Like most Americans (hopefully), I was bewildered to learn that GOP Senate members sent a letter to Iran trying to undermine U.S. foreign policy. Even other Republicans are stunned. Trying to sabotage a sitting U.S. president, as Barack Obama is (see election results, 2008, 2012), is hard to imagine. Who would do such a thing? Thus, my op-ed today in The Huffington Post:
People of Faith to GOP Leaders: Support Negotiations With Iran
Dear Editor:
I will offer prayers for Mayor-elect Charlie Hales, Commissioner-elect Steve Novick and newly re-elected Commissioner Amanda Fritz at my churches this Sunday.
Our prayers will also be extended for all in Portland -- particularly those who have engaged in the democratic process this year. Such work makes our community stronger. I look forward to working with the new City Council on issues such as growing poverty and crucial community needs in both North and east Portland. This is a time for all Portlanders to come together for the common good.
I know from Hales' previous public service that he will make Portland proud.
My latest op-ed today in The Huffington Post:
The agenda before the nation is large and includes growing poverty and climate change. To be successful, President Obama will need people of faith at his side.
Paul Ryan said today that President Obama compromises "those Judeo-Christian, Western civilization values that made us such a great and exceptional nation in the first place." Ryan is wrong, of course. It is a sad and desperate religious attack against a faithful Christian from a politician who cannot debate on the issues. Our politics should be better.
Election Day will matter. But people of good faith can come to different conclusions about how to vote. I agree with the philosophy advanced by President Obama. I believe his policies will continue to advance the common good and that the policies advanced by Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan - which helped create the crisis we face today - are morally troubling. We ought to debate the issues. What I find most distateful is when politicans misue faith as a political weapon. It should not be done.
As the nation deals with the impact of Hurricane Sandy it ought to be a time to set aside partisan politics - even with the election just a week away. But Mitt Romney has decided to continue campaigning in the battleground state of Ohio (renaming his election rallies "Storm Aids Rallies"). He is putting politics before country.
Press badge for today's "storm relief event" in Ohio: twitter.com/Ari_Shapiro/st…
— Ari Shapiro (@Ari_Shapiro) October 30, 2012
Compare that to the response of people like President Obama and GOP New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, a strong ally of Governor Romney. When asked about the election, President Obama (who has returned to the White House to oversee relief efforts) said:
I am not worried at this point about the impact on the election. I’m worried about the impact on families, and I’m worried about the impact on our first responders. I’m worried about the impact on our economy and on transportation.
The election will take care of itself next week. Right now, our number-one priority is to make sure that we are saving lives, that our search-and-rescue teams are going to be in place, that people are going to get the food, the water, the shelter that they need in case of emergency, and that we respond as quickly as possible to get the economy back on track.
Governor Christie had the same message this morning. When asked if Romney would be joining him in New Jersey this week the governor declared:
“I’ve got a job to do here in New Jersey that’s much bigger than presidential politics, and I could care less about any of that stuff. I have a job to do. I’ve got 2.4 million people out of power. I’ve got devastation on the Shore. I’ve got floods in the northern part of my state. If you think right now I give a damn about presidential politics, then you don’t know me.”
Meanwhile, federal officials and non-profits, including faith-based groups, are working with leaders like President Obama and Governor Christie to respond.
FEMA is the lead agency. The New York Times notes:
Most Americans have never heard of the National Response Coordination Center, but they’re lucky it exists on days of lethal winds and flood tides. The center is the war room of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, where officials gather to decide where rescuers should go, where drinking water should be shipped, and how to assist hospitals that have to evacuate.
Gov. Christie reports on how the federal response is working:
“It’s been very good working with the president,” Christie said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.” “He and his administration have been coordinating with us. It’s been wonderful.”
On NBC’s “Today,” Christie said the president had been “outstanding” and FEMA’s response has been “excellent.”
As we keep all those impacted by the storm in our prayers today, let's set aside the usual partisan politics and figure out how we can help.
Church World Service (CWS) has issued an emergency appeal for donations.
"Founded in 1946, Church World Service is a cooperative ministry of 35 Protestant, Orthodox, and Anglican denominations, providing sustainable self-help and development, disaster relief, and refugee assistance around the world." The United Methodist Church and the United Church of Christ are both members of CWS.
Public education has long been a concern of the faith community - including the National Council of Churches, and both the United Church of Christ and the United Methodist Church (the two denominations I serve). If passed, Measure 26-144 will improve safety and accessibility across Portland and upgrade middle school science class rooms. The measure has my full support.
The National Council of Churches stated in a Pastoral Letter on education in 2010 that:
As we strive to move our imperfect world closer to the realm of God, we recognize that we are all responsible for making sure that public schools, as primary civic institutions, embody our love for one another. We are called to create institutions that serve families and children with hospitality. We are called to work as citizens for the resources that will support a climate of trust and community within each public school.
Right now too many of our schools are in disrepair. My daughters attend a public school built nearly 100 years ago that - like many neighborhood schools - is in need of seismic upgrades.
Measure 26-144 moves us closer to being a community that shows true hospitality for our children and provides new opportunities for learning that will make our entire community stronger.
I feel so strongly about this issue that just today I made a donation to the campaign to help pay for a get-out-the-vote effort in the final days of this fall campaign. You can donate here to show your support.
Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon - our state-wide association of churches - has released their annual ballot measure voter guide. People of good faith can come to different conclusions on these issues. I generally agree with these recommendations and hope you download the full guide and share it with others.
It is with great pleasure that Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon (EMO) presents the 2012 Voters’ Guide to Oregon Ballot Measures.
This Nov. 6 general election, like all elections, is important for people of faith, and for all Oregonians. This guide provides information, analysis and recommendations for the nine ballot measures on the state ballot. We hope our discussion of the ballot measures will provide valuable insights for Oregon’s voters, especially for people whose faith is their ultimate guide. Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon’s ballot measure recommendations reflect a vote of its Board of Directors, based on the advice of its Public Policy Advocacy Committee. EMO has also adopted a “Statement of Social Principles” that guides our public policy work. In this statement, we recognize the value of religious involvement with civic affairs and the governmental process, and we identify core principles and areas of social concern:
We affirm the value of love, the respect of all life, and the dignity of every human being ... In our public witness we embrace compassion and forgiveness in all relationships, non-violence, and working in constructive and creative ways to make a better world. We commit ourselves to a society in which all persons are free to live together in peace and harmony. We affirm an inclusive community for nurturing the shared life of humankind.
As we consider each ballot measure, we consider arguments offered by both supporters and opponents of each measure, and we rely on the Scriptures, our social principles, our past positions on similar measures, and dialogue and deliberation in our Public Policy Advocacy Committee and among the Board of Directors. We ask that you prayerfully consider the wisdom of your own tradition and engage in a thoughtful process of discernment in exercising your civic duty.
The EMO “Statement of Social Principles” identifies six key areas of social concern. These fall under the broad headings of Peace and Global Justice, Human Rights and Religious Freedom, Environmental Stewardship, Economic Justice, Family and Community Well-being, and Public Witness and the Common Good. In our discussions of the individual ballot measures found in this guide, we identified which area or areas of concern relate to each measure. The complete statement of social principles can be found on our website.
