|
BABBLEMUR! Seeking Common Sense in a World Gone Mad |
||
| Got Comments? Send them to Babblemur here! |
Babblemur Blog - Click Here |
| babblemur@babblemur.com "Is it journalism? Is it babble? Is it something else? Or is it simply scary." Who the Heck is... Babblemur Akaoni Babblemur.blogspot.com ABOUT BABBLEMUR.COM |
| Recent Issues: July 1-4, 2005 June 29, 2005 June 24, 2005 June 21, 2005 June 18, 2005 |
| Links to Blogs, Babblers, and Media Oshkosh
Wisconsin
Iowa Global |
| Past Issues: July 1-4, 2005 June 29, 2005 June 24, 2005 June 21, 2005 June 18, 2005 June 16, 2005 June 14, 2005 June 12, 2005 June 10, 2005 June 9, 2005 June 7, 2005 June 6, 2005 June 2, 2005 May 31, 2005 May 27, 2005 May 23-25, 2005 May 20, 2005 May 19, 2005 |
| "Jesus Christ was a Socialist" - Hugo Chavez, Venezuela |
issue:
(By Akaoni)
NICE BOMBS
Join our Fearless Great Dear
Leader
Operation Yellow Elephant
Torture Ships
Spain Joins the Club
Reason and Decency in the
Great White North
|
||
| Spanish Prime Minister Zapatero in Church |
How do you say "Gay Marriage"
in Spanish? Ask Zapatero...
(From ZNet)
[When the Spanish parliament yesterday took its historic
vote legalizing both gay marriage and adoption of children
by gay couples, Socialist Prime Minister Jose Luis
Rodriguez Zapatero -- who put the full prestige of his
office and party behind passage of the gay human rights
legislation -- made one of the most remarkable speeches in
favor of full equality for those with same-sex hearts ever
delivered by a head of government anywhere. Here are
excerpts from Zapatero's speech -- Doug Ireland]
"We are not legislating, honorable members, for
people far away and not known by us. We are
enlarging the opportunity for happiness to our
neighbors, our co-workers, our friends and, our
families: at the same time we are making a more
decent society, because a decent society is one
that does not humiliate its members.
"In the poem 'The Family,' our poet Luis
Cernuda was sorry because, 'How does man live
in denial in vain/by giving rules that prohibit and
condemn?' Today, the Spanish society answers
to a group of people who, during many years
have, been humiliated, whose rights have been
ignored, whose dignity has been offended, their
identity denied, and their liberty oppressed.
Today the Spanish society grants them the
respect they deserve, recognizes their rights,
restores their dignity, affirms their identity, and
restores their liberty.
"It is true that they are only a minority, but their
triumph is everyone's triumph. It is also the
triumph of those who oppose this law, even
though they do not know this yet: because it is
the triumph of Liberty. Their victory makes all
of us (even those who oppose the law) better
people, it makes our society better. Honorable
members, There is no damage to marriage or to
the concept of family in allowing two people of
the same sex to get married. To the contrary,
what happens is this class of Spanish citizens get
the potential to organize their lives with the rights
and privileges of marriage and family. There is
no danger to the institution of marriage, but
precisely the opposite: this law enhances and
respects marriage.
"Today, conscious that some people and
institutions are in a profound disagreement with
this change in our civil law, I wish to express
that, like other reforms to the marriage code that
preceded this one, this law will generate no evil,
that its only consequence will be the avoiding of
senseless suffering of decent human beings. A
society that avoids senseless suffering of decent
human beings is a better society.
"With the approval of this Bill, our country takes
another step in the path of liberty and tolerance
that was begun by the democratic change of
government. Our children will look at us
incredulously if we tell them that many years
ago, our mothers had less rights than our
fathers, or if we tell them that people had to stay
married against their will even though they were
unable to share their lives. Today we can offer
them a beautiful lesson: every right gained, each
access to liberty has been the result of the
struggle and sacrifice of many people that
deserve our recognition and praise.
"Today we demonstrate with this Bill that
societies can better themselves and can cross
barriers and create tolerance by putting a stop to
the unhappiness and humiliation of some of our
citizens. Today, for many of our countrymen,
comes the day predicted by Kavafis one century
ago: 'Later 'twas said of the most perfect
society/someone else, made like me/certainly will
come out and act freely.'"
[Thanks to valiant gay journalist Rex Wockner
for providing this translation.]
Family Owned Oshkosh Bookstore
Closing its Doors
by babblemur
LP Books, Formerly Little Professor Books, is
closing its doors after 10 years of service to the
Oshkosh, WI area. The independent book store
will sell its last book on July 27th.
Peg and Larry Koeppen have run the bookstore
since 1995. They have been at their current
location, 2060 S. Koeller since 1999. The
Koeppens intend to retire and spend more time
with family. The store has been on the market,
but there has been no buyer. Their lease has
expired so the doors are closing.
In a letter from Peg Koeppen: "We appreciate the
support of our customers through the years and
wish you the best in your future."
