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On Passage
To provide affordable, quality health care for all Americans and reduce the growth in health care spending, and for other purposes.
Full text of the bill »
| Sponsor: | John D. Dingell |
|---|---|
| Introduced: | October 29, 2009 |
| Passed House: | – |
| Passed Senate: | – |
| Considered by President: | – |
| Became Law: | – |
November 7, 2009
November 7, 2009
November 7, 2009
November 7, 2009
November 7, 2009
Related Story: Sweeping Health Care Plan Passes House
Bill Details »
| Member | Party | Dist. |
|---|---|---|
| Neil Abercrombie | D | HI-1 |
| Gary L. Ackerman | D | NY-5 |
| Robert E. Andrews | D | NJ-1 |
| Michael Arcuri | D | NY-24 |
| Xavier Becerra | D | CA-31 |
| Howard L. Berman | D | CA-28 |
| Marion Berry | D | AR-1 |
| Sanford D. Bishop Jr. | D | GA-2 |
| Earl Blumenauer | D | OR-3 |
| Leonard L. Boswell | D | IA-3 |
| Corrine Brown | D | FL-3 |
| Robert A. Brady | D | PA-1 |
| Tammy Baldwin | D | WI-2 |
| Shelley Berkley | D | NV-1 |
| Joe Baca | D | CA-43 |
| Timothy H. Bishop | D | NY-1 |
| G. K. Butterfield | D | NC-1 |
| Melissa Bean | D | IL-8 |
| Bruce Braley | D | IA-1 |
| James E. Clyburn | D | SC-6 |
| John Conyers Jr. | D | MI-14 |
| Jim Cooper | D | TN-5 |
| Jerry F. Costello | D | IL-12 |
| Elijah E. Cummings | D | MD-7 |
| Lois Capps | D | CA-23 |
| Michael E. Capuano | D | MA-8 |
| Joseph Crowley | D | NY-7 |
| William Lacy Clay | D | MO-1 |
| Dennis Cardoza | D | CA-18 |
| Jim Costa | D | CA-20 |
| Russ Carnahan | D | MO-3 |
| Emanuel Cleaver II | D | MO-5 |
| Henry Cuellar | D | TX-28 |
| Christopher Carney | D | PA-10 |
| Kathy Castor | D | FL-11 |
| Yvette Clarke | D | NY-11 |
| Steve Cohen | D | TN-9 |
| Joe Courtney | D | CT-2 |
| André Carson | D | IN-7 |
| Gerald E. Connolly | D | VA-11 |
| Anh Cao | R | LA-2 |
| Judy Chu | D | CA-32 |
| Danny K. Davis | D | IL-7 |
| Peter A. DeFazio | D | OR-4 |
| Diana DeGette | D | CO-1 |
| Bill Delahunt | D | MA-10 |
| Rosa DeLauro | D | CT-3 |
| Norman D. Dicks | D | WA-6 |
| John D. Dingell | D | MI-15 |
| Lloyd Doggett | D | TX-25 |
| Mike Doyle | D | PA-14 |
| Susan A. Davis | D | CA-53 |
| Joe Donnelly | D | IN-2 |
| Kathy Dahlkemper | D | PA-3 |
| Steve Driehaus | D | OH-1 |
| Eliot L. Engel | D | NY-17 |
| Anna G. Eshoo | D | CA-14 |
| Bob Etheridge | D | NC-2 |
| Keith Ellison | D | MN-5 |
| Brad Ellsworth | D | IN-8 |
| Donna Edwards | D | MD-4 |
| Sam Farr | D | CA-17 |
| Chaka Fattah | D | PA-2 |
| Bob Filner | D | CA-51 |
| Barney Frank | D | MA-4 |
| Bill Foster | D | IL-14 |
| Marcia L. Fudge | D | OH-11 |
| Gene Green | D | TX-29 |
| Luis V. Gutierrez | D | IL-4 |
| Charlie Gonzalez | D | TX-20 |
| Raúl M. Grijalva | D | AZ-7 |
| Al Green | D | TX-9 |
| Gabrielle Giffords | D | AZ-8 |
| Alan Grayson | D | FL-8 |
| John Garamendi | D | CA-10 |
| Jane Harman | D | CA-36 |
| Alcee L. Hastings | D | FL-23 |
| Maurice D. Hinchey | D | NY-22 |
| Rubén Hinojosa | D | TX-15 |
| Steny H. Hoyer | D | MD-5 |
| Baron P. Hill | D | IN-9 |
| Rush Holt | D | NJ-12 |
| Michael M. Honda | D | CA-15 |
| Brian Higgins | D | NY-27 |
| John Hall | D | NY-19 |
| Phil Hare | D | IL-17 |
| Mazie K. Hirono | D | HI-2 |
| Paul W. Hodes | D | NH-2 |
| Debbie Halvorson | D | IL-11 |
| Martin Heinrich | D | NM-1 |
| Jim Himes | D | CT-4 |
| Jay Inslee | D | WA-1 |
| Steve Israel | D | NY-2 |
| Sheila Jackson-Lee | D | TX-18 |
| Eddie Bernice Johnson | D | TX-30 |
| Jesse L. Jackson Jr. | D | IL-2 |
