Reading Between the Lines

I am going out on a limb now with some nit-picky analysis of the announcement that the Bush Administration is introducing 6 new regulations to allow religious organizations to receive federal funding for programs that provide community “services.” Claims to the kind of services are varied and unverified. What makes me cringe are the comments made by Jim Towey, the head of the White House faith-based office (and no this is not the group looking for WMD’s in Iraq):

"These six new regulations and the four finalized ones represent a continued march by the president in the faith-based initiative's effort to spread compassion in our country and make sure that the most effective programs are funded," said Jim Towey, the head of the White House faith-based office.

The bold was added. Now, “to spread compassion” sounds very close to “spreading the word,” one of the evangelical crowd's many rhetorical bumper sticker phrases. Additionally, with Mel Gibson’s movie out there called “The Passion”, then “compassion” could have a more obvious context. Now I am a reading into this quite a bit, but the language could have been constructed with more care, like avoiding “crusade” when talking about going after a group of Muslim extremists.

Not to be outdone with himself, Jim Towey continued:

"He wants to see results. This is not about funding religion, but about funding results and identifying the most effective providers and knocking down the wall that separates the poor from these programs."

It is not about “religion,” he says, but that depends on how one defines religion. I think my definition and his might differ greatly. His reference to “knocking down the wall that separates” is such very unfortunate use of language. That phrase was at best a Freudian slip, or at worse code words to Christian Conservatives looking for payoffs for their obedience to King George. What this policy is doing is knocking down the wall of separation between church and state. Direct or indirect funding of religion is a violation of the 1st Amendment. It is compounded in violation when the details of who is being funded and who is not being funded. I would how to see at least a few Pagan drug clinics funded, but I will not hold my breath.

The Hegmo's Creative Class Warfare

Please welcome a new blogger to the fray, Sarah at thehegemo.blogspot.com. She appears to be a Cincinnati blogger with an interest for the international, hockey, and music. Give her a read.

Wyatt Earp Eat Your Heart Out!

Well, the only good thing I can say about this pro-gun "protest" is that they at least are strapping on their leg irons. None of the conceal and carry pussy stuff for these guys. They don't just want you to be fearful they might have a gun, they wish to remove all doubt, and let the fear manifest it self in fact. Now this goes contrary to the protest leader's comments:

"I'd like for that 80-year-old woman walking down the street to be able to have a gun in her purse,'' Ferrier said. "It doesn't work the same if she's got it out where someone can see it.''

It has more of an effect. Which works better: the fear that someone might have a nuclear bomb in their garage, or having the nuclear bomb on their front lawn? Guess what, the bomb on the front lawn "works better," so to speak. Neither works better in the long run. Carrying around guns is not going to change society for the better. It will just make a few people feel more important and give the weak another crutch to live by. Crime will not go down because Grandma has a gun. Grandma will just end up shooting the next man who comes to her door mistakenly thinking he is a burglar. Fear is a two way street. It can motivate you and it can motivate others.

MIAMI 41 Colorado State 21

Love and honor to Miami,
Our college old and grand,
Proudly we shall ever hail thee,
Over all the land.

Alma mater now we praise thee,
Sing joyfully this lay,
Love and honor to Miami,
Forever and a day.

Details: MURedhaws.com,Enquirer, Cincy Post, DDN, Rocky Mtn News, Denver Post.

Miami Student's Failings

I sent the following email to the editors of the Miami Student today. I added the links:

To the Editors,

When reading the "MU ranks low for gay tolerance" story by Harper Lee yesterday (09-19-2003) I was perplexed by part of this quote used in the story:

“It’s conservative,” said senior Katie Hladky, a co-presidents of Spectrum, a student-run organization for gay, lesbian, transgender, and straight students. “When something like 60 percent of students are born-again Christians, they in general aren’t supportive of gay people or gay rights. This is not a good place to be gay.”

