The other anti-vax crowd

Posted on June 11, 2011 by Michael

By now we should all be familiar with the traditional anti-vax crowd. After all, they’ve been responsible for a number of deaths. But there is a secondary anti-vax crowd. These are the people who don’t object to vaccines based upon their unscientific views but instead because of their religion and conservatism:

Bypassing the Legislature altogether, Republican Gov. Rick Perry issued an order Friday making Texas the first state to require that schoolgirls get vaccinated against the sexually transmitted virus that causes cervical cancer.

By employing an executive order, Perry sidestepped opposition in the Legislature from conservatives and parents’ rights groups who fear such a requirement would condone premarital sex and interfere with the way Texans raise their children.

Emphasis mine.

Of course the usual suspects are out in force opposing Perry’s (rare) good decision, but the religious right is just as present. The concern is an illegitimate one: they believe their kids will start boning up a storm now that they don’t have those pesky cancer concerns, to put it gracefully. But as we know from failed abstinence-only programs and other pro-ignorant policies, keeping kids away from education and various safety methods only causes harm. Besides, does anyone think cervical cancer is really a big concern for kids who want to have sex? And even if it is, do we want to put them at risk? Think about it. These conservatives want to keep their kids from getting this vaccine because they think the threat of cancer is better than the idea that their kids might lose their virginity. Put in that light, these people are monstrous.

I’ve long been of the position that the general public absolutely does not appreciate the danger of cancer. I don’t know if it’s the “It won’t happen to me” mentality or if it’s general ignorance or if it’s something else, but there really is no appreciation. While Gov. Perry probably made his decision based upon lobbying efforts and campaign donations, we do ultimately have a decision that can be appreciated and lauded by the scientific community. This is good for Texas and its young girls, and I’m glad to see it happen.

Filed under: News | Tagged: , , , | 1 Comment »

Officer fired after helping wounded officers

Posted on June 7, 2011 by Michael

David Sedmak, a Rice University police officer (not a mere rent-a-cop) was fired after he assisted two officers who had been shot:

The May 7 episode that led to Sedmak’s controversial dismissal began when Jesse Brown, 20, was seen with a pistol as he tried to buy a ticket at the Greyhound bus station in downtown Houston. When HPD officer Fernando Meza, working an off-duty job at the station, confronted Brown about the weapon, Brown shot him in the hand. Soon after, Brown shot another officer, Timothy Moore, in the leg.

Sedmak said he arrived on the scene and prepared for a confrontation with the armed suspect. Several HPD officers came in after him and took cover behind his patrol car. Brown, who had been accused of shooting a 3-year-old girl, her grandfather and another man on Halloween in San Francisco, then shot and killed himself as Sedmak and the other cops closed in.

So why was he fired? For only the dumbest of reasons, of course:

“Sedmak left his post when only two other officers were on duty and failed to notify his supervisor of his whereabouts for nearly an hour, which could have endangered the safety of our students and campus,” according to the university.

I’m all for holding the police accountable, but this is ridiculous. The guy has been a police officer for 17 years and he was assisting two other officers who were in an obviously serious situation. Yes, he should have said where he was, but let’s get real. His history, his actions, and the situation do not dictate a dismissal.

The Houston Police Officer’s Union has seen fit to give Sedmak a check for $2,500 while he looks for work. I can only hope that he gets hired once again as a police officer – just somewhere more responsible and intelligent.

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This is why you’re single

Posted on June 6, 2011 by Michael

Greg Fultz is an overweight, unattractive, greasy-haired middle-aged man with bad taste in clothing. One would think those things would be cause enough to keep a man single for more years than not. Yet despite these obvious shortcomings, Fultz managed to date someone. He even managed to have sex with her. For the sake of the poor girl, one can only hope Fultz’s full-body hygiene was not reflected in his hair.

But then Fultz had to go ahead and do something monumentally stupid. After getting his girlfriend pregnant, he took out a $13,000 billboard ad ranting against her:

Fultz said the billboard was inspired by a real-life experience.

The so-called father’s perspective on abortion was even endorsed by New Mexico Right To Life.

“I wanted to get out this message. I felt it was important and powerful enough to maybe sway one person’s mind from having an abortion,” Fultz said.

New Mexico Right To Life said this was the first time it ever agreed to endorse a billboard, and it will be the last.

“We contacted Greg and asked to have our endorsement removed from the billboard,” Betty Eichenseer, New Mexico Right To Life, said.

Eichenseer said one of the reasons the group wanted to pull the endorsement is because Fultz’s girlfriend might not have had an abortion. Fultz admits that he has no idea how his baby was lost but said the message on his billboard stands.

According to various reports, it looks like the girl had a miscarriage. Not that that is especially relevant. It just makes Fultz look all the more like the stupid ass he obviously is.

