Religious Liberty
Katie Lang is the Hood County, TX County Clerk. It is an elected position. Up until late Monday, June 29th, the word was that her office would not be issuing same-sex marriage licenses because doing so would violate her "religious liberty." She was basing this decision on a non-binding opinion issued by the Attorney General of Texas, Ken Paxton said that officials who have religious objections to issuing these licenses may refuse to do so.
Paxton is a fool. He did take pains to point out that refusing to issue the licenses would put the person refusing to do so at risk of fines and/or lawsuits. Ms Lang has now clarified her position and says that while she personally will not issue a same-sex marriage license, her staff will be issuing them as soon as the new forms are printed up. A wise decision.
As an elected official, when Ms Lang was sworn in she took an oath to uphold the law. The law of the land is that no state may pass laws that prohibit same-sex marriage. The United States Supreme Court has issued a ruling, and unless/until it is superseded by another ruling from that august body, that's the way it is.
When you are a government official, you can't pick and choose which laws you will and won't comply with. Every other government bureaucrat who plans to refuse compliance with this decision will wind up in a world of hurt in the long run. Guess this is a case of "ask and ye shall receive."
* * *
Which of the following flags was the official flag of the Confederate States of America, during its brief existence?
The answers might surprise you. These are the officials flags of the CSA:
The first one may seem to be what we consider to be the "Confederate" flag today, but that's actually a white flag with the corner containing what is really the battle flag of the Army of Northern Virginia. That flag, known today as the Confederate Flag was never the official flag of the Confederacy. Never.
What differentiated the Union from the Confederacy in the eyes of those who still choose to label the Civil War as the "War of Northern Aggression?" One thing. Slavery. In 1948, the people who fought to maintain the right to own other people were calling for the segregation of the races. You can read their presidential "platform" here: Dixiecrat Party Platform. The relevant sections I'll extract and display here:
"
This flag that so many are defending is a symbol of racial hatred. Of segregation and discrimination. It has no place being flown in a nation that was founded on the belief that we are all equal.
* * *
Governor Moonbeam shrugged off that nickname for a brief instant and signed SB227, the bill that makes it mandatory for children to be vaccinated before they can attend public schools in California. Since the law doesn't apply to students in the 7th grade or higher it will be some time before the entire public school population K-12 will be immunized. There will be lawsuits. But in the end, we will all be safer because of this move.
There are risks in everything. Some will point out that you're more likely to be struck by a car when crossing a street with the green WALK signal than you are with the red DON'T WALK signal. There are risks of side-effects with vaccinations and for those who have lost a child, knowing that vaccinating all benefits the majority is of no comfort.
It is also worth of note that as of today, July 2, 2015, the United States has recorded its first death from measles since 2003. A still unidentified woman in Washington died from complications of measles, having contracted it during the outbreak that began earlier this year at Disneyland. One child whose parents chose not to vaccinate their child led to 117 others contracting the disease.
The claims there is a link between vaccinations and autism have been proven false by competent, reputable scientists and epidemiologists.
In my mind, I'm fine with you choosing not to vaccinate your kids. Just so long as you school them at home and keep them away from the rest of us, so we don't get sick. Sounds harsh and unfair, doesn't it? The bottom line is, you don't get to risk the health of others to support your personal choice. The woman known as Typhoid Mary definitely caused the deaths of three people and the total could actually have exceeded 50.
* * *
Random Ponderings:
While I don't want to see the so-called Confederate Flag flying at the South Carolina Capitol, TVLand's decision to cancel Dukes of Hazzard because of the display of that flag on the General Lee is ridiculous. They show Hogan's Hero's, where we see symbols of the Nazis during WWII. They are just as offensive to me.
Katy Perry sang "I Kissed A Girl and I Liked It" and now Miley Cyrus was photographed kissing a girl. Did she like it? Inquiring minds and all.
Reelz network will broadcast the Miss USA pageant. I can imagine the audience will be way down from last year. All of the hosts and most of the guests/judges have bailed out. Will the Donald host it himself? Doubtful. I have this vision of one of Trump's assistants calling all the previous Miss USA titleholders to see if they're interested in hosting and all of them saying "no."
Katherine Heigl says she's learned from her public failures. She's had several, but I think she really has learned something. Maybe her past of being a serious diva/problem on set will stop and her acting chops will take her somewhere. I'd like to see that.
Would someone please tell Scott Disick that his 15 minutes were up over an hour ago?
When I was at the movies earlier this week, Magic Mike XXL was letting out as I walked through the lobby and I would have sworn I could sense the estrogen flowing through the air as all those women headed out of the auditorium.
A poll on TMZ.com on who is hotter, Caitlyn Jenner or Kris Jenner favors Caitlyn 58% to 42%. I'm only surprised her margin of victory isn't higher.
If it is true that the immigrant who allegedly shot and killed a woman in San Francisco earlier this week had been deported back to Mexico five times in the past, it is proof that we have a problem in how we deal with some illegal immigrants. It doesn't prove a damn thing about what Trump the Toupee said about Mexicans.
While my upcoming review of Terminator: Genisys will not be as negative as the majority of the film's reviews seem to be, the disappointing box office tally for this $155 million-plus budgeted film is extremely disappointing. Not all franchises will do well in reboot.
The Marvel cinematic universe lost out when they met with Ava DuVernay and couldn't make a deal for her to direct the Black Panther film coming out in 2017. They should have trusted in her vision. Whatever film we get will not be as good as what she would have created.
Paxton is a fool. He did take pains to point out that refusing to issue the licenses would put the person refusing to do so at risk of fines and/or lawsuits. Ms Lang has now clarified her position and says that while she personally will not issue a same-sex marriage license, her staff will be issuing them as soon as the new forms are printed up. A wise decision.
