South Chicagoland Young Democrats: The Blog

Yesterday’s post was in regards to the moral views of the religious right.? Today’s post, part two if you will, is in reference? to the many social issues plaguing our country today.? It is very easy to see that? the religious right votes Republican solely? based on the moral issues, abortion and gay marriage.? Just once? I? wish that these? people would stop and think about? what Jesus actually taught, for if they? did, they would realize that no upstanding Christian could ever vote for a Conservative candidate.? ? With that? I turn to the? Bible.

Christians are? called? to care for their fellow man at whatever the? personal cost.? In? Acts of the Apostles, the original Christian community is described, “no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own . . . There was no needy person among them, for those who owned property or houses would sell them, bring the proceeds of the sale, and put them at the feet of the Apostles, and they were distributed to each according to need.” Acts 4: 32-34.? Who can deny that Christians were the first socialists.? All that we? ask in this? country is that people pay some taxes to help? out? the poor.? ? I think that everyone gets the idea.

The Bible passages that I have quoted these last two days are all real.? Find a Bible and? I am sure that it will say exactly what I? have written.? More importantly, it only took me a few minutes of looking within the? New Testament to find these passages, therfore, there must be many more just like them.? I am not attempting to? bash anyone’s faith.? All that? I ask is that before people use their faith, Christianity in particular, to qualify their beliefs,? that? they? regard all of the? teachings, not simply those that apply to their ideas.? ? ? ? ? ?

From the brilliant mind of Mike Kean, your friendly Sargeant at Arms.

There has been a lot of talk about the “Religious Right” over the past couple of years. Many Republicans try to deny the existence of the Religious Right but I must say that it is an impossible thing to deny. This two part post is dedicated to them. They love to quote the Bible to support their ideas so I decided to do the same, only I will not misconstrue what it says. Today’s post will be in reference to morality, an issue that Republicans love, and tomorrow’s will address a more the more important social issues.

Gay bashers love to say that homosexuality is a sin and gay people are unclean. They say “Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve.” To them I take an exact passage out of the Bible,”A voice said to him [Peter] . . . What God has made clean, you are not to call profane.” Acts 10: 13-15. Later in the same chapter Peter comments on the experience saying, “In truth, I see that God shows no partiality. Rather, in every nation whoever fears him and acts uprightly is acceptable to him.” Acts 10: 34-35. Now, taken in connection with the teaching that God created the Universe and all of the inhabitants of the Earth, would it not seem logical to the reasonable person that in fact God created homosexuals and they are just as entitled to Heaven as all other people? I think it would, however, Chirstian fundamentalists do not always seem to work based on logic. To persecuted homosexuals I give this, “Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5: 10

Now, these Republicans also call themselves pro-life because they are against legalized abortion, the “murder” of an unborn fetus. Well, I say how dare they call themselves pro-life when they support the death penalty. Jesus says nothing about abortion, he does, however, speak directly about capital punishment and forgiveness. “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy” Matthew 5: 7. That is on the nature of forgiveness, and how about that old stand by, “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.” This was in direct reference to putting a woman to death.

There is so much more in the Bible that directly negates the “moral” teachings of the Religious Right that I have neither the time nor the energy to find them all. To see some more of the passages from the Bible please visit www.jesusisaliberal.org. To be continued…

From the brilliant mind of Mike Kean, your friendly Sergeant at Arms

? Minutes from 10/12/06
Members Present:? Shamara G, Marcella N, Callie P, Cait P, Meghan W, Jessica E, Nicole W, and Eric P.
?

