From: owner-roc-digest@lists.xmission.com (roc-digest) To: roc-digest@lists.xmission.com Subject: roc-digest V2 #272 Reply-To: roc-digest Sender: owner-roc-digest@lists.xmission.com Errors-To: owner-roc-digest@lists.xmission.com Precedence: bulk roc-digest Friday, August 20 1999 Volume 02 : Number 272 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 17 Aug 99 15:50:19 PST From: roc@xpresso.seaslug.org (Bill Vance) Subject: Re: Poll for TODAY only (fwd) On Aug 17, C. D. Tavares wrote: [-------------------- text of forwarded message follows --------------------] > Fwod from another list: > > > Hit 'em hard and hit 'em fast, poll for today (8/17/99) only on whether >or not you agree with Reno on guns! > >http://www.newsindex.com/ Exactly the same question is being asked at http://civilliberty.about.com/library/blgpoll.htm We are heavily in the lead in the first poll, but keeping a thin edge in the second. - -- Tavares@alum.mit.edu http://home.earthlink.net/~cdtavares [------------------------- end of forwarded message ------------------------] - -- - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ***** Blessings On Thee, Oh Israel! ***** - ----------------+----------+--------------------------+--------------------- An _EFFECTIVE_ | Insured | All matter is vibration. | Let he who hath no weapon in every | by COLT; | -- Max Plank | weapon sell his hand = Freedom | DIAL | In the beginning was the | garment and buy a on every side! | 1911-A1. | word. -- The Bible | sword.--Jesus Christ - ----------------+----------+--------------------------+--------------------- - - ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 17 Aug 1999 17:59:31 -0700 From: "Harry E. Barnett" Subject: Re: HOAX ALERT P&G and it's Christian views (fwd) On Aug 17, Bill Vance wrote: >On Aug 17, Harry E. Barnett wrote: > >>This is a HOAX, and has been a HOAX that has been circulating in more or >>less the same guise since 1980. > >Sorry 'bout that, never seen this one before. > >>A "from" addressee of "Ree Mayler" (remailer) should be a dead giveaway. >> >>Go to http://www.urbanlegends.com, search on "Proctor", check it out. >> >>This stuff is just flat-out lies. >> >>And even if it weren't, what does it have to do with "Restoring Our >>Constitution" anyway? > >Well, the U.S. is at base, a Christian Country, with a whole lot of our Gov. >and Institutions being Biblically based. I figured it for just another >attack on our society in general. Well, accepting what you say as true for the sake of argument, and as long as we are waxing Biblical here, as a basis for the country, consider this Biblical passage: "These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren. --Proverbs 6:16-19" Creating and propagating these egregious falsehoods fits at least five of the seven "things the LORD hates" listed above. And I have to agree, creating and propagating ("vectoring") the falsehoods are, indeed, an attack on our society in general, I will give you that. What such hoaxes do is use falsehoods to get the gullible and the ignorant stirred up to no good end, by way of appealing to their fanaticism and zealotry. When they make themselves into laughingstocks by buying into the hoax, and are scoffed and scorned, they don't blame the hoaxers for their plight, they blame the people who laugh at them, and get enraged about it. This drives a wedge between people who might otherwise be allies. And in the meantime, the people who start the fight kick back and watch everybody fight. May every tooth in their head fall out but one, and in that one they should get a toothache. Divide. Conquer. Sowing discord among those that might otherwise be Brethren. Pretty standard old stuff. Now as to secular problems, since the hoax uses "wire" (email) to solicit money to be sent to a Post Office Box, it is Wire and Mail Fraud, also. Last I heard, this is a Federal Crime subject to 5 years in prison and a $10,000 fine FOR EACH INSTANCE, that is EVERY email. It might be advisable to be very careful about acting as a vector for such nonsense. While the Justice Department may not be able to get a conviction in your particular case, it can sure make your life miserable, and expensive, on the way to no conviction. (Not likely they would do so because this thing has been making the rounds for TWENTY YEARS, and they haven't gone after anyone yet, AFAIK.) And you might want to check out how Amway feels about having its voicemail system used to propagate this hoax. I don't think they are laughing about what P&G's attornies are doing to them. Our little list and list server is small potatoes, though, so we're probably safe. But it sure hurts the credibility of the list. Sometimes it is hard to tell the wheat from the chaff. In this free-for-all wild-west environment called "The Internet", it's mostly chaff, not much wheat. People start or join