| Hank Johnson | D | GA-4 |
| Paul E. Kanjorski | D | PA-11 |
| Marcy Kaptur | D | OH-9 |
| Patrick J. Kennedy | D | RI-1 |
| Dale E. Kildee | D | MI-5 |
| Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick | D | MI-13 |
| Ron Kind | D | WI-3 |
| Steve Kagen | D | WI-8 |
| Ron Klein | D | FL-22 |
| Ann Kirkpatrick | D | AZ-1 |
| Mary Jo Kilroy | D | OH-15 |
| Sander M. Levin | D | MI-12 |
| John Lewis | D | GA-5 |
| Zoe Lofgren | D | CA-16 |
| Nita M. Lowey | D | NY-18 |
| Barbara Lee | D | CA-9 |
| John B. Larson | D | CT-1 |
| Jim Langevin | D | RI-2 |
| Rick Larsen | D | WA-2 |
| Stephen F. Lynch | D | MA-9 |
| Daniel Lipinski | D | IL-3 |
| Dave Loebsack | D | IA-2 |
| Ben Ray Lujan | D | NM-3 |
| Carolyn B. Maloney | D | NY-14 |
| Edward J. Markey | D | MA-7 |
| Carolyn McCarthy | D | NY-4 |
| Jim McGovern | D | MA-3 |
| Jim McDermott | D | WA-7 |
| George Miller | D | CA-7 |
| Alan B. Mollohan | D | WV-1 |
| James P. Moran | D | VA-8 |
| John P. Murtha | D | PA-12 |
| Gregory W. Meeks | D | NY-6 |
| Dennis Moore | D | KS-3 |
| Betty McCollum | D | MN-4 |
| Kendrick B. Meek | D | FL-17 |
| Michael H. Michaud | D | ME-2 |
| Brad Miller | D | NC-13 |
| Gwen Moore | D | WI-4 |
| Doris Matsui | D | CA-5 |
| Jerry McNerney | D | CA-11 |
| Harry E. Mitchell | D | AZ-5 |
| Patrick J. Murphy | D | PA-8 |
| Christopher S. Murphy | D | CT-5 |
| Dan Maffei | D | NY-25 |
| Jerrold Nadler | D | NY-8 |
| Richard E. Neal | D | MA-2 |
| Grace F. Napolitano | D | CA-38 |
| James L. Oberstar | D | MN-8 |
| David R. Obey | D | WI-7 |
| John W. Olver | D | MA-1 |
| Solomon P. Ortiz | D | TX-27 |
| Bill Owens | D | NY-23 |
| Frank Pallone | D | NJ-6 |
| Bill Pascrell Jr. | D | NJ-8 |
| Ed Pastor | D | AZ-4 |
| Donald M. Payne | D | NJ-10 |
| Nancy Pelosi | D | CA-8 |
| Earl Pomeroy | D | ND-1 |
| David E. Price | D | NC-4 |
| Ed Perlmutter | D | CO-7 |
| Gary Peters | D | MI-9 |
| Chellie Pingree | D | ME-1 |
| Jared Polis | D | CO-2 |
| Tom Perriello | D | VA-5 |
| Mike Quigley | D | IL-5 |
| Nick J. Rahall II | D | WV-3 |
| Charles B. Rangel | D | NY-15 |
| Silvestre Reyes | D | TX-16 |
| Steven R. Rothman | D | NJ-9 |
| Lucille Roybal-Allard | D | CA-34 |
| Bobby L. Rush | D | IL-1 |
| Ciro D. Rodriguez | D | TX-23 |
| C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger | D | MD-2 |
| Tim Ryan | D | OH-17 |
| Laura Richardson | D | CA-37 |
| Loretta Sanchez | D | CA-47 |
| Robert C. Scott | D | VA-3 |
| José E. Serrano | D | NY-16 |
| Brad Sherman | D | CA-27 |
| Louise M. Slaughter | D | NY-28 |
| Adam Smith | D | WA-9 |
| Vic Snyder | D | AR-2 |
| John M. Spratt Jr. | D | SC-5 |
| Pete Stark | D | CA-13 |
| Bart Stupak | D | MI-1 |
| Jan Schakowsky | D | IL-9 |
| Adam B. Schiff | D | CA-29 |
| Linda T. Sanchez | D | CA-39 |
| David Scott | D | GA-13 |
| John Salazar | D | CO-3 |
| Allyson Y. Schwartz | D | PA-13 |
| Albio Sires | D | NJ-13 |
| John Sarbanes | D | MD-3 |
| Joe Sestak | D | PA-7 |
| Carol Shea-Porter | D | NH-1 |
| Zack Space | D | OH-18 |
| Betty Sutton | D | OH-13 |
| Jackie Speier | D | CA-12 |
| Mark Schauer | D | MI-7 |
| Kurt Schrader | D | OR-5 |
| Bennie Thompson | D | MS-2 |
| John F. Tierney | D | MA-6 |
| Edolphus Towns | D | NY-10 |
| Mike Thompson | D | CA-1 |
| Niki Tsongas | D | MA-5 |
| Dina Titus | D | NV-3 |
| Paul Tonko | D | NY-21 |
| Nydia M. Velázquez | D | NY-12 |
| Peter J. Visclosky | D | IN-1 |
| Chris Van Hollen | D | MD-8 |
| Maxine Waters | D | CA-35 |
| Melvin Watt | D | NC-12 |