Now, Miami's student body tends to be more "conservative" than most public universities, that is a fact. Miami is home to a huge Frat/Sorority system that has never been strongly open to gays and lesbians, but 60% are "born-again Christians?" Unless things have changed in this society somehow in the nearly 10 years since I was at Miami, then I think Katie Hladky, co-president of Spectrum, lied. Compounding the matter both the writer and the editors from the Student failed to add a rebuttal or at least a clarification as to the validity of her claim. It is not like the statistic she quoted is somehow debatable. If she said maybe 25% or even 33%, then that could go unchallenged, but to slander the University as I believe she did with hat claim is really uncalled for, and it is a disgrace when the student newspaper facilitates it.

Additionally, the article refers to the Princeton Survey of what I believe was 351 of the top universities, based on a Student survey of 106,000 students. Now that comes out to 301.99 students per survey on average. How many students at Miami were actually in the survey? How many gay/lesbian students were in the survey? That may be difficult to determine, but how many members of Spectrum were in the survey? Was Katie Hladky in the survey? With comments that she makes about the university, it would not be surprising that she would rank Miami the 5th worst with her slanted views. If you want to know how many people are people are Ohio State Buckeye fans in the State do you spend all of your time in Columbus asking questions? Or maybe do you branch out. Did this survey do that? Where those questions asked? Why also was this survey the lead when it is a month old? If you want to run a GBLT story, just run it straight up, don't hide it behind the credibility of Princeton.

On a side note, from your editorial on tolerance the following sentence appeared: "Spectrum, Miami’s alliance of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transsexual and queer students annually sponsors Awareness Week." What is a "queer" as opposed to a gay, lesbian, or bisexual? Is this a typo, something "new," or just the appeasement of splinter group with a hang up on language?

As a Miami Alumnus who is a full bore social liberal, I find disheartening to see that ideas are toss out there without any forethought or at least an explanation as to their meaning or purpose. Gay/lesbian rights are very important, and something I fully support. What I don't support are activists trying to disparage people and places with falsehood in hopes of trying gain hollow support for their ever-changing cause.

Sincerely,
Brian Griffin
Class of '94
Cincinnati, Ohio

I don't like it when activists are treated with kid gloves, especially when they are allowed to make stuff up without even a short editors note.

Oktoberfest-Zinzinnati

Beer!!! Brats!!! Beer!!! What three words are more beautiful in the whole wide world of city festivals? This year should be the typical. I plan on heading down this afternoon. Drink a few, eat a ton of food, and take a few snap shots of the event. I might post one or two if they turn out well. What I will be paying attention to is the little yet loud members of the CJC who plan on protesting the event. Last year there was a slight altercation between the protestors and some patrons of the event. This year I expect nothing less. I would expect to see more security on Fountain Square. The altercation will not boil up until later on when people have had a few more beers. The protests will continue tomorrow, assuming all of the protestors don't wind up in jail. Tomorrow might be the more apt time for trouble. At 4 PM the "Chicken Dance" will take place and everyone and their Fräulein will be on the square, plus the football game with the always rowdy Steeler fans will just be ending, so a recipe for high jinks is ever-present.

For info on the event go Here. Plus the Enquirer coverage Here. Protest information is here.

Theocracy on the March in Ohio

A Findlay, Ohio state representative is organizing an effort to pass a bill to get the State of Ohio to establish the Ten Commandments (part of his religion) as the foundation "on which we base our ethical, moral and legal dilemmas."

I would hope this would only get the extreme Republican support, like my Rep. Tom Brinkman, but 15 other reps have signed on. This is political grandstanding taken to the maximum extreme. People are using their religion as a campaign issue. This is not This is a wedge issue. If you are not "Christian" enough, then you are not worthy of holding office, at least in the eyes of the fanatically pious Christian.

This effort should be opposed, but will anyone in state government have the courage to face down theocratic fascists? Religiosity is yet another test that is being measured as the basis of your character. In the past it was your level of anti-communistic fervor. Today it is both "patriotism" and religion. If you are not absolutely in support of both concepts, as has been defined by the GOP, then you are one of "Them," a treasonous atheist European. I proudly am very patriotic and proud of my country. I think the President and his government currently in power is horrid. I am an atheistic agnostic. I consider myself as honorable, ethical, “moral”, and any clergyman in the world. I guess I am one of “Them,” and increasingly I am glad that I am.


More coverage: NBC4Columbs, ONN.