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AFA of PA ACTION ALERT
Philadelphia Mayor John Street to Perform Same-Sex Marriage Ceremony!
This coming Saturday will be another dark day in the history of the City of Brotherly Love. Even though Mayor Street has officiated over less than ten marriages during his two terms as mayor, he has chosen to be involved in yet another one on Saturday. But he will not be uniting a bride and groom in marriage, but two men – one of which is his Deputy Secretary of External Affairs. These activities will be taking place in Philadelphia’s City Hall.
The Mayor has insisted that this is not really marriage, but homosexual activists view it quite differently. The ‘groom and groom’ view it as a political statement and from neighboring New Jersey, Steven Goldstein, chairman of Garden State Equality said, "Every single time a public official like Mayor Street performs a ceremony, it strengthens the case for marriage equality."
What kind of message is the mayor sending to Philadelphians and the rest of Pennsylvania – especially the children of this state?
If the Mayor’s actions disturb you, please consider contacting his office. Click here to read the news release.
ACTION NEEDED:
1.) Contact Philadelphia Mayor John Street at mayor@phila.gov Please also consider calling the mayor’s Executive Secretary Betty Kibler at (215) 686-2181 or his Chief of Staff Joyce Wilkerson at (215) 686-7508.
AFA of PA ACTION ALERT
Now That PA’s Hate Crimes Law is Unconstitutional, What’s Next?
If you didn’t get the news – the PA hate crimes law was declared unconstitutional in a court decision yesterday. Click here to read our news release.
Attorney General Tom Corbett has thirty days to decide if he will appeal the decision to the PA Supreme Court.
Governor Rendell is already calling on the legislature “to immediately approve appropriate legislation reinstating the measure.”
So, what can we do in the meantime? We have yet another chance to stop the effort to add ‘actual or perceived sexual orientation and gender identity’ to the PA hate crimes law. Call your State Senator and State Representative and encourage them to not support any new hate crimes bill.
Some facts to consider:
q Hate crime laws are unnecessary – are there any violent crimes not driven by hate? Legislators said back in 2002 said this bill was meant to deal with blood on the streets . . . thugs and hooligans. The arrest of the Philadelphia Eleven proved that wrong! Click here to read the timeline and quotes from legislators.
q According to FBI Stats there were 118 ‘hate crimes’ in Pennsylvania in 2005 – the most recent statistics available.
q Homosexual men are in more danger of violence from their partners than from someone who does not agree with their lifestyle.
ACTION NEEDED:
1.) Please consider contacting your State Senator and State Representative at their district office over Thanksgiving break. Click here for contact information. If you don’t know who your state legislator is, please enter your county or zip code in the upper right hand corner of this webpage.
AFA of PA ACTION ALERT
1.) ENDA Passes – How did your Congressman vote?
2.) Update on Hate Crimes
1.) Last night the Employment Non-Discrimination Act - H.R. 3685 -- passed in the U.S. House. It did not include ‘gender identity’ language, but is still a very dangerous bill. The vote was 235-184 which is not veto proof. Here’s the vote breakdown: Yeas – Democrats 200, Republicans 35; Nos – Democrats 25, Republicans 159. Click here to see how our Pennsylvania Congressmen voted on ENDA.
The passage of ENDA adds ‘sexual orientation’ to hiring laws that will affect all businesses with 15 or more employees – including Christian businesses like bookstores, publishers and coffee houses. Additionally, even though the words ‘gender identity’ are not in the bill, under the term “perceived,” in Section 4 transgenders, etc., can still claim protection. Under Section 4 of this bill, workplace discrimination is prohibited as follows: “It shall be an unlawful employment practice for an employer to fail or refuse to hire or to discharge any individual, or otherwise discriminate against any individual with respect to the compensation, terms, conditions, or privileges of employment of the individual, because of such individual's actual or perceived sexual orientation . . .”
House Republican Whip Roy Blunt (Mo.) said in a statement, “In this case, the so-called ‘Employment Non-Discrimination Act’ creates a legal quagmire for employees who practice, or even acknowledge, their religious beliefs – depending on where they happen to work, and subject to judicial interpretation. In the process, it erodes a basic, fundamental right bestowed upon us by our Creator – and a right guaranteed to every American under the U.S. Constitution.”
“As a former president of a Baptist college in Missouri, supporters of this bill have been quick to assure me that its most onerous provisions would not apply to that school. But no such exemption is available for Christian bookstore owners, as an example, or any other small business in which people of faith and deep religious conviction are relied upon as an integral part of the workforce.” Click here to read the entire article in Human Events.
