North Carolina state Tea Party Republican lawmakers have filed a bill to allow the state to establish an official state religion. The move is a direct assault on the U.S. Constitution and wholly ignores the Fourteenth Amendment. The two sponsors of the bill, freshmen House Representatives Harry Warren and Carl Ford, have already managed to get nine co-sponsors who conveniently have ignored the fact that Rep. Ford’s full-time job: the owner of two North Carolina Gospel music radio stations.
The bill claims “each state in the union is sovereign and may independently determine how that state may make laws respecting an establishment of religion,” and mentions the Tenth Amendment three times. It also argues First Amendment “prohibition does not apply to states, municipalities, or schools.”
Article 6 Section 8 of the North Carolina state constitution reads:
The following persons shall be disqualified for office: First, any person who shall deny the being of Almighty God.
Why is it that those who proclaim the loudest their desire to protect the Constitution are those who seem never to have even seen a copy of it?
If they had they might have stumbled across this:
The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the members of the several state legislatures, and all executive and judicial officers, both of the United States and of the several states, shall be bound by oath or affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.
Who elects these idiots?
The Founding Fathers went WELL out of their way to make sure that this nation would not be a theocracy, and yet these religious nutbags have been attempting to undermine that or hundreds of years now.
I spend WAY too much time on Little Green Footballs, but it is one of the best blogs (is it a blog? I suppose it is.) on the Internet. I'm a member, but I never post there. I just sit back and enjoy the insight, knowledge and scathing wit of their "regular" posters.
ReplyDeleteSo... when I'm not here, I'm over there.
Oh yeah, and NC instituting a state religion? How crazy are the teavangelicals getting? And why? Is it a practice-run for the 2014 midterms?
LGF is a great blog. Hard to believe that Charles Johnson used to be with the other guys. But now that I think about it, I was too until all my peers lost their damn minds. I shouldn't say *all*, because a hell of a lot of us bailed along the way. Now we're the dreaded moderates hated by 2/3 of the Repugs on the RW and maybe a third of the Dems of the Left.
DeleteBut that's just America right now, you just about can't take any position and get much more than 50% of the people to agree with you and you'll have about the same number against you when you think you have a *common-sense* idea on a particular matter. I guess that proves that "Common Sense Is Not So Common."
Can't remember who said that, whether it was Ben Franklin, Thomas Paine, Voltaire, Andy Griffith or Bill O'Reilly. Any of em or All of em.
I'd disagree that you're hated by the left. As long as you retain some measure of rationality (and you've already proven that by bailing on the Talibangelists) we can respect differing opinions - and enjoy arguing about them.
DeleteNot surprised baggers would introduce crappy unconstitutional bills like that. Hopefully they have legislative committees that filter out the whacky ones before they even get to the floor. That nonsense is a waste of time and resources for the state, regardless of which party is introducing stupid legislation.
ReplyDeleteWhy do those people hate Jews, people of other religions or those who exercise their right to no religion at all.
I don't try to tell those idiots to save their money for their kids' college instead of giving it to something I view as a money-worshipping cult. While that's my opinion, I try to respect their rights to do as they wish as long as they stay out of my nedroom, off my lawn, and keep to the right if they're going to drive under the speed limit. Oh, and use your turn signals, stupid. Nobody can read your slow, indecisive mind.
But seriously, it'd no one else's business if I choose to worship Jesus, Allah, Big Bird, the NFL, or NASCAR on Sundays. Neither is it anyone else's concern if I choose to worship nature and sunshine and smooth greens and freshly-cut fairways on a golf course and practice cursing all day or even go fishing and drink beer all day and just cuss every now and then.
NC sounds just like they've got a bunch of those same busy-bodies just like us here in Tenne-fucking-see.
And yet they worship a Jew…a good man by all accounts: “Mathew to Jesus, what are your commandments?: love god and each other…. As we all know, Jesus does not have a damn thing to do with the Palins of the world. Fear Sharia Law? LOL…they need to look in the mirror.
DeleteOfficial Religion for the state?
ReplyDeleteOkay, Baggers, before you vote to choose the Official Religion of NC TM, let me remind you that Jesus of Nazereth was Jewish.
Now, you were saying...
I don't think Mizz Palin's comparison of Sen. Mark Begich and Sen. Charles Schumer was just a convenient visual. The teabaggers consistently throw up a Jewish liberal to despise, and it's not just the liberal part they hate.
ReplyDeleteGood point. The hardcore Fundies aren'y very subtle about doing that, are they?
DeleteHarry Reid is also a Jew who 'converted' to Mormonism – most likely because a Jew could not win statewide office in Nevada – and he is married to a Jewish woman. Reid is an extremely nominal, uninvolved Mormon. So Palin's photo was indeed a double dig – one very reminiscent of her lies about the Jewishness of her political opponent when she ran for mayor of Wasilla (continually referring to his Jewish-sounding name 'Stein', even though he was a Lutheran).
Deletefukin' domestic taliban really, really need to vacate north america
ReplyDelete"Who elects these idiots?" Other idiots. DUH!
