Religious Bias

In mid February 2012 we heard that the New Jersey (NJ) Senate approved Gay marriage but Governor Christie vetoed it saying the people should vote on the issue; not a handful of politicians. Right after this incident, Maryland became the eighth state to legalize Gay marriage. On February 21 on the View they said that Tennessee has a bill that says ‘don’t say Gay’ that restricts schools from talking about homosexuality until high school; the bill referenced the show Modern Family saying it’s inappropriate for kids to watch it because they’d learn about Gays in the world. On March 1 the Washington DC Archdiocese said refusing communion to a lesbian at her mother’s funeral was against church policy (this suggests that the priest who had done so doesn’t know their policy). 

In an interview with Piers Morgan on March 3, Kirk Cameron, former Growing Pains star, said he does not support the idea of Gay marriage and said homosexuality is unnatural, detrimental and ultimately destructive to so many of the foundations of civilization; if one of his (6) children revealed he was Gay that he would say that there are all sorts of issues we need to wrestle through in our lives and just because you feel one way doesn’t mean we should act on everything we feel; Stephen Baldwin supported Kirk while Tracey Gold on March 4 wrote that she’s a strong supporter of the LGBT community and believes in equal rights for all, no H8, Love. On March 5 Alan Thicke said on Twitter that he’s getting him (Kirk) some new books; the Old Testament simply can’t be expected to explain everything.

On the March 5 episode of the Talk LaToya Jackson said – there is so much hatred in the world today and when you find people that truly love each other we should respect and honor that; she also said when she left the Jehovah Witnesses that it opened up a whole new world of understanding for her. Sara Gilbert said - he should be aware of the people he’s hurting by saying that – the attempted suicide rate is 30-40% among young teens dealing with who they are and no one is fighting more for marriage than Gay people and if you want to talk about what’s detrimental – it’s passing judgment. Sheryl Underwood said - if he is to be Christ like then where is the love that Christ would have shown - this argument makes it seem that there was no love in what Christ taught.

On March 6 on the View I heard that the group American Atheists have put up billboards written in Arabic/Hebrew/English targeting Jews and Muslims in New York and NJ saying – You know it’s a myth and you have a choice (all religions are false).

As I’m sure I’ve already said, I am not an Atheist or a believer in organized religion but I am a believer in God and the 10 Commandments. Being raised a Catholic I’ve always had issues with the Church’s hypocrisy - go to confession – get communion – and start your dirty tricks all over again. I’ve also found it interesting that the Romans murdered Jesus Christ and the Catholic headquarters is based out of Vatican City near Rome, Italy. I repeat that I have a problem with the Catholic Church believing that it has right to forgive a person’s sins when the commandments clearly say it’s God’s right and no one else’s; this coincides with the church’s belief that they can decide if a Gay, Communist, or any other person with political or other issues that the church doesn’t believe in can receive last rights – yet they continually give them to murders, sex offenders, thieves and more that have violated the 10 Commandments.

If Christians believe in Jesus who said in John Chapter 8 (to the crowd that was going to stone a woman to death for adultery) – ‘He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her’. As a result the men left and Jesus said to her –‘Neither do I condemn thee; go, and sin no more’. It’s time for the Catholic and other Christians that are full of corruption (break any of the commandments) to stop throwing stones. The various individuals and governments that are throwing stones with their comments or by implementing bills that go against God’s will or those like Governor Christie that prevents God’s will from being done only feed hate and not love. They fail to consider the kids that are different and committing suicide; they fail to teach goodness in reacting to those that are different.

I realize in America we have freedom of speech and we are all allowed to have a difference of opinion. I support this freedom and I get that they don’t want to talk about Gays, bisexuals, and transgenders in sex education (personally I think sex education doesn’t belong in public schools) but parents are supposed to help their kids grow and I hope all of this foolish contradiction is a wakeup call for the American people. If we take a minute to think I believe that we would find that the US Constitution provides more of an opportunity to promote God’s love than any organized religion. 

