Archive for equal rights

Another Upchuckable Week: The place where religion meets your rights

separation of church and state 4

Please welcome back guest blogger K.C. Boyd. You might remember her from her earlier posts.

A Monday Morning of Upchucks

Church

Education

  • Gideon’s Upchuck: Dispute over Bible distribution in Tennessee’s Hamilton County public schools. http://bit.ly/ZVQKOI
  • Congressional Jesus Upchuck: House votes to cut $2.5B  in Food Stamps after biblical/Jesus debate. http://bit.ly/11N47DZ
  • Drown ‘Em In the Bathtub Upchuck: Mike Pence puts Common Core, seen as “government propaganda” by Christian crazies, on hold. In Indiana.  http://bit.ly/14hHeF3

Federal Government

  • 1st Amendment Upchuck: “Jesus is calling our country.” Great summary of the National Day of Prayer.  http://bit.ly/106VM7j

Elections

  • Gubernatorial Upchuck: Ken Cuccinelli supports LGBT discrimination, attacks climate science, was called “the most overtly partisan attorney general in Virginia’s history” by WAPO, and . . . thinks Justice Antonin Scalia is too liberal, is running to be governor of Virginia. http://bit.ly/WNuVM0

Military

  • Family-Friendly Upchuck: Family Research Council continues its scare tactics to fundraise on the back of Mikey Weinstein. http://bit.ly/165Dewd
  • Government Paid Missionary Upchuck: Designed to win and train the military for Jesus Christ. http://bit.ly/OOhGdX
  • Spin Me ‘Round Upchuck: 59 Congress members demand Hagel answer to Breitbart.com’s version of black is white. http://bit.ly/19jgRQ7
  • Out of Control Upchuck: The moment Lawrence Wilkerson speaks authoritatively about the dangerous religious situation in the military, Tony Perkins comes out with this vomit. http://bit.ly/18JbJXZ
  • Me Fears MRRF Has Something Upchuck? Tony Perkins’s FRC takes the time to list Mikey Weinstein’s accomplishments, According to Perkins, we are indeed in a holy war. http://bit.ly/10Yo17s
  • Persecution Complex Upchuck: John Fleming (R-LA) calls Mikey Weinstein an anti-Christian extremist on the floor of the U.S. House. http://www.c-spanvideo.org/clip/4451421

Politics

  • Nut-Job Upchuck: Steve Stockman (R-TX) sez “Democrats worship abortion with same fervor the Canaanites worshipped Molech.” http://huff.to/19nJStT
  • Voices In Her Head Upchuck: Campaign posters for mayoral candidate Anna Pierre tout that her bid in North Miami is endorsed by Jesus Christ. http://bit.ly/13vmWcu

States

  • Wrong Again Upchuck: Tennessee sheriff defends Ten Commandments display in jail lobby calling it a   document “that all laws are derived from in this country. http://bit.ly/14g5PdC
  • Try Till it Sticks Upchuck: Ohio House Republicans attach language revision to budget to defund Planned Parenthood. http://bit.ly/15tdvfY
  • Pandering Upchuck: New Jersey’s Chris Christie wants to fund religious education at the college level. http://bit.ly/YwcZtr
  • Christmas Wars Upchuck: Here it is May and the crazies are feeding the troops with early Xmas persecution. http://bit.ly/YFh0vE
  • Coat Hanger Upchuck: Denying poor women safe abortion and effective birth control. http://bit.ly/12jVzPV
  • Texas-Style Family Planning Upchuck: Perry takes away family planning funding and gives the money to crisis pregnancy centers. http://bit.ly/12jVzPV

Novelist K.C. Boyd is the author of Being Christian: A Novel, a steamy, pulp-fiction of a read.According to Mikey Weinstein, President of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, “Boyd created a story so riveting that not only could I not put it down, but upon finishing it, I found myself, like an addict, craving more.

Here’s the link.

Another Upchuckable Week: The place where religion meets your rights

separation of church and state 2

Please welcome back guest blogger K.C. Boyd. You might remember her from her earlier posts. We’re only posting part of this one, but you can link over to read the rest here.