ReplyDeleteForcing religion and God upon others. No wonder more and more throughout America are no longer christians. Those that holler the loudest are usually the very worst!!! These Congressmen should be thoroughly investigated! Would love to see what they are hiding!
ReplyDeleteSomeone tried this earlier in the session, and they were universally ridiculed, both here in NC and nationwide. They won't get very far since these guys don't have a firm grasp of the Constitution (and reality).
ReplyDeleteHey, let's not pick on NC, OK? We're fighting as hard as we can. Google "Moral Mondays." Gerrymandering and right wing morons elected these people.
Hang in there and keep standing your ground. Actually, NC looks pretty damn attractive when I look around at our neighboring states that we share a border --- MO, AR, MS, KY, AL,GA, NC & VA. Hell, there are good folks located all throughout these states though, but just not enough of them to go around that are as smart as us. jk, sorta. I'm sure you understand if you live in the South.
DeleteWell, those rightwing morons are the ones that went to the polls. It is time for the MODERATES and PROGRESSIVES to get out there and VOTE - because, if you don't vote, you don't get to gripe!!'
DeleteYou have a long way to go before you're in the running for the title of Craziest Right Wing State. There's a lot of competition out there!
DeleteNo, no, no, Gryphen, you just don't understand! Let me explain it to you.
ReplyDeleteIt's against our Sacred Constitution if someone ELSE wants to establish laws based on THEIR religion.
You know, like those scary, terrorist Muzzlims, or the people who wear those sheets wrapped around their heads or say "Ommmmm" while they're sitting on the floor all pretzel-like. Or those people who build those huge gold statues of the guy with the big belly in those funny little buildings with the swoopy roofs. THOSE religions are bad, bad, bad!!!
But OUR religion is Good and everyone should follow the same rules our Good, Jeebus-Fearing Preachers tell us about each Sunday morning. Of course, WE don't always follow those rules 'cause we don't happen to like 'em all, but everyone ELSE should be following them exact-like.
Understand now?
This also goes against the North Carolina constitution. Article I Section 13 says: "All persons have a natural and inalienable right to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of their own consciences, and no human authority shall, in any case whatever, control or interfere with the rights of conscience."
ReplyDeleteHere we go persecuting those that want to tell us who, when how, and where we need to be worshipping, giving our personal funds to and subsidizing through tax breaks. Why do we have to bully these fine folks?
DeleteWhy can't we just ease up on them and give them their freedom of religion that allows them to take away our other 1st amendment rights?
And while they're at it, they might as well take our 4th and 10rh amendment rights, too, just fir starters. For the good of the righteous, good christians, no sacrifice by the rest of us is too great if it will appease them. That leaves us several othet rights that we still have, probably some we don't even need, like voting rights, for instance.. Plus we get the 10 Commandments thrown in for free!
So let's stop oppressing these religilous folks. They want what's best for us and are so thoughtful, forward-looking and pro-education. Anyway, I'm tired of having regular sex without my wife possibly getting pregnant every time, and I think she is too. It's pretty sinful having all this pleasure-oriented sex in all these Satan-contorted (and probably illegal in TX) non-missionary positions. She's still in her middle 40's, we ought to be punished with a few more kids since we've only got 3 in college and grad school and one more with a another year before he starts. Maybe my wife could get pregnant accidentally with triplets or something so my youngest son could give up his dream of being a doctor and maybe go to hair school instead. It's a thought, any how.
Maybe they should have my job, too, if i'm not going to buy a prayer towel and put it in front of my office window that faces south just in case the south rises again. I don't need all this income and insurance anyway. It's just not fair that their official religions can't have more of what we have here.
Well I'll get off my soapbox here. I just want us thinking people to realize how selfish and oppressive we've been, and stop persecuting these god-fearing, respectful-of-others, Mensa members. So tell them you're sorry, give them enough cash until you have to miss a few meals or a mortgage payment, and be sure to vote for their candidates. It'll all work out fine for us. Because they love everyone because it's in the Bible.
Gryphen, can you do a little research for me to find out if Almighty Zeus qualifies as Almighty God in NC? If not, there'd really be no point in my moving to this backward hillbilly-infested state in order to launch my political career, would there?
ReplyDeletePlease try to get on this right away, as I've put a $15 deposit on a corner room at the YMCA in downtown Raleigh to establish residency, so the sooner, the better. FYI, they have a nice restaurant there, also, too, so it's really convenient for residents and guests to eat out at the Y.
Thanks
I'm sure someone has mentioned previously the Koch-funded takeover of the NC General Assembly in the last election?
ReplyDeleteIt certainly didn't happen because no one went to the polls. The Koch Brothers inundated NC with money to the fundie fools and won a big victory largely orchestrated from the pulpits.
We lost our best legislators, including Brad Miller, who was so embarrassed by the loss, which pitted him against another Democrat (but a more conservative and well-known one) in their gerrymandered redistricting game (just like what happened to Kucinich) that he decided to retire and not run again. (Very sad for NC as he was a real gem.)
NC is regrouping, and maybe someday when Koch funds aren't in such abundance we'll return to our Sanford/Hunt progressive, education-respecting roots.
