Monday, December 31, 2012

Judge allows Planned Parenthood Texas Funding Ban Starting Tomorrow Jan. 1st, 2013

Earlier this year, a Federal Judge upheld a law passed by the Texas Legislature to ban taxpayer funding of Planned Parenthood abortion clinics. Texas decided that there were plenty of other women's health clinics that could be funded to provide women's services without having to give money to baby killing Planned Parenthood.

Planned Parenthood did not stop when they got rejected at Federal court, so they tried to get a State Judge to order an injunction against the Planned Parenthood ban.

Looks like Planned Parenthood has lost again because the State Judge in the case has upheld the ban and will allow it to go into effect Jan 1st, 2013.

from KFDM Channel 6 News:

Judge allows ban on funds to Planned Parenthood

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - A Texas judge has ruled that the state may cut off funding to Planned Parenthood's family planning programs for poor women.

The attorney general's spokeswoman, Lauren Bean, said Judge Gary Harger has ruled that Texas may exclude otherwise qualified doctors and clinics from receiving state funding just because they advocate for abortion rights. The state has long banned the use of state funds for abortion.

Saturday, December 29, 2012

Texas Democrat Loses Election then Sues to be Declared Winner - Election Theft in Jefferson County (Beaumont, Port Arthur) Thomas Sigee vs. J Shane Howard

Jefferson County in southeast Texas (Beaumont, Port Arthur) is a very corrupt part of Texas. Democrats have had a stranglehold on the county. Just last week I posted up an article about how Eric Holder's DOJ is trying to block a vote of the residents of Beaumont ISD because the DOJ says more white people voted than black people. 
J. Shane Howard was the first Republican county-wide elected official in Jefferson County in over a century. Howard was elected as the Tax Assessor Collector for Jefferson County.
This put a target on his back. Democrats are losing ground all across Texas. Counties that used to be Democrat strongholds are flipping over to the Republican side faster that Democrats could have ever imagined. Old Conservative Democrat Texans have woken up to the realization that the Democrat Party has become very liberal and are jumping ship to switch over to the Republican Party.
Jefferson County is a county that the Democrats do not want to lose. The put up Thomas Sigee to run against Shane Howard. They tried hard to beat Shane Howard in the November 2012 election but they came short. Even after a recount, Sigee still lost. Sigee feels as though he should have won the election and has filed a lawsuit asking a judge to declare him the winner over Howard. Sigee claims that the election was basically rigged for Howard. This is such a silly argument because the county is run by HIS DEMOCRAT PARTY. The County Clerk who runs the elections is a Democrat and the recount committee was 50% Democrats.
Billy Oliver, the Chairman of the Jefferson County Republican Party, has released the following statement detailing how Sigee and the Democratic Party are trying to steal this election from Republican Shane Howard.

Press Release from Billy Oliver, Chairman of the Jefferson County Republican Party in Texas Regarding Sigee/Howard Election Lawsuit:
Anatomy of an Election Theft
A frivolous lawsuit was recently filed in secrecy by Thomas Sigee seeking to overturn the election which was won by Jefferson County Tax Assessor-Collector J. Shane Howard. Sigee asks the Court to award him the election or order a new election at taxpayer expense. The petition uses a "shotgun" approach to irresponsibly and inaccurately claim that certain provisional votes should be counted and also that some voters should be disenfranchised in a hope of adding votes to Sigee and subtracting votes from Howard.
Sigee asserts that the County Clerk (a member of his own party) and the Early Voting Ballot Board (half of which were members of his own party and some of his closest political allies) were incompetent or dishonest in the conduct of their professional duties. This is part of a long-standing pattern with Sigee's obsession for political office and a wanton tendency to blame others for his own inability to garner sufficient votes or comply with the intent or form of the Texas Election Code.
Yet, other than his own willingness to participate in this travesty, Sigee is not even the driving force of this bald effort to create chaos, uncertainty, and confusion where none exists. Instead, it is an effort by entrenched, big-money special interests to gain power at any cost, send a message to Democratic voters who dared to vote for a Republican, and to signal to potential party-switchers and future candidates that their efforts are futile. Indeed, this effort is funded by these interests to remove Howard from public office more than it is an effort to support Sigee, a candidate who could garner no more than 10% of the vote from actual individual votes. This lawsuit is unprecedented at this level and will cost 5-6 times more than Sigee raised for his campaign and he will not be responsible for paying for his attorney out of Austin. $50,000 for a big-name attorney out of Austin. Why? What is there to gain? What is there to lose? Who is paying for this?

Background

On November 6, 2012, J. Shane Howard won reelection as the Jefferson County Tax Assessor-Collector by a margin of 23 votes. On November 14 the election was certified after the counting of about 596 provisional and military ballots and

Thursday, December 27, 2012

Texas Democrat Wants Photo ID for SHOPPING but not VOTING

the following article is from Empower Texans:


One Texas Democrat wants the state to force people to show a photo ID this session. No, it’s not to prove who you are at the voting booth – it’s to prove who you are in the grocery store checkout lane.
That’s right, HB 244 by Democrat State Rep. José Menéndez, would require you to provide a photo ID any time you use a credit card in a face-to-face transaction.
So whether you’re buying groceries, paying at a restaurant, or even shopping at the mall, you can be ready to break out that government-issued photo ID if this bill were to pass.
Grocery Store Checkout
If Rep. José Menéndez got his way, you’d be required to prove your identity to spend your own money, but not if you’re spending someone else’s money.

But if you stop by the polling place on your way home, don’t worry. Democrats are fighting tooth and nail to make sure you are not inconvenienced in any way, shape or form by a requirement to provide a photo ID.Providing an ID any time you make a credit card purchase face-to-face? That’s to prevent identity fraud. But show one when asking for a ballot? Discrimination! Or something like that…
Notice though that a requirement to show Photo ID for the use of an EBT/Lone Star Card is conspicuously absent from the bill – despite it being illegal for someone to use another person’s card.
In other words, if Rep. Menéndez got his way, you’d be required to prove your identity to spend your own money, but not if you’re spending someone else’s money. And showing an ID once or twice a year at a polling place is too much to ask?
Thankfully this bill will almost certainly go nowhere in the legislative process this session, but it’s a great example of how misplaced the priorities are of those on the left.