One section of our statement of social principles that was clearly related to several of the ballot measures was the section on Family and Community Well-being, part of which reads as follows:
Even as understandings of “family” continue to change, we affirm this evolving institution as an important locus of personal relations and childhood development. EMO is committed to promote both the welfare of all children and the overall health and economic stability of families and communities.
In fact, two primary themes run through our ballot measure recommendations for this election. The first is protecting the well-being and economic security of Oregon families and communities. The second is maintaining adequate government revenues for public education and other critical public programs.
Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon is a statewide association of Christian denominations, congregations, ecumenical organizations and interfaith partners working together to improve the lives of Oregonians through community ministry, ecumenical and interreligious dialogue, environmental ministry and public policy advocacy.
Oregon radio talk show host Bill Post might be loved by figures such as GOP chair Allen Alley but his program and Facebook book page crosses lines into extremist territory - including blatant racism.
Consider this picture placed on his Facebook wall, a post he has kept up since last month, which compares President Obama to a monkey. Post's only comment on the picture that he allows on his site is that he would like to take a poll on the appropriates on the image.
Oregon is better than this and so is our nation.
I urge Mr. Post to remove this image and to apologize to President Obama and the people of Oregon for engaging in race baiting of the worst kind.
Political leaders such as Allen Alley, along with the Oregon GOP, and all those who appear on Mr. Post's program seeking support should urge Mr. Post to take these actions and promise not to appear on his program if he refuses.
Mr. Post often talks about his Christian faith. As a minister, I believe that good people of faith can come to different conclusions on how to vote in this election. But racism is sin.
(Update: I'll note that in a comment left last night by Mr. Post he claims to have condemned this image. That comment is not visible, however. I would hope that he has in some way. What are visible, however, are other postings: One by Mr. Post defending a GOP congressional candidate who has written articles defending slavery and another by one of Mr. Post's listeners suggesting that the president eats puppies.)
Today on the front page of The Huffington Post:
Mitt Romney's debate performance last night showed Americans one thing: It's politics that shapes his inner core and not, it would appear, religious values. A man willing to shift his opinions on so many major issues is defined much less by religion than ambition.
Dear Friends and Colleagues,
Vote No on Measure 84 and Yes on Measure 85.
That’s the message from Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon, our state-wide association of churches, and a coalition of those who care about the common good of Oregon.
Measure 84 ends Oregon’s Estate tax. Defend Oregon notes: “This is a massive tax break that only benefits the heirs of millionaires. Oregon’s Estate Tax only applies to estates worth more than $1 million. This tax break would only apply to less than 750 of the richest estates each year, while forcing cuts to schools and services that middle-class families depend on.”
Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon recommends a “NO” Vote on Measure 84: — “Vote “NO” on Measure 84 based on social principles regarding human rights, economic justice and support for adequate government revenue. At a time of growing economic inequality, and underfunding of public education and other critical state programs, it makes no sense to eliminate estate taxes that affect only a small percentage of wealthy Oregonians and that impose a modest and reasonable rate of taxation on the transfer of estates only after exempting the first one million dollars of value from taxation.”
Measure 85 reforms Oregon’s corporate kicker. Again, Defend Oregon explains: “Measure 85 will reform the corporate kicker by putting money into Oregon K‐12 classrooms, rather than back into the pockets of large, out‐of-state corporations. That would mean lowering class sizes and restoring important school programs.
These funds would also help get Oregon schools off of the financial roller coaster and provide more stability, even in economically tough years.”
Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon urges a “YES” vote on Measure 85 — “Vote “YES” on Measure 85, based on human right to public education and need for adequate levels of government revenue. Due primarily to state budget cuts, Oregon schools have been forced to lay off nearly 16 percent of teachers (plus thousands of support and administrative staff ), while average class sizes have climbed by nearly 20 percent over the last three years, according to data collected by the Confederation of Oregon School Administrators.
Other critical state programs have also suffered dramatic cuts. Eliminating the corporate kicker, which EMO opposed when it was first proposed, is a small but important step toward restoring adequate levels of school funding.”
My hope had been to schedule a meeting with faith leaders to discuss these two important issues but busy schedules have made that impossible. I invite you to contact Naivasha Dean with Defend Oregon at 503-239-8029 with questions about these measures and for information on how your faith community might become involved in the campaign.
Best wishes,
Rev. Chuck Currie
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Are there principles that Christians can agree on when determing which candidates to vote for this fall? The National Council of Churches put forth a set during a previous election cycle that still hold true:
Our Christian faith compels us to address the world through the lens of our relationship to God and to one another. Public discourse is enhanced as we engage civic leaders on the values and ethics affirmed by our faith. At the same time, religious liberty and the integrity of our democracy will be protected as candidates refrain from using faith-based organizations and institutions for partisan gain. We offer these ten principles to those seeking to accept the responsibility that comes with holding public office.
1. War is contrary to the will of God. While the use of violent force may, at times, be a necessity of last resort, Christ pronounces his blessing on the peacemakers. We look for political leaders who will make peace with justice a top priority and who will actively seek nonviolent solutions to conflict.
2. God calls us to live in communities shaped by peace and cooperation. We reject policies that abandon large segments of our inner city and rural populations to hopelessness. We look for political leaders who will re-build our communities and bring an end to the cycles of violence and killing.
3. God created us for each other, and thus our security depends on the well-being of our global neighbors. We look for political leaders for whom a foreign policy based on cooperation and global justice is an urgent concern.
4. God calls us to be advocates for those who are most vulnerable in our society. We look for political leaders who yearn for economic justice and who will seek to reduce the growing disparity between rich and poor.
5. Each human being is created in the image of God and is of infinite worth. We look for political leaders who actively promote racial justice and equal opportunity for everyone.
6. The earth belongs to God and is intrinsically good. We look for political leaders who recognize the earth's goodness, champion environmental justice, and uphold our responsibility to be stewards of God’s creation.
7. Christians have a biblical mandate to welcome strangers. We look for political leaders who will pursue fair immigration policies and speak out against xenophobia.
8. Those who follow Christ are called to heal the sick. We look for political leaders who will support adequate, affordable and accessible health care for all.
9. Because of the transforming power of God’s grace, all humans are called to be in right relationship with each other. We look for political leaders who seek a restorative, not retributive, approach to the criminal justice system and the individuals within it.
10. Providing enriched learning environments for all of God’s children is a moral imperative. We look for political leaders who will advocate for equal educational opportunity and abundant funding for children’s services.
Finally, our religious tradition admonishes us not to bear false witness against our neighbor and to love our enemies. We ask that the campaigns of political candidates and the coverage of the media in this election season be conducted according to principles of fairness, honesty and integrity.
I've made clear my personal preference in some races - including the presidential contest. In doing so, I've been clear that I believe there is no "ordained" candidate in the presidential contest or any other race and good people of faith can come to different conclusions as to how they will vote.