What's In Congress in 2012

According to OpenCongress.org there are 2,130 Senate bills (SR), 4,059 House bills (HR), 37 Senate Joint Resolutions (SJR), 103 House Joint Resolutions (HJR), 34 Senate Concurrent Resolutions (SCR), 102 House Concurrent Resolutions (HCR), 380 Senate Resolutions (SRes), and 555 House Resolutions (HRes) in Congress as of March 5, 2012 (total 7,400 documents). The website shows the top 5 issues submitted in each category and lists the number remaining to view. I looked at just the top 5 to get an idea of what Congress is doing and the following got my immediate attention (there were more but my blood pressure was rising so I didn’t list them all). 

HR 4069 – by Representative Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) - To award a Congressional Gold Medal to Dr. Shakeel Afridi (the Pakistani doctor who helped the CIA nail Bin Laden)

SCR 34 – by Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) - Mourns the loss of Vaclav Havel and offers condolences to the Havel family and the people of the Czech Republic. (According to sources Havel was the last president of Czechoslovakia and the first of the Czech Republic, he wrote more than 20 plays and numerous non-fiction works, he was the founder of the VIZE 97 Foundation and the principal organizer of the Forum 2000 annual global conference, he was one of the signatories of the Charter 77 manifesto, a founding signatory of the Prague Declaration on European Conscience and Communism and a council member of the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation, and received many recognitions including the US Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Gandhi Peace Prize, the Philadelphia Liberty Medal, the Order of Canada, the freedom medal of the Four Freedoms Award and the Ambassador of Conscience Award, was voted 4th in Prospect magazine's 2005 global poll of the world's top 100 intellectuals; at the time of his death he was Chairman of the New York-based Human Rights Foundation)

HCR 100 – by Representative Ben Quayle (R-AZ) - Recognizing February 14, 2012 as the centennial of the State of Arizona

HCR 89 - by Representative Ralph Hall (R-TX) - Expressing the sense of the Congress regarding National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day

SRes 376 – by Senator Roger (R-MS) - A resolution commemorating the 225th anniversary of the signing of the Constitution of the United States and recognizing the contributions of the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution and the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution

HRes 555 – by Representative Donald Payne (D-NJ) - To commemorate the life and accomplishments of Whitney Elizabeth Houston over the past 48 years; and expressing the condolences of the House of Representatives to her family upon her death

Granted the people identified in the measures were/are extraordinary but at a time when we need Congress to focus on bringing our country back I find this type of action a waste of its time and our money. I did not focus on a single party and apparently I’m not the only one interested in what Congress is doing.

Beingliberal.org says the Republicans are putting party before country. This website took the time to look at the bills Republicans introduced and found: 46 on abortion, 113 on religion, 73 on family relationships, 36 on marriage, 72 on firearms, 604 on taxation, and 467 on government investigation (total 1411 bills of which 268 have to do with abortion, religion, family relationships and marriage). Beingliberal.org also points out that the Republicans blocked the American Jobs Act that would get us on track for recovery. There are a total of 6,189 bills in Congress and Beingliberal.org identified only 1411 of them.

In my opinion the law governing abortion was already decided by the Supreme Court and we only need one bill that tells the states to stop passing bills that hinder such. Religion is covered in the Constitution – we have no single religion in this country and Republicans needs to get that through their thick heads. I have no idea what is being done on family relationships and marriage but I think the federal government needs to step up and deal with Gay marriage (or civil unions) so that we are equal in all states. I also do not know what the bills on firearms entail but we only need one to restrict where guns are allowed. As far as government taxation and investigations I can only guess that they aren’t geared at ending Wall Street corruption and tax loopholes for the rich, both of which I think need to be done.

HR347-Federal Restricted Areas

According to Pastebin’s March 4, 2012 posting the following is the Enrolled Bill HR347 sponsored by Rep. Thomas Rooney (R-Florida) that passed with a 388-3 vote and was submitted to the President on March 1, 2012.

