Alabama families set record for adopting foster children
A record number of children from Alabama’s foster care system found permanent homes during the 2018 fiscal year, Gov. Kay Ivey announced today.
There were 710 foster children adopted during the year that ended Sept. 30, up from 509 in fiscal year 2017 and 502 in 2016. The previous record was 676 foster children adopted in fiscal year 2009, according to the Alabama Department of Human Resources, which oversees the foster care system.
“It sends a strong, wonderful message to all the foster care children in our state,” Ivey said at a news conference at the Capitol, where she posed for photos with children and their families.
There are about 6,375 children in foster care in Alabama. DHR Commissioner Nancy Buckner said about 70 percent of foster children return to their biological families.
“But those that don’t, they need their own loving caring, permanent family and that’s what it’s all about,” Buckner said.
Buckner said there were probably about 250 children in the system in need of adoption for whom DHR has not found an adoptive resource. Those are children whose parents have lost their parental rights. The number of children in that situation has been fairly stable -- 234 at the end of fiscal 2016 and 236 at the end of 2015.
Buckner said the increase in adoptions in 2018 is the result of a joint effort that involves juvenile courts, probate judges, DHR and other partners.
President Trump Issues New Rule to Protect Conscience Rights of People Who Oppose Abortion
Pro-life groups praised the Trump administration on Friday for proposing changes to an old Obama-era rule that threatened the conscience rights of people who oppose abortions.
The new rule applies to the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare. It clarifies that the federal definition of sex discrimination does not include abortion and makes sure the health care law complies with conscience protection laws.
Under the Obama administration in 2016, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a rule that defined sex discrimination to include a “termination of pregnancy,” or abortion, according to the department.
The change jeopardized conscience protections for medical workers and others who oppose the killing of unborn babies. Later that year, a federal court in Texas blocked the rule from being enforced, saying it likely was unlawful.
Fox News reports: “In the Texas case, a Catholic hospital system, several states and a Christian medical association argued that the rule went beyond the law as written and would coerce providers to act against their medical judgment and religious beliefs.”
Now, the Trump administration wants to end the Obama-era rule completely.
“When Congress prohibited sex discrimination, it did so according to the plain meaning of the term, and we are making our regulations conform,” HHS Office for Civil Rights Director Roger Severino said Friday in a statement. “The American people want vigorous protection of civil rights and faithfulness to the text of the laws passed by their representatives.”
I Was Conceived in Rape, I’m The 1% They Exploit to Justify 100% of Abortions
Iowa. Kentucky. Mississippi. Ohio. Georgia. Alabama. What do these states have in common? Courage and compassion. They’ve passed Heartbeat bills (Missouri and Louisiana are on their way), banning the brutal act of abortion once a heartbeat can be detected in unborn children.
I love how mainstream media is trying to spin this as a male versus female political fight (well, at least they’re admitting that there are only two genders). They ignore all the prolife women in this fight—the ones who run the majority of prolife organizations and the ones fighting in state and federal legislatures who reject the violence of abortion.
All across the Twittersphere, pro-abortion activists are tweeting in ALL CAPS: NO UTERUS, NO SAY!!! Funny. Didn’t seven men in black robes deliver the violence of Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton in the first place? Guess that’s an acceptable form of “patriarchy.”
CBS News laments: “Alabama just criminalized abortions—and every single yes vote cast by a white man.” Gasp! Didn’t know it was a crime to be a white male politician.
Didn’t all white men (91% of Republican white men and a smaller 60% of Democrat white men) make women’s right to vote, the 19th Amendment, a reality?
USA Today asks: “25 Men voted to ban abortion in Alabama. Do they reflect the rest of America?”. It starts off with more alarmist language: “25 white male Republicans in Alabama voted to ban abortion at every stage of pregnancy.” There those Radical Republicans go again, believing we’re all created equal.
Didn’t all white male Republicans vote to abolish the injustice of slavery?
A Thousand Pro-Life Protestors Pray outside Planned Parenthood in Philadelphia
At 1144 Locust Street in Philadelphia, in front of a Planned Parenthood abortion clinic, at least a thousand pro-life protestors gathered on the spot where, one week ago, state representative Brian Sims filmed himself harassing a peaceful woman praying outside the clinic.
