By Arianna Huffington
Earlier today, (December 7, 2015), the candidate currently leading in the polls for the Republican presidential nomination called for a “total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States.” That was, of course, Donald Trump. As Jeffrey Goldberg just tweeted, “Donald Trump is now an actual threat to national security. He’s providing jihadists ammunition for their campaign to demonize the US.”
“IOTD” is image of the day, a concept I came up with. I teach visual meditative therapy – or in easy terms – a mini mental holiday. For some people it is very difficult for them to get their image right. I post an image a day for people to use in their mini mental vacay. Some are serious, some are silly, and some are just beautiful!”
AMONG THE MANY ASININE, INACCURATE STATEMENTS, PLAIN LIES
THIS IS JUST ONE AMONG THE MANY
Allegra Kirkland
Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump has been characteristically unapologeticabout his claim that “thousands and thousands” of New Jersey residents cheered as the World Trade Center fell on Sept. 11, 2001, even though contemporaneous news reports don’t support it.
And his insistence on that recollection, which has no basis in fact, shows just how expert he is at roping together conspiracy theories, urban legends, and rumors that lurk on the fringes of the Internet and bringing them into the mainstream.
Rumors of groups of people celebrating the attacks in “tailgate-style parties” popped up in national publications like The Washington Post and Associated Press, but were never confirmed as true. A highly publicized video of Muslims cheering and flashing victory signs on the day of the attack was shot in the Israeli-occupied West Bank of Palestine, not in the Garden State. A video of American Muslims celebrating the terrorist attack doesn’t appear to exist and none of the unconfirmed reports of such an incident comes anywhere near the scale that Trump describes.
I’ve been reading about these comments since this weekend. I just finished watching Rachel Maddow’s TV show for today, November 23. I would recommend that you look for the video on this particular topic.
I cannot believe that this is happening in this country. I cannot believe that no one is standing up to this man. There are those who cheer and egg him on. There are those who even believe him.
Trump’s outrageous claim that ‘thousands’ of New Jersey Muslims celebrated the 9/11 attacks
Glenn Kessler
“Hey, I watched when the World Trade Center came tumbling down. And I watched in Jersey City, New Jersey, where thousands and thousands of people were cheering as that building was coming down. Thousands of people were cheering.”
This is a bit like writing about the hole in the doughnut — how can you write about nothing?
Trump says that he saw this with his own eyes on television and that it was well covered. But an extensive examination of news clips from that period turns up nothing. There were some reports of celebrations overseas, in Muslim countries, but nothing that we can find involving the Arab populations of New Jersey except for unconfirmed reports. This claim has never been authenticated.
As the Newark Star-Ledger put it in an article on Sept. 18, 2001, “rumors of rooftop celebrations of the attack by Muslims here proved unfounded.”
Indiana’s anti-LGBT law is even worse than it seems
The study of the jurisprudence of legalized bigotry took a big step forward in Indiana. The trigger was Indiana’s Republican Gov. Mike Pence signing a law purportedly aimed at expanding protections for business owners’ religious beliefs and practices.
The effect of the law, as an army of critics has pointed out, is to provide religious cover for discrimination against customers and employees.
Here’s how Advance America, an organization that helped lead the campaign for SB 101, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, described its rationale:
“Christian businesses and individuals deserve protection from those who support homosexual marriages and those who support government recognition and approval of gender identity (men who dress as women).
Being gay IS in your genes, say scientists in controversial new DNA study
Being gay could be in the DNA
Scientists have found two stretches of DNA linked to homosexuality in men.
The confirmation of the existence of a ‘gay gene’ or genes will strengthen arguments that homosexuality is a matter of biology, rather than choice.
It is not known which of the many genes they contain are key or how they affect the development of sexual orientation.
However, the result, revealed at a science event in Chicago, backs up a contentious 1993 study.
That research, the first to find evidence of a ‘gay gene’, created a storm of controversy, which was further fueled when other scientists failed to find a genetic link.
Dr Michael Bailey from Northwestern University in Illinois, who contributed to the latest study, said it is the biggest of its kind.
He added: ‘Sexual orientation has nothing to do with choice. Our findings suggest there may be genes at play – we found evidence for two sets that affect whether a man is gay or straight.
‘Although this could one day lead to a pre-natal test for male sexual orientation, it would not be very accurate, as there are other factors that can influence the outcome.’
