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We have great
news for talk radio fans, conservatives, and defenders of free speech.
Reps. Mike Pence (R-IN), Jeb Hensarling (R-TX), and Jeff Flake (R-AZ) yesterday
proposed an amendment to the House Financial Services Appropriations bill that
prevents federal funds from being used to enforce the “fairness doctrine” on
talk radio and other media outlets should the onerous regulation ever be
revived (as several U.S.
Senators have suggested). We are happy to report that the amendment
passed overwhelmingly.
To see
how your representative voted on the Pence Amendment click here. For
more information on the Pence Amendment check these articles from the Muncie
Free Press (click here and here).
Some members
of Congress are talking about resurrecting
the “fairness doctrine” for talk radio, a decades-old federal regulation
(dropped by President Reagan) which mandated that radio and TV broadcasts were
supposed to give equal time to opposing sides of any given political issue
(remember all the conservative commentators of the 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s?).
Under the pretense of “ensuring both sides are heard” and fixing the supposed
“structural defects” that allow conservatives to dominate talk radio, members of
Congress such as Senators Diane Feinstein (D-CA) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) are
proposing that radio stations be subjected to FCC regulation to ensure that
“progressives” (i.e. liberals) are allowed equal time. Since the
“progressive” (liberal) AirAmerica radio network didn’t catch on with the
American public, liberals have decided to mandate you be exposed to liberal
viewpoints. This could have the effect of stifling a popular and informative
medium, but more importantly it presents a dangerous threat to free speech
rights found in the First Amendment. Such obviously unconstitutional
and un-American legislation must be steadfastly opposed, and legislators
who support such foolishness should be held accountable.
For all
their supposed concern about the “unfair” imbalance of opinion on talk radio,
one would think they would be just as eager to federally mandate “fairness” in
newspapers and network TV. Hmm…Go figure.
UPDATE:
This article by Rich Galen at TownHall gives some important
historical perspective on the nefarious fairness doctrine.
More
exciting news in adult stem cell research (i.e. non-embryonic).
A new
study shows adult stem cells from umbilical cord blood can
successfully treat children with type 1 diabetes. Studies like this
are continually showing how unethical research that destroys innocent human
embryos is unnecessary.
Additionally,
two Congressmen have introduced legislation to support ethical
forms of stem cell research. “The Patients First Act” (H.R. 2807) proposed by Rep. Randy Forbes
(R-VA) and Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-IL) Would prioritize support for such exciting
avenues of research as amniotic fluid cells and turning ordinary skins cells
into stem cells without creating or harming an embryo.
For more
information on exciting developments in ethical stem cell research click here.
The Supreme Court today ruled that Wisconsin Right to Life had the right to run issue advertisements which urged citizens to call Sen. Kohl and Sen. Feingold and ask them not to obstruct President Bush’s judicial nominees. The pro-life group was prosecuted under the McCain-Feingold campaign finance law, and an appeals court ruled their communication was unlawful political speech because it referred to specific candidates and occurred too close to the 2004 elections. The Supreme Court’s decision today is not just a victory for one pro-life organization but is an encouraging development for those championing the cherished right of free speech.
To read the Court’s decision click here.
A federal court has again ruled that Brittany McComb should have her day in court. In 2006 Brittany had her microphone turned off during her valedictorian address when she began to speak of her personal faith in Christ. Brittany filed a civil rights lawsuit, and the recent federal court ruling rejected the attempt by Clark County School District officials to dismiss that lawsuit.
To see the video of Brittany’s speech click on the video below or click here.
Colleen
Carroll Campbell writes a touching article about parents
in difficult situations making the deliberate decision to protect life.
Infertile couples taking fertility drugs occasionally find themselves expecting
numerous babies (ex: septuplets). In these circumstances doctors often
encourage parents to “selectively abort” one or more “fetuses” in an attempt to
assure the health of the others, often arbitrarily choosing the healthiest or
most desirable (ex: boy or girl, etc.) to be spared. The parents in this
heartwarming article bucked this standard practice and chose to give all their
unborn children a chance for life.