AT THE SECOND SESSION - Begun and held at the City of Washington on Tuesday, the third day of January, two thousand and twelve An Act - To correct and simplify the drafting of section 1752 (relating to restricted buildings or grounds) of title 18, United States Code. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. - This Act may be cited as the `Federal Restricted Buildings and Grounds Improvement Act of 2011'. SEC. 2. RESTRICTED BUILDING OR GROUNDS. -  Section 1752 of title 18, United States Code, is amended to read as follows:

Sec. 1752. Restricted building or grounds

(a) Whoever--

(1) knowingly enters or remains in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority to do so;

(2) knowingly, and with intent to impede or disrupt the orderly conduct of Government business or official functions, engages in disorderly or disruptive conduct in, or within such proximity to, any restricted building or grounds when, or so that, such conduct, in fact, impedes or disrupts the orderly conduct of Government business or official functions; 

(3) knowingly, and with the intent to impede or disrupt the orderly conduct of Government business or official functions, obstructs or impedes ingress or egress to or from any restricted building or grounds; or

(4) knowingly engages in any act of physical violence against any person or property in any restricted building or grounds; or attempts or conspires to do so, shall be punished as provided in subsection (b).

(b) The punishment for a violation of subsection (a) is—

(1) a fine under this title or imprisonment for not more than 10 years, or both, if--

(A) the person, during and in relation to the offense, uses or carries a deadly or dangerous weapon or firearm; or

(B) the offense results in significant bodily injury as defined by section 2118(e)(3); and

(2) a fine under this title or imprisonment for not more than one year, or both, in any other case.

(c) In this section--

(1) the term `restricted buildings or grounds' means any posted, cordoned off, or otherwise restricted area-

(A) of the White House or its grounds, or the Vice President's official residence or its grounds;

(B) of a building or grounds where the President or other person protected by the Secret Service is or will be temporarily visiting; or

(C) of a building or grounds so restricted in conjunction with an event designated as a special event of national significance; and

(2) the term `other person protected by the Secret Service' means any person whom the United States Secret Service is authorized to protect under section 3056 of this title or by Presidential memorandum, when such person has not declined such protection.'

According to Reason Hit & Run’s article, Rooney’s aide (Mahassey) said this is simply a DC-centric update of an already existing law-Section 1752 of title 18 . . . already protects those under Secret Service (SS) protection except in DC where these protections fall under local laws against trespassing, etc. Mahassey said the SS requested the changes because "right now it’s not a federal violation to jump the fence and run across the White House lawn, this bill makes it a federal violation.” Congressman Amash’s Deputy Chief of Staff, Will Adams, said the law updates as Mahassey said-It brings the DC trespassing violations under the federal umbrella. Adams explained it all comes down to the words "willfully" and "knowingly". The word "willfully" is gone; subtle legal stuff with respect to the mental state being required to be charged with a crime. Adams pointed to US v Bursey conducted by a South Carolina magistrate judge and upheld by the US Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals. Brett Bursey was convicted in early 2004 for his October 2002 arrest; he remained in an area the SS had coordinated off for 20 or so minutes when the President was temporarily visiting an airbase (trespassing charges were dismissed) but law is precedent and interpretation. Adams summed it up an email: The bill makes it illegal to knowingly enter or remain in a restricted building or grounds without legal authority to do so. According to 18 U.S.C. § 3056, the SS is authorized to protect “visiting heads of foreign states or foreign governments” and “other distinguished foreign visitors to the United States.” So it's hard to know the exact implications of this one-word change when the National Defense Authorization Act may or may not allow for indefinite detainment of citizens.

In my opinion as the laws (1752 and 3056) were already on the books, the bill expands SS authority and provides for tougher penalties. This bill should not affect Wall Street or other protesters not in a restricted area but would apply to unauthorized attendance in Congress or at other government functions.   

Rush Limbaugh

Rush Limbaugh has become a bureaucratic fool. The only thing he’s said recently that has made any sense was on February 1, 2012 in regard to Romney’s comments regarding his lack of concern for the very poor.

