Romney: "I know why jobs come and why they go." Yep. Yep.

Romney: "I know why jobs come and why they go."

Yep. He do.

THE WAFFLE HOUSE CANDIDATE

Mitt Romney is not running for President - he is doing ads for Waffle House. 

Issues Mitt Romney waffles on:

1. Romney won’t say whether he would undo Obama’s decision to end deportations of DREAM-eligible immigrants. Romney and his campaign passed up numerous opportunities to say whether he agreed with the Obama order to stop deporting young undocumented immigrants.

2. Romney won’t say whether he’d support the Paycheck Fairness Act. Romney repeatedly dodged questions about it.

3. Romney won’t specify which tax loopholes he’d close. All Mitt's has got to say is "We'll go through that process with Congress."

4. Romney is all about cutting the big, bad bloated federal government (like the construction crews at work fixing our highways with infrastructure stimulus funding but Mitt can’t say which federal agencies he’d eliminate. All Romney has to say is he would get rid of "a lot of departments." 

5. Romney’s campaign refused to say whether he would have signed the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, a law that helps women hold employers accountable for discriminating in the pay practices based on gender.

6. Romney won’t say whether he’d support full reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act. He offers only vague, general support for renewal of the Violence Against Women Act.

7. Romney won’t say whether say whether he’d eliminate the “carried interest” tax break for private equity partners, who actually are earning ordinary income. See: CNNMoney: Romney Punts on Carried Interest - Again

Source: The 7 Major Issues Mitt Romney Won’t Take A Position On

OBAMA ON CIVIL MARRIAGE EQUALITY - "It’s the right thing to do."

President Obama, speaking in Baltimore, June 12, 2012:

"We’re not going back to the days when you could be kicked out of the United States military just because of who you are and who you love.

"We’re moving forward to a country where we treat everybody fairly and everybody equally, with dignity and respect.

"And here in Maryland, thanks to the leadership of committed citizens and Governor O’Malley, you have a chance to reaffirm that principle in the voting booth in November. It’s the right thing to do."

For the complete speech:


Maryland Juice: Remarks of Barack Obama in Baltimore // PLUS: The President Speaks Out on LGBT Rights & Immigrants

HRC - LGBT Youth Face "tremendous disparities"

The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) has just published a Report which documents "tremendous disparities" that are holding back "LGBT-identified youth." 

The report’s findings:

54 percent of LGBT youth say they have been verbally harassed and been the victims of anti-gay slurs; 

47 percent of LGBT youth say they do not “fit in”- only 16 percent of non-LGBT youth feel that way; 

67 percent of straight youth describe themselves as happy - only 37 percent of LGBT young people feel this way; 

83 percent of LGBT youth believe they will be happy eventually - only 49 percent believe they can be happy if they stay in the same city or town; 

6 in 10 LGBT youth say their family is accepting of LGBT people - a third say their family is not; 

92 percent of LGBT youth say they hear negative messages about being LGBT – 60 percent say those messages come from elected leaders. 

For straight teens, their most important problem, is stated by them to be the usual challenges of grades, college and finances. But LGBT teens’ worries were directly related to their identity as LGBT and include worries about non-accepting families and bullying.

The Human Rights Campaign - devoted to "Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Equal Rights" - has announced that other Reports are planned which will focus on:

"experiences of specific groups of youth, for example transgender youth, those of different races, religious traditions, etc."

SOURCE:

HRC Releases Landmark Survey of LGBT Youth

& the Report itself:

Growing Up LGBT in America: Key Findings

At the risk of "your eternal soul" - Come June 9

WHEN: This Saturday, June 9 2012 1-4 PM

WHERE: Goucher College Alumni House

WHAT: Forum on MARRIAGE EQUALITY

WHO: Panel of Speakers, led by Sister Jeannine Gramick

Strategy sessions:

HOW TO ENCOURAGE 

A PROGRESSIVE CATHOLIC VOTE 

ON NOV 6TH

IN FAVOR OF 

MARRIAGE EQUALITY 

IN MARYLAND

 This message has elicited enthusiasm as well as the following note from a priest:

"Going against the Magisterial teaching of the Church - same as going against Christ and the Holy Spirit. This is your eternal soul on the line. The Church calls for us to form our conscience in line with the teaching as left from Christ with the guarantee of the Holy Spirit. I urge you to reconsider your actions."

I responded to this note as follows:

Father _________, 

Can I come and talk to you about this sometime? 

I think your statements are fundamentally correct as an expression of the Catholic faith. 