1. Approved Minutes
2. Battle of Bands
? ? - Possible locations include Zion Lutheran, Rich South, HF, Mojoes, and St. Pauls
? ? -Created committee to organize and call locations: Nicole and Cait
3. Discussed newsletter articles
? ? - Need by next week’s meeting
4. Introduced idea of a page on the blog with endorsements
5. Plan to attend Rich East’s GSA on October 24^th
6. Reminders:
? ? -NAACP meeting on Oct. 20^th at 7pm at Marie Irwin Center
? ? -Young Democrats of Illinois meeting on Oct. 21^st at 1PM
7. Motion to set budget ? for Young Democrats of Illinois meeting at $35- seconded-approved
8. Discussed endorsement of Todd Stroger
? ? -E-mailed endorsement of Todd Stroger
? ? -Planned trip to his office on November 4^th at 1:30
9. Discussed endorsement of Brendan Houlihan for Cook County Board of Review
? ? -Motion made to endorse Brendan Houlihan-seconded-approved

Controversy and anger surrounds a bill recently passed by France making it a crime to deny that the Armenian Genocide of 1915 was, in fact, a genocide. Most of the world’s political figures refer to it as a merely a massacre or just a “tragedy” that happened to occur.

Before I begin, let me explain for those who have never heard of this genocide. Between 1915 and 1918, the Ottoman Empire in Turkey methodically killed 1.5 million Armenians. For a population of around 2 million, it’s a bit more than a tragedy. A relocation program was set up by the Ottoman Empire for the unknowing Armenians, whose destination was a more primitive version of Hilter’s comcentration camps. They walked there, with no food, no water, no protection from the elements, and with armed Turkish soldiers. Any of this sound familiar? Yeah, guess where Hitler got his idea.

Turkey claims to this day that all 1.5 million people were killed during the times of civil unrest as the empire collapsed under stress from World War I.

France passes this bill as Turkey is attempting to enter the European Union. Until Turkey acknowledges the “tragedy” as what is really is, France refuses to back their entry.

Have we learned nothing from the Holocaust, from Rwanda, or from the current genocide in Sudan? How many many more millions of people must die before we take action? America is such a powerful voice, yet we never speak up. We say “That’s horrible, you should stop,” but why should anyone stop when they face no consequences? Staying silent and allowing Turkey, or anyone, to keep getting away with a genocide will help this murderous train rolling. We cannot stop genocide until we recognize and ackowledge genocide. We can do it with one sentence. This was not just a massacre, this tragedy was genocide.

Americans have a stereotype about France. The French are weak, they are cowards, they would rather sit in cafes eating croissants than go fight for what’s right. But France had the courage to stand up for what’s right, and are facing the consequences. How can we call them cowards when we will not stand up for those 1.5 million people who cannot speak for themselves? It makes me proud to say that I am 2 percent French. C’est le temps pour se lever.

Cait Phipps, 1st Vice President

Today I sat down to watch the video of John Kerry’s speach? at a fund raiser in New Hampshire two days ago.? If Kerry was unclear about his political stance during the presidential election two years ago, then he has definately made himself clear now.? Addressing issues from the? war? in Iraq to? the issue of universal healthcare,? Senator? Kerry? delivered a passionate and well worded speach that earned? him more standing ovations than the? President receives during his? State of the Union? address.

Accusing President Bush as having a “stand still and lose strategy” in the Iraq war, Kerry made it? very clear that he? supports an immediate withdrawal? of? American troops from? Iraq.? He? goes on to condemn the White? House’s policy of supporting torture by saying “No? American president should be? for torture before he is against it”.? In the latter half of the speach Kerry spoke of universal healthcare saying, “The Scriptures do not say heal the sick if they can pay for it, they say heal the sick.” ?

All? in all, Kerry will? never be called a “flip flopper”? again and, as far as I am concerned, outlined a platform for the Democratic? Party to push for in the months to come.? I? got goose bumps watching the? video and? ? I suggest that everyone else? watches it too.? To view the recording visit this link. http://www.johnkerry.com/podcast/video/johnkerryspeech.wmv? ? ? ?

From the brilliant mind of Mike Kean, your friendly Sargeant at Arms.?

Does anyone really know why we invaded Iraq? Earlier today I was reading a book that asks this very question and I realized that I honestly do not think that anyone actually knows why, not even the president. Over the past three years we have heard any number of “justifications” stretching from the original “weapons of mass distruction” to “the on going war on terror”. The most recent in this list of lies, however, deserves some attention of its own.

