AUDIO: Christianist Haters Spew Bile At Colorado’s Civil Unions House Debate
April 2, 2011 No Comment
Igor Volsky reports at Wonk Room : Douglas Napier of the Alliance Defense Fund led the formal opposition against the bill and maintained that civil unions would likely lead to same-sex marriage, despite a 2006 voter-approved constitutional amendment that defined marriage as a union between a man and a woman. The debate quickly disintegrated from there, as witnesses began quoting the Bible, regurgitating… Broadcasting platform : YouTube Source : Joe. My. God. Discovery Date : 01/04/2011 14:35 Number of articles : 4
Continue reading …Ahh, childhood: that magical time when you can be slapped with a $100 fine for playing tag on the street outside your house. At least, that’s what will happen if a certain group of Edgewater, Fla., homeowners get their way. The Persimmon Place homeowners association will vote later this month…
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• Forces backing Ouattara bombard presidential palace • African Union calls on president to resign and end suffering Rebel forces in Ivory Coast have laid siege to the presidential palace as president Laurent Gbagbo made a last stand and the battle for power in Abidjan raged for a second day, with the UN mission coming under heavy fire. Forces backing presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara have overrun nearly three-quarters of Ivory Coast and looked poised to topple Gbagbo, but after entering the economic capital met with stiff resistance outside his fortified residence and office. With reports of beatings, looting and arson on the streets of Abidjan, residents barricaded inside their homes reported heavy arms fire throughout the early morning on Friday. On the peninsula where the palace is situated buildings were shaking with each explosion, witnesses said. Ouattara’s spokesman, Patrick Achi, told Reuters: “His house is under attack. That’s for sure. There is a resistance, but it’s under attack. [Gbagbo] hasn’t shown any signs of giving up. I don’t think he will see the game is up, because he really believes God will save him … Gbagbo is in his house. I’m certain. He hasn’t gone anywhere.” Ouattara ordered the borders closed to prevent Gbagbo and his allies fleeing. Ouattara’s foreign affairs minister told the Associated Press: “His inner circle is trying to run, but they won’t be able to.” Not seen in public for five days, Gbagbo has been weakened by high-level defections in the military. The regular army put up almost no opposition during a four-day offensive, including in Gbagbo’s home town, where rebels said they broke into his compound and slept in his bed. Some 50,000 soldiers, police and gendarmes have abandoned Gbagbo, according to the head of the UN mission, Choi Young-jin. “Only the Republican Guard and his special forces remain loyal, guarding the palace and residence,” he told France-Info. The chair of the commission of the African Union, Jean Ping, urged him to immediately hand power to Ouattara “in order to shorten the suffering of the Ivorians”. But a core of Gbagbo loyalists have fought to defend their shrinking territory. A spokesman, Abdon Georges Bayeto, told the BBC: “The president is not going to step down. He’s been elected for five years and we are going to put up a fight.” The heaviest clashes were at the state TV station, which went off air after Ouattara forces seized it overnight. Gbagbo’s forces said they had retaken it this morning. A senior diplomat said fighting continued. Heavy weapons fire was also heard at two military bases. Amid a sense of anarchy, the UN called on Ouattara to rein in his forces. A spokesman for the UN Commissioner for Human Rights said: “We are receiving unconfirmed but worrying reports that [pro-Ouattara forces] have been committing human rights violations.” French forces took 500 foreigners, made up of 150 French nationals plus other Europeans and also Lebanese citizens, to safety in a military camp. Thierry Burkhard, a spokesman, told Reuters: “There is a security vacuum and that has opened the way for looters to roam the streets.” There were no plans to repatriate the French nationals, he said. “There is no proof the French are specifically targeted. The looters are pillaging houses where there is something to take.” The UN said its compound came under heavy gunfire on Thursday afternoon from Gbagbo’s special forces, entrenched close to the presidential palace. The UN troops returned fire in a gun battle that lasted three hours. Zahra Abidi, a Swedish official of the UN peacekeeping mission, was killed on Thursday. A security source said she was standing on the balcony of a friend’s house while shooting was going on nearby and was hit by a bullet. Charity workers said it had become impossible for people in Abidjan to obtain medical care. Many are also out of food and water, as the