On November 20, 2011 we heard Limbaugh’s comments regarding the booing of Michelle Obama and Jill Biden who were at a NASCAR event over the weekend to promote a program for the military. Per Rush – NASCAR people, as are most people in this country, are mature, tolerant people who fully understand when they’re being insulted and condescended to. They know in their hearts that the Obamas don’t like them. They understand that there is a little bit of uppity-ism. Per ABC News uppity is often used to describe African-American people who don’t know their place in the view of white society. ABC pointed out it’s not uncommon for politicians to be booed at a public event and a source close to the First Lady said she was happy to stand up for military families and she’d do it again even with all the booing. With this said I don’t like or dislike NASCAR people but I don’t watch the races that go around and around for hours (I also don’t watch golf). When you consider booing of politicians the norm he shouldn’t be singling out the Obamas or Bidens. I find the behavior at the event was not that of mature, tolerant people as both ladies were there to represent our military and by booing the representatives they were booing our armed forces. The only things I’ve found recently that may show the Obamas in a different light than past politicians, on February 7 President Obama returned $200,000 in campaign funds that were collected from the family of a Mexican fugitive. On February 16 because Barack was campaigning and she had time on her hands, Michele Obama surprised a group that came to the White House for a tour, she spent 80 minutes with them; the girls hugged her and an older woman kissed her hand. I do not feel that the group’s behavior was a sign that they felt insulted, condescended to or that she was uppity. Furthermore, Michele goes to schools and exercises with children and has taken an active role in trying to get better food in schools. Perhaps NASCAR people and Rush just need better manners.

After 2 days of harassment, I heard on March 2 that Rush Limbaugh called a third year Georgetown law student, who testified on contraceptives, a slut and prostitute and he suggested that if taxpayers pay for her birth control that she post online sex videos so we (the taxpayers) can see what we’re getting for our money. Limbaugh also called the government pimps. Apparently Limbaugh doesn’t understand that pimps make money off a prostitute’s labor and as there is no money being made by the government it cannot be a pimp (it can be called a John). It’s said the student wasn’t asking the government to pay for the contraceptives but supporting that they be provided, as contained in the health care bill, by insurance carriers.

The student did testify at an unofficial hearing held by Democrats; this was after Republican Issa prohibited her from doing so in a mid February Congressional hearing that only allowed men to testify. The position of the student was important as a recent survey found that 10% of students have gone to prostitution to pay college fees. Instead of calling names Limbaugh should be addressing our system’s failure - college tuitions are too high and as such require extreme measures or about 20 years to pay off. Limbaugh should have laid into the Republicans for hearing only men but perhaps he is like those at the hearing and those in third world countries that feel they have a right to do whatever they want with women.

Both Boehner and Issa found Limbaugh’s comments inappropriate and the Republicans find themselves trying to thwart off Rush’s comments and 4 sponsors of his show pulled out; Limbaugh did after the ruckus say he used a bad choice of words. I say if he wants proof of where the government’s money goes the US should fly an unmanned drone missile over his house and take it out so he has proof of where our defense money goes. 

Syria's People - Part 2

On February 1, 2012 the US in support of the Arab League urges the UN to request Syria’s President Assad to step down; Russia warns about pressing them too hard. On February 3 the UN failed to reach an agreement on how to stop the violence; on February 4 more than 200 were killed and hundreds were injured in a government assault using mortars and nail bombs; protestors around the world stormed Syrian embassies in response; Russia again warned the UN that a resolution condemning Syria’s leader would end in a scandal; China and Russia vetoed the UN’s resolution and the US said anymore blood spilled in Syria will be on their hands; the US closed its embassy and there was global condemnation of China and Russia voting against the resolution. The US supports the Syrian people’s right for a better future and is considering taking action outside of the UN as the Syrian people ask who will help the since the UN abandoned them. On February 7 the Russian President arrived in Syria for talks with President Assad. On February 8 a new video showing the bombing of a residential area and the people asking where the UN and America are. On February 9 it’s reported that at least 6,000 have been killed in the 11 month uprising in Syria; the European Union is placing harsher sanctions on Syria. We’re told the injured can’t go to hospitals because the President’s troops are there and doctors treating the wounded can be jailed; McCain wants to send medical, technical and military assistance and the US supports Turkey playing the lead role in resolving Syria’s crisis. On February 10 we hear the killing in Syria has expanded; February 11 we heard a top army general was killed and the US has satellite images as evidence of the Syrian people being attacked in their homes. On February 12 we heard that the Al Qaeda Chief urges Muslims around the world to help the Syrian rebels; February 13 the Arab nations called on the UN to send peace keepers; February 14 we heard that some believe that Syria is emboldened by the world’s inaction and missiles are fired every 2 minutes at Syria’s citizens.