2.) The hate crimes bill has drifted into the background as the ENDA debate has taken the forefront in recent weeks. There is still a chance that the hate crimes amendment can be stripped from the Defense Reauthorization Act before it reaches the President’s desk! Progress on the bill continues to be made with leaders in the Senate and House working to iron out differences between the House and Senate versions of the Defense Authorization bill. The Senate version contains the hate crimes language while the House version does not. The House passed the hate crimes bill as a stand alone measure.
Several Congressional aides have said House and Senate lawmakers seeking to resolve differences between competing versions of the FY08 defense authorization bill hope to wrap up their conference talks in the next several days and pass the bill before the Thanksgiving recess. Committee leaders are still weighing whether to include in the final bill unrelated hate crimes language that passed on the Senate’s version of the authorization measure.
The President has indicated he will veto the Defense Authorization Act if it contains the hate crimes language when it reaches his desk, but with the ongoing war on terror that would place him in an awkward situation. We still have a chance to make a difference!
ACTION NEEDED:
1.) How did your Congressman vote on ENDA? If he or she voted ‘yes’ let them know your thoughts on forcing your business or your place of employment to hire homosexuals and bisexuals. If he voted ‘no,’ please call him to say ‘thanks’ for taking a stand for businesses in Pennsylvania. Click here for contact information.
2.) Please CALL the following and urge them to STRIP the Hate Crimes Amendment from the Defense Authorization Act!
Senate Armed Services Committee:
Chairman: Carl Levin (D-MI) 202-224-6221
Ranking Mbr: John McCain (R-AZ) 202-224-2235
House Armed Services Committee:
Chairman: Ike Skelton (D-4, MO)
202-225-2876
Ranking Mbr: Duncan Hunter (R-52, CA) 202-225-5672
AFA of PA ACTION ALERT
Vote on New ENDA Expected in House Committee on Thursday
In recent weeks there has been an ongoing debate among homosexual/transgender groups about whether to include ‘gender identity’ in the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. At the present time Representative Barney Frank (D-MA) has introduced a new version of ENDA that does not include that language – H.R. 3685. Remember this is the federal bill that will require all employers with fifteen or more employees to hire homosexuals and bisexuals.
Homosexual and transgender groups are in an uproar and are putting extreme pressure on Congressmen to support the old version of ENDA – H.R. 2015. But Congressman Frank is moving forward and has introduced H.R. 3685 with the ‘sexual orientation’ language and H.R. 3686 with ‘gender identity’ language. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has promised homosexual activists that as soon as they have the votes, she will fast track the bill with the ‘gender identity’ language.
Supposedly religious organizations are exempt in this new version, but here’s the definition in the bill: “RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATION- The term `religious organization' means--
(A) a religious corporation, association, or society; or
(B) a school, college, university, or other educational institution or institution of learning, if--
(i) the institution is in whole or substantial part controlled, managed, owned, or supported by a particular religion, religious corporation, association, or society; or
(ii) the curriculum of the institution is directed toward the propagation of a particular religion.”
This definition may exempt churches, but it places parachurch ministries at grave risk. Recently one court found that a United Methodist children’s home was not a ‘religious’ organization under a very similar definition in the 1964 Civil Rights Law. Another court recently devised a nine-part, subjective ‘balancing’ test to decide whether a Jewish community center was ‘religious’ under the very same federal law. Two of these ‘secularizing’ factors included ‘under direct control of a church’ and provide ‘secular products’ such as food shelter, and counseling. This would describe many parachurch organizations, thus they would not be exempt from the provisions of H.R. 3685 and would be required to hire homosexuals and bisexuals.
Neither H.R. 3685 nor H.R. 3686 allow an employer to provide separate bathroom facilities for ‘sexually confused individuals.’
That’s just a quick update of what has been going on in Washington over the past couple weeks . . . the effort is still very much alive to force all employers with 15 or more employees to hire homosexuals, bisexuals and transgender individuals.
H.R. 3685 is currently in the House Committee on Education and Labor and a vote is anticipated on Thursday, October 18th. Three PA Congressmen are on that Committee.
ACTION NEEDED:
1.) If Congressman Joe Sestek (D-7th), Congressman Jason Altmire (D-4th), or Congressman Todd Russell Platts (R-19th) represent you in Washington, please call them and ask them to vote “No” on H.R. 3685 when it comes up for a vote on Thursday, October 18th.