| Henry A. Waxman | D | CA-30 |
| Robert Wexler | D | FL-19 |
| Lynn Woolsey | D | CA-6 |
| Anthony Weiner | D | NY-9 |
| David Wu | D | OR-1 |
| Diane Watson | D | CA-33 |
| Debbie Wasserman Schultz | D | FL-20 |
| Tim Walz | D | MN-1 |
| Peter Welch | D | VT-1 |
| Charlie Wilson | D | OH-6 |
| John Yarmuth | D | KY-3 |
| Member | Party | Dist. |
|---|---|---|
| Robert B. Aderholt | R | AL-4 |
| Todd Akin | R | MO-2 |
| Rodney Alexander | R | LA-5 |
| Jason Altmire | D | PA-4 |
| John Adler | D | NJ-3 |
| Steve Austria | R | OH-7 |
| Spencer Bachus | R | AL-6 |
| Roscoe G. Bartlett | R | MD-6 |
| Joe L. Barton | R | TX-6 |
| Brian P. Bilbray | R | CA-50 |
| Roy Blunt | R | MO-7 |
| John A. Boehner | R | OH-8 |
| Rick Boucher | D | VA-9 |
| Allen Boyd | D | FL-2 |
| Kevin Brady | R | TX-8 |
| Dan Burton | R | IN-5 |
| Steve Buyer | R | IN-4 |
| Mary Bono Mack | R | CA-45 |
| Brian Baird | D | WA-3 |
| Judy Biggert | R | IL-13 |
| Henry E. Brown Jr. | R | SC-1 |
| John Boozman | R | AR-3 |
| J. Gresham Barrett | R | SC-3 |
| Marsha Blackburn | R | TN-7 |
| Jo Bonner | R | AL-1 |
| Ginny Brown-Waite | R | FL-5 |
| Michael C. Burgess | R | TX-26 |
| Rob Bishop | R | UT-1 |
| John Barrow | D | GA-12 |
| Dan Boren | D | OK-2 |
| Charles Boustany Jr. | R | LA-7 |
| Michele Bachmann | R | MN-6 |
| Gus Bilirakis | R | FL-9 |
| Vern Buchanan | R | FL-13 |
| Paul Broun | R | GA-10 |
| John Boccieri | D | OH-16 |
| Bobby Bright | D | AL-2 |
| Ken Calvert | R | CA-44 |
| Dave Camp | R | MI-4 |
| Michael N. Castle | R | DE-1 |
| Howard Coble | R | NC-6 |
| Ander Crenshaw | R | FL-4 |
| Eric Cantor | R | VA-7 |
| Shelley Moore Capito | R | WV-2 |
| John Culberson | R | TX-7 |
| John Carter | R | TX-31 |
| Tom Cole | R | OK-4 |
| Ben Chandler | D | KY-6 |
| K. Michael Conaway | R | TX-11 |
| John Campbell | R | CA-48 |
| Travis Childers | D | MS-1 |
| Bill Cassidy | R | LA-6 |
| Jason Chaffetz | R | UT-3 |
| Mike Coffman | R | CO-6 |
| Nathan Deal | R | GA-9 |
| Lincoln Diaz-Balart | R | FL-21 |
| David Dreier | R | CA-26 |
| John J. Duncan Jr. | R | TN-2 |
| Lincoln Davis | D | TN-4 |
| Mario Diaz-Balart | R | FL-25 |
| Artur Davis | D | AL-7 |
| Geoff Davis | R | KY-4 |
| Charlie Dent | R | PA-15 |
| Chet Edwards | D | TX-17 |
| Vernon J. Ehlers | R | MI-3 |
| Jo Ann Emerson | R | MO-8 |
| Rodney Frelinghuysen | R | NJ-11 |
| Jeff Flake | R | AZ-6 |
| J. Randy Forbes | R | VA-4 |
| Trent Franks | R | AZ-2 |
| Jeff Fortenberry | R | NE-1 |
| Virginia Foxx | R | NC-5 |
| Mary Fallin | R | OK-5 |
| John Fleming | R | LA-4 |
| Elton Gallegly | R | CA-24 |
| Robert W. Goodlatte | R | VA-6 |
| Bart Gordon | D | TN-6 |
| Kay Granger | R | TX-12 |
| Sam Graves | R | MO-6 |
| Scott Garrett | R | NJ-5 |
| Jim Gerlach | R | PA-6 |
| Phil Gingrey | R | GA-11 |
| Louie Gohmert | R | TX-1 |
| Parker Griffith | D | AL-5 |
| Brett Guthrie | R | KY-2 |
| Ralph M. Hall | R | TX-4 |
| Doc Hastings | R | WA-4 |
| Wally Herger | R | CA-2 |
| Peter Hoekstra | R | MI-2 |
| Tim Holden | D | PA-17 |
| Jeb Hensarling | R | TX-5 |
| Stephanie Herseth Sandlin | D | SD-1 |
| Dean Heller | R | NV-2 |
| Gregg Harper | R | MS-3 |
| Duncan D. Hunter | R | CA-52 |
| Bob Inglis | R | SC-4 |
| Darrell Issa | R | CA-49 |
| Sam Johnson | R | TX-3 |
| Walter B. Jones | R | NC-3 |
| Timothy V. Johnson | R | IL-15 |
| Jim Jordan | R | OH-4 |
| Lynn Jenkins | R | KS-2 |
| Peter T. King | R | NY-3 |
| Jack Kingston | R | GA-1 |
| Dennis J. Kucinich | D | OH-10 |
| Mark Steven Kirk | R | IL-10 |