Today George
Will writes about the outrageous case in Oakland, California in which
government employees were forbidden to mention such “offensive” words as
“natural family,” “marriage,” and “family values.” This is a blatant
assault on First Amendment rights of free speech. Unfortunately, many
in American political discourse have sought through legislation or the courts
to silence the views of their ideological opponents rather than engaging them
in open debate.
The
Supreme Court today ruled that a tax-paying citizen with a grudge against
religion cannot bring a faith-based organization to court without just cause.
This is a
great victory for faith-based organizations. Hopefully this will
overcome a barrier to effective faith-based ministry, allowing such groups to
flourish and benefit our nation in ways only they can.
To read the Court’s decision click here.
US researchers announced that they have successfully extracted embryonic stem cells from cloned monkeys. Proponents of human cloning hail the development as progress toward miracle cures, but defenders of life realize that human cloning is now a clear and present danger.
Last night while considering a spending bill the House of Representatives defeated the Smith/Stupak Amendment which would have preserved the Mexico City Policy preventing taxpayer support for overseas abortion providers or promoters. Though this is a setback for the pro-life cause we are encouraged that the President has promised to veto any legislation overturning pro-life riders, and the vote tally suggests his veto would be sustained.
Check the AdvanceUSA website to see how your representative voted on this important amendment and to find more news. For more information on the Mexico City Policy and other pro-life riders click here.
UPDATE: This article by Kathryn Jean Lopez from National Review provides more helpful information.
CBS News
has released video
of President Bush’s remarks today as he vetoed a bill which would have
overturned his ethical stem cell guidelines thus requiring our tax dollars to
support embryo-destroying research. The President clearly explains the
fundamental moral issues involved while calling for increased funding of the
many forms of ethical stem cell research that have already begun to yield
tangible results.
NOTE:
AdvanceUSA was present for the President’s remarks at the White House.
Liberal
activists, still excited about their recent victory in depriving the people of
Massachusetts the opportunity to vote on a marriage amendment, are now going
after a 1913 law. The law specifies that Massachusetts
cannot marry people who would not be allowed to marry in their home
state. This 1913 law is all that prevents activists from spreading
gay-marriage across the country by making Massachusetts
the “Las Vegas
of gay marriage.”
“The
Court, no less than the Presidency, will be on the ballot next November, and a
wise electorate will vote accordingly.” So writes Jeffrey Toobin in the
New Yorker, and we could not agree with him more. Although Mr. Toobin
looks at the steady conservative shift on the Supreme Court with dismay, his main
point about the importance of the judges and justices presidents
appoint is correct.
This presidential prerogative should be one of the most important factors as
concerned citizens decide for whom to vote in the upcoming presidential
primaries and general election in 2008.
For more
information on the importance of federal courts check the AdvanceUSA pro-justice page.
HT: Mike
President George W. Bush vetoed
the latest embryonic stem cell funding bill on Wednesday, June 20 as he
had promised in a recent Statement of Administration Policy. The
U.S. House of Representatives passed the bill (S. 5) on June 7 by a vote of 247
to 176, a 35-vote margin which is an improvement over the 39-vote margin in
January on a very similar bill. Our friends in Congress tell us that we are
making progress on this issue so pro-lifers should be encouraged but remain
vigilant. The Senate must now decide whether to override or sustain the
President’s veto. In the Senate a veto override requires a 2/3 majority
of those present to vote.
Pro-lifers are hopeful
that the Senate will sustain the veto, but even if the veto is upheld there are
concerns that members of Congress will try to add these unethical stem cell
funding provisions to other important legislation as
Sen. Harkin has suggested.
Embryonic stem cell
research is both immoral and unnecessary.
Unfortunately many in Congress want to spend your tax dollars on it anyway.
Proponents of the measure frequently exaggerate claims about the necessity and
usefulness of embryonic stem cells, but in addition to its highly questionable
usefulness the fundamental problem is that such research destroys human lives.
