I got this via email from the Florida Family Policy Council (linkage and emphasis mine) More thoughts after the jump …
‘Kissing cops’ lawsuit settled
The Good News 08/01/08
—The federal civil rights lawsuit brought by Florida Family Policy Council against a Sunrise police officer for harassment of marriage amendment supporters at the 2006 Promise Keepers conference was resolved last week
The 2007 federal court lawsuit filed against City of Sunrise police officer Sergeant Stephen Allen and Broward County for improperly prohibiting marriage amendment petitions from being distributed at a 2006 Promise Keepers conference has been settled for $30,000.
…
At the Policy Council’s table, volunteers were collecting petitions to get the Florida Marriage Amendment on the ballot. The Amendment would define marriage as the union of one man and one woman.
Accordingly to recorded statements from eye witnesses, Sgt. Allen, the duty officer hired by the Broward-owned civic center, informed the Policy Council’s volunteers that the marriage amendment petitions could not be collected or be in “public view” and must be immediately removed.
The volunteers said they were mocked, harassed and threatened with being arrested for collecting the petitions, and then Allen personally confiscated the petitions. Sgt. Allen and Officer M. Allard, both male officers, further ridiculed the effort by appearing to kiss each other. …
The Olympic Games got off to a solemn start this past Saturday when a family member of the U.S. men’s volleyball team was fatally stabbed while touring Beijing. Compounding the tragedy, the U.S. team had to scramble to obtain official Chinese permission to bring an English fluent chaplain to the Olympic village to help athletes with their grief. In Athens in 2004, more than 100 religious leaders speaking several dozen languages were stationed in the Olympic Village. But China’s authoritarian government sees any cause that could compete with its authority, including organized religion, as a threat, and has banned foreign chaplains from living with the athletes. This episode should weigh heavily on the minds of all Americans as Barack Obama and John McCain both visit Pator Rick Warren’s Saddleback Church this Saturday.
I am thinking the author of the above comment would hope the Presidential candidates condemn Chinese callous treatment of these athletes. I would be surprised if this specific topic comes up and if it does it will probably have to be brought up by Pastor Warren.
I posted this blurb not because of the political element but because of the athletes and the attack survivors. Man, they have to be in a lot of pain. I believe in the “priesthood of all believers” but I also know the comfort an ordained Chaplain can bring. In other words, I know the Christian athletes can support each other but it should be a given that a respected leader be allowed among them.
Well, most of this holiday has been vegging out at home. Last Thursday night was the big fireworks show about two miles away. I went and watched them from the porch of my “ultra liberal Bostonian” neighbors. I use quotes because that is how they describe themselves. Anyway more about that in a minute.
Friday, didn’t do squat. It was awesome. I watched several movies and a concert. The concert was Jill Scott in Philadelphia. I thought several times how I wished to see crowds like that excited about the Lord. There is something very powerful about an “assembly” of people all there in agreement and of like mind.
While I did get a little ponderous about the comparison/contrast of worldly concerts and heavenly assemblies … I spent most of the time just completely enjoying Jill’s voice and lyrics.
Saturday was a semi veg day. I did a lot of cleaning around the house, went and worked out, grocery store and more movie watching. Today was of course church and then a friend came over and we hung out all day.
Seemingly, in Canada, not only can you be punished for speaking out about your religious convictions concerning sexuality, you can be banned from ever communicating about them ever again.
From the Exodus: Live Out Loud Blog:
“Mr. Boissoin and The Concerned Christian Coalition Inc. shall cease publishing in newspapers, by e-mail, on the radio, in public speeches, or on the Internet, in future, disparaging remarks about gays and homosexuals. Further, they shall not and are prohibited from making disparaging remarks in the future about … Lund or … Lund’s witnesses relating to their involvement in this complaint. Further, all disparaging remarks versus homosexuals are directed to be removed from current Web sites and publications of Mr. Boissoin and The Concerned Christian Coalition Inc…”
It is wrong for any “state” to impose punishment on any communication of religious belief (wrong-headed or not). What I am addressing here isn’t about what exactly the man said, it’s about his freedom (and now lack thereof) to say it without being punished. They acknowledged that what he did wasn’t “criminal” and yet they fined him $5,000 and forbade him to ever speak on the subject again.
I am all for toning down hateful rhetoric and trying to have civil dialog but I am not for having the state impose silence on *any* viewpoint.
Aren’t we all adults quite capable of hearing what we might consider offensive, even deeply offensive, and move on? There isn’t an inalienable right to not be offended… for anyone. If you can’t remain a solid stable and secure person because someone is saying offensive things, then perhaps you need a counselor … not a nanny state with thought police disguised as Human Rights Tribunals.
For those gay activists who dismissed the warning bells of religious persecution and the undermining of freedom of speech … what do you say now?
There was another massive storm that swept the United States last week. By the time it hit mid-country it shut down almost all travel. This is at DC’s Reagan airport today. The luggage was stacked like this through most of baggage claim.