markets are closed. Gbagbo lost last November’s presidential election, according to his country’s election commission and international observers, but has refused to step down. Sanctions imposed on him and his circle have failed to dislodge him. The offensive is expected to end Gbagbo’s regime within hours or days. “It’s over except for the shooting,” one diplomat said. The four-month standoff since the election has killed nearly 500 people, according to UN figures, although the real toll is probably far higher. About 1 million have fled Abidjan alone, and 122,000 more have crossed into Liberia, according to the UN. Ivory Coast Laurent Gbagbo Alassane Ouattara United Nations David Smith guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …• Forces backing Ouattara bombard presidential palace • African Union calls on president to resign and end suffering Rebel forces in Ivory Coast have laid siege to the presidential palace as president Laurent Gbagbo made a last stand and the battle for power in Abidjan raged for a second day, with the UN mission coming under heavy fire. Forces backing presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara have overrun nearly three-quarters of Ivory Coast and looked poised to topple Gbagbo, but after entering the economic capital met with stiff resistance outside his fortified residence and office. With reports of beatings, looting and arson on the streets of Abidjan, residents barricaded inside their homes reported heavy arms fire throughout the early morning on Friday. On the peninsula where the palace is situated buildings were shaking with each explosion, witnesses said. Ouattara’s spokesman, Patrick Achi, told Reuters: “His house is under attack. That’s for sure. There is a resistance, but it’s under attack. [Gbagbo] hasn’t shown any signs of giving up. I don’t think he will see the game is up, because he really believes God will save him … Gbagbo is in his house. I’m certain. He hasn’t gone anywhere.” Ouattara ordered the borders closed to prevent Gbagbo and his allies fleeing. Ouattara’s foreign affairs minister told the Associated Press: “His inner circle is trying to run, but they won’t be able to.” Not seen in public for five days, Gbagbo has been weakened by high-level defections in the military. The regular army put up almost no opposition during a four-day offensive, including in Gbagbo’s home town, where rebels said they broke into his compound and slept in his bed. Some 50,000 soldiers, police and gendarmes have abandoned Gbagbo, according to the head of the UN mission, Choi Young-jin. “Only the Republican Guard and his special forces remain loyal, guarding the palace and residence,” he told France-Info. The chair of the commission of the African Union, Jean Ping, urged him to immediately hand power to Ouattara “in order to shorten the suffering of the Ivorians”. But a core of Gbagbo loyalists have fought to defend their shrinking territory. A spokesman, Abdon Georges Bayeto, told the BBC: “The president is not going to step down. He’s been elected for five years and we are going to put up a fight.” The heaviest clashes were at the state TV station, which went off air after Ouattara forces seized it overnight. Gbagbo’s forces said they had retaken it this morning. A senior diplomat said fighting continued. Heavy weapons fire was also heard at two military bases. Amid a sense of anarchy, the UN called on Ouattara to rein in his forces. A spokesman for the UN Commissioner for Human Rights said: “We are receiving unconfirmed but worrying reports that [pro-Ouattara forces] have been committing human rights violations.” French forces took 500 foreigners, made up of 150 French nationals plus other Europeans and also Lebanese citizens, to safety in a military camp. Thierry Burkhard, a spokesman, told Reuters: “There is a security vacuum and that has opened the way for looters to roam the streets.” There were no plans to repatriate the French nationals, he said. “There is no proof the French are specifically targeted. The looters are pillaging houses where there is something to take.” The UN said its compound came under heavy gunfire on Thursday afternoon from Gbagbo’s special forces, entrenched close to the presidential palace. The UN troops returned fire in a gun battle that lasted three hours. Zahra Abidi, a Swedish official of the UN peacekeeping mission, was killed on Thursday. A security source said she was standing on the balcony of a friend’s house while shooting was going on nearby and was hit by a bullet. Charity workers said it had become impossible for people in Abidjan to obtain medical care. Many are also out of food and water, as the markets are closed. Gbagbo lost last November’s presidential election, according to his country’s election commission and international observers, but has refused to step down. Sanctions imposed on him and his circle have failed to