lists or newsgroups and immediately start to abuse them, because of two things: lack of character, and no consequences for detestable behavior. Everybody gets to practice "psyops" on everybody else, and they are very difficult to hold accountable. On the other hand, the Internet is a blessing as well as a curse, because the same medium makes widely available powerful resources to discriminate between the wheat and chaff, if that's what one chooses to do. Now I'm off to watch "The Men Who Killed Kennedy" on the History Channel. :-) Yours in skepticism, harryb - -- "Promote then as an object of primary importance, Institutions for the general diffusion of knowledge. In proportion as the structure of a government gives force to public opinion, it is essential that public opinion should be enlightened." G. Washington, Farewell Address, 1796. - - ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 19 Aug 99 10:34:05 PST From: roc@xpresso.seaslug.org (Bill Vance) Subject: King George And Queen Elizabeth: Royalty Or Pretenders? (fwd) Is this a nightmare, or a dream come true? I don't know, but the coming Elections promise to be the best show in town! On Aug 19, Exegesis wrote: [-------------------- text of forwarded message follows --------------------] As this issue of Exegesis was being transmitted, I learned that my=20 mother passed away early this morning. I thank you so much for your=20 kind prayers during her illness. I will be going to England later=20 today. The Newshour will continue as normal without me. Page 1 News will=20 have to suspend for a few days. Your continued prayers would be much=20 appreciated. This is obviously an awful moment in life, but one we=20 must all face at some point. I pray I can come through it in a way=20 that's honoring to God and that provides a good example. SM ___________________________________________ Exegesis A Compass For Moral Excellence Published Worldwide From Washington http://www.sm.org/exegesis August 19, 1999 _____________________________________________ The American Renewal Foundation is looking for interns: high school=20 or college students aged 16-23. Know anyone who might be interested?=20 If so, check out the interns page at http://www.sm.org/interns __________________________________________________ ExTel The lowest ever long-distance rates! See our new expanded range of=20 wholesale services! Unitel: 5.9 cents a minute anywhere in the US. Your own toll-free=20 number for just 5.9=A2 a minute - and no monthly fees! http://unitelagent.com/?sm.org Opex (formerly PremierCom): 7.5 cents a minute anywhere in the US,=20 super-discounted international and instate rates. Your own toll-free=20 number for just $2 a month, US > UK just 6.9 cents a minute! 6=20 second billing - and no monthly fees! http://ld.net/7.5/sm.org AccuLinq Calling Cards at 9.9 cents a minute http://ld.net/linq/?sm.org Cellphone Service at 10 cents a minute http://cellearth.com/?sm.org See all our services at http://www.sm.org ________________________________________________ Have you read our daily online newspaper? Every day, we search the world for real news and produce a daily=20 online newspaper just for you. We update it as events dictate. PAGE 1 NEWS Real News from the Real World You'll find it at http://www.sm.org/news or http://www.page1news.com _____________________________________________ Have you heard our NEW radio broadcast yet? Join us Monday-Friday at 6 pm ET/3 pm PT/5 pm CT/10 pm GMT for The Newshour An hour of news and comment with Betsy Gibson in New York, Jeff Nyquist in California and Steve Myers in Washington You can hear the show worldwide in Real Audio at http://www.sm.org/news ________________________________________________ King George And Queen Elizabeth: Royalty Or Pretenders? We thought long and hard about whether to cover the 2000 race for the=20 White House. On one hand, it appears to be a foregone conclusion,=20 and it seems almost redundant to dignify it with detailed coverage.=20 After all, we told you that George W. Bush would be the Republican=20 nominee and the next president, as long ago as January 1997. On the=20 other hand, how can anyone resist the temptation to share the=20 fascinating machinations inside the Beltway? So here we go. Perhaps=20 Senator John McCain was right to sniffily recuse himself from last=20 weekend's Iowa Straw Poll, claiming it was all a sham. Maybe he's=20 right, but in the reality of modern politics, even a very showy sham=20 has become a real and vital political event. There were no real surprises in the Iowa winners and losers. Mr.