Texas Law PROHIBITS Exposing Names and Addresses of Concealed Handgun License Owners

What happened in New York would not be allowed to happen in Texas. A New York newspaper listed the names and addresses of gun owners on an online interactive map. In response, a blogger posted the names and addresses of this newspaper's staff.

In Texas, it is against the law for someone to expose the names and addresses of people with a concealed handgun license.


Young Conservatives of Texas 83rd Session Legislative Agenda and Priorities

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 18, 2012
Contact: Jeramy Kitchen, Senior Vice Chairman
Mobile: (281) 615-6292
Email: jeramy.kitchen@gmail.com
AUSTIN, TX — Young Conservatives of Texas (YCT), an independent, non-partisan, conservative grassroots organization, today announced its 83rd Session Legislative Priorities.
“We are extremely excited to share with new and returning legislators our organization’s new priorities for the 83rd session,” said YCT State Chairman Jeff Morris. “We have made considerable changes and revisions to this year’s priorities and we believe they provide for a consistently liberty-minded and fiscally-conservative pathway for state government.”
YCT plans to incorporate more of the legislative priorities in their post-session ratings than ever before, as well as rework future endorsement questionnaires to model these declared positions.
“YCT is looking to bring its legislative priorities into every facet of the organization’s legislative affairs process,” said Jeramy Kitchen, Senior Vice Chairman. “By establishing a clear set of expectations and priorities, we are better informing current legislators and future challengers who may seek our endorsement and support as to what we want to see done in Texas.”
Download Legislative Priorities
Download Legislative Agenda
Other YCT Legislative Resources
Young Conservatives of Texas is a non-partisan organization that has promoted conservatism at universities across the Lone Star State for over three decades. The State’s most active political youth organization, YCT is composed of hundreds of members and alumni who participate in the full spectrum of politics. YCT issues the most respected ratings of the Texas legislature and is the only conservative group to have done so without interruption over the past 19 legislative sessions. For more information about YCT, please visit www.YCT.org.
###
PDF Version of Press Release

Monday, December 24, 2012

Holder's DOJ Blocks Texas ISD Election because More Whites than Blacks Voted

Eric Holder's Department of Justice Opposes a Beaumont Texas School District Election because too many white people voted, tries to block election using Voting Rights Act.

Beaumont, TX is a city where the majority of the residents are minorities. Beaumont ISD has a majority of school board members who are minorities. Minorities are WELL represented in this city and in this school district.

Recently, the residents of BISD voted to change the school board from being 7 single member districts to being 5 single member school districts with 2 at large districts. Something like this is not uncommon and it is completely within the rights of the citizens of the school district voters to decide what they want. The residents in BISD voted to make this change (keep in mind that the majority of voters in BISD are non-white). Something like this is good because it allows for 2 members of the school board to be elected by the entire school district. These two at large school board members can look out for the interest of the entire school district instead of having only single member districts where each member only looks out for the interest of their own district where they were elected. With an at large district you have someone who is not just looking out for one single member district and will be held accountable by the entire school district. This is kind of like how the Representatives in the Texas House do not just pass laws themselves for their own districts. Laws from the Texas Legislature pass through the Governor too, and the governor is elected by all the voters in the entire state of Texas and not just from one single district.

Well, along comes Eric Holder's Department of Justice and they say no to what the voters decided. One of the most absurd reasons the DOJ gives for opposing this change is that, according to them, most black people voted against the change and most white people voted for the change, and, because too many whites voted, the black's lost the election and it would therefore be discriminatory to make the change.

It is COMPLETELY UNCONSTITUTIONAL for the DOJ to oppose this change. It is racism to overturn a vote based on the race you align with not winning the legal, non-discriminating election. Can you imagine the uproar if an election was overturned because someone didn't like that too many black people voted? That would be racism right? There is a double standard when it comes to racism in America. I vote based on values regardless of whether or not the person I am voting on is white or black and I wish Eric Holder's DOJ would stop being racist and using color of skin as a factor in everything he does. Oh, and keep in mind that the majority of voters in BISD are minorities so a good chunk of them had to vote for the proposition for it to pass, and also remember that people's votes are secret and there is no way to know who voted for what and what the race of the voter is. I guess Eric Holder does not care about the black people who voted FOR the proposition. They must not be black enough, or cornball brothers, or Uncle Toms so they do not count as part of the black vote even though they are black.

The BISD School Board (mostly black) will likely not oppose Eric Holder's non-binding OPINION even though the board is obligated to stand for the vote of the people, and it would be breaking Texas State Law if they do not implement the 5-2 plan (Section 11.502 of the Tex. Education Code). Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott might have to step into this mess to straighten things out. Who knows, some of the board members could even be arrested and charged if they do not follow Texas Law and implement the plan approved by the voters of BISD.

This situation with the DOJ and BISD is just another example of why Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act is wrong, unconstitutional, and will likely get struck down very soon by the United States Supreme Court. The Voting Rights Act is facing challenges from several different states, including Texas who is challenging the Voting Rights Act over Eric Holder's DOJ rejection of the Texas Redistricting Maps.

BISD is known for being corrupt. The school district even recently voted to keep an electrical contractor on the payroll even though the contractor (Calvin Walker's Electrical Company) stole millions from the school district and was just convicted of tax fraud. In 2011, the Texas Legislature passed a law to prohibit school districts from using tax dollars to build a hotel. This law was specifically passed to prevent BISD from building a hotel that the school was looking into constructing with tax dollars. The former BISD Superintendent, Butch Carroll Thomas, was even the highest paid superintendent in Texas (annual base pay well over $350,000) even though BISD is only a medium sized school district compared to massive school districts like Houston ISD. Heck, the President of the United States only makes $400,000 (not including the millions of dollars the President spends in tax dollars every time he wants to fly somewhere to go golfing).