Another Upchuckable Week - the place where religion meets your rights – by K. C. Boyd

The Weekly Upchuck

Church:

  • A Day in the Life of the Family Values Gang Upchuck: Ohio youth pastor accused of sex with teen
 in church-owned house. ow.ly/kEGMK
  • Seditious Upchuck: Right wing propaganda machine incites an ignorant public. ow.ly/kIhxK
  • Taliban-like Upchuck: Houston mega-pastor teaches his manly men how to get the most out of their biblically obedient women. ow.ly/kIhD8

Education

  • Taliban-like Upchuckable Redux: Women, we’ll teach you who’s boss. http://bit.ly/147Q34j
  • Dominionism Meets Corporatism Meets ALEC Upchuck: Yikes. This is big . . . this is scary. Read please. http://bit.ly/15wFJaT
  • Education Is Highly Overrated Upchuck: T-Rex Ted (Cruz) Sets His Sites on education. http://bit.ly/16zBcDK

Islamaphobia

  • Klan-like Upchuck: Greeting card turns “Muslim” doll into a “Terrorist.” http://bit.ly/Ytz2mF
  • The Tie That Binds Upchuck: Islamophobia is one of the few things left to unify the GOP. http://bit.ly/11pKRMv

Military

Politics

  • God Luvs Guns Upchuck: Santorum loves him some NRA. http://bit.ly/18iLO9o
  • Jeezus Saves Upchuck: As one of Jesus’ legitimate “Chosen,” Mark Sanford is risen. http://bit.ly/190kmuI
  • Prime(ary)-Time Upchuck: The National Organization for Marriage declares it’s a no-go for Portman in ’16. http://bit.ly/10GB2lR

Same Sex Marriage

  • Sodom Meets Gomorrah Upchuck: Homosexual activists go after the “low hanging fruit,” no pun on their part intended. http://bit.ly/16nPPdE

 States

  • Ten-Gallon Upchuck: BSA Texas Council votes to continue ban on gay members. Rick-the-Perry stands with them. http://bit.ly/10GB2lR

Novelist K.C. Boyd is the author of Being Christian: A Novel, a steamy, pulp-fiction of a read.According to Mikey Weinstein, President of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, “Boyd created a story so riveting that not only could I not put it down, but upon finishing it, I found myself, like an addict, craving more.

More at the link.

Another Upchuckable Week: The place where religion meets your rights

separation of church and state smaller

Please welcome back guest blogger K.C. Boyd. You might remember her from her earlier posts. This one is longer than her others, so we’re only posting part of it. You can link over to read the rest here.

Another Upchuckable Week - the place where religion meets your rights – by K. C. Boyd

With the 2012 election a dim memory and it’s crazy-making religion soaked primaries even dimmer, you’d be well advised to keep an eye on the states because that’s where it’s happening when it comes to Christian Crazies. For a brief sampling, take a read:

Here

  • Proving there’s still a little ‘Year of the Bible’ in all of us, last month the Pennsylvania House of Representatives declared the fast-approaching April 30 as “National Fast Day.” http://bit.ly/108RbBq

There

& Everywhere

  • Conservatives target political funding, investing where it gets the biggest political bang: in statehouses. Take a look here to learn about state funding efforts : http://bit.ly/17BbL2Ls

The “State” of Education

  • A Central Mississippi high school allegedly forced students to watch a Christian video and listen to church officials preach about Jesus Christ. http://bit.ly/11WzIMN
  • In Tennessee: The Blue Ridge Christian Academy Gave Fourth Graders the Creationism Test Heard Around the Internet. http://bit.ly/158eumJ
  • In New York, the Godly wonder: Can the Bible Save Minority Students From NYC’s Failing Public Education System? http://bit.ly/12tlgyG
  • HB 1017, which sailed through the Arkansas House of Representatives, would require the state board of education to approve public school courses that teach the Bible. Similar measures were introduced in North Carolina and Wyoming. http://bit.ly/18sAMfa
  • Virginia politicians tried a different tactic: a state constitutional amendment mandating that citizens as well as elected officials and state employees have the right to pray on government premises and public property. http://bit.ly/18sAMfa
  • Pennsylvania must have some pretty dumb pencils because: 20 percent of its high school science teachers say they believe in creationism. Zowie.Zounds. Egad. http://bit.ly/166pZdL
  • Mississippi, (Yet again. – do I detect a pattern – er, a takeover?) opens the door to student-led prayer. The state makes schools develop policies giving opportunity to pray/preach at official school events. http://bit.ly/18sAMfa
  • In the hang-loose, shake your bootie state of Hawaii; Governor Neil Abercrombie (alas, he’s a Dem) proposed amending the state constitution to allow for public funding of religious pre-schools. http://bit.ly/108Smkv
  • Alaska legislators have proposed amending the state constitution to allow for tax aid to religious schools. http://bit.ly/108Smkv
  • Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott ruled that school districts and cities are in violation of the State Constitution for offering health insurance benefits to the domestic partners of their employees.. http://bit.ly/16qIs51
  • A new Alabama tax-credit law that subsidizes tuition at private schools will likely end up helping academies founded to get around racial desegregation of public schools. http://bit.ly/108Smkv
  • Down in the bayou, a Louisiana voucher plan subsidizes religion: http://bit.ly/108Smkv