People of faith should reject voices like those of Roman Catholic Bishop Thomas John Paprocki - who like Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson before him - has argued this year that you can only vote for one party and remain in good standing with God. Bishop Paprocki has confused party platforms with the Gospel of Jesus. That's bad theology and poor pastoral leadership.
The U.S. Department of Justice recently found that the Portland Police Bureau has engaged in a pattern of abuse that has denied people their basic civil rights and resulted in the deaths of several Portlanders, mostly those suffering from mental illness. Willamette Week notes this morning that the DOJ has not called for an independent monitor to oversee reforms in Portland but instead will “create a body to ensure increased community oversight of reforms.” That's an effort doomed to failure.
Local communities always oppose advances in civil rights when pressed. That's the sad reality of our history. We would never have had civil rights in our nation without the intervention of federal authorities and monitors. Mayor Sam Adams and Portland Police Chief Mike Reese have already said they don't agree with the DOJ's findings. So what is there to reform? And how will this body make head-way if Portland authorities are busy protecting turf instead of protecting rights?
Most disappointing in the article today in Willamette Week were the comments by the two candidates hoping to replace Sam Adams as mayor in January when his scandal plagued term ends. Both said they oppose independent oversight. So does the police union, naturally. This is all a recipe for more failure, more inaction, and more deaths of innocent Portlanders.
Despite inheriting a wrecked economy, President Obama has indeed moved our nation in the right direction -- by creating jobs and reforming our health care system -- in ways that advance the common good. We need Barack Obama to continue the hard work of repairing our nation.
Todd Akin's recent comments about rape were reprehensible - and so is the GOP platform, modeled after legislation put forth by Akin and Paul Ryan that would ban all abortions...even in the case of rape - but it is clear that Akin isn't alone.
Oregon GOP convention delegate Emily Jarms told a reporter this week that she agreed with Akin and that:
I'm not a doctor. But I do know that it can be difficult for a woman to conceive in a stressful situation. And so I actually think that a woman conceiving during rape is so completely rare that, I mean, it almost doesn't happen.
Yep, she's not a doctor. That much is clear.
Dr. Dean G. Kilpatrick is. He's a professor and doctor at the Medical University of South Carolina (where my mother attended) and author of a "a 1996 study published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, which estimated that more than 32,000 women experience a rape-related pregnancy each year."
And that figure might be low, notes the The Salt Lake Tribune:
Figures provided by the FBI only count rapes that were reported to police - Kilpatrick says his research shows that at least 80 percent of all rapes go unreported - and they don’t take into account rapes in which the victim was intoxicated or otherwise unable to give consent. Until earlier this year, the FBI defined forcible rape as "the carnal knowledge of a female forcibly and against her will."
The General Synod of the United Church of Christ has long maintained that:
Whereas, women and men must make decisions about unplanned or unwanted pregnancies that involve their physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being; and …Whereas, abortion is a social justice issue, both for parents dealing with pregnancy and parenting under highly stressed circumstances, as well as for our society as a whole; …
Therefore, be it resolved, that the Sixteenth General Synod:
- affirms the sacredness of all life, and the need to protect and defend human life in particular;
- encourages persons facing unplanned pregnancies to consider giving birth and parenting the child, or releasing the child for adoption, before abortion;
- upholds the right of men and women to have access to adequately funded family planning services, and to safe, legal abortions as one option among others;
- urges the United Church of Christ, at all levels, to provide educational resources and programs to persons, especially young persons, to help reduce the incidence of unplanned and unwanted pregnancies, and to encourage responsible approaches to sexual behavior.
People of faith must stand up and defend a woman's right to make her own health care decisions. It shouldn't be left up to Todd Akin, Paul Ryan or other politicans.
As has been the case, those with lower incomes continue to give more - according to a new report:
Ever wonder how charitable the people are who live in your state or community? It turns out that lower-income people tend to donate a much bigger share of their discretionary incomes than wealthier people do. And rich people are more generous when they live among those who aren't so rich.
That's according to a new study by the Chronicle of Philanthropy, which breaks charitable giving down by ZIP code. It found that generosity varies greatly from one region of the country to another.
It makes sense that those who are wealthy that live in lower income areas would give more. Once you are exposed to social issues I think the natural response is to want to help.
But here's something progressives ought to note: "Red states are more generous than blue states. The eight states where residents gave the highest share of income to charity went for John McCain in 2008. The seven-lowest ranking states supported Barack Obama."
Are we our brother's keeper, our sister's keeper? Or are we fighting the idea that taking care of one another is a moral responsibility? This election will matter.
Mitt Romney's new false ad claiming that President Obama is waging a "war on religion" can only be called sad and pathetic. President Obama is himself a faithful Christian who has worked across religious lines to promote the common good of our nation. His health care reform plan has been supported by the National Council of Churches and many religious groups. Governor Romney - who was pro-choice and pro-birth control until he decided to run for president - should be ashamed of the gutter politics his campaign is playing. He is using religious faith as a tool to divide Americans. Someone hoping to be president should have better judgement and ethics.
As the people of Sunnyside Church and University Park Church gathered for a joint BBQ and celebration of our shared ministries together we learned of the mass shooting at the Sikh Temple in Wisconsin. We offered prayers for those killed and wounded. This terrible event reminds us once again that Christians are called to preach a message of love and compassion to a world torn apart by too much violence. Further, it reinforces to need for Christian communities to develop interfaith partnerships and friendships to promote understanding. We are also reminded, without question, that one of the responsibilities of the church universal is to work toward an end of gun violence. No one in a house of worship should be cut down by bullets fired in hate. As we know now, the suspect was a white supremacist. Were his actions motivated by those who preach intolerance towards minority religions? It would not come as a surprise as too many politicians and religious leaders have used faith in recent years as a tool to divide Americans. Our faith should never be so misused and it is certainly the responsibility of Christians across this great nation not only to condemn this act of hate but to work toward reconciliation. This terrible event, just like the mass shooting in Colorado two weeks ago, never should have happened. It is time for all people of faith to join together in opposition to the gun lobby and others who support the legality of weapons of mass killing in our neighborhoods and streets. Enough is enough. Click here to tell President Obama, Governor Romney and Congress that we are better than this.
It was an honor to today spend just a few moments with President Barack Obama before he spoke at an event here in Portland, Ore. Like many people of faith, I have strong personal support for the president. There are always issues where you disagree with politicians - some of them very important issues - but the core values and ideals lived out by Barack Obama are values that I share. The president often says, quoting from Scripture, that we are our brother's keeper, our sister's keeper. It is that belief that has lead this president to fight for health care reform and an economy that works for everyone - not just the wealthy. Today I told the president that I pray for him and his family - and I do, along with all those who serve in public life - because we need people of moral character in this nation today as much as ever.
Disclaimer: As a minister in the United Church of Christ, I trust deeply in the Constitutional principle of separation of church and state and my endorsement is therefore a personal one and does not reflect on my denomination. But as a citizen I believe that all Americans must engage in the political process as individuals for democracy to thrive. So I choose to participate in the political process as an individual when appropriate.