We're working on it everyday including Moral Mondays.
Colony Glacier Melting In Alaska Reveals Cargo Plane Wreckage From 1952 Air Force Crash
ReplyDeleteANCHORAGE, Alaska (Reuters) - An Alaska glacier is exposing remains from a military air tragedy six decades later.
Relics from an Air Force cargo plane that slammed into a mountain in November 1952, killing all 52 servicemen on board, first emerged last summer on Colony Glacier, about 50 miles east of Anchorage.
That discovery, by Alaska National Guard crews flying training missions out of Anchorage, put into motion a sophisticated recovery program carried out by the Hawaii-based Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/10/colony-glacier-melting-alaska_n_3572489.html?icid=maing-grid7%7Chtmlws-main-bb%7Cdl8%7Csec1_lnk3%26pLid%3D342099
Most of the political punditocracy that rules the American airwaves comes from Washington, D.C., and New York City. But Willie Brown, one of the most outspoken and adroit politicians on the West Coast, appears to have more than enough insight and opinions to hold up his side of the continent.
ReplyDeleteFor decades he was one of the most powerful politicians in California history, serving as the speaker of the state assembly and finishing up his official career after two terms as mayor of San Francisco. But Willie Brown continues to exercise his power even in "retirement," both as a behind-the-scenes power broker and advisor to office-holding allies, and as a public commentator and critic.
Each year, he gives an exclusive political lecture at The Commonwealth Club, critiquing and forecasting events on the local, state, and national stages. In his most recent lecture, with moderator Joseph Fink fielding questions, Brown weighed in on everything from current San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee's success in attracting sports events to Governor Brown's stunning political comeback. He calls Brown "a solo act" taking on every significant issue, "just leaving in the dust all other politicians in the state of California."
But it is the 2016 national scene on which Brown is most forthright, declaring that Hillary's a shoo-in to win if she runs, and "I can assure you [Hillary] will be a candidate in 2016."
Getting the nomination should be a much different game than her unsuccessful 2008 bid, when the aura of inevitability her campaign sought to use to scare off competitors failed to scare off Senator Barack Obama.
For 2016, "everybody fears Hillary Clinton," says Brown. "They believe that all she has to do is continue to breath and in 2016 she'll be elected to the presidency of the United States."
He is unimpressed with the chances of any Republican to defeat her, and he expects the Democrats to focus on snagging Clinton's vice presidential spot rather than challenge her for the presidential nomination.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/11/willie-brown-hillary-clinton_n_3583071.html
Let's see if Mrs. Mean Girl has the balls to take on Billo. He's preaching the exact opposite of what she's been screeching about. I'd like to see him take her down, because he could in a heartbeat.
ReplyDeleteBill O'Reilly Says Hillary Clinton Will Be President If Republicans Don't 'Put Forth Smart Solutions' (VIDEO)
Bill O'Reilly went on a tirade in support of immigration reform Thursday night, and said that if the GOP doesn't step up its performance, Hillary Clinton will be the next U.S. president.
With the words "Immigration Battle" projected in the background, "The O'Reilly Factor" host read an email from a woman named Nettie suggesting Congress should not move forward or make any concessions given the current administration.
"When Hillary Clinton is elected president in 2016, will you say the same thing, Nettie? Because that's what's gonna happen if the GOP does not begin to put forth smart solutions to the country's problems," O'Reilly said.
O'Reilly then critiqued an email from a viewer named Jim suggesting that new immigration laws wouldn't be needed if the current ones were enforced.
"So that means federal agents will begin forcibly rounding up millions of illegal people, entering their homes and removing men, women, and children, taking them to holding pens, where they will be awaiting deportation. Is that your vision, Jim? Because that's what enforcing existing laws would mean," he said.
The Senate already passed a bipartisan immigration bill, leaving reform up to House Republicans.
O'Reilly has previously declared his support for the Senate immigration bill, stating in June, "For years I’ve called for a more secure southern border, you know that. And now it looks like the secure border is in reach. At least somewhat. So I hope this bill does become law."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/11/oreilly-immigration-hilary-clinton_n_3583122.html?utm_hp_ref=politics&ir=Politics
This is a perfect example of how some people, in this case legislators, that just can't grasp the concept of Freedom.
ReplyDeleteWise constituents would immediately withdraw support and plan to vote against every legislator that would attempt such an anti-American thing as a "state religion".
Because history shows: today it is others who lose their choice, but tomorrow it is US.
It should be just the opposite - you should pledge you are a sworn atheist before you are allowed to hold public office. No more making decisions based on what you think your particular sky fairy would want.
ReplyDeleteSo they're going to waste their time debating and passing a law that will be overturned immediately in every court all the way up to the Supreme because it's UNCONSTITUTIONAL!
ReplyDeleteThis reminds me of the Republican in the California State Legislature that tried to deny teachers the right to vote on any proposition having to do with education because teachers would be prejudiced.
Yeah. Republicans are all about protecting the right to vote.....by rich white land owners and denying the vote to everyone else they can.