ACLU Pro-Religious Symbols?
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Texas is taking an unusual stance and defending students' rights to wear religious symbols at school.
The liberal legal firm is looking into whether the Brownsville Independent School District policy that prohibits students from wearing rosaries and crosses is a violation of the First Amendment. Though this action is not standard for the ACLU, Jeff Mateer of the Liberty Institute says it is not unheard of.
"I would note that this is the Texas ACLU, versus the national ACLU," Mateer mentions. "The Texas ACLU has joined with us here in Texas on a few cases, so they seem to be a little more intellectually honest."
And in this case, he believes they are on the right track. The school district claims that some students are wearing handmade rosaries around their heads and waists, indicating an affiliation with prison gangs. But even so, the Liberty Institute attorney says the prohibition is out of bounds.
"The only way that they could do it is if the wearing of these items causes a material and substantial interference with school activities," he explains.
According to a district spokesperson, high school principals were following the advice of law enforcement by telling students to tuck the religious symbols inside their clothing, but the ACLU is defending the pupils' right to openly display religious materials. –One News Now
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Texas is taking an unusual stance and defending students' rights to wear religious symbols at school.
The liberal legal firm is looking into whether the Brownsville Independent School District policy that prohibits students from wearing rosaries and crosses is a violation of the First Amendment. Though this action is not standard for the ACLU, Jeff Mateer of the Liberty Institute says it is not unheard of.
"I would note that this is the Texas ACLU, versus the national ACLU," Mateer mentions. "The Texas ACLU has joined with us here in Texas on a few cases, so they seem to be a little more intellectually honest."
And in this case, he believes they are on the right track. The school district claims that some students are wearing handmade rosaries around their heads and waists, indicating an affiliation with prison gangs. But even so, the Liberty Institute attorney says the prohibition is out of bounds.
"The only way that they could do it is if the wearing of these items causes a material and substantial interference with school activities," he explains.
According to a district spokesperson, high school principals were following the advice of law enforcement by telling students to tuck the religious symbols inside their clothing, but the ACLU is defending the pupils' right to openly display religious materials. –One News Now
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Ga. Counseling Student In Court Over View On 'Gays'
A graduate school counseling student is asking a federal appeals court to block Augusta State University from expelling her because she believes homosexual behavior is an immoral choice.
Jennifer Keeton, who said she's a devout Christian "committed to the truth of the Bible," enrolled in the Georgia school's counselor education program in fall 2009 and soon began discussing her views.
Faculty members were alarmed after she wrote in a term paper that it would be hard for her to work with homosexual clients (see earlier story). The school told her that's unethical, and she was put on probation and warned she could be expelled. Keeton refused when the school asked her to attend sensitivity training and mix with homosexual men and women at events like the city's "gay pride" parade.
Cristina Correia of the Georgia Attorney General's office said university faculty were concerned that Keeton was scheduled to practice counseling in middle and high schools as part of her degree program and could possibly harm young students with her views. –One News Now
A graduate school counseling student is asking a federal appeals court to block Augusta State University from expelling her because she believes homosexual behavior is an immoral choice.
Jennifer Keeton, who said she's a devout Christian "committed to the truth of the Bible," enrolled in the Georgia school's counselor education program in fall 2009 and soon began discussing her views.
Faculty members were alarmed after she wrote in a term paper that it would be hard for her to work with homosexual clients (see earlier story). The school told her that's unethical, and she was put on probation and warned she could be expelled. Keeton refused when the school asked her to attend sensitivity training and mix with homosexual men and women at events like the city's "gay pride" parade.
Cristina Correia of the Georgia Attorney General's office said university faculty were concerned that Keeton was scheduled to practice counseling in middle and high schools as part of her degree program and could possibly harm young students with her views. –One News Now
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AIDS -- 'The Only Politically Protected Disease'
Peter LaBarbera, president of Americans for Truth About Homosexuality, says AIDS has been the only "politically protected disease" -- and that, he says, is why Barack Obama and others support World AIDS Day.