Voter ID Fraud: Where Do We Go From Here? by Susan Fletcher

The following article is from Texas GOP Vote by Susan Fletcher:

Throughout 2012, whenever I was asked if we would win in November, my answer was consistently, “We will win if we can overcome voter fraud.” I just could not comprehend that the American people would willingly allow the current administration to continue in dismantling our Republic, piece by piece. But I was wrong, at least partially. While voter fraud was certainly a problem, tragically, voter apathy was something that I never saw coming.
We have all seen plenty of articles pointing to why Governor Romney lost the election, and it’s important to learn from our tactical mistakes. However, it’s also important to focus on the electoral process itself to ensure fair elections. Additionally, while I blatantly disagreed with the premise of having observers from the United Nations at US polling locations, it’s intriguing they reported they “were shocked to see that the requirement of a photo ID isn’t standard at voting locations throughout the country.”
Here are just a few thoughts of what needs to be addressed regarding our current electoral process:
  • Government-Issued Voter Photo ID. While needed, it is one finger on the hand of fair elections and it’s only as secure as the integrity of the election clerk checking the ID’s. In fact, you could have a photo of Donald Duck on your license – and if the clerk is corrupt, they’d say, “Yep, that’s you, go ahead and vote.” 
  • Validation of U.S. Citizenship should be a key component in the Voter Registration process. Consider comparing voter applications and current registered voter rolls to exemptions for jury summons which claim the recipients are not U.S. citizens. 
  • Removal of deceased voters from the rolls. (Removal of people’s household pets from the rolls would be a bonus, but let’s not get picky!) 
  • A paper trail for all of our elections. Without it, there is not an effective recount procedure. 
    • One possibility: Have voters fill out paper ballots at the polling stations and then running them through the scanner, recording them electronically. Paper ballots would be saved as part of the election record. 
    • Another possibility: Have machines that print a receipt to be collected in a ballot box at each polling site. Each receipt should have a unique number that is also recorded on the machine to help prevent entire boxes of receipts being replaced. 
    • Any system is vulnerable if there is not a paper backup of the vote. Electronic data is easily manipulated and it has been done on both sides of the aisle. This is why it is critical that we stop-gaps in place to combat voter fraud. Consider this testimony from 2004. 
  • Thumbprint ID as an additonal requirement to vote. We currently have to provide it in order to receive a Driver’s License, to cash a check, to get something notarized, etc. Third World countries use a fingerprint to vote, but for some reason, we don’t take it that seriously here. All that is required is a small peripheral device that connects to the computers at polling stations. *My code name for this effort is the Purple Finger Project and I spoke to several legislators in Austin last legislative session. However, most just wanted to get basic Voter ID passed.
    • It’s important to note that I would not advocate for a national ID based on a thumbprint only as there are too many pitfalls associated with someone assuming your ID. (Yes, it’s technically possible). 
    • Using thumbprint ID should be considered as a compliment to a government-issued photo ID.
read the rest of the article here: http://www.texasgopvote.com/issues/restore-families/where-do-we-go-here-004924

Peter Morrison: Support Rep. Simpson for Speaker of the Texas House

Summary of this week's report:

Rep. David Simpson is running for Speaker of the Texas House, in a
direct challenge to Joe Straus. Rep. Simpson is a strong, reliable
conservative. If he becomes Speaker of the House, we'll have
one of our own in the most powerful office in Texas who will work
to promote our conservative ideals. If Joe Straus is re-elected,
we'll face two more years of RINO style business as usual and
we simply can't afford that. Conservative Texans need to
contact our state representatives today to express our strong
support for David Simpson, and urge them to vote for him in
January. Find out your representative's contact information by
going to:
http://www.house.state.tx.us/members/find-your-representative/

Full report:

The next session of the Texas Legislature begins on January 8th,
just a few weeks from now. One of the first orders of business
will be electing a Speaker of the House. Because of the authority
the Speaker has to promote or block legislation, this office is in
many ways the most powerful position in Texas government. The
current Speaker, RINO Joe Straus, has been in office for two
sessions, and he hasn't been a friend to conservatives.

On the contrary, he has worked hard to block a lot of the
conservative agenda. Straus was elected Speaker in 2009 by a
coalition of Democrats and RINOs, and he paid them back immediately
by appointing Democrats as chairmen of nearly half the committees
in the House. (There's a reason he's one of Planned
Parenthood's favorite Republicans.) In emails, some of
Straus' closest cronies have insulted Tea Party activists,
using names such as "idiots" and worse to refer to them.
Straus used his power to draw up redistricting maps that led to the
defeat of some very conservative House members. He has even gone
so far as to openly campaign for a Democrat who was running against
a staunch conservative.

Joe Straus needs to be replaced with someone who's actually on
our side. Thankfully, we've now got an excellent candidate for
Speaker, Rep. David Simpson. Rep. Bryan Hughes had been running,
but he has now dropped out and endorsed Simpson. Rep. Simpson came
up with the bill that would have made it a criminal offense for TSA
agents to perform invasive body searches without probable cause.
(Straus called it a "publicity stunt" and said passing it
would turn Texas into a "laughingstock.") Unfortunately
the bill died in the Senate after Straus ridiculed it and the feds
threatened to ban flights in or out of Texas, but Rep. Simpson
showed that he's not afraid to take a stand for liberty.

He is a true conservative across the board. David Simpson knows
that the Second Amendment isn't about hunting - it's about
being able to defend our families and our property from thugs and
tyrants. He believes life begins at conception, and should be
protected by law from then on. He knows that illegal immigration
makes a mockery of our nation's sovereignty. I can't think
of a single issue where he has come down on the wrong side, from
Obamacare to photo ID. David Simpson is exactly the kind of man we
want to see as Speaker of the House in Austin. He'll fight to
guide conservative bills through the legislative process, instead
of trying to block our legislation at every turn as Joe Straus has
done.