“She is an old white lady, who is going to try to avoid showing you her face,” Sims said of the woman from behind the camera, angling it to capture her on tape. He then harassed her for several minutes, calling her “disgusting” and “racist,” and repeating “shame on you.” At one point, he asked viewers to identify her and give her address so that he could protest outside her house.
Sims also filmed himself several weeks ago harassing pro-life teenage girls who were peacefully protesting on the sidewalk, offering viewers $100 to identify them.
After Sims tweeted the video last weekend of himself bullying the older woman, the incident received national coverage from conservative media and pro-life commentators, leading Daily Wirewriter Matt Walsh to suggest on Twitter that pro-life people respond with a rally in Philadelphia.
The response was overwhelming, and almost overnight, pro-life groups such as Live Action jumped in to organize the event. At 11 a.m. this morning, close to a thousand opponents of abortion gathered on the street and sidewalk, which was blocked off by police cars. Planned Parenthood clinic volunteer escorts stood on the corners, and one told National Review he was there to make sure women who wanted to get into the clinic would be able to do so.
Missouri May Become First Abortion-Free State, Last Abortion Clinic May be Shut Down
The last abortion clinic in the state of Missouri may shut down this week and its closing may have nothing to do with the new pro-life law the state legislature passed to ban abortions.
Currently the only abortion facility doing abortions on unborn babies in the state of Missouri is located in St Louis and run by the Planned Parenthood abortion business. Planned Parenthood officials said Tuesday that the abortion center may have to close down because the state Health Department may refuse to issue a new license for the abortion business.
In a statement, Planned Parenthood said Missouri’s health department is “refusing to renew” its annual license to provide abortion in the state. If the license is not renewed by May 31, Missouri would become the first state without a functioning abortion clinic since 1973 when Roe v. Wade was decided.
Planned Parenthood officials said Tuesday they would discuss “how the state is about to force the last remaining health center that provides abortion to stop providing services” during an 11 a.m. press call. The group cited “recent intimidation” by the Department of Health and Senior Services.
Dr. Randall Williams, director of DHSS, told the Post-Dispatch that the license for the clinic expires on Friday. He said the state would make a decision at that time on whether to renew the facility’s license.
Williams said he could not comment on Planned Parenthood’s application, but said the group turned in its license-renewal application around May 18, later than the clinic had in previous years.
A Columbia, Missouri Planned Parenthood facility already lost its state license.
Many of the world’s most persecuted Christians have nothing whatsoever to do with colonialism or missionaries. Those most faced with the threat of genocide — including Syria’s and Iraq’s Assyrians or Egypt’s Copts — were Christian several centuries before the ancestors of Europe’s colonizers became Christian and went missionizing
The BBC report highlights “political correctness” as being especially responsible for the West’s indifference….
Among the worst persecutors are those that rule according to Islamic law, or Sharia — which academics such as Georgetown University’s John Esposito insist is equitable and just. In Afghanistan (ranked #2), “Christianity is not permitted to exist.””Christian persecution ‘at near genocide levels,'” the title of a May 3 BBC report, cites a lengthy interim study ordered by British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt and led by Rev. Philip Mounstephen, the Bishop of Truro.According to the BBC report, one in three people around the world suffer from religious persecution, with Christians being “the most persecuted religious group”. “Religion ‘is at risk of disappearing’ in some parts of the world,” it noted, and “In some regions, the level and nature of persecution is arguably coming close to meeting the international definition of genocide, according to that adopted by the UN.”
British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt is also quoted on why Western governments have been “asleep” — his word — concerning this growing epidemic:
“I think there is a misplaced worry that it is somehow colonialist to talk about a religion [Christianity] that was associated with colonial powers rather than the countries that we marched into as colonisers. That has perhaps created an awkwardness in talking about this issue—the role of missionaries was always a controversial one and that has, I think, also led some people to shy away from this topic.”
Whatever the merits of such thinking, the fact is that many of the world’s most persecuted Christians have nothing whatsoever to do with colonialism or missionaries. Those most faced with the threat of genocide — including Syria’s and Iraq’s Assyrians or Egypt’s Copts — were Christian several centuries before the ancestors of Europe’s colonizers became Christian and went missionizing.
The BBC report highlights “political correctness” as being especially responsible for the West’s indifference, and quotes Hunt again in this regard: “What we have forgotten in that atmosphere of political correctness is actually the Christians that are being persecuted are some of the poorest people on the planet.”
