US Congressman Duncan Hunter (R-CA) sent a letter to Camp Pendleton’s commanding officer Colonel Nicholas Marano indicating his support for allowing the now-controversial memorial cross to remain standing in order to honor four US Marines who fell in Iraq:
Majs. Douglas Zembiec and Ramon Mendoza, and Lance Cpls. Robert Zurheide and Aaron Austin..
What makes Hunter’s call unique, besides his status as a member of Congress?
He was there. Read more
Several news sources reported the US government position that “gay rights are human rights” and the “obstacles” in the way of homosexual “rights” are based on “religious beliefs.”
[US Secretary of State Hillary] Clinton noted that among the challenges facing LGBT people is “when people cite religious or cultural values as a reason to violate or not to protect the human rights of LGBT citizens…”
Secretary Clinton said Read more
Though the trend is arguably decades old, recent court cases and public events have demonstrated the apparent moral (and legal) confusion over sexual behavior in the United States (and elsewhere). Of course, when right and wrong are decided by the tide of opinion and relativism, it’s not unforeseeable. As noted below, the US Congress is even trying to redefine “rape” in the military context.
The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a denial of a habeas corpus petition by Paul Lowe, a man charged with adult incest with his 22-year-old step-daughter (Lowe v. Stark County Sherriff, No. 09-3942 (6th Cir. Dec. 8, 2011)). The decision cites a wide variety of cases, some supporting his position and many not. The court ultimately decided (as have others) there is no fundamental right to sexual conduct, even private behavior between consenting adults.
The court also said Lowe’s complaints the law was “morality-based” were Read more
Much has been made of Texas Governor Rick Perry’s latest campaign commercial saying he would “end Obama’s war on religion.” What is interesting is how he chose to characterize that fight against religion:
There’s something wrong in this country when gays can serve openly in the military but our kids can’t openly celebrate Christmas or pray in school…
Governor Perry associated the open service of Read more
Ian Smith of the Americans United for the Separation of Church and State has written a letter to Camp Pendleton’s commander joining Jason Torpy in his calls to have the memorial cross removed.
Americans United for Separation of Church and State has written to base commander Col. Nick Marano, saying the cross’s establishment on government property represents an unconstitutional endorsement of the Christian religion.
Ironically, or ignorantly, Smith undermines his own message: Read more
The US House Committee on Natural Resources has forwarded HR 2070 to the floor. The bill would add a plaque with a D-Day prayer by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to the World War II memorial in Washington, DC.
By unanimous consent, the Committee ordered the bill-H.R. 2070, known as the World War II Memorial Prayer Act of 2011, to be reported to the full House on Thursday to the displeasure of the Obama administration, which has criticized and opposed the bill.
The Bureau of Land Management’s director Robert Abbey expressed opposition, claiming such additions would
“dilute” the memorial’s central message and Read more
President Obama’s decision to avoid the word “God” in his weekly address “On Thanksgiving” has raised the ire of critics who say Thanksgiving was intended for that very purpose: thanking God.
For the record, President Obama did reference God in the annual Presidential Proclamation of Thanksgiving, though he did so only once in the first person: Read more
After being repeatedly called out for decrying one cross and not others, atheist and former Army Captain Jason Torpy, of the Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers, finally addressed the “controversial” issue of Arlington National Cemetery:
Other memorials are biased toward Christianity and ought properly to be removed to private property. The Camp Pendleton cross is just one of many…
The Argonne Cross at Arlington, a 1921 monument erected “In memory of our men in France” also excludes all non-Christians. This cross now memorializes a time when our military had nearly no recognition for anyone not Christian and was segregated by both race and gender…
In deciding to include the Argonne Cross with others “to be removed,” this initially seems like an opportunity to applaud Torpy’s intellectual Read more