Giving Straus the Speaker's gavel for another House session
would be bad enough under normal circumstances, but it would be
disastrous in the current political situation. Millions of
Republicans across America are still reeling from the shock of Mitt
Romney's loss, and many of them are falling for the advice from
"experts" that if conservatives don't get behind the
push to give amnesty to millions of illegal aliens, the GOP is
doomed. The truth is exactly the opposite - giving citizenship and
voting rights to millions of illegal aliens would more likely be
the death of the Republican Party, and that's particularly true
here in Texas.

The fact that so many Republican leaders across the nation are
going soft on illegal immigration and amnesty is another important
reason why we need a Speaker who is truly conservative. It looks
like it's going to be up to us Texans to help bring the
national Republican Party back to its senses, and lead the fight
against amnesty. Frankly, if we don't win this battle, the war
might be over. We're not simply talking about which direction
the GOP should take in the next few years. The question is whether
the country our children and grandchildren inherit will be anything
like the America we grew up in. The stakes are truly that high,
and we need a leader in Austin who is on our side, and who's
able and willing to lead this fight. I can't think of anyone
more qualified than David Simpson, and I urge everyone to contact
your representative and tell them to vote for David Simpson for
Speaker of the House.

Take action:

Contact your state representative. Call or fax them to let them
know you don't want another two years of Joe Straus as Speaker.
Stress how important this vote for Speaker is for Texas and
America, and tell them to vote for David Simpson. You can find out
the contact information for your state representative by going to:
http://www.house.state.tx.us/members/find-your-representative/

The Peter Morrison Report
http://www.PeterMorrisonReport.com
http://www.facebook.com/morrisonreport

Sources:
http://www.texastribune.org/texas-house-of-representatives/speaker-of-the-house/simpson-files-speaker-texas-house/
http://www.texasconservativerepublicannews.com/2012/12/rep-simpson-files-against-texas-speaker.html
http://www.redstate.com/2012/11/04/private-emails-from-texas-speaker-joe-strauss-office-reveal-war-against-conservatives/
http://www.redstate.com/erick/2010/11/17/republican-does-not-equal-conservative-even-in-texas/

PO Box 8742, Lumberton, TX 77657, USA

Texas Teaching 'Allah is the Almighty God' - CSCOPE Cirriculum Must be Stopped

the following article is by John Griffing posted on Texas GOP Vote:


Texas Teaching 'Allah is the Almighty God'

In the 70 percent of Texas public schools where a private curriculum has been installed, students are learning the “fact” that “Allah is the Almighty God,” charge critics of a new online curriculum that already is facing condemnation for its secrecy and restrictions on oversight.
The program, called CSCOPE, is a private venture operating under the umbrella of the Texas Education Service Center Curriculum Collaborative, whose incorporation documents state its independence from the State Board of Education of the Texas Education Agency.
Other reports previously have raised alarm over the curriculum’s depiction of the Boston Tea Party as a terrorist act on par with the 9/11 attack.
According to documentation that has leaked out, the program describes the Boston Tea Party this way: “A local militia, believed to be a terrorist organization, attacked the property of private citizens today at our nation’s busiest port. Although no one was injured in the attack, a large quantity of merchandise, considered to be valuable to its owners and loathsome to the perpetrators, was destroyed. The terrorists, dressed in disguise and apparently intoxicated, were able to escape into the night with the help of local citizens who harbor these fugitives and conceal their identities from the authorities. It is believed that the terrorist attack was a response to the policies enacted by the occupying country’s government. Even stronger policies are anticipated by the local citizens.”
There also have been reports that the curriculum – contrary to recent Supreme Court rulings – says the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, the right to bear arms, is limited to state-run organizations.
“The collective right’s advocates believed that the Second Amendment did not apply to individuals; rather it recognized the right of a state to arm its militia. It recognized limited individual rights only when it was exercised by members of a functioning, organized militia while actively participating in the militia’s activities.”
Now come concerns about what critics describe as a definitively pro-Islam bias.
The critics say the studies border on proselytizing.
In one scenario, students are asked to study the tenets of Islam, and critics say the materials provided exceed impartial review of another faith, extending into requirements of conversion and moral imperatives.
A computer presentation utilized as part of a study of Islam includes information on how to convert, as well as verses denigrating other faiths.
According to excerpts, under the heading, “Who Is Allah?,” students are told:
“Allah is the Almighty God.”
“Allah alone is the Creator. He alone deserves our devout love and worship.”
Muhammad is described as having become “disillusioned with the corruption in the city and the growing gap between the urban dwellers and the Bedouins (nomadic herders).”
But there is no mention of his documented sex activities with a child or his penchant for beheading entire indigenous people groups.
CSCOPE’s geography curriculum also is being scrutinized.
A high school question on a geography test asks, “Which of the following has been a benefit of globalization?” Possible answers are as follows: a) pandemics, b) increased standard of living, c) loss of local culture, and finally, d) widespread environmental impacts.
The only “correct” answer accepted in the context of the test is “an increased standard of living.”
WND recently reported the Texas State Board of Education was hearing concerns expressed by parents.
The debate carries national significance because of the influence Texas has on textbook and curriculum publishers as the only state that adopts uniform standards.
CSCOPE advocates say that the volume of information to which students now have access outside the classroom necessitates the move away from textbooks.
“If they’re sitting in a classroom with a textbook, that’s not the world anymore,” said Anne Poplin, Education Service Center Region 9 executive director.
“We’re moving to Bring Your Own Devices. It’s a disadvantage (for children) not to have access to their devices. It’s not a textbook-driven environment. If it is, they’re behind,” Poplin said.
An estimated 70 percent of Texas schools already are involved in the program.
But one of the concerns is that state law requires textbooks to be reviewed by the board of education, and parents are allowed to have access, since CSCOPE is considered a private venture it operates independently of state or local school board oversight.
The state attorney general’s office has ruled that CSCOPE is a government organization subject to requirements of transparency, but because of loopholes in the Texas Public Information Act and Senate Bill 6, passed in 2011, CSCOPE has thus far been able to keep its content from public review. Even parents are denied access.
Kimberly Thomas, a teacher in the Lubbock school district, calls CSCOPE a “joke,” identifying a ninth-grade lesson that asks students


read the rest of the article here: http://www.texasgopvote.com/issues/reclaim-education/texas-teaching-allah-almighty-god-004938