Read my latest op-ed in The Huffington Post:
Moral Values And The 2012 Elections
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We've seen plenty of evidence of the last couple of years that the Tea Party has plenty of racist members willing to put their racism front and center. That occurred again on the 4th of July - a day thay should unite all Americans - when Tea Party members in New Mexico attached a Confederate battle flag to their float in a local parade. People of faith must continue to condemn this extremism and demand that no one use race or religion or sexual orientation as a tool to divide people. My firm belief is that most Americans regardless of political party find this kind of behavior offensive. Politicians that court the Tea Party vote should make clear they strongly reject racism. Churches and other faith bodies should use every opportunity to demand that for the common good of our nation that political movements not seek to rip apart our national community but build it up.
Rallies being held across the United States today to oppose contraceptive services included in the Affordable Care Act are largely political and do not represent the views of most people of faith. Many religious leaders, in fact, strongly support President Obama's efforts to extend health care coverage to women and his willingness to compromise with churches on this issue.
Organizers claim these rallies are designed to protect religious freedom but look no further than the Portland, Ore. rally and you'll see that the speakers are nearly all right-wing radio talk show hosts or extremist candidates for political office.
As a minister in the United Church of Christ, I continue to applaud President Obama and those responsible Republicans and Democrats who support making sure that contraception is available to stop unwanted pregnancies and to fight disease such as cancer. There is no war against religion. This is a political battle that was started not by the president but by some willing to misuse religion for partisan political gain.
Salem-area radio talk show host Bill Post (who not long ago said he wanted to urinate on the corpses of dead Taliban soldiers) says that he's a Evangelical Christian who shares the "world-view" of the Founding Fathers. Thomas Jefferson might argue with that but those views lead Post to question President Obama's Christian faith and American values. In fact, those views leave Post very afraid of the future if the president is re-elected. Post writes that electing Mitt Romney, a Mormon, might not be great for evangelical Christians, but consider the alternatives:
1 - Is Obama a Muslim? I don't know for sure, but we all know he has made some pretty big concessions to Muslims as well as some pretty interesting statements concerning Muslims. So, if he IS a Muslim or leans towards them, would you rather have a Muslim or a Mormon President? I haven't seen very many Mormons strap bombs to the jackets blowing up marketplaces, have you?
2 - Is Obama a Marxist/Socialist/Communist? I don't know for sure, but again, his statement and policies sure make it look that way. Have you seen any Mormon gulags, death camps or mass murders committed lately?
Evangelicals, Mainline Christians and Roman Catholics have repeatedly condemned those who question the president's Christian faith for partisan political reasons but that won't stop people like Post who are so far outside the mainstream that they actually believe the president of the United States is planning death camps if re-elected.
We can expect opponents of the president this election - big and small - to attempt to exploit racial divisions and to paint President Obama as something "other" than fully as American. Consider the new racially charged film financed by right-wing billionaire Joe Ricketts that suggests that the president has a Kenyan, not American, world-view.
These campaigns against President Obama are driven by fear, hatred and racism - let's be honest. The good news is that the American people are better than Bill Post or Joe Ricketts. We are an optimistic people at our core. But whether or not we agree with the president's policies - whether we support his re-election or not - all good Americans must reject the division and hatred promoted on talk radio and the web and use the election to engage in a serious debate over the issues this nation faces.
Does Tucker Carlson crave publicity so badly that he's willing to embrace a racist gun dealer or does he himself harbor hatred toward the president of the United States of America based on the color of his skin and wish him harm? It's a legitimate question as Carlson's website gives away guns from a known bigot.
The Coalition to Stop Gun Violence Reports:
Washington, DC—That Tucker Carlson and the Daily Caller would promote a man like firearms manufacturer Jim Pontillo to their readers is a testament to how far the American Conservative movement has moved to the right in the last several years. It is not just that Pontillo’s dislike of President Obama is tinged with not-so-subtle racism (“He will never be President of the United States; that job requires he represent all Americans, not just the angry black ones.”). Pontillo also believes that political violence has a legitimate place in American politics. He states that armed resistance to democratic government is “integral to the American DNA” and warns, "I can't imagine how much more insult the American people are willing to endure under the 'enterprises of ambition' by our politicians, but I do know, gun ownership and an understanding of our American Founders' vision will have positive and deliberate effect on the psyche of our populace and can subdue the overzealous and prejudicial effect of this ambition. When law is abused to achieve political ends where do the gallant citizens turn? Quite possibly to their guns."
Such commentary would have been inappropriate and dangerous even before Gabby Giffords was shot in the head by Jared Loughner (“You don’t have to accept the federalist laws”). That the Daily Caller would associate itself with such rhetoric in the wake of Tucson is unfathomable.
Tucker Carlson has already attempted to downplay the controversy, suggesting that the only relevant detail about Pontillo is the fact that he’s a licensed gun maker. But giving away a handgun with the Bill of Rights engraved on its side is an overtly political statement. It is therefore relevant and worth asking whether Carlson embraces Pontillo’s ideas about “Second Amendment remedies.”
Finally, it is ironic that while Pontillo sees Liberals as a bunch of Socialists and Communists that are subverting all that is great about America, he seems to see no contradiction in his own effort to void sacrosanct democratic institutions like political equality and the rule of law.
Threats against President Obama and our democracy must be taken seriously. There is room for debate in our nation - that is what elections are all about - but Carlson crosses a line here that must be condemned.
People of faith must demand an end to gun violence and a return to civility in public life.
Just this past month voters in North Carolina passed an anti-gay ballot measure. Some brave Christian clergy spoke out against the measure but we're learning more and more that other clergy not only supported the anti-marriage amendment but used the campaign to preach a message of hate and violence directed at gays and lesbians inconsistent with the core of Christianity.
The pulpit is holy space and those that use it to promote violence commit theological malpractice as ugly and wrong as those who throughout history have used their pulpits to target Jews and other minority groups.
Are these hateful messages mainstream? In some communities, yes. And not just in the South. We have heard the same ugly language preached here in Oregon during campaigns past by the now defunct Oregon Citizens Alliance, the right-wing Christian group that promoted a series of anti-gay ballot measures.
All Christians - regardless of whether or not we support gay marriage (I strongly do) - must condemn hate speech from pastors and denominations where this occurs are obligated to hold their clergy accountable - taking away their status as ordained clergy. Because let's be clear: these hateful men are not preaching the word of God.
God created gays and lesbians, like all humanity, in God's image and was well pleased.
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We had a wild primary contest for mayor in Portland this year that ended last night with state Rep. Jefferson Smith - far behind in money and opposed by powerful special interests - making a strong showing and the run-off in November. He'll face former Portland City Commissioner Charlie Hales, a person I like, who held office in the 90s. Few gave Smith's campaign any chance of success and to make the run-off his campaign had to secure support from a coalition of Portlanders that in the end overwhelmed the $1 million + war chest of Eileen Brady, who had strong support from downtown business interests but came in third after leading in the polls most of the last year.
