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| "Wait, there are HOW many religions?" |
Rep. Valarie Hodges, R-Watson, says she had no idea that Gov. Bobby Jindal’s overhaul of the state’s educational system might mean taxpayer support of Muslim schools.
“I actually support funding for teaching the fundamentals of America’s Founding Fathers’ religion, which is Christianity, in public schools or private schools,” the District 64 Representative said Monday.
“I liked the idea of giving parents the option of sending their children to a public school or a Christian school,” Hodges said.
Hodges mistakenly assumed that “religious” meant “Christian.”
HB976, now signed into law as Act 2, proposed, among other things, a voucher program allowing state educational funds to be used to send students to schools run by religious groups.
Other members of the local legislative delegation, including Senator Dale Erdey, Rep. J. Rogers Pope and Rep. Sherman Mack, opposed HB976. They argued that public school funds should stay with the public schools.
Gov. Bobby Jindal’s staff pushed hard to get the educational bills approved in the early days of the session, which ended June 4.
Hodges, who represents District 64 on the northwest side of the parish, and another freshman lawmaker in the local delegation, Clay Schexnayder from Dist. 81 in the southwest, voted with the House majority in favor of HB976.
The school funding mechanism, however, did not come up for a vote until the end of the session. By then, a Muslim-based school had applied for support through the new voucher system.
During debate over the MFP (Minimum Foundation Program) funding formula, Hodges learned more about the consequences of the educational changes. She voted against the new MFP funding formula; Schexnayder voted for it.
“Unfortunately it will not be limited to the Founders’ religion,” Hodges said. “We need to insure that it does not open the door to fund radical Islam schools. There are a thousand Muslim schools that have sprung up recently. I do not support using public funds for teaching Islam anywhere here in Louisiana.”
Don't you love it when a narrow mind is forcefully expanded against its will?
"What, there's more than one type of religious school? But I just wanted to use public school funds to indoctrinate children into MY religious belief. not into one of them primitive Muslin faiths which worship the wrong gosh darn God!"
What is it that it says in the bible again, "Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap."
Proving once again and education is a terrible thing to waste.
ReplyDeleteIt appears that there is not a great deal of true education going on in LA since there is such a huge gap in understanding that Christianity is not the only religion in the USofA, nor were the Founding Fathers all Christian (from wikipedia): "Religion
DeleteLambert (2003) has examined the religious affiliations and beliefs of the Founders. Of the 55 delegates to the 1787 Constitutional Convention, 49 were Protestants, and two were Roman Catholics (D. Carroll, and Fitzsimons). Among the Protestant delegates to the Constitutional Convention, 28 were Church of England (or Episcopalian, after the American Revolutionary War was won), eight were Presbyterians, seven were Congregationalists, two were Lutherans, two were Dutch Reformed, and two were Methodists.
A few prominent Founding Fathers were anti-clerical Christians, such as Thomas Jefferson[18][19][20] (who created the so-called "Jefferson Bible") and Benjamin Franklin.[21] A few others (most notably Thomas Paine) were deists, or at least held beliefs very similar to those of deists.[22]
Historian Gregg L. Frazier argues that the leading Founders (Adams, Jefferson, Franklin, Wilson, Morris, Madison, Hamilton, and Washington) were neither Christians nor Deists, but rather supporters of a hybrid "theistic rationalism."[23]"
Idiot. Don't you love how we have so many of the mentally challenged holding public office these days?
ReplyDeleteThe depth of stupidity in America is truly staggering. And she's an elected official...but remember, people vote in people who make them feel comfortable. Stupid votes for stupid candidates. That's why Obama may be in trouble. He makes too many voting Americans feel uncomfortable. Do they know it's because he's so smart and they realize they are stupid? Probably not. That's too self-aware. Americans are just self-obsessed.
DeleteReligion is all about "I" -- if I'm good I'll go to heaven, etc. etc.
But she is okay with radical Christians (as shown in the movie Jesus Camp) to operate schools with tax dollars?
ReplyDeleteRep. Valarie Hodges and her fellow travelers would gladly impose a theocracy on our nation and would surely make any other religion illegal.
DeleteDid you hear about Rand Paul trying to sneak a Personhood amendment into a bill about *FLOOD INSURANCE*??