I’m not the sort of person to take the wild stance that a pregnant woman shouldn’t consider discussing her decision with the man who got her pregnant. I think it’s entirely reasonable, especially if the couple plans to remain together. That isn’t to say the man’s input is equal to the woman’s. It’s her body. But if she’s going to make a decision that affects another person, it isn’t some crazy thing to say it’s fair to consider that other person. It would be as if a man in a relationship decided to get a vasectomy. Sure, he can do that if he wants. He can even be secretive about it and never mention it to his girlfriend or wife. But that doesn’t mean he should.

But all this qualification obviously isn’t important to a piece of shit like Fultz. The guy believes his position is more important than hers. He’s a selfish, stupid ‘man’ who doesn’t have an appropriate perspective. Even if he had his facts straight and his ex-girlfriend did have an abortion, it is her right to destroy what constitutes a set of cells with potential. After all, that’s exactly what Fultz is doing every night now that he’s rightfully all alone.

Filed under: News | Tagged: , , , , , | 1 Comment »

US warns Tanzania over impact of Serengeti road

Posted on June 4, 2011 by Michael

Continuing the conversation on the proposed road through the Serengeti, the US has cautioned Tanzania over its plan:

The Obama administration said Wednesday it has raised concerns with Tanzania’s government about the impact of its plan to build a road through the Serengeti wildlife reserve, which environmentalists say could affect the famed wildebeest migration and threaten endangered species.

The top U.S. diplomat for Africa, Johnnie Carson, said he brought the matter up in meetings with top Tanzanian officials in late April and that Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton could revisit the topic when she visits the country this month. Clinton is expected in Tanzania next week as part of a three-nation African tour focused on trade and development that will also include Zambia and Ethiopia.

“We are fully aware of the concerns that have been raised in this country and in other countries about the environmental impact that the trans-Serengeti road will have on the very large, spectacular and almost unique migration of animals from the Serengeti up to the game parks in Kenya,” said Carson, the assistant secretary of state for African affairs.

I’ve never been one to disagree with Johnnie Carson.

When I first heard about this highway, I was under the impression that it would be a paved road through the Serengeti. It turns out it will be dirt, but that is only a small relief. The road still appears unnecessary. For instance, they say it it to connect the west of the country with the economic activity of the Kilimanjaro region, but take a look at this map. It’s actually a relatively small area that will be connected – an area that largely depends upon the fishing on Lake Victoria anyway.

Of course, I’m not expert in the economic layout of Tanzania. But I do know that nothing is worth losing the Serengeti.

Update: A study published in February shows the huge impact this road can have.

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Jack Kevorkian is dead

Posted on June 3, 2011 by Michael

It’s the end of a tremendously ethical man:

Jack Kevorkian built his suicide machine using parts gathered from flea markets and stashed it in a rusty Volkswagen van.

But it was Kevorkian’s audacious attitude that set him apart in the debate over whether gravely ill people could seek help ending their lives. The retired pathologist who said he oversaw the deaths of 130 people burned state orders against him, showed up at court in costume and dared authorities to stop him or make his actions legal. He didn’t give up until he was sent to prison.

Kevorkian, who died Friday at a Michigan hospital at 83, insisted suicide with the help of a medical professional was a civil right.

The justifications for assisted suicide hold up – and they’re consistent. The justification for harvesting the organs of the brain dead, or for allowing those in comas to die with dignity, or even for administering morphine, is fundamentally the same across the board. It is not quantity of life that matters, but rather quality. Kevorkian recognized that where so many were so stubbornly blind and ignorant. He will be missed.

“You’ll hear people say, `Well, [physician assisted suicide] in the news again, it’s time for discussing this further.’ No, it isn’t. It’s been discussed to death,” he told The Associated Press. “There’s nothing new to say about it. It’s a legitimate, ethical medical practice as it was in ancient Rome and Greece.”

Filed under: News, Philosophy, Politics and Social | Tagged: | 15 Comments »

Trees: first they pollute and now they warm

Posted on May 31, 2011 by Michael

We all know trees are major sources of pollution because Ronald Reagan intelligently said so back in the 80’s when he probably had early stage Alzheimer’s Disease:

Trees cause more pollution than automobiles do.

True story.

But it’s worse than we ever imagined. It’s those damn trees that have been causing all this global warming:

Looking for a solution to global warming? Maybe start clear-cutting many of the world’s forests, Rep. Dana Rohrabacher says…

“Is there some thought being given to subsidizing the clearing of rainforests in order for some countries to eliminate that production of greenhouse gases?” the California Republican asked Todd Stern, the top U.S. climate diplomat and lead witness at the hearing. “Or would people be supportive of cutting down older trees in order to plant younger trees as a means to prevent this disaster from happening?”

