Christians Legislate To Impose Their Beliefs On Jewish People.

Often, I hear people assert that the United States of America is a Christian country. They do so despite the fact that there are many other religious faiths observed in America, including the small minority of people who adhere to Judaism. These Christians think it is perfectly appropriate, even their duty, to impose their Christian religious beliefs upon non-Christians, even to the point of passing laws at all levels of government thereby circumventing, ignoring, and violating The First Amendment to the United States Constitution. Despite their cries of indignation, outrage, and downright hostility to other countries who have governments that are controlled by religious beliefs (e.g. Islamic governments), these Christians who profess that those 'other' religions should not legislate and impose their beliefs unto the citizens of their respective countries think that the same rules do not apply to them here in the U.S.A.

Recently, Lisa Brown, a state representative in Michigan, gave a speech on the floor of the Michigan House of Representatives in which she pointed out that the Michigan Legislature was in the process of trying to enact legislation that would impose Christian religious beliefs on Jewish people, specifically in regards to the issue of abortion, a subject that is indeed covered under Jewish law.
Despite the argument put forth by Representative Brown, not only was the bill passed by the Michigan House of Representatives, but she was censured and forbiddened to speak further on the bill after she made her initial comments.

You may view and listen to those comments of Michigan State Representative Lisa Brown right here:

Prior to her initial and only permitted talk, Representative Lisa Brown was preceded by another State Representaive from Holland, Michigan who spoke about religious freedom. It was only after that spiel that Representative Brown spoke on the bill before the legislative chamber in which she spoke personally about her own faith. Here is the text of the portion of her speech that addresses the religious aspects of the debate:

I'm Jewish. I keep kosher in my home. I have two sets of dishes. One for meat and one for dairy, and another two sets of dishes on top of that for Passover. Judaism believes that therapeutic abortions, namely abortions performed in order to preserve the life of the mother are not only permissable but mandatory. The stage of pregnancy does not matter. Wherever there is a question of the life of the mother or that of the unborn child, Jewish law rules in favor of preserving the life of the mother. The status of the fetus as human life does not equal that of the mother. I have not asked you to adopt and adhere to my religious beliefs. Why are you asking me to adopt yours?

Why do Christians believe it is justifiable to legislatively impose Christian beliefs on Jewish people and other non-Christians, but it is not justifiable to legislate non-Christian beliefs onto Christians?

United States Senate Republicans Deny American Working Women Equal Pay For Equal Work

Apparently, Republicans in the United States Senate do not think that women are worth as much as men.

The United States Senate has failed to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act that would provide equal pay for women performing equal work as men. The failure to assure equality falls squarely on the shoulders of Senate Republicans, all of whom voted against Paycheck Fairness.

SHAME on the Republican Senators!

ref:
GOP Kills Paycheck Fairness Act, Equal Pay for Women, Common Dreams, June 5, 2012.
Paycheck Fairness Act Fails Senate Vote, Huffington Post, June 5, 2012.
Equal pay for women, The Issue, (an editorial), Times Daily, June 7, 2012.

Freedom

When the symbol of freedom becomes more important than freedom itself, then we have no freedom.
- Roland Louis Hansen

The question "What is the importance of freedom?" was posted on the political science pages of eNotes. Click here to read the responses.

In the United States of America, our flag is the world's symbol of freedom; and, symbols of freedom are taught to 1st grade children.

Freedom is a valued aspect of American democracy; and, yet many Americans want to limit the freedom of other people, especially when they place a higher value on the symbol of freedom, such as the Flag of the United States or the Pledge of Allegiance, than they place on freedom itself. Read what Ron Gibbons wrote in Letter: A symbol of freedom not more important than freedom itself.

You might find it interesting to read what American children write about freedom. Click on over to American Freedom Essay Contest, Student Winners, and from there you may follow the embedded links to read the actual essays.

Now, how about going on over to read:
Freedom quotes from ThinkExist.com, "You think, therefore You exist."
Freedom Quotes courtesy of BrainyQuote.com.
Quotations about Freedom from The Quote Garden.