For important information on stem cell research and other bioethics issues
visit the stem cell page and adult stem cell page.
To see how your senators and representative voted on this bill check the Vote Watch page.
Now that President Bush has vetoed the legislation it will soon return to the
Senate and will only come back to the House if the Senate manages to override
the veto. Pray that this bill never becomes law and that liberals in Congress
will not try to sneak this type of unethical stem cell language into other
legislation.
In another troublesome development in the fight to preserve traditional marriage, a Vermont judge has awarded visitation rights to the former lesbian partner of a Virginia mother. The biological mother renounced homosexuality and took her child to Virginia, but since she had been part of a “civil union” in Vermont, the judge awarded visitation rights to the former partner. This is compelling evidence of the unacceptability of “civil unions” and other attempts to tamper with the traditional definition of marriage.
For more information on the movement to defend marriage check the AdvanceUSA marriage page.
Here is more
information on the Judge Leslie Southwick saga from Robert Bluey on
TownHall. The left continues to oppose and Senate liberals continue to obstruct
solid judicial nominees to prevent qualified, originalist judges from reaching
the federal bench. America’s
judicial system deserves better.
Despite knowing that the Congress does not have the votes to overturn a Presidential veto of increased federal funding for embryo-destroying research, Senator Tom Harking (D-IA) still is likely to add such a stem cell provision to Senate legislation. It is a shame that when recent scientific discoveries indicate that such unethical research is unnecessary; liberals in Congress are determined to force the issue out of either misguided compassion or partisan politics.
A bill proposed by Rep. Nina Lowey (D-NY) has emerged from the House Appropriations Committee still posing a threat to important pro-life measures. The Mexico City Policy, which prohibits taxpayer dollars from funding overseas organizations which support abortion, would be overturned by the bill as it now stands. This bill should be amended to protect this provision.
Planned Parenthood (the largest abortion provider in the world) released reports that revealed that in fiscal year 2005-2006 it performed almost 265,000 abortions yet did not report even one adoption referral. Planned Parenthood is the biggest profiteer from the abortion industry, and it is outrageous that it received $305 million in tax dollars in the latest fiscal year.
At today’s constitutional convention in Massachusetts, the legislature voted 45-151 to prevent the proposed marriage amendment, which would have protected the traditional definition of marriage, from being voted on by citizens in 2008. So judges in Massachusetts can vote on the definition of marriage, but citizens can’t?
In another encouraging sign that the culture could be shifting in a pro-life direction, an organization that supports pro-abortion women candidates is experiencing fundraising problems.
The High Impact Leadership Coalition (a coalition of black religious leaders) has just released this exceptional advertisement that seeks to awaken people to the very real dangers of hate (thought) crimes legislation. Stopping “hate crimes” sounds like a noble goal but in actuality it would pose serious threats to religious freedom. Furthermore, the whole concept of hate crimes is inherently unjust and unconstitutional because if violates our cherished principle of “equal justice under law.”
Thought crimes bills are a clear and present danger to constitutional principles and religious freedom. For more information on thought crimes click here or visit AdvanceUSA’s religious freedom page.
Note: The current hate crimes bill (S. 1105) is now in the Senate, but it is unclear when the Senate will actually consider the legislation. AdvanceUSA will be watching carefully for any further developments.
Many conservatives are growing concerned with the large number of vacancies on the federal bench and the apparent slowness of the Senate to fulfill its constitutional responsibility to consider judicial nominations in a timely manner.
A troubling development is coming to light regarding religious freedom in our nation's prisons. It has been reported that religious books (including Christian texts) are being removed in mass from prison libraries across the country. While we acknowledge that convicted criminals are not entitled to the same privileges as ordinary citizens, and we understand the advisability of restricting inflammatory religious material which advocates violence, this sweeping book removal is very disconcerting for the precedent it sets for religious freedom.
