University of Tennessee removes 'inclusive holiday' post

Source: Nashville Tennessean

The University of Tennessee has removed a Web post about "inclusive holiday celebrations" that had drawn the ire of state lawmakers and the Tennessee Republican Party, which accused the college of trying to "eliminate Christianity" from campus parties.

The post, which came from the Knoxville campus' Office of Diversity and Inclusion, included several recommendations to "ensure your holiday party is not a Christmas party in disguise," including the suggestion not to participate in "Secret Santa" or "Dreidel" at holiday parties.

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Republican lawmakers were quick to blast the original post last week. Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey, R-Blountville, said that Chancellor Jimmy Cheek, who oversees the Knoxville campus, should resign if he had approved the post. If not, Ramsey said, the entire staff of the diversity office should be fired.

In a resolution passed on Saturday, the Tennessee GOP State Executive Committee said the post was an attempt to "eliminate Christianity" from the holiday season. The committee called for lawmakers to eliminate funding for the Knoxville diversity office.

Read more: http://www.tennessean.com/story/news/politics/2015/12/08/ut-removes-inclusive-holiday-post/76973454/

Liberty University

Man, these convocations they do at Liberty University are a lot more slick than what we had at my school.

In Another tangled web

If I have thus right, former governor Riley's daughter (who is implicated in the Mike Hubbard thing) is married to an attorney whose practice was payed millions by Riley's administration to fight casino gaming, and who also is now outed by the Ashley Madison thing. Meanwhile, Don Siegleman is still in jail.

http://legalschnauzer.blogspot.com/2015/08/ashley-madison-data-indicates-alabama.html?m=1

The Govnar's mistress on staff?

Oh my
http://legalschnauzer.blogspot.com/2015/08/alabama-gov-robert-bentley-engaged-in.html?m=1

Wyoming Man

He doesn't come out as much as Florida man, but when he does its a real eye opener-

http://smileshappen.org/wyoming-man-found-with-30-eyeballs-in-his-anal-cavity/

My Southern Heritage

I tapped this out on my phone earlier in reply to the thread here:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10026890054

I was asked to repost as a thread, and since I am never asked that I had to jump on it. I will try to edit and fix it some from my poor phone-taps.
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The whole "My great grandpappy never owned slaves and fought to protect his home from invaders" thing drives me nuts.

First of all, the Confederates started it.

Second of all, that great grandpappy was duped by aristocrats to fight their war for them. To keep them getting richer. Off the backs of slaves. Great grandpappy was used. Not to mention the conscription. That flag represents great grandpappy being sent to hell to fight for rich people. And a lot of men being killed for it. Because he was too stupid to know better. If the folks who say this had any sense they would hate that flag more than anyone. I could understand some one born rich, because they inherited the wealth built by slave labor, of feeling fond of that flag. However, the whole "my people never owned slaves" thing is pure stupidity. It is just an attempt to bolster a claim that the flag doesn't represent racism. And it is a very weak excuse.

This is the thing i want to say to those people: I had ancestors in the 1st Tennessee Infantry, that was a Union regiment, and the 2nd and 8th Kentucky Cavalry, also Union regiments. They kicked your backwards great grandpappy's ass then went to the plantation house and brought back the silver flatware that we still bring out at Thanksgiving. Your great grandpappy didn't have to fight for the confederacy, well unless he was conscripted. And he probably was. He probably wanted to run and hide in the mountains. He probably cried himself to sleep at night. He probably saw things that none of us should ever see and did things none of us should ever do. Because he was foolish enough to believe the propaganda of rich plantation owners.

So what makes your "southern heritage" more valid than mine? How dare you disparage my ancestors who fought to defend their home and nation by seeking out loyal Union regiments, and my family and ancestors that fought in two world wars, Vietnam and Korea and the civil rights movement by flying a flag of treason? You don't get to own the definition of southern.