Although the BBC report has an entire heading titled and devoted to the impact of “political correctness,” ironically, it too succumbs to this contemporary Western malady. For while it did a fair job in highlighting the problem, it said nothing about its causes — not one word about who is persecuting Christians, or why.
The overwhelming majority of Christian persecution, however, evidently occurs in Muslim majority nations. According to Open Doors’ World Watch List 2019[WWL], which surveys the 50 nations where Christians are most persecuted, “Islamic oppression continues to impact millions of Christians.” In seven of the absolute worst ten nations, “Islamic oppression” is the cause of persecution. “This means, for millions of Christians—particularly those who grew up Muslim or were born into Muslim families—openly following Jesus can have painful consequences,” including death.
Among the worst persecutors are those that rule according to Islamic law, or Sharia — which academics such as Georgetown University’s John Esposito insist is equitable and just. In Afghanistan (ranked #2) , “Christianity is not permitted to exist,” says the WWL 2019, because it “is an Islamic state by constitution, which means government officials, ethnic group leaders, religious officials and citizens are hostile toward” Christians. Similarly, in Somalia, (#3), “The Christian community is small and under constant threat of attack. Sharia law and Islam are enshrined in the country’s constitution, and the persecution of Christians almost always involves violence.” In Iran (#9), “society is governed by Islamic law, which means the rights and professional possibilities for Christians are heavily restricted.”
Equally telling is that 38 of the 50 nations making the WWL 2019 are Muslim majority.
Perhaps the BBC succumbed to silence concerning the sources of Christian persecution — that is, succumbed to “the atmosphere of political correctness” which it ironically highlighted — because in its own report, it did not rely on the WWL. The problem with this interpretation is that the study the BBC did rely on, the Bishop of Truro’s, is saturated with talk concerning the actual sources of Christian persecution. In this regard, the words “Islam” and “Islamist” appear 61 times; “Muslim” appears 56 times in this review on persecuted Christians.
Here are a few of the more significant quotes from the Bishop of Truro’s report:
“The persecution of Christians is perhaps at its most virulent in the region of the birthplace of Christianity—the Middle East & North Africa.”
“In countries such as Algeria, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Syria and Saudi Arabia the situation of Christians and other minorities has reached an alarming stage.”
“The eradication of Christians and other minorities on pain of ‘the sword’ or other violent means was revealed to be the specific and stated objective of [Islamic] extremist groups in Syria, Iraq, Egypt, north-east Nigeria and the Philippines.”
“[T]here is mass violence which regularly expresses itself through the bombing of churches, as has been the case in countries such as Egypt, Pakistan, and Indonesia.”
“The single-greatest threat to Christians [in Nigeria] … came from Islamist militant group Boko Haram, with US intelligence reports in 2015 suggesting that 200,000 Christians were at risk of being killed… Those worst affected included Christian women and girls ‘abducted, and forced to convert, enter forced marriages, sexual abuse and torture.'”
“An intent to erase all evidence of the Christian presence [in Syria, Iraq, Egypt, north-east Nigeria and the Philippines] was made plain by the removal of crosses, the destruction of Church buildings and other Church symbols. The killing and abduction of clergy represented a direct attack on the Church’s structure and leadership.”
“Christianity now faces the possibility of being wiped-out in parts of the Middle East where its roots go back furthest. In Palestine, Christian numbers are below 1.5 percent; in Syria the Christian population has declined from 1.7 million in 2011 to below 450,000 and in Iraq, Christian numbers have slumped from 1.5 million before 2003 to below 120,000 today. Christianity is at risk of disappearing, representing a massive setback for plurality in the region.”
The BBC should be commended for (finally) reporting on this urgent issue — even if it is three years behind the times. As the Truro report correctly observes, “In 2016 various political bodies including the UK parliament, the European Parliament and the US House of Representatives, declared that ISIS atrocities against Christians and other religious minority groups such as Yazidis and Shi’a Muslims met the tests of genocide.”
At the very least, it appears that the BBC has stopped trying to minimize the specter of Christian persecution as it did in 2013, when this situation was just starting to reach the boiling point.
Socialism is trending in America – Here's what the younger generation needs to know
Socialism is trending in America. Politicians once ran from the term; now more embrace it. And polls show younger people are favoring it.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., won a seat in Congress by promising free health care for all, free college tuition, and something called climate justice. According to her Green New Deal, climate justice includes a government-guaranteed “basic income” for everyone, including all those “unwilling to work.”