What makes Smith's campaign special - and I was glad to play a small role in it - was that he brought together a coalition that covered everyone from the police union to the Occupy Portland protesters. He argued that as Portlanders we have common problems that will require diverse people - from both sides of the river in our divided city - to seek common ground. Smith actually offered public policy proposals and demanded a positive campaign. He made the campaign about Portland's future and not just himself. Most importantly, from my perspective, he argued that for Portland to be great no neighborhood or group of people can be left behind. His campaign staff and supporters modeled real diversity. In the end, Smith ran a campaign based on values. People responded.
My hope is that Eileen Brady finds ways to remain involved in our city's public debates. Like many, I've been particularly impressed with her work on health care in Oregon. Her focus on creating jobs in the campaign was spot on. But history has shown that Portlanders don't like to feel they are being bought. After watching her this year, however, I see her as someone who could make a valuable contribution to public life for many years with her passion for the city and our environment. I wouldn't rule her out as a future candidate.
Hales took the top spot last night. He was the safe choice for many. Like I said, I like Hales. I worked with him when he served on the City Council. Portland is a better city because of his tenure on the council. But Portland is a different city from when he was first elected in 1992. He's smart as a whip but I don't see him understanding the changes and challenges faced by Portland with the same insight that Smith brings to this race. His continued support for the failed Columbia River Crossing - a bridge that hasn't been built and might never be built but has already cost taxpayers tens of millions in consultant fees - is example #1 of this. Portland needs better vision.
As we move toward November I fully expect both Jefferson Smith and Charlie Hales to run positive campaigns. That's what Portland needs. We are a unique city in that we tend to produce good candidates who actually care about public service.
The recent decision by the Portland Police Association (PPA), the police union, to endorse Jefferson Smith has caught some by surprise. After all, Smith has been on record supporting the goals of the Occupy Wall Street movement and was the only candidate for mayor critical of the effort to remove protestors from downtown Portland last fall. Some, myself included (and a Smith supporter), have been openly critical of the PPA for their efforts to fight reform of the Portland Police Bureau and to protect officers clearly guilty of wrong doing. What makes for this election year marriage?
Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer, a Democrat, made absolutely reprehensible comments yesterday regarding Mitt Romney's Mormon faith. We've seen repeated attacks this election year against Romney's Mormonism from GOP figures and conservative religious leaders - including Robert Jeffress who I called out in a debate on FOX News Live last summer - but this is the first attack that I'm aware of by a mainstream Democrat. The Obama campaign, as Politico notes, "denounced the comments, and his team has declared Romney's religion off limits." That's what I expect from this president. Religious bigitory has no place in this campaign.
Rick Santorum weighed in with his thoughts on the death of pop singer Whitney Houston tonight. He called Houston, who apparently died of a prescription drug overdose - possibly combined with alcohol - a " poor example" and said that celebrities with such problems have "a very harmful downstream effect." It is true that celebrities (including politicians) are seen for good or bad as role models but addiction is a disease that kills the famous and the non famous alike. I know. My father died from an overdose of sleeping pills combined with alcohol in 1998.
My understanding is that Huston sought treatment on several occasions. My father, C. Stephen Currie, did as well. He was the child of abusive parents who, like he would become, were alcoholics. His older brother and sister died in circumstances similar to his own years before he would. Treatment works for many - and we should do everything in our power to expand treatment opportunities because addiction is a disease and not a lifestyle choice, as Senator Santorum implied - but it does not work for all. How many in-patient programs did my father participate in? How many 12-step meetings? My father was an award winning television producer and one-time president of NAPTE International. Like Houston, however, his talent couldn't overcome his disease.
Calling addicts a poor example misses the point. There is more that we need to learn about the science of addiction and why some people overcome it and some don't. Researches tell us it has a lot to do with the brain, genes, formative childhood experiences, and trauma that can be experienced later in life.
Flip answers from politicians trying to score political points don't help. Personal choice and responsibility plays a role in addiction - no question, and those who face the terror of addiction still must be held accountable for their actions - but if politicians truly want to be helpful they'll advocate for additional research funding in this area and support programs that do help many people recover and go on to lead productive and happy lives.
I don't judge Whitney Houston. I grieve for her. In her death, I remember my father's. In her face, I see the face of God.
President Obama will speak at 9:15 am to announce an accommodation that expands contraception access for women and meets the needs of religious employers with objections to offering coverage. I've been briefed by senior White House officials and the plan is sound.
Religious employers will not be required to offer insurance plans that cover contraception. But those insurance companies will be required to provide free contraception to women. Insurance companies would prefer to offer free contraception than to cover the costs of an unwanted pregnancy or diseases that contraception can help prevent.
This is creative thinking by President Obama and his staff. Sister Carol Keehan, President of the US Catholic Health Association, and Planned Parenthood head Cecile Richards support the compromise.
So do I.
Many Christian denominations - the United Church of Christ included - strongly support contraception and have applauded the president's efforts to expand coverage.
Any opposition to this new proposal will be partisan politics, pure and simple.
Like many religious leaders, I fully support President Obama's recent decision to expand contraception coverage as part of the Affordable Care Act. That decision, however, has drawn fierce criticism from Roman Catholic leaders. Is there room for a compromise. I think so.
Melissa Rogers of Wake Forest Divinity School wrote this past fall that Hawaii might be a model for a federal law:
In terms of its definition of a “religious employer,” the state of Hawaii’s contraceptive coverage law has some of the same defects as the interim federal rule. But it appears to have taken some noteworthy steps to ensure that employees of objecting religious organizations may readily gain access to affordable coverage of contraceptives. Under Hawaii law, religious employers that decline to cover contraceptives must provide written notification to enrollees disclosing that fact and describing alternate ways for enrollees to access coverage for contraceptive services. Hawaii law also requires health insurers to allow enrollees in a health plan of an objecting religious employer to purchase coverage of contraceptive services directly and to do so at a cost that does not exceed “the enrollee’s pro rata share of the price the group purchaser would have paid for such coverage had the group plan not invoked a religious exemption.” A New York law has similar provisions.
Vice-President Biden, a Roman Catholic, said today that he wants a compromise to be worked out.
Some of the criticism of the new rules has been unfortunate and the rhetoric from New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan and others has been heated. It is unclear if Dolan wants a compromise or a fight. What the American people want, however, is clear: access to contraceptives as part of health care (and this includes a solid majority of Roman Catholics).
I'd urge the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops to stop their nuclear attack on the White House and to work with the President to find a win-win solution. Anything less than serious good faith negotiations from the Bishops will force a question about motives.
Why is it, for example, President Obama is coming under fire this election year from Dolan when Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich, both Roman Catholics, have taken positions in opposition to the Roman Catholic Church on war, immigration, climate change, economics, and aid for those in poverty without as much as a word from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops?
When voters in Oregon's First Congressional district decided to keep the seat in Democratic hands on Tuesday during a special election the vote prompted mid-Willamette Valley talk show host Bill Post to tweet:
"I HATE Portland and everything about it."
Well, I suppose someone should first tell Mr. Post that the district only includes part of Portland, and also the northern Oregon coast along with communities such as Forest Grove, Hillsboro and Beaverton.
