The Usual Lunatics Weigh In

Overturning California's Gay 'Marriage' Ban::By Chuck Colson
Chuck Colson, Nixonite felon and christofascist, weighs in on the California Supreme Court's decision allowing gay marriage in the nation's largest state. He's rolled out the "judges overturning the will of the people argument."

The 4-3 decision announced Thursday not only legalizes gay “marriage” in the largest state in America, but it also overturns both the referendum of the people and the representatives of the people.

And yet, with a straight face, he goes on to suggest a remedy to this intolerable situation:

Now, the problem is that the people of California cannot overturn this decision. Even an amendment to the California constitution will not help now. It all boils down to this: the need for a federal constitutional amendment—and soon, before other states start doing the same thing.

So, we need a federal solution to "overturn" the will of the people if that will isn't approved by Chuck Colson?

The signs are that the Christianists have had their day. Falwell's dead, Robertson is demented, and Dobson seems content to merely brood over the fall of civilization. Colson's stale iteration of self-serving arguments is another sign of a moribund power bloc.

Vigilance & Vigilantes

Two men, each dealing with a foreign country. One is arrested but manages to send a text message, "arrested," the other, trying to enter the foreign country legally, is perhaps the victim of a problem in translation, resulting in detention.

The man sending the text message was out in 24 hours. The man lacking an interpreter is still held 10 days later.

The guy using his cell phone as a Get Out of Jail Free card is an American student arrested in Egypt. Using his cell phone enabled James Karl Buck to send text messages to his Twitter account. Twitter accepts text messages of up to 140 characters and can forward the messages to other cell phones while simultaneously making the message visible on the Twitter website. Buck's "arrested" was enough to alert his friends and start a series of interventions that seem to have produced his release 24 hours later.

On his way to the police station, Buck took out his cell phone and sent a message to his friends and contacts using the micro-blogging site Twitter.

The message only had one word. "Arrested."

Within seconds, colleagues in the United States and his blogger-friends in Egypt -- the same ones who had taught him the tool only a week earlier -- were alerted that he was being held.

The other poor sod is an Italian with "fractured English" trying to visit his American girlfriend. The ICE guys at Dulles International Airport thought Domenico Salerno had expressed fear of being killed if he returned to Italy and wanted political asylum. (Asylum? From Italy?) Despite being within shouting distance of his girlfriend at the airport and the efforts of Senator John Warner. Mr. Salerno remains in Federal custody, and is obviously handling this poorly, “He’s just really scared,” Ms. Cooper said in an interview last Thursday. “He asked me if Virginia has the death penalty.”

Neither of these detentions seem to be reasonable, in light of known facts. I do, though, find it embarrassing that Egypt, fercryin'outloud, is quicker to release people than the "land of the free and home of the brave."

Mixed Priorities

The Associated Press: Official: UN plane lands in Myanmar with aid after cyclone

Gordon Johndroe, President Bush's national security spokesman, said the U.S. was still working to gain permission to enter Myanmar. Another option being considered was air-dropping aid without permission, said Ky Luu, the director of the U.S. office of foreign disaster assistance.

But Defense Secretary Robert Gates later said he couldn't imagine dropping relief aid into Myanmar without the military junta's permission.

How did we get it this wrong? We'll wait for permission to drop food and medicine into a country devastated by natural disaster but bombs get an automatic greenlight.

Justice Is Blonde

Tom Teepen: High price, little payoff in D.C. prostitution case As Tom's thoughtful essay observes, DC Madam Deborah Palfrey was never equal to the attention paid her by the Bush Justice Department. Bushies often assigned resources for minor sops to the religious right. Sure, a few high profilers got snagged but c'mon: did this prosecution end prostitution in DC? What a waste, of lives and treasure.

ChristoFascists in the News

Minnesota Monitor:: In Minnesota, once-ecumenical Day of Prayer festivities are now by evangelicals, for evangelicals

I'm not a big believer, and usually have cynical reactions to the doings of publically-religious folks, like the fundamentalists of every denomination. It's stuff like this that reinforces my disbelief.

The "National Day of Prayer" is now the property of right-wing fuckwit James Dobson and his equally goofy wife, Shirley. Instead of an event that included all faiths, it's now a Southern Baptist mutual stroke-athon. To be part of the organizing or speaking for this "National" event, you gotta sign a loyalty oath to Jeebus:

I believe that the Holy Bible is the inerrant Word of The Living God. I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the only One by which I can obtain salvation and have an ongoing relationship with God. I believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, his virgin birth, his sinless life, his miracles, the atoning work of his shed blood, his resurrection and ascension, his intercession and his coming return to power and glory. I believe that those who follow Jesus are family and there should be unity among all who claim his name. I agree that these statements are true in my life.

Despicable but predictable. Who says the Pharisees are extinct?