Unfortunately, something-for-nothing socialist rhetoric has a strong appeal. A recent Gallup survey found more than half of America’s young people have a positive view of socialism.
So why is socialism gaining popularity?
Part of the reason lies in our schools. Socialism has failed everywhere it has been tried – from the former Soviet Union and to Mao’s China – and killed tens of millions through violence and starvation in the process.
Yet students get little of that history today. Instead, they are often taught the evils of capitalism – that it creates inequality, rewards the privileged few at the expense of the many, and is an engine of oppression and exploitation of the masses. This perverse indoctrination is echoed and amplified in the media.
In truth, capitalism has done more to lift the world out of poverty than any other economic system ever devised. Over the last 25 years, the spread of policies that promote economic freedom has cut the global poverty rate by two thirds.
And capitalism does more than “just” improve general prosperity. Academic studies show that economic freedom is also strongly correlated with greater individual freedom, better health, more educational options, and a cleaner environment. In other words, all the things that socialism promises but can’t deliver.
How did socialism become okay in America? Through the schools
How did socialism become mainstream? Look no farther than modern-day socialism's roots: Marxism. When one observes the modern political scene occupied by the likes of Bernie Sanders and Kamala Harris, one observes nothing but modern-day Marxism. When one observes the modern-day college campus, one observes nothing but the Marxist-leftist indoctrination of America's youth.
When Marxism is considered, it is often viewed through an economic lens. Karl Marx's ideas of historical materialism, the exploitation of the proletariat by the bourgeoisie, and class-based division are staples of American collegiate academia. Any second-year university student, no matter his degree path, has already been taught from the enlightened minds of Marx and Engels. However, what if these ideas of Marxism go much deeper than mere economics? What if Marxist philosophy has extended to every facet of the American college campus?
To some, this idea might seem preposterous and a manufactured right-wing conspiracy. To any politically moderate or conservative student, it's a living reality.
While socialist and Marxist-influenced ideas have spread throughout the corridors of America and thus led to the election of such prominent democratic socialists as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Rashida Tlaib, many Americans don't realize how deep an impact Marxist ideas have made culturally — namely, on college campuses.
The Frankfurt School was a movement of far-left European philosophers who sought (among many other things) to apply the ideas of Marx in a social context. What developed from this school was Critical Theory, which is ultimately a re-envisioning of the way the world is seen. The Frankfurt School rejected objective truth and the historical records of humanity and objected to any form of objective knowledge. According to Claudio Corradetti of the University of Rome, this can be said of the Frankfurt School: "on the basis of Habermasian [a Frankfurt School philosophy] premises, indeed, there can be no objective knowledge[.] ... Since knowledge is strictly embedded in serving human interests, it follows that it cannot be considered value-neutral and objectively independent." With this statement comes the basis of the identity politics–centered culture. There is no longer objectivity in the sciences or arts, and everything becomes an element of interpretation. Knowledge, according to Marxist thought, can be manipulated to serve a purpose, and that is what the left is actively doing. While this idea that objective knowledge is no longer accepted might seem like nonsense, these ideas are prominent in far-ranging academic subjects from the arts to the sciences. In turn, these ideas are captivating campuses and infecting students everywhere.
By now you've most likely seen the polls reporting that roughly half of Millennials have a favorable view of Socialism and you're probably wondering how in the world that is possible. Didn't America win the Cold War?
Well, yes, we did win the Cold War, but we're losing the culture war.
As I was discussing the rising Socialist leanings of city councils with a reader of Intellectual Takeout, I made the point that what is happening now is the result of what was done over many decades. Americans didn't just become Socialists all of a sudden; no, the way was prepared for its rising popularity.
Now, not a few conservatives or libertarians will comfort themselves with the knowledge that many Millennials who view Socialism favorably can't actually define it. Politically, though, that doesn't matter.
What matters is how the typical Millennial perceives Socialism, as that will dictate how he votes at election time. If I have a favorable view of Socialism, then I'm quite likely to vote for the Socialist -- no matter that I can't define the ideology.
And how is Socialism perceived? As a system of governance that is fair, makes sure everyone is materially secure, gives purpose to life, and increases happiness.