Speaking of Louisiana, Here’s an Extra Bit of Educational Lagniappe

  • Despite a half century Of Supreme Court Rulings, states still look for ways to sneak prayer Into Public Schools. http://bit.ly/18sAMfa
  • The eight most conservative senators join fight against common core education standards. http://bit.ly/12Jg9up

It’s on to the 2014 Election Upchuckables aka, How To Insure Religion Remains On the Ballot

  • The American Renewal Project, whatever the frick that means, plans to target twelve key swing states in the mid-terms. Reminiscent of Ohio’s ’06 dance with the “Patriot Pastors,” they plan to organize pastor briefings and voter registration drives in an attempt to restore the U. S. to its Judeo-Christian roots. http://yhoo.it/YwDsGE
  • Mat Staver’s Liberty Counsel, an affiliate of Jerry Falwell  Liberty University, announced that it is gearing up to mobilize pastors who share the belief “that America was established as a Christian nation, and the guardians of those Biblical principles has always been His church.” http://bit.ly/17BcYal

Military Issues Provide for Deadly Serious Upchucks (thanks goes to Mikey Weinstein and his Military Religious Freedom Foundation)

Novelist K.C. Boyd is the author of Being Christian: A Novel. According to Mikey Weinstein, President of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, “Boyd created a story so riveting that not only could I not put it down, but upon finishing it, I found myself, like an addict, craving more.

VIDEO– GOP Sen. Kelly Ayotte: I support “full equality for women” except for that equal pay thing; “already existing laws.”

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women pay wage gap

Senator Kelly Ayotte isn’t doing herself any favors these days. Recently, the daughter of a Newtown shooting victim confronted Ayotte on her position on gun safety measures at a town hall meeting. As you may recall, Kelly Ayotte voted against the gun background check bill. As a result, her poll numbers have plummeted.

Now the New Hampshire senator has opened her big, insensitive GOP mouth yet again:

Ayotte, who laughably claims in the video that she supports “full equality for women,” said this:

We have existing laws — Title VII, um, Lilly Ledbetter, all those existing protections in place — that, I believe, enforce and provide that people doing equal jobs are, certainly in this country, should receive equal pay.

So, um, that bill, in my view, didn’t add — in fact I think it created a lot of additional burdens that would have been hard, um, to make it more difficult for job creators to create jobs. …

The reason that I voted against that specific bill is that, I looked at it, and there were already existing laws that need to be enforced and can be enforced and I didn’t feel like adding that layer was going to help us better get at the equal pay issue.

She opposed the Paycheck Fairness Act, which would not exactly “make it more difficult for job creators to create jobs.”

Via Think Progress, where there is much more:

[A]t a town hall earlier this week, Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) claimed that Congress has done enough to ensure that women receive equal pay for equal work. Indeed, she justified her vote against legislation intended to prevent employers from dodging federal equal pay law with an excuse similar to the National Rifle Association’s explanation for why we do not need any more gun laws — we just need to enforce the ones we have. [...]

It should go without saying that, if similarly situated women are not making the same amount as their male colleagues, then we aren’t doing enough to close this pay gap. So Ayotte’s suggestion that our current laws are sufficient cannot be squared with the reality facing women in the workplace. [...]

So when Ayotte voted against this bill, she stood up for employer’s rights to make completely irrational judgments about how much a female worker should be paid, and their right to retaliate against employees who are trying to figure out if they are being treated fairly.

Please keep proceeding, Kel. We American women can almost feel your outreach efforts from here. Kidding.

What I will not write about today

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Sometimes I get so frustrated and/or disheartened and/or annoyed by some of the news stories of the day that I can’t bring myself to write about them. Here are a few recent reports that made my blood pressure hit the roof. I am avoiding delving into them at length out of concern for my physical and mental health.

See what I mean? So who’s up for a couple of Margs or a trough of wine?

drunk drink more wine

“A Week of Upchucks: Keep on recruiting for bad guys while you root to undermine education, science, equal rights”

gop fail 3Please welcome back guest blogger K.C. Boyd. You might remember her from her earlier posts:

A Week of Upchucks

By K. C. Boyd

 “Pro-Life” Upchucking

  • Add Ohio’s to the ever-growing list of states whose House voted to defund Planned Parenthood.
  • Senator Brownback signed House Bill 2253 this week. Scribbled at the top of his marked up copy of this “Pro-Life Protections Act,” were the words Jesus & Mary, with “Pro-Life” further down in the margins. Good to confirm in writing that legislators really do govern by Sharia the Bible. After North Dakota, the Kansas bill is second to define life as beginning at conception.