Texas Rep. Dwayne Bohac Files Bill to Protect "Merry Christmas"

I like this bill. I am tired of so many people being forced to say happy holidays instead of Merry Christmas because they are afraid of getting sued, especially in public schools. Texas State Representative Dwayne Bohac has filed a bill that will protect people, even in public places like schools, who celebrate Christmas, an official United States holiday. Saying happy holidays instead of Merry Christmas does not even make sense anyways. What holiday are you referring to when you say happy holidays? Are you referring to Easter or Veterans Day? Oh, you are referring to Christmas when you say happy holidays? Well then why not just say Christmas? These nutty liberals and Atheists are not forced to be Christians just because they have to hear the words Merry Christmas and they should not be able to sue people just for saying Merry Christmas.

article below from Amy at Daily Dose of Conservatism:

Texas Has Had Enough of the War on Christmas

Texas State Rep. Dwayne Bohac has had enough.
“If I hear it referred to one more time as a holiday tree or a holiday party, I’m going to throw up,” he told Fox News.
So the Republican lawmaker from Houston has introduced legislation to protect traditional Christmas greetings, decorations and displays in public schools. The bill is appropriately titled, “Merry Christmas Bill.”
“I’m taking these rulings by the Supreme Court and codifying them in a state law to give teachers and administrators a safe harbor to point to when drafting their policies regarding winter celebrations,” Bohac said.
So the Republican lawmaker from Houston has introduced legislation to protect traditional Christmas greetings, decorations and displays in public schools. The bill is appropriately titled, “Merry Christmas Bill.”
“I’m taking these rulings by the Supreme Court and codifying them in a state law to give teachers and administrators a safe harbor to point to when drafting their policies regarding winter celebrations,” Bohac said.

read the rest of the article here: http://gopthedailydose.com/2012/12/22/texas-has-had-enough-of-the-war-on-christmas/

Sunday, December 23, 2012

Texas Concealed Gun Carriers Responsible for Almost NO Crime

DON"T BELIEVE FEAR ABOUT PEOPLE WITH GUNS!

All this talk about if you let people walk around with guns then they will just go crazy and feel like they can shoot people even in little arguments at the store is just plain wrong! if anything, the opposite is true. Give a gun to law abiding citizens who can pass a minimum shooting qualification and they will actually behave much better than the rest of the population.

The saw the following article posted on Push Junction and it was well work me re-posting on my website in light of the current national discussion about what will happen if you allow people to arm themselves.

Texas Concealed Gun Carryers Responsible for Almost NO Crime

Friday, December 21, 2012

study discredits hysterical arguments of anti gun activists

Jim Forsyth

  A concealed handgun toting Texans in a safe and law abiding Texan, 1200 WOAI news reports.

  Statistics compiled by Bexar County District Attorney Susan Reed reveal that Concealed Handgun License holding Texans are responsible for fewer than one quarter of one percent of the gun related crimes which have been prosecuted in Texas over the past 16 years.

 The Legislature in 2005 approved the CHL program, allowing anybody who completed a DPS background check and undergoes a safety course to carry a concealed weapon in public places.

  Since 1996, when the law took effect, there have been 852,271 convictions of Texans under the 125 gun related offenses prohibited under state law, everything from Class A felonies like murder, aggravated robbery and aggravated rape, to relatively minor offenses like carrying a weapon in a prohibited place.

  Of those convictions, only 1,972 of them were of individuals who were licensed to carry a concealed handgun at the time of the offense, or roughly .19%.

  The statistics also show that all of the arguments which were made by opponents of Concealed Carry, that 'every fender bender accident' would 'turn into Dodge City,' have also not been true, as there have been almost no reports of CHL holders pulling their guns or using their legally carried weapons to make a situation worse.

Read the rest of the article here: http://radio.woai.com/cc-common/news/sections/newsarticle.html?feed=119078&article=10655246#ixzz2FvPvYekT

Justice Scalia: If you Make Laws Against Murder, You Can Make Laws Against Homosexuality

the following article is from The Hill:

Justice Scalia defends comparing laws against homosexuality, murder

By Justin Sink - 12/11/12 09:47 AM ET
 
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia compared homosexuality and murder on Monday as he argued at a Princeton seminar that elected bodies should be allowed to regulate actions they see as immoral.

"If we cannot have moral feelings against homosexuality, can we have it against murder? Can we have it against other things?" Scalia said, according to The Associated Press.
The justice's comments are sure to draw attention with the Supreme Court set to enter the debate over gay marriage in its coming term. 
Scalia was asked about controversial comments he had made in the past that argued that the constitutionality of subjects like the death penalty, abortion or sodomy laws were all "easy" to decide by considering the Constitution as understood by its writers.
Scalia said that while he did not believe such hyperbole was "necessary," he did think it was "effective" in forwarding his argument that legislatures should be allowed to ban acts they believe to be immoral.
"It's a form of argument that I thought you would have known, which is called the 'reduction to the absurd,' " Scalia said.
Scalia said he did not equate homosexuality morally with murder, but was making a point about the state's ability to regulate them.
"I'm surprised you aren't persuaded," he deadpanned to the audience member who asked him about his views.
The Supreme Court announced last week that it will hear arguments on the Defense of Marriage Act and California's Proposition 8, which banned gay marriage in the state. The court is expected to rule whether the ban against gay marriage is constitutional, and whether the federal government should recognize gay marriage for purposes including tax filings, Social Security benefits and immigration.

see more here:
http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/272161-scalia-defends-equating-bans-on-gay-marriage-murder

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Texas School ALLOWS Teachers to have Guns - Congressman Says Armed Principal Could Have Stopped CT School Shooting

Should Teachers Pack Heat at Schools to be able to protect Kids from Mass Shootings? I say yes and I wrote this article a few days ago explaining why: Qualified School Officials Should be Allowed Concealed Handguns to Protect Kids from Mass Shootings - Texas Governor Perry Supports

Many people have responded to that article. Most people agreed that it would be a good idea, but some were afraid of the unknown. Let me calm some fears. It is NOT unknown. Some school districts already allow certain teachers to have a concealed weapon.