Dumb Obama Bashers Need To Wake Up And Support President Barack Obama

Take a look at this excerpt from an article I recently read:

There is a number buried in today’s government labor report that deserves closer examination: 35,000. That’s the net number of private sector jobs created during the Obama administration to date. That’s right, it’s a positive number. After the worst economic disaster to befall the United States in 80 years, that’s a number that maybe we should be applauding. ..... But the real eye-opener comes when we compare Obama’s numbers to George W. Bush’s. In Bush’s first term, the economy shed 913,000 private sector jobs! 913,000!

Now, go read the entire article:
Leonard, Andrew, Bush vs. Obama: Jobs, During George W.'s first term, big government boosted employment. For Obama, it's the opposite, Salon.com, May 4, 2012.

You know, I cannot help but wonder, WHY ARE OBAMA'S CRITICS SO DUMB?, especially after having read

"When Obama took office, the United States was losing around 750,000 jobs a month. The last quarter of 2008 saw an annualized drop in growth approaching 9 percent. This was the most serious downturn since the 1930s, there was a real chance of a systemic collapse of the entire global financial system, and unemployment and debt—lagging indicators—were about to soar even further. No fair person can blame Obama for the wreckage of the next 12 months, as the financial crisis cut a swath through employment. Economies take time to shift course."

That is an excerpt from a Newsweek article written by Andrew Sullivan. Here go read more of the article over at The Daily Beast:
In Newsweek Magazine, Andrew Sullivan: How Obama's Long Game Will Outsmart His Critics, January 16, 2012, The right calls him a socialist, the left says he sucks up to Wall Street, and independents think he's a wimp. Andrew Sullivan on how the president may just end up outsmarting them all.

And over at The Huffington Post, you can read:
Obama One Of Five Presidents To See Dow Jones Gain More Than 50 Percent Over First Three Years

There are over 200 reasons to support the re-election of President Barack Obama as listed in the Forbes magazine article of February 24, 2012 written by Chris Weigl. Go on over to read:
What Do Americans Think Of Obama's Performance As A President?

Gay Marriage. President Barack Obama. Mitt Romney.

The 2012 campaign for President of the United States of America is heating up. However, neither of the two major political parties has yet officially nominated their respective candidate. None-the-less, it does appear that the Democratic Party will nominate incumbent President Barack Obama, and that the Republican Party, i.e. GOP, will nominate Mitt Romney.

President Obama is viewed by many as a liberal, some people even allege that he is a Socialist or a Communist. And then there are the zealous, self-righteous, self-appointed religious experts who incorrectly proclaim that President Obama is a Muslim, his Christian church membership and attendance notwithstanding.

Some people (read that to include me) see Mitt Romney as a rogue conservative who fluctuates on the issues given the situation of the moment, as a billionaire who could not care less about low and moderate income Americans or the middle class, and as a Mormon who worships three different and distinct entities while concurrently professing to be Christian.

These two individuals, Mitt Romney and President Barack Obama, have recently addressed the issue of same-sex marriage; and, that subject has now been injected into the 2012 Presidential campaign, and done so wrongly, in my opinion. Gay marriage is now all over the news. But, why??? Since when does the President of the United States have the authority to make public policy concerning the issue of marriage? And, why should the government, any level of government, even be involved in the personal and domestic topic of marriage?

Mitt Romney has gone on the record with this statement:
"I disagree with the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts. Marriage is an institution between a man and a woman. I will support an amendment to the Massachusetts constitution to make that expressly clear." 
Hey, don't take my word for it; you can see and read that Mitt Romney statement and more for yourself in the web page Romney position on Same Sex Issues. And yet, Mr. Romney claims his perspective on the issue is not religiously based. You can read that for yourself, also. Just click over to The Washington Post Election 2012 Blog to read Romney: Gay marriage stance was ‘not a religious decision’

Meanwhile, many individuals and the news media are incorrectly stating that President Obama is "in support of gay marriage" - or perhaps I should say that it is my belief that the wording being used is incorrect and misleading. The wording is in many news stories like the following, for example:
Obama's gay marriage endorsement could sway state battles, by Dan Springer, published May 14, 2012, FoxNews.com.

