Although I am a member of the ACLU , the views expressed on this page should not be taken as the views of the ACLU as a whole. Let it also be known that I am not trying in any way to insult those with strong religious convictions , in fact I would defend the right of anyone to practice any faith they so choose if challenged , but those who use it to defend hatred and bigotry , and bestow thier will on others who do not share thier beliefs by pushing unconstitutional legislation have got to get the f#@! out of our government. Also , there are references to homosexuallity , but do not jump to the conclusion that these are the ramblings of some militant gay . I am not gay , but I'll defend thier rights as much as I'll defend the rights of a born again christian to distribute reading material at a rock concert. They each have equal rights to under the U.S. constitution. Or at least they should.
A fifteen year old boy was interviewed by a local newspaper in Rochester N.Y. When asked about his thoughts about the Clinton scandal he replied ..." I am going to reserve judgement untill all the facts are known. Maybe we should be taking a closer look at just who is pointing the finger."
Smart Kid.
Just who is pointing the finger ?
The Republican party has a long history of digging in the dirt.... .
I think we should look at these facts :
1 . Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich - R has managed to block 36 of President Clinton's Judiciary nominees , leaving these seats vacant.
2. Mr Gingrich has a long history of attempting to make changes to the First Amendment that undermine individual rights , and the right to free speech.
ACLU Press Release: 01-15-98 -- ACLU Responds to Gingrich Challenge
3. Mr Gingrich is a known supporter of the Christian Coalition.
Christan Coalition Quotes "Really Scary"
Robertson Comments on Clinton Scandal
Read About the Religious Right
Excerpt from "Pat Robertson , The Most Dangerous Man In America "
4. Mr gingrich has a history of trying to mix religion and politics. This is strictly prohibited by the constituion. The first amendment states :
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion , or prohibiting the free exersise thereof "
So , In other words Congress has just attempted to change the constitution to suit their own religious beliefs.Or should I say the beliefs of a particular special interest group.
ACLU News Wire -- 09/17/96: Lawmakers Want Organized Prayer In Schools
ACLU Press Release: 10-28-97 -- House Panel Approves School-Prayer Amendment
This school prayer is all fine and dandy , providing you are a born again Christian , but What if you're Jewish or maybe even Wiccan ? Shall we be burned at the stake or just stripped of our constitutional rights ? Don't get me wrong , I don't have a problem with Christianity , my religion includes Christianity. I have a problem with STATE SPONSORED religion of any kind . Especially when the legislation is being backed by a group that is famous for RELIGIOUS INTOLERANCE. Who is to determine which students recieve funding , and which do not ? Congress ? He who buys a congressman the most expensive lunch , or pays for his vacation in London wins ? If you really take a look at how these school vouchers work you'll see that it is not taking into cosideration the beliefs or convictions of everyone involved . It is absolutely imperative that religious beliefs and politics remain in seperate spheres. It is the ONELY way to insure that every one is free to practice thier own beliefs without interference from religious extremists. Because of the fact that the Christian Coalition believes only thier way is right and every other belief is wrong it is my opinion they have no business playing around with partisian politics. They do not believe in a live and let live society , which is the basis of our constitution and the way it should be. We must realise that if you're Christain , Jewish , Islamic , Hindu or any other of countless religions we are all brothers and sisters and need to be tolerant of one another and let each other believe what they want to believe. Only then will we truly live in a free and peacefull society. If you don't understand what I mean be shure to read Christian Coalition quotes above. Whats more Mr. Ralph Reed , former vice president of the CC is now a political analyst and advisor for , guess who , the Republican party. He's putting into practice his stealthy campagn to help these radical right organisations gain control of our congress.
5.Both the Senate And the House are dominated by the Republican party , And the juditiary will soon be a puppet for Mr Gingrich and his special interest groups. Or should I say a special interest group and thier pet politicians.
What does this have to do with you ?
Northern Ireland is a perfect example of what happens when you mix Religion and Government !!! In the future with a one party government decisions on issues like abortion , free speech , affirmative action,racial issues,censorship and the like could be made by right wing religous fanatics either directly or indirectly .Is America ready for a Totalitarian Government ? I don't think so. I for one will not obey any legislation that infringes on my constitutional rights.I will not be told where and with whom I can have sex. I will not have my children told what religious denomination they should choose.I will not be told what magazines , books , and webpages I or my children can post or access.These are onely a few of the possibilities.
I am in no way condoning the President's alleged actions , but I will not condemn him for them either. The public and the press should take a step back and look at the reasons why and by whom this has been blown to such undue proportions...