| Steve King | R | IA-5 |
| John Kline | R | MN-2 |
| Larry Kissell | D | NC-8 |
| Suzanne Kosmas | D | FL-24 |
| Frank Kratovil Jr. | D | MD-1 |
| Tom Latham | R | IA-4 |
| Jerry Lewis | R | CA-41 |
| John Linder | R | GA-7 |
| Frank D. Lucas | R | OK-3 |
| Dan Lungren | R | CA-3 |
| Steven C. LaTourette | R | OH-14 |
| Frank A. LoBiondo | R | NJ-2 |
| Doug Lamborn | R | CO-5 |
| Robert E. Latta | R | OH-5 |
| Leonard Lance | R | NJ-7 |
| Christopher Lee | R | NY-26 |
| Blaine Luetkemeyer | R | MO-9 |
| Cynthia M. Lummis | R | WY-1 |
| Mike McIntyre | D | NC-7 |
| Howard P. McKeon | R | CA-25 |
| John L. Mica | R | FL-7 |
| Jerry Moran | R | KS-1 |
| Sue Myrick | R | NC-9 |
| Donald Manzullo | R | IL-16 |
| Gary G. Miller | R | CA-42 |
| Jim Matheson | D | UT-2 |
| Jeff Miller | R | FL-1 |
| Jim Marshall | D | GA-8 |
| Thaddeus McCotter | R | MI-11 |
| Candice S. Miller | R | MI-10 |
| Tim Murphy | R | PA-18 |
| Connie Mack | R | FL-14 |
| Patrick T. McHenry | R | NC-10 |
| Michael McCaul | R | TX-10 |
| Kenny Marchant | R | TX-24 |
| Cathy McMorris Rodgers | R | WA-5 |
| Charlie Melancon | D | LA-3 |
| Kevin McCarthy | R | CA-22 |
| Betsy Markey | D | CO-4 |
| Eric Massa | D | NY-29 |
| Michael E. McMahon | D | NY-13 |
| Walt Minnick | D | ID-1 |
| Tom McClintock | R | CA-4 |
| Scott Murphy | D | NY-20 |
| Devin Nunes | R | CA-21 |
| Randy Neugebauer | R | TX-19 |
| Glenn Nye | D | VA-2 |
| Pete Olson | R | TX-22 |
| Collin C. Peterson | D | MN-7 |
| Tom Petri | R | WI-6 |
| Joe Pitts | R | PA-16 |
| Ron Paul | R | TX-14 |
| Todd R. Platts | R | PA-19 |
| Adam H. Putnam | R | FL-12 |
| Mike Pence | R | IN-6 |
| Tom Price | R | GA-6 |
| Ted Poe | R | TX-2 |
| Erik Paulsen | R | MN-3 |
| Bill Posey | R | FL-15 |
| George P. Radanovich | R | CA-19 |
| Harold Rogers | R | KY-5 |
| Dana Rohrabacher | R | CA-46 |
| Ileana Ros-Lehtinen | R | FL-18 |
| Ed Royce | R | CA-40 |
| Paul D. Ryan | R | WI-1 |
| Denny Rehberg | R | MT-1 |
| Mike Rogers | R | MI-8 |
| Mike Ross | D | AR-4 |
| Mike D. Rogers | R | AL-3 |
| Dave Reichert | R | WA-8 |
| Peter Roskam | R | IL-6 |
| Phil Roe | R | TN-1 |
| Tom Rooney | R | FL-16 |
| F. James Sensenbrenner | R | WI-5 |
| Pete Sessions | R | TX-32 |
| John Shadegg | R | AZ-3 |
| John Shimkus | R | IL-19 |
| Ike Skelton | D | MO-4 |
| Christopher H. Smith | R | NJ-4 |
| Lamar Smith | R | TX-21 |
| Cliff Stearns | R | FL-6 |
| Mark Souder | R | IN-3 |
| Mike Simpson | R | ID-2 |
| Bill Shuster | R | PA-9 |
| John Sullivan | R | OK-1 |
| Jean Schmidt | R | OH-2 |
| Heath Shuler | D | NC-11 |
| Adrian Smith | R | NE-3 |
| Steve Scalise | R | LA-1 |
| Aaron Schock | R | IL-18 |
| John Tanner | D | TN-8 |
| Gene Taylor | D | MS-4 |
| William M. Thornberry | R | TX-13 |
| Todd Tiahrt | R | KS-4 |
| Lee Terry | R | NE-2 |
| Pat Tiberi | R | OH-12 |
| Michael R. Turner | R | OH-3 |
| Harry Teague | D | NM-2 |
| Glenn Thompson | R | PA-5 |
| Fred Upton | R | MI-6 |
| Zach Wamp | R | TN-3 |
| Edward Whitfield | R | KY-1 |
| Frank R. Wolf | R | VA-10 |
| Greg Walden | R | OR-2 |
| Joe Wilson | R | SC-2 |
| Lynn Westmoreland | R | GA-3 |
| Robert J. Wittman | R | VA-1 |
| C. W. Bill Young | R | FL-10 |
| Don Young | R | AK-1 |
| Member | Party | Dist. |
|---|
| Member | Party | Dist. |
|---|
|
Despite their best efforts, pro-family forces were not able to overcome the pro-homosexual backroom deal in the Senate, losing the vote on Thought Control 68-29 with 10 Republicans voting in favor of Thought Control.
