Daily Archives: March 31, 2009

ACLU: “The American Civil Liberties Union today welcomed an announcement from the Obama administration that the United States will join the United Nations Human Rights Council, reversing a Bush administration decision to shun the top U.N. human rights body.”

“. . . attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund in lawsuits against officials who have attempted to recognize out-of-state same-sex ‘marriages’ in contradiction to state law.”

Times-Picayune: “There’s a hold on an order to put both fathers’ names on the birth certificate of a boy born in Shreveport and adopted in New York State by a gay couple.”

KPLCTV.com: “A Longville man remains hospitalized following a pounding at a local strip club. Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s officials say 19-year-old Chad Heath was in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

IndyStar.com: “A man wanted for a Far Southside bank robbery was arrested at an Eastside strip club on Monday afternoon. Joseph Dimaggio, 24, was at Brad’s Brass Flamingo, 4011 Southeastern Ave., when he was picked up by the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department.”

The Politico: “Tim Kaine, the Virginia governor and President Barack Obama’s hand-picked choice as the head of the Democratic National Committee, infuriated abortion-rights groups Monday by signing legislation that gives abortion foes a long-sought victory.”

Hillary Clinton: “The 20th century reproductive rights movement, really embodied in the life and leadership of Margaret Sanger, was one of the most transformational in the entire history of the human race.”

Don Feder writing at FrontPageMagazine: “When asked if fascism could ever come to America, Huey Long (the Depression-era governor of Louisiana) replied, “Sure, only here they’ll call it anti-fascism.” Hate-crimes laws are fascism in the guise of protecting minorities. They’re fascism in crime-prevention drag. They’re fascism in the name of combating bigotry and hatred.”

Terence P. Jeffrey interviews Michael Novak at CNSNews: “At the close of the American Revolution in 1783, Gen. George Washington composed a circular letter to the governors of all the states urging them to imitate ‘that Charity, humility and pacific temper of mind, which were the Characteristicks of the Divine Author of our blessed Religion.’”

Morality in Media reports on the Christian Newswire: In a 12,000-word reference piece posted to Morality in Media’s www.obscenitycrimes.org website (“Current News”), MIM President Robert Peters examines evidence that the proliferation of “adult pornography” (actual minors not depicted) on the Internet is contributing to sexual abuse of children and to other harms and asserts that the Association of Sites Advocating Child Protection (ASACP) is a front organization for adult pornographers who are “attempting to divert attention from their harmful and often illegal businesses and to portray themselves as responsible corporate citizens.”

Joel Stashenko writes at NY Law Journal: “Ralph Halpern, also a member of the State Bar committee, said the new rules 1.6 and 3.3 requiring lawyers to reveal client falsehoods ‘clashes with the common-law concept of the lawyer-client confidentiality.’ He predicted the validity of the new requirement would be litigated in the courts.”

“It is commonplace now to talk about the surveillance society. One agency after another becomes part of the mechanism, so we should not be surprised that schools are the latest instrument for checking up on families . . .”

LifesiteNews: “The California Medical Board has revoked the medical license of abortionist Nolan Jones, effective on April 20, 2009. According to the order, Jones falsified the medical records of two non-abortion patients, and violated his probation on other charges.”

LifeSiteNews: “Another archbishop and two more U.S. bishops have swelled the ranks of Catholics and conservatives who are expressing criticism of the University of Notre Dame’s invitation to President Obama to give the school’s commencement address and receive an honorary law degree May 17. Conservative pundit Rush Limbaugh also slammed the move by Notre Dame during his show on Friday.”

Patrick J. Buchanan writes at CNSNews: “Is Notre Dame still a repository, teacher and exemplar of eternal truths about God and Man, right and wrong, whose mission is to convey and defend those truths in a hostile world? Or has Notre Dame joined the secularists in their endless scavenger hunt to seek and find truth in the marketplace of ideas?”

Sacramento Bee:
“The group gathers weekly, but not to discuss their struggle to overcome addictions to alcohol, drugs or gambling. The group’s stated purpose is to rid themselves of unwanted same-sex temptations. There are about 200 similar groups in the United States. The assumption of these men is that if they can work through a childhood issue that they believe led them to being attracted to other men, they will be able to live as heterosexuals.”

The Marine Corps Times:
“Commandant Gen. James Conway is polling his generals on the controversial ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy. In a March 13 ‘P4′ — personal-for message — to all 82 of his general officers, Conway asks four questions, including this one: ‘How strongly should we, as an institution, challenge the ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy?’”

Today, the Center for Arizona Policy has prepared this fact sheet and forwarded

“. . . [Uwe Romeike] He had to pay fines equivalent to hundreds of dollars for his decision, and he’s afraid that if he returns to Germany, police will arrest him and government authorities will take away his children, who range in age from 11 to 3.”

lliance Defense Fund Senior Legal Counsel Steven H. Aden will participate in a press conference Tuesday regarding the introduction of the Prenatal Nondiscrimination Act by Rep. Trent Franks of Arizona. The bill would prohibit knowingly performing, or soliciting funding for, race- or sex-selection abortions.

Religion Clause Blog: “AFP reported last week that the Moroccan government has begun a campaign to counter activities that are seen as contrary to the “moral and religious values” of Moroccan society . . . According to Earth Times yesterday, the government campaign has now spread to countering Christian activities. ”

UC Davis Law Review: “At the same time, state policymakers should mandate and fund training on religion-clause issues for teachers and other school officials in order to advance a better understanding of these issues. Further, given the important role religion has played and continues to play in shaping ideas and institutions in our nation and world, schools must do more to find constitutional ways to ensure that the topic of religion is discussed, not dodged, in public education.”

The Christian Examiner reports: “Day of Truth students have the same constitutional right to express their viewpoint as any other student,” said ADF senior legal counsel Mike Johnson. “Unfortunately, despite using buzzwords like ‘tolerance’ and ‘diversity,’ many schools have censored students who want to peacefully express a Christian viewpoint.”

Pro-Life Philippines Foundation: “Alliance Defense Fund lawyer Roger Kiska told reporters that the law creates a category of rights far broader than any currently in force in the various nations of the EU. It also conflicts with Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which guaranties freedom of thought, conscience and religion.”

The Religion Clause Blog reports: “In Canada, Ontario’s Ministry of Transportation announced last week that it was revising its personalized license plate program to permit religious titles to be used on personalized plates.”

ADF Senior Legal Counsel Austin R. Nimocks. “All non-partisan research and plain common sense tells us that children need a mom and dad, so the issue is bigger than a ‘personal relationship.’ In the end, the question is this: Which parent doesn’t matter: a mom or a dad?”

TheBostonChannel.com: “Police in Holbrook are investigating charges against three minors who allegedly created a video of two of them having sexual intercourse while the third recorded it, then distributed the video to junior high students.”

Reproductive Health Matters Supplement: “This essay explores the context of both clinical and parental decision-making after ultrasound diagnosis of fetal abnormality, with emphasis on the Dutch situation.”

UC Davis Law Review: “This Article explores these competing strands of First Amendment law and proposes how to reconcile student religious expression within the public schools with the jurisprudence.”

UC Davis Law Review: “In sum, forcing faith-based student organizations to abide by school or university nondiscrimination policies does not significantly advance equality and nondiscrimination rights for sexual minorities.”

Courts increasingly confront legislative enactments made in light of scientific uncertainty. Even so, the degree of deference appropriate to this type of judicial review is a moving target, seemingly determined on an ad hoc, unprincipled basis.