That would be Gen. David Petraeus, who says the U.S. violated Geneva Conventions.
More on the Geneva Conventions here.
Posted in A loud howl
Evidently, that is the case for Shenoa Vild, a waitress who was told to wear makeup and jewelry — dress like she was going on a date with the man of her dreams, a direct quote — or be fired.
Vild declined and found work at a restaurant where she didn’t have to tart up. Go, Shenoa!
Posted in Girl stuff
More on the choice of Judge Sonia Sotomayor as a potential Supreme Court Justice, by Tom Sullivan at Campaign for America’s Future.
(I reworded his headline, because I’m that kind of feminist. Let’s give a cheer for common sense.)
Posted in Balm in Gilead
I saw this earlier, and then Jac sent me the link, too. That, to me, is a message from God to post Rob Thomas’ essay on Huffington Post.
Is Jesus (or God) a friend of gays? I’d like to think so, just as Jesus or God is a friend of me.
And what do you think of the following:
The support of legalizing gay marriage is in no way meant to change the ideals of the section of Christians who believe that homosexuality is a sin. But we should refuse to let other people’s ideals shape the way we live our lives. Each of us has a short ride on this earth and as long as we stay in our lane, and don’t affect someone else’s ride, we should be allowed to drive as we see fit.
I like the idea of staying in one’s own lane.
Can you do that if you think the person in the next lane is a big ol’ sinner? Sadly, the verses that are used to bludgeon homosexuals and homosexuality are, to me, taken far out of context. More on that here. And pay close attention to this suggestion for understanding homosexuality and the holy text:
Personally study the Bible’s original Hebrew, Aramaic or Greek writings and attempt to understand precisely what the writers taught. If so, then you may find that these same passages condemn specific homosexual activities (rape, prostitution, child sexual abuse, ritual sex in temples, etc.) But the Bible appears to be silent about same-sex, committed, loving relationships.
And anyway, aren’t we all sinners? What makes homosexuality the kind of sin some Christians believe needs special attention? Why not divorce? The Bible pays more attention to divorce, so why don’t we? Why don’t we pay attention to people who drink too much alcohol? People who smoke? Better yet, why don’t we focus on social ills like poverty and all its symptoms? Imagine what the world would be like if we put half the energy into eliminating poverty that we do into condemning homosexuality.
I’m just sayin’….And bless your heart.
Posted in Church folk are different
In all it’s un-PC glory, Mel Brooks’ classic takes Berlin by storm. And that’s a good thing, says Steve Weissman at Truthout.
Posted in Balm in Gilead
Up until yesterday, when former Pres. George W. Bush seemed happily ensconced in his new Dallas home, we hadn’t heard much from him on the torture debate.
We’d heard plenty from former VP Dick Cheney, but not the former president.
In his speech Thursday, Bush did say this:
“Nothing I am saying is meant to criticize my successor. There are plenty of people who have weighed in. Trust me, having seen it firsthand. I didn’t like it when a former president criticized me, so therefore I am not going to criticize my successor. I wish him all the best.”
That tone is less sharp tone that Cheney’s, at least. Bush is in Toronto today to appear at a forum with former Pres. Bill Clinton.
I know we’ve already talked about releasing those damning photos — the content of which seems up for debate — but much of this talk would be moot if the American public was in on some secrets. Yes, I know information is a weapon in times of war, but so is withheld information. The talk around what went on during those torture sessions is increasingly awful. Tell us. Show us. Let us decide.
Posted in Guvmint