On February 15 per RT.com Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov explained that Russia (Assad's ally and main arms supplier) and China vetoed the latest resolution on Syria “because our Western colleagues had closed the door on further consultations, telling us that they would no longer listen to our commentaries and putting this resolution to a vote in an ultimatum-like manner.” Although the authors of the resolution had taken Russia's demands into account by removing the provision for sanctions on Syrian authorities and agreeing the document cannot be used as a pretext for external interference, it carried proposals that did not suit Russia and China - "The resolution demanded that the Syrian government immediately pull out all armed forces from cities” and “We insisted that a provision be added, saying that the armed groupings must do the same - that was categorically rejected.” Lavrov said following talks with his Dutch counterpart Uri Rosenthal in Hague "Of course, we believe that the adoption of a new constitution in Syria is a step forward towards political pluralism". Lavrov hopeful that elections would be held in Syria at the end of May in compliance with the new constitution; described the move as “better late than never.” Lavrov said consultations on a new resolution will continue on February 16 when he is scheduled to meet his French colleague Alain Juppe in Vienna, and “I will be ready to listen to what he wants to tell me" but added "If the plan is to use the Security Council and United Nations to adopt some language to help legitimize regime change, then I'm afraid international law does not allow this and we cannot support such an approach."

Combined reports from Reuters (Beirut), UK’s Guardian, and the Irish Times on February 15 say that President Bashar al-Assad promised a referendum in two weeks' time (February 26) on a new constitution. Syria will hold parliamentary elections within 90 days of the approval of a draft constitution. Assad made it clear that he was still intent on crushing the uprising, with a history of resistance to Assad's late father, with tanks and troops. Syria has been ruled by President Bashar al-Assad's Baath Party since 1963 (Hafez al-Assad was president and was succeeded by his son when he died in 2000). Syria TV cited the draft as saying - "The political system of the state will be based on a principle of political plurality and democracy will be practiced through the voting box"; new parties cannot be based on a religion or regional interests, a clause that would exclude the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood or autonomy-seeking Kurdish parties and it would allow the president to be elected for two terms of seven years. A member of the opposition Syrian National Council (SNC) in exile said political reform had come too late to slow what began as a mostly peaceful protest movement but which has turned violent. Melhem al-Droubi, an SNC member and senior Muslim Botherhood figure, said Dr Assad must simply leave power. "This constitutional draft came 11 months late. The truth is Bashar al-Assad has increased the killing and slaughter in Syria. He has lost his legitimacy and we aren't interested in his rotten constitutions, old or new". On February 16 the UN passed (Russia & China vote no) a non binding resolution denouncing Assad, requesting him to step down; the Arab League wants a joint UN-Arab peacekeeping force to be deployed and Turkey has refugee camps. On February 21 an American journalist and French photographer are among the dead. On February 24 about 70 countries request the killing stop so aid can be provided to the people; the people want arms to fight tanks and the international Red Cross to help the injured (they were able to help a few). On February 26 the attacks continue while citizens try to vote on changes to their constitution and the US dismisses the referendum as a sham. On March 2 Russia changes its position but the people still await help. 

Syria's People - Part 1

Back in August 2011 the Arab nations joined the international condemnation of Syrian protesters and President Obama asked President Bashar Al-Assad to step down. On October 24 Gadhafi’s son was on Syrian TV promising to avenge his father’s and brother’s deaths. On November 4 it was reported that the Syrian peace talks broke down; this was surprising until we found out on November 15 that Iran had reportedly been holding talks with Syria for the past month. On this same date Syria demanded an Arab League emergency summit after having its membership suspended. On November 16 Syrian Army defectors launched an attack on its President’s army; the rebels want democracy and Jordan’s President asked Al-Assad to step down. On November 19 critics said that Syria’s agreement to allow Arab observers into the country to oversee a peace plan was a stall tactic to ease international pressure. On this same day Syrian military defectors strike a pro-regime office building with grenades and the Arab League rejected Syria’s proposed changes to the peace plan; Al-Assad said he won’t bow to foreign pressure and the Arab League maintained sanctions against Syria.