2.) If your Congressman is not listed above, please call him or her and ask for a “No” vote on H.R. 3685, when it comes to the floor of the House for a vote. Click here to find your Congressman. Key in your nine-digit zip code in the upper left hand corner.
Talking Points:
1.) H.R. 3685 will be a direct assault on religious liberties
2.) H.R. 3685 takes away freedom from an employer to do what is best for his company.
3.) H.R. 3685 will
most negatively impact the majority of businesses in
AFA of PA ACTION ALERT
Board of Governors Agree on Faculty Contract - -not good news!
On October 11th the Board of Governors of the PA State System of Higher Education voted to give domestic partner benefits to the same-sex partners of homosexual faculty members. Only two Representatives of the five elected officials who are on the Board voted against it. Those were Representative Matthew Baker and Representative Mike Hanna. Click here to read the news release issued on Friday.
ACTION NEEDED:
1.) Please contact Representatives Matt Baker (R-68) and Mike Hanna (D-76) and tell them ‘thanks’ for taking a stand for marriage and the family in their ‘no’ vote on the PA State System of Higher Education faculty contract. Click here for Representative Baker’s contact info and here for Representative Hanna’s.
AFA of PA ACTION ALERT
1.) Ask Your Congressman to Uphold President Bush’s Veto of S-Chip
2.) Is this coming to a school district near you?
1.) On October 3rd President Bush vetoed the greatly expanded State Children’s Health Insurance Program or S-CHIP bill. S-CHIP’s original goal was to provide health insurance for children whose family income is too high to qualify for Medicaid and too low to afford health insurance.
Here are some stats:
q Would include an increase up to $50 billion over five years. President Bush has said he would agree to a $5 billion or 20% increase over five years.
q Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) has admitted that "this legislation moves us a giant step further down the road to nationalizing health care."
q A provision covers moms-to-be, but not their children. The unborn are not recognized!
q Expansion of S-CHIP would include families who are 300% to 400% above poverty level – that’s about $82,000 for a family of four. In 2005, about 55% of the eligible children already had private health insurance.
q In 2006, SCHIP spent approximately $8 billion to cover 7.4 million individuals.
q SCHIP currently enrolls 6.6 million children. In reality, about 700,000 children actually qualify as “needy.”
q Additionally, SCHIP currently enrolls some 670,000 adults.
q A 156% increase in federal cigarette taxes, from .39 cents to $1.00 per pack, is expected to provide the $35 to $50 billion over five years. This would require millions of new smokers to purchase enough cigarettes to provide the tax money. Additionally, poor families are hit the hardest with cigarette taxes.
Efforts are currently underway to try and ‘convince’ enough Congressman to switch their ‘No’ votes. H.R. 976 passed in the House on September 25th by a vote of 265 to 159. Click here to see how your Congressman voted. Two days later the S-CHIP expansion passed in the Senate by a veto proof majority of 67 to 29 with both PA Senators voting for it.
2.) Recently the AFA of PA uncovered the fact that the Pittsburgh Chapter of the Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network had a conference last month to tell interested students, teachers and others how to start a Gay Straight Alliance or GSA at their school. In response to this, the AFA of PA sent an information packet to all 44 school districts in Allegheny County. These packets provided information about the liability of schools who promote the homosexual lifestyle. Click here to read our news release. What’s your school doing?
ACTION NEEDED:
1.) Contact your U.S. Congressman and ask him or her to truly support needy children and to not support any effort to override President Bush’s veto of S-CHIP. This program must be trimmed down to get it back on course to help the neediest of children, not those who have existing health insurance or adults. Click here for contact information. Two phone calls would be the best – as they are getting phone calls from those who want President Bush’s veto overridden. Please call both their D.C. and the district office nearest you. Make sure you let them know that you are a constituent. If Congressman John Peterson, Joe Pitts, or Bill Shuster is your Representatives tell them ‘thanks’ for voting not to expand S-CHIP.
2.) Is your school district considering a Gay Straight Alliance? If so, please contact the AFA of PA.
AFA of PA ACTION ALERT
Did Your Congressman Vote to Recognize the Islamic Holy Month of Ramadan?
On October 2 the U.S. House passed House Resolution 635 which officially recognizes the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. It passed by a vote of 376 to 0 with 42 members voting ‘Present.” How did your Congressman vote – click here to see – but I can save you time – EVERY Pennsylvania Congressman voted for it!!