This vote is indicative of the dramatic turn Congress has taken since the last election.
In past years, Public Advocate was able to force the removal of Thought Control from the Defense Authorization Act.
But with Harry Reid in full control of Congress, there is little pro-family forces can do to stop them without your strong and immediate support.
Not only does this bill create a special class of citizens, it comes attached to a bill designed to equip our soldiers. Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC) gave a strong speech against the morality of this bill.
Here is an excerpt from Senator Jim DeMint's speech regarding the Thought Control bill: "It is very cynical that this bill that funds our soldiers, who are fighting for our Constitution and our country, actually undermines the very principles that they are fighting for." To watch his speech against Thought Control, please click here.
"It is an outrage," said Public Advocate President Eugene Delgaudio, "I can't believe so many Senators -- including 10 Republicans -- bent to the underhanded tactics of the Homosexual Lobby."
Here is the list of Republican Senators who voted for Thought Control:
"A special class of citizens has just been created in our own nation. Public Advocate and our supporters must redouble our efforts to prevent this from leading to the passage of the rest of the Homosexual Agenda," concluded Mr. Delgaudio.
The Defense Authorization Act will now go to Obama for his signature. Please give the White House a call at 202-456-1111 or 202-456-1414 and leave a message asking President Obama to veto the Defense Authorization Act containing the Thought Control bill (S. 909).
It is important to remember that Thought Control is only the #2 piece of legislation on the Homosexual Lobby's radical agenda.
The Gay Bill of Special Rights is widely regarded as the most important component of their Radical Agenda.
Knowing this, Public Advocate and their pro-family supporters must increase the pressure on Congress and immediately mobilize millions more pro-family activists.
Of course, large-scale mobilization costs a great deal of money -- money Public Advocate does not have.
Please take a second to chip in $25 or more to fight the Homosexual Lobby.
by Ann Coulter: The question of whether President Obama should send more troops to Afghanistan misses the point. . . . The most important part of warfare is picking your battlefield, and President Bush picked Iraq for a reason. Neither Iraq nor Afghanistan attacked us on 9/11 -- or the dozen other times American embassies, barracks and buildings came under jihadist onslaught since Jimmy Carter presided over "regime change" in Iran in 1979. Both countries -- and others -- gave succor to terrorists who had attacked the U.S. repeatedly, and would do so again.
| Is the fight against same-sex marriage primarily one fought between religious groups and the gay community? Are there any issues that a secular society should consider in this fight? We have found at least eight negative sociological outcomes that could occur if same-sex marriage is legalized. The first impact would most likely affect the number of marriages in the United States. Fewer people would see marriage as the ultimate covenant between two people. The proof of this lies in the state of Massachusetts where only 43 percent of same-sex couples who cohabitate have utilized the state law which grants them marriage rights. Heterosexual couples in Massachusetts are more likely to marry (91 percent) but the degree to which same-sex couples marry devalues the commitment for all couples and the number is likely to decrease. In the Netherlands, only 12 percent of gay couples have chosen marriage; this low number is consistent with countries that have legalized same-sex marriages.  A second impact that legalizing same-sex marriage would have on our society would be that monogamous and sexually faithful relationships would decrease. Fidelity among same-sex couples in countries that have legalized same-sex marriage is extremely low. Several studies in the Netherlands show shocking figures: homosexual men who have a steady partner have had an average of eight other sexual partners per year; lesbians were found to have more male partners over their lifetime than heterosexual women. This lack of fidelity affects the view of marriage by the society in general, no matter the sexual preference. Third, same-sex marriage would negatively impact the number of couples who would remain married throughout their lives. As the transient nature of homosexual relationships becomes a normative ingredient of a society, all marriages will be impacted. One of the studies mentioned above found that the average male homosexual partnership lasts only 1½ years. This is a direct result of the widespread promiscuity among the homosexual community. Next, the effect of same-sex marriage could be felt in the area of polygamy. Once society is afforded the opportunity to choose a spouse regardless of sex, the next step is to take the limit off the number of spouses a person may have. In case you think this is an unlikely scenario, one lawsuit has been filed in the courts using the argument we have stated above. Moving on from marriage, we can readily deduce that the next influence same-sex marriage would have would be on children. More children would grow up without both father and mother to influence their lives. The social sciences are replete with study after study that commands our attention to the positive effect married, biological parents have on their children. Children are more emotionally stable and achieve higher test scores when they are raised by a mother and a father. Creating permanent motherless or fatherless homes dares to suppress the best standards for the next generation. Allowing gay partners to adopt will deny innocent children (who are unable to choose for themselves) the benefit of a home with both a mother and a father. Another negative impact same-sex marriage would have on our families is that schools would be required to offer information about homosexuality as a choice to students. Sex education classes would purport that homosexual relationships are identical to heterosexual ones. In Massachusetts, a lesbian sex education instructor told her 8th grade students how lesbians use "a sex toy" to have intercourse. Though this