A small Texas School District, Harold ISD, made national headlines in 2008 when it approved concealed handguns on school campus.

Four years later, Harrold ISD has not had any issues with what they call the "Guardian Plan." Some of the teachers at Harrold ISD pack heat everyday. They have been trained and have received a concealed handgun permit. It is not announced which teachers even have the guns. No one would even know there were guns at Harrold ISD if you did not just read this article. Harrold ISD schools are just like any other school with the exception that they have the ability to stop a mass murderer from shooting and killing 20 innocent school kids like what happened in Newtown Connecticut. In situations like this, seconds count and even a fast police response can be too late.

This idea scares some people, but yet those same people would not be afraid of a police officer at a school with a handgun. Emotions need to be placed aside and rational thinking needs to happen. Think about it, police officers are people too except that they have qualified to be a police officer and have gone through handgun training. There are many teachers that I know of who are just as qualified as anyone to be a police officer and could easily take and pass handgun training. So why be afraid of a qualified teacher having a handgun at school but not be afraid of a police officer with a gun at a school. In many cases the only difference between the teacher and the officer is that the officer has been given a badge. I am not saying that to discredit any police officers. They do a great job and serve their communities, but they cannot be everywhere at once and there certainly are not enough officers to be at every school.

Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson and Texas Congressman Louie Gohmert Says Armed Principal Could Have Stopped School Shooting and Saved Kids in the Newtown Connecticut Elementary School Shooting

Rep. Gohmert is right. The Sandy Hook Elementary School principal in Newtown, Mrs. Hochsprung, bravely struggled with the shooter trying to stop him from killing the children. Unfortunately, the best way to stop bullets is with other bullets. I believe 100% that this brave principal would have take out the shooter had she been allowed a concealed handgun.

The fact of the matter is that mass shootings happen, on many occasions, at places that no guns are allowed because the shooter knows they can kill people without getting shot back. The way to prevent that is to allow qualified people to have weapons in those "gun free" zones. A mass shooter will think twice about shooting at a school if the shooter does not think he will be able to shoot many people without getting shot and killed quickly, and if the shooter does open fire he will be taken down quickly.

When is the last time you heard of a mass shooting in Israel? The teachers over there carry assault rifles out on the open!

The media might not want you to know it, but MANY mass murder attempts have been stopped by armed citizens.

The idea of qualified teachers at schools having concealed weapons is spreading quickly, especially after so many recent school shootings.

Just this week, the St. Louis Police Chief has come out in support of arming qualified teachers at schools because there are just no enough officers to be at every school.

A few years ago, Peter Morrison proposed allowing qualified teachers to have concealed weapons at Lumberton ISD in my hometown of Lumberton, TX, but his idea was shot down. I bet that Lumberton ISD is rethinking that decision right about now.

To top things off, just this week Texas State Representative Jason Villalba has announced that he will file a bill to allow teachers to have concealed handguns at schools.

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Texas Rep. Villalba to File Bill Allowing Teachers to have Concealed Guns at Schools

from the Texas Tribune:

In response to last week's Connecticut school shooting, state Rep. Jason Villalba, R-Dallas, says he will file legislation to allow public school teachers to carry concealed weapons while on campus.

The bill, which Villalba is calling the Protection of Texas Children Act, would permit Texas schools to appoint a member of their faculty as a "school marshal." The marshal, with training and certification, would be able to "use lethal force upon the occurrence of an attack in the classroom or elsewhere on campus," according to a press release from Villalba, a newly elected state representative.

“Unfortunately, law enforcement personnel cannot be everywhere at all times," Villalba said in a statement. "We need to talk very frankly about how we can protect our children if the unthinkable should occur."

Villalba's move is one of several Texas responses this week to the elementary school shooting that has rattled the nation. On Monday, Attorney General Greg Abbott said that 78 Texas school districts do not meet state-mandated safety standards to protect students. Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson and U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert have both said publicly that the events in Connecticut could have been avoided if school officials had been armed. And at an event in Tarrant County on Monday night, Gov. Rick Perry suggested that local control should rule — and school districts should decide for themselves whether to allow their employees to carry firearms.

Under current Texas law, school districts can grant written permission for employees to carry firearms on campus. Harrold ISD, a district in northwest Texas with roughly 100 students, allows teachers to carry concealed handguns under what they call a "Guardian Plan," set up in the wake of the 2007 shooting at Virginia Tech.

read the rest of the article here: http://www.texastribune.org/texas-education/public-education/rep-villalba-allow-teachers-carry-concealed-guns/

Monday, December 17, 2012

List of Mass Killings Stopped by Armed Citizens - The Media Doesn't Want you to Know About

There are thousands of incidents per year where an armed citizen with a legal concealed weapon or a weapon at home has used the weapon to successfully prevent a crime or protect themselves or others. This includes incidents where mass murders have been stopped by an armed citizen. I really do believe that most mass shootings and mass murders, even the one at the Connecticut School and the Movie Theater in Colorado, would have been stopped before so many people died if someone was carrying a weapon to be able to take out the bad guy before the police got there....


from GunWatch:

http://gunwatch.blogspot.com/2012/12/mass-killings-stopped-by-armed-citizens.html


Sunday, December 16, 2012


Mass Killings Stopped by Armed Citizens

WHY CHRISTIANS SUFFER? BY DR. BILLY GRAHAM

WHY CHRISTIANS SUFFER
                 
         By Dr. Billy Graham
       (from “The Hour of Decision” Radio Program)

“Why does God allow fear to continue to grip the hearts of men in this enlightened age?  Where is God’s power?  Why doesn’t He stop all this misery and cruelty with which our age has been cursed?  If God is good and merciful, why are men and women crushed by agonies almost beyond endurance?”  Questions like these are asked not only by atheists and enemies of religion, but also by bewildered Christians, who, staggering under the burden of anguish, cry out,  “Why must I bear this misery?  How can God lay all this suffering on me?”