ReplyDeletehttp://jezebel.com/5921494/dastardly-senator-tries-to-sneak-personhood-clause-into-flood-bill?tag=libertarians
Yes. We really should insist that the process be revamped to prevent unrelated amendments being attached to the main bill. All amendments should be related to the bill at hand - modifying it and not adding something totally unrelated.
DeleteOr am I the only one who believes this?
We need to rid ourselves of this loser. If we don't do it now, he's gonna be doing this crap for a lot of years.
DeleteI am not advocating violence, just vote him out.
7:09, I totally agree with you. It is insane the way laws are made and bills are passed in the US. I believe each bill should be voted on separately or at least with like-minded ideas as a group vote.
DeleteWhat Rand did is both stupid and it should be against the law to vote on one bill with two such disparate items in it.
Time to redesign the process.
@7:09 and 8:01 -- totally agree. This crazy amendment system didn't make sense to me in civics class (c. 1960) and it doesn't make sense to me now. Each bill, vote up or down, and the move on to the next one. It'll never happen, though. Too many folks like that extra bit of cash or other perks when they agree to just "add this in somewhere for me, okay?"
DeleteOne of the big problems in states is referendums. A lot of states now have term limits because of them. That basically guarantees that you eventually get the mentally handicapped in positions of power. The whole term limit issue essentially proves that you can get voters to pass the stupidest laws imaginable.
DeleteSomeone, quick, go down there and start some Wiccan schools.
ReplyDeleteThat would be great. After all, the United State Military has had to recognize Wicca as a valid religion.
DeleteBTW, this dumbo Louisiana legislator doesn't realize that Christianity was NOT the religion of our "founders." Most were Deists - which is not the same thing. Believers in a supreme being or Nature, sure, but not Christians.
I was going to say that - you beat me to it! Good going, and I can just hear all the heads exploding. I'd be willing to be principal of a Triple Goddess elementary school!
DeleteThis is exactly what I thought. That would have been icing on the cake! They could have named it "Hogwarts", just to mess with them further.
DeleteBTW, there was a reason the Founding Fathers wanted freedom of religion (i.e. separation of church and state). If you look back at the history of England, combining the church and government gave the government far too much power. Also, even having it merge with a Christian church, there was then fighting and wars as to WHICH Christian religion was the right religion.
Then it was between the Catholics and the Protostants. I don't know how many different Christan religions we have today.
The stupid is on fire in that article!
ReplyDeleteDon't anyone DARE tell her that the founding fathers were Deists and that this country was FOUNDED on religious FREEDOM!
ReplyDeleteMaybe if we hammer it into them often enough, they may understand that.
NAH! Too stupid!
This made me laugh so hard.
ReplyDeleteThe ignorant bigot that she is, the stupid, ignorant, UNINFORMED about history, bigot she is will have to suck on it. This is such great news to read and I hope that the Muslim, Jewish, Sikh, etc. religions take FULL advantage of this law. It serves these assholes right for their disgusting attitudes. They think that Christianity gives them a free pass to be horrible human beings, when in fact, if you look at the pure, true precepts of what Jesus taught, it is LIGHT YEARS away from what modern day 'christianists' like to promote.
I know, and have known wonderful people who live their everyday life striving to act in the light of Jesus and his teachings and THOSE people I proudly and accurately call Christians. The other false and disingenuous jerks that put on the 'christian' mantle to promote their twisted views of 'christianity' are vile and hateful and sick and twisted and when they bring their skewed and prejudiced thinking into the political arena it is REPREHENSIBLE.
Just sayin'.
I find it telling that ignorant cow Rep. Valarie Hodges is totally cool with the notion of using public money to teach Christianity - surely only her version - but recoils in horror at the thought of public money being used to teach Islam.
ReplyDeleteTHAT'S why there needs to be NO religion of any kind taught in public schools or using public money. THAT principle must be absolutely inviolable.
I apologize to all cows for unfairly defaming them by comparing them to Rep. Valarie Hodges. That was uncalled for on my part.
MOOOOOOOO!
Delete(apology accepted!)
You can bet that any Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, Wiccans, or others that applied for funding would be turned down.
DeleteThe ignorance of these people who live in a bubble of religious blindess is nothing short of amazing.
They can't unless they want a HUGE lawsuit on their hands. We have ridiculous vouchers here in my state InDanielsassiana. As long as a school meets the criteria for education, they cannot be discriminated against. (Though I'd love to see them try and this case make it to the Supreme Court.