is shocking, more so is the fact that a kindergarten parents was jailed because he protested against a book that was distributed to his son describing same-sex partners. Next, the impact of same-sex marriage will have a negative impact on the economy. Once same-sex marriage is legalized, all employers, whether they are public or private, will be forced to provide a benefits package for same-sex couples. This will broadly affect every US citizen as our consumer goods and services will increase due to the increase cost of benefits that companies (large or small) will have to bear. Finally, the conscience of each citizen and our religious liberties would come under attack if same-sex marriage became legalized. Once a law has been made, the interpretation of that law is managed by the court system, which has often seen opinion rise over the will of the people. Religious schools, colleges, and organizations might face becoming stripped of their tax-exempt status if they do not hire and admit homosexuals. Social workers, psychologists, counselors and other professionals could have their licenses revoked because they have chosen to "discriminate" against homosexuals. The types of issues we have stated above have already been found to be true in the countries and states in which same-sex marriage has been legalized. If you are as vexed as I am over this issue, make a stand for marriage. What can you do to stop the legalization of same-sex marriage? 1. Call your Congressmen 2. Send this e-mail to 5 friends 3. Consider sending a contribution to www.stand4marriagedc.com 4. Join us Sunday, October 25th at The People's Rally - "Let The People Vote." We want to let DC officials know that the constituents of the District should be allowed to vote on the issue of the definition of marriage. The Rally will be held at Freedom Plaza from 2:00-5:00pm. |
American soldiers serving in Afghanistan are depressed and deeply disillusioned, according to the chaplains of two US battalions that have spent nine months on the front line in the war against the Taleban [sic, Taliban]. Many feel that they are risking their lives — and that colleagues have died — for a futile mission and an Afghan population that does nothing to help them, . . . “They feel they are risking their lives for progress that’s hard to discern,” . . . “They are tired, strained, confused and just want to get through.” The soldiers are, by nature and training, upbeat, driven by a strong sense of duty, and they do their jobs as best they can . . . admitted that their morale had slumped.These reported comments depict more than just complaints by G.I.s. They are a clear signs of bigger issues both at the DOD, in the force structure and support of today's military, and with the direction of the war as defined by the President of the United States. As for the field commander on the record comments about his belief in the mission, this was expected but it is not a measurement of success. However, while failing morale and expressions like "you carry on for the guys to your left or right" are both true and admirable, they are also a definite indicator of failed purpose and direction.
“We’re lost — that’s how I feel. I’m not exactly sure why we’re here,” . . . “I need a clear-cut purpose if I’m going to get hurt out here or if I’m going to die.” . . . Asked if the mission was worthwhile, . . . “If I knew exactly what the mission was, probably so, but I don’t.” The only soldiers who thought it was going well “work in an office, not on the ground”. In his opinion “the whole country is going to s***”.
The battalion’s 1,500 soldiers are nine months in to a year-long deployment that has proved extraordinarily tough. Their goal was to secure the mountainous Wardak province and then to win the people’s allegiance through development and good governance. They have, instead, found themselves locked in an increasingly vicious battle with the Taleban [sic, Taliban].
They have been targeted by at least 300 roadside bombs, about 180 of which have exploded. Nineteen men have been killed in action, with another committing suicide. About a hundred have been flown home with amputations, severe burns and other injuries likely to cause permanent disability, and many of those have not been replaced. More than two dozen mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles (MRAPs) have been knocked out of action.
Living conditions are good — abundant food, air-conditioned tents, hot water, free internet - but most of the men are on their second, third or fourth tours of Afghanistan and Iraq, with barely a year between each. . . . The men are frustrated by the lack of obvious purpose or progress. “The soldiers’ biggest question is: what can we do to make this war stop. Catch one person? Assault one objective? Soldiers want definite answers, other than to stop the Taleban [sic, Taliban], because that almost seems impossible. It’s hard to catch someone you can’t see,” . . .
“It’s a very frustrating mission,” . . . “The average soldier sees a friend blown up and his instinct is to retaliate or believe it’s for something [worthwhile], but it’s not like other wars where your buddy died but they took the hill. There’s no tangible reward for the sacrifice. It’s hard to say Wardak is better than when we got here.” "We want to believe in a cause but we don’t know what that cause is.” . . . The soldiers complain that rules of engagement designed to minimize civilian casualties mean that they fight with one arm tied behind their backs. . . “You get shot at but can do nothing about it. You have to see the person with the weapon. It’s not enough to know which house the shooting’s coming from.” . . .
The constant deployments are, meanwhile, playing havoc with the soldiers’ private lives. “They’re killing families,”. . . “Divorces are skyrocketing. PTSD is off the scale. There have been hundreds of injuries that send soldiers home and affect families for the rest of their lives.” The chaplains said that many soldiers had lost their desire to help Afghanistan. “All they want to do is make it home alive and go back to their wives and children and visit the families who have lost husbands and fathers over here. It comes down to just surviving,” . . . “If we make it back with ten toes and ten fingers the mission is successful,” . . . “You carry on for the guys to your left or right,” . . .