Last week President Bush was quoted as saying “[The war in Iraq] is a struggle between good and evil.” THEY HAVE RUN OUT OF LOGICAL JUSTIFICATIONS!!!! This is one of the most ludicrous things that Bush has said throughout his entire presidency. This is real life, not a video game or a bad science fiction movie. A fight between good and evil is not a reason to go to war in the real world. There are a lot of evil people in power throughout the world, most of whom have done things far worse than Saddam Hussein ever did. Are we going to invade all of those countries too? I really do not think so.

The reality of the situation is that more than 2700 American troops have been killed so far plus twenty thousand wounded and upwards of fifty thousand Iraqi citizens killed. As far as I am concerned, if this is a battle between good and evil, the evil is the Bush administration and the good is global peace. It is time for the American people to rise up and tell politicians everywhere that we are sick if this war. If bringing the rest of our troops home alive and well is “cutting and running” then I say let’s cut and run because we had no business going there and now we have no business staying there. As my closing I say directly to President Bush (it is probably uses since I doubt that he can even read), if “a struggle between good and evil” is the best reason that you can give for invading and occupying Iraq, then the blood of thousands upon thousands of people is on your hands and some day it will catch up to you.

From the brilliant mind of Mike Kean, your friendly Sergeant at Arms.

White House Press Secretary Tony Snow has been under a lot of fire lately since the recent book by former White House staffer David Kuo claimed that Snow had refered to Evangelists as “nuts”. The book went on to imply that the Bush administration had manipulated the religious right to get elected. It goes without saying that a lot of eyebrows have been raised in response to this alleged statement and others like it since members of the religious right are considered close supporters of President Bush and his faith based initiatives.

First of all, I believe one hundred percent that Tony Snow made these alleged statements. The Evangelical leaders in this country are nuts. They are completely and utterly insane. Anyone who believes the literal interpretation of the bible, a four thousand year old book, is just crazy.

Second and more importantly, I address the claims that the Bush administration used the religious right as a means to get reelected. To this I say “DUH”, and anyone who did not realize that was simply naive. Why else would Bush have proposed an amendment that would ban gay marriage and brought up abortion, two issues that were irrelevant to the good of the country, a few months before the presidential election? As far as I am concerned, Neil Young says it best in his song “Let’s Impeach the President” from of his most recent album when he sings “They hijacked our religion to get elected”.

From the brilliant mind of Mike Kean, your friendly Sergeant at Arms.

1. Approve minutes
2. Battle of the Bands options.? Need to get bands figured out and and find an exact place.
1. Mojo’s??
3. Newspaper articles for October issue.? Need to put paper out before elections!!!
4. NAACP meeting is October 20, at 7 pm at the Marie Irwin Center
5. Meetings with Rich East GSA are every Tuesday at 3:30. Meet next week or the following week?
6. Arrange meeting with Tod Stroger
7. Endorse Brendan Houlihan for the Cook County Board of Review?? Vote.
8. Other Endorsements?
9. Anything else we need to discuss?

Minutes from 9/05/06
?

Members Present: Cristina L, Shamara G, Cait P, Callie P, Jessica E, Marcella N, Mike K, Nicole W.
1. Approved Minutes from 9/28/06
2. Discussed Battle of the bands
? ? -Possibly have at skating rink in Richton Park
3. Voted to have battle of bands somewhere other than Star Flyer – passed
4.? Reminded need for articles for newsletter
5. Voted on endorsing Todd Stroger -passed
?

1. Approve minutes
2. Hold Battle of the bands at Starflyer $700
1. other options or ideas??
3. Newspaper articles for October issue or wrote an article on the blog??
4. NAACP meeting is October 20, at 7 pm at the Marie Irwin Center
5. Meetings with Rich East GSA are every Tuesday at 3:30.
6. Meet with Tod Stroger??
7. Other worldy issues or anything else we need to discuss?