But the marriage equality issue is a matter of access to government by the citizens, not by believers. 

Fundamentally, there is a difference between what the Church teaches that Catholics must believe and do, versus the expectation under the US Constitution that all the citizens have equal access to the courthouse. 

All of the citizens must have equal access to undertake responsibilities and obligations available through legally enforceable contracts. We cannot have different sets of rules for different categories of citizens, based on individual characteristics, attributes or innate and inborn inclinations. 

Civil marriage is an enforceable contract. Civil marriage is not a Sacrament.  

Sacramental life certainly can be and is regulated by the teachings of the Church. But it is a hurtful and pastorally questionable form of prejudice to tell the citizens, Catholics and others, that some citizens, but not others, must be excluded from the benefits and duties imposed by the laws of contract on the grounds that some believers are excluded from a Sacrament of the Church.  

Not all citizens are believers. And of course you know, not all believers follow lives that are in complete accord with the Sacraments. The civil authorities must not be asked to regulate conduct imposed by sacramental obligations. 

All citizens must receive equal access and treatment under the civil law. Any other rule would be prejudicial to some of the citizens and dangerous to all, as privilege would be granted to some who are arbitrarily favored and denied to others who are arbitrarily excluded from full citizenship. 

We cannot tolerate different categories of citizenship, based not on conduct but on personal characteristics. 

If the Magisterium wishes to campaign against civil marriage for some citizens but not all, let the Magisterium make arguments that all the citizens can hear and debate. The Magisterium ought not insist that all citizens must conform their conduct to the Sacraments, that is to behavior that is based exclusively on a faith that many citizens do not share. 

Citizens who are entitled to access to the courthouse cannot be denied this access because of the limitations imposed by a Sacrament. Why not? Citizens, per se (Catholics and others) have not agreed to live in ways that are regulated by the Sacraments. 

Freedom of religion means, in the USA,  freedom from religion, too. 

It would be good to talk about this. 

My eternal soul is waiting for a reply . . .  

APPEALS COURT DECISION: GOOD NEWS FOR MARRIAGE EQUALITY IN MARYLAND THIS FALL

On May 31, 2012, in a unanimous decision, a three-judge panel of the Ist Circuit of the US Court of Appeals ruled that the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is unconstitutional. 


The issue before the court was whether legally married same-sex partners can be denied federal benefits by DOMA, when those benefits (such as the privilege to file joint tax returns, survivors benefits) are available to differently gendered married couples.

The judges concluded that the legislative record on DOMA is “filled with encomia to heterosexual marriage,” but there is lacking any explanation “how denying benefits to same-sex couples will reinforce heterosexual marriage.”

The judicial decision concluded that it is not enough to express "moral disapproval" to justify discrimination. Rather, a discriminatory law must be justified by the demonstration of a permissible and compelling federal interest. The judges found that there is no such federal interest served by denying benefits to married, same-sex couples.

In striking down DOMA, this panel concluded:

“Under current Supreme Court authority, Congress’ denial of federal benefits to same-sex couples lawfully married in Massachusetts has not been adequately supported by any permissible federal interest.”

IST CIR DECISION

See also:

Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutional - Washington Post


EDITORIAL: Courts evolve on same-sex marriage

Maryland Catholic Conference: Support Fairness for Maryland Kids

AN APPEAL FROM THE MARYLAND CATHOLIC CONFERENCE

Support Fairness for Maryland Kids 

Ask Your Parish

to 

Support the DREAM Act

Issue: On Election Day in November, Marylanders will vote on the Maryland DREAM Act -- a law that allows immigrant students to pay the same in-state tuition rate as other Maryland residents if they meet certain requirements. 

The Maryland Catholic Conference supports the law and recognizes that the issue of educating kids in Maryland whose families pay Maryland taxes is a matter of simple fairness. 

The Conference needs your help in gathering support for the DREAM Act. 

If you are interested in information on the DREAM Act, click here.
Action: We are seeking invitations to come and speak at your local parishes and communities to explain what the DREAM Act does, why the Church supports it, and why it is good public policy for Maryland.

Meetings and events could include:

• Social Concerns committees
• Knights of Columbus
• Catholic Daughters of America
• Brief remarks after Mass with time afterwards for questions
• Other organizations you participate in!

To set up a speaking event, or for more information, please contact Chris Ross at 410-269-1155, or 301-261-1979, or cmross@mdcathcon.org.


SOURCE:


MCC - Request Your Parish to Support the DREAM Act