The book of Job, probably the oldest book in the Bible, deals with this difficulty.  Some of you have known hardship, but I doubt if any of you have sustained losses as large as Job did when treacherous enemies captured his men and all his herds and flocks.  Perhaps you have received notice that a loved one has been killed in an accident.  Job lost seven sons and three daughters in a single day.  Others among you are stricken by sickness; perhaps you are groaning in pain.  Job suffered from a form of leprosy that made his body a mass of boils and sores.

When Job could find no human explanation for his agonies, he cried to God,  “Show me wherefore thou contendest with me” (10:2). 

This question,  “Why must the righteous suffer?” is as old as time.  There is only one place that we can find an answer, and that is in the Bible.  Yet in their blindness some men have rejected divine guidance and insist that everything in life comes from chance.  Fate, they declare, has smiled on the people who have an easy, rich, untroubled existence, and Fate has frowned on those who are beset with unnumbered difficulties.  They say that it is a matter of luck,  “since we are only creatures of accident,”  they conclude,  “why not press every drop out of pleasure while we can, and have our full fling before tomorrow comes and death with it?”

I talked to a schoolteacher in one of our cities the other day and she said that the same attitude prevails among some students.  They say,  “We are going to have to go to war anyway; and the atomic bomb is going to blow the whole world to smithereens—why not have a good time now?  Eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die.”


Page 2
Others have gone to the opposite extreme and declare that men suffer because they are weak.  “Learn to be hard, cruel, ruthless,” they urge us.  “Smash all opposition.    Away with sympathy, kindness and mercy.  Down with love.  Might makes right.  Don’t be a weakling; be a Superman.”  That was the delusion of Stalin and Hitler, and the result was immeasurable misery for hundreds of thousands.


THERE IS A DIFFERENCE

         The Bible says,  “Whom the Lord loveth, He chasteneth.”  This implies a difference in the suffering that comes to Christians and to those who have not received Christ.  You do not need to study the Scriptures long to learn why sinners meet reverses and anguish.  They are apart from God.  Their sorrow is the result of their sins.

         The Bible says,  “God is not mocked:  for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap”  (Galations 6:7).  The Bible also says,  “They have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind”  (Hosea 8:7).  Millions of persons are suffering today because of their sins, iniquities and wickedness.  They will not only suffer in this life, but they will suffer throughout eternity unless they repent and turn to Christ as Savior.

         But—why do Christians suffer?

         The Bible teaches that afflictions are God’s APPOINTMENTS for His children.  Christians are called to suffer.  God does not promise Christians an easy pathway to heaven, nor does He promise flowery beds of ease.  We will have thorns, trials, tears, temptations, tribulations and troubles.  But this is part of our calling, for we have been called to suffer and to follow the footsteps of the Man of Sorrows.  This world is not a place of bliss for the Christian, for Jesus reminded us that in this world we would have tribulation; is part of our earthly inheritance (John 1:33).

         Again, Scripture teaches that many Christians suffer so that they may fellowship with others who are in affliction.  In Romans we read,  “Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep”  (Romans 12:15).  The

Newtown massacre was 18th mass murder event in 2012: What’s going wrong, and is there hope?

Newtown massacre was 18th mass murder event in 2012: What’s going wrong, and is there hope?


from Joel C Rosenberg's blog:

I'm grateful to Fox News Channel anchor Shannon Bream for having me on the air this afternoon to talk about the moral and spiritual dimensions of the Newtown massacre. These are not topics that have been discussed much in the media despite wall-to-wall coverage of the tragedy since Friday. We didn't have time for a full, in-depth conversation, but we got it started. Here are some of the points I made in the interview, as well as some points I would have made had we had more time:
The slaughter of 20 children and numerous teachers and other adults at the Sandy Hook Elementary was horrifying beyond belief -- yet what makes it worse is that it isn't an isolated incident.
Why is all this happening? In large part because we are engaged in moral and spiritual disarmament.
  • Some Americans are actively driving the God of the Bible out of their lives, out of their families.
  • Some Americans are actively trying to drive the God of the Bible out of our schools, our courts, our media, and out of America all together......

Friday, December 14, 2012

Qualified School Officials Should be Allowed Concealed Handguns to Protect Kids from Mass Shootings - Texas Governor Perry Supports

The mass shooting/murder today (12/14/2012) of dozens of kindergarten kids at a Connecticut Elementary School is just one of the many recent school shootings. This event should cause Americans to seriously think about allowing select, qualified school officials to have concealed handguns to protect kids before the police arrive.

A few years ago, a friend of mine, Peter Morrison, was a School Board member at Lumberton ISD in Lumberton, TX.  Morrison took alot of heat from fellow school board members when he suggested that select, qualified, school officials should be allowed to have a concealed handgun at the school. Lumberton is not a big town and there is not a police officer at every school. If something were to   happen, the kids would be completely vulnerable and unprotected. Having a qualified school official with a concealed weapon at each campus would allow the school kids to be protected faster before the police arrive. Back a few years ago, Governor Rick Perry supported this idea for schools in Texas.

Back a few years ago when Peter Morrison suggested allowing some concealed guns at schools, the Beaumont Enterprise interviewed me about the proposal and this is what I told them:

David Bellow, Lumberton resident, said that he was taken Aback by the apparent surprise at the school board meeting about Morrison's proposal.

"In light of the Virginia Tech massacre and dozens of other school shootings, I believe that allowing certain approved and trained school administrators (or) teachers to carry a concealed weapon will make the schools safer," he said.

