All Voices for Equality Mission Statement Mood: on fire Now Playing: Bush Administration Continues Its Bigotry & Hate Laws!!!!!!!
"Father of the Internet"
Thomas Paine
All Voices for Equality
All Voices for Equality believes in a better world here on earth and expects truth, honesty, integrity, and fairness from those elected representatives of the people, who are making political decisions which will affect the citizenry now and in the future. All Voices for Equality also believes in freedom and justice for all people in America and the world based on the respect for international laws and the real commitment to world peace not at the end of a bayonet or tank but at the end of real economic opportunity free of domination, oppression, or retaliation. All Voices for Equality strongly believes that the policymakers in America need to reaffirm their unwavering commitment to the 1964 Civil Rights Act and renew the 1965 Voting Rights Act which expires in 2007 if the USA is to lecture the world about liberty, freedom, social justice, equality and democracy from a republic that claims to be that beacon of liberty, being that shining light upon a hill as seen by nations from afar.
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." ----First Amendment to the United States Constitution
"How is America a Free Nation for All Legislating bigotry into Law? America is not a Free Nation for All when it Legislates Personal Hatreds & Religious Bigotry into Laws of the Land"
The Republican Party along with the religious right led a major political battle in the last election to ensure that gay rights would be pushed back. This strategy of karl Rove and President Bush as well as the radical right of the GOP had no problem in the sense of winning elections to attack a minority group and those people who still have less than full citizen rights under the law. Thus, on November 2, 2004, the Republican Party was successful in not only repressing GLBT rights but placed amendments on the ballot to ban gay marriage in eleven states. The outcome was successful for the "heteroseuxal" and "Save Straight Merriage" lobby. Those people like Rush Limbaugh and Newt Gingrich ought to worrry about having a successful heterosexual marriage before they pry into the lives of other law-abiding tax paying citizens who may just be gay or lesbian. And if "men" are that afraid of gay men then I suggest those people examine just how in fact "masculine" they really are or perhaps have a few issues dealing with their own sexual identity may be the real culprit in that hate and solemn bigotry. The majority of people in eleven states said "yes" to pass these eleven ballot initiatives,which only points to the ongoing decay of democracy in the United States. It is too bad that America is no different in its discrimination laws than the Islamic nations its said to be defedning freedom from. In the regard of the gat rights issues. America joins every other extremist political group and governent which chooses to devise laws and principles upon hate and prejdice rather than tolerance or understanding of others, including, yes, diversity.
"Neo-Fascist Bush Administration Hatred of Gays & Lesbians Continues With Dept. of Education Secretary Margaret Spellings"
ByMoondustgypsy1
President Bush's attacks on gays and lesbians has only continued since the 2004 Presidential election. As America has indelibly written discrimination and hatred into law, the march of neofascism and Christo-fascism reminiscent of Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany is alive and well in America. The Bush administration and its radical right Christian allies like the Reverend James Dobson, Jerry Falwell, and Pat Robertson are guilty of promoting hatred and bigotry to the GBLT community as well as the Roman Catholic Church, the Pope, and the Knights of Columbus. The Bush administration has harassed those clinics in America who administer to AIDS patients by auditing them and of course jeopardizing the privacy records of those people who use those facilities. The Bush administration will be waging war against privacy laws next in America folks and people who have had abortions or AIDS will be targets of the right wing's assault on what it thinks are ill-conceived privacy laws. The surveillance state is right around the corner folks and this is hardly paranoia but reality.
President Bush's newly appointed and confirmed Education secretary, Margaret Spelling has joined the likes of Reverend Jerry Falwell in using television to promote the extreme right wing agenda against a made-up, concoted notion that there is a "gay agenda" as if gays and lesbians want anything other than full rights which of course are being denied right now to them even as they pay their full taxes to fund this very hatred, bigotry, and discrimination against their ability to seek the same "pursuit of life, liberty, and happiness" under the U.S. Constitution.
Buster Baxter is a bunny on PBS' focus on television for education purposes geared mainly towards the audeince of primary school children. This show is given one hundred million dollars by the federal government to be shown on PBS with the stipulation to bring about understanding in a more humane fashion for people who watch the show. The Bush administration's Department of Education Secretary Margaret Spelling warned PBS not to air the show and PBS acquiesced to the demands or commands if you will of the Bush administration not to air the show.