On October 24 we withdrew the Syrian Ambassador and on December 6 US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met with Syrians that were exiled due to supporting the uprising and told them the ambassador would be sent back to Syria to witness the terror. On December 7 Al-Assad denied that he gave the order for violence against the rebels. Barbara Walters in her interview with Al-Assad pointed out that when the protesters first came they were carrying olive branches and did not want him out. Al-Assad denied that Syria was on the brink of a civil war and that he is only there because of the support of the people.

Printed on the December 10 website called ‘the National’ – Earlier in the day, the Syrian National Council had warned of an impending "massacre" in Homs, saying government troops and pro-regime militia forces were gathering around parts of city, apparently marshalling for a major assault after an attack on Thursday that targeted an oil pipeline near the city. With violence apparently on the rise, thousands of dissidents in jail and key urban areas under military lockdown, questions have been raised about how municipal elections, scheduled to begin tomorrow, can actually be held. Opposition groups have called for a nationwide campaign of civil disobedience and a general strike to start on the same day. National holidays have been called to allow people to vote, and requirements for prior registration have been waived, in an effort to boost participation. The authorities - keen to stress they remain firmly in control of the country - seem set on pressing ahead with the ballot. But anecdotally there was almost no interest in the polls, which will select local representatives, even among potential candidates themselves. In Damascus the wooden boards hung for campaign posters were largely empty. "No one is interested in local elections at the best of times and under the circumstances, I can't see many people will bother to vote," said one independent analyst in Damascus. "There is a battle underway for the whole country, a fight for the president's chair. These elections are irrelevant." Syrian officials have been keen to point out that the municipal ballots would be the first in a series of promised elections, part of what they said was a comprehensive transition to democracy. President Bashar Al Assad has promised a parliamentary vote in February or March with real opposition parties allowed to compete, followed in 2014 by Syria's first open presidential election in more than 50 years. In a rare interview this week, the Syrian president denied a crackdown was underway, dismissed the UN casualty figures (4,000) as baseless and said he was not responsible for any of the deaths. He blamed foreign-backed insurgents. Ahmet Davutoglu, the Turkish foreign minister, yesterday warned that Ankara would consider intervention if the violence in Syria threatened to spill over the border, saying it had the "responsibility and the authority" to take action (Turkey has been taking Syrian refugees). On December 12 we heard that Syria went ahead with local election despite the clash between security forces and protesters.

The killing has continued daily and on December 22 the US reduced its embassy staff due to security concerns. On this same day the Arab League arrived to again find a peaceful solution but the next day 44 people are killed in Syria’s capital of Damascus; the Syrians blamed Al Qaeda. On December 24 the UN condemned the terrorist attacks and on December 27 10s of thousands of protesters were calling for the execution of President Assad; many Syrians are risking their lives to take videos of the violence and put them on YouTube to prove its happening. The killing continues and on January 10, 2012 Syrian President Assad threatens to use an iron hand to stop the uprising in his country that according to the UN has claimed over 5,000 lives. On January 11 the Arab monitor quits his Syrian mission in disgust saying he saw scenes of horror that he felt helpless to prevent. On January 16 a Syrian legislator is the 2^nd highest profile official to defect this month. On January 27 it’s reported that 11 Iranian pilgrims were kidnapped in Syria. On January 23 it’s reported that Syria once again rejected the Arab League’s plan to end its 10-month crisis and Syrian forces are firing at residential buildings and into the crowds. On January 28 the Arab League pulled its people out of Syria as the violence is escalating and on January 29 we hear over 100 Syrians were killed over the weekend. Before the UN Security Council can talk about Syria’s president stepping down Syrian forces retook Damascus suburbs. 

Religion & The Presidency

On February 26, 2012 on ABC’s ‘This Week with George Stephanopoulos’ Rick Santorum was asked about a speech that John F. Kennedy gave in Texas in 1960 to the mostly Baptist pastors at a time when Protestants openly wondered whether a Catholic US president would take orders from the Pope. In his speech Kennedy said "I believe in a president whose religious views are his own private affair, neither imposed by him upon the nation or imposed by the nation upon him as a condition to holding that office".  Kennedy said, just weeks before the general election "I do not speak for my church on public matters and the church does not speak for me, the separation of church and state is absolute". Santorum said – “to say that people of faith have no role in the public square, you bet that makes you throw up, what kind of country do we live in that says only people of non faith can come into the public square and make their case, that makes me throw up.” George said almost half of the voters in Michigan actually agree with Santorum.