"It is scary to think about a concealed gun around our kids, but it is even scarier to think about the alternative where someone starts shooting students and no one can do anything about it."


My thoughts on this matter have not changed, and now, I believe that more people would even agree with me due to so many recent massacres at schools.

Think about it, would anyone get upset if a police officer was at the school with his gun? No. Then why would someone be upset about a qualified school official having a gun at school? Oh, well he is not a trained police officer they might say. What they do not understand is logic. A police officer is just a person too. If you can train a police officer to have a gun then why could you not be able to train a school official to have a gun? Not all police officers are experienced. When a police officer starts out he is typically young and just out of police academy when they give him a gun. Nothing against the young police officer, but I would actually feel more comfortable with a 50 year old experienced, trained school principal with a gun than a young, inexperienced police officer.

So really, if everyone is ok with a police officer having a gun at school to protect kids, then why do we not allow select, qualified, trained school officials to have a concealed gun on campus to protect kids in cities where there are not enough police officers to be at every school?

At least 26 are dead in a shooting at Connecticut elementary school today. At least 18 of the dead are children. Massacres typically happen at places where NO GUNS ARE ALLOWED so people are helpless to defend themselves or stop the shooter. at Virginia Tech, college students just had to hide behind desks hoping the shooter cannot see them. You can't stop a shooter with a desk, but you can stop a shooter with another gun. In this school shooting at an Elementary School in Connecticut, these kids were slaughtered and none of the school staff could help because no one had a weapon to take out the shooter.

Gun control does not work. Gun restrictions only prevent good citizens from having a gun to protect themselves. Bad guys and criminals will still get guns regardless of gun restrictions. Then when a bad guy gets a gun and wants to kill people, the shooter typically goes to a place where no guns are allowed so that he can shoot dozens of people knowing that no one can stop him from shooting because no one else has a gun.

Rep. Simpson for TX Speaker asks BOTH SIDES to Stop hating and Threatening

Press Release from David Simpson for Texas Speaker
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – December 14, 2012
Contact – SimpsonForSpeaker@gmail.com or 512-677-4502

THE POLITICS OF A SPEAKER RACE

(Austin) – Today Representative David Simpson (R-Longview) issued the following statement on the public conversation surrounding the Speaker race.

“One week into my race for Speaker of the House, I find some advocates in the race an apt example of the problem that prompted me to run. Certain individuals on both sides are using inflammatory rhetoric and intimidation tactics to try to force members to vote for a particular candidate.

“My candidacy is not about policy or the degree or quality of conservatism. It is about maintaining principle as the standard by which we govern. Those who personally attack members or threaten to attack members over their choice for Speaker are engaging in the exact type of intimidation and retribution that my candidacy is fighting against. Those who do so may not understand my purpose or frankly our system of ‘free government’ espoused by the Texas Constitution.

“If a Speaker is elected on the sole basis of a political platform, then the ability for the Speaker to resist letting the ends justify a political means becomes very difficult. This pressure invites corruption and erosion of the rules. And that corruption undermines the thorough and open deliberations that are the hallmark of a successful republic.

“Though we disagree on some important issues, in this race I am not challenging Speaker Straus’ conservatism. I do, however, challenge his approach to fair administration of the rules and the culture of intimidation and retribution that has developed under his leadership. For example, I do not fault Speaker Straus for personally disagreeing with the Anti-Groping TSA bill. I do however fault him for refusing to follow the rules. Instead of bringing the business of the house before the members, he abruptly adjourned and immediately told the media that there was no quorum present despite having called the House to order and having declared a quorum present.

“The Speaker is chosen by members of the House to administer the House Rules and the business of the chamber. I believe the choice of Speaker is primarily about earning the trust of and having respect for the members. It is about honoring the process. I believe the Speaker should lead by example, respect principles, and honor the rules. The race should hinge on fairness in administration and not who may amass the most power for their own position.

“Policy is an area for debate and compromise. However, rules and the promises they represent should remain inviolate.”

Representative Simpson lives in Longview with his wife of 27 years, Susan, and their children. Simpson, a seventh-generation Texan, runs a family business and previously served as the mayor of Avinger for several years.

Thursday, December 13, 2012

Texas Speaker Joe Straus Says Abortion is NOT a Serious Issue

Why would anyone who is against the killing of innocent unborn babies ever consider voting for Joe Straus? Joe Straus is not pro life. He voted against pro life issues before he became Speaker and enjoyed support from Planned Parenthood. Now that he is the Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives, he does not vote on bills. He certainly has not publicly stood up for pro life issues as Speaker and in the past as Speaker he has called it only a "wedge issue." The pro life legislation that passed in the 2011 Texas Legislative Session passed, not because of him, but in spite of him. Straus did not stand against it because he knew the pro life bills would pass anyways with a super-majority of Republicans in the Texas Legislature. He also did not stand for them though and given different circumstances, like less Republicans in the House, I believe Straus would stop playing to the super-majority and play both sides because he will need the Democrats in a split house.

Anyways, if it was not already clear that Abortion is not an important issue for Speaker Joe Straus then you should take a look at his most recent quote about abortion:

In an article from the Houston Chronicle,  Joe Straus brushed off the biggest pro-life bill of 2013 as maybe one of the thousands of bills to get filed. Straus then went on to completely label the pro life measure as not important by saying that he is only focused on "getting serious about serious issues" like infrastructure.

The genocide of millions of innocent unborn babies is not a serious issue Joe Straus?

Texas Speaker Joe Straus Says Abortion is NOT a Serious Issue, according to a Houston Chronicle Article dated 12/12/2012

from the Houston Chronicle:

Some GOP members plan to push for more stringent legislation involving abortion, including a ban on abortions for a fetus past 20 weeks.

Straus noted that thousands of bills get filed during every regular legislative session.

“It sounds like that may be one of them,” he said of the abortion measure. “The top of the agenda for me continues to be education resources and infrastructure – the things that will help Texas cope with the tremendous growth that we have seen in this state.”

Texas, he said, needs to “get serious about serious issues.”