Cartoon credit: Mr Fish
IN MEMORIAM: Mr Fish / “Rest in Peace, Dear Gore”
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Category Archives: News
IN MEMORIAM: Gore Vidal / “Gore Vidal, American Writer And Cultural Critic, Dies” / (AUDIO)
Gore Vidal came from a generation of novelists whose fiction gave them a political platform. Norman Mailer ran for mayor of New York City; Kurt Vonnegut became an anti-war spokesman. And Vidal was an all-around critic. His novels sometimes infuriated readers with unflattering portraits of American history.
He also wrote essays and screenplays, and his play The Best Man currently has a revival on Broadway.
Vidal died Tuesday at his home in the Hollywood Hills, from complications of pneumonia. He was 86 years old.
Related articles
- US author Gore Vidal dies aged 86 (bbc.co.uk)
- Gore Vidal: a life in pictures (guardian.co.uk)
- Gore Vidal quotes: 26 of the best (guardian.co.uk)
- Hail and Farewell, Gore Vidal (truthdig.com)
- Gore Vidal: Born-again atheist (examiner.com)
- Gore Vidal Remembered: 2003 Interview With Late Iconoclastic Writer & Longtime Critic of U.S. Empire (democracynow.org)
- Democracy Now! Shows Featuring Gore Vidal (democracynow.org)
- Gore Vidal and His Reading List for America (billmoyers.com)
- Gore Vidal in ‘The Nation’ (thenation.com)
MARRIAGE EQUALITY: Thomas M. Menino / “Boston Mayor’s Letter to Chick-fil-A”
IN MEMORIAM: Sally Ride / “R.I.P Sally Ride, First [American] Woman (and Lesbian) In Space”
Yesterday America lost one of its most recognizable space pioneers, Dr. Sally Ride, who not only was the first American woman in space, but spent her life advocating for women’s greater involvement in science and engineering.
Here’s her official obituary:
Sally Ride died peacefully on July 23rd, 2012 after a courageous 17-month battle with pancreatic cancer. Sally lived her life to the fullest, with boundless energy, curiosity, intelligence, passion, joy, and love. Her integrity was absolute; her spirit was immeasurable; her approach to life was fearless.
Sally was a physicist, the first American woman to fly in space, a science writer, and the president and CEO of Sally Ride Science. She had the rare ability to understand the essence of things and to inspire those around her to join her pursuits.
Sally’s historic flight into space captured the nation’s imagination and made her a household name. She became a symbol of the ability of women to break barriers and a hero to generations of adventurous young girls. After retiring from NASA, Sally used her high profile to champion a cause she believed in passionately—inspiring young people, especially girls, to stick with their interest in science, to become scientifically literate, and to consider pursuing careers in science and engineering.
In addition to Tam O’Shaughnessy, her partner of 27 years, Sally is survived by her mother, Joyce; her sister, Bear; her niece, Caitlin, and nephew, Whitney; her staff of 40 at Sally Ride Science; and many friends and colleagues around the country.
This statement about her partner told the public what they hadn’t known before–Ride was in a same-sex relationship. “I hope it makes it easier for kids growing up gay that they know that another one of their heroes was like them,” her sister Bear Ride told Buzzfeed. We still have a ways to go, though. Because of DOMA, however, her partner will not receive federal benefits.
Related articles
- Sally Ride, first American woman in space, dies of pancreatic cancer; survived by partner of 27 years (miamiherald.typepad.com)
GUN VIOLENCE: Bill Moyers / “NRA ‘Enabler Of Death'”
CATHOLIC CHURCH & CHILD RAPE: “Priest’s Bid to Leave Jail is Rejected”
PHILADELPHIA — Msgr. William J. Lynn, a senior official in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia convicted last month of endangering children, must stay in jail until his sentencing, a judge determined on Thursday.
Judge M. Teresa Sarmina denied Monsignor Lynn’s request for house arrest, saying that he should not be given special treatment and essentially agreeing with prosecutors who said that others convicted of a similar felony would not be allowed to remain at home pending a sentencing hearing.