Here are five reasons that such a system appeals so well to younger Americans:
1. Broken Homes: While our cultural elites want to ignore the problem, the shattering of the family unit over the last forty years has psychologically scarred many Americans. Homes without both biological parents in them, especially those without a father present, significantly increase the chances of depression and anxiety for the children as well as leave them wrestling with abandonment issues for life.
Are we surprised that a generation of Americans who grew up in broken homes are seeking an ideology that offers them security?
2. Education: As we and other pundits have warned, the education received in many a public school (and even private schools) intellectually forms students to view the world through a prism that makes Socialism appealing.
For instance, when teaching U.S. History, the themes emphasized the most are usually the Progressive Era and its fights against capitalism as well as the importance of pursuing equality, starting with the Declaration of Independence. Nor is the indoctrination limited to History or Civics classes, examples abound of Socialist-friendly school cultures and teaching lessons in almost all subjects.
3. Demise of Christianity: In America, Christianity has traditionally been one of the driving forces shaping our culture. It gave us a sense of purpose in life, helped us govern our passions, united us, and, even, gave us meaning in suffering. All that has largely been washed away, leaving a void in many a young American's life.
These days, too many of us want to be a part of something bigger than ourselves, but not something that asks too much of us. Rather, we want something that serves us.
4. Creative Destruction: Let's face it, capitalism is scary for a lot of people. When will the next recession hit? Will someone make a product that makes my business obsolete? What happens if I lose my job? How will I pay my school loans and afford a house? And on and on the worries go.
A free society and economy require people who have the self-assuredness, self-control, and strength of will to fend for themselves. Once a free society gives itself over to desires for security, be prepared for freedom to diminish.
5. Decadence: Obviously, we have more material wealth now than at any point in human history. Most Americans have grown up never wanting for the basics. Our grocery stores are always stocked, the latest technology is always available, we can communicate across vast distances, the car and airplane are commonplace, and we rarely have to sacrifice.
A special session on House Speaker Glen Casada's future is a real possibility. Here's what you need to know
Now that the majority of House Republican Caucus members said they have no confidence in Speaker Glen Casada's leadership, unless he steps down, talk of a special legislative session is heating up.
Indeed, late Monday evening, Republican Gov. Bill Lee said that he is prepared to call a special session if Casada does not resign as speaker.
"Today House Republicans sent a clear message, and I'm prepared to call a special session if the Speaker doesn't resign," Lee said in a statement.
So what does all the talk of a special session of the Tennessee General Assembly mean? Here's your primer:
What is a special session?
A special session, also known as an "extraordinary session," is when the General Assembly convenes to take up a particular issue.
In this case, it would likely be whether to expel Casada from the House of Representatives.
Tennessee's first special session was held in 1796, the year it became a state, when members returned to Nashville to elect representatives to Congress.
As Casada Says He’ll Work to Regain Confidence, House Republican Leadership Calls for Casada to Step Down and Governor Lee to Call Special Session
In response to the State House Republican Caucus meeting which delivered a 45-24 vote of no confidence in Glen Casada (R-Franklin) continuing as Speaker, Casada and House Republican leadership issued divergent statements.
Casada, who has been under tremendous public scrutiny as the first year of the 111th Tennessee General Assembly came to a close with him as the Speaker, after receiving 75 votes in January including two from Democrats, as sexist and racists texts involving his now-former Chief of Staff and another staffer from 2016 came to light.
Along with the texts, there were allegations of modifying the date of an email in an effort to frame activist Justin Jones who was restricted from being in the presence of Casada following assault charges, followed by accusations of surveillance of committee rooms in the Cordell Hull legislative office building, installation of white noise machines in the Speaker’s office, and attempting to influence the outcome of a House Ethics Committee advisory opinion.
In a three-hour, closed-to-the-public meeting held Monday, the House Republican Caucus emerged with a 49-24 secret vote on a resolution of no confidence in Casada as Speaker.
Shortly after, Casada issued a very brief statement:
I’m disappointed in the results of today’s caucus vote. However, I will work the next few months to regain the confidence of my colleagues so we can continue to build on the historic conservative accomplishments of this legislative session.
Gov. Bill Lee says he will call special session if Speaker Glen Casada does not resign
Following a vote of no confidence Monday by the House Republican caucus, Gov. Bill Lee says he will call the legislature back for a special session if Speaker Glen Casada does not resign.
