Urgent Community Freedom Opinion Poll

The Springfield News-Leader is hosting a survey today, in regards to the happenings at Sunday's Springfield Gay Pride fest.

The wording of the survey makes it sound rather ambiguous, especially if one reads the article in the opinion section first.

While many may think they are asking if Springfield needs a gay pride festival, Christians on the streets praying for others, or neo-nazis, the actual meaning of the poll is to ask if Springfield needs to encourage and allow free speech, and peaceful protests.

There will likely be a good many people in our area who misinterpret the meaning of the poll and say that we do not need gay pride festivals or hate groups, but we need to make it clear that freedom of speech in our town is a vital and important right, and that we must retain all of our rights of expression in our town, and everywhere.

You can vote multiple times if you use all of the browsers installed on your computer seperately to load the page and vote. Each different browser form the same computer counts as an additional vote. If you ave multiple computers, use them too. By voting multiple times, you are ensuring that you are preventing those who misunderstood the question from having a negative impact on our community, and their own freedoms.

Anyone can vote in the poll, regardless of where you live, so go and vote yes on the poll. If you vote to maintain freedom away from were you live, you will be more likely to retain those freedoms at home as well.

Vote yes to freedom of expression and freedom of speech! You will find the poll midway down the page in the center column, slightly to the right.

The original article about the Pride fest is here

Do You Abhore Hate?

Come one come all to protest against hate, and support your neighbors!

This Sunday, the National Socialist Movement's Springfield unit is arranging to protest the 2009 Gay Pride Fest.

The gay pride fest is a small festival for GLBT individuals, their families, and their friends to mingle freely without fear of discrimination, once a year. Loaded with costumes, friendship, acceptance, and neat crafts and products, I myself have participated as a face painter, and found it to be a safe and joyous place to take my children.

This isn't about what you think or feel about homosexuality, this is about what you think of hate and violence against innocent people and children.

"National Socialist Party" is the newest fasionable name for neo-nazis, skinheads, hammerskins, white supremacists, and other hate groups.

The man who murdered others recently at the Holocaust Museum In Washington D.C. was affiliated with groups like the one in our town.

These types of groups generally do not seem to think that the brutal and senseless murder of "lesser beings" such as GLBT individuals, Jews, Native Americans, Pagans, Mexicans, Muslims, African Americans, or anyone else different from themselves is wrong. They think of it as a purification, a cleansing; some sort of positive force that makes communities "safer" for "true Americans". They mean, of course, only people and families of direct white european descent.

In Germany, they came first for the Communists, I remained silent because I wasn’t a Communist;

And then they came for the trade unionists, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a trade unionist;

And then they came for the Jews, And I didn't protest because I wasn’t a Jew;

And then... they came for me... And by that time there was no one left to speak up for me.*

There will be a strong yet discreet police force in place at the Pride day festivities, so individual safety at the event itself will be secure.

Do you want to keep our streets safe for all of the peopple in our diverse community, or do you want to sit idle and wait for them to come for your family once they've run out of other groups to victimize?

The NSM in the midwest are trying to make themselves look good by not getting caught breaking any laws, and adopting a street for litter cleanup, but they're still here, meeting regularly in our public libraries and spreading the toxic cancer of their malcontent troughout our community.

Here's what they say about their plans; "The Springfield Unit will be there along with other white nationalist and members of the community to let homosexuals know that they are not welcome in our town and we will not tolerate their "celebration"."

Erase the hate, silence the violence, and let peace blossom in the streets.

That's tomorrow, June 14th, from 1-9pm on Blane Street and Commercial next to the Glo Center. The address for MapQuest to the Springfield 2009 Gay Pride Fest is 518 E. Commercial Street, or click here for a Google map. The Nazis have not revealed the time they plan to come and form their wall of hatred against our GLBT neighbors, likely to prevent precisely what we are planning, but we will be there, en masse, all day long, and form a wall of loving acceptance for all of the members of our community in order to block the anger and intimidation they intend to aim at our neigbors.

To quote their own words; "Many complain about the NSM, but few are more active" They think they can do whatever they like, and fill our connunity with hate, making our streets dangerous for our children, and that we will not do anything to protect the safety of our homes and families except for saying a few pretty words.