Massachusetts has continually been in the forefront of the marriage debate. This Thursday a constitutional convention will be held in Massachusetts to determine if a proposed constitutional amendment to protect the traditional definition of marriage will be placed on the 2008 ballot. If 50 members of the state legislature vote in support of the amendment, the people of Massachusetts will decide what constitutes marriage in their state. Let’s hope Massachusetts will soon start taking a positive leadership role in the marriage debate.
For more information on protecting marriage check the AdvanceUSA marriage page.
The Mexico City Policy keeps taxpayer dollars from supporting overseas organizations that provide or promote abortions. Legislation in the House Appropriations Committee could render this provision worthless and allow our tax dollars to support pro-abortion groups around the world. The Mexico City Policy was originally instituted by President Reagan, discarded by President Clinton, and then reinstituted by President Bush.
For more information on these important pro-life riders check the AdvacneUSA home page.
UPDATE:
The bill proposed by Rep.
Nina Lowey (D-NY) has emerged from the House Appropriations Committee still posing a threat to important
pro-life measures. This bill should be amended to protect the Mexico
City Policy, or it will be strongly opposed by pro-life groups and concerned
citizens.
President Bush’s nominee for Surgeon General, James Holsinger, continues to undergo withering attack from radical gay groups because he once prepared a paper for the Methodist church explaining why homosexual behavior can cause serious health risks and problems. So for professionally and medically stating what is common knowledge to most, James Holsinger risks having his good name dragged through the mud by radical homosexual activists.
Equally as troubling is the homosexual lobby’s opposition to Dr. Holsinger’s religious activities with the Methodist church. As a governing member of the denomination, he upheld the biblical view of human sexuality multiple times, and the church in Kentucky he helped start helps homosexuals who wish to leave the lifestyle. According to the Constitution, there is to be no religious test for any public office.
Information on these stories was featured on the Wall Street Journal’s Best of the Web for two straight days.
Dr. Holsinger’s findings can be read here (Warning: contents are clinical and very explicit).
UPDATE:
The Family Research Council has posted this resource on the health risks of homosexuality which verifies Dr. Holsinger's findings.
South Korean cloning scientist Hwang Woo-suk has said he intends to continue his unethical research abroad. Hwang had been famous for advocating embryo research and cloning by promising “miracle cures” to desperate patients. Last year Hwang was embroiled in controversy when it became clear his research team had blatantly falsified data showing they had successfully cloned a human embryo. He was subsequently fired in disgrace.
For more information on the history of the Hwang scandal and how it reflects on the overall ethics problems of human cloning research check the stem cell page.
There is encouraging news that conservative members of the Senate are willing to take a courageous stand to ensure that President Bush’s judicial nominees get a fair hearing. Let’s hope they get a fair up-or-down vote as well. With the courts as powerful as they are today, the importance of nominating and confirming qualified, originalist judges can hardly be overstated.
During the recent debate over S. 5 in the House, Speaker Nancy Pelosi tried to appeal to religious sentiment by calling embryonic stem cells “a gift from God.” Somehow the deliberate destruction of innocent human life does not strike us as something God desires.
Here’s a troubling update on religious liberty in Malaysia, or the lack thereof. With the sounds of Islamic protestors outside shouting “Alah is great,” a Muslim lady was forbidden by a Malaysian court from officially registering her religion as “Christian.” This is another reminder of how we should cherish the religious liberty we still have in the United States.
The House has begun working on yearly appropriations provisions which provide liberals in Congress opportunities to assault existing pro-life federal law. One bill under consideration would overturn current pro-life provisions that require all organizations receiving federal money to promise not to promote abortion.
For more information on the important pro-life “riders” in appropriations legislation click here.
Not surprisingly, Governor Patrick has indicated that he would consider postponing the vote in the Massachusetts constitutional convention on the state’s marriage amendment in order to scrounge up enough votes to kill it. If the bill receives at least 50 votes from Massachusetts’ legislators the people of Massachusetts will be able to vote on the amendment (which would preserve the traditional definition of marriage, one man and one woman) in 2008.