DeleteAnd yes, I'd love to see Secular Humanist and Wiccan and Pastafarian schools apply.
I don't think all the Founding Fathers viewed religion the same way she does. Jefferson ripped out the parts he thought were false. Washington attended an Anglican church, but never took communion. Adams was Christian, but wanted church and state to be separate. I don't think too many would fit our definition of atheist, but I don't think too many would fit in with the fundies of today either.
ReplyDeleteANd the reason they wouldn't fit our definition of atheist is largely because they were pre-Darwin. I would bet that these Enlightenment thinkers like Jefferson, once having read Darwin and the Big Bang Theory (bit of time travel there) would quickly have jettisoned the last vestiges of religiosity as a more logical, alternate explanation was presented to them.
DeleteI guess the thing about this story that surprised me most is finding out that Louisiana funds their schools at all! With state rankings hovering between 47th and 49th in a country that ranks 35th in the world in math scores, I guess I just thought they ran the whole system through bake sales and car washes.... Who knew?
ReplyDeleteYou would think there god would throw them some cash instead of hurricanes.
What little is funded comes from Blue State tax dollars. La is a welfare state.
DeleteMy husband is from there and I can honestly say that when I met him in the army he could NOT read at all and could barely sign his name.
That said, he is highly intelligent and I quickly taught him to do both and he went on to get an MBA.
Shouldn't you have to go to politician college or something? Good grief. "Founder's religion"?
ReplyDeleteSomeone please save us...
We thought we were free to wonder the streets. I'm beginning to think it's safer for ME to lock myself in my house as there are far tooooooo many bigots/racists out there.
DeleteCollege?
DeleteOdds are never finished high school or got one of those 'Cracker Jacks' Graduation Certificates as was home schooled in LA
Someone needs to inform this idiot that the Founding Fathers were not all Christian. A large portion of them, for example Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, James Madison, Thomas Paine, Ethan Allen, among others, were Deist.
ReplyDeletehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deism#Deism_in_the_United_States
Now that woman got a GUALITY education....probably the best that Louisiana can offer.
ReplyDeleteOur Founding Fathers, and Mothers, came from different Colonies, and worshipped differently.
ReplyDeleteYes, many were Deists. Some were Anglicans (Church of England). Many were different shades of Congregationalist (which was the state religion of Massachusetts until 1833-- your taxes went to support the church). Others were Quakers, Reformed, Presbyterians, Methodists, as well as those who didn't declare a religion, or the small numbers who were Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist, etc.
THAT is precisely why they wanted a separation of church and state. Many of them had run away from European nations in which the two were combined. They wanted a secular state in which everyone was free to practice religion, but no one was forced to do so.
We have come a long, sad way from then -- now that public taxes go to support religious schools.. If religions want to educate young people, then they should raise the money themselves, as they always have. The slow chipping away at public education has been a major project for Republicans for two generations.
Excuse me: also, of course, a great number of Roman Catholics -- especially in Maryland.
DeleteSo, even "Christian" means at least ten different things.
And then there were the Shakers who came along, and the 19th c. religions invented in America:
Seventh Day Adventists, Christian Science, and Mormonism.
Just who gets funding? Why not fund for all through the public school system -- also invented in the 19th c. -- and let each religion educate their own if they care to. With their own nickel.
I doubt Valarie Hodges wants to educate Catholics, Jews, Mormons, or, gasp, Episcopalians. I doubt she even thinks they're Christian.
Where are these idiots hatching? We must find the nest and burn it.
ReplyDeleteROFLMAO
DeleteHer in NW Louisiana our local Christian schools fought against the vouchers.We have an elementary school that feeds a high school.Sports scholarships are given out to football players at both schools.The highschool is unbeatable and produces college football players who often go pro.3 times as many sports scholarships are given out as academic.The games are well attended and produce revenue for the school.Vouchers would reduce the number of slots available for football players (who usually are not academically gifted).None of this seems very "Christian" to me.
ReplyDeleteIn her 'bigoted' mind -- then Muslims no longer should pay taxes for education in LA!! Kewl!!
ReplyDeleteYa don't pay in if ya don't get out!!
It's unbelievable how morons like this actually get votes and are responsible for deciding laws governing the public.
Alligators are hungry in LA -- Lunch is served!!