Let's prove them wrong!

Let's get active and show them that Springfield is capable of enough comunity solidarity to drive out their hate!

Bring love and rainbows.

For full details from a supporter of these activities, click here.

*"First they came…" is a poem attributed to Pastor Martin Niemöller about the inactivity of Germans following the Nazi rise to power and the purging of their chosen targets, group after group.

Don't Let it Happen Here.

We Made THE Difference!

It's Obama, and Talitha helped!

Volunteering for the Obama campaign has taught her and her sister that no matter how young you are, even if you are too young to legally have employment, you CAN make a difference in the history of the world.

For the first time in history, we have an African American president.

For the first time in my life, The person I voted for made office.

For the first time in a long time, the activists, those with spirit and passion, made a change in the fabric of reality, in the path and future of the world at large, and the path our own, individual futures will take.

Today is a day of hope, trepidation, and jubilation.

Many are crying tears of joy, while others may cry out in rage and frustration, but today is a day of history. We are a nation of many individuals, with numerous ideals, goals, and beliefs, and today, we begin the process of coming together.

Let us all step forward from this moment, this day, nay, this year, in solidarity, to recall, support, and bring forth not only the power of this great nation, but the cooperation, love, and dedication that built our great nation.

With the most powerful sense of expectation, optimism, and anticipation, I pray we all will display the courage, faith, and determination to assure that our aspirations are met, by the strength of our spirits, and the sweat of our brows.

We the people made a real difference, let's not rest at this time, but continue forward on the path that we have set before ourselves.

Oh yeah, this guy is finally gone too.

It's time for a celebration!

Making Abortion A Non-Issue

How's that for starting things off hot for today's message?

Today is World Contraception Day! Time to take the kids that know about how babies are made aside, and talk about how to prevent babies, as well as the spread of disease.

Despite what many in politics and religion might say, the way to stop abortion isn't to stop mating, but rather to teach, to educate, and to make sure that all peoples not only are very choosy of their partners, and wait until there is a firm relationship with a deep and abiding love before engaging in physical intimacy, but ALSO to use a form of contraception, every time, unless they want a baby.

If we do it right, and teach thoroughly enough, our youth will, no matter their marital status, or our own parental dislike of their actions, at least protect themselves from pregnancy and disease if they do what we'd much rather they not.

And they'll use protection on instinct, as if there were no other choice but to do so when intimate.

If we teach them that it is the only way to be intimate, the only way to be safe, the only way to live their lives, and that nearly everyone uses contraception, but that it is those who don't that make us have to worry about diseases as well as pregnancy, then it will make a difference.

Studies have shown that abstinence-only education doesn't work at all to quell the spread of disease, and the ever-rising teen pregnancy rate. Sarah Palin's daughter is only a more high-profile example of this fact, and I'm sure Mrs. Palin is quite the devoted mother who taught her children all about abstinence, repeatedly.

But studies have also shown that abstinence education, along with a strong sense of self-respect, and knowledge of contraception if something does occur, is the best weapon against unwanted pregnancy and STIs.

When fighting a battle, is it not best to use all safe weapons at our disposal and ensure an even better chance of success?

There is no substitute for knowledge, for being prepared, just in case, no matter what or who you think your children are. One little moral mishap, no matter what your beliefs, or how strong they are, and your child too could be a parent before graduation. Don't you owe it to them to teach them the truth, so they may protect themselves if they stray from the straight and narrow path?

Is it not a parent's most sacred duty to raise their children to be strong in their morals and faith, while keeping them safe from harm? If you did not believe in driving a car, would you refuse to tell your child not to run out into the street?

And that is how you make abortion a non-issue, by merely teaching those you love about protection, contraception, self respect, personal honor, and abstinence. Only with all of the tools available without fear, without shame, and without judgment, can we have a chance of dropping the abortion rates.

For more information on World Contraception Day, including a quiz to help you find your ideal form of contraception, straight facts about the different forms of contraception available in these times, videos, and information and tips for the media, teachers, teens, and parents, please visit the official World Contraception Day 2008 website.