Embryonic stem cell
research should be abandoned for both ethical and practical reasons. But
those determined to proceed with the research must now admit that embryonic-like
stem cells can be produced without creating or destroying
human embryos. Recent research shows that ordinary adult cells can be
coaxed into forming embryonic-like stem cells. This is exciting new
research and yet more evidence that embryo-destroying research is totally
unnecessary.
For more news and information on stem cells click here.
If passed, this would be the first same-sex marriage bill passed by a state legislature without having had a court order them to do so.
More evidence today that
radical liberal groups will stop at nothing to prevent decent judges from
reaching the federal bench. When President Bush nominated Judge Leslie
Southwick most observers thought there would be little controversy. But
radical liberal groups have found some supposed violations of political
correctness in his past and are determined to torpedo the nomination. The
Wall Street Journal accurately puts
the issue in perspective while the New York Times predictably
regurgitates left-wing talking points.
Ken Blackwell offers
his insightful perspective on the hate crimes bill recently passed by the
House. The Senate is now faced with the bill and is expected to consider it this year, perhaps within the next month or two.
Our friend Randy Thomas shares about his victory over homosexuality and offers a unique perspective on the controversial “gender identity” debate. He exposes the hypocrisy of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) activists who claim that “sexual orientation” is not changeable but “gender identity” somehow is. Randy works for the great organization Exodus International.
Here’s a helpful reminder of the proposed marriage amendment in Massachusetts that would protect traditional marriage in that state from being redefined by the courts. The citizens of Massachusetts should be allowed to vote on this issue!
On
June 6, 1944, Allied forces under the command of General Dwight Eisenhower began
the invasion and liberation of Europe from the
Nazis. Today is great time to remind ourselves of the high price of liberty.
The AFA has produced a moving tribute to D-Day that highlights President
Roosevelt's solemn prayer for God's help.
The Second District Court of Appeals has dealt a setback to good efforts of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to protect children by combating broadcast indecency on the publicly-owned airwaves. AdvanceUSA is happy to report that friends at the FCC have given assurances that the fight must and will go on.
The U.S. House of Representatives will likely vote Wednesday on a bill that claims to “ban” human cloning but would, in reality, protect the cloning of human embryos, as long as they are killed for their stem cells. In essence, the phony "ban" would allow "therapeutic" cloning while prohibiting "reproductive" cloning. Advocates of unethical research have often used this strategy of proposing “phony cloning bans” to deceive people into supporting unethical research (particularly in Missouri in 2006).
For more important information on the dangers of human cloning click here (helpful diagrams and educational resources are near the bottom of the page).
While the recent Supreme Court partial birth abortion ruling was not a total reversal of Roe vs. Wade, it was an important step in the right direction for the pro-life cause. This LifeNews column seeks to defend the ruling from pro-lifers upset with its limits.
Radical gay groups are trying to equate opposition to homosexual marriage with opposition to racially mixed marriages. The left has no shame.
UPDATE: To see the groups' advertisement, which uses a picture Jeb Bush and his wife (a racially mixed marriage), click here.
John Piper has asks an intriguing question about partial birth abortion and legalised abortion. WARNING: He describes explicit abortion procedures.
New research by British doctors confirms what pro-lifers have long suspected: undergoing abortions can be extremely traumatic for women. Of course, let’s not think about how traumatic it is for the unborn child.
The Miami Herald reports on the “religious left” movement to woo Christians away from conservatism with a new focus on poverty, privacy, and environmentalism. Will conservative Christians trade the crucial life and family issues for fluffy liberalism? Only time will tell.
Article excerpts:
''They will completely lack credibility if they turn a blind eye to the sanctity of life and marriage,'' he [John Stemberger] said. ``They can have their little conference in Washington, but they're never going to attract serious-minded Christians.' "
''They're really ramping it up because they've seen what value voters accomplished in the last race,'' said Stemberger, whose group recently hosted 600 people at an Orlando fundraiser. ``I don't think it's sincere . . . You can't hire consultants to learn how to talk to Christians.''