"Today House Republicans sent a clear message, and I'm prepared to call a special session if the Speaker doesn't resign," Lee said in a statement Monday night.
The House Republican Caucus held a meeting on Monday where members voted 45-24 that they no longer had confidence in Casada's leadership.
Lee's remarks were his strongest to date on the controversy surrounding Casada, who is in the middle of a scandal involving misogynistic texts traded with his former chief of staff Cade Cothren.
While House Majority Leader William Lamberth earlier in the evening had called on Casada to resign and for the Republican governor to call a special session, soon after Lee's announcement, the rest of the House Republican leadership announced they, too, wanted Casada gone.
Lamberth, R-Portland and Caucus Chairman Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville, had throughout the last two weeks withheld giving any strong opinion on what they believed should happen to Casada.
Tennessee Republicans Declare They’ve Lost Faith In House Speaker Glen Casada
Tennessee Republicans declared Monday that they've lost faith in House Speaker Glen Casada after an unprecedented vote by rank-and-file GOP members.
Senior Republican leaders released a letter calling on Casada to resign, and Gov. Bill Lee announced he's ready to call a special session if the Franklin Republican does not do so.
That came after the House GOP caucus met behind closed doors for nearly three hours this afternoon in a downtown Nashville hotel to deliberate the speaker's fate. They voted 45-24 for a non-binding resolution stating they have no confidence in his leadership.
"Today House Republicans sent a clear message," Lee said.
Casada has served nearly 20 years in the state House of Representatives and has been a top leader for more than a decade. He became speaker last January, following the retirement of Nashville Republican Beth Harwell.
Casada joined the legislature when it was still run by Democrats, and his accomplishments include helping to build the Republican Party's nearly three-quarters majority in the state House of Representatives. A skilled campaigner and fundraiser, Casada has assisted in the recruitment and strategies of dozens of Republican lawmakers.
But he's also been dogged by questions about his personal life. While running for House majority leader in 2016, Casada publicly denied rumors that he had an extramarital affair.
State House GOP Caucus Votes 45-24 No Confidence in Speaker Glen Casada
NASHVILLE, Tennessee – After approximately three hours, House Republican Caucus members emerged from a closed meeting and announced that a secret ballot resulted in a 45-24 vote of no confidence in Speaker Glen Casada (R-Franklin).
Protesters awaiting House GOP Caucus members in front of the meeting location at a downtown Nashville hotel.
The meeting was held at the 21cMuseum Hotel on 2nd Avenue in downtown Nashville, just a few blocks from the offices of the Tennessee legislature. Many legislators were seen walking from the Cordell Hull Building to the hotel.
As they approached the front door of the hotel, legislators were met with about 10 protesters, at least one of whom was wearing a Williamson County Democratic Party shirt and another who wore a Rutherford County Democratic Party shirt, in addition to Justin Jones who was arrested earlier this year for assaulting Speaker Casada.
The caucus reserved a large meeting room in the basement of the hotel, the door to which was manned by a legislative staffer. With the rental of the meeting room by the GOP Caucus, the hotel general manager said it included the entire floor. As such, all media and protesters were asked to leave prior to the start of the meeting at 2:30 p.m. The news was not received well by members of the media, as they pushed back against the general manager.
Jim Carrey's pro-abortion tweet backfires: 'You blessed the pro-life movement with this'
Actor Jim Carrey's latest tweet took a shot at Alabama's new abortion law, but it seemed to backfire, drawing praise from pro-lifers instead.
The "Dumb and Dumber" star tweeted an image Saturday of his artwork depicting Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey, who signed one of the strictest anti-abortion laws in the nation, as a fully formed preborn baby being aborted from the womb.
"I think If (sic) you're going to terminate a pregnancy, it should be done sometime before the fetus becomes Governor of Alabama," Carrey wrote.
The politically charged depiction garnered some unlikely responses from the right.
"Thank you for the truly accurate (and therefore horrifying) portrayal of abortion... sucking out the brains of a PERSON because that person is inconvenient to you. You blessed the pro-life movement with this," Liz Wheeler, OANN host, commented.
Thank you for the truly accurate (and therefore horrifying) portrayal of abortion... sucking out the brains of a PERSON because that person is inconvenient to you. You blessed the pro life movement with this.
"This is a pretty great depiction of an abortion: clinically accurate, and wiping out an individual human life," conservative commentator Ben Shapiro wrote.
