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April 28, 2005

Fla. Agency Gets Teen's Abortion Blocked

Aren't you so glad, that while sexual predators are raping and killing so many young girls in Florida, that instead of doing something about THAT, the Florida Social Services Agency is instead meddling in the rights and with the health of a 13 year old girl whose pregnancy would definitely be far more detrimental to her health than a safe and legal abortion.

It doesn't even matter that PARENTAL CONSENT IS NOT REQUIRED in Florida. So if this child was NOT in a state shelter, she could just go and have her abortion. But because she's disadvantaged, stuck in this state home, somehow these "we know better than YOU idiots have decided to put her health at risk. They charge that she's too immature to make that decision. Hello? She's too immature to decide whether she wants a baby, therefore she must have one? Who gets to take care of this baby that this immature girl who can't make her own decisions is suddenly mature enough to be a mother? Or is she just the incubator for someone's adoption?

Few things annoy me more than government meddling where they should not. But then, Florida wasn't happy enough dragging out the agony of everyone involved with Terry Schiavo, so why should anyone be surprised at this one?

Fla. Agency Gets Teen's Abortion Blocked: "WEST PALM BEACH, Fla.-The state's social services agency was granted a court order to block an abortion for a pregnant 13-year-old girl living in a state shelter, prompting an emergency appeal Wednesday by the American Civil Liberties Union."

(Via FindLaw: Top Legal Headlines.)

Posted by mikki at 03:42 PM | | Comments (0)

April 21, 2005

As if you needed any more excuses to buy a Mac

One FUNDIE causes them to move.... but a couple million disgruntled customers make them do NOTHING? Why is this so typical?

As if you needed any more excuses to buy a Mac: "

United States: Microsoft has withdrawn support for a Washington State bill which would protect gays and lesbians from discrimination in employment, housing, banking, insurance, and other matters by adding sexual orientation to a state law which already bars discrimination on the basis of race, religion, national origin, gender, marital status, and mental or physical handicap after a single loony fundie threatened the company. Microsoft has previously supported equal rights legislation. As John Aravosis of AMERICAblog notes:

The radical right activist reportedly told Microsoft it had better pull its support for the gays or anti-gay bigots would launch a nationwide boycott of Microsoft, and guess what - Microsoft caved. A single anti-gay jerk, and Microsoft chose to reverse over ten years of policy and bash gays.

This is outrageous. It's also incredibly dangerous. For over a decade Microsoft, along with hundreds of other corporate leaders, has endorsed gay rights legislation in the states and nationally. And now, suddenly, because ONE ANTI-GAY ACTIVIST COMPLAINED, they've suddenly changed their minds ON A CIVIL RIGHTS ISSUE. A rather big oops after ten years of being in favor of civil rights, don't you think?

Microsoft clearly isn't proud of caving into threats from lunatics, and seems to have tried to keep it a secret.

Meanwhile, it has been drawn to my attention that the reason many Prattle commenters are unable to tell the difference between copy written by Prattle contributors and quoted material from elsewhere is because Microsoft Internet Explorer does not support current web standards. There is no evidence that this lack of functionality will ever be fixed, and affected readers are advised to get a proper standards-compliant browser (preferably running on a computer and OS which not only works, but comes from a company with a much better record on equality).

TAKE ACTION: Microsoft abandons gays - AMERICAblog, 20th April 2005.

"

(Via The Pagan Prattle Online.)

Posted by mikki at 06:18 PM |

April 16, 2005

Hiding Failure in the "War on Terror?"

Oh that is funny, and just so typical of the current administration. Got information that you're failing? Well, BURY it! Don't let the American people KNOW that you're screwing up! No, NEVER!

There IS WMD in Iraq! The Iraqui people ARE welcoming us with open arms. There IS no collateral damage in civilian human lives in Iraq. TSA IS doing a better job than before 9/11. The DC ADIZ IS protecting us from that horrible threat of private aircraft. The Patriot Act is NEVER used against the innocent. And the "War on Terror" IS working.

Yeah, ok... right. We can always trust our government to give us all the facts.

WASHINGTON - The State Department decided to stop publishing an annual report on international terrorism after the government's top terrorism center concluded that there were more terrorist attacks in 2004 than in any year since 1985, the first year the publication covered. More here

Posted by mikki at 01:30 PM | | Comments (0)

April 12, 2005

Yep, They All Think We're Stupid

Okie Dokie Tom Ridge, RFID boosts security. But then, so do armed guards in front of every house in America, GPS tracking on our cars, unlimited wiretaps on our phones and Internet services, and shutting down US airspace to commercial and private planes. Lots of things boost security, but when was the last time you heard anyone propose anything that would boost privacy?

And isn't it just peachy that our former DHS head just happens to have landed into a job with an RFID contractor? This makes me feel ever so warm and fuzzy when this man who is exploiting the information, skills, and notoriety he gained at public expense, which is now being used to line the wallets of not only himself, but this lovely RFID contractor, then tells us that the government can be trusted to safeguard any personal data it happens to collect. Gee, that's good enough for me, eh?

Ridge Says RFID Boosts Security: "The former head of the Department of Homeland Security says RFID will help make the United States safer, but critics aren't so sure. Mark Baard reports from Chicago."

(Via Wired News.)

Posted by mikki at 08:02 AM | | Comments (0)

April 09, 2005

Scalia Warns Legal Profession to Pay Mind to Traditional Christians

Oh please. A Supreme Court Justice "preaching" that these looney tunes who picket clinics, Wiccan shops, and others, and try to push their school prayer and "women stay in the home" agenda are not "simple minded?" Give me a break.

Scalia Warns Legal Profession to Pay Mind to Traditional Christians: "The legal profession shouldn't write off traditional Christians as 'simple minded,' Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia told fellow Catholics in Shreveport, La., last week. Speaking at a banquet on the eve of an annual Mass to honor and bless lawyers and people who work with them, Scalia said, 'Faith with no rational thought is false. What is irrational is to reject [without question] the possibility of miracles.'"

(Via Law.com.)

Posted by mikki at 11:11 AM |

April 05, 2005

Total Flaming Fundie Idiots

So if you've been RAPED, and you get a fundie doctor, you may not be told that you can make sure you don't get pregnant from it. Gee, how LOVELY. Idiots!

By Lynn Bartels, Rocky Mountain News

April 5, 2005

Gov. Bill Owens today vetoed a bill that would have required hospitals to provide information about emergency contraception to rape victims.

"This bill would violate fundamental constitutional principles by forcing an institution to say things to patients that it explicitly does not believe to be morally or ethically valid," Owens said in his veto message to lawmakers. "Allowing such a provision to become law would cross a constitutional line that we must not cross."

The Catholic Church and lawmakers who believed the bill sanctioned a form of abortion opposed the measure and were pleased with the governor's veto.

But supporters said that the measure, which was introduced by two Democratic lawmakers and backed by a number of Republicans, was about providing information to victims.

Rep. Fran Coleman, D-Denver, a supporter of the bill, said she was disappointed.

"This was about emergency contraception. Rape victims didn't ask for that procreation," she said.

During the House debate on the bill, she likened emergency contraception for rape victims to having a bullet removed.

"I've never been this disappointed about a bill," said the Senate sponsor, Jennifer Veiga of Denver.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Posted by mikki at 08:26 PM |