Obama acts quickly, lays out his abortion and gay agenda
TAKEN DIRECTLY FROM THE WHITE HOUSE HOME PAGE
One of first moves pushes social issues to the top
Supporting Stem Cell Research:
President Obama and Vice President Biden believe that we owe it to the American public to explore the potential of stem cells to treat the millions of people suffering from debilitating and life-threatening diseases. Obama is a co-sponsor of the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2007, which will allow research of human embryonic stem cells derived from embryos donated (with consent) from in vitro fertilization clinics. These embryos must be deemed in excess and created based solely for the purpose of fertility treatment.
Reproductive Choice (Abortion)
Supports a Woman's Right to Choose: President Obama understands that abortion is a divisive issue, and respects those who disagree with him. However, he has been a consistent champion of reproductive choice and will make preserving women's rights under Roe v. Wade a priority in his Adminstration. He opposes any constitutional amendment to overturn the Supreme Court's decision in that case.
Preventing Unintended Pregnancy: President Obama was an original co-sponsor of legislation to expand access to contraception, health information, and preventive services to help reduce unintended pregnancies. Introduced in January 2007, the Prevention First Act will increase funding for family planning and comprehensive sex education that teaches both abstinence and safe sex methods. The Act will also end insurance discrimination against contraception, improve awareness about emergency contraception, and provide compassionate assistance to rape victims.
Support for the (Homosexual Community)
"While we have come a long way since the Stonewall riots in 1969, we still have a lot of work to do. Too often, the issue of LGBT rights is exploited by those seeking to divide us. But at its core, this issue is about who we are as Americans. It's about whether this nation is going to live up to its founding promise of equality by treating all its citizens with dignity and respect."
-- Barack Obama, June 1, 2007
Expand Hate Crimes Statutes: In 2004, crimes against LGBT Americans constituted the third-highest category of hate crime reported and made up more than 15 percent of such crimes. President Obama cosponsored legislation that would expand federal jurisdiction to include violent hate crimes perpetrated because of race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, or physical disability. As a state senator, President Obama passed tough legislation that made hate crimes and conspiracy to commit them against the law.
Fight Workplace Discrimination: President Obama supports the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, and believes that our anti-discrimination employment laws should be expanded to include sexual orientation and gender identity. While an increasing number of employers have extended benefits to their employees' domestic partners, discrimination based on sexual orientation in the workplace occurs with no federal legal remedy. The President also sponsored legislation in the Illinois State Senate that would ban employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.
Support Full Civil Unions and Federal Rights for LGBT Couples: President Obama supports full civil unions that give same-sex couples legal rights and privileges equal to those of married couples. Obama also believes we need to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act and enact legislation that would ensure that the 1,100+ federal legal rights and benefits currently provided on the basis of marital status are extended to same-sex couples in civil unions and other legally-recognized unions. These rights and benefits include the right to assist a loved one in times of emergency, the right to equal health insurance and other employment benefits, and property rights.
Oppose a Constitutional Ban on Same-Sex Marriage: President Obama voted against the Federal Marriage Amendment in 2006 which would have defined marriage as between a man and a woman and prevented judicial extension of marriage-like rights to same-sex or other unmarried couples.
Repeal Don't Ask-Don't Tell: President Obama agrees with former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff John Shalikashvili and other military experts that we need to repeal the "don't ask, don't tell" policy. The key test for military service should be patriotism, a sense of duty, and a willingness to serve. Discrimination should be prohibited. The U.S. government has spent millions of dollars replacing troops kicked out of the military because of their sexual orientation. Additionally, more than 300 language experts have been fired under this policy, including more than 50 who are fluent in Arabic. The President will work with military leaders to repeal the current policy and ensure it helps accomplish our national defense goals.
Expand Adoption Rights: President Obama believes that we must ensure adoption rights for all couples and individuals, regardless of their sexual orientation. He thinks that a child will benefit from a healthy and loving home, whether the parents are gay or not.
Promote AIDS Prevention: In the first year of his presidency, President Obama will develop and begin to implement a comprehensive national HIV/AIDS strategy that includes all federal agencies. The strategy will be designed to reduce HIV infections, increase access to care and reduce HIV-related health disparities. The President will support common sense approaches including age-appropriate sex education that includes information about contraception, combating infection within our prison population through education and contraception, and distributing contraceptives through our public health system. The President also supports lifting the federal ban on needle exchange, which could dramatically reduce rates of infection among drug users. President Obama has also been willing to confront the stigma -- too often tied to homophobia -- that continues to surround HIV/AIDS.
Empower Women to Prevent HIV/AIDS: In the United States, the percentage of women diagnosed with AIDS has quadrupled over the last 20 years. Today, women account for more than one quarter of all new HIV/AIDS diagnoses. President Obama introduced the Microbicide Development Act, which will accelerate the development of products that empower women in the battle against AIDS. Microbicides are a class of products currently under development that women apply topically to prevent transmission of HIV and other infections.
.American Family Association – Tupelo, MS 38803
www.afa.net
"God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and have eternal life."--the Bible
4 comments:
Found on another blog, not sure the author:
Why do republicans hate America? Starting with Reagan, why have they been intent on bankrupting and destroying the United States? Many of my fellow citizens have fallen for their false credo that government is the problem not the solution. .. To that I say baloney. A fully functioning and financially stable government is necessary for the benefit of society. A financially stable government would be able to ensure adequately inspected food products, lead free children’s toys and adequate responses to natural disasters.