Obianuju Ekeocha, founder of The Culture of Life Africa, added: "At least you seem to know how grisly an abortion is. Your image is accurate down to the abortionist’s cannula suctioning out the brain matter of the fetus, sort of like a serial killer at work...you do know what an abortion looks like. Bravo!"
At least you seem to know how grisly an abortion is. Your image is accurate down to the abortionist’s cannula suctioning out the brain matter of the fetus, sort of like a serial killer at work. Bravo Jim Carry, you do know what an abortion looks like. Bravo!
This is not OK. Today’s Left: vicious, angry & consumed by hate. Instead of insults & dehumanizing rage, we should return to civility. I disagree w/ Carrey’s politics, but believe we should respect his humanity nonetheless. I wish he could reciprocate. #LoveIsStrongerThanHate
A representative from Twitter told Fox News the company is "not able to comment on individual user accounts."
Twitter states in its rules under "hateful conduct" that the company will permanently suspend any account that includes a "violent threat...incites fears, or reduces someone to less than human," and under "glorification of violence," a user will be suspended for "specific threats of violence or wishing for serious physical harm, death, or disease to an individual or group of people."
Muslims Urged to Pack Sullivan County School Board Meeting to Advocate for Textbook That Says Allah and God Are the Same
One Sullivan County School Board member is opposing the body’s planned adoption tonight of a social studies textbook that says the God of Christianity is the same as Islam’s Allah, while CAIR is calling on Muslims to pack the board room.
Jane Thomas told the Kingsport Times-News that the seventh-grade “My World” book is full of “incorrect statements” also present in the earlier version and will confuse students. The book equates Allah with God.
“We (Christians and Muslims) do not worship the same god. Allah is not God,” Thomas said. “It presents Allah as the same god as Almighty God.” She said the Islamic holy book, the Koran, should not be presented on the same level as the Holy Bible, the Christian word of God with a New Testament including words of Jesus Christ. She also decried the inclusion of the Five Pillars of Islam in the text.
Board member Matthew Spivey said, “We can’t promote any one religion over another,” according to the Times-News.
An earlier version of the book also drew opposition.
Meanwhile, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) called on Muslims to attend the Sullivan County Board of Education meeting to oppose “Islamophobic opposition from at least one board member.”
CAIR provided the email addresses for school board members and instructions for signing up for the public comment portion of the meeting.
Thomas More Law Center Asks Supreme Court To Decide How Far Schools Can Promote Islam And Disparage Christianity
ANN ARBOR, MI – As a Christian and 11th-grader at La Plata High School in Maryland, Caleigh Wood was taught that “Most Muslims’ faith is stronger than the average Christian.” She was also required to profess in writing, the Islamic conversion creed, “There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah.” Ms. Wood believed that it is a sin to profess by word or in writing, that there is any other god except the Christian God. She stood firm in her Christian beliefs and was punished for it. The school refused her request to opt-out or give her an alternative assignment. She refused to complete her anti-Christian assignment and consequently received a failing grade.
As a result, in January 2016, the Thomas More Law Center (TMLC), a national public interest law firm based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of Ms. Wood claiming the school had violated the First Amendment Establishment Clause and her right not to be forced to profess faith in another religion. Both the Federal District Court and the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the High School’s Islamic curriculum.
In response, on Monday of this week, (May 13), TMLC filed a Petition for Writ of Certiorari asking the Supreme Court to decide whether any legal basis exists to allow public schools to discriminate against Christianity while at the same time promote Islam.
Richard Thompson, TMLC’s President and Chief Counsel, observed: “Under the guise of teaching history or social studies, public schools across America are promoting the religion of Islam in ways that would never be tolerated for Christianity or any other religion. I’m not aware of any school which has forced a Muslim student to write the Lord’s Prayer or John 3:16: ‘For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’”
U.S. School Fails Christian Student For Refusing Islamic Prayer
The declarations could have been made by an imam in a mosque sermon.
“Most Muslims’ faith is stronger than the average Christian.”
“Islam at heart is a peaceful religion.”
Jihad is a “personal struggle in devotion to Islam, especially involving spiritual discipline.”
“To Muslims, Allah is the same God that is worshiped in Christianity and Judaism.”
“Men are the managers of the affairs of women” and “Righteous women are therefore obedient.”