Monsignor Lynn, 61, is the first high-ranking official in the Roman Catholic Church in the United States to be convicted of covering up sexual abuse by priests under his supervision. He faces up to seven years in prison.
Related articles
- CATHOLIC CHURCH & CHILD RAPE: U.S. Catholic Priest Found Guilty in Child Abuse Case (alwaysquestionauthority.com)
- Lynn stays in jail but gets sentencing hearing advanced (philly.com)
- Convicted Catholic Monsignor A Flight Risk, Remains Behind Bars (lezgetreal.com)
RELIGIOUS PARODY: CERN-Day School
h/t: Planet Atheism
CHRISTIAN PRIVILEGE: “Louisiana Revelation: School Voucher Funding – It’s Not Just For Christians Any More”
A member of the Louisiana House of Representatives who eagerly supported Gov. Bobby Jindal’s plan to fund private schools has had an epiphany: Muslim schools might start getting taxpayer money!
Rep. Valarie Hodges, a Republican who represents East Baton Rouge and Livingston, now says she wishes she hadn’t voted for the Jindal voucher bill.
“I actually support funding for teaching the fundamentals of America’s Founding Fathers’ religion, which is Christianity, in public schools or private schools,” Hodges told theLivingston Parish News.
[…]
Where to begin? Hodges’ bigotry is perhaps only rivaled by her ignorance of constitutional and legal principles. Of course Muslim schools will qualify for funding under a voucher plan. When programs like this are set up that dole out benefits to religious schools, the government can’t play favorites. That’s basic.
Related articles
- Louisiana Republican: When I Voted for State Funds to go to Religious Schools, I Didn’t Mean Muslim Ones (patheos.com)
- Louisiana Revelation: School voucher funding isn’t just for Christians? (secularnewsdaily.com)
- ‘Religion’ is not a synonym for ‘Christianity’ – The Wild Hunt (patheos.com)
- ‘Muddying up the narrative’ on vouchers (maddowblog.msnbc.msn.com)
CHRISTIAN BIGOTRY: “Chick-Fil-A Has Spent $5 Million On Groups Trying To Stop Gay Marriage”
Chick-Fil-A, the Atlanta-based fast food chicken restaurant that specializes in Christianity, has used its more than 1600 outlets to fuel its zest for stopping same-sex marriage, spending $5 million between 2003 and 2010 on anti-gay organizations and hate groups, including $2 million in 2010 alone.
[…]
. . . Chick-fil-A founder and chairman S. Truett Cathy . . . a devout Southern Baptist; his religious beliefs have a major impact on the company. The company’s official statement of corporate purpose says that the business exists “To glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us. To have a positive influence on all who come in contact with Chick-fil-A.” Cathy’s beliefs are also responsible for one of the chain’s distinctive features: All Chick-fil-A locations (company-owned and franchised, whether in a mall or freestanding) are closed on Sundays, as well as on Thanksgiving and Christmas.
h/t: Planet Atheism
Related articles
- Prejudice With A Side Of Fries: Chick-Fil-A Reportedly Donates $2 Million To Anti-Gay Groups In 2010 (huffingtonpost.com)
- Chick-fil-A Gave $2 Million To Anti-Gay Groups In 2010 (thinkprogress.org)
- Chicken or the Gays: Make a Choice About Eating Chick-fil-A (gawker.com)
- Before You Head to Chick-Fil-A… (patheos.com)
COMMUNITY ACTIVISM: Bill Moyers / “How Citizen Power Can Save a Library”
In this web-exclusive Bill Moyers Essay, Bill professes his lifelong love for libraries and their strong cultural value, and points to a crisis in public library funding across the country. But he also shares a unique and controversial community effort in Troy, Michigan that kept its library from becoming a political casualty, and serves as “a reminder of what can happen when we act together.”
Watch the full video below that explains how the Tea Party put the library in jeopardy, and how the town — with the help ad agency Leo Burnett — successfully fought back.
Always Question Authority 