Now that persons openly homosexuals may serve in the military:
"’The bill's ban on use of military facilities and chaplains officiating at ceremonies for gay and lesbian service members is nothing more than plain, old-fashion discrimination.’" -- Aubrey Sarvis, executive director of the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network.
A “coalition of rights groups” says it will “hold a summit on the rights of same-sex couples in the military,” pushing for housing, health care and other benefits for the “partners of gay troops.”
http://www.military.com/cs/Satellite?c=maArticle&channel=news&cid=1199433207262&col=1186032310810&pagename=News%2FnwsLayout&site=News
("Partners of gay troops"? Is that like not married? Oh. The US military doesn't recognize same-sex marriage. Not yet.)
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Thursday, January 19, 2012
We need a few more laws
Five years ago a car at a stop light here had a Kerry for President bumper sticker and a Heinz label with “First Lady Theresa.”
The interesting sticker, though, said: “The last time we mixed religion and politics, people were burned at the stake.”
Excuse me? “The last time we mixed religion and politics …”?
Just who constitutes this “we”?
Can anybody give an example of someone burned at the stake for religious beliefs in the United States or in the English colonies?
And, just to make sure we do not mix religion and politics, let’s make a few laws.
It shall be illegal:
• for any person elected or appointed to a public office to say anything regarding religion, including but not limited to, stating the names God, Jesus, Allah, Buddha; mentioning a specific religious denomination; quoting a passage from any religious book; mentioning any historical person whose major influence was in religion – for example, Joan of Arc, Martin Luther, or any pope.
• for any official public meeting place to have affixed or otherwise present any emblem of any religion, including but not limited to, a cross, a star of David, a menorah, a crescent moon, a five-pointed star or any animal associated with religion.
• for mention or display of the above in any public school assembly, speech or classroom.
• for any person in the Congress of the United States to mention or display any of the above.
• for any person given an oath of office to use as part of the oath any reference to any religion or deity.
• for any publication issued by the government of the United States, any of the 50 states, of the territories, of local governing bodies to mention or display any of the above.
Those are start points. Other laws will be necessary to ensure no one ever feels bad because of something said or written or thought.
The interesting sticker, though, said: “The last time we mixed religion and politics, people were burned at the stake.”
Excuse me? “The last time we mixed religion and politics …”?
Just who constitutes this “we”?
Can anybody give an example of someone burned at the stake for religious beliefs in the United States or in the English colonies?
And, just to make sure we do not mix religion and politics, let’s make a few laws.
It shall be illegal:
• for any person elected or appointed to a public office to say anything regarding religion, including but not limited to, stating the names God, Jesus, Allah, Buddha; mentioning a specific religious denomination; quoting a passage from any religious book; mentioning any historical person whose major influence was in religion – for example, Joan of Arc, Martin Luther, or any pope.
• for any official public meeting place to have affixed or otherwise present any emblem of any religion, including but not limited to, a cross, a star of David, a menorah, a crescent moon, a five-pointed star or any animal associated with religion.
• for mention or display of the above in any public school assembly, speech or classroom.
• for any person in the Congress of the United States to mention or display any of the above.
• for any person given an oath of office to use as part of the oath any reference to any religion or deity.
• for any publication issued by the government of the United States, any of the 50 states, of the territories, of local governing bodies to mention or display any of the above.
Those are start points. Other laws will be necessary to ensure no one ever feels bad because of something said or written or thought.
From a science fiction book
“The top news story was the mayor had been convicted of something. As long as Roberta could remember, mayors of North Orange were being convicted of something. And being reelected afterwards. One of them had actually run his campaign from his jail cell. And won. Why wasn’t there a law like they had for child molesters, where a politician would have to have his prior convictions advertised if he wanted to run for office?” – Michael Flynn, Firestar.
Flynn on why society has less respect for science:
“Partly, this is due to scientific hubris by which (mostly) fanboys of science set Science-with-a-capital-S as the colonial power of the intellectual world, invading other domains of human thought and disparaging philosophy, humanism, religion, and other endeavors. Partly, it is due to feminism, environmentalism, and government funding. Modern Science differed from Medieval Science in an important respect. The natural philosophers of old were in it to comprehend and appreciate the beauty of nature; modern science was redefined by Bacon, Descartes, and others to be subordinated to the production of useful products “to increase Man’s dominion over the universe.” They meant Man in a very masculine sense, and the exploitation of nature as completely open-ended. Hence, the feminist and environmentalist critiques in the Postmodern Age were not without some merit. Thirdly, as Eisenhower warned in his Farewell Address, the government-science funding complex meant that eventually science would be subordinated to political goals. All these strands contributed to undermining regard for science in the Late Modern Ages. When the American Chemical Society funded an exhibit on the contributions of science to modern life, they were astonished when the Smithsonian came up with an exhibit that presented American science as a series of moral debacles and environmental catastrophes: Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Silent Spring, Love Canal, Three Mile Island, and the explosion of the space shuttle.”
http://michaelaventrella.wordpress.com/2011/12/24/interview-with-hugo-nominated-author-michael-flynn/
And now for something completely different.