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) recognizes the Islamic faith as one of the great religions of the world;
(2) expresses friendship and support for Muslims in the United States and worldwide;
(3) acknowledges the onset of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting and spiritual renewal, and conveys its respect to Muslims in the United States and throughout the world on this occasion;
(4) rejects hatred, bigotry, and violence directed against Muslims, both in the United States and worldwide; and
(5) commends Muslims in the United States and across the globe who have privately and publicly rejected interpretations and movements of Islam that justify and encourage hatred, violence, and terror.
ACTION NEEDED:
1.) If you’d like to discuss this matter with your U.S. Congressman or his/her staff, click here for contact information.
AFA of PA ACTION ALERT
1.) Vote on HB 288 – to require hospitals to provide Plan B to sexual assault victims
2.) Last Day to Register to Vote for November Election
1.) A vote is planned in the State House TODAY on HB 288 which would require ALL hospitals and healthcare providers in Pennsylvania to not only provide information about Plan B and other abortifacient drugs – but to administer it upon request. Please contact your Representative and ask him or her to vote ‘No’ not only on HB 288 but any amendments designed to weaken this bill. Such amendments would make it appear ‘more acceptable’ and more likely to pass i.e. an amendment to allow exceptions for religious hospitals would still require all other hospitals in PA to administer these drugs.
2.) Last day to register to vote in the November 6th election is Tuesday October 9th. Voter registration applications must be postmarked by that date. This is a very important election – as all are – many judicial candidates will be voted upon.
ACTION NEEDED:
1.) Contact your State Representative by clicking here. If you do not know who your State Representative is, you can key in your nine-digit zip code in the upper right hand corner. Ask him or her to vote ‘No’ not only on HB 288 but any amendments designed to weaken this bill.
2.) To download the voter registration form click here and then click on the “Voter Registration” button in the left side bar. Remember it must be postmarked by October 9th. You can also register at your County Courthouse Voter Registration office. Check your phone book’s blue pages for the phone number.
AFA of PA ACTION ALERT
General Pace Reiterates that Homosexual Acts are Immoral – Is Jeered by Onlookers
During testimony before the Senate Appropriations Committee on Wednesday, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Peter Pace, was given an opportunity to clarify his ‘homosexual acts are immoral’ remarks from a March interview.
General Pace once again said homosexual acts are wrong and should not be permitted in the military any more than adultery should be condoned. Senator Tom Harkin D-Iowa, thinks both the homosexual and adultery policies in the U.S. Military Code of Justice need to be changed.
On Wednesday General pace said, “ . . . that we should respect those who want to serve the nation but not through the law of the land, condone activity that, in my upbringing, is counter to God's law."
In June President Bush announced he was not re-nominating General Pace for the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff position. General Pace retires on September 30th.
ACTION NEEDED:
1.) Take a few minutes to tell General Pace ‘thanks’ for his service to the country, his willingness to take a public stand for morality and the military ban on homosexuals serving in the military. Click here to leave your comments.
AFA of PA ACTION ALERT
Hate Crimes Bill Likely to be Voted on This Morning – Senators Casey and Specter Need to Hear from You, Your Family and Friends!
The Senate moves closer to a vote on
the Matthew Shepherd Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007 – now being
offered as two amendments to the Defense Authorization bill -- HR
1585. On Tuesday Senator Harry Reid offered Amendment 3035 which is
identical to Senator Ted Kennedy’s Amendment 2067 to
HR
1585.
The name itself shows how desperate
the Democrats are to deceive the American people. In November 2004 the
program 20/20 revealed that Matthew Shepherd’s murder was not a hate
crime. He was murdered during a robbery attempt and not because he
identified as homosexual. His murderers were sentenced to life in prison
even though
Yesterday Senator Kennedy and others, including Senator Bob Casey, Jr. joined in the call for a cloture vote.
Senator Casey’s reasons included:
· Strengthen on law enforcement’s ability to prosecute hate crimes
· Help DOJ work with local enforcement
· Another personal story that we need to be “reminded of” – Matthew Shepard.
· This is about ‘stamping out hate in the hearts of people across the country.’
· ‘Fully and vigorously prosecute these type of crimes”
Senator Kennedy has tried to say that the hate crimes bill belongs as part of the Defense Authorization Act because of ‘domestic terrorism.’ Is he saying that those who do not approve of the homosexual lifestyle are domestic terrorists? Here are some of Kennedy’s remarks from Wednesday:
· Said we are morally COMPELLED to pass this bill
· Said hate crimes was germane because of DOMESTIC TERRORISM
· Mentioned Democrat values to do so
· Said hate crimes will STRENGTHEN the MILITARY
· Said ALL HATE needs to be FEDERALLY prosecuted.
