A progressive political blog that highlights the infringement of religion upon today’s government.

Across the country today women are wearing red to speak out against violence towards women of color. This is a problem in our country and across the world that needs serious attention. Click here or on the image to learn more about what you can do to help.

Here is what one woman, Aishah Shahidah Simmons, is saying about why she has chosen to wear red today..

I am wearing red because I am a survivor of incest and rape.
I am wearing red because I live in a City (Philadelphia) where a White Woman Judge Terri Carr Deni dropped all rape and assault charges in the case of a woman gang-raped at gunpoint. Because the woman was working as a prostitute, Judge Deni decided that she could not have been raped and changed the charge to “theft of services.” Deni later said that this case “minimizes true rape cases and demeans women who are really raped.”
On Thursday, November 1, 2007, in Philadelphia, there will be a Press Conference at 1pm Outside Municipal Court (Criminal Justice Center)1301 Filbert St. On November 6, 2007, I will voice my opinion to Judge Deni by voting “NO!” on her retention as Judge in the Municipal Court of Philadelphia.

I am wearing red because I am very clear that it doesn’t matter if you’re a stripper, a prostitute, a lesbian, a bisexual woman, a heterosexual woman, a single mother (especially with several children from different fathers), on welfare, a high school drop out, college educated, working in corporate America, working at a minimum wage job with no health insurance, or working in the film/music/television entertainment industry. Yes, I placed what some people would view as very different/distinct categories of women of Color in the same category because history has consistently shown me and all of us that if any of the aforementioned Black women are at the wrong place at the wrong time (which could be at any time), we, women of Color, will be left to heal our very public wounds alone.

http://www.notherapedocumentary.org/

Happy Halloween everyone! we want to wish everyone a fun and very safe night of trick-or-treating. Our merry band of pirates will be out in full force this year and its looking to be a lot of fun. We already have done the whole zoo thing and that went really well so I have high hopes for tonight. So no matter if you choose to celebrate one of the most enjoyable and truly secular holidays in America by dressing up and going out, or by staying home and passing out candy, we wish you the best.

On Friday a Jury deemed that in the name of justice Lisa Montgomery should be sentenced to death for the horrific killing of 23 year old Bobbi Jo Stinnett. Of course this is not the end of the line for Montgomery, there will be many appeals, and thousands and thousands of dollars spent fighting to have her sentence reduced to life in prison. However this sentencing for a crime so close to home has brought up the morality of the death penalty here in Kansas again.

The murder of Bobbi Jo Stinnett was as heinous a crime as any. The fact that Lisa Montgomery then went on to cut her baby from her belly after strangling her makes it even worse. The evidence is air tight and Lisa Montgomery has confessed to the crime.  But even with all that, is there any real justification for the death penalty? We know that the costs of execution are much higher than the costs of life imprisonment. We know that the death penalty has no effect in reducing crime.

So the question is this; is it ever really justice to kill? If you listen to the ravings of the religious right then it is not only justice to kill, but the deed should be done as quickly and brutally as possible. This may seem like a bizarre and hypocritical stand for the culture of life to take but they are always able to pick and choose bible verses to back up their beliefs. The most commonly recited is the ‘Eye for and Eye’ verse from Matthew 5:38-39 ..

Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.

No wait, that’s the wrong quote. See the problem with getting your morals from the Bible is that there is always another verse that says the exact opposite.  Jesus absolutely would not approve of the death penalty.  It does not relieve the grief, or reduce the loss for the victims families, and instead spreads the pain and loss to the innocent families of the executed.  I for one say that our government should not become a vassal of vengeance for grief stricken families and blood thirsty neocons.  I hope that in my lifetime I will see America join Canada and most European nations in banning this barbaric practice.

~ William ~

Whenever I hear a member of the Religious Right utter this phrase I have to laugh. Surely they must be kidding? No? They really believe that they are furthering life? Jesus Christ we’re in trouble.