=20 Bush spent $100 per vote to ensure his victorious 31.31%, and=20 Elizabeth Dole did reasonably well with 14.40%, giving her a good=20 third place. If, as is looking increasingly certain, they become the=20 ticket, their unified vote comes to some 46%, which is more than=20 enough to unify the Republican Party and charm voters into voting for=20 yet another New World Order administration. Steve Forbes, who spent $203 per vote to gain his 20.77% of the vote,=20 raises a core question: whether or not his candidacy is genuine. We=20 believe it is not. It poses as a conservative alternative to=20 Bush-Dole, but we have come to believe that it is a deception being=20 played out on conservatives in order to keep their allegiance within=20 the Republican Party. Here's a clue: Mr. Forbes' campaign and=20 corporation are chaired by former Defense Secretary Caspar=20 Weinberger, a Bush insider and NWO figurehead if ever there was one,=20 whose private business was one of the greatest beneficiaries of the=20 Kosovo war. So have he and Mr. Forbes abandoned the Elite and had a=20 sudden change of heart? Hardly. We believe that a deal has already been struck between Bush-Dole and=20 Mr. Forbes. The idea is this: Mr. Forbes runs a strong campaign=20 appearing to be semi-hostile towards Mr. Bush and Mrs. Dole. We=20 regard Mr. Forbes as a pragmatic, intelligent man, who is bright=20 enough to know he will never be President of the United States.=20 Eventually therefore, he reasons, he will have to capitulate to Mr.=20 Bush's steamroller. Why not, therefore, strike a deal in advance=20 instead of being forced to do so in desperation at the last minute=20 when his options might be more limited? We believe Mr. Forbes has=20 already agreed to accept a position, probably that of Treasury=20 Secretary, in the Bush Administration, with the understanding that he=20 will be given the opportunity to implement his much-vaunted but still=20 unconstitutional Flat Tax. In return, he will hold out as long as=20 possible, and eventually deliver the conservative vote to the=20 Bush-Dole campaign. In the light of that plan, Iowa was a good result for=20 Bush-Dole-Forbes: they scored 66.48%. As for the other candidates,=20 Senator McCain will probably be offered The Pentagon, while former=20 Vice-President Dan Quayle may be offered an ambassadorship or=20 quasi-governmental post, if Mr. Bush feels generous, but will=20 probably remain sufficiently unburdened to perfect his golf swing,=20 punctuated by occasional appearances at conservative events. He=20 might even become a talk-show host. As we have pointed out before,=20 Senator Orrin Hatch is hoping for a Supreme Court appointment, and is=20 not a serious candidate. Lamar Alexander has wisely dropped out.=20 That leaves Mr. Bush's nirvana almost complete. He has his=20 running-mate, plenty of money, an overwhelming lead and has even=20 penciled in half his Cabinet. There is, however, a very large, yet=20 still partially invisible, cloud looming on Mr. Bush's horizon. The conservative vote in the Iowa Poll came to 27.12%, excluding=20 those who voted for Steve Forbes or George W. Bush. What is to=20 become of the remaining conservative candidates? Gary Bauer and Alan=20 Keyes have to find new roles in Washington that have some political=20 content, and which are of genuine service to the Kingdom of God,=20 surely their hearts' desire. Some bold new leadership in the=20 Christian community is much needed. Perhaps the Lord will open a=20 door for them both. The sole remaining candidate, Patrick Buchanan, poses the greatest=20 threat to Bush-Dole-Forbes because he has least to lose by opposing=20 them. He brought the house down in Iowa with his witty remark that=20 his first action as President would be to turn to ex-President Bill=20 Clinton, in his role as America's newly sworn-in chief law=20 enforcement officer, and place him under arrest saying: "You have the=20 right to remain silent". Mr. Buchnanan's sister, Bay, has been having a series of=20 conversations with Ross Perot's representative and 1996=20 vice-presidential candidate, Pat Choate. It is understood that a=20 deal has been formulated, though not finalized. Mr. Perot is anxious=20 to recapture control of the Reform Party, which has been taken from=20 him by its only elected representative, Gov. Jesse Ventura of=20 Minnesota. Pat Buchanan is probably the only man who could help him=20 do that. While Mr. Perot would never be the candidate, he might=20 recover a position of influence within the Party. At the same time,=20 Pat Buchanan has every incentive to leave the Republican Party. He=20 knows this will be his last campaign for the White House and he will=20 never be in a Republican Cabinet. At 62 years old, he cannot=20 imagine running again in four years or eight years. Therefore he has=20 nothing to lose by making a credible Third Party run. Indeed, he has=20 everything to gain. would cement for himself a place in history by=20 doing so and would participate in the debates. Pat Buchanan would=20 make his voice heard, not as a losing Republican contender, but as=20 the third choice: Bush, Gore and Buchanan. It sounds attractive to=20 him. And if he is to run on the Reform Party ticket, Mr. Buchanan=20 would extract from Mr. Perot a condition: that the Reform Party=20 becomes firmly pro-life. If that happens, another interesting scenario comes into play.