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In One Accord
Political & Social Newsletter
June 2004 Issue

‘One Nation Under God’ stays!

June 14 - Unfortunately, the Supreme Court decision was based on a technicality on not on the merits of the case. The decision was based on the fact that Newdow, the father who brought the lawsuit on behalf of his daughter, had no legal standing to sue because he doesn’t have legal custody of his daughter. Only three of the justices expressed a view on the merits of the case. Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist, Justice Sandra Day O'Connor and Justice Clarence Thomas all said the pledge was constitutional and five didn't say anything. Dr. Newdow, an emergency room physician who is also a lawyer, said he had heard from "fellow atheists who are waiting in the wings" to bring similar lawsuits of their own.

Declaring what the Bible has to say on homosexuality a hate crime?

If the Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act, S. 966 is passed it could pose a serious threat to ministers who preach any condemnation of the homosexual lifestyle. The bill is being sponsored by Senators Orrin Hatch and Gordon Smith as an amendment to the defense authorization bill. This new version of the old Ted Kennedy hate crimes bill would add “sexual orientation” to the federal hate-crimes statute. Christians are being urged to contact their senators at (202) 224-3121 and ask them to oppose any amendment of this sort. 

Islamic calls for prayer over loudspeakers in a Detroit suburb

At its April 27^th meeting, the City Council of Hamtramck, Michigan, gave approval for Muslim mosques to  broadcast a call to prayer five times a day over loudspeakers. The ordinance which took effect May 26^th, exempts the prayer calls from a local noise ordinance and stipulates that the prayers are not aired between 10:00pm and 6:00am. Residents in Hamtramk, in which about one-third of the population is Muslim, moved quickly to collect signatures to bring the issue to an August ballot for a vote. Meanwhile, the mosques are airing the 2-5 minute prayers at a subdued volume.

ACLU--A cross it just can’t bear

The ACLU threatened to sue the city of Redlands, California about a cross and a church on its city’s seal. Aware of the ACLU’s successes in similar cases in Illinois and New Mexico and facing a budget deficit, they replaced the cross and church with a tree and house. The ACLU then turned its attention to the L.A. County seal which includes a cross. Although there is a massive cost of replacing the seal on stationery, badges, and signs, three of the five L.A. County supervisors relented to the bullying tactics of the ACLU and decided the cross must go. The Thomas More Law Center has since filed suit in California to block L.A. County from removing the cross.

Elsewhere in California, a federal appeals court has ruled on another lawsuit by the ACLU that an eight-foot steel-pipe cross in the Mohave National Preserve, that was intended to be a war memorial, is unconstitutional because it promotes religion. The cross was built in 1934 by WWI veterans and has been covered up since 2002.

The fourth time a charm?

For the fourth time Michigan lawmakers have passed a ban on partial-birth abortion. Having passed the state Senate 23-12 and the House 74-28, the bill was vetoed last year by Governor Granholm. However, a petition drive, which collected 460,034 signatures, has brought it back to lawmakers. Legislatures will either vote again on the bill or place it on the November ballot. Either way, if it passes, SB 395-the Legal Definition Act becomes law without the governor’s approval. Unfortunately, the law can’t be enforced until 2005 and abortion advocates have plans to strike it down before then. Two previous partial birth abortion bans in Michigan were struck down in 1996 and 1999.

What’s new with the federal ban on partial-birth abortion?

On June 1, in the San Francisco case, U.S. District Judge Phyllis Hamilton, appointed by Bill Clinton, blocked the Bush administration from enforcing the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act by ruling that the law limiting a woman’s right to choose was unconstitutional. The case will now go to the Supreme Court. The Nebraska and New York cases are expected to conclude soon.

Federal laws for Porn ‘Spam’

New Federal Trade Commission (FTC) rules require pornographic “spam” to carry the words ‘Sexually Explicit’ in the subject line, include the sender’s valid physical address, and a clear method of opting out of future e-mails (experts discourage clicking on a link to opt out). Also, the initial viewable area of a message, should it be opened, is to be free of any sexually explicit material. The new rules have been in force since May 19. Haven’t noticed any change? That’s because most porn spammers will simply ignore the FTC. However, now that there are laws in place it will be easier to prosecute violators.

‘City of Brotherly Love’ taking on new meaning?

As part of its tourism ad campaign, the City of Philadelphia has a new TV ad which features same-sex couples dressed in colonial costumes inviting homosexual tourists to visit and spend their money in the city.

Choose your Hotel with care or you may be exposed to more than just the sun.

Kimpton Hotels, which operate under a variety of names including Hotel Monaco, is offering a “gay pride” package as an incentive to attract homosexual customers, including special guides to homosexual nightlife.

Pro-homosexual group lodges complaint against a church for a TV special

Canyon Ferry Road Baptist Church in Helena, Montana was one of five hundred churches to show its congregants the satellite broadcast of “The Battle for Marriage”. The TV special, which aired on May 23, featured Dr. Dobson and other pro-family leaders calling for state constitutional amendments supporting traditional marriage. This caused a gay-activist group to lodge a complaint with the state’s Commission for Political Practices urging them to look into the church’s tax status. They also sent out letters to hundreds of other Montana churches in an attempt to make them think twice about addressing the issue of gay marriage. The Alliance Defense Fund is urging churches to press ahead and offering to consult with any church that has questions. They can be reached at 1-800-TELL-ADF or www.alliancedefensefund.org.

“Gay Day at Dollywood”

Patterned after “Gay Day Orlando” which began at Disney World 12 years ago and now draws nearly 100,000 people each year, Dollywood has been added to the theme parks where annual ‘Gay Days’ are being held. The event took place May 22 at the park owned by country singer Dolly Parton.

Mississippi decides $12,569 per year is not poor enough

Mississippi’s new governor, Haley Barbour, signed a new law on May 26 which will end Medicaid eligibility for some 65,000 people. The new law reduces the maximum income allowed for a person to receive Medicaid from an impoverished $12,569 per year to a beggarly $6,768. According to the Mississippi Health Advocacy Program, “The people who are affected are low-income retirees now subsisting on Social Security or other pension benefits and people who have permanent disabilities that prevent them from being able to work.” People like 36-year-old Traci Alsup mother of three who is a quadriplegic from a car accident. While Gov. Barbour won’t reconsider, a backlash is developing against the cutbacks. Driven by public outcry, the state House is attempting to reverse the new law.