As Suzanne Goldenberg repoted from Washington in the January 28, 2005, edition of "The Guardian" Spellings pressure on PBS forced the network to revoke the airing of the show as not to offend the heterosexual community despite its schedule to be shown among their "350 affiliates." Goldenberg reported that, "however, the Boston station which produced it said it was going to make the episode available to broadcasters."
Buster Baxter's fait accompli according to the Bush administration's Department of Education Secretary Margaret Spelling was the fact that the bunny went to vist children of a lesbian couple on the show. This cartoon character of all things went to Vermont to engage in the finer points of maple syrup with this lesbian couple and their kids. This was a no-go for the Bush administration although its the kids not the parents who mainly appear on the television set. In Bushworld America the hatred and rage against gays and lesbians is alive and working. Spellings said in a letter to the officials of PBS that most parents in America reject the exposure of children to lesbian parents. Spellings directly in her own words said that: "Many parents would not want their young children exposed to the life-styles portrayed in this episode. Congress' and the Department's purpose in funding this programming certainly was not to introduce this kind of subject matter to children, particularly through the powerful and intimate medium of television." On the PBS website it states clearly that "funding for Postcards From Buster is provided by a Ready-To-Learn Television Cooperative Agreement from the U.S. Department of Education through the Public Broadcasting Service, and public television viewers."
In her letter to Pat Mitchell the President and Chief Executive Officer of the
Public Broadcasting Service, Spellings said that "the Department of Education has strong and very serious concerns about a specific Ready-To-Learn television episode, yet to be aired, that has been developed under a cooperative agreement between the Department and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). The episode -- "Sugartime!" -- is part of the "Postcards from Buster" series, and would feature throughout the show families headed by gay couples."
Spellings warned Mitchell that funding by the Senate was not being used properly by airing the show in this manner. Pointing to the H. R. appropriations conference report from 2005 and Report Number 108-792 at 1236-1237, 2004, Spellings also added, Congress stated more than once that "the unique mission of Ready-To-Learn" was "to use the television medium to help prepare preschool age children for school. The television programs that must fulfill this mission are to be specifically designed for this purpose, with the highest attention to production quality and validity of research-based educational objectives, content, and materials." Spellings reminded Mitchell that these funds could be stopped as the Senate Appropriations Committee already had severe reservations in the past of whether this show was airing appropriate content.
Spellings laid down three request for PBS regarding this show's broadcast. One, Spellings demanded that if the show was aired that PBS " remove from the specific episode the Department's seal, as well as any other logo or statement indicating that the Department funded, endorsed, sponsored or was involved in the development, creation, or production of the episode" as well as ensuring that
"any such reference in any materials about the program" are also taken out. Spellings second demand although always using the seemingly "neutral" word "request" word was that PBS or Mitchell "notify your member stations of the nature of the content of these programs and ask that they review the programs before deciding whether to air" the episode of Buster Baxter with the lesbian couple. Spelling last "request" was for PBS to "strongly consider refunding to the Department the Federal education funds that were used for the episode" as " in the interest of avoiding embroiling the Ready-To-Learn program in a controversy that will only hurt the program," or in other words, not forcing the Bush administration to cancel the show entirely if this was not done. Withholding money for funding, canceling federal dollars for those people or groups the Bush administration does not approve of, while giving money to those it favors is the modus operandi of the Bush administration and its radical right loyalists under the guise of "Christian love" and "Christian tolerance." The Nazis of Germany wanted a supreme race and society just as the Bush administration wants although they will never admit to such a notion. The Bush administration tolerates groups who have hostile, aggressive, and often violent justifications against gays and lesbians, including former Attorney General John Ashcroft and current U.S. Senator Tom Coburn. The right wing juices are flowing with hatred and hostility towards gays and lesbians and no longer can the people of America stay silence as this legal, verbal, and often real physical violence takes place in an environment and society which allows for it by passing hate laws and continuing the targeting of people who have very little legal recouse under the laws in a so-called free democracy. See the full letter of Spellings to Mitchell below along with relevant links.