But my real response back to Mr. Post is that I love every part of this state - whether or not they vote for Democrats or Republicans. The people in Greg Walden's conservative district are just as good and decent as anyone in Salem, where I've worked before, or Portland, where I live.
This is a great state with tremendous natural diversity. We have mountains, and deserts, farmland, forests, rivers and the great Pacific. We've produced great Republican leaders like Tom McCall and Mark Hatfield and great Democratic leaders like Les AuCoin and Gretchen Kafoury.
Some of our rural communities might produce politicans more conservative than my liking - more in line with the Tea Party views of Mr. Post - but in all my travels across Oregon (having spent most my life here) I've found the people to be good and kind regardless of politics. There is something special to love in every part of Oregon and that is one reason I'm so proud to be an Oregonian...even when elections don't go my way (which happens quite a bit, I'm afraid).
Mitt Romney told CNN this morning that "I'm not concerned with the very poor. We have a safety net there." He'll probably want to bet $10,000 to prove me wrong, but we aren't doing enough to fight poverty.
If you want to see the nation nearly completely abandon our solemn commitment to children, seniors and those forced into poverty during difficult economic times then a Mitt Romney presidency is just what you're waiting for. The non-partisan Center on Budget and Policy Priorities reports:
Presidential candidate Mitt Romney's proposals to cap total spending, boost defense spending, cut taxes, and balance the budget would require extraordinarily large cuts in nondefense programs. If policymakers cut all nondefense programs by the same percentage, the cuts would measure 21 percent in 2016 and 36 percent in 2021. If policymakers exempted Social Security from the cuts and then cut all other nondefense programs by the same percentage, the cuts would rise to 30 percent in 2016 and 54 percent in 2021.
For nondefense discretionary programs, these cuts would comeon top of the 17-percent cut already in law due to the discretionary funding caps of the Budget Control Act that Congress enacted last August and the automatic cuts (or "sequestration") scheduled to start in January 2013. Our estimates of the depth of cuts that the Romney proposals would require are consistent with what Governor Romney himself has said about the required cuts.
These cuts are far deeper than those that House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan's (R-WI) austere budget plan would require. They would shrink nondefense discretionary spending — which, over the past 30 years, has averaged 3.7 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) and never fallen below 3.2 percent — to just 1.7 percent of GDP by 2021.
What we need right now are public investments - like President Obama's American Jobs Act - and economic policies and programs that help people lift themselves out of poverty.
But, as the Occupy Wall Street movement has helped to clearly demonstrate, it will take a lot of work to reverse the growing economic inequality in our nation that continues to force families in poverty, homelessness and hunger.
People of faith can continue to press both political parties to address these important moral issues by joining the Circle of Protection, a campaign by religious groups to protect America's most vulnerable.
President Obama once again offered a progressive, moral vision for America during last night's State of the Union Address - a choice between an America where we're all in this together or where some people put their personal self interests ahead of the common good, a return to the policies of the past.
“….The defining issue of our time is how to keep that promise alive. No challenge is more urgent. No debate is more important. We can either settle for a country where a shrinking number of people do really well, while a growing number of Americans barely get by. Or we can restore an economy where everyone gets a fair shot, everyone does their fair share, and everyone plays by the same set of rules. What’s at stake are not Democratic values or Republican values, but American values. We have to reclaim them.”
President Obama inherited the most broken economy since the Great Depression. And some want to return to the policies that brought us to that point? President Obama is correct to call for increased investments in education and our public infrastructure. We need to continue creating jobs.
Last night, in the GOP response, Gov. Mitch Daniels made the claim that President Obama is "pro-poverty." That's absurd - particularly coming from George W. Bush's budget director whose policies created the poverty crisis we face in the United States today. President Obama's stimulus program, opposed by every GOP member of Congress, kept 30 million additional Americans from falling into poverty (or deeper into poverty) during the worst part of the recession. No president in recent memory has done more on this issue.
My hope is that sometime soon President Obama will take the opportunity to speak directly to those living in poverty in America - the numbers are too high - and offer hope directly to those who struggle each day to find food and shelter, many while working. We cannot afford cuts in anti-poverty programs in the new budget. But make no mistake: President Obama's economic agenda will help reduce poverty if the GOP gets out of the way and stops playing politics with the economy.
I'm deeply proud of our president for again articulating a moral vision for the United States.
Photo Credit: Whitehouse.gov
I'm scheduled to be on Fox News Live at 11am Pacific / 2 pm Eastern to talk about the South Carolina primary, faith and politics. Before going on air let me take a moment to put in writing some thoughts on the state of the race.
For most Americans, I think, the GOP nomination contest has been disappointing. Rather than engaging in a serious discussion of the issues - to match the serious policy proposals offered by President Obama on issues ranging from the economy to health care to immigration - we've seen the Republicans contenders offer homage to Tea Party activists and their principles while offering tired old trickle down economic policy proposals that helped drive the country off the cliff in the first place.
Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum, both Roman Catholics, oppose Roman Catholic teachings on immigration, poverty alleviation, economic inequality, and the environment when these issues are front and center. On many issues, Barack Obama is closer to the Roman Catholic Church.
Gingrich's open marriage and three divorces might be explained away to evangelical voters. People change, Rick Perry said when endorsing Perry. But Gingrich's hypocrisy in preaching "family values" all these years while not practicing them will - and should - upset a lot of voters. Does he have a moral center? That's an open question.
It is further disappointing that Gingrich and Santorum have engaged in racial politics with their attacks on "black" welfare recipients (most people on public assistance are, in fact, white).
And then there is Mitt Romney. He's still having trouble selling his campaign for a few reasons. One - let's be honest - is religious bigotry against Mormons. Religious intolerance has no place in American politics but evangelical activists are trying to stop Romney's campaign, in part, because of his faith. Still, no one knows where Romney stands. You can't run one decade as the pro-choice, pro-gay candidate and a decade later run as the anti-choice, anti-gay candidate. Voters, regardless of faith, will question your values and principles. On the economy, Romney wants to take us right back to the presidency of George W. Bush - and Bush's tax cuts (thanks to congressional Republicans) - are still driving up the deficit, increasing unemployment, and forcing families into poverty. Romney has embraced the Tea party line. And he's shown in his private sector work that he'll put his own private interests above anyone or anything else.
Sometimes I disagree with him on policy matters but I think Americans want a president like President Obama who will always put the common good before personal gain.
As voters cast ballots in Oregon's First Congressional District it is particularly important for people of faith to weigh the issue of climate change.
Rob Cornilles, the GOP nominee, has declared that he is running for Congress and not "scientist" but that he believes that there is still serious scientific debate over the issue. There isn't. Climate change skeptics have become the moral equivalent of birthers, who despite all the evidence believe that President Obama was born on Mars, or wherever.
The National Council of Churches USA (mostly mainline and orthodox Christians), the National Association of Evangelicals (mostly conservative Christians) and the U.S. Conference of Bishops (Roman Catholic) have all issued statements in recent years supporting the science behind climate change and arguing from a Biblical perspective that we have an obligation to protect creation.
