Shameless

I entered a contest, Your Best Candid Wedding Photo, at Rachel Ray's Everyday website. Of course, you need votes to win a $600 gift card to IKEA. Now, I've never even shopped at IKEA and the truth is that I would probably give the gift card to a special friend of mine who loves, loves, loves IKEA if I did win it. But, it doesn't matter, I still want some votes...so if you can spare a minute, take a peak at my entry here. While you're there, you can enter the contest too and then we can all vote for you!

If you love Rachel as much as I do, I recommend the site...we love her recipes and she always has tons of fun stuff!

Concerned American Woman

This afternoon I was blessed with a phone call from the Concerned Women for America who wanted me to listen to a recorded message full of true Christian values to remind me that we need to get the United States back to being the Christian nation that it once was and making sure that we get rid of nasty stuff like personal, private decisions made by women under the care of their physicians. I was encouraged to stay on the line so that I could remark upon the recorded message. I'm absolutely positive that voicing my opinion would have resulted in a direct plea for monetary support. I'm also sure that the woman on the other end was surprised at my response which I will paraphrase below:

As a member of the United States military, who has sworn to protect the Constitution, including the First Amendment which guarantees that the United States will never legally be a "Christian" nation, I support the legal right of a woman to make private decisions regarding medical procedures with the advice of and in the company of her physician.

I was insulted by the suggestion that I would support their agenda to make this a "Christian" nation. Does the Concerned Women for America actually suggest that my sacrifice to this country and the Constitution is less because I exercise my protected right to be neither a Christian nor a hypocrite?

I'd also like to take a minute to remember the 9th amendment:

The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.

Concerned Women for America, I do not like you, I think you suck, I think you do not understand the Constitution and I'd really appreciate it if you lost my number.

Hate by any other name...

...is still hate.

I took a little bit of hit yesterday on Facebook due to my expressed opposition to Arizona's new law aimed at illegal immigrants but not aimed very well as it allows ample room for the harassment and curtailed liberties of legal US citizens. This law is also redundant, it is already illegal to be an illegal immigrant or illegal alien (quite possibly why we include the word illegal in any discourse we have on illegal immigration). Should we be wasting time and money legislating things that are already legislated? Then there is the nit-pickery, is a state able to legislate on such a matter at all? Most importantly, this law is merely a misguided reaction to a tragic crime. The proponents of this law want us to believe that illegal immigrants are the perpetrators of rampant violent crime.

Some people even tout official sounding though apparently bogus statistics to back up their claims and further instill fear into the public. Historically, Americans have lived in fear of nasty immigrant crime yet, also historically, immigrant crime rates have not exceeded those of native born citizens. It is important to note here that past studies have focused on non-native immigrants vs native born persons, rather than persons here illegally vs those in the US legally (kinda makes you wonder where some numbers come from). However, taking that into account you will come up with the same prevailing conclusion among learned and studied persons, that illegal immigrants actually are incarcerated at a lower rate than native born citizens. Which means what? Well, it could mean that those scary Mexicans that moved in down the street aren't nearly as scary as that 19-year-old white kid living next door to you, even if you have known his parents for five years and they are great Christian Tea Party attendees and all that jazz.

Aliens were less likely to be prosecuted for violent federal
offenses (murder, rape, robbery and assault) than were citizens--
1.4 percent versus 8.5 percent during 1994.

-BJS Press Release: SUNDAY, AUGUST 4, 1994

Sure, most relevant data is aged and difficult to dig through and decipher but there is certainly enough to form an opinion. My opinion is that this law is some more of the crazy bat antics of those hysterical ultra conservatives who won't be happy until the United States is a country of homogenized white Christians. More specifically, as brought to my attention at Its my Right to be Left of the Center today, white nationalist (or white separatist, if you prefer) groups such as FAIR, the Council of Conservative Citizens, and the AIC Foundation. These are people who play with things like eugenics. Remember that old concept that gave birth to such un-savories as involuntary sterilization?

Nice.

More reading:
The American Prospect
Americas Program
Center for Immigration Studies
Crime, Corrections and California
Its my Right to be Left of the Center
Noncitizens in the Federal Criminal Justice System, 1984-94

US taxpayers want Arizona to prove statehood

Taxpayers push a bill that would require the state to show proof of statehood to maintain DC representation.

By The Wandering Elf, Irreverent Press

US taxpayers who still aren't convinced Arizona ever had the ability to remove itself from the territory of New Mexico and achieve statehood in the United States are pushing a bill that would require the state to show verifiable proof of statehood in order to retain federal representation with two Senators and eight US House representatives, including US Senator John McCain.

Opponents say the bill, presented Friday to Senators Levin and Stabenow of Michigan, is casting the United States in an ugly light and could give the people broad powers to kick a state out of the Union. However, the United States reports that it has gotten used to being cast in an "ugly light" and will not stop seeking International "Most Ugly Light" status. The United States continues to encourage nuttery among its elected officials and encourages all to aspire to the heights of Ron Pauldom.

The measure's sponsor, taxpayer Carri B. Bop of Michigan, says she isn't sure if Arizona could prove its eligibility for membership in the Union and wants to erase all doubts. She adds that she has no affiliation with the Hutaree or any other nutty Michigan militia "unit."

New Mexico officials have repeatedly confirmed Arizona is a federally recognized state, but like Hawaii, who have repeatedly confirmed the citizenship of the President they cannot be trusted.

Arizona's support for "Most Ugly Light" status:
Arizona lawmakers want Obama to prove citizenship

The Wandering Elf also notes with disdain that after serving the United States in military efforts in the US and abroad for more than 15 years (at great personal sacrifice, just ask her son) she has recently found that like President Barack Obama she is not a US citizen holding only a "certificate of live birth" and not the truly valid "birth certificate" required by the esteemed Birther movement. "Damn," she said, "I could have been hanging out in Amsterdam smoking hashish instead of wasting time voting and other silly stuff like that."


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