According to a February 28, 2012 Newsday article Kennedy insisted his policies would be based on his conscience, not church teaching and the speech would become a model for generations of American Catholic politicians. Catholic lawmakers paraphrased Kennedy; they said Kennedy was arguing that even if faith shapes policy, the outcome still had to be acceptable to the wider public. Former New York Governor Cuomo, a Democrat, in a much-quoted 1984 speech on abortion at the University of Notre Dame spoke of "the price of seeking to force our beliefs on others." Democrat John Kerry, the party's 2004 presidential nominee said: "I can't take my Catholic belief, my article of faith, and legislate it on a Protestant or a Jew or an atheist. We have separation of church and state in the United States of America." As years passed after the Kennedy speech, the church and society underwent changes that led many Catholics and conservative Christians to conclude they were being pushed from public life. The US Supreme Court ended sectarian prayer in public schools and legalized abortion. As a result, many Catholics and other Christians saw themselves surrounded by a hostile culture. At the same time, the global church was opening up to the modern world through the Second Vatican Council, prompting an internal Catholic split over whether the council's reforms were going too far. American Catholics -- better educated and more integrated into American life -- fractured along religious and political lines. Once a solid bloc of mostly Democratic voters, Catholics became swing voters and Catholic Republicans, a rarity in Kennedy's day. For them, the speech took on new meaning. For conservative Catholics and other conservative Christians these comments were infuriating. They argued religion should be the source of an unchanging morality that guides all aspects of life including governing. Archbishop Charles Chaput in a 2010 speech at Houston Baptist University called Kennedy's address "sincere, compelling, articulate and wrong, his Houston remarks profoundly undermined the place not just of Catholics but of all religious believers in America's public life and political conversation, today, half a century later, we're paying for the damage."

In the Editors article of the Bloomberg News on February 28 it said - But the United States is not that kind of country and Kennedy's point was close to the opposite of Santorum's summary. We are a country whose Constitution prohibits any "religious test" for public office. The very point of Kennedy's speech was that he as a Catholic had as much right to be in "the public square" as any Protestant or nonbeliever. In fact, the only Americans who are effectively excluded from running for president because of popular prejudice against them would be "people of non faith" as Santorum calls them.

According to the PEW Forum on Religion & Public Life only three US presidents-Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson were unaffiliated with a specific religious tradition and John Kennedy remains the only Catholic to have held the nation's highest office. We’ve had: 11 Episcopalian–George Washington, James Madison, James Monroe, William Harrison, John Tyler, Zachary Taylor, Franklin Pierce, Chester Arthur, Franklin Roosevelt, Gerald Ford and George HW Bush; 8 Presbyterian–Andrew Jackson, James Polk, James Buchanan, Grover Cleveland (22nd & 24th), Benjamin Harrison, Woodrow Wilson, Dwight Eisenhower and Ronald Reagan; 4 Baptist–Warren Harding, Harry Truman, Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton; 4 Methodist–Ulysses Grant, Rutherford Hayes, William McKinley and George W Bush; 4 Unitarian–John Adams, John Quincy Adams, Millard Fillmore and William Howard Taft; 2 Disciples of Christ–James Garfield and Lyndon Johnson; 2 Dutch Reformed–Martin Van Buren and Teddy Roosevelt; 2 Quaker– Herbert Hoover and Richard Nixon; and 2 Congregationalist–Calvin Coolidge and Barack Obama (the United Church of Christ to which he was a member for over 20 years is of the Congregationalists family within mainline Protestantism.)

The Catholic Church wants you to think it’s a victim but their hypocrisy of go to confession–go to mass–start your dirty tricks all over again violates God’s rules-the 10 Commandments. I say they need to straighten up their act and not be given an exception to the Constitution; they should not be trying to reduce our country from being the melting pot of the world and make us no different than any other country’s dictatorship.