UPDATE:
Frank Pastore provides a helpful critique of the recent discussion about liberalism and religion at TownHall.
CitizenLink reports on this shining example of liberal “tolerance.”
UPDATE:
Exodus International is defending statements by President Bush’s nominee for Surgeon General on the medical dangers of homosexual activity and in support of the rights of self-determination for ex-gays. The whole fiasco bares witness to the rampant “intolerance” and outright bigotry of many in the radical homosexual movement. A PFOX press release on the issue can be read on NewsWire. An informative email exchange between a Human Rights Campaign employee and an ex-gay usefully illustrates the harassment and bigotry faced by those who have walked away from homosexuality.
The U.S. House of Representatives will likely vote on an embryonic stem cell research bill (S. 5) this Thursday. Earlier this spring, on April 11, the U.S. Senate voted 63-34 to pass S. 5, which calls for increased public funding of research that destroys human embryos (read text here). Embryonic stem cell research is both immoral and unnecessary. Unfortunately many in Congress want to spend your tax dollars on it anyway. To see how your senator voted check the Vote Watch page. Call your representative today and urge him or her to vote “No” on S. 5, and keep your tax dollars from supporting unethical research! In January the House passed a similar bill seeking to overturn President Bush's ethical guidelines for embryonic stem cell research funds. Proponents of the measure frequently exaggerate claims about the necessity and usefulness of embryonic stem cells, but in addition to its highly questionable usefulness the fundamental problem is that such research destroys human lives. For important information on stem cell research and other bioethics issues visit the stem cell page and adult stem cell page. To see how your representative voted on the House version of this bill check the Vote Watch page.
Because of minor alterations to the bill made by the Senate, S. 5 will be voted on by the House after which the President has promised to veto the legislation. The bill would then go first to the Senate and then to the House (if necessary) for a veto override vote. Pray that this bill never becomes law and that liberals in Congress will not try to sneak this type of unethical stem cell language into other legislation.
When junior high students in Oswego, Illinois were given the opportunity to create puzzle pieces that would be pieced together to form a school mural, Melissa Yates decided to paint a cross. Her puzzle piece was immediately erased out of the misguided belief that the cross somehow violated the “separation of church and state.” Fortunately, the Alliance Defense Fund contacted the school on Melissa’s behalf advocating for her rights of free speech and religious expression, and the cross was once again allowed in the school mural.
Though it may seem like a small victory, little steps like these help combat the anti-religious freedom sentiment that has gradually crept into our culture.
To see a picture of Melissa’s cross click here.
According to this exclusive ABC news report, it appears President Bush would pick a strong “judicial conservative” if a vacancy opens up on the Supreme Court this summer. This is great news since, with the increased influence of the Courts and the length of judicial terms (for life), Supreme Court appointments are some of the most important decisions U.S. presidents make.
Shannon Spaulding's graduation speech in Jacksonville, Florida, in which she spoke at length about her faith in Jesus Christ, received broad support from the audience at the time, but now a fire storm is erupting over her comments about sin, hell, and Jesus Christ. ABC News reports here.
Wesley J. Smith has a great article in the National Review today that exposes the depraved agenda of Dr. Jack Kevorkian. "Dr. Death" was released from prison today and despite likely media attempts to lionize him, the facts of what this man stands for must be known.
Expect "assisted suicide" and other aspects of the "culture of death" to become prominent issues in the near future.
Recent scientific research has shown that adult stem cells (in this case from umbilical cord blood) can be used to produce insulin. This is great news for diabetics. Adult stem cell research does not involve destroying human embryos so no ethical concerns are raised. Despite all the claims of the media, liberal activists, and selective scientists, adult stem cells continue to show much more promise at treating diseases and injuries than the more ethically suspect stem cells taken from human embryos.
For more information check the AdvanceUSA stem cell page or adult stem cell page.
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