulted in a “significant improvement” for “all cancer or anticancer treatment related symptoms." As should be expected…the scientist went on to report;
“cancer patients using cannabis report better influence from the plant extract them from synthetic products. However, almost all the research conducted to date has been performed with synthetic products.”
As a means of addressing this fundamental flaw, the Israeli scientists were careful to utilize natural cannabinoids, performed on human participants – rather than synthetic derivatives on some unsuspecting lab rat.
“The cannabis plant and the synthetic drugs based on the plant are considered medically safe. Most of the adverse effects are related to the fact that the plant and the drugs are psychoactive, mostly depending on their concentration and on the ?9-THC dosage."
http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ecam/2013/510392/
http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ecam/2013/510392/
This new comprehensive study indicates;
“vaporized cannabis in subjects who experienced neuropathic pain despite traditional treatment,” was vastly improved, and that “the study included 39 patients with central and peripheral neuropathic pain. The vaporized cannabis, even at low doses, showed analgesic efficacy with minimal psychoactive effects and may present an effective option for patients with treatment-resistant neuropathic pain. In the current study, the number of patients with severe pain (grade 3-4) was cut by half.”
The overall conclusion was that “the positive effects of cannabis on various cancer related symptoms… should push the use of cannabis in the practice of oncology palliative treatment.”
http://www.marijuana.com/news/2013/08/israeli-cannabis-study-natural-cannabinoids-provide-more-complete-pain-relief-for-cancer-symptoms/
August 26, 2013
If 'they' want to find a "domestic violence link" associated with vices, they might try starting with alcohol abuse/additions or pharmaceutical addictions....they will find plenty guaranteed and then some.......... 
Acting as a minion of the federal government – and upset over the Marijuana Policy Projects ongoing campaign to inform Americans that “marijuana is safer than alcohol” the NIDA (national Institute on drug abuse) have undertaken another futile study which will no doubt blowup in their face. Instead, demonstrating the passive nature of the average marijuana smoker.
n a recent University press release it was disclosed that Jennifer Livingston, a senior research scientist for the “Research Institute on Addictions” was awarded just over $1.8 million to perform a five-year Peer Victimization (PV) study.
Battling for the scientific ‘high ground,’ this new NIDA study will come on the heels of a recent study out of Spain, which indicated the CB1 cannabinoid receptor actually mitigates aggressive behavior. As the marijuana legalization debate heats up, ridiculous studies like this demonstrate the twisted and dark nature of the federal marijuana prohibitionists, and the desperate measures they are willing to undertake in a sinister attempt of scaring the American public.
http://www.marijuana.com/news/2013/08/reefer-madness-continues-feds-spend-1-86-million-looking-for-domestic-violence-link-to-marijuana-use/
Reefer Madness Continues – Feds SPEND $1.86 Million LOOKING For Domestic Violence LINK To Marijuana
If 'they' want to find a "domestic violence link" associated with vices, they might try starting with alcohol abuse/additions or pharmaceutical addictions....they will find plenty guaranteed and then some..........
Acting as a minion of the federal government – and upset over the Marijuana Policy Projects ongoing campaign to inform Americans that “marijuana is safer than alcohol” the NIDA (national Institute on drug abuse) have undertaken another futile study which will no doubt blowup in their face. Instead, demonstrating the passive nature of the average marijuana smoker.
“But the national Institute on drug abuse (NIDA) appears oblivious to that fact.” Or they are just paid to ignore it. Late last Thursday, “the University at Buffalo announced that the federal research agency is giving them a $1.86 million grant with the hopes of proving otherwise.”
n a recent University press release it was disclosed that Jennifer Livingston, a senior research scientist for the “Research Institute on Addictions” was awarded just over $1.8 million to perform a five-year Peer Victimization (PV) study.
“This study aims to discover the conditions under which PV contributes to emotional distress and substance use among adolescents, both immediately and over time” noted Livingston. “Were also seeking to identify the circumstances that might curb the long-term effects of PV, particularly as they relate to the development of emotional distress and substance use problems.”
http://www.buffalo.edu/ubreporter/research/news.host.html/content/shared/university/news/ub-reporter-articles/stories/2013/ria_grants.detail.html
http://www.buffalo.edu/ubreporter/research/news.host.html/content/shared/university/news/ub-reporter-articles/stories/2013/ria_grants.detail.html
Battling for the scientific ‘high ground,’ this new NIDA study will come on the heels of a recent study out of Spain, which indicated the CB1 cannabinoid receptor actually mitigates aggressive behavior. As the marijuana legalization debate heats up, ridiculous studies like this demonstrate the twisted and dark nature of the federal marijuana prohibitionists, and the desperate measures they are willing to undertake in a sinister attempt of scaring the American public.
http://www.marijuana.com/news/2013/08/reefer-madness-continues-feds-spend-1-86-million-looking-for-domestic-violence-link-to-marijuana-use/
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