President Obama is setting a new goal of getting AIDS drugs to two million more people living with HIV around the world by the end of 2013. At a Washington event marking World AIDS Day, the president announced Thursday that he is directing a $50 million increase in spending on HIV and AIDS treatment in the U.S. The White House says there are 1.2 million Americans living with HIV, and 50,000 new infections each year.
LaBarbera is calling Obama to task for announcing a deeper U.S. commitment to combating AIDS -- instead of taking practical measures to curb its spread.
"AIDS has always been the only politically protected disease. The elephant in the room is homosexual -- especially male -- sexual behavior," he argues. "We have these amazing statistics which show this huge, disproportional disease rate for men who have sex with men.
"So because it's attached to homosexuality, there are things like World AIDS Day," he continues. "It becomes a political thing rather than just taking practical public health measures necessary to stop or slow down this disease."
For example, LaBarbera says instead of spending millions on AIDS research, the government should shut down the notorious "gay bath houses" in major cities that facilitate the spread of HIV.
"They're like perversion centers. These are places where men go for anonymous, homosexual sex," he states. "It's the highest risk sex around -- and there's these clubs [where] basically men just go to have anonymous sex.
"So I want to know: Why isn't the government working to shut down these perversion centers that facilitate the very behavior that is helping to spread HIV?"
The pro-family activist points out that while the government is going out of its way to discourage people from unhealthy lifestyle choices like smoking and obesity, it is doing nothing to discourage those who practice the lifestyle that leads to AIDS.
LaBarbera has called on the government to acknowledge "gay" sex as high risk, teach school children the lifestyle's real risks, "re-stigmatize" dangerous behaviors among homosexual males, work toward equalizing federal spending on other serious, life-threatening diseases, and stop what he describes as "bigoted 'homophobia' propaganda." -One News Now
Peter LaBarbera, president of Americans for Truth About Homosexuality, says AIDS has been the only "politically protected disease" -- and that, he says, is why Barack Obama and others support World AIDS Day.
President Obama is setting a new goal of getting AIDS drugs to two million more people living with HIV around the world by the end of 2013. At a Washington event marking World AIDS Day, the president announced Thursday that he is directing a $50 million increase in spending on HIV and AIDS treatment in the U.S. The White House says there are 1.2 million Americans living with HIV, and 50,000 new infections each year.
LaBarbera is calling Obama to task for announcing a deeper U.S. commitment to combating AIDS -- instead of taking practical measures to curb its spread.
"AIDS has always been the only politically protected disease. The elephant in the room is homosexual -- especially male -- sexual behavior," he argues. "We have these amazing statistics which show this huge, disproportional disease rate for men who have sex with men.
"So because it's attached to homosexuality, there are things like World AIDS Day," he continues. "It becomes a political thing rather than just taking practical public health measures necessary to stop or slow down this disease."
For example, LaBarbera says instead of spending millions on AIDS research, the government should shut down the notorious "gay bath houses" in major cities that facilitate the spread of HIV.
"They're like perversion centers. These are places where men go for anonymous, homosexual sex," he states. "It's the highest risk sex around -- and there's these clubs [where] basically men just go to have anonymous sex.
"So I want to know: Why isn't the government working to shut down these perversion centers that facilitate the very behavior that is helping to spread HIV?"
The pro-family activist points out that while the government is going out of its way to discourage people from unhealthy lifestyle choices like smoking and obesity, it is doing nothing to discourage those who practice the lifestyle that leads to AIDS.
LaBarbera has called on the government to acknowledge "gay" sex as high risk, teach school children the lifestyle's real risks, "re-stigmatize" dangerous behaviors among homosexual males, work toward equalizing federal spending on other serious, life-threatening diseases, and stop what he describes as "bigoted 'homophobia' propaganda." -One News Now
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