It is my perspective that the wording is incorrect and misleading; because, I view the approach by the President as one that concerns equal rights for individuals in determining their own personal domestic arrangements among consenting adults.

Who am I and who the hell are you to determine which adult should be able to wed which other adult??? It is none of my business; it is none of your damn business; and, it damn well should not be the business of any freaking government!!!

Whatever happened to the perspective held by many Republicans, by many Conservatives, and by many, many members of the Tea Party Movement that individual rights are sacrosanct and that there should be limited government? OR, do they apply that value only as it relates to their own strongly held beliefs?

I put forth that this whole brouhaha over same-sex marriage, or as some may call it, gay marriage, is nothing but a prejudicial, discriminatory smoke screen to deny people equal rights under the law.

Oh, and by the way, I really believe that all marriages should be gay, as in happy.

Just Be Yourself. To Thine Own Self, Be True.

I am so sick and tired of all the two-faced hypocrites. They put one face on in public and a different face on in private.

There are holier-than-thou religious hypocrites who proclaim to be good followers of a Supreme Being but who spew forth venom of hatred toward persons who do not agree with them. Many of the religious zealots will ostracize those who do not share the exact same religious beliefs. They will kill in the name of the Lord. These "good" people are some of the most prejudiced, discriminatory people on Earth.

There are the passionately biased politically opinionated people who are strong advocates of the freedom of speech and of political expression for all those who are of the same opinion; but, woe unto those who are of a different perspective because all of a sudden the same ideals of freedom of speech and of political expression do not apply.

There are those hypocrites claiming to be of sound moral character that lead secret private lives quite different from that which they profess. And yet, while in the public eye, these same people will sit in judgement regarding other peoples' lives whether it be marital relations, religious practices, sexual mores, etc.

There are the folks who say or write whatever they want to whoever they want and whenever they want, but who do not afford others the same courtesy. They will say whatever is on their mind at the moment. They will voice their unsolicited opinion. They will tell you what you should do, when you should do it, and how you should do it; But, all hell breaks loose if you dare do that to them

There are the friends and relatives who claim their love and affection but will turn their back at the drop of a dime for the silliest of reasons or for no apparent reason at all. They will like you only as long as you never disagree with them. They want you to visit them or telephone them, but never reciprocate in kind. They know you when it is beneficial to and for them to know you; otherwise, you never hear from them. As long as you are whatever others want you to be, they will like you. The moment you are not who or what they want, you are history.

I could go on and on and on. However, I choose not to. My message is simply this:

BE YOURSELF! 

To Thine Own Self, Be True.

On Religion and God

Here is a message On Religion and God from George Carlin:

Caveat Emptor: Something Smells Fishy In America.

You might think that you could trust American business to be honest and trustworthy. Well, that is what many American Political Conservatives, such as Republicans, Tea Party members, Libertarians, etc. would have us all believe. You know who I mean --- the ones who blame liberal politicians, Democrats, and others concerned about ALL Americans for poor business climates in the United States, the ones who assert there is too much government regulations involved in American business ventures and that those government regulations harm business and are the cause of unnecessary rises in prices; the ones who say businesses can regulate and police themselves; the ones who postulate that unscrupulous businesses will not be allowed to continue their existence because customers will go elsewhere.

Well, I want to state that something smells fishy in America when it comes to the private business world. There is something very wrong when businesses will rip off customers with downright fraudulent practices, and the political conservatives continue to defend what appears to be business-as-usual in the United States of America, and the American government is blamed for the ills of private American businesses.

Hey, have you ever heard the story about that new diet? You know - the seafood diet -- yep, whenever I see food I eat it. Well, I am not about to eat the business practices of American restaurants, grocery stores, and others that are defrauding the American public when it comes to seafood. I think that it does smell fishy.

Fish fraud is running pampant in America, the land of the free, the land of opportuity, the United States of America. Watch this video from June 8, 2011, Fish Fraud: Are you sure about what you are eating?

Here is another video, Boston Globe and Oceana Investigate Fish Fraud from January 20, 2012, for you to watch and listen.