Kenneth Starr .... This man is the absolute picture of what this country does not need. Why has he persued Clinton for so long if not for monetary or political gain ? Shurely you don't believe it's because Clinton has offended his moral standards. If you believe that , you've been listening to too much propaganda. Star has spent $30 million investigating the 20 year old Whitewater land deal , and now has 10 - 12 full time FBI investigators working on the latest allegations which were initiated by him , not Monica Lewinski . In alliance with the FBI he virtually abducted Monica and detained he for 9 hours , without a lawer. She did not , as most people believe , come forward with this... it was Starr that pried into HER life to cause the ruckus . 3 Months ago Starr was ready to close the Whitewater case and walk away , but suddenly gained new zeal in his quest to bring down Clinton , Hmmm, you don't suppose he might have been paid to change his mind do you ? What's more the tapes aquired by wiretaping and taped conversations were obtained ILLEGALLY. There was no court order, and the words ENTRAPMENT FOR EVIDENCE shurely come to mind . Anything she said on those tapes is heresay , nothing more . Imagine a future where your boss can engage you in conversation , then use a tape of anything you say against you when the timings right. Why don't we just put microphones and cameras in our homes and offices and let our employers or the FBI watch every move we make ?
Footnote : On April 2 1998 Kenny boy issued a subpoena against Barns&Noble and several smaller bookstores in Washington demanding Monica Lewinski's purchasing records. The ACLU is suing. Do yourself a favor and pay cash for all your books and magazines , and stop reading this militant leftist stuff on the internet , or they will probably wire tap your ass. Or you can do what I do and blatantly say F^%$ You and lobby the s^%$ out of congress to get this shit stopped NOW. And people have called me a communist ?Immagine a future where one could be convicted for having consentual sex with another adult based solely on your social status or sexual preferences. I'm not gay , but the fact that gays are still harrased and arrested for what they do behind closed doors is insane . The notion that our Government leaders should be held to a higher moral standard than the rest of us is rediculous. Leave that to our religious leaders , who by the way don't exactly have a clean track record either!
The press.... WHAM , a local radio station here in Rochester really put the whole thing into perspective this morning. When a caller asked , "why can't you shut up about the clinton crap and play some music or talk about something else ? " the talk show host replied ..."well, the problem is everyone want's to hear news about the Clinton scandal . If we don't incude that in our programming our ratings will go down." THANK YOU ! You have proved my point about the press better than anyone yet ! Who cares about the truth , all hail the almighty dollar . He who dies with the most gossip wins ! Aside from a few truly informed columnists and radio personalities the press has reduced itself to the level of the National Enquirer ... Tabloid trash designed to sell to people who's own lives are so boring or so screwed up they have to beat on other people to make themselves feel better. Wake up people , the future of our country is on the House floor this week !
Please read this
Lobbying Overview and Introduction
And then do this
Some funny stuff :)The World According to Conservatives
Some other sites of interest
This is a copy of a letter I sent to 80 congressmen and senators this week :
This is in response to censorship legislation being considered in the senate and The CELEA ( communications assistance to law enforcement act) that was approved by congress which requires that all internet and telecommunications companies provide for enhanced wiretapping capabilities of all communications . This means that the FBI and other authorities may engage in evesdropping activities on anyone at any time without the need for a warrant. This goes against all principles of due process and law. I have also heard comments made by members of congress concerning on line chat and e-mail and the need for regulations on individual conversations. This is ludicrous and will not be tolerated by the American people. Is congress trying to say that consenting adults cannot have a private conversation of a sexual nature online ? What's next , I won't be able to talk to my girlfriend in any kind of sexual way on the telephone? I think it's time congress got off it's moral high horse and got down to real issues. It is the responsiblity of the parent of a minor to insure that their child does not view explicit material and the rest of us should not have to submit to the will of a few overzealous lawmakers because of thier irresponsibility. There is blocking software available , they can buy it and use it. We have to realize that this is a multilateral assault on personal freedoms by people who prey on peoples fears . People fear crime , violence and vices are getting out of hand and are submitting to totalitarianism in return for security. That helped Hitler to take over Germany. It is important to fight against all censorship of the internet, writing, and broadcasting as well as prohibiting government access to our telephones, our mail, and our e-mail. When they win small victories over censoring pornography, it will be easier to later censor political or religious dissent. Do we have to reexamine our God given right to free speech every time a new means of communication is developed ? The fact that the English government censored the press upon developement of the printing press was one of the reasons the forefathers formed this great nation of ours and wrote the bill of rights and the first amendment. The fact that society has changed is no exuse to change the principles on which the country was formed. It is not up to the Government to decide what moral or religious standards the individual will live by. To do so will onely raise contempt . To insure a free society we must distance political views from religious ones , lest we fall into the same trap that countless other countries ( such as Ireland for example ) have fallen into . We must not let religious extremist groups( such as the Christian Coalition )who believe only thier way is right influence government policy . To do so would destroy democracy.Page still under construction...