I must confess that this Indiana/Hoosier topic doesn’t seem to want to leave my mind.
Why?
Because I believe in freedom and equality for all? Because I think I can determine what is right or wrong? Because I believe that this RFRA law signed by Gov. Pence is totally discriminatory? Because I believe this law, as originally signed, sets a precedent and opens the door for discrimination of many minority groups? Because I am a member of the LGBTQ community? Because bigotry, hate and discrimination are not supposed to be true American values?
Because I had high expectations of this country? Because I was taught the difference between right and wrong? Because I know the difference between real need and taking advantage? Because this smells fishy rather than pizza?
Because this says a lot to me about the business owners? Because this says even more about the people who are sending their hard-earned money to this fund?
You name it.
Lady, you don’t need to be sad for me. I know where I stand in my religious freedom and the beliefs that I hold dear. I know that my relationship with god is a good one for me.
Like Rosie explains below, I have a hard time imagining anyone (gay or straight) catering their wedding reception with pizza. There’s no need to worry your little head with this concern. It would never happen where people from my community are concerned. We are way too classy for that.
Get off your cloud … don’t consider yourself that lucky. Could anyone explain to me how these two thoughts go together:
“Her family ‘doesn’t hate gays’ but simply would not deliver pizzas to a gay wedding because of their religious beliefs.” Yet, they would serve them in the pizza place …. sure that’s where the profits come in.
I truly think those who have donated money have been taken for a ride.
Now nearly $800,000 richer, Indiana pizzeria co-owner is ‘sad, very sad’ for gays
Crystal O’Connor: ‘We have to accept them, and we just ask they accept us’
BY GREG HERNANDEZ
Flush with nearly $800,000 in donations from supporters, the owners of Memories Pizza in Walkerton, Indiana, aren’t through talking about gay people.
‘God has blessed us for standing up for what we believe, and not denying Him,’ Crystal O’Connor tells Fox News.
She also said her family ‘doesn’t hate gays‘ but simply would not deliver pizzas to a gay wedding because of their religious beliefs.
The family was the first Indiana business to publicly state this after the state’s governor, Mike Pence, signed a ‘religiousfreedom‘ bill into law that would allow private businesses to do so.
Memories Pizza was so besieged by phone calls and online comments that they temporarily shut their doors. This resulted in a Go Fund Me campaign that as of Friday afternoon was closing in on $800,000.
Of the LGBTI community her family has offended O’Connor says:
‘All we can do is pray for them, and truly, we’re not really angry at them. We’re sad for them. Very sad.
‘We have to accept them, and we just ask they accept us.’
It’s OK to serve gays in restaurant, but a sin ‘if we cater their wedding’
~~Published on Apr 2, 2015~~
Indiana pizzeria owner speaks out against religious freedom backlash
A pizza restaurant in a small Indiana town has turned into a flashpoint in the national fight over religious freedom and gay marriage. Crystal O’Connor, one of the owners of the family-run Memories Pizza, told a local news outlet that, hypothetically, they would not cater gay weddings. They got quite a lot of social media trolling in response, as well as lots of threats.
As a result, they had to shut down. However, on Fox Business Network tonight, O’Connor told Neil Cavuto “we have decided that we will reopen again,” they’re just not sure when. They want to wait until the anger and threats subside.
O’Connor had said in the now-infamous local TV interview that they wouldn’t mind serving gay customers, just that they wouldn’t cater gay weddings. Cavuto asked her about why that’s the case. O’Connor explained:
“It is not a sin that we bring gays into our establishment and to serve them. It is a sin, though, if we cater their wedding. We feel we are participating, we are putting a stamp of approval on their wedding.”
She did emphasize that they “show no hatred” towards gay people and told Cavuto she just feels sad for all the people attacking them.
Up to this point, it has been services that one can do without or receive at any gay friendly facility. These are services that are not absolutely necessary for our well-being. These services are not immediately needed. There’s time to look at other places.
However, what if the bigotry, discrimination, lunacy reaches levels where your life would be dependent on the services required or needed?
Has anyone stopped to think about this? Has anyone considered this option?
it will be definitely different when it touches you or one of yours.
No service for gays ….. then no spending any gay money in your state. I can take my honest and hard-earned money other places. And, FYI, I have been “thrown out” of better places.
It Is What It Is 