=20 Howard Phillips, founder of the US Taxpayers' Party, is surely a=20 happy man these days. He has just secured the venerable Senator Bob=20 Smith of New Hampshire as the Party's candidate for next year's=20 election. In an exclusive interview with Exegesis, Mr. Phillips said=20 that his main difference with Ross Perot was over abortion. Suppose=20 that obstacle were to be removed. Is it conceivable that an=20 electoral alliance could be forged between the Reform Party and US=20 Taxpayers Party at least for a temporary period covering the 2000=20 election? And if Senator Smith succeeds in changing the name of the=20 USTP to the Conservative Party, it would become instantly more=20 appealing to voters. If there were a Reform-Conservative Alliance,=20 is it possible that a joint ticket of Pat Buchanan and Senator Bob=20 Smith could evolve? And would it pose a threat to Bush-Dole? It is not only possible but plausible. It would provide the perfect=20 haven for millions of disaffected voters who have either not voted or=20 who have reluctantly pitched their tent with the Republicans in the=20 hope of being tossed a few conservative morsels in the platform. It=20 would represent the biggest threat imaginable to George W. Bush and=20 his immaculately selected team. Not for the first time,=20 conservatives would be faced with a choice between principle and=20 pragmatism. And after years of broken Republican promises, a strong=20 third party alternative might seem more attractive than the=20 opportunity to be disappointed yet again. In these coming weeks, all=20 involved, especially Pat Buchanan and Senator Bob Smith, have some=20 serious thinking to do. Their decisions, if prayerfully considered,=20 could have an immense effect on America's future, both culturally and=20 politically. We should pray for them all. =87 Steve Myers =D7 Editor ____________________________________________________________________ =A9 Exegesis 1999 * Post Office Box 789, McLean VA 22101, USA *=20 Telephone (703) 734 5656 Subscriptions: Fax $32.95, E-Mail $16.95 * E-Mail exegesis@sm.org *=20 Web Page: http://www.sm.org ____________________________________________________________________ =A9 Exegesis 1999 * Post Office Box 789, McLean VA 22101, USA *=20 Telephone (703) 734 5656 Subscriptions: Fax $32.95, E-Mail $16.95 * E-Mail exegesis@sm.org *=20 Web Page: http://www.sm.org ________________________________________________________________________ Have you read our daily online newspaper? Every day, we search the world for real news and produce a daily=20 online newspaper just for you. We update it as events dictate. PAGE 1 NEWS Real News from the Real World You'll find it at http://www.sm.org/news or http://www.page1news.com ________________________________________________________________________ Have you heard our NEW radio broadcast yet? Join us Monday-Friday at 6 pm ET/3 pm PT/5 pm CT/10 pm GMT for The Newshour An hour of news and comment with Betsy Gibson in New York, Jeff Nyquist in California and Steve=20 Myers in Washington You can hear the show worldwide in Real Audio at http://www.sm.org/news =8A and on AM/FM in 14 US cities including: Palm Beach, Honolulu,=20 Taunton MA, Rhode Island, Nashua NH, Reno NV, and Virginia Beach. ________________________________________________________________________ ExTel The lowest ever long-distance rates! See our new expanded range of=20 wholesale services! Unitel: 5.9 cents a minute anywhere in the US. Your own toll-free=20 number for just 5.9=A2 a minute - and no monthly fees!=20 http://unitelagent.com/?sm.org Opex (formerly PremierCom): 7.5 cents a minute anywhere in the US,=20 super-discounted international and instate rates. Your own toll-free=20 number for just $2 a month, US > UK just 6.9 cents a minute! 6=20 second billing - and no monthly fees! http://ld.net/7.5/sm.org AccuLinq Calling Cards at 9.9 cents a minute - http://ld.net/linq/?sm.org Cellphone Service at 10 cents a minute - http://cellearth.com/?sm.org See all our services at http://www.sm.org [------------------------- end of forwarded message ------------------------] - -- - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ***** Blessings On Thee, Oh Israel! ***** - ----------------+----------+--------------------------+--------------------- An _EFFECTIVE_ | Insured | All matter is vibration. | Let he who hath no weapon in every | by COLT; | -- Max Plank | weapon sell his hand = Freedom | DIAL | In the beginning was the | garment and buy a on every side! | 1911-A1. | word. -- The Bible | sword.