Lieutenant-Colonel Kimo Gallahue, 2-87’s commanding officer, denied that his men were and insisted they had achieved a great deal over the past nine months. A triathlete and former rugby player, he admitted pushing his men hard, but argued that taking the fight to the enemy was the best form of defense. . . . Above all, Colonel Gallahue argued that counter-insurgency — winning the allegiance of the indigenous population through security, development and good governance — was a long and laborious process that could not be completed in a year. “These 12 months have been, for me, laying the groundwork for future success,” he said. . . .
Hi Art. My name is Mike Adams. I write a weekly column - mostly on issues in higher education. I am seeking verification that you sent the following email:
Hello Colleagues, Please consider re-joining the section, we are only eight members short of our goal!!!For those of you who do not know me, my name is Art Jipson and I am the secretary-treasurer of the Marxist Sociology section of the American Sociological Association. I am writing to encourage you to re-join our section. The need for critical scholarship has never been more urgent! The rise of ever increasing irrational Neo-Conservatism, the rise of racist two-seed theories as well as troubling levels of acceptance of Neo-Liberal apologies for oligopolies, screaming right-wing attack squads sabotaging the health care debate and the increasing dominance of increasingly ugly sexist, racist, and classist theological worldviews demonstrate the increasing importance of critical social thought and activism!
…At present we have 392 members of the Marxist Sociology Section. We need to have 400 by the end of the day on September 30th to qualify for another session at the annual ASA meeting. Please consider encouraging students and colleagues to join the section! I have continued to contact several previous members of the section (that could be you!) with information from the association in the hopes of encouraging more critical scholars to join with us in advancing needed analysis and activism at the association. If there are any questions, please let me know.
To join the section quickly, folks can go here. If you have recruited some new members who have used the website and had any difficulties, please let me know.
If you are sponsoring graduate students or others or for those who are not yet members of the section or are sponsoring others, please follow this link.
…We recognize that the bureaucracy of the ASA is not always supportive of critical scholarship and activism, all the more reason to work to advance critical work! Those of us in the section continue to encourage the participation of all critical sociologists who believe that it is possible to remake the world with the interests of the many rather than the few. Join us and continue that fight. Thank you for your consideration.
Best, Art
Hello Mike, Yes, that was me. The Marxist Sociology Section of the American Sociological Association needed to recruit new members. The drive was successful.
Can I be of any assistance? I would love to see you [sic] column.
Best, Art
Thanks Art. I guess I'm confused by a few things. I'm getting the impression there is a conservative uprising in America. But I'm not sure there is a neo-conservative uprising as your letter suggests. What do you have in mind when you use the phrase "ever increasing irrational Neo-Conservatism"? For the record, I am not defending neo-conservatism. I'm just not sure there is much consensus on the meaning of the term.
Mike
Hi Mike,
I was referring to the configuration of theological, political, and irrational conservatism as exemplified by the "Birthers" movement, Sarah Palin, and the antics of Glenn Beck. I use Sara Diamond's research as a starting off point for that kind of labeling.
Best, Art
Art, that doesn't come close to answering my question. But let's move on. In your missive you refer to the "increasing dominance of increasingly ugly sexist, racist, and classist theological worldviews." This confuses me, too. Which theological worldviews are you referencing?
Mike
Art, I see you are not going to answer my polite inquiry concerning "sexist, racist, and classist theological worldviews." But the question is important so I will make my inquiry more specific. Does the Marxist Sociology section of the ASA concern itself more with conservative Christianity or with radical Islam? Right now there is an effort to impose Sharia law in portions of Michigan. As you may know, Sharia law allows Muslim men to freely beat their wives. It also calls for the public execution of homosexuals. Will the Marxists in your group take on these Muslim extremists?
Mike
Art, in your missive you refer to "screaming right-wing attack squads sabotaging the health care debate." I am assuming you support a government takeover of the health care system – a safe assumption since, of course, Marxists want a government takeover of everything. Are you at all concerned that a single-payer system violates the Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution? And what are your concerns about the recent polls showing Americans oppose national heath care? Are you really advocating changes everyday people want? And what will you call America if your Marxist revolution succeeds? Will you call it The People's Republic of America?
Mike
Art, I noticed that you used the term "critical scholars" in your email. The term "critical" is code for Marxist or communist. Why don't you simply call yourselves "communists" instead of using code? The people who pay the taxes that are used to send you to these sociological conventions earned that money via capitalism. Don't they deserve to know they are funding an assault on their own cherished values? Shouldn't they know their tax dollars are being spent on meetings where "critical scholars" are planning a revolution against them? Or are you not really committed Marxists who believe it may be necessary to launch a bloody revolution in order to overthrow their capitalist oppressors? In other words, do you just like to call yourselves Marxists because it is chic or cute? If you aren't serious about what you say then should you be riding to these conventions on the backs of the taxpayers – the people who do serious and meaningful work, which might not be considered chic?