dislodge him. The offensive is expected to end Gbagbo’s regime within hours or days. “It’s over except for the shooting,” one diplomat said. The four-month standoff since the election has killed nearly 500 people, according to UN figures, although the real toll is probably far higher. About 1 million have fled Abidjan alone, and 122,000 more have crossed into Liberia, according to the UN. Ivory Coast Laurent Gbagbo Alassane Ouattara United Nations David Smith guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …• Forces backing Ouattara bombard presidential palace • African Union calls on president to resign and end suffering Rebel forces in Ivory Coast have laid siege to the presidential palace as president Laurent Gbagbo made a last stand and the battle for power in Abidjan raged for a second day, with the UN mission coming under heavy fire. Forces backing presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara have overrun nearly three-quarters of Ivory Coast and looked poised to topple Gbagbo, but after entering the economic capital met with stiff resistance outside his fortified residence and office. With reports of beatings, looting and arson on the streets of Abidjan, residents barricaded inside their homes reported heavy arms fire throughout the early morning on Friday. On the peninsula where the palace is situated buildings were shaking with each explosion, witnesses said. Ouattara’s spokesman, Patrick Achi, told Reuters: “His house is under attack. That’s for sure. There is a resistance, but it’s under attack. [Gbagbo] hasn’t shown any signs of giving up. I don’t think he will see the game is up, because he really believes God will save him … Gbagbo is in his house. I’m certain. He hasn’t gone anywhere.” Ouattara ordered the borders closed to prevent Gbagbo and his allies fleeing. Ouattara’s foreign affairs minister told the Associated Press: “His inner circle is trying to run, but they won’t be able to.” Not seen in public for five days, Gbagbo has been weakened by high-level defections in the military. The regular army put up almost no opposition during a four-day offensive, including in Gbagbo’s home town, where rebels said they broke into his compound and slept in his bed. Some 50,000 soldiers, police and gendarmes have abandoned Gbagbo, according to the head of the UN mission, Choi Young-jin. “Only the Republican Guard and his special forces remain loyal, guarding the palace and residence,” he told France-Info. The chair of the commission of the African Union, Jean Ping, urged him to immediately hand power to Ouattara “in order to shorten the suffering of the Ivorians”. But a core of Gbagbo loyalists have fought to defend their shrinking territory. A spokesman, Abdon Georges Bayeto, told the BBC: “The president is not going to step down. He’s been elected for five years and we are going to put up a fight.” The heaviest clashes were at the state TV station, which went off air after Ouattara forces seized it overnight. Gbagbo’s forces said they had retaken it this morning. A senior diplomat said fighting continued. Heavy weapons fire was also heard at two military bases. Amid a sense of anarchy, the UN called on Ouattara to rein in his forces. A spokesman for the UN Commissioner for Human Rights said: “We are receiving unconfirmed but worrying reports that [pro-Ouattara forces] have been committing human rights violations.” French forces took 500 foreigners, made up of 150 French nationals plus other Europeans and also Lebanese citizens, to safety in a military camp. Thierry Burkhard, a spokesman, told Reuters: “There is a security vacuum and that has opened the way for looters to roam the streets.” There were no plans to repatriate the French nationals, he said. “There is no proof the French are specifically targeted. The looters are pillaging houses where there is something to take.” The UN said its compound came under heavy gunfire on Thursday afternoon from Gbagbo’s special forces, entrenched close to the presidential palace. The UN troops returned fire in a gun battle that lasted three hours. Zahra Abidi, a Swedish official of the UN peacekeeping mission, was killed on Thursday. A security source said she was standing on the balcony of a friend’s house while shooting was going on nearby and was hit by a bullet. Charity workers said it had become impossible for people in Abidjan to obtain medical care. Many are also out of food and water, as the markets are closed. Gbagbo lost last November’s presidential election, according to his country’s election commission and international observers, but has refused to step down. Sanctions imposed on him and his circle have failed to dislodge him. The offensive is expected to end Gbagbo’s regime within hours or days. “It’s over except for the shooting,” one diplomat said. The four-month standoff since the election has killed nearly 500 people, according to UN figures, although the real toll is probably far higher. About 1 million have fled Abidjan alone, and 122,000 more have crossed into Liberia, according to the UN. Ivory Coast Laurent Gbagbo Alassane Ouattara United Nations David Smith guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …In Republican Indiana, so-called rape victims might be faking it just so they can get abortions