Just abysmal, but NOT a surprise.... First, it shows that either she never READ the bill and if she did,she clearly DID NOT understand what it said.. WHY is she in the legislature??
ReplyDeleteTWO, as you mention Gryph, she didn't realize that there was more than ONE religion!!??!?? WTF?? BUT, it is Louisiana... But even for LA, this is a level of stupid not usually let out of the bag to the media, and
THIRD, this clearly shows a full-throated support for the continuing and on-going indoctrination from birth to the "way" of the deep south. The "way" is NOT religious..It's HATE-DRIVEN, and this should explain part of the phenomenon....
The waisting of millions of human minds HAS BEEN a terrible thing... and it continues..
http://ncse.com/news/2008/06/louisiana-governor-signs-creationist-bill-001437
DeleteIf I were a science teacher in Louisiana, the first thing I would do is bring in some pastafarian material.
OMG! The shock of it all! Imagine the horror of funding anything other than the narrow-minded views of the racially prejudiced Hodges and her ilk.
ReplyDelete"Hodges mistakenly assumed that “religious” meant “Christian.” Now that is just plain ignorant, dumb and just plain stoopid.
The snake is eating its tail.
ReplyDeleteI thought the Founding Fathers came here to get away from this crap.
ReplyDeleteThe new version is they came here to get away from persecution and to establish this continent as an enclave. To claim it for Jesus.
DeleteGryphen, please don't put quotation marks around anything that isn't a quote. It compromises your journalistic integrity.
ReplyDeleteg isn't a journalist; he's a fantastic blogger.
DeleteI always place quotes in italics to avoid confusion.
DeleteAnd yes I am fantastic. Just ask my mom.
To quickly post here without the option of Italics or underlining, one must use quotes to avoid confusion. For instance, when typing the name of a book, it would be confusing without setting it off in some way.
DeleteFor a "now defunct" blog, I.M. is doing just fine. FWIW, Mr Gryphen DOES display more "Journalistic integrity" than most other bloggers.
DeleteI'm a public school teacher in Indiana and the legislature put into law two years ago the voucher system ($4,000 tax money per child)to give parents a choice. Most are taking the money and going to Catholic private schools or the up-and-coming Christian (Baptist)schools. A Catholic school just appointed their first CEO (their term, not mine - at my public school we call it a superintendant)and get this, he was a venture/vulture capitalist. Privatization of everything in Indiana until only the very poorest of students attend the public schools. And then the Purdue University Board of Trustees had the gall to appoint the GD governor, Mitch Daniels, as the President of the once prestigious University. Of course, 8 of the 10 board members were appointed by "My Man Mitch"! I find it very hard to believe that of all the candidates vying for the job Mitch Daniels, who has dismantled public education forever in Indiana was the most qualified!! This is the governor who sold off the Toll Road that was built with taxpayers' money to companies in Spain and Australia. Privatizing all of the "commons" as Thom Hartman says. He did this and then brags how he was able to balance the budget. Liar! Since the toll road has been privatized the state will no longer get transportation tax money (it's only fair) from the federal government. More for the rest of you states out there who haven't sold out your state's resources to the highest bidders. Republicans just LOVE to privatize. Mitch Daniels is using this appointment as a stepping stone to be the ruler over all of the US in 2016. You would be wise to pay attention to this crook with the Napoleon complex. The guy is short in stature and tries to compensate by being a bigshot! I just can't wait until something like 20-30 Muslim schools pop up all over Indiana and those parents taking their taxpayer money to educate their children in Islam. All of the rednecks will come unglued. I finally realize elections have BIG consequences but why do I have to suffer because most of the voters in Indiana are low-information, Faux "News" watchers?
ReplyDeleteLitbrit (Deb Newell) thinks Mitt Romney will choose Mitch Daniels as his VP candidate.
DeleteIf Romney/Daniels ticket fails, as many people think it will, does that position Daniels for 2016 better? Or worse?
The Dems would do well to dig thoroughly into Daniels' past, like they have for Romney. He actually has an arrest record (for marijuana) as a grad student, something the GOP can't attack POTUS for.
And if he has "small man syndrome", who knows, there might be other interesting quirks in Daniels' personality...
Daniels has WAY too many skeletons in his closet for him to ever expose himself or his family to the microscope of a presidential or even vice presidential run. The roommate of a drug dealer (who had no clue????) The wife who ran away from him AND her kids? The Duke Energy scandal?