The problem is that those statements were part of the instruction in a public school in Maryland, and one of the students in the classroom now is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to condemn such religious lessons funded by taxpayers.
The Thomas More Law Center has submitted a petition asking the high court to take up the case of student Caleigh Wood.
“As a Christian and 11th-grader at La Plata High School in Maryland, Caleigh Wood was taught that ‘Most Muslims’ faith is stronger than the average Christian.’ She was also required to profess in writing, the Islamic conversion creed, ‘There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah.’ Ms. Wood believed that it is a sin to profess by word or in writing, that there is any other god except the Christian God. She stood firm in her Christian beliefs and was punished for it. The school refused her request to opt-out or give her an alternative assignment. She refused to complete her anti-Christian assignment and consequently received a failing grade,” the legal team explained Wednesday.
Lower courts have given a free pass to the school district to teach Islam, and so TMLC filed the request with the Supreme Court to decide “whether any legal basis exists to allow public schools to discriminate against Christianity while at the same time promote Islam.”
“Under the guise of teaching history or social studies, public schools across America are promoting the religion of Islam in ways that would never be tolerated for Christianity or any other religion,” said Richard Thompson, TMLC’s president.
“I’m not aware of any school which has forced a Muslim student to write the Lord’s Prayer or John 3:16: ‘For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life,'” he said.
“Many public schools have become a hot bed of Islamic propaganda. Teaching Islam in schools has gone far beyond a basic history lesson. Prompted by zealous Islamic activism and emboldened by confusing court decisions, schools are now bending over backwards to promote Islam while at the same time denigrate Christianity. We are asking the Supreme Court to provide the necessary legal guidance to resolve the insidious discrimination against Christians in our public schools,” he said.
Sports Betting: When a Governor Makes a Bad Decision
May 8, 2019, David Zanotti
We took the time last year to note and commend businessman Bill Lee for stepping up and running for Governor of Tennessee. The people of the Volunteer State took notice as well when they elected Mr. Lee with significant and surprising majorities.
The very last thing we would have ever imagined is that in his first term, Governor Lee would fail to take a strong stand against the legalization of sports betting in Tennessee. The Governor campaigned against expanded gambling. Unfortunately, the leadership of his Republican Party folded when a dozen gambling lobbyists showed up at the Statehouse. They narrowly passed a ridiculous bill that puts the good people of Tennessee and especially college and professional athletes, coaches, trainers, officials and many more at great risk. The Legislature did the wrong thing. They should have never hastily passed HB 0001. And Governor Lee should have vetoed that bill. He refused to do so after repeated requests by many.
We would like to know why but the Governor is stonewalling. He will not discuss the matter with us or anyone in the media. Therefore we are obligated to encourage the good people of Tennessee to keep pressing their Governor for real answers to this very real question. And by the way, stonewalling is not what Bill Lee promised either. He promised smart business decisions and transparency. So far we have seen neither on this issue.
You can contact Governor Lee at (615) 741-2001 or by email.
Taking on a seated Governor is never easy. We have done so several times over the past 40 years. We have been forced to challenge friends on statewide ballot issues, legislative referendums and even all the way to the Supreme Court. We have won more of those battles than we have lost but they are NEVER easy and never fun. But something happens, even to the best people, when they are surrounded by professional consultants and staffers who are trying to protect the boss. Lots of time people in power and around power lose perspective. That is when “we the people” have to do what is necessary. We have to double our prayers and our diligence. We have to ask our legislators to pass laws or repeal laws as the case may be. And we must have the courage to run for public office, encourage and support others who are willing to do the same and stand on principle over party and power.
In Tennessee, the decision to take the state into the sports betting business is a serious mistake. It is a mistake for every state in the union. People are going to get hurt. Families are going to be destroyed. The games we all love are going to become profit centers for the casino gambling moguls and our schools, universities, public stadiums and teams are all going to become pawns in this process. No servant of the people can look the other way when so much is at risk.
Now the battle moves to the state of Ohio, where two bills have been introduced in the legislature to legalize sports gambling. New Governor Mike DeWine has also been an opponent of legalized gambling. Now would be an excellent time to contact his office and encourage him to oppose any and all forms of sports betting in the Buckeye State. Why should THE Ohio State University or any school in Ohio ever be caught up in a scheme like expanded sports betting?
You can contact Governor DeWine at (614) 644-4357 or by email.