Please consider stopping in and thanking Peg and
Larry, and help them liquidate their inventory.
| In an attempt to make Babblemur! welcoming and inclusive, the following words and descriptions will be avoided on this website when referring to those who are in favor of the Anti-Marriage Amendment: Extremist Anti-Gay Mean-Spirited Discriminatory Religious Right Bigot Zealot Asshat |
and Jews, Oh My!
DEAR ABBY: You were wrong, wrong, wrong
to tell an atheist to say "amen" at the end of
grace at dinner. Atheists do not believe that a
god or gods of any kind exist.
"Amen," according to my dictionary, is used to
express solemn ratification. Atheists do not
ratify religion. Being coerced to appear to do so
in the name of etiquette can leave an atheist
feeling used and dishonest.
I, like many atheists, consider religion to be
superstition, which, for the most part, is
harmful to people. At its worst, religion prompts
people to blow up buildings with innocent people
-- even children -- in them. Examples include the
"Christian" Identity gangsters who blew up the
Federal Building in Oklahoma and the Muslims
who flew airplanes into the World Trade Center
and the Pentagon. -- HAPPY HEATHEN IN
TEXAS
DEAR H.H.: We live in a country that guarantees
religious freedom -- and that includes freedom
FROM religion, if people wish. I disagree with
you that religion is harmful, however. Religion
doesn't prompt people to perpetrate the evils you
described; FANATICISM does, when believers
are inflamed by leaders with a political agenda.
DEAR ABBY: Of course atheists should respect
others' beliefs -- and their rituals. But believers
should also respect atheists' right to reject those
beliefs and their rituals. Respect goes both
ways. Mutual respect is shown when atheists
act as silent observers while believers go about
their business, and believers resist shaming
atheists for refusing to mimic them. --
NORMAN IN UPPER MONTCLAIR, N.J.
DEAR NORMAN: Shaming others who refuse
to mimic them? That's not proselytizing -- that's
bullying.
DEAR ABBY: You must not have consulted your
religious experts when you advised the atheist to
bow his head and say "amen" after his dinner
companions finish saying grace. You advised the
person to be a hypocrite. -- KIMBERLY IN
KEARNEY, MO.
DEAR KIMBERLY: If my mail is any indication,
it can also mean "I'm glad it's over." I am
Jewish, and I was describing what I do when
grace is invoked.
By the way, did you know that Jewish people do
not say grace before a meal? We say a blessing
thanking God for bread. A full grace is not said
until after the meal, to be sure we have had a
meal to eat, and know exactly what we are
thanking God for.
DEAR ABBY: What advice have you when the
situation is reversed? Several times we have
invited guests to our home for dinner, and when
it became apparent that we do not observe this
ritual, they have said some variation of "Shall we
offer thanks?" It's usually a rhetorical question.
We are torn between wanting to be gracious
hosts and being offended that people of faith are
attempting to bully us with their religion. One
couple not only wanted to say grace in our
home, they demanded that everyone stand while
they intoned a prayer of thanks to whomever it
is they worship.
Is there a tactful way to let guests know the
hosts do not appreciate the imposition of their
religion? -- NON-BELIEVERS IN ILLINOIS
DEAR NON-BELIEVERS: Certainly. Just say to
your guest, "Thank you for offering, but that
won't be necessary."
that the "Dear Abby"
column written by
Jeanne Phillips (inherited
from her mother,
Pauline Phillips) is just
fine. Her responses to
letters exhibit common
sense above and beyond
what we see in the
headlines and on the
television set.
See this column
(second letter down) for
a defense of a young
teen struggling with
homosexuality.
Greens Knock Dems for Not
Knocking Bush hard enough on War,
Lies, and the Downing St. Memo
by babblemur
The Green Party issued a Press Release criticising
the Democrats for failing to hold Bush responsible
for lying to the American People about justification
for war with Iraq.
- "What the President told America in his
speech (of June 28) wasn't grounds for
cautious criticism -- it was grounds for
impeachment," said Elena Everett, chair of
the North Carolina Green Party and Co-chair
of the Green Party's Peace Action
Committee. "None of the Democratic leaders
who criticized Mr. Bush are willing to admit
that the enormity of his deception deserves
impeachment. None of them are willing to
demand a halt to the slaughter of Iraqi
civilians and U.S. troops by ending the
occupation."
From the Green Party:
Greens have called the President's actions
and statements grounds for impeachment,
and have demanded an immediate withdrawal
of U.S. troops from Iraq.
"The invasion made the world less, not more
secure from terrorism," said Rebecca
Rotzler, Co-chair of the Peace Action
Committee and Deputy Mayor, Village of
New Paltz, NY. "The only connection
between the war on Iraq and the war on
terror is that, by invading Iraq -- where al-
Qaeda had zero or negligible presence before
the invasion -- President Bush opened up
Iraq to al-Qaeda, which is exploiting the
chaos there and using Iraq as a training
camp."
In an effort to give credit where credit is
due, I believe the Democratic Party of
Wisconsin passed a resolution this summer
in Oshkosh calling for the impeachment of
Bush, following the Green Party's lead on
this in 2003.