The Zimmerman Trial

I couldn’t let the George Zimmerman case go by without commenting. I think the main issues in the case are being overrun by our desire to make the main issue one of race. The case certainly has two points of race running through it, but the primary issues here are Florida’s draconian self-defense laws, and our concealed-carry law. Let’s get the racial issues out of the way first. I certainly believe race played a role in this case. Zimmerman clearly, based on the 911 call, profiled Trayvon Martin because he was a young black man, but that’s not the primary cause of this situation. Florida’s insane Republican Legislators have blood on their hands as well.

Read more

Admin Council Member Says Stating We Treat Everyone Equally Might Be Divisive

I returned once again to the Administrative Council at my church to ask them to pass a resolution adopting a non-discrimination statement. The last time I went in 2008, one of the members, Bill Josey, an attorney, objected because I had included a statement that we would, when reasonable, try to do business only with other organizations that had a similar statement. That was his only objection. I took it out, completely, but guess what, at January’s meeting he had a different objection.

Read more

Charter for Compassion

The principle of compassion lies at the heart of all religious, ethical and spiritual traditions, calling us always to treat all others as we wish to be treated ourselves. Compassion impels us to work tirelessly to alleviate the suffering of our fellow creatures, to dethrone ourselves from the centre of our world and put another there, and to honour the inviolable sanctity of every single human being, treating everybody, without exception, with absolute justice, equity and respect.

Read more

Alito Faces Questions from the Senate

This guy fits right in with the current crop of Republicans. During his 1990 nomination as an appeals court judge, Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito promised to recuse himself, to avoid potential conflicts of interest, in cases “involving Vanguard, in which he owned mutual fund shares; Smith Barney, his brokerage firm; First Federal Savings & Loan of Rochester, N.Y., which held his home mortgage; and his sister’s law firm.”

Read more