What you don't know can hurt you.

Action Alert: VOTE!

GET OUT AND VOTE!

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 7TH
Tomorrow is Election Day! We have the opportunity to make a difference all across the country.

I don't care how you vote , what your beliefs are, or who you vote for or against, I just want to make sure you exercise your rights. Remember, if you don't use them, they will disssappear.

I will be providing rides to the polls for those who cannot make it by themselves this year. It's not something that takes a lot of time or effort, and it helps out a lot.

Get out and vote! And if you have any extra time at all, get out and help some others do the same!

Tags: politics sign photo responsibility of citizenship register to vote vote voting volunteer election help out make a difference be heard

Urgent Action Item: Something bad is about to happen

Crossposted and copied directly from the DownsizeDC.org blog. (Emphasis added)

"Something bad is about to happen.
Only you can stop it, and the clock is ticking.

We hate to sound apocalyptic. We loathe the politics of fear (even if it works!). So we're not looking to scare you.

But you need to know that the end is near for "archaic" ideas like . . .
* the right to security in your home and papers
* the right to be free from unreasonable searches
* the safety net of judicial warrant requirements
* the right to a trial by a jury of your peers in a system of due process
* reasonable bail and recourse for false arrest
* protection from cruel and unusual punishment

Those were great ideals for "dead white men," but apparently your children won't need them anymore. Because, you know, the politicians need to protect you and your children from terrorism.

But the politicians need to get a grip, and a sense of proportion. You don't turn the country upside down for light and transient causes. You're more likely to die in your car, or be struck by lightening, than be harmed by terrorism. We don't fret about such risks, so why are destroying American freedom in the name of an even smaller risk?

A bill is about to pass the House. It permits unlimited spying on your internet usage and telecommunications, the Fourth Amendment be damned. For brevity, I'll call it the "Spying on Americans Act," or SPA for short.

The SPA is likely to pass the Senate too, but there we have a chance to stop it.
Under SPA . . .
* The President can spy on you without a warrant
* You'll never learn that his spys have done so, until they use the information against you (legally or not)
* Your phone and internet providers can't refuse to provide information about you
* Or tell you they've done so after the fact
The result will be more warrantless searches than in all of U.S. history. And if that history is any guide, it's only a matter of time before this power is used for reasons other than "national security."

The House may vote any minute. The Senate will likely vote Tuesday.
THIS IS URGENT!
I'll tell you what to do in a moment, but first, there's more bad news.

Congress also has a plan for non-citizen residents and ANYONE on foreign soil.
Senator Bill Frist wants to be your President, so he's pandering to the "my country right or wrong" crowd. He wants to leave the Senate with a bang. He thinks he can do this by combining the Tribunal/Torture bill with the Spying on Americans Act.

And the news on the Tribunal/Torture bill just got worse. There was a "lesser evil" version of this bill from Senators Warner and McCain, but Warner and McCain just rolled over. The new bill will . . .
* Allow the President to detain people indefinitely without charges,
* Deny detainees access to courts to challenge their detention or their treatment.
* Create special military tribunals with reduced standards of due process
* Deny detainees the protection of the Geneva Convention's Common Article 3
* Allow the President to define torture.

But you may not hear it reported this way in the media, because the politicians are playing clever games with words. Take note: The protections of Common Article 3 aren't defined in the legislation, so Congress can claim they've left these protections in place. But it isn't true, because now only the President decides what those protections actually are, and no accused person can even claim the protection of Common Article 3 before the special tribunals this legislation creates.

Nice trick. The protections are still there, but the President decides what they are, and no one can use them.

Do you want this President to have this power? Do you want future presidents to have it? Do you want to risk that these powers won't be applied to citizens as well, as soon as the politicians have the slightest excuse for doing so?

So here's what the Senate will face Tuesday . . .
* A bill permitting spying on Americans without a warrant.
* Another bill creating special tribunals and permitting torture.
* A proposal to combine these bills.

None of these bills will be read, and none of us will have a chance to review them before the vote happens. But they are likely to pass, because the Republicans control both chambers and their President is in big trouble. He's broken existing laws in a number of ways, and now he needs new legislation to cover his butt after the fact.