· Mentioned “25 deaths a day” statistic, but did NOT delineate the portion that is actually related to sexual identity or gender identity.
Former Attorney General Ed Meese has explained why the "hate crimes" measure is unconstitutional:
“Congress only has express constitutional jurisdiction over three crimes: treason, counterfeiting and piracy on the high seas. Because the federal government is one of limited and enumerated powers, Congress must find authority in other constitutional clauses to federalize particular crimes or such acts would violate federalism principles, the Tenth Amendment, or other structural limits in the Constitution.”
President Bush has said he will veto the Defense Authorization bill if it contains the hate crimes provisions. Why are the Democrats willing to chance this veto?
Message: “There is NO place for social policy debate on a Department of Defense bill – especially knowing that such a measure DERAILS THE BILL entirely.”
ACTION NEEDED:
1.) Please take time to make two phone calls . . . contact the Senators’ district office nearest you and their D.C. office. Please call. Too many times e-mails can be easily ignored and deleted. Click here for Senator Specter’s contact information. Click here for Senator Casey’s information. Make sure you leave your name and address when you make the calls.
Message: “There is NO place for social policy debate on a Department of Defense bill – especially knowing that such a measure DERAILS THE BILL entirely.”
2.) If you have not signed our Petition Opposing the Hate Crimes Bill, please do so. These will be faxed to one of Senator Casey’s and Senator Specter’s district offices later this morning. Click here to sign.
AFA of PA ACTION ALERT
September 25, 2007
1.) Hate Crimes Update -- Vote on Thursday
2.) Vote on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act May be THIS WEEK
1.) As we continue fighting against the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, we cannot forget that a vote on the federal hate crimes bill is still pending. It has currently been attached as an amendment to the Defense Authorization Act – SA 2067 to HR 1585 There are now over 500 amendments to this bill. Not all will be discussed and voted on, but you can be sure that Kennedy’s hate crimes amendment will be! We just got word from a reliable source that the vote in the Senate will be this Thursday! Remember this same language has already passed the U.S. House. Click here to see how your Congressman voted on this outrageous bill.
2.) The Employment Non-Discrimination Act – HR 2015 – sounds like an ‘okay’ bill. And polls consistently show that Americans do not want people to be fired simply because they are homosexual. But exactly what are these Americans being told or not being told about this bill? Are they being told that this bill will require all businesses with fifteen or more employees to permit men who think they are women to use the women’s restroom and workplace showers?
According to the bill, only an organization “which has as its primary purpose religious ritual or worship or the teaching or spreading of religious doctrine or belief” are exempt. Are they being told that the very narrow ‘religious exemption’ in the bill will require Christian schools and daycares to hire homosexuals, bisexuals and transgenders?
Americans are fair-minded, but are they willing to toss out all decency in the workplace. Are they willing to require Christian schools, daycares and bookstores to hire those who oppose their beliefs and mission?
Even though this bill is anti-business, as of last week not one business association had announced opposition to this bill!
ACTION NEEDED:
1.) If freedom of speech and equal protection under the law is important to you, please contact Senator Specter and Senator Casey. Please take time to make two phone calls . . . contact their district office nearest you and their D.C. office. Please call. Too many times e-mails can be easily ignored and deleted. Click here for Senator Specter’s contact information. Click here for Senator Casey’s information. Make sure you leave your name and address when you make the calls. Remember the vote currently is scheduled for Thursday!
Message: Vote ‘No’ on Amendment # 2067 –the Kennedy Amendment—to the Defense Authorization bill.
Additional Talking Points can be found by clicking here.
2.) Please contact your Congressman and ask him or her to vote ‘No’ on HR 2015 – the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. Click here to find your Congressman – key in your nine-digit zip code in the upper left hand corner. Share this information with others, click here for an ENDA Fact Sheet.
This Hate Crimes bill:
q Federalizes each and every State and local crime
q Threatens religious leaders and groups with criminal prosecution and investigations into a suspect’s thoughts, beliefs and statements.
q Requires criminal investigations to probe if a crime occurred “because of” bias towards a protected group, and opens the door to criminal investigations of a suspect’s philosophical beliefs, politics, biases, religion, activities, and past statements.
q Creates unequal treatment of victims by treating crimes against protected groups more seriously than non-protected groups (e.g. the murder of a homosexual victim will be treated more seriously than a heterosexual victim.)
q Violates the Commerce Clause, the Thirteenth, the Fourteenth and the Fifteenth Amendments.
q The Hate Crimes bill is unnecessary: the underlying offense is already fully and aggressively prosecuted in all 50 States. FBI statistics show that the incidence of hate crimes has actually declined over the last ten years.
q Violent attacks upon people or property are already illegal, regardless of the motive behind them. With ‘hate crimes’ laws, however, people are essentially given one penalty for the actions they engaged in, and an additional penalty for the politically incorrect thoughts that allegedly motivated those actions.