April 1, 2011 No CommentTanya Somander at ThinkProgress brings us, from the floor of the Indiana House, the keen insights of Republican Rep. Eric Turner of Marion: TURNER: With all do respect to Rep. Riecken, I understand what she’s trying to do. But as you know that when the federal health care bill was going through Congress there was a lot of discussion whether this would allow for abortion coverage and of course we were all told it would not. And the bill, my house bill 1210, would prevent that for any insurance company to provide abortion coverage under federal health care bill. This [amendment] would open that window and I would ask you to oppose this amendment. I just want you to think about this, in my view, giant loophole that could be created where someone who could — now i want to be careful, I don’t want to disparage in any way someone who has gone through the experience of a rape or incest — but someone who is desirous of an abortion could simply say that they’ve been raped or there’s incest. The best part of this video, though, is the rebuttal from Democratic Rep. Linda Lawson of Hammond: LAWSON: I was a sex-crimes investigator for six years for the city of Hammond, Indiana. And I want to tell you what it looks like and what it sounds like when women are raped. Or six-year-olds are raped. Or 18-month-old babies are raped. Or 97-year-old women are raped. They don’t make it up! Then they have to go to court. They have to stand in a courtroom, and they have to face the person who did it to them. Women don’t make this up! My goodness! This is the state of Indiana! Obviously, Rep. Hammond did not get the memo that, under the current regime of our new Alien Overlords from Planet T-Par-T, all victims of crime are now considered suspicious characters at best and likely criminals. If there wasn’t something wrong with them, God wouldn’t let anything bad happen to them, right? Especially when it comes to accusing men. What were they thinking? Because, of course, the bill that Turner was defending was his own HB 1210, which among other restrictions would outlaw abortions after 20 weeks, and require abortion providers to tell patients that abortion carries risks, including the possibility of breast cancer. And they obviously listened to Turner’s logic, such as it were: The House also voted 42-54 against an amendment by Rep. Gail Riecken, D-Riecken, which would have exempted from the bill women who became pregnant due to rape or incest, or women for whom a pregnancy threatens their life or could cause serious and irreversible physical harm. Naturally, it passed the Indiana House shortly afterward. It’s a lock to pass the Senate, too, and to be signed into law by Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels. [H/t scarce]
Continue reading …In Republican Indiana, so-called rape victims might be faking it just so they can get abortions
April 1, 2011 No CommentTanya Somander at ThinkProgress brings us, from the floor of the Indiana House, the keen insights of Republican Rep. Eric Turner of Marion: TURNER: With all do respect to Rep. Riecken, I understand what she’s trying to do. But as you know that when the federal health care bill was going through Congress there was a lot of discussion whether this would allow for abortion coverage and of course we were all told it would not. And the bill, my house bill 1210, would prevent that for any insurance company to provide abortion coverage under federal health care bill. This [amendment] would open that window and I would ask you to oppose this amendment. I just want you to think about this, in my view, giant loophole that could be created where someone who could — now i want to be careful, I don’t want to disparage in any way someone who has gone through the experience of a rape or incest — but someone who is desirous of an abortion could simply say that they’ve been raped or there’s incest. The best part of this video, though, is the rebuttal from Democratic Rep. Linda Lawson of Hammond: LAWSON: I was a sex-crimes investigator for six years for the city of Hammond, Indiana. And I want to tell you what it looks like and what it sounds like when women are raped. Or six-year-olds are raped. Or 18-month-old babies are raped. Or 97-year-old women are raped. They don’t make it up! Then they have to go to court. They have to stand in a courtroom, and they have to face the person who did it to them. Women don’t make this up! My goodness! This is the state of Indiana! Obviously, Rep. Hammond did not get the memo