In 2005, more than 1,000 mainline Christian leaders from across the United States (including many from Oregon) issued a statement entitled God's Mandate: Care for Creation that read, in part:
To continue to walk the current path of ecological destruction is not only folly; it is sin. As voiced by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, who has taken the lead among senior religious leaders in his concern for creation: "To commit a crime against the natural world is a sin. For humans to cause species to become extinct and to destroy the biological diversity of God's creation ... for humans to degrade the integrity of Earth by causing changes in its climate, by stripping the Earth of its natural forests, or destroying its wetlands ... for humans to injure other humans with disease ... for humans to contaminate the Earth's waters, its land, its air, and its life, with poisonous substances ... these are sins." We have become un-Creators. Earth is in jeopardy at our hands.
For Christians and other people of faith, this is one of the most serious issues of our time. Sadly, when God presented humanity with dominion over the earth many believe we were given control over creation to do as we please -- for the benefit of humankind above all else. That's where you get the "drill-baby-drill" mentality. "We have interpreted the 'dominion' granted to humankind as giving us raw power to exploit and abuse the rest of creation, rather than as requiring mature responsibility of us to show respect and loving care for creation," writes The Rev. Dr. James A. Forbes, Jr. in his book Whose Gospel? "Like rebellious adolescents, we have been inclined to see the gifts of God as ours to use as we choose."
Rob Cornilles might not be running for scientist but members of Congress are charged with passing laws that set environmental policy. It takes an informed and curious mind to deal with complex issues that have such important moral implications. Will we leave the world better for our children and generations to come or will greed - and yes, sin - allow us to continue on the current path of ecological destruction that is already having profound impacts across our globe and right here in Oregon?
I do not believe that God endorses candidates and not all Democrats get this answer right, but Susan Bonamici does. Voters should take that into account.
Disclaimer: As a minister in the United Church of Christ, I trust deeply in the Constitutional principle of separation of church and state and my endorsement is therefore a personal one and does not reflect on my denomination. But as a citizen I believe that all Americans must engage in the political process as individuals for democracy to thrive. So I choose to participate in the political process as an individual when appropriate. This is one of those times.
In response to a recent tweet of mine about Christian support for environmental protections, I received a series of unsolicited tweets from Oregon radio talk show host Bill Post. He's against environment protections and upset that the National Council of Churches (mainline and orthodox Christians), the National Association of Evangelicals and the U.S. Conference of Bishops (Roman Catholic) have come out in strong support of such protections and have defended the science that proves climate change is caused by humans:
So Mr. Post disagrees with the majority of Christians across the globe. Based on what? Not sure. He was particularly upset with the idea that evangelicals support climate change protections:
Mr. Post was apparently unaware that his own church is a member of the National Association of Evangelicals. I found that somewhat surprising for someone who is an "elder" in the church but when I asked he said he had no theological education so perhaps that explains his confusion.
But he wanted it clear he was a real Christian and belonged to a true Christian church - Salem Evangelical Church - (unlike, apparently, the vast majority of other Christian churches):
Well, clearly Mr. Post at least is missing the idea that God gave us stewardship over creation not to exploit creation but to protect it. I think it is pretty fair to say Mr. Post is missing that part of Christianity. Whether or not his entire congregation - in which he serves as an elder - believes as he does, I just don't know.
But I saw another tweet from Mr. Post today that gave me pause and made me think he was missing something even more fundamental about Christianity. He tweeted:
This international news story has been making the rounds. The New York Times reports:
The United States Marine Corps has identified the four Marines shown in a video urinating on what appear to be dead Taliban fighters, without releasing any names, and has named a lead investigating officer to decide whether they should be charged, Marine officials said Friday...
The top American general in Afghanistan, Gen. John R. Allen of the Marines, expressed his disgust over the video on Friday, saying the images “are in direct opposition to everything the military stands for.”
His comments echoed those of Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton a day earlier, when both promised a thorough investigation. “Such acts violate the sanctity of the dead and are deplorable and must be condemned in the strongest manner possible,” the general said. “We will support the investigation of these acts in every way for a swift determination of the facts.”
Yes, Mr. Post missed something in Sunday School. And I fear anyone in a church in which he serves as an elder might miss it as well. It's called the Greatest Commandment:
Matthew 22:36-40
36‘Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?’ 37He said to him, ‘ “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” 38This is the greatest and first commandment. 39And a second is like it: “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.” 40On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.’
And perhaps Mr. Post might benefit from this lesson as well:
Matthew 5:43-45
43 ‘You have heard that it was said, “You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy.” 44But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous.
What passes for Christianity in his tweets is impossible to recognize.
Mitt Romney - who is worth somewhere in the neighborhood of $250 million - says discussions about income inequality are "...about envy. I think it's about class warfare."
"I think it's fine to talk about those things in quiet rooms and discussions about tax policy and the like," Romney said. "But the president has made this part of his campaign rally. Everywhere he goes we hear him talking about millionaires and billionaires and executives and Wall Street. It's a very envy-oriented, attack-oriented approach and I think it'll fail."
Quiet rooms?
We ought to be talking about these issues in every venue because, as William Jennings Bryan once said, every great economic question is in reality a great moral question.
It isn't about envy. It is about homeless children and their families sleeping outdoors because of economic policies that benefit the wealthy while those Jesus would have called the "least of these" are left behind. It's about growing hunger in a land of plenty. For Christians and other people of faith, it is a matter of justice.
As the Center for American Progress notes, the increase in income inequality over the last 30 years is equivalent to a $1.1 trillion transfer from the 99% to the 1% every year.
President Obama was right when he said in Kansas last month:
Look at the statistics. In the last few decades, the average income of the top 1 percent has gone up by more than 250 percent to $1.2 million per year. I’m not talking about millionaires, people who have a million dollars. I’m saying people who make a million dollars every single year. For the top one hundredth of 1 percent, the average income is now $27 million per year. The typical CEO who used to earn about 30 times more than his or her worker now earns 110 times more. And yet, over the last decade the incomes of most Americans have actually fallen by about 6 percent.
Now, this kind of inequality -- a level that we haven’t seen since the Great Depression -- hurts us all. When middle-class families can no longer afford to buy the goods and services that businesses are selling, when people are slipping out of the middle class, it drags down the entire economy from top to bottom. America was built on the idea of broad-based prosperity, of strong consumers all across the country. That’s why a CEO like Henry Ford made it his mission to pay his workers enough so that they could buy the cars he made. It’s also why a recent study showed that countries with less inequality tend to have stronger and steadier economic growth over the long run.
Inequality also distorts our democracy. It gives an outsized voice to the few who can afford high-priced lobbyists and unlimited campaign contributions, and it runs the risk of selling out our democracy to the highest bidder. It leaves everyone else rightly suspicious that the system in Washington is rigged against them, that our elected representatives aren’t looking out for the interests of most Americans.
But there’s an even more fundamental issue at stake. This kind of gaping inequality gives lie to the promise that’s at the very heart of America: that this is a place where you can make it if you try. We tell people -- we tell our kids -- that in this country, even if you’re born with nothing, work hard and you can get into the middle class. We tell them that your children will have a chance to do even better than you do.