AFA of PA ACTION ALERT
“Pro-Life” Senator Votes to Fund Overseas Abortions
Last Thursday Senator Bob Casey, Jr. voted to rescind the Mexico City Policy which forbids American taxpayer dollars from funding overseas abortions. But wait a minute! Twenty minutes later he votes to reinstate the Mexico City Policy. But wait a minute: four days later he says he really meant to vote ‘nay’ on reinstatement and wants his official vote changed!
So, which is it Senator Casey: pro-life like your dad or not sure yet?
Maybe he should hear from real pro-life Pennsylvanians who want to know just where he does stand on the abortion issue. Click here to read our news release issued earlier for more details.
ACTION NEEDED:
1.) Please consider contacting Senator Casey for an explanation of his vote to rescind the Mexico City Policy and force taxpayers to help fund organizations that perform and make referrals for abortions. Click here for contact info. Suggestion: call the District Office nearest you.
AFA of PA ACTION ALERT
September 11, 2007
Six Years After 9/11 -- Controversy Over Flight 93 Memorial – You Decide
We were told after 911 that this event would be as significant as President Kennedy’s assassination and we would remember the exact location we were when we heard the news of the attacks on the Twin Towers. Well, I for one do remember that location for both events – the first sitting in a fourth grade classroom when a fifth grade teacher came over to make the announcement about President Kennedy and the latter driving in a car listening to the news broadcast of our local American Family Radio station.
Much water has gone under the proverbial bridge since that time,
BUT
We continue seeing holes in our border security and between 12 and 20 million illegal aliens in this nation with very few voices in Washington, D.C. effectively addressing the problem. Courts have struck down local efforts to address their illegal immigration problems. Representative Daryl Metcalfe (R-Butler) has formed a group of concerned state legislators from around the country and also introduced a packet of bills to address the illegal immigration problem in Pennsylvania. (HB 750-754)
We see Islamic prayer being permitted in our nation’s schools while military Chaplains who pray in Jesus’ name while in uniform are facing court martial charges.
In Maine placing a ham sandwich on a table where Muslims eat lunch was investigated as a hate crime!
Islamic imams who were removed from a U.S. Airways flight because of their suspicious activity are suing the airline and passengers who reported their activity. The imams' strategy is a familiar one. Muslim extremists have paved the road to acceptance in Europe by playing the "discrimination" card to their advantage. Now they've turned their attention to America where they hope to topple our objections to radical Islam by using tolerance as a means to induce passivity.
I could go on, but recently another controversy has come to my attention. I’ll let you decide whether it’s fact or fiction. But wouldn’t it be considered a great Islamic victory if they have in fact sneaked an Islamic memorial mosque in right under our noses?
Is the proposed Flight 93 Memorial in Shanksville, PA in Somerset County a memorial to the heroes of Flight 93 or something else? Is it really a terrorist memorial mosque or is it just ‘coincidental’ that it appears that way? Obviously the father of one of the victims of this terrorist attack is taking this very seriously as he has demanded that his son’s name be removed from the memorial!
Click here for the official design of the Flight 93 National Memorial.
Alec Rawls has been investigating the controversial design of the Flight 93 Memorial for several years. His website has a lot of information and I encourage you to check it out.
Michelle Malkin has written several columns concerning the controversy, but the media has largely ignored it. Especially read "Monumental Surrender" which is linked from the first line of the above article.
So who is really being memorialized by the Flight 93 Memorial? You decide.
ACTION NEEDED:
1.) Pray for America. Pastor Joe Wright’s 1996 prayer before the Kansas Legislature reminds us how far our nation had fallen in 1996. Unfortunately, the direction of our nation has not changed since then, not even since 911. Click here to read his prayer. I am again reminded of the words of II Chronicles 7:14 – "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." Pray for America.
AFA of PA ACTION ALERT
Subcommittee Holds “Hearing” on Employment Non-Discrimination Act – ENDA -- . . . . or at least that what they called it! They need to hear our side now!
On Wednesday the House Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions heard very biased testimony during what was called ‘hearings’ on ENDA. All witnesses except one spoke in favor of H.R. 2015 which would add ‘actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity’ to employer non-discrimination laws. Of course, one reason for this could be the fact that the Human Rights Campaign, a national homosexual group, helped put the panel of witnesses together.