Beyond Upchuck: Second child of faith-healing couple dies after no medical care

  • With the death of an 8-month old baby resulting from Fundamentalist Christians putting faith over science, this is well beyond your average upchuck. When you become a parent, you are responsible for your children’s health and welfare, and that includes after the child is born. If a mother or father chooses God over medicine for themselves, that’s their choice, and their problem. But to sit by and pray while their 8-month baby struggles for days with severe diarrhea and breathing problems, such negligence is criminal (even more so, this being their second child to have died from prayerful neglect.)
  • Meanwhile, out in Oklahoma, self-proclaimed pro-lifers, more accurately described as pro-negligence once the baby is born, have decided that public education’ isn’t all that important or necessary. In line with the ‘drown-it-in-the-bathtub’ meme, Kansas’ governor and legislators have enacted public school cuts that are among nation’s highest and which, over time, may well destroy public education, as we know it. At the same time, the goodly legislators are looking for ways to cut taxes (for the rich.)

Schaudenfreude Upchuck

  • Things aren’t looking too promising for a successful GOP’ wooing of the LGBT community. Despite the spoken desire by one wing of the party to at least appear more gay-friendly, the RNC couldn’t help caving to the Rebiblicans’ that make up its base. At the RNC April meeting in Los Angeles, The GOP confirmed that they cannot and will not change their platform when it comes to gay marriage. Why schaudenfreude, you ask? Quite frankly because this upchucker loves nothing more than to see than the GOP engage in all manner of self-sabotage.

Dino Upchuck

  • Ken Ham is smiling these days thanks to a deal his Answers in Genesis’ ad agency made to screen an animated Creation Museum commercial during previews at each of the 458 theaters showing the newly released Jurassic Park 3-D movie. Not only that but these theaters will also continuously loop said commercial in their lobbies, exposing evermore young people to the Big Lie.

And finally, heading over to the land of whack job Upchucks

  • Ann Coulter exercised her right to persecute Muslims on Fox (cough) News when she stated that the Boston bombing suspect’s wife should be in prison for wearing a hijab. Talk about denying a woman’s rights – - someone needs to sew her mouth permanently shut.
  • Pat Robertson, never one to disappoint averred that “Islam is to blame for not only the Boston Marathon bombing, but terrorism around the world.” Comparing ‘Evil’ Islam To Nazism, Robertson is sure to have ruffled the feathers of many a future would-be terrorist.
  • Lastly there’s the Beckster’s continued accusations of a dreamt–up government cover-up with regards to the Marathon bombing. Informed by what can only be a super-duper top-secret source, Beck accuses the Dems of hiding “damning evidence” that a Saudi National was involved in the Boston bombing. Of course we know he’s a nutcase but something that most folks aren’t aware of is that Homeland Security Chairman Michael T. McCaul, Jeff Duncan, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Management Efficiency, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence, Peter King and Chairman of the Subcommittee on Border and Maritime Security, Candice Miller wrote to Secretary of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano requesting an immediate classified debriefing on the Saudi whose identity is said to be hidden and who the government instantly spirited out of the country/ This can’t help but make one remember when Bush and Co. really did whisk the Bin Laden family out of the country just after 9/11, well before private or commercial planes were permitted back in the air.

I say, keep it up guys. Keep on recruiting for the bad guys while you root to undermine education, science and equal rights.

We’ll see you in 2014.

Novelist K.C. Boyd is the author of Being Christian: A Novel. According to Mikey Weinstein, President of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, “Boyd created a story so riveting that not only could I not put it down, but upon finishing it, I found myself, like an addict, craving more.

Video- Equal Pay Day

Seems like common sense so no wonder the R’s want nothing to do with it.

Democrats in Congress are recognizing “Equal Pay Day” and using it to push for progress and passage of the Paycheck Fairness Act.

The legislation, which has been introduced numerous times in Congress, but never passed in both chambers, would prohibit employers from paying a man more than a woman for the same job and stop employers from punishing women who call them out for pay disparities.

“It is not a women’s issue. It is an economic issue for families,” says the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn. “We have had real opposition to the bill. There is a lack of belief that this exists.”

The Census Bureau estimates that the average earnings ratio between a man and a woman is that women make 77 cents for every dollar men do. That stat, however, is not an average of each industry, but a composition overall. According to the fact checking website Politifact, female computer programers make 95 cents for every dollar their male counterparts make; female lawyers, on average, make 78 cents on the dollar and female financial advisers are estimated to make just 58 cents on the dollar.