I made this picture five years ago and I'll dust it off today:

Explore the cozy relationship between Tennessee lawmakers and a corporate interests group

Source: Chattanooga Times Free Press

Indeed, as Republicans have enlarged their majorities in the Tennessee General Assembly, ALEC has become more ingrained in the culture of the legislature and its legislation. Eighteen Tennessee lawmakers billed just over $53,000 to taxpayers to attend ALEC conferences in 2014, not counting lawmakers who traveled on ALEC "scholarships" or other means, according to expense records on the legislature's website.

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Criticism has accompanied ALEC's rise in power. Several national groups, from centrist to liberal, including the public interest group Common Cause, have attacked ALEC's blend of ideology, corporate partnership and attempts to pass legislation of its own.

"They make their decisions based on politics and contributions rather than on best practices or best solutions to problems," Tennessee state Rep. Joe Armstrong, D-Knoxville, said when he quit ALEC three years ago. "Their agenda has become very self-serving and very partisan. ... It's extremist."

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Ketron also said that Tennesseans were front and center at the ALEC conference. "We're doing things right in Tennessee and they're looking at us. From bills to anything we're doing in Tennessee, they want to follow us."

Read more: http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/local/story/2015/may/06/alec-lets-legislators-bring-model-bills-back/302615/

Something I wonder about Indiana Law

I've been wondering this.

The Indiana Law gives businesses and individuals the ability to refuse service to someone because of the business' or individual's religious views.

The Federal Civil Rights Act guarantees all people the right to "full and equal enjoyment of the goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, and accommodations of any place of public accommodation, without discrimination or segregation on the ground of race, color, religion, or national origin."

So, here's my question. What if someone follows a religion that allows for gay marriage? The Presbyterians do, the Episcopals do, the United Church of Christ does, other religions and denominations do. So, say that someone is a member of one of those denominations that does allows gay gay marriage, and someone refuses them service for a gay marriage (the wedding cake), isn't that business that refuses violating the religious beliefs of that customer (that allows for gay marriage) and violating the Civil Rights Act?

Powerful video

That was near the end of the 2013-2014 school year, so for her to announce her resignation the following year, nowhere near retirement age, is astonishing and enough to make the greater majority of people to say, “what gives?” In the speech below, she will tell you exactly what gives.

But more than that, this speech is utterly heart wrenching because it erupts in tears of another kind.

Earlier this month, Starr was merely to provide information at a Lorain County Education Forum about PARCC testing as it relates to special education students. PARCC is the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers, a coalition of states that is using the test to drive Common Core by assessing students (and teachers) to see how “up to par” they are on the new, fast-paced and nonsensical programming.

What is even more insidious, is that special needs students have been left out of the mix to fall by the wayside. By that I mean, while they are normally allowed to have helps for their disability (like having the test read aloud), they are not allowed any such thing with PARCC. Which means that PARCC is acting outside and above the law with a “survival of the fittest” standard. Starr demonstrates the irony of all the children becoming “left behind” in this new system.

Attorneys for gay Mobile couple ask federal court to sanction Mobile County probate judge

Source: Mobile Press-Register

With windows at the marriage license department in Mobile County remaining closed for more than 2½ hours Monday, attorneys for a lesbian couple asked a federal judge to hold Probate Judge Don Davis in contempt.

The lawyers, Christine Hernandez and David Kennedy, at first urged patience as Davis huddled with lawyers to figure out how to respond to conflicting court orders from U.S. District Judge Callie V.S. "Ginny" Granade and Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore.

With Davis refusing to make a decision one way or the other, the office remained closed to couples seeking marriage license but eventually opened to people wishing to record deeds and conduct other business.

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The two couples who filed lawsuits in Mobile - Cari Searcy and Kim McKeand, and James Strawser and John Humphrey - were at Mobile Probate Court early Monday. It was Granade's ruling in those two cases last month that paved the way for Alabama to become the 37th state where gay marriage is legal.

Read more: http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2015/02/attorneys_for_gay_mobile_coupl.html