Michelle answers:

In Matthew 23, Jesus condemns groups of people, but doesn’t direct his condemnation to one individual alone. In Luke 13:32, Jesus calls Herod Antipas a fox, and from his tone, it comes across as pajorative.

Michelle answers:

No Congress didn’t vote on this in fact no one voted for it.

On March 23, 2005, heads of government Vincente Fox, George W. Bush, and Paul Martin launched the North American partnership at a meeting in Waco, Texas, with the expressed goal of “a safer, more prosperous North America.”

Proponents of the partnership claim its purpose is to increase security and prosperity for all three nations through enhanced cooperation. Critics maintain the partnership will sacrifice U.S. Sovereignty by establishing a “North American Union,” with open borders and a common currency.

Lets just hope this does NOT establish the NAU !

Michelle answers:

Let’s look back 150 years ago.

Blacks were not allowed to own property essentially unless they had a writ (from a white Judge) stating they were freemen and citizens.

120 years ago property owners largely were the only ones allowed to vote.
100 years ago Women were still not allowed to vote.
70 years ago Blacks were not allowed to use the same facilities , as whites, and society was accordingly segregated.
40 years ago Blacks could still not obtain mortgages and loans in the same way as non-blacks in the same community (Redlining STILL persists in many areas of the country).
20 years ago the first generation of Black millionaires started to retire.

100 years ago being gay as the love that dare not speak it’s name.
75 years ago being openly gay would get you beaten just as soon as if you were black, this is STILL true in some more rural areas of the country.
50 years ago it was possible in some urban areas to live as openly gay people, arts and culture flourished.
30 years ago the first HIV cases were found in promiscuous gay men.
20 years ago the gay community still being decimated sought partner rights / visitation became a need for some partnered relations.
10 years ago the GOP made gay marriage a plank of opposition in preserving family values.

In working with gays in my workplace for many years, while I cannot speak from personal experience, I’d say most of society is slowly coming to terms with the notion of partner rights as a normal package of rights. But gay marriage as such is not an institution that I’ve seen alot of gay co-workers really clamor for, in fact most folks I spoke to were rather indifferent on the subject.

Not in the same way as partnership / visitation rights etc.

Eventually, I suspect some sort of civil union type of thing will be inevitable in all 50 states, but I give it ANOTHER 50 years before it is just regarded with indifference by most people.

But it’s important to understand that this is issue was not an issue until the GOP got some juice into it, like most things GOP, if you aren’t reacting to something – well you’re just not afraid enough or paying attention.

So like the incendiary “Downtown Mosque / Cultural Center” , or the insensitive “OJ Simpson `If I did it book` ” – http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6517875&ps=rs or just the inane “The Keffiyeh Kerfuffle” – http://michellemalkin.com/2008/05/23/of-donuts-and-dumb-celebrities/

Consumers of the right wing’s media product are pretty inundated with “issues” , be they real or conjured by the small army of pundits and writers, most of these are trivial , but they are meant to get voters agitated about “x”, and out to vote about “x”.

What I found particularly illuminating was the OJ fiasco, which was financed, bought and paid for by Fox media , was that media pundits normally loyal actually almost came to recommend boycotting their OWN station! – The rarity of this type of revolt was notable, and Mr. Murdoch quickly did an about face, and tried to bury association – Notably Bill O’Rielly was so genuinely offended he refused to cover it.

Ultimately the Goldman family sued and won a formal apology from Mr. Murdoch for milking their suffering.

So in the real scope of things once the Fox News / GOP machine moves on to another item, this will likely slowly move towards societal acceptability.

Michelle answers:

Here is the problem. Some of the people (conservatives) disapprove of any reform. Some of the people (liberals) disapprove because they wanted single payer instead, but they are in favor of reform. The conservatives tend to lump both those groups together and report the numbers as if it were proving only their point, which is untrue. So unless you find a poll that breaks down these two groups, or if anyone tries to give you the combined numbers, blow off what they say.

Add to that the fact that people believe lying propaganda because they don’t research anything for themselves. A Harrison Poll revealed that the Republican lying propaganda campaign has been so successful that Republicans actually believe the following about President Obama:

* He is a socialist (40%)
* He wants to take away Americans’ right to own guns (38%)
* He is a Muslim (32%)
* He wants to turn over the sovereignty of the United States to a one world government (29%)
* He has done many things that are unconstitutional (29%)
* He resents America’s heritage (27%)
* He does what Wall Street and the bankers tell him to do (27%)
* He was not born in the United States and so is not eligible to be president (25%)
* He is a domestic enemy that the U.S. Constitutions speaks of (25%)
* He is a racist (23%)
* He is anti-American (23%)
* He wants to use an economic collapse or terrorist attack as an excuse to take dictatorial powers (23%)
* He is doing many of the things that Hitler did (20%)
* He may be the Anti-Christ (14%)
* He wants the terrorists to win (13%)

http://news.harrisinteractive.com/profiles/investor/ResLibraryView.asp?BzID=1963&ResLibraryID=37050&Category=1777

The Daily Show/Colbert Report scored at the top for most informed viewers and Fox News scored nearly at the bottom.
Http://people-press.org/report/319/public-knowledge-of-current-affairs-little-changed-by-news-and-information-revolutions

Doesn’t exactly make you stand in awe of their intelligence, does it?

##