DeleteAdd to this that his wife told him she is GONE (again) of he even thinks about it and NO way will he even dream of it.
Read Doofus Daniels acceptance speech. Touts all the job training stuff, (engineering, tech) with nary a mention of the humanities - then again, not surprised as he is barely human and NOT humane.
DeleteFormer Purdue Faculty and Alum
Trying to find a bio on this woman and I'm coming up with nothing.
ReplyDeleteBe careful if you're looking for her bio 'between her ears'. That's dead airspace in that and could be harmful to your health!!
DeleteSorry, I couldn't resist! LOL
So true, so true. Is she a Sarah wannabee?
DeleteI read an article yesterday in which it was revealed that emails between the LA State Superintendent and the Jindal Administration pondered on how to "spin" the fact that a Christian school that will receive a lot of voucher money is only a shell of a school. The school has no library, and the students learn by watching DVDs. Also, no oversight measures for the schools receiving money under the voucher program exist. This means that these schools don't have to meet any of the requirements of public schools. Now, the governor and superintendent are in a pickle as the public becomes more aware of the fact that this program was intended as a giveaway to Christian schools. I'm a retired public school teacher, and the fact that the non-public schools participating in the voucher program have no oversight is very troubling. A lot of students who will graduate from these schools will not be equipped to be successful in college. Some parents don't understand that by enrolling their kids in some Christian schools hamper their chances at being successful later in life.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.thenewsstar.com/article/20120702/NEWS01/207020308/Email-exchange-reveal-voucher-scheme?odyssey=nav%7Chead
Don't worry majii, colleges won't be accepting anyone who can't take a SAT or ACT and pass it. Most of the kids who learn (HA HA HA) by DVD are headed for a life of breeding more morons and poverty with prayer.
DeleteNext he'll be giving state funds to homeschoolers, who also are neber held accountable for their kids' inability to make friends or compete with public school kids for college entrance. This is really disturbing. Does the GOP place so little value on education, and why exactly? Are they afraid that voters who actually THINK will see right through their charades?
DeleteLook up Connections Academy - or K-12. They are virtual schools also powered with state tax dollars. Very little student to teacher contact, horrendous churn rate, essentially they are a stamp of educational legitimacy on homechoolers.
DeleteF--K!!! Stupid people. First, Christianity isn't the religion of the founding fathers. I'm so sick of that meme. Religion was specifically axed by the founding fathers. Second, this is not the America of the 1700s. It's absolutely stupid and typical of small-minded teabaggers to be fixated in that time frame. The Constitution is fluid and meant to be changed as America changed. Our demographics are completely different now as is our culture. Maybe if she raised her IQ about three feet above her ass, she could see the light.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of religious blindess, the ultra hard core Paylin worshipers have been having a battle with their more moderate Paylin supporters over at C$P.
ReplyDeleteThis has been raging for the last couple of weeks between two opposing camps, and it has not been a pretty fight.
There are those who insist that G_D will perform a miracle and Paylin will get the GOP nomination, and others who dismiss that and believe RoMoney has it sewn up.
The moderators over there have had to censor and delete comments from the most extreme kook-aid drinkers who still cling to their Paylin worship.
They just know that RoMOney will give Paylin his delegates, and the waters will part, and $arah $avior will walk out onto the stage and win by acclimation.
Reading these comments has given me a profound insight into the "gun and bible clingers" mentality, and just how blindly prejudiced some folks are when it comes to politics.
The real bottom line is that their is no logic, science, analytical thinking, or any common sense at all when it comes to believing in religion in schools, worshiping $arah, or one's political views.
It's all one big conflated ball of wax for these folks, and it's a sad testament to the state of body politic
The real bottom line is that their is no logic, science, analytical thinking, or any common sense at all when it comes to believing in religion in schools, worshiping $arah, or one's political views.
Delete------------------------
And they want to keep it that way, dammit! Read the Texas state ReTHUG platform - critical thinking shouldn't be taught because it may challenge "fixed beliefs." Duh, htat's the definition of education idiots!
LOVE this... KARMA!!!
ReplyDeleteOur Founding Fathers are turning over in their graves...so many of our early lawmakers were Quakers, Puritans, Atheists even. These were smart intelligent men who were forward thinking enough to include in our Constitution provisions to protect EVERYONE from radicals, and idiots, just like her.