Elementary & Secondary Education
Key Policy Letters Signed by the Education Secretary or Deputy Secretary
January 2005
January 25, 2005
Ms. Pat Mitchell
President and Chief Executive Officer
Public Broadcasting Service
1320 Braddock Place
Alexandria, Virginia 22314
Dear Ms. Mitchell:
The Department of Education has strong and very serious concerns about a specific Ready-To-Learn television episode, yet to be aired, that has been developed under a cooperative agreement between the Department and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). The episode -- "Sugartime!" -- is part of the "Postcards from Buster" series, and would feature throughout the show families headed by gay couples.
As you know, the cooperative agreement that PBS is using to support these programs is designed to prepare preschool and elementary age children for school. A principal focus of the law authorizing funding for the Ready-To-Learn program is facilitating student academic achievement. In the fiscal year 2005 appropriations conference report (H. R. Conf. Rep. No. 108-792 at 1236-1237 (2004)), Congress reiterated the unique mission of Ready-To-Learn, which is "to use the television medium to help prepare preschool age children for school. The television programs that must fulfill this mission are to be specifically designed for this purpose, with the highest attention to production quality and validity of research-based educational objectives, content, and materials." In addition, you should also know that two years ago the Senate Appropriations Committee raised questions about the accountability of funds appropriated for Ready-To-Learn programs.
We believe the "Sugartime!" episode does not come within these purposes or within the intent of Congress, and would undermine the overall objective of the Ready-To-Learn program -- to produce programming that reaches as many children and families as possible. Many parents would not want their young children exposed to the life-styles portrayed in this episode. Congress' and the Department's purpose in funding this programming certainly was not to introduce this kind of subject matter to children, particularly through the powerful and intimate medium of television.
In light of these concerns, we have several requests. First, if you air the show, we must insist that you remove from the specific episode the Department's seal, as well as any other logo or statement indicating that the Department funded, endorsed, sponsored or was involved in the development, creation, or production of the episode, and, in addition, that you also remove any such reference in any materials about the program. Second, we request that you notify your member stations of the nature of the content of these programs and ask that they review the programs before deciding whether to air them. Third, in the interest of avoiding embroiling the Ready-To-Learn program in a controversy that will only hurt the program, we believe you should strongly consider refunding to the Department the Federal education funds that were used for the episode.
Finally, you can be assured that in the future the Department will be more clear as to its expectations for any future programming that it funds.
Sincerely, /s/
Margaret Spellings Go and see Education Secretary Margaret Spellings entire letter to PBS CEO Pat Mitchell at:
Dept. of Education See the full article, by Suzanne Goldenberg, "Buster the bunny pops on his backpack, visits lesbian family and starts row," in Friday, January 28, 2005, eiditon of "The Guardian" at:
How is America a Free Nation for All when it legislates bigotry into law? Now Playing: America is not a Free Nation for All by legislating hate & bigotry into law Topic: America passes hate laws
The Republican Party along with the religious right led a major political battle in the last election to ensure that gay rights would be pushed back. This strategy of karl Rove and President Bush as well as the radical right of the GOP had no problem in the sense of winning elections to attack a minority group and those people who still have less than full citizen rights under the law. Thus, on November 2, 2004, the Republican Party was successful in not only repressing GLBT rights but placed amendments on the ballot to ban gay marriage in eleven states. The outcome was successful for the "heteroseuxal" and "Save Straight Merriage" lobby. Those people like Rush Limbaugh and Newt Gingrich ought to worrry about having a successful heterosexual marriage before they pry into the lives of other law-abiding tax paying citizens who may just be gay or lesbian. And if "men" are that afraid of gay men then I suggest those people examine just how in fact "masculine" they really are or perhaps have a few issues dealing with their own sexual identity may be the real culprit in that hate and solemn bigotry. The majority of people in eleven states said "yes" to pass these eleven ballot initiatives,which only points to the ongoing decay of democracy in the United States. It is too bad that America is no different in its discrimination laws than the Islamic nations its said to be defedning freedom from. In the regard of the gat rights issues. America joins every other extremist political group and governent which chooses to devise laws and principles upon hate and prejdice rather than tolerance or understanding of others, including, yes, diversity.
chatty
on fire