--Jesus Christ - ----------------+----------+--------------------------+--------------------- - - ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 19 Aug 99 10:35:23 PST From: roc@xpresso.seaslug.org (Bill Vance) Subject: Fratrum: Re: FBI Gets Involved in Bois Blanc v. Stitt Family (fwd) On Aug 19, Huck wrote: [-------------------- text of forwarded message follows --------------------] Howdy the lists, Looks like the Stitt family may get help from an unexpected source. Here's the latest update from Norm Olson. Huck Norm Olson wrote: > "I don't like snakes; and if I have a chance to toss a cobra > into a nest of rattlers, I'll do it with a smile." > Norm Olson > > PRESS RELEASE - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE > Contacts: Norman Olson, 231-548-5878, Mike & Chris Stitt > 231-634-7030, Matt Fitzpatrick, FBI Lansing, 517-487-1850 > Peck & Assoc. 906-635-6286 > > FBI Becomes Involved in Bois Blanc Dispute > Charges of Corruption to be Investigated > > Bois Blanc Island, MI (August 19) - Fearing what may still result > in an armed standoff on Bois Blanc Island, the FBI today said > that a preliminary investigation would be launched into charges > of corruption and abuse of power by township officials. > In what appears to be an effort to defuse a potential crisis, > the FBI contacted militia leader Norman Olson and learning of > the militia's involvement with the dispute on Bois Blanc Island > in northern Michigan. FBI Special Agent Matt Fitzpatrick, > (Lansing, MI, office) questioned Olson, Commander of the > Northern Michigan Regional Militia, about the potential for an > armed conflict. Olson said in a press release today that he > told Agent Fitzpatrick that arms were very much in the plan if > the militia was called upon to protect the Stitt family. "That may > still be necessary, depending on where this goes." > When questioned for the reason the dispute on Bois Blanc Island > began, Olson indicated that he suspected corruption, conflicts of > interest, and abuses of power to be the primary factors the township > targeted the Stitt family. "Mike and Chris would not play along with > the corruption. Chris initiated a complaint that resulted in a neighbor > being charged for cultivating $1.2 million in marijuana with the > sheriff's knowledge. It seems that other people on the island may > have profited from the crop of illegal substance." > "Moreover," Olson explained to Fitzpatrick, "it was about that > time that the township began its most severe persecution of the > family. It was impossible for the Stitts to have a neutral or impartial > hearing before the zoning board when they sought a variance > for their property. They had made enemies of the people on the > board and the board used its power to selectively target the Stitts > with charges ranging far beyond what was originally in the > complaint. From what I've seen and heard, I an investigation > is needed and overdue." > According to Olson, Fitzpatrick asked if the Stitts had contacted > the FBI. When Olson answered that they contacted the militia > instead, Fitzpatrick asked Olson if an investigation should be > started. "We've been asked to bow out. Without the militia, the > Stitts are at risk and trouble can still erupt at any time. Right > now my hands are tied, but lacking justice, we may at the last > minute still have to get involved. " > Fitzpatrick said he would take action to begin an investigation > into charges of corruption. With this, Olson contacted Lyle Peck, > Attorney for Bois Blanc Township and told him that the FBI was > on the way and to tell his clients on the island to get their "ducks > in a row." "I want them to sweat and to feel the fear and stress of > possibly losing everything they've worked for. I want those > people on the board to feel what its like to have a government > agency disrupting their life for a change. Let them feel what its > like to face the threat of fines and jail, having to explain your every > move to the authorities. That's what they've done to Mike and Chris. > Now let them feel the heat for a while. The feds aren't swayed by > petty bureaucrats and if they want to avoid the militia becoming > involved once again, they'll bring these tyrants to task. > "Personally, I don't trust the feds any more than I trust that bunch > of gangsters on Bois Blanc Island. Their involvement was inevitable. > But it may serve to put pressure on the board for the irregularities in > township government and the crime of selective prosecution. It will > also put the feds to the test so the public can see just how > interested they are in preventing trouble. The feds in this case may > turn out to be like the petty bureaucrats on the Bois Blanc > Board. Anyway, they are in it now and the militia is standing by. > My hope and prayer is that justice will prevail and the Stitts