ReplyDeleteShellyamberstone@yahoo.com
Well, they were also Unitarians and Universalists. Two of the largest "religions" of the day.
DeleteWe should have a slogan for all the Tea Baggers...
ReplyDelete"We Ain't Come A Long Way Baby!"
"Party Like It's 1779!"
"VOTE! Unless You Are Black or Have A Vagina!"
I LOVE IT! What great bumper stickers. Start it with Tea Party:......
DeleteO/T but most likely absolutely true:
ReplyDeleteExpert: Romney Won't Pick Woman VP Because of Sarah Palin
"Mitt Romney is ultimately going to find himself between a rock and a hard place because although it is important to demonstrate that there are qualified women who should be on the short list, the onus is then going to be on him to explain why they weren't his ultimate pick and he's not going to say, 'because I don't want voters to think of Sarah Palin,'" she says. "So he's going to have to navigate a pretty fine line and ensure that if he says that the most qualified person turns out to be a man that indeed that person is more qualified than some of the women's names who are floating around."
Lawless also says Palin will be a cautionary tale in vice presidential politics for some time.
"If the Democrats have a female nominee at some point, either as president or vice president, that could erase this," she says. "We just need another well-known, nationally publicized woman in politics to erase that image. The Democrats have a better shot at doing that than the Republicans do at this point because Sarah Palin was never on their ticket."
http://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/ballot-2012/2012/07/05/expert-romney-wont-pick-woman-vp-because-of-sarah-palin
LMAO!
DeleteI would so love to Hillary Clinton on the Dem ticket for President. She's well educated, smart, experienced in government and one hell of a hard worker in bringing people TOGETHER across the world!
DeletePeople would absolutely FORGET the name of Sarah Palin then!
If Romney chooses a woman as his running mate I would say that indeed would erase Sarah Palin and we would never have to hear from her ever again. And then when Romney loses with the woman running mate the GOP would NEVER, EVER run a woman again, be it Sarah Palin or anyone else. Maybe then we could be rid of that ignorant fraud!
Deletei don't want to see government money funding any religious school. let the parents pay for it
ReplyDeletegood for you. At least SOMEBODY recognizes this as unconstitutional.
DeleteThank You! I've been ringing that bell for years!
DeleteThe "lady" in the article reads and interprets the Constitution the same way she reads and interprets her Bible.
When she realizes she's wrong, it's not funding the "radical muslim" schools with taxpayer money.
Speaking of Tea Baggers...
ReplyDeleteAndrew Halcro's new post is up re: Joe Miller
http://www.andrewhalcro.com/white_trash
It's important to keep an eye on Miller. I heard that he plans on running against Begich in the next election.
OT...http://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/ballot-2012/2012/07/05/expert-romney-wont-pick-woman-vp-because-of-sarah-palin
ReplyDeleteGo here to send a message to Ms. Hodges:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.valariehodges.com/contact
I'd love to see her deluged in mail from people pointing out how she knows nothing at all about our Founding Fathers.
I'd recommend staying away from cursing or threats, just calmly point out that she's an ignorant fool who has no idea what she's talking about. And maybe a suggestion that she also doesn't understand the inclusive, non-denominational design of our republic or her own job description.
I just did. :)
Thanks for the email address and suggestion. I just finished sending her an email praising Louisiana's "open-mindedness" by ensuring that the free exercise of all religions was not prohibited. Although I doubt that she'll get the irony.
DeleteShe's an idiot. Here’s her Facebook if you want to let her know.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.facebook.com/pages/Valarie-Hodges-for-State-Rep-District-64/223198947723654
I noticed that she's from Livingston Parish, a little redneck enclave between Baton Rouge and Hammond, LA. Years ago, when I was 16, I got stopped for speeding on the way to my summer job in the oilfield in South LA while driving through there about 5:30am. Because I had an out-of-state driver's license, the trooper made me follow him to the jail. By 8:00am, between the judge and the jailer, they had extorted all of the cash in my wallet, exactly $400 for my ticket and to get my car back where they had impounded in a lot across from the jail. When I agreed to pay the judge all the money I had (he said, “Normally, it would be almost $1000”) the judge tore up the ticket, gave me back my license and $20 in cash, and allowed me to head on my way.
Bunch of damn crooks. Any of em. All of em.