Mike
Art, I am wondering whether the Marxist Sociologists will be reviewing the latest film by Michael Moore, which talks about the evils of capitalism. It would seem that Mr. Moore would love American capitalism. Do you know of any other nation where an obese college drop-out can become a millionaire without bathing regularly?
Mike
Art, you may have noticed that several hours went by between my first message to you and the last series of messages, which I sent and you ignored. I was out at the gun range with a US Air Marshall. I spent a couple of hours firing a 9mm, a .357 magnum, and a 12-gauge magnum shotgun. Then, he let me shoot his .357 sig auto and his M4 assault rifle. We talked at length about those who would attempt to take over this great nation through the use of violent force.
We suspect that you and your friends who call yourselves Marxist Sociologists are merely blowhards who (with the possible exception of some of your feminists) lack the testicular fortitude necessary for a true Marxist Revolution. But if we are wrong we are ready to turn you back. I hope you keep any violent revolutionary tendencies in check.
This is my final communication. Best of luck to you,
Mike S. Adams
I've seen and heard a lot of comments about how brainy our president is and the relative intelligence of quite a numbers of Pols. Mrs. Clinton used to be referred to as "the smartest woman in the world." Guess that moniker has fallen to Michelle Obama now. And there are internet sites that say VP Joe Biden's IQ is 125. Those same sites say Nancy Pelagrosi's IQ is 139. Well, though I disbelieve those figures, I'll not quibble over them. Still, such numbers are not nearly as reassuring as it might seem.
As you might recall, the policies of FDR's brilliant "brains trust" advisers are now increasingly recognized as having prolonged the Great Depression of the 1930s just as those of BO's policy Czars are prolonging this downturn, while claiming credit for ending it just as are BO's. Factually, the 30's Great Depression did not end until the Second World War put an end to many of the socialistic New Deal policies. And all those people were considered really smart, too.
It was FDR himself who said that "Dr. New Deal" had been replaced by "Dr. Win-the-War." Now-a-days it's the "really smart" Dem Czar's who are for big spending and like to credit wartime caused big spending for bringing the Great Depression to an end, quite a turn-around for progressives. The question that is never asked nor answered is why previous depressions had always ended on their own (and lots quicker than the one under FDR) and without government intervention or massive government spending. Heck, stupid people everywhere are asking that question and would really like an answer to it.
Back in my college years (in the last century), my Economics teacher explained that the Great Depression ended because war caused the nation to turn on the faucets of production. Yup, we built factories, manufactured prodigious amounts of goods, invented all sorts of new stuff, greatly expanded technology, and that left us with a huge, new amount of wealth. Wait a minute, wasn't it Government that bought all that stuff? Nope. The US Government certainly did buy, use, destroy, and distribute an awful lot of weaponry and war materials but it was that huge increase of business and production within the country that turned away the Great Depression Wolves. That is a fact.
The Lyndon Johnson administration had Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara's brilliant "whiz kids" which micro-managed the
Stupid, dull, unintelligent, normal people can only do limited amounts of damage because they just don't have the capacity to conceive of worse methodologies. To create truly monumental disasters, you need people with really high IQs capable of conceiving them.
Really highly intelligent people stand out from their fellows and are told all their lives just how brilliant they really are. Eventually, they get to feeling they aren't just smarter but need to be in control of all those lesser normal folks. They begin to not only over-estimate their own brilliance but, more fundamentally, they tend to over-estimate just how important brilliance itself is when dealing with real world problems.
Just about every crucial thing a person learns in life is learned from experience rather than from clever thoughts or words. Fact is, most people learn not to stick their hands into the fire by getting themselves burned sometime or another. As Dr. Sowell puts it, "a gift for the clever phrasing so much admired by the media can be a fatal talent, especially for someone chosen to lead a government." That is particularly so when the sycophantic media praises your every utterance proclaiming them, "Brilliant", whether they actually make any sense or not. Remember the old story about the Emperors' Clothes?
As you might recall, the very brilliant Adolf Hitler started from a position of Germany's exceptional weakness of the early 1930s, brought on by treaties from the 1st World War which did not allow her to rebuild any military might. He not only built up Germany's military might, he managed to keep his potential victims from noticing and matching his military build-up with their own. Whatever soothing words were wanted to be heard, he uttered so that all would spare themselves the costs of military deterrence and the pain of contemplating other wars. "Peace in our time" was mantra of the West.
Hitler fooled some of the most highly educated and intelligent people of his time—not just political leaders but also members of the media and academe. Our very own Charles Lindbergh, a capable aviator and writer, came back from
The editors of the London Times filtered out reports of their own foreign correspondents in
Here is another fact. Hitler led
Politically brilliant, charismatic leaders, promoting reckless government spending—Argentina's Juan Peron was prominent—managed to create economic disasters in countries with abundance of natural resources that were spared the stresses inflicted on other nations in the 20th century wars. Today, it is Hugo Chavez of
Dr. Sowell has observed the resemblance of Barack Obama's style and strategies to those of Latin American charismatic despots—the takeover of industries by demagogues who've never run a business, the rousing rhetoric of resentment addressed to the masses and the personal cult of a leader promoted by their media. Do we want to become the world's largest banana republic? I think not. What say you?
PL Booth, www.blueeyeview.blogspot.com
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