will > be left alone to raise their beautiful children unmolested by > tyrannical bureaucrats. If not, the possibly of armed defense > of the Stitts still lingers. We are at a critical stage now and it > can go either way. Now that the feds are involved, the entire > American militia will be watching." > "I'm very doubtful about the township or the fed's ability to do > the right thing. I don't like snakes; and if I have a chance to toss > a cobra into a nest of rattlers, I'll do it with a smile." > END PRESS RELEASE [------------------------- end of forwarded message ------------------------] - -- - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ***** Blessings On Thee, Oh Israel! ***** - ----------------+----------+--------------------------+--------------------- An _EFFECTIVE_ | Insured | All matter is vibration. | Let he who hath no weapon in every | by COLT; | -- Max Plank | weapon sell his hand = Freedom | DIAL | In the beginning was the | garment and buy a on every side! | 1911-A1. | word. -- The Bible | sword.--Jesus Christ - ----------------+----------+--------------------------+--------------------- - - ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 19 Aug 99 12:37:28 PST From: roc@xpresso.seaslug.org (Bill Vance) Subject: Fw: Punished for praying/ new column, 8-19-99 (fwd) On Aug 18, Kevin McGehee wrote: [-------------------- text of forwarded message follows --------------------] - ----- Original Message ----- To: jacoby@globe.com From: jacoby@globe.com Subject: Punished for praying/ new column, 8-19-99 Date: Wed, 18 Aug 1999 16:12:46 -0400 ----- PUNISHED FOR PRAYING IN BOSTON By Jeff Jacoby The Boston Globe August 19, 1999 The City of Boston is shocked -- shocked! -- to find praying going on at the Keys of Life Bible School. And not only praying, but Bible reading. And as if those weren't bad enough, there are religious emblems in plain view -- crosses and spiritual posters right out in the open where anyone might see them. This is intolerable, the city says, and Keys of Life must be punished. Keys of Life is a summer day camp run by the Mason Cathedral Church in Boston's low-income Dorchester neighborhood. It is a modest operation -- a large room in the church's lower level outfitted with tables and chairs, a few computers, a pile of books, and a large screen TV. The church has no athletic facilities of its own, but Franklin Field, a public park, is just down the street and there's a pool at the nearby Boys and Girls Club. As camps go, it isn't much. But it's run by people who care deeply about their community, and it helps keep 30 city kids, many from homes with no fathers and few luxuries, off the streets and out of trouble. The doors open at 7:30 every morning; some children don't leave until 6:30 p.m. Most of those 11 hours are taken up with physical activities and recreation -- swimming, drawing, ballplaying, video-watching. But the first order of business every day is a few minutes of devotion and Bible study. The children usually recite the Lord's Prayer. Sometimes a child mentions that he is praying about something specific -- a lost pet, a sick grandmother. "Mostly," says Kenya Cross, who directs Keys of Life, "we ask God to let us make it through each day in peace. And He does." Now that peace has been torn. Late last month the camp's seven teen-age counselors, participants in a federally-funded summer jobs program, were yanked from Keys of Life and sent elsewhere. City officials accuse the church of asking the counselors to pray, in "direct violation" of the federal Job Training Partnership Act, which pays for the summer jobs. But that law merely requires that participants not be employed "on the construction, operation, or maintenance" of a place of worship. That restriction has never posed a problem for Keys of Life; its counselors spend their day taking care of kids, not building churches. Indeed, the camp has repeatedly been praised by Action for Boston Community Development, the agency that administers the jobs program. "For five years they've been saying I do good work," says Rev. Thomas Cross, Kenya's father and the pastor of Mason Cathedral. "This year, everything changed." On July 15, ABCD sent a letter to Mason Cathedral, warning the church not to involve the counselors in "religious activities." "These include but are not limited to the following: praying, reading Bible stories, drawing Bible pictures, and cleaning in the areas of the church where there are religious symbols.... All religious activities must cease immediately." To Rev. Cross and his daughter, this was preposterous. Ban prayer at a church-run summer camp? But the city was adamant. Larry Smith, the official who supervises ABCD's operation of the summer program, came to the church to insist that the Crosses toe the line. "He sat right here in my office," Cross says