I just wrote a Friday Flash Fiction for Chuck Wendig’s site on this very nonsense:
ReplyDeletehttp://darlene.underdahl.net/?p=167
Dumb, prejudiced AND slovenly. How appealing!
ReplyDeleteGryphen, I have a mystery for you. Yesterday, there were a number of Palin family pictures posted at this website. They were photos that only someone in the family would have had access to. By the time we started commenting about them, the website went private: http://palinevents.wordpress.com/about/
ReplyDeleteBefore it did, this was the description of the blogger:
Purpose:
I disapprove of people who hatefully lie more than anything in the
world, which says a lot because I typically dislike nothing. I am one of
the most easy going, personable and driven people you’ll ever meet. I
disapprove of the self-righteous and self-absorbed. I have no reason,
personal or otherwise, to dislike Sarah Palin. I do not claim to know
her or her family. I, however, do personally know a few of their
acquaintances, including a former coworker of Bristol’s, two former
teachers, and a neighbor. That said, I would assume nothing about any of
the above people unless I personally witnessed an event. With this
blog, I hope to successful portray public figures objectively, passing
no judgments, distorting no statements, and inserting no opinion. I let
words speak for themselves, plainly. Again, I do not distort or read
into things, something opinion bloggers who claim they know truth, need
to learn avoid in order to maintain a sense of morality and dignity.
ME
I have 3 siblings.
My parents have been married 48 years.
I have 19 first cousins.
I’ve lived in 7 states.
I got engaged to my high school boyfriend one week after graduation.
We broke up 2 months later.
It was my decision.
He commit suicide 2 months later.
I, like my friends, worked my way through school, graduated after 4 years, and have zero debt and perfect credit.
I’ve never done hard drugs, smoked weed or cigarettes.
I rarely drink alcohol.
There was a time I was promiscuous, though
I don’t believe in the term ”slut” or “promiscuous. Women who
slut-shame other women are morally reprehensible.
I disapprove of double standards, especially in terms of sex.
I finally married at age 28 after debating whether I believed in the institution for 10 years.
I have 2 children whom I, like most doting parents, call pure perfection.
I consider Savage Garden a great band with wonderful music and messages. Affirmation is my favorite song.
I believe bad parents don’t exist, that people do the best to their ability.
have 2 children whom I, like most doting parents, call pure perfection.
I consider Savage Garden a great band with wonderful music and messages. Affirmation is my favorite song.
I believe bad parents don’t exist, that people do the best to their ability.
I accept all people as flawed human beings.
Ultimately, I do not understand people’s
desire or need to negate, tarnish, or denigrate another person’s past.
We’re all fighting an uphill battle. The last thing anyone needs is
random people projecting their own unhappiness unto said person.
Father’s Day Reflection
I grew up with incredible parents who worked like mad to give me
things they never had as children and things they wouldn’t have had if
my father hadn’t stayed at work a little late or my mother didn’t work
on top of being mom. Without their work ethic and dedication to
providing for me, I’d value a lot less and perhaps even the wrong
things. But who knows… One cannot know what might have been.
I recognize quality, caring fathers/parents when I see them.
This is the photo that sparked the discovery:
http://mediacdn.disqus.com/uploads/mediaembed/images/298/7831/original.jpg
Got any ideas as to who the secret blogger is?
It was Krusty's.
DeleteOMGosh she has two children? Poor things.
DeleteWow, what an amazing story!
DeleteThe heritage foundation has a 3 part series about the topic, I'm sure she got the idea from it, obviously, she didn't read the document.
DeleteI'll just post the link for the first part, it's "documentary" style propaganda. Just watch the first two minutes, and you'll get the jist
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnFw1f6K2W8
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We have school vouchers in PA., and online leanin' schools that qualify for "education". Corbett slashed funding for public schools, and passed a voter id law that makes it close to impossible to get everyone compliant. OFA has been doing their best, but wth?? The ed show did a piece on it today, it's not on their site yet, but it's an eyeopener.
what is wrong with B/P in this happy birthday picture. She looks so tiny but her body shape is so wrong, Some thing bothers me a lot about this picture.
Deletemhrt
I'm still wondering what sub-branch of Christianity she meant?
ReplyDeleteI doubt it was Unitarian, Catholic, Lutheran, etc.
