Small Town Democracy in action. Here is a collection of youtube videos of the Cranston, RI school board meeting, discussing the possible appeal regarding the banner case.
To whet your appetite (watch it and love it):
Cuttlecap tip to Caution Church Ahead
This is what it looks like
When a mob of believers act out on their fevers
And act in the place of the law
This is what it looks like
When a person’s attacked for beliefs that are lacked
And when public emotions are raw
This is religion in government.
This is religion by force
This is the brawl when you tear down the wall
And the thrall of the mob runs its course
This is what it looks like
When the church and the state allow people to hate
With the force of the law on their side
This is what it looks like
When majority rules in the towns and the schools
And the fools force dissenters to hide
This is religion in government.
This is religion by force
This is the brawl when you tear down the wall
And the thrall of the mob runs its course
This is what it looks like
When the law of a nation holds no separation
And thinking some thoughts is a crime
This is what it looks like
And it wouldn’t be hard, simply let down your guard
And it’s only a matter of time
Context(s), after the jump: [Read more…]
It is so very sad, what the gays have done
To a wonderful person like Rick
They label him hateful, but he loves every one
Though the things that they do make him sick
Santorum believes that gay marriage is wrong
And the gays call that view an attack!
But “separate but equal” keeps straight marriage strong—
It’s ok to seat gays in the back
The horrible things that these activist gays
Do to Rick, are too awful to mention
When really, he loves them—he just hates their ways—
Homophobia’s not his intention!
Gays shouldn’t get married. That’s Rick’s point of view.
It’s not that he wants to restrict ‘em
But it’s there in his bible, which is your bible too…
Santorum is really the victim!
Weapons-grade projection, after the jump: [Read more…]
…and for those of you named Peter Palumbo, this post is an illustration of why Freedom of Religion must also necessarily be Freedom from Religion.
The cross on the hill was a beautiful sight
On the days when the sky was most bluish;
It stood for the soldiers who gave up their lives
Well, except when the soldiers were Jewish.
The cross on the hill, it looked rugged and old
Though the city maintained it as newish;
The congressman said that it stood for the dead
Well, unless they were atheist, Muslim, or Jewish.
The cross on the hill was a secular thing—
That’s a lie, but it kinda sounds truish—
The judge said it symbolized service and loss
Well, except for the Buddhists, the Hindus, the Pagans, the Jains, the Confucians, the Shinto, the Sikh, the Druids, the Wiccans, Baha’i, Hare Krishna, Zoroastrian, Scientologists, atheists, Muslim or Jewish. Or the religions of the tribal nations who once owned the land the cross is on.
The cross on the hill is religious, of course
Said a Judge who rejected the woo-ish
And it can’t be a symbol for everyone there
If it doesn’t mean Buddhists, the Hindus, the Pagans, the Jains, the Confucians, the Shinto, the Sikh, the Druids, the Wiccans, Baha’i, Hare Krishna, Zoroastrian, Scientologists, atheists, Muslim or Jewish. Or, you know, the indans. Or even Christians who don’t want a symbol, or use a different cross from the Latin Cross, or (fades)
Image by Will Fresch–wikipedia commons
Peter is a congressman; Peter swore an oath.
He loves both God and Country—but he cannot stand for both.
When Christians in his district want to break the nation’s rules,
Giving Christian prayer a special place, inside the public schools—
When Christians in his district want to violate the law,
And wrote those wishes publicly, which Peter clearly saw,
When Christians in his district threatened Jessica with harm
Did Peter see their lunacy as cause to take alarm?
No, Peter had the chance to disagree with what they said
But sided with the Christian mob that’s howling for her head
When Peter had to choose between his country and his king,
Chose Jesus, and called Jessica “an evil little thing.”
Peter…
You love both God and Country, but you’ve clearly made your choice
You could have done the proper thing—you could have raised your voice
You might have stood with Jessica—she’s right, you surely know—
You can’t serve both; you made your choice; it’s time now, sir, to go.
A decision that’s mostly expected
Puts the nix on your being elected
Though you might have it in ya
To run in Virginia
Your challenge has just been rejected
Headline: Judge Rejects GOP Candidates’ Request To Be Added To Virginia Ballot
District Court Judge John Gibney Jr. rejected their requests, arguing that they filed their challenges to Virginia’s stringent ballot requirements too late.
“They played the game, they lost, and then they complained about the rules,” he said.
Atheists! Look in your purse or your pocket;
There’s God on the money you carry around!
The motto is yours, though you atheists mock it,
And God’s how we know that our money is sound!
Your using this money is clearly hypocrisy
Atheists ought to refuse it—the fools!
Sucks to be you, though; our Christian democracy
Trusts in our God—and majority rules!
The courts say it’s legal, so quit your complaining—
No reason to get all your bills in a wad!
We Christians find atheists so entertaining—
Each time you use money, you’re praising our God!
Rant, after the jump: [Read more…]
As I wrote at the time of the court case…
This isn’t religious, it’s merely tradition
I’m certain our case will be met with approval
A secular prayer—just a trivial thing—
So we’ll fight tooth and nail to prevent its removal
The prayer was a gift from a class in the sixties
Its place in tradition just can’t be denied
This isn’t religious! It’s all about freedom!
And we’ll fight, with our secular god on our side
For decades, the mural’s been there in the hallway
And no one—not one—had complained it’s religious
The taunting and threats that this Jessica’s getting?
It’s her fault alone, cos she’s so damned litigious
She’s out for attention! That’s all that this is!
The god-hating liberal, atheist slut!
We good Christian people should teach her a lesson
How sometimes it’s safer to keep your mouth shut.
How dare she insult us? How dare she mock God?
How dare she belittle the prayer in the hall?
How dare she believe that the law’s on her side—
Remember… this isn’t religious at all!
All the good stuff after the jump:
[Read more…]
Image: Michael McRae
Having faced the new reality that money equals speech,
Now they babble by the billions at the folks they want to reach;
There’s millionaires and billionaires, each racing toward the right
And the even bigger moneybags—they’re keeping out of sight
As the voters mark their ballots, cos they know it’s what they ought,
There are votes that people earned, this year, and others that they bought
This year is Cuttledaughter’s first where she is eligible to vote (yes, I feel old, why do you ask?), and she is excited. Wants me to wait (polls have been open for a while now, but she’s still asleep) so I can keep her from getting in the wrong line or something. It’s nice to see the idealism, before it gets pulverized by repeated insults to intelligence over the decades.
As endorsements go, this one’s a beaut—
And it’s not just some guy in a suit
When you’ve got the First Dude
Your opponents are screwed:
Todd Palin endorses The Newt
Headline: Todd Palin endorses Newt Gingrich; Sarah Palin still undecided in GOP race
Favorite line:
He said he supports Gingrich, who was first elected to Congress in 1978 and served as the Speaker of the House from 1995 to 1999, because he’s not one of those “beltway types.”