This fish fraud has been ongoing; and, it continues to exist despite the fraudulent practices of American businesses involved in the seafood industry. Examples of the fraudulent American business practices within the fish food business may be read in the following articles:
ABC News Blogs, Investigation Uncovers Rampant Fish Fraud, October 25, 2011.
The Associated Press, That's Fishy: Feds Fight Fraud In Seafood Sizes, NPR, March 15, 2012.
Hsu, Tiffany, Fishy fraud: Officials fight overweighted, overpriced seafood, Los Angeles Times, March 15, 2012.

Well, as the saying goes: Caveat Emptor.
Something Smells Fishy In America. Way To Go, USA!

Fred LeFebvre: Hypocrisy and Trash, Dishes It Out But Cannot Take It!

Radio Trash Talk Personality, Fred LeFebvre, who is consistent in his "blather on about how union workers are overpaid and under worked" gets a taste of his own medicine over at SwampBubbles. The obnoxious Fred LeFebvre is also very vociferous in his badmouthing of public employees and of candidates for public office. With the shoe on the other foot, Ultra-Hypocrite Fred LeFebvre tries to divert the attention away from the real issue.

Here, take a look read for yourself; click on over to:
WHO SHOULD BE PAID MORE TEACHERS, FIREMEN, POLICE, OR A HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATED TALK SHOW HOST?

It seems as though Fred LeFebvre is paid far more for his part-time job than many union workers are paid for full-time work. Additionally, Fred LeFebvre gets his fringe benefits and has other income from other part-time work and is not too scarce in his assets.
When you click over this way, a new browser will open and it will display a listing of documents that are a matter of public record; then if you double-click the row entitled Case#: DR20110690 - Date Filed: 07/05/2011 - Event Code: 4- Event Desc: SCHEDULES I III IV F - E-Jo, you will be able to see the information mentioned in the preceding sentence.

If you had not before read or if do not recall the previous Roland Hansen Commentary Fred LeFebvre of WSPD: Rude and Crude are his True Colors and the earlier Roland Hansen Commentary Fred LeFebvre: The Disappearing Act, I urge you read or re-read them both now.

It seems to me that Fred LeFebvre, who in my opinion is himself a fine example of low-life, sleazebag, scum, trash, can dish it out but not take it.

ObamaCare Is Morally Correct. Opponents Are Egocentric, Selfish Heretics!

Over on Facebook, I saw that some of my "friends" (as Facebook connections are referred) had clicked the "Like" icon on the "For America" Facebook page wall photo cartoon with a caption that reads:

LIKE if you agree that ObamaCare is wrecking our nation!

Upon seeing and reading that I just could not pass up the opportunity to write a little something in response to their slam on ObamaCare. My comment appears on that Facebook page, as follows:

Roland Hansen commented on ForAmerica's photo: "I support national health care. The insurance industry is not only ripping Americans off financially but they are making medical decisions that let people die who could otherwise be treated and saved. People who are anti-ObamaCare are selfish and uncaring."

It seems that some people, far too many people in my opinion, put a much higher value on the almighty dollar and on the quest of making a profit than they do on the value of human health, on that of every single American. (The following sentence has been revised as a result of being updated on September 26, 2013.) An example of such had been the posts tagged "ObamaCare" on a website called Fix Health Care Policy that has since been replaced with that of Defund ObamaCare, both projects of The Heritage Foundation.

Some people even use mass e-mail on the internet spreading blatent lies about ObamaCare in an effort to scare Americans. They would rather resort to their malicious mistruths than stick to the facts. But, any way you cut it, these so-called patriotic Americans value money more than they value human health.

I venture to guess that many, but certainly not all, of those folks who are opponents of ObamaCare are also defenders of the Patriot Act, which in my opinion undermines the liberties and freedoms of the Constitution of the United States of America.

I also venture to guess that many, but certainly not all, of the ObamaCare opponents label themselves as Christians. Gee, I wonder what Jesus of Nazareth thinks of people who place a higher value on money than they do on human life.

Well, at least I know that Barbara Bush supports ObamaCare.