Mitt Romney doesn't want to have this debate. But without it our nation will continue to falter and our nation fail unless we do and fix the economic system that once produced a strong middle class.
Is the Religious Right trying to stage a coup of sorts and name the GOP nominee? Listen to my interview this morning with KPOJ here:
Related Post: Will Conservative Church Leaders Pick GOP Nominee?
Update: Angry with Speaker O'Neal? Don't call or email me - I'm the one calling him out for his hateful comments. You can call the Speaker at 785-296-2302 or e-mail [email protected]. Leave a respectful message about how you feel. Don't get down to his level. - Rev. Chuck Currie
On the day we honor the memory of those killed in Tuscon and recognize the bravery of those who survived - on a day we remember the need for civility in our politics in a time of super heated and even violent rhetoric - we learn that the GOP Speaker of the Kansas House of Representative is praying for the death of President Obama and referring to the First Lady as "Mrs. YoMama."
Pat Cunningham reports that Speaker Mike O’Neal compared Michelle Obama to the Grinch in e-mails and later wrote over the holiday: "“I’m sure you’ll join me in wishing Mrs. YoMama a wonderful, long Hawaii Christmas vacation — at our expense, of course."
In another e-mail, Speaker O'Neal forwarded Psalm 109, which reads: "May his days be few; may another seize his position..." and continues:
May his children be fatherless and his wife a widow.
May his children be wandering beggars; may they be driven from their ruined homes.
May a creditor seize all he has; may strangers plunder the fruits of his labor.
May no one extend kindness to him or take pity on his fatherless children.
O’Neal wrote: “At last — I can honestly voice a Biblical prayer for our president! Look it up — it is word for word! Let us all bow our heads and pray. Brothers and Sisters, can I get an AMEN? AMEN!!!!!!”
One year ago U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was shot and many others were killed and injured by a mentally-ill man during a time of white hot political debate.
President Obama said in the days that followed:
I believe we can be better. Those who died here, those who saved lives here - they help me believe. We may not be able to stop all evil in the world, but I know that how we treat one another is entirely up to us. I believe that for all our imperfections, we are full of decency and goodness, and that the forces that divide us are not as strong as those that unite us.
That's what I believe, in part because that's what a child like Christina Taylor Green believed. Imagine: here was a young girl who was just becoming aware of our democracy; just beginning to understand the obligations of citizenship; just starting to glimpse the fact that someday she too might play a part in shaping her nation's future. She had been elected to her student council; she saw public service as something exciting, something hopeful. She was off to meet her congresswoman, someone she was sure was good and important and might be a role model. She saw all this through the eyes of a child, undimmed by the cynicism or vitriol that we adults all too often just take for granted.
I want us to live up to her expectations. I want our democracy to be as good as she imagined it. All of us - we should do everything we can to make sure this country lives up to our children's expectations.
There is no place in our politics for Speaker Mike O’Neal's hateful comments. America deserves - needs - better.
May God soften Speaker O'Neal's heart.
In the United States there are suppose to be no religious tests to hold public office. That's right there in the Constitution (a document conservatives claim to love). But religious conservatives seem to be doing all in their considerable power to decide who the GOP nominee for president will be. In short, they trying to imposing a religious test on the presidency. Separation of church of state doesn't mean that people of faith should refrain from the political process but - in the words of the United Methodist Church - the integrity of church and state "is best served when both institutions do not try to control the other" and church officials attempting to decide who the GOP nominee is goes too far. That is exactly what is happening today. Otherwise, why are officials of the Southern Baptist Convention like Richard Land weighing in on the GOP nomination process? We cannot afford to allow our democracy to devolve into a theocracy. Religious liberty is at stake in 2012.
Related Post: The Politics Of Jesus In 2012
President Obama's health care reforms - which are taking place over a number of years - already are showing results. As Politico reports, the latest example is that health care has been extended to 2.5 million young people who didn't have coverage before the President's reforms - backed by the National Council of Churches and other faith groups - were passed:
President Obama’s health care reforms have allowed 2.5 million young adults to get medical coverage, according to a new analysis that the Obama administration is set to release Wednesday.
The Obama administration says the dramatic decrease in the number of uninsured young adults is due to the president’s signature health care reforms, reports the AP, which obtained a copy of the analysis.
“The increase in coverage among 19- to 25-year-olds can be directly attributed to the Affordable Care Act’s new dependent coverage provision,” said a draft report from the Health and Human Services Department.
Under the health care reforms, 19- to 25-year-olds can remain on their parents’ health insurance plans until they turn 26, a provision which went into effect last fall. Other provisions in the law to cover uninsured adults don’t kick in until 2014.
The drop in the number of uninsured young adults is 2 1/2 times larger than the decline indicated by previous estimates earlier this year, which showed about 1 million Americans in the age group had gained coverage, reports the wire service.
Health care is a moral issue. I'm deeply proud of President Obama and the members of Congress who voted for reform. Eventually over 30 million Americans will receive coverage. You hear a lot of politicians running for office today on the promise of repealing President Obama's health care reform plan. That would be a disaster for tens of millions of Americans and would add to our national deficit.
We cannot afford to move our nation backwards. The health of our people depends of defending President Obama's health care reforms. This shouldn't be a political issue. Afterall, many of the reforms passed by President Obama were based on ideas supported both by Mitt Romney and Ted Kennedy, and other political leaders of both parties.
GOP presidential candidate and disgraced former House Speaker Newt Gingrich made it clear last week that he felt child labor laws - meant to stop children from being exploited - where, in his words, "truly stupid."
Tonight he repeated his belief that children living in poverty as young as nine should be forced into becoming school janitors - to teach them responsibility.
"Really poor children in really poor neighborhoods have no habits of working and nobody around them who works," Gingrich said today according to The LA Times. He ought to try telling that to the children of the families at the Goose Hollow Family Shelter and other shelters across the nation that house families who are homeless and include working adults.
Learning responsibility from Newt Gingrich, who committed several ethics violations while in office, is an oxymoron. But this is what is passing for "serious debate" in the GOP's nomination contest.
Gingrich has long supported economic policies that have increased poverty - with children being the hardest hit.
Kids living in poverty need strong schools, strong families and strong communities that will help lift them up and give them every advantage to succeed.
What kids don't need is a president who doesn't understand the issues, and lacks both the personal responsibility and integrity to govern.
Jesus said: "Let the little children come to me..." Gingrich seems to respond by saying: "And give them a mop to clean up after my mess."
Tonight's off-year election has produced some happy results: Mississippi voters have rejected the so-called "Personhood Amendment" and Ohio voters have overturned an anti-union law. On the same day, a federal appeals court - led by a Reagan appointee - backed the constitutionality of President Obama's health care reform law that will extend coverage for 30 million Americans. The rights of women and workers were upheld by voters tonight and again the courts weighed in to protect people who need health care. These are moral victories that advance the common good.
Now comes the hard part: 2012.