that, under the current regime of our new Alien Overlords from Planet T-Par-T, all victims of crime are now considered suspicious characters at best and likely criminals. If there wasn’t something wrong with them, God wouldn’t let anything bad happen to them, right? Especially when it comes to accusing men. What were they thinking? Because, of course, the bill that Turner was defending was his own HB 1210, which among other restrictions would outlaw abortions after 20 weeks, and require abortion providers to tell patients that abortion carries risks, including the possibility of breast cancer. And they obviously listened to Turner’s logic, such as it were: The House also voted 42-54 against an amendment by Rep. Gail Riecken, D-Riecken, which would have exempted from the bill women who became pregnant due to rape or incest, or women for whom a pregnancy threatens their life or could cause serious and irreversible physical harm. Naturally, it passed the Indiana House shortly afterward. It’s a lock to pass the Senate, too, and to be signed into law by Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels. [H/t scarce]
Continue reading …In Republican Indiana, so-called rape victims might be faking it just so they can get abortions
April 1, 2011 No CommentTanya Somander at ThinkProgress brings us, from the floor of the Indiana House, the keen insights of Republican Rep. Eric Turner of Marion: TURNER: With all do respect to Rep. Riecken, I understand what she’s trying to do. But as you know that when the federal health care bill was going through Congress there was a lot of discussion whether this would allow for abortion coverage and of course we were all told it would not. And the bill, my house bill 1210, would prevent that for any insurance company to provide abortion coverage under federal health care bill. This [amendment] would open that window and I would ask you to oppose this amendment. I just want you to think about this, in my view, giant loophole that could be created where someone who could — now i want to be careful, I don’t want to disparage in any way someone who has gone through the experience of a rape or incest — but someone who is desirous of an abortion could simply say that they’ve been raped or there’s incest. The best part of this video, though, is the rebuttal from Democratic Rep. Linda Lawson of Hammond: LAWSON: I was a sex-crimes investigator for six years for the city of Hammond, Indiana. And I want to tell you what it looks like and what it sounds like when women are raped. Or six-year-olds are raped. Or 18-month-old babies are raped. Or 97-year-old women are raped. They don’t make it up! Then they have to go to court. They have to stand in a courtroom, and they have to face the person who did it to them. Women don’t make this up! My goodness! This is the state of Indiana! Obviously, Rep. Hammond did not get the memo that, under the current regime of our new Alien Overlords from Planet T-Par-T, all victims of crime are now considered suspicious characters at best and likely criminals. If there wasn’t something wrong with them, God wouldn’t let anything bad happen to them, right? Especially when it comes to accusing men. What were they thinking? Because, of course, the bill that Turner was defending was his own HB 1210, which among other restrictions would outlaw abortions after 20 weeks, and require abortion providers to tell patients that abortion carries risks, including the possibility of breast cancer. And they obviously listened to Turner’s logic, such as it were: The House also voted 42-54 against an amendment by Rep. Gail Riecken, D-Riecken, which would have exempted from the bill women who became pregnant due to rape or incest, or women for whom a pregnancy threatens their life or could cause serious and irreversible physical harm. Naturally, it passed the Indiana House shortly afterward. It’s a lock to pass the Senate, too, and to be signed into law by Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels. [H/t scarce]
Continue reading …In Republican Indiana, so-called rape victims might be faking it just so they can get abortions
April 1, 2011 No CommentTanya Somander at ThinkProgress brings us, from the floor of the Indiana House, the keen insights of Republican Rep. Eric Turner of Marion: TURNER: With all do respect to Rep. Riecken, I understand what she’s trying to do. But as you know that when the federal health care bill was going through Congress there was a lot of discussion whether this would allow for abortion coverage and of course we were all told it would not. And the bill, my house bill 1210, would prevent that for any insurance company to provide abortion coverage under federal health care bill. This [amendment] would open that window and I would ask you to oppose this amendment. I just want you to think about this, in my view, giant loophole that could be created where someone