It sounds so innocuous, wonderful, affirming. Most people want to be on the side of life. In Republican circles where it is very commonplace to find ignorant masses repeating rhetoric and sticking to ideals that they have no clue about, this phrase will get them going everytime. It lends them credence, lets them know that they are doing the “Lord’s” work.

They must then see those that don’t believe as they do and whom they oppose on many issues as being from the opposite culture, thus Liberals, atheists, gays, Democrats, and anyone else who is different are from the Culture of Death. Oooooh this sounds like we’re getting ready for an intergalactic war huh?

Not quite. Unlike our Republican friends we are willing to look beyond overused phrasing and see each side for what it truly is. When you strip away the armor of false advertising you are left with the side that wants us to give up our civil liberties in the name of safety, the side that does not want to see this nation’s children provided with necessary health care, the side that is not willing to spend an extra cent on the people of our country, the side that continuously allows corporations and the elite to feed off the backs of our working class, the side that sees nothing wrong with torturing and killing people as long as it is done in the name of their god or the war on terror, and the side that wants to continue the oppression of people with different colored skin, different sexual orientation or identity, or different religious beliefs.

Then there is the other side. The ones who wants to ensure that our children are insured, use diplomacy instead of weapons to solve international issues, promote education and knowledge to reduce the instances of STDs and unwanted pregnancies(thus abortions), make sure that our justice system is brought out of the Dark Ages and errs on the side of human life, work to bring jobs back to America so that our families can afford to support themselves, and many other life affirming values.

So which side describes themselves as the Culture of Life? The ones that in any other context would be the villains of a fairy tale. What’s worse is that they are extremely convinced that their god gives them the right to behave in this manner, to push their beliefs onto the nation as a whole. It is this mindset that has made the United States and international laughingstock and has other countries viewing us as an enemy of freedom.

The Right is exceptionally good at using language to manipulate their followers and others into believing what they want them to. It’s time that we call them on it and demand that they call themselves what they really are. The Culture of Hatred, Intolerance, Bigotry, Discrimination, Ignorance, and Murder.

After seeing that one of my state representatives voted against the SCHIP expansion again, after the revisions that addressed each of his “concerns” I became angry. I wrote the following letter to him and will keep our readers up to date on his response, if there is one.

At this point it seems that it is merely a partisan fight. They will not vote for something an overwhelming majority of Americans wants because the Republican leadership doesn’t want to go against the Republican president on such a big issue. An issue that is a bi partisan, majority supported bill for our frickin’ children!!!

Representative Tiahrt,

As a Kansan I have called every one of our Representatives, participated in several different vigils and rallies, and worked on my political blog to gain support for the SCHIP expansion. I was very disappointed to see that even after the revisions to the bill that addressed what your concerns were, you still voted against it in the last vote.

I have 5 children, will be working 3 jobs and my husband works 2. We are lucky that his main job offers us good insurance for our family. There was a time last year; however, that wasn’t the case. Now we have thousands of dollars in medical bills that piled up very quickly with the birth of our son and his subsequent illnesses. We made too much money to qualify for Healthwave and we couldn’t afford private insurance.

You are ignoring 81% of the US population that supports the SCHIP expansion, 71% of whom would support it even if it meant a tax increase. You see, even if our children aren’t important to you they are to us. Due to Republican leadership and corruption our health care system is seriously flawed. I had to pay $600 for my baby’s first check up and immunizations, something that is required by law but that we could not get assistance for.

I would like to know what your position is now for not voting for SCHIP. The revisions in the bill would phase out coverage for childless adults (most states don’t have this anyway) within one year, there would not be coverage for anyone making 3 times the federal poverty level, and it would require stricter checking of social security numbers.

Surely 35 billion dollars over 5 years is not too much money when it comes to protecting this nation’s children. After all, you and your party are only too happy throw billions more into the illegal Iraq war. Are the deaths of our soldiers and innocent Iraqis worth more to you than the lives of our children?

The United States is second only to Latvia for the highest infant mortality rate in modern countries. It is time to listen to your constituents and stop blindly following the failed leadership of George Bush and do what is right.

I thank you for your time and look forward to your response.

Summer R. Ludwig