This shouldn't be possible in our system, but a court decision on the President's illegal spying opened the door for Congress to do this. We have no checks. We have no balances. The courts have failed to do their duty and the Republican Congress is a rubber stamp for a lawless Republican President.

Are we exaggerating?
Are we being partisan?
We aren't telling you the half of it.
This President has violated so many laws in so many ways it would take a book to catalog them. And we aren't being partisan because plenty of Republicans in Congress agree with us, they just need public encouragement to develop a little backbone.

This is your role.

These bills will pass in the House, but we need to have as many votes against them as we can muster. This will help us in the Senate. Senate rules make it possible for us to stop these bills in that chamber. YOU need to make a BIG NOISE. And know this . . .

You won't be alone. We're working with more than a dozen national organizations to make this BIG NOISE.

We need to pull out all the stops. Please, PLEASE, pay close attention to these instructions. DO ALL FOUR OF THE FOLLOWING THINGS AS SOON AS YOU CAN!!!

1) Go to the DownsizeDC.org campaign opposing warrantless spying: "No Warrant? No Search." Send a message to your Senators and your Representative. Tell them to resist in every way they can the combination of this bill with the Tribunals bill. Urge them to do everything in their power to block, stop, and/or filibusters this bill. And if it still comes up for a vote, tell them to vote NO, and that you'll be watching. The message to Congress for this campaign has been reconfigured to make this easy for you.

2) Go to the DownsizeDC.org campaign opposing the new tribunals: "No Torture! No “Star Chamber Courts!" Send a message to your Senators and your Representative. Tell them torture is un-American, useless, and counter-productive. Urge them to keep the warrantless spying bill separate. Implore them to do everything they can to block, stop, and/or filibuster this bill. And if it still comes up for a vote, tell them to vote NO, and that you'll be watching. The message to Congress for this campaign has been reconfigured to make this easy for you.

3) We have a targeted list of Senators. If your Senator is on the list, it's urgent that you call and leave a message ASAP. Remember, this vote is scheduled for Tuesday. Tell them you're a constituent. Keep it short, simple, and polite. Make notes before you call. Make the points already made in #1 and #2 above. Here's the list . . .
Idaho - Larry Craig 202-224-2752
Rhode Island - Lincoln Chaffee 202-224-2921
South Dakota - Tim Johnson 202-224-5842
Louisiana - Mary Landrieu 202-224-5824
Michigan - Carl Levin 202-224-6221
Arkansas - Blanche Lincoln 202-224-4843
New Jersey - Robert Menendez 202-224-4744
Alaska - Lisa Murkowski 202-224-6665
Florida - Bill Nelson 202-224-5274
Nebraska - Ben Nelson 202-224-6551
Nevada - Harry Reid 202-224-3542
Maine - Olympia Snowe 202-224-5344
New Hampshire - John Sununu 202-224-2841

Remember, this is urgent. We're about to lose precious rights. We need extraordinary effort. So I want to ask you to do one more thing . . .

4) Tell everyone you know to do the same thing. Pass this message to friends, family, neighbors, co-workers, and customers. Maybe they'll think you're un-patriotic for opposing torture and for mistrusting politicians with such great powers. SO WHAT! And if you received this message from a friend, and it's not Wednesday, September 27, 2006 yet, there's still time. Act fast and then pass this message to everyone you know.

Keep in mind, you're not alone. And we can still win by blocking this in the Senate. The Senate is eager to get back home and campaign. Most observers believe they'll pack up and head home Saturday. Delay the vote and we may stop the danger.

DC Downsizers, rise up and take a stand for the 4th and 8th Amendments. Do your part. We're counting on YOU.

Jim BabkaPresidentDownsizeDC.org, Inc.

Technorati Tags: politics Downsize+DC wiretapping warrant FISA torture tribunal Star+Chamber Warner McCain Geneva+Convention "

Fight the Right

I am one of those who subscribes to some of the mass mailings of those I generally disagree with for the most part, so that I can have more access to everything that is happening in politics. Whether i agree with the ideas of the many in any particular group or not, many times I find we are on the same side as well, and I wouldn't know to help if I didn't join their communication lists.