As an elected official, when Ms Lang was sworn in she took an oath to uphold the law. The law of the land is that no state may pass laws that prohibit same-sex marriage. The United States Supreme Court has issued a ruling, and unless/until it is superseded by another ruling from that august body, that's the way it is.
When you are a government official, you can't pick and choose which laws you will and won't comply with. Every other government bureaucrat who plans to refuse compliance with this decision will wind up in a world of hurt in the long run. Guess this is a case of "ask and ye shall receive."
* * *
Which of the following flags was the official flag of the Confederate States of America, during its brief existence?
The answers might surprise you. These are the officials flags of the CSA:
The first one may seem to be what we consider to be the "Confederate" flag today, but that's actually a white flag with the corner containing what is really the battle flag of the Army of Northern Virginia. That flag, known today as the Confederate Flag was never the official flag of the Confederacy. Never.
What differentiated the Union from the Confederacy in the eyes of those who still choose to label the Civil War as the "War of Northern Aggression?" One thing. Slavery. In 1948, the people who fought to maintain the right to own other people were calling for the segregation of the races. You can read their presidential "platform" here: Dixiecrat Party Platform. The relevant sections I'll extract and display here:
"
- 4 -
We stand for
the segregation of the races and the racial integrity of each race; the
constitutional right to choose one's associates; to accept private
employment without governmental interference, and to earn one's living
in any lawful way. We oppose the elimination of segregation, the repeal
of miscegenation statutes, the control of private employment by Federal
bureaucrats called for by the misnamed civil rights program. We favor
home-rule, local self-government and a minimum interference with
individual rights.
- 5 -
We oppose and
condemn the action of the Democratic Convention in sponsoring a civil
rights program calling for the elimination of segregation, social
equality by Federal fiat, regulations of private employment practices,
voting, and local law enforcement.
- 6 -
We
affirm that the effective enforcement of such a program would be
utterly destructive of the social, economic and political life of the
Southern people, and of other localities in which there may be
differences in race, creed or national origin in appreciable numbers" This flag that so many are defending is a symbol of racial hatred. Of segregation and discrimination. It has no place being flown in a nation that was founded on the belief that we are all equal.
* * *
Governor Moonbeam shrugged off that nickname for a brief instant and signed SB227, the bill that makes it mandatory for children to be vaccinated before they can attend public schools in California. Since the law doesn't apply to students in the 7th grade or higher it will be some time before the entire public school population K-12 will be immunized. There will be lawsuits. But in the end, we will all be safer because of this move.
There are risks in everything. Some will point out that you're more likely to be struck by a car when crossing a street with the green WALK signal than you are with the red DON'T WALK signal. There are risks of side-effects with vaccinations and for those who have lost a child, knowing that vaccinating all benefits the majority is of no comfort.
It is also worth of note that as of today, July 2, 2015, the United States has recorded its first death from measles since 2003. A still unidentified woman in Washington died from complications of measles, having contracted it during the outbreak that began earlier this year at Disneyland. One child whose parents chose not to vaccinate their child led to 117 others contracting the disease.
The claims there is a link between vaccinations and autism have been proven false by competent, reputable scientists and epidemiologists.
In my mind, I'm fine with you choosing not to vaccinate your kids. Just so long as you school them at home and keep them away from the rest of us, so we don't get sick. Sounds harsh and unfair, doesn't it? The bottom line is, you don't get to risk the health of others to support your personal choice. The woman known as Typhoid Mary definitely caused the deaths of three people and the total could actually have exceeded 50.
* * *
Random Ponderings:
While I don't want to see the so-called Confederate Flag flying at the South Carolina Capitol, TVLand's decision to cancel Dukes of Hazzard because of the display of that flag on the General Lee is ridiculous. They show Hogan's Hero's, where we see symbols of the Nazis during WWII. They are just as offensive to me.
Katy Perry sang "I Kissed A Girl and I Liked It" and now Miley Cyrus was photographed kissing a girl. Did she like it? Inquiring minds and all.
Reelz network will broadcast the Miss USA pageant. I can imagine the audience will be way down from last year. All of the hosts and most of the guests/judges have bailed out. Will the Donald host it himself? Doubtful. I have this vision of one of Trump's assistants calling all the previous Miss USA titleholders to see if they're interested in hosting and all of them saying "no."
Katherine Heigl says she's learned from her public failures. She's had several, but I think she really has learned something. Maybe her past of being a serious diva/problem on set will stop and her acting chops will take her somewhere. I'd like to see that.
Would someone please tell Scott Disick that his 15 minutes were up over an hour ago?
When I was at the movies earlier this week, Magic Mike XXL was letting out as I walked through the lobby and I would have sworn I could sense the estrogen flowing through the air as all those women headed out of the auditorium.
A poll on TMZ.com on who is hotter, Caitlyn Jenner or Kris Jenner favors Caitlyn 58% to 42%. I'm only surprised her margin of victory isn't higher.
If it is true that the immigrant who allegedly shot and killed a woman in San Francisco earlier this week had been deported back to Mexico five times in the past, it is proof that we have a problem in how we deal with some illegal immigrants. It doesn't prove a damn thing about what Trump the Toupee said about Mexicans.
While my upcoming review of Terminator: Genisys will not be as negative as the majority of the film's reviews seem to be, the disappointing box office tally for this $155 million-plus budgeted film is extremely disappointing. Not all franchises will do well in reboot.
The Marvel cinematic universe lost out when they met with Ava DuVernay and couldn't make a deal for her to direct the Black Panther film coming out in 2017. They should have trusted in her vision. Whatever film we get will not be as good as what she would have created.
posted by me at 11:25 AM
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