in amazement, "and told me, 'My job is to make sure those kids don't pray.'" According to Cross, Smith also told him to remove any religious symbols visible to the children -- including the crucifix on the pastor's door. "I told him I've got two Stars of David and the Ten Commandments on the facade of the church," Cross relates. (The building used to be a synagogue.) "He said, 'They'll have to come down too.' Well, I am not tearing down my church." The city isn't budging, either. When it isn't claiming erroneously that its hands are tied by the Job Training Partnership Act, it is pointing to the Constitution. "There is a total separation of church and state in this country," Constance Doty, director of the city's Office of Jobs and Community Services, told The Boston Globe last week. "This program is funded with federal dollars, and it's very clear that the youths ... cannot participate in religious or political activity." But there isn't a total separation of church and state in America, and there never has been. God is mentioned four times in the Declaration of Independence. Congress hires chaplains, as do most state legislatures and the military. Presidents take the oath of office with a hand on the Bible. Every piece of US currency proclaims, "In God We Trust." The same words are mounted over the Speaker's rostrum in the US House of Representatives. By law, the pledge to the flag includes the words "one nation under God." The Constitution says nothing about a "separation of church and state." The words come from a letter Thomas Jefferson wrote in 1802 to the Danbury Baptist Association. The Baptists had suffered much persecution, and Jefferson wanted to reassure them that under the First Amendment, the government had no authority to hinder or control their activities. The First Amendment, Jefferson was saying, is designed to *protect* religious establishments, not to hassle and harass them. Nothing in the Constitution requires pastors to take down the crucifix from their office door or bars teen-agers from helping little kids say a brief morning prayer. The federal dollars that paid the Keys of Life counselors were not being used to promote religion. They were being used to enable a humble summer camp to provide a safe summer haven in a neighborhood that badly needs such havens. Will nobody reverse this decision? The kids at Mason Cathedral still say their prayers, but they miss their counselors. (Jeff Jacoby is a columnist for The Boston Globe. His e-mail address is jacoby@globe.com) [------------------------- end of forwarded message ------------------------] - -- - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ***** Blessings On Thee, Oh Israel! ***** - ----------------+----------+--------------------------+--------------------- An _EFFECTIVE_ | Insured | All matter is vibration. | Let he who hath no weapon in every | by COLT; | -- Max Plank | weapon sell his hand = Freedom | DIAL | In the beginning was the | garment and buy a on every side! | 1911-A1. | word. -- The Bible | sword.--Jesus Christ - ----------------+----------+--------------------------+--------------------- - - ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 20 Aug 1999 11:16:24 -0400 (EDT) From: John Curtis Subject: Justice [sic] Dept. seeks covert-action law Justice Department Mulls Covert-Action Bill By Robert O?Harrow Jr. Washington Post Staff Writer Friday, August 20, 1999; Page A1 The Justice Department wants to make it easier for law enforcement authorities to obtain search warrants to secretly enter suspects' homes or offices and disable security on personal computers as a prelude to a wiretap or further search, according to documents and interviews with Clinton administration officials. see: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/business/daily/aug99/encryption20.htm - - ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 20 Aug 99 10:36:33 PST From: roc@xpresso.seaslug.org (Bill Vance) Subject: Thomas Glenn Terry (fwd) On Aug 20, Graham, Brandi wrote: [-------------------- text of forwarded message follows --------------------] > ---------- > From: spiker[SMTP:spiker@amnix.com] > Sent: August 19, 1999 7:17 PM > Subject: Remember this name: Thomas Glenn Terry > > Remember this name: Thomas Glenn Terry > By Ann Coulter (Author of High Crimes and Misdemeanors:The Case Against > Bill Clinton) > 08/13/1999 > > > Remember this name: Thomas Glenn Terry. It won't be bandied > quite as much as "Mark O. Barton" over the next few weeks, but it > should be. A few years ago two armed men burst into a Shoney's > restaurant in Anniston, Alabama and herded the patrons and > employees into a walk-in refrigerator, at gun point. The robbers > kept the manager behind for his assistance as they looted the > restaurant. One patron, however, also remained behind. Thomas > Glenn Terry had opted