So today, I received an action alert from AFA (the American Family Association). Sometimes, I'll admit, I agree with what they are fighting for and I will join in on whatever campaigns I agree with, so it's not like I'm completely against everything they stand for, but for the most part, these people aren't Christians*, they are zealots bent on forcing everyone to their will and destroying the constitution.

Their new action alert says:
-------------
"ABC's Rosie O'Donnell told a nationwide audience this week that "radical Christians" are the same as radical Muslims who piloted hijacked jetliners into New York's Twin Towers, who chop off the heads of individuals and who bomb innocent children in suicide attacks. O'Donnell made her comments as host of ABC's "The View."

"Radical Christianity is just as threatening as radical Islam in a country like America where we have separation of church and state," O'Donnell said. She had been saying that America was attacked "not by a nation." She continued: "And as a result of the attack and the killing of 3,000 innocent people, we invaded two countries and killed innocent people." Even her liberal co-hosts were shocked by her comments.

Co-host Joy Behar protested that Christians are not trying to impose mass murder on America. "This group (radical Muslims) is threatening to kill us." Replied O'Donnell: "No, but we are bombing innocent people in other countries. True or false?"

O'Donnell was saying there is no difference between the radical Muslims who kill in the name of Allah and Bible-believing Christians who follow the teachings of Jesus.

Neither O'Donnell nor ABC apologized for the comments. Had she made similar comments about minorities or homosexuals, there would have been an apology, and she would have probably been fired.

The message from ABC is that bashing Christians is acceptable, even comparing them with murderers who kill in the name of Allah."
-------------
Of course, she said nothing about real Christians or Christians (or Muslims) in general, but quite a bit about specifically radical Christian zealots. And if she had said something about minorities who were into ballet or homosexuals who were doctors, those entire communities (all homosexuals, all minorities) would not interested in the statement, only those who it applied to would. The psychology behind why the AFA is in an uproar is simple, and I don't think I have to point out directly.

Then again, I don't think what she said was "bashing" anyone, but rather giving a statement of her personal opinion based on observed behaviors by the group she was speaking of that are verifiable by facts. Sometimes people can get so crazy.

Here's the letter I wrote to the president of ABC using their own activism software
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Dear President Frons,

The comments by Rosie O'Donnell deserve a standing ovation from all Americans! I completely agree that any extremist of any religion is dangerous and, indeed, even murderous. It is about time that someone with a strong public following stated the obvious facts that people who stone women for being raped, and people who bomb abortion clinics are one in the same as far as morals go.

Bowing to the cries of foul play by the extreme religous zealots who are emailing you en mass at this time will prove nothing but that you are a company who does not stand by the right of free speech and freedom of the press, but rather buckles under pressure from the very people who wish to rip away the rights of US citizens and destroy our constitution, one slow painful step at a time.

Please do what is right, and ignore the pleas of those bigots who would have you stifle the free speech of an American icon.

Brian Frons, President, ABC Daytime
ABC
47 West 66th St.
New York, NY 10023-6298
Primary Phone: 212-456-7777
Fax: 212-456-1424
E-Mail: Brian Frons, ABC netaudr@abc.com

Do you want to fight those who would take your rights away? Want a giggle along the way because you are using their own tools of political power against them? Join the AFA. Want to fight back on just this subject? Email the president of ABC yourself, and support freedom of speech! Every small step, no matter how silly, that we can stop them from making towards anyone's bigoted or negative goals, is a step towards preserving freedom for us all.

*My definition of Christian: One who attempts to, in all their ways, thoughts, and deeds, to be as much like Jesus Christ (as depicted in the Bible) as is humanly possible, and who always strives to be a better person using the tales of Jesus as a goal to strive for.

Defend the constitution and freedom for future generations. Isn't it the right thing to do?

Technorati Tags: James Dobson Focus on The Family AFA American Family Association Christian Muslum Rosie O\'Donnell Free Speech Activism Freedom of the Press Rights Constitution Zealot Radical Activist