What the republicans are adept at is cutting taxes to the point where the federal government is unable to provide services to the level of third world countries. Why do republicans hate Americans? According to republicans the working poor don’t deserve healthcare. According to republicans the rebuilding of Iraq’s infrastructure is more important than fixing America’s infrastructure. As a matter of fact, McCain would term infrastructure repair as unnecessary pork. Why do republicans care more about Iraq than the United States of America? They really aren’t very patriotic. Are they trying to destroy America?
Under the republicans many important industries have been deregulated - banking, energy, insurance, to name a few. Look how well that turned out, Brownie! In Banking we are experiencing predatory lending, outrageous interest rates (sans usury laws) and fees. Deregulation wasn’t enough, the republicans had to stack the deck against the consumer even more by changing the bankruptcy laws to the detriment of the average American – even though the majority of bankruptcies are the result of catastrophic illness and being saddled with outrageous medical bills. Why do republicans hate consumers? When utilities were closely regulated speculators had a stable stock to invest in. You weren’t going to make a killing but a stable return on your investment. Utilities were only allowed to make a certain percentage on what they spent. It paid to upgrade your infrastructure because the more you spent the more you made. Now Electric utilities neglect preventive maintenance, trimming trees away from electrical lines and have put off upgrading infrastructure for decades. Why do republicans want to drag our infrastructure to third world status? Insurance – Do I need to say more? Why do republicans hate 40 to 50 million uninsured Americans?
Wake up America – Republicans are uncaring, unpatriotic and marching down the path of destroying the United States.
We already have healthcare for the working poor chidren--to such an extent that it is more profitable to not get a better job than to lose that health coverage. I understand that people making 80,000 can qualify for the gov't.s children's health insurance --and so they don't buy it themselves as they should.
And of course, we've had healthcare rightly for the needy, the disabled, the elderly, along with their S.s. --and we are broke.
What's this unknown author been smokin', Steve??? EVERY time we reduce taxes, the gov't takes in more money. JFK did it. When we raise taxes, growth is stifled and people neither hire nor spend. I heard a news person yesterday refer to an economic boom in 03 or 04? after the tax cuts --after the Clinton recession (when many investors lost fortunes in his last year of his 2nd term)
But we had Katrina in there somewhere and many natural disasters, fires, floods, tornados, hurricanes --disaster relief over and over --and we generously are saving Africans from HIV with meds and helped with Tsunami relief --and yes, war on terror was expensive --but the pie chart i saw says the social programs are the biggest budget item that is expanding with the disabled early retirees (who have smoked and eaten their way into disability) Baby Boomers, illegal immigrants, et al.
and then what, a 3 trillion dollar bail-out of corporations that gave most of their support to the democrats? and the needy corporations went right on spending --just like Barney Franks, Obama, and the others who benefitted from Fannie and Freddie. and other institutions making bad loans under pressure from Democratic congress.
Congress votes themselves a raise; AIG or was it ING tries to buy a 50,million dollar jet from France after getting bailed out.
And the Big 3 fly their private jets to D.C. to ask for money.
There had better be some belt-tightening by all. We hear today about the bonuses of 18 billion on Wall Street.
And then we hear that Unions don't want to make any concessions --American union members operate like thugs when they are pro-union.
the problem of corporate and other kinds of greed in USA is top to bottom --and I think the top of corp. america is less GoP than you think --judging by their company social policies and their donations to the Democrats.
We also have way too many people living above their means and they have helped to break the banks with credit spending, defaulting on ed. loans, etc.
I do indeed believe it's our social policies on abortion and homosexual conduct and anti-Christian sentiment, our uni's undermining the faith of our kids --all of this has brought us to this sorry place economically. God's hand of blessing may have been lifted off this great missionary nation which is now exporting abortion and porn --forgetting to be the shining city on the hill shining the light of Christ and truth and goodness.
Seriously you cannot believe the following:
'I do indeed believe it's our social policies on abortion and homosexual conduct and anti-Christian sentiment, our uni's undermining the faith of our kids --all of this has brought us to this sorry place economically. '
Anti-Christian? I am a Christian and I'm sorry but this lament is justbearing false witness. There is no anti-Christian aspect to this nation as it is 75% Christian. You can't even get in office in many places if you announce your an atheist. Virtually all of our elected officials claim Christianity.
My Christian brothers do not do our religion proud with this incorrect diatribe. What is happening is that in a pluralistic society we have lost some privelege WE thought where exclusively ours but in reality aren't.
Being gay or pro abortionhad nothing to do with the economic crisis as those issues will be there when the economy returns to full strength in a year or so.
Why anonymous, Anonymous?
Own your opinions with a blog name. Be known for them on line. Do we know each other personally? Is that why you want to be anonymous?
You may be right --that our sins have nothing to do with a bad economy as a judgment from God. And I hope you are right about the economy rallying in a year or so. But you may be wrong. God CAN bring nations, filled with people who know about HIm, to their knees through hardship. Very often, people live and act as practical atheists (as though God did not exist) until they have troubles. Remember the surge in church attendance after 9/11.
In our darkest hours, we HOPE there is a God who cares and many turn to Him then. The Bible says often that we need to repent --and that God favors the contrite heart. We believe He deals with the Church and with individuals today --that the Church is His kingdom which needs to also beware of sin and repent. But does He still deal with NATIONS and favor those which are filled with believers, led by believers?
To call the country 75 per cent Christian is to miss the definition of Christian, I suspect. There are nominal Christians, Christian in name only, and then there are Bible-believers/followers of Christ who try to live as Christ taught.
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