I have a feeling that if scientists started throwing this out there as the solution to global warming, Republicans suddenly wouldn’t have a single bit of opposition to the facts. Those crazy science lovers.

Filed under: Humor, News | Tagged: , , | 19 Comments »

The tyranny of the majority

Posted on May 23, 2011 by Michael

No surprise here:

The Republican-led Minnesota legislature approved late Saturday putting a state constitutional amendment banning gay marriage to voters in November 2012.

The Minnesota House of Representatives voted 70 to 62 after about five hours of discussion, cementing the amendment’s place on the ballot for 2012. The Senate approved the proposed amendment earlier in May largely along party lines.

Minnesota law already bans gay marriage, but amendment sponsors argued that a constitutional amendment would ensure legislators or a small group of judges could not change that.

In other words, go to hell gays and go to hell civil rights, the majority is afraid of what they don’t understand. Of course, this is the state of Michele Bachmann, so maybe these people actually think the founding fathers thought majorities ought to be able to oppress minorities.

Filed under: News, Religions, Same-sex marriage | Tagged: , | 37 Comments »

Bastrop High School: Fuck you, atheists!

Posted on May 22, 2011 by Michael

Bastrop High School is the school at the center of the Damon Fowler controversy. I say the school – not Damon – is at the center because Damon is the atheist who understands the constitution. His views are the ones to which so many Christians pay lip service all the time. In reality, nothing he has said has been novel. He just doesn’t want to hear government-endorsed prayer at his graduation. The school, however, refuses to recognize that the U.S. is secular, that the Supreme Court has banned them from conducting prayers, and that there are – gasp! – people who are not Christian. This is the result:

This is nothing more than a big “fuck you” to Damon and every other atheist. A woman even (ironically) yells “First Amendment rights!” during the unconstitutional prayer. One need not wonder what a person of such stupidity would think if the prayer was Islamic.

Update: This sums things up nicely:

Filed under: Atheism/Humanism, News | Tagged: , , | 18 Comments »

The march of progress

Posted on May 21, 2011 by Michael

Increased civil liberties are on the horizon:

Fifty-three percent of Americans support making gay marriage legal, a Gallup poll showed on Friday, a marked reversal from just a year ago when an equal majority opposed same-sex matrimony.

The latest Gallup findings are in line with two earlier national polls this spring that show support for legally recognized gay marriage has, in recent months, gained a newfound majority among Americans.

It’s hard to say exactly what it is that is causing this shift. I suspect it’s actually a number of factors. For instance, the five states that have given basic civil rights to gays have not fallen into ruin, so people might be recognizing that the fear mongering of conservative bigots was just a bunch of lies. It could also be that more and more people are coming out the closet. As Harvey Milk said, if people realize that they know gays and gay couples, they’re less likely to hate. Or it could be that people are actually recognizing the principles they claim to hold, thus applying them consistently. After all, “I won’t give my approval!” is a rather dishonest argument.

Of course, there is one thing that can’t be missed:

In a sign of a generation gap, Gallup found 70 percent of respondents between the ages of 18 and 34 support gay marriage, compared to only 39 percent among those 55 and older.

The irrelevant generations do tend to hold back progress, but it really is so often that the energy and improved perspective of younger generations that brings about important, needed, and principled change.

Filed under: News, Rights, Same-sex marriage | Tagged: , , , , | 9 Comments »

Damon Fowler

Posted on May 21, 2011 by Michael

Damon Fowler is a graduating senior in Louisiana. He is also an atheist and he didn’t like his school’s plan to include prayer at the graduation ceremonies. He contacted administrators and let them know their plan was illegal and he would involve the ACLU if necessary. Surprisingly, the school backed down right away. However, unsurprisingly, it still allowed prayer to go on during certain school-sponsored ceremonies anyway.

Damon has now become an outcast at his school, even receiving wildly inappropriate criticism from teachers. (One teacher, Mitzi Quinn, said Damon had contributed nothing to his classmates.) This isn’t that shocking coming from the South.

But there is good news. Various pro-First Amendment and atheist sites have picked up the story. One result has been a $1,000 college scholarship from The Freedom From Religion Foundation for Damon. At another site, Friendly Atheist by Hemant Mehta, even more money has been donated:

I’ve been gone most of the day, but when I looked tonight, I saw you that 244 of you had chipped in over $5,500…

I’m amazed at how much support you’re all giving him. I’m so proud to be part of this community.

I’m glad to see yet another atheist fighting for basic principles (ones to which so many Christians pay lip service and nothing more), while also being given the gift of a substantially reduced college bill. Now if only those in charge of Damon’s school could become half as educated as he already is, then no one would have to make blog posts like this.

Filed under: Atheism/Humanism, News | Tagged: , , , , , | 5 Comments »

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