H4PJ Blog

So Rev. Rick Warren a Southern Baptist minister is going to give the invocation at the Inaguration. The Gay community is very upset by this choice. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28296499 That is the trouble with valuing diversity isn’t it. You have to welcome those you disagree with if you expect them to welcome you.

While I disagree with almost everything Rick Warren believes, there are millions of Americans who agree with him and they have a right to be included too.

You know grace is much easier to take than to give…

I have to admit that in a tough economic time I am amazed that a major news magazine took a courageous stand on the issue of gay marriage.

If you haven’t seen this weeks Newsweek go buy it…and then subscribe to offset all the canceled subscriptions they are likely to get.
http://www.newsweek.com/id/172653

For today “courage” is spelled “newsweek".

Have you wondered why George W. Bush doesn’t seem particularly disturbed by the economic mess he is leaving his successor? The truth is he doesn’t see it that way. He doesn’t believe the deficit is a negative, nor are the unending, unfunded wars he leaves behind, nor are the gigantic tax cuts he gave to his friends in Highland Park and other rich enclaves. In fact, he leaves office believing that he accomplished exactly what he set out to do economically. While he will never say so publicly, that little smirk is just his inability to repress his glee at succeeding without us knowing it.

Bush’s economic guru has always been Grover Norquist, the originator of the “starve the beast” approach to the American economy:

“Starving the beast” is a fiscal-political strategy of some American conservatives to use budget deficits via tax cuts to force future reductions in the size of government. The term “beast” refers to government and the programs it funds, particularly social programs such as welfare, Social Security, and Medicare.”

Under the guidance of Grover Norquist and neo-conservatives, George W. Bush has succeeded in tying the hands of his successor. Lots of promises were made in this election, but George knows that he has left the country too deeply in debt for many of those promises to be kept. Further, the economy is in such bad shape that revenues will decrease and the government will be forced to spend more and more on bailouts. In the end, there will be no money to invest in education or to ensure healthcare as a civil right.

No, don’t think for one minute that W. leaves feeling like a failure. He succeeded beyond his wildest dreams. The rich friends he will hang out with for the next 30 years know what we never did: they need us to stay down here, so they can stay up there, and he created the perfect economic storm to make sure that happens.
http://www.ndol.org/ndol_ci.cfm?kaid=127&subid=170&contentid=251788

Lynn Walters: H4PJ Board Member

The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals granted a stay of execution of Troy Davis, granting his attorneys 15 days to file briefs on whether he can meet “stringent requirements” for the next round of appeals. (www.newsday.com).

I’m glad that Davis’ life may be spared, especially as it is likely he did not commit the crime for which he was convicted. His story is the sad story of so many young men, especially young men of color who are in the wrong place at the wrong time and overzealous police and prosecutors, incompetent defense counsel among other things.

His case has attracted attention from the Pope, Jimmy Carter, Amnesty International and other high profile human rights activists and organizations.

Isn’t any execution a violation of human rights? Why aren’t we asked to write letters and protest on behalf of ALL inmates on death row? I understand that not everyone has as compelling a story and many on death row are guilty of the crimes for which they were convicted and deserve to be in prison for life.

In our opposition to the death penalty, can we truly pick and choose which inmates we will support or are we admitting that perhaps we think some of them do deserve to die? I sometimes do when I read about the crimes. What I try to remember is that no matter what they did, executing them will not bring back the victims and won’t help their families to miss them less. And, life in prison (or death in prison as some call it), is an effective way to keep such violent offenders from repeating their crime(s).

I won’t say it’s easy, but as Sr. Helen Prejean says, it is an on-going journey.