Last week my boss and friend, Alan Chambers, stated that Exodus hasn’t been focussed (recently) and will not focus on promoting public policy at this point and time. This is not really anything new. We haven’t done any lobbying in almost a year.
But I digress.
So, I am going to DC for a number of reasons that have nothing to do with climbing Capitol Hill, brunching with the President or conspiring with Big Brother to ban the color “pea green” from the spectrum of light.
I don’t have to conspire with Big Brother because I am Big Brother. Now you know.
As a private citizen I am very interested in public policy and will continue to speak into issues as I see fit here on my personal blog (which has always been very clear between what is personal opinion and what Exodus has stated in the past.) That said it is nice to visit friends in DC to talk about Exodus and what our goals are for 2008.
On the way home today, Neil Boortz’s “Goverment Outrage of the Day” was the George H. W. Bush Federal Building located in downtown San Francisco. I googled my way to a news story confirming that the New York Times-praised building, while being entirely designed around the fundamentals of environementalism, is an absolute nightmare for workers trapped inside.
There’s no heat. There’s no air-conditioning. To relieve the stuffiness and never-quite-right temperature, workers must open windows high above the city. In related news, paperweight sales are going through the roof. Many cubicles are fortified with beach umbrellas against a sun that has free reign of the interior.
To help employees avoid the unhealthy side-effects of a sedentary job, the elevators only stop on every third floor. This means the majority of the workers will have to climb or descend at least one or two flights on the way to the office (disabled persons have access to an elevator providing service to all floors–which deliveries must borrow when the freight elevator is in use or out of service). Also to encourage excercise, the cafeteria is located outside the building across the street. Healthy choices are so easy when your other choices are taken away!
Oh, and they went millions overbudget in building the earth-friendly monstrosity.
As funny as this story is, it’s a grim foreshadowing of how our lives can be worsened the more people become swept away by the green idealism that led to the construction of this ridiculous people-eater. I guess if there’s one plus to this, it’s that there are likely many more government employees now embittered against the environmentalist movement.
Ok… so the web apps are out of control but check this out …
This web app is totally worth it just for me to keep up with myself! I also like it because it turns your Twitter tweets into something that can be commented on.
I am thinking Friendfeed is actually something that will “add” a useful service to the web.
It’s all Patrick Ruffini’s fault. Right now friend feed is in private beta. If you would like an invite leave a comment with your email address in the email input field. It won’t be published publicly so in your comment you only have to put, “invite please.”
One of the odd things in life that changes once you become a home owner is how your mailbox fills up with even more stuff “to consider.” For example, I have gotten several new charities trying to get me to support them. All of them so far have been worth while causes that I had heard of but not ever contacted before. I love the free return address labels.
Little sidenote. I don’t like writing my return address on all my snail mail … boring. I am using these labels even though they are of Christmas ornaments (should last through March), Ziggy chasing hearts around (got a ton of these….I am good through September) and some other design that looks like it was drawn by a 9th grade girl bored in English class (should finish out my return address needs for 2008.)
Back to the point, the ACLU (aka American Civil Liberties Union … or … Anti-Christian Liberties Union) cold calls mails me an invitation to join them in their efforts (click picture for full affect. I added the Ziggy sticker.)
A person left the following comment in queue for the latest Huckabee thread. He, the person leaving the comment, was banned from the blog 2 (3?) years ago. I can’t remember. Anyway, this person who can’t get enough of my blog says … again …
Oh God please just shut up.
:::: silence ::: sipping diet caffeine free coke ::: listening to Fox News transmitting more subliminal messages from Big Brother ::: rubbing cheeks and thinking that since it is 2 pm I should probably shave … nah … it’s Saturday, maybe around 5 or so… got a concert to go to tonight ::: content sigh ::: I can’t believe Darth Vader is one of my twitter friends ::: He’s really funny ::: Speaking of funny, that commercial where the girl runs into the car … and then the follow up where she does it again … hilarious ::: oh and … I am still not gay ::: Larry, my peace lilly, is doing GREAT in his new pot, lots of new leaves ::: my feet are cold, best go get some thick socks :::
::: gone to go get my socks :::
::: I’m back now ::: still haven’t said a word ::: Mort (the Beltway Boys) should not be wearing a orange based red tie ::: another sip of diet caffeine free coke ::: Doom Moment (happens once every 13 minutes) … what if Big Brother isn’t really Big “Brother”, what if he turns out to be Hillary Clinton in ‘08?!… popping anti-depressants ::: End Doom Moment :::
::: Acorns keep dropping off the trees and hitting my roof. They have been doing that for weeks now ::: We turn our clocks back an hour tonight … woot! ::: I met some more of my neighbors last night, they are from Bwahston :::
::: what if I am Big Brother? ::: pensive look ::: scandalous ::: oh wait … Big Brother shaves on Saturday … whew! :::
Apparently, I am not so good at shutting up. Glad to know you are still reading. I think you’ll figure out in maybe another 2 or 3 years that I am really not that scary.
:::