who could — now i want to be careful, I don’t want to disparage in any way someone who has gone through the experience of a rape or incest — but someone who is desirous of an abortion could simply say that they’ve been raped or there’s incest. The best part of this video, though, is the rebuttal from Democratic Rep. Linda Lawson of Hammond: LAWSON: I was a sex-crimes investigator for six years for the city of Hammond, Indiana. And I want to tell you what it looks like and what it sounds like when women are raped. Or six-year-olds are raped. Or 18-month-old babies are raped. Or 97-year-old women are raped. They don’t make it up! Then they have to go to court. They have to stand in a courtroom, and they have to face the person who did it to them. Women don’t make this up! My goodness! This is the state of Indiana! Obviously, Rep. Hammond did not get the memo that, under the current regime of our new Alien Overlords from Planet T-Par-T, all victims of crime are now considered suspicious characters at best and likely criminals. If there wasn’t something wrong with them, God wouldn’t let anything bad happen to them, right? Especially when it comes to accusing men. What were they thinking? Because, of course, the bill that Turner was defending was his own HB 1210, which among other restrictions would outlaw abortions after 20 weeks, and require abortion providers to tell patients that abortion carries risks, including the possibility of breast cancer. And they obviously listened to Turner’s logic, such as it were: The House also voted 42-54 against an amendment by Rep. Gail Riecken, D-Riecken, which would have exempted from the bill women who became pregnant due to rape or incest, or women for whom a pregnancy threatens their life or could cause serious and irreversible physical harm. Naturally, it passed the Indiana House shortly afterward. It’s a lock to pass the Senate, too, and to be signed into law by Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels. [H/t scarce]
Continue reading …In Republican Indiana, so-called rape victims might be faking it just so they can get abortions
April 1, 2011 No CommentTanya Somander at ThinkProgress brings us, from the floor of the Indiana House, the keen insights of Republican Rep. Eric Turner of Marion: TURNER: With all do respect to Rep. Riecken, I understand what she’s trying to do. But as you know that when the federal health care bill was going through Congress there was a lot of discussion whether this would allow for abortion coverage and of course we were all told it would not. And the bill, my house bill 1210, would prevent that for any insurance company to provide abortion coverage under federal health care bill. This [amendment] would open that window and I would ask you to oppose this amendment. I just want you to think about this, in my view, giant loophole that could be created where someone who could — now i want to be careful, I don’t want to disparage in any way someone who has gone through the experience of a rape or incest — but someone who is desirous of an abortion could simply say that they’ve been raped or there’s incest. The best part of this video, though, is the rebuttal from Democratic Rep. Linda Lawson of Hammond: LAWSON: I was a sex-crimes investigator for six years for the city of Hammond, Indiana. And I want to tell you what it looks like and what it sounds like when women are raped. Or six-year-olds are raped. Or 18-month-old babies are raped. Or 97-year-old women are raped. They don’t make it up! Then they have to go to court. They have to stand in a courtroom, and they have to face the person who did it to them. Women don’t make this up! My goodness! This is the state of Indiana! Obviously, Rep. Hammond did not get the memo that, under the current regime of our new Alien Overlords from Planet T-Par-T, all victims of crime are now considered suspicious characters at best and likely criminals. If there wasn’t something wrong with them, God wouldn’t let anything bad happen to them, right? Especially when it comes to accusing men. What were they thinking? Because, of course, the bill that Turner was defending was his own HB 1210, which among other restrictions would outlaw abortions after 20 weeks, and require abortion providers to tell patients that abortion carries risks, including the possibility of breast cancer. And they obviously listened to Turner’s logic, such as it were: The House also voted 42-54 against an amendment by Rep. Gail Riecken, D-Riecken, which would have exempted from the bill women who became pregnant due to rape or incest, or women for whom a pregnancy threatens their life or could cause serious and irreversible physical harm. Naturally, it passed the Indiana House shortly afterward. It’s a lock to pass the Senate, too, and to be signed into law by Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels. [H/t scarce]
Continue reading …