This is yet another attempt to hijack the civil rights movement – equating homosexuality, bisexuality and transgenderism to skin color and nationality as immutable or unchangeable characteristics.
Here are a couple definitions found in H.R. 2015:
GENDER IDENTITY- The term `gender identity' means the gender-related identity, appearance, or mannerisms or other gender-related characteristics of an individual, with or without regard to the individual's designated sex at birth.
SEXUAL ORIENTATION- The term `sexual orientation' means homosexuality, heterosexuality, or bisexuality.
This bill includes a very narrow religious exemption: “This Act shall not apply to any of the employment practices of a religious corporation, association, educational institution, or society which has as its primary purpose religious ritual or worship or the teaching or spreading of religious doctrine or belief.”
Note “has as its primary purpose religious ritual or worship” has been interpreted by legal counsel that Christian schools would not be totally exempt and would be required to hire homosexual, bisexual and transgender English, Math, History teachers – or any other class that’s primary purpose was not religious.
There is still an opportunity to submit testimony concerning this bill. If you have children or grandchildren who attend a Christian school, please consider submitting written testimony expressing your concerns to the House Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions by September 14th. Do you know a Christian school administrator that you could contact?
For Christian business owners there is absolutely no exemption; they would be required by law to hire homosexuals, bisexuals and transgender individuals. Even large pro-family organizations such as Focus on the Family, Coral Ridge Ministries and the American Family Association would be required by law to hire such people.
Oh, and Congress seems to have thought of ‘everything’ – even showers, dressing rooms and bathrooms:
“Nothing in this Act shall be construed to establish an unlawful employment practice based on actual or perceived gender identity due to the denial of access to shared shower or dressing facilities in which being seen fully unclothed is unavoidable, provided that the employer provides reasonable access to adequate facilities that are not inconsistent with the employee's gender identity as established with the employer at the time of employment or upon notification to the employer that the employee has undergone or is undergoing gender transition, whichever is later.” – Section 8 (3).
Click here to read what happened recently in Seattle when two transgenders got upset because they were removed from a bathroom they thought they ‘belonged in.’ By the way, Seattle has a non-discrimination law which has ‘gender identity’ language. If ENDA passes this will be a common occurrence in every workplace bathroom in America!
ACTION NEEDED:
1.) Please consider submitting written testimony – no more than five pages – to the subcommittee concerning the negative ramifications of H.R. 2015 -- the Employment Non-Discrimination Act.
If you want to submit your comments/concerns about HR 2015, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, the comments should be sent with a simple cover letter.
To avoid the inevitable delay in the House mail system, these documents should be emailed in PDF or Word file format directly to Molly Salmi with the Committee at molly.salmi@mail.house.gov
If you have something that you want to be included, it should be received by Molly no later than the close of business on Friday, September 14, 2007.
To ensure that your comments are included in the printed hearing record (and not simply placed in the hearing file that is available for copying), your comments should be no longer than five (5) pages in length.
Suggested cover letter language (underlined sections need insertions or selections)
“On behalf of ______, I/we would request your assistance to ensure that the attached comments/concerns is/are included in the printed hearing record for the hearing held on Wednesday, September 5, 2007, by the Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions Subcommittee on H.R. 2015, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2007.”
AFA of PA ACTION ALERT
August 10, 2007
Tell Philadelphia School District CEO ‘Thanks”
It became public knowledge yesterday that the Philadelphia School District would not include “Gay History Month” in their official calendar. Last year was the first time that such a designation was on the school calendar that is mailed to over 200,000 parents in the school district. Homosexual activists are not happy and are already contacting the school district asking them to again include “Gay History Month.”
Yesterday afternoon the AFA of PA faxed Thomas Brady, the interim CEO of the school district and a retired Army officer, thanking him for this decision. He has also said that he will not support any “GLBT study programs.” Last year ninth graders had to read Am I Blue?, a collection of short stories about teens coming out as ‘gay.’ Click here to read our news release. You can also click here to read today’s Philadelphia Inquirer story and the eleven words they gave the AFA of PA!
Last year’s inclusion of ‘Gay History Month’ was just another attempt to desensitize children to homosexuality and give them the false message that “Gay is okay.”
For once a school district has listened to the concerns of parents!