Some conservative branch probably, where biology could be playing with snakes in church school.
Want to learn a foreign language, why it's easy, speak in tongues (gibberish).
Gym class is when the spirit moves you, dance in church.
Etc.
"the Founder's religion"
ReplyDeleteOMG
O/T but so beautiful. It's a pseudo flash mob, that turns into a full philharmonic with participants in regular attire, with family and friends, all instruments and choralists, playing Beethoven in a plaza.
ReplyDeleteGo look at the comments which link also to dance flash mobs in NY etc. It really reconciled me with life today.
A commenter wrote :
It was obviously a little bit self-promotional by this philharmonic/orchestra, but it also exposed a lot of people, even in Spain, to the music that they might not have seen because of the misperceived "stuffiness" or "eliteness" of the performances in formal situations, or because people might think they don't like the music.
I think people are more welcoming of music and culture, when they encounter it initially in a more casual way.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/07/05/1106667/-Flash-Mob-Goes-Philharmonic-Beautiful
Off discussion just a tad, but why is advertsement for 'christian singles' on this particular blog as well as the one for Sarah Palin for VP (with an old photo when she has attractive!).
ReplyDeleteThe ads offend me, IM! Can you do anything about them?
Yeah, me too, get a load of this balogna
Deletehttp://www.amtcworld.com/videos/carey-lewis-harvestshow
Actors Models and Talent for Christ. It's both a ministry AND a modelling agency.
It's how Google Ad's work, there's nothing that IM can do about it. They go on keywords and match up advertisements based on your surfing history.
OMG! When I first saw that picture I thought Tri-G had put on one of $carah's wigs!
ReplyDeleteI was just about to say that this woman has the classic concave face of a Down's or FAS affected person. Perhaps that may explain some of her lack of cognitive thinking skills?
DeleteSo. Pretend we don't like Muslim and Jewish. Tibetan Buddhist. Hmong school?
ReplyDeleteWhich American-WhiteMan-came-from-England religion is the "Founding Fathers" one?
The Puritans are not Baptist. Baptist is not Assembly of God. None of this is Catholic/Episcopal. And none of these are "New Life," "Bible-based," or Seventh Day Adventist.
Which one is going to be our National Religion? Is it too late to require southern/midwest folk who aspire to political office, to live in Belfast for awile?
“I actually support funding for teaching the fundamentals of America’s Founding Fathers’ religion, which is Christianity, in public schools or private schools,” Hodges told the Livingston Parish News.
Delete"...Founding Fathers’ religion, which is Christianity..."
Apparently, there's no intellectual dilemma for her - it seems she thinks "Christianity" IS a religion.
I wish I was this dumb. It must make things so easy.
ReplyDeleteNever mind the Spanish Inquisition, Cardinal de Richelieu, assorted Kings Henry and Louis, the ongoing fight for political control and dominance between Protestant and Catholic - have we learned nothing from THIS century's religious wars?
ReplyDeleteNorthern Ireland and "The Troubles" - divisions between nationalists, who see themselves as Irish and are predominantly Roman Catholic, and unionists, who see themselves as British and are predominantly Protestant.
Jihad.
Israel and Palestine.
The fall of the Romanov dynasty, Russian Revolution and the Bolsheviks outlawing the practice and symbols of Orthodoxy.
Come on, America.
We've had 50 years of increasing financial and political positioning of churches to take over this country. And Canada, as well.
It's time for it all to come to an end. We can't afford churches as part of our national debt; we can't afford for funding for arts and social services to be reallocated to churches in federal grantmaking; we can't afford this kind of national discord.
I don't ever again want to see Billy/Franklin Graham's trillion-dollar aviation ministry vans with State of Alaska exempt license plates parked at an Alaska gas station. I don't ever again want to witness Kenai Peninsula White families' homeschooled children pouring out of minivans bearing exempt license plates.
Tax exemptions, Division of Motor Vehicle exemptions, tuition waivers for college classes when your 22-year-old hasn't graduated from high school, free computers and internet - get rid of it all. Reduce demand on government. Trim the fat.
No more church funding. Back to the old-fashioned times when congregations paid for churches and services. When charitable deeds were really 'charity' and service from the heart and not tied up in a Federal Tax Number and grant funding.
Enough IS enough. No more.
If there were a Darwin Award for religious organisations, this lady's church would be a good contender.
ReplyDelete