While searching “North Orange New Jersey,” I learned: (a) there is no North Orange, but Orange and the three other directions are; (b) Orange has some really ugly-a$$ houses; and, (c) if you go to http://stoopidhousewives.com/2010/11/16/melissa-gorgas-video-vanishes/ and scroll down to the picture, you will see four women whose IQ total might bump 100. Just for entertainment, don’t you know. Or, why society has less respect for television. Vaster than a vast wasteland. Twenty-four-hour news means everyone is politically educated, and TV in general means “reality shows” are.
Flynn on why society has less respect for science:
“Partly, this is due to scientific hubris by which (mostly) fanboys of science set Science-with-a-capital-S as the colonial power of the intellectual world, invading other domains of human thought and disparaging philosophy, humanism, religion, and other endeavors. Partly, it is due to feminism, environmentalism, and government funding. Modern Science differed from Medieval Science in an important respect. The natural philosophers of old were in it to comprehend and appreciate the beauty of nature; modern science was redefined by Bacon, Descartes, and others to be subordinated to the production of useful products “to increase Man’s dominion over the universe.” They meant Man in a very masculine sense, and the exploitation of nature as completely open-ended. Hence, the feminist and environmentalist critiques in the Postmodern Age were not without some merit. Thirdly, as Eisenhower warned in his Farewell Address, the government-science funding complex meant that eventually science would be subordinated to political goals. All these strands contributed to undermining regard for science in the Late Modern Ages. When the American Chemical Society funded an exhibit on the contributions of science to modern life, they were astonished when the Smithsonian came up with an exhibit that presented American science as a series of moral debacles and environmental catastrophes: Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Silent Spring, Love Canal, Three Mile Island, and the explosion of the space shuttle.”
http://michaelaventrella.wordpress.com/2011/12/24/interview-with-hugo-nominated-author-michael-flynn/
And now for something completely different.
While searching “North Orange New Jersey,” I learned: (a) there is no North Orange, but Orange and the three other directions are; (b) Orange has some really ugly-a$$ houses; and, (c) if you go to http://stoopidhousewives.com/2010/11/16/melissa-gorgas-video-vanishes/ and scroll down to the picture, you will see four women whose IQ total might bump 100. Just for entertainment, don’t you know. Or, why society has less respect for television. Vaster than a vast wasteland. Twenty-four-hour news means everyone is politically educated, and TV in general means “reality shows” are.
Monday, January 2, 2012
Does the Navy actively seek stupid people?
Cmdr. Robert Brown was removed from command of Beachmaster Unit 2 “in part for making his Sailors work on a Sunday to help him host a family reunion at which he allowed his relatives to drive military vehicles and go for rides on a landing craft, according to a Navy investigation report.” The commander also allowed unauthorized and improper purchases using naval funds, the Navy said.
http://www.military.com/news/article/navy-ex-co-made-sailors-work-at-family-reunion.html?col=1186032325324
“Cmdr. Jay Wylie was given a 10-year term” after pleading guilty to two sexual assaults and rape of two sailors ‘but will serve 42 months as part of a plea agreement,’ said Sheila Murray, Navy spokeswoman.”
http://www.military.com/news/article/navy-news/navy-cmdr-gets-prison-in-rape-of-female-officers.html?col=1186032325324
“Cmdr. Jonathan Jackson of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 134 was relieved Dec. 8, aboard the USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) due to a loss of confidence in his ability to command.
“Jackson was relieved as a result of an investigation that confirmed his failure to obey a lawful regulation by creating and condoning an intimidating, hostile and offensive work environment in violation of Department of the Navy policy on sexual harassment.”
http://www.military.com/news/article/navy-fires-deployed-prowler-squadron-co.html?col=1186032325324
Twenty naval officers were relieved of command in 2011.
http://www.military.com/news/article/navy-ex-co-made-sailors-work-at-family-reunion.html?col=1186032325324
“Cmdr. Jay Wylie was given a 10-year term” after pleading guilty to two sexual assaults and rape of two sailors ‘but will serve 42 months as part of a plea agreement,’ said Sheila Murray, Navy spokeswoman.”
http://www.military.com/news/article/navy-news/navy-cmdr-gets-prison-in-rape-of-female-officers.html?col=1186032325324
“Cmdr. Jonathan Jackson of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 134 was relieved Dec. 8, aboard the USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) due to a loss of confidence in his ability to command.
“Jackson was relieved as a result of an investigation that confirmed his failure to obey a lawful regulation by creating and condoning an intimidating, hostile and offensive work environment in violation of Department of the Navy policy on sexual harassment.”
http://www.military.com/news/article/navy-fires-deployed-prowler-squadron-co.html?col=1186032325324
Twenty naval officers were relieved of command in 2011.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