against being locked in a refrigerator, and > hid from the attackers under a table. > > As one of the armed robbers ransacked the cash register, another > patroled the restaurant. When he came across Mr. Terry, he pulled > his gun. > > But unlike the recent victims in Atlanta, this victim was armed. > Using his own legally concealed handgun, Terry shot and killed the > robber. The other armed robber, who had had his gun trained on > the manager, then opened fire on Terry. Terry shot back, mortally > wounding the second robber. The two dozen hostages were > released unharmed. Only the criminals -- who had been armed > with stolen guns by the way -- didn't make it out alive. > > You probably hadn't heard of the Shoney's restaurant incident. In > the media's boundless capacity to stultify the public with > sensational news stories, they have made places like Littleton, > Colorado household names. But "Anniston, Alabama" doesn't ring > a bell. > > A massacre is a story. Thwarting a massacre isn't. But once you > know about Anniston, and similar averted tragedies, something will > start to leap out at you as you read news accounts of gunmen > shooting scores of innocents. Massacre stories always include a > terrifying account of how the killers proceeded from victim to > victim, pausing to reload, and shooting again. Mass murder > requires that the victims be unarmed. > > Thomas Glenn Terry, though heroic, is not altogether unique. Two > years ago in Pearl, Mississippi a deranged student shot and killed > two of his classmates. Fortunately, Joel Myrick, the assistant > principal had a gun in his car. He prevented the shooting from > becoming a Littleton level massacre by holding the student at > gunpoint until the police arrived. > > A year later, in Edinboro, Pennsylvania, a 14-year-old boy opened > fire at an eighth-grade graduation dance, killing a teacher and > wounding three others. A single murder did not become a mass > murder only because a near-by restaurant owner, James Strand, > happened to be armed. As the shooter stopped to reload, Strand > immobilized the shooter, holding him for over ten minutes, until > the police appeared. A lot of killing can be accomplished in ten > minutes when none of your victims is armed. > > How long did it take the police to arrive in Atlanta? Barton walked > into one office building in Atlanta shot four people dead, then left > the building, ambled across the street, entered another building, > and killed at least five more people. As in Littleton there are film > clips of policemen scaling the building's walls to rescue terrified > and completely defenseless people inside. > > Most striking in the news reports of Barton's shooting spree was > this: Fully three hours after the shooting, some people were still > hiding in the building. Hiding. Waiting like pigs before the > slaughter. Because none of them was armed. None but the > madman. > > But for some reason, the government's response is always to > disarm more citizens. Not to disarm itself, by the way, but to > disarm people other than the police who show up 15 minutes after > the shooting has begun. This isn't a complaint about the police, > they simply can't be everywhere at once. It's a plea for more > citizen guards. There may be bad citizens, but, let me remind you, > there are also bad police. Why are they the only ones don't have to > hide in their offices when madmen with guns show up? > > More guns will not create more Mark Bartons. Guns can do a lot > of things, like protect you from lunatics, but they don't make you > criminally insane. Consider Mr. Barton. The initial reports have > been that he killed his children because his stock porfolio had > declined. Well, that's a rational response. Whether it was his > stocks or his wife or the weather -- he killed his children. This is a > madman. In the absence of a gun, he could have used an axe, a > bomb, or a machette. One of the most efficient murder sprees this > century was accomplished not with guns, but with machettes. > Madmen in Rwanda murdered almost one million people in under > four months. > > If only Thomas Glenn Terry had been there. [------------------------- end of forwarded message ------------------------] - -- - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ***** Blessings On Thee, Oh Israel! ***** - ----------------+----------+--------------------------+--------------------- An _EFFECTIVE_ | Insured | All matter is vibration. | Let he who hath no weapon in every | by COLT; | -- Max Plank | weapon sell his hand = Freedom | DIAL | In the beginning was the | garment and buy a on every side! | 1911-A1. | word. -- The Bible | sword.--Jesus Christ - ----------------+----------+--------------------------+--------------------- - - ------------------------------ End of roc-digest V2 #272 *************************