ACTION NEEDED:
1.) Please contact Thomas Brady and tell him ‘thanks’ for doing the right thing and not including ‘Gay History Month’ in this year’s calendar. Call him at (215) 400-4300, ext. 201 or e-mail at callcenter@phila.k12.pa.us
AFA of PA ACTION ALERT
1.) Philadelphia Phillies Gay Community Day – August 9th
2.) Domestic Partner Benefits for Same-sex Partners of Faculty Members Working for the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education.
1.) The Philadelphia Phillies fifth Gay Community Day will be on August 9th in Citizens Bank Park. Interestingly enough, I have found absolutely nothing on the Phillies’ website about this. But I believe this can be explained by an e-mail response that I received from them “this is a group that has taken advantage of our Corporate/Community Partnership. Such group purchases are not official Phillies promotional dates.” The information is readily available on several homosexual websites including Gay and Lesbian Lawyers of Philadelphia and Philly Gay Days. We have it from a good source that if 500 homosexuals attend Gay Community Night then Ann Butchart, the first homosexual elected in Philadelphia, has been designated to toss the pitch. Very disturbing is the fact that this night is also “Military Appreciation Night” and “Mentoring Night.” Active duty military and veterans and their families receive a special discount ticket. Additionally, ‘Mentoring Night’ will bring more children in as members of mentoring programs are invited to bring a young person and receive two tickets for $16.00.
Lets picture next Thursday night’s game: military personnel and veterans and their families along with a group of people who want to infiltrate and redefine the military; in addition, children who are part of mentoring programs along side a group that is already infiltrating their schools with the message that ‘Gay is okay.” There’s something wrong with this picture!
2.) The contract that currently sits before the State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) Board of Governorsand the State Employees Benefit Trust Fund Board of Trustees would extend health care coverage to the same-sex partners of faculty members. The vote will probably come within the next week or so. The AFA of PA has sent a packet of information to the 35 members of these boards. The information included Dr. John Diggs “The Health Risks of Gay Sex” and Corporate Research Council’s “Do Domestic Partner Benefits Make Good Business Sense.” The information included in the latter notes that Wellpoint, Inc. which owns Blue Cross of California and a number of other major insurers found that “The loss ratio (health-care costs as a percent of premiums paid) for same-sex domestic partners was 17.1% HIGHER than for the remaining two party members (meaning opposite-sex couples).”
ACTION NEEDED:
1.) If the Philadelphia Phillies Gay Community Day, especially in conjunction with “Military Appreciation Night” and “Mentoring Night,” concerns you, please consider contacting the Phillies by clicking here or calling (215) 463-6000.
2.) Please take a little time and contact these members of the PASSHE Board of Governors: Chairman – Kenneth Jarin at 717-720-4420; Representative Michael Hanna ; Senator Vincent Hughes ; Senator James Rhoades
Representative Matthew Baker has consistently voted against efforts to extend such coverage to homosexuals. Please tell him ‘thanks.’ Click here for additional members.
AFA of PA ACTION ALERT
1. ) Knoebels Grove Amusement Park to Allow Pride Picnic – August 11th
2.) U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Continues Stalling on President Bush’s judicial nominees – click to read our news release.
1.) A couple years ago we found that Knoebel’s Grove, a very popular family amusement park in Elysburg, was permitting a ‘pride picnic.’ Last year we found no information; our guess is they changed their means of getting the word out. But this year we do know that Knoebel’s Grove will be the site of a ‘Pride Picnic’ the afternoon of August 11th. Details are still sketchy at this point. Two years ago this information was available “New this year will be the ALL GAY PHOENIX roller coaster. All picnic participants will gather to make the famed wooden classic roller coaster a QUEER COASTER starting at 6:00 PM.” It would appear that this type activity would be with the blessing of the park.
Why should this be of concern? Fathers and mothers should not be faced with having to explain to their children why two men or two women are holding hands or kissing.
Increasingly sexual activity between male homosexuals in public
restrooms is
becoming a problem. (i.e. restrooms in Strawbridge
Department
store in Philadelphia and a few years ago restrooms at the
Camp Hill
Mall and public parks in Pittsburgh). In the Philadelphia
incident, a 10-year old boy and his father went in to use the restroom and
witnessed the sexual activity. Parents should not have to worry that
their
sons
may walk in on this type situation!
Although, it’s not just homosexual men
anymore. The last part of June
a
pregnant mom and her daughter walked into the public restroom at a
community Pool in Seminole County, Florida. What they discovered
shocked
them. Click
here to read the story.
Not all who identify as homosexual
engage in this type activity, but it
should be of
concern to parents.
ACTION NEEDED:
1.) If the Knoebels Grove Pride Picnic conce