Projectile Diarrhea -- What the Oklahoma GOPers do Best

I'm always amazed at the Oklahoma GOP's use of boldfaced lies and hypocrisy which they throw around like a herd of diarrhea-infected cattle drops fecal material in a barnyard.

I'm referring to the pious, crocodile-tear streaming expressions coming from GOPer Senator Tod Lamb who is the sponsor of HB 1595, now a law being challenged in an Oklahoma County courtroom by two Oklahoma women's rights activists. This law requires doctors to send to the Oklahoma Dept. of Health the answers to 37 questions asked of women who have chosen to end their pregnancies.

A sample of these questions can be read here-- http://tinyurl.com/ygj6v4b

If Sen. Lamb is so concerned with the "sanctity of life" as he has said in public interviews why has he voted against the health and welfare of living children and their mothers? I'd say the principal author of HB1595 has abandoned both sick kids as well as women who need contraceptives to space and control the most intimate aspects of any woman's life--her own control of her reproductive decisions.

Reasonable people who want to reduce the number and need of abortions understand that the obvious requirement is to prevent pregnancy in the first place. This can be done with appropriate, unbiased medical information and planning services delivered unhindered by the medical professional of the patient's choice. Not by legislators who are practicing medicine without a license, yet this is exactly what's happening in Oklahoma.

Here's a sample of Sen. Lamb's voting record which doubles as an indictment of his hypocrisy and his deliberate violation of women's privacy used to further his political agenda for higher office.

Todd Lamb voted against the “All Kids Act” in 2007, a bill giving health insurance to 42,000 poor Oklahoma kids with money from a tobacco tax passed in 2004. This was SCHIP, the State Children’s Health Insurance Program.

Todd Lamb didn't allow three bills to be heard about contraceptives assigned to his Health & Human Resources Committee in 2007:

1. Compassionate Assistance for Rape Emergency (SB-105) - Requires health care facilities that provide medical care to rape victims to offer emergency contraception as a treatment option.

2. Contraceptive Equity (SB-104) - Requires insurance companies to cover contraceptives at the same rate that they would cover any other prescription drug.

3. Patient Protection Act (SB-555) - Requires that pharmacies fill prescriptions for contraceptives and provide over-the-counter emergency contraception, or follow guidelines set forth to fill a prescription in a timely manner.

Sen. Lamb needs to sit down and have an adult "birds and bees" lesson with a medical professional instead of a bull session with the good ole boys. But the good ole boys, and gals, are more likely to contribute to Lamb's lieutenant governor's race than will sick children and pregnant women.

photo courtesy of coloradodisasterhelp.colostate.edu

Socks Upon CXXXs Will be Outlawed

Photo courtesy of http://etnies.com/content/products/spring-09/socks/westside-crew-sock-black.jpg

Hilarious satire of Sally Kern if it weren't so threatening to women's privacy.

I can say it's hilarious, because I'm a man and I know that such a law as suggested in this piece will never pass.

However, there is a law set to go into effect in Oklahoma on Nov. 1 that WILL require all the details of a legal, safe medical procedure performed in Oklahoma to be made available ONLINE, and I mean ALL the details with the exception of the patient's name.

How's that for small government GOPer representation?

There is going to be a court hearing on Oct. 30 to try and at least get a restraining order to prevent the implementation of this invasion of women's privacy.

Here's a link to the truth:
http://www.salon.com/mwt/broadsheet/feature/2009/10/07/okla_abortion/index.html
or http://tinyurl.com/yc3lcn8


And here's a link to the satire:
http://dagblog.com/humor-satire/oklahoma-law-hold-men-accountable-sperm-holocaust-948

or http://tinyurl.com/yzjldlj

Joke-lahoman (aka Oklahoman) Editorial: Gay Men Should Quake and Quail?

Joke-lahoman (aka Oklahoman) Editorial: Gay Men Should Quake and Quail?



Recently an Oklahoma County judge found in favor of Joe Quigley, a teacher in the Oklahoma City public schools, concluding that the School Board was unable to prove its case that Quigley is an incompetent teacher of high school English.

This Joke-lahoman editorial states quite clearly that to be an out gay man, to advocate for the protection of school children, and to be a good teacher are three incompatible aspects of being human.

Unlike power-hungry, narrow-minded, straight newspapers editors, gay men and women can be experts at holding more than one idea at a time. Also, we can read and discern the meaning of words written in a judicial opinion; this one uses plain English, no Latin worth mentioning, and no obtuse legal footnotes and references.

The editorial beats around the bush yet implies that Quigley should have no right of appeal from the School Board to a higher judicial level. Is Quigley supposed to quail and quake like some feudal serf before the manorial lord?

Only when the decisions go against the Joke-lahoman's perceived order of things, does it find the rule of law to be inconvenient and flawed.

As an observer to the School Board meeting convened as a kangaroo court I'm glad to be reminded that this country has an adversarial system of justice allowing for levels of appeal and the exercise of other view points.

Along with the School Board, I think the editorial staff needs some remedial reading instruction.

As just a casual reference of not much importance, I'd like to point out that Judge Barbara Swinton is Republican with children in a public school, so, having found in Joe Quigley's favor, under the judicial robe she "must" be a closeted, wild-eyed, activist judge.

You read, you decide---

http://www.newsok.com/district-right-to-fight-for-ability-to-do-its-work/article/3401575

or http://tinyurl.com/l69h3n

District right to fight for ability to do its work
OUR VIEWS: FIRING OF NORTHWEST CLASSEN TEACHER

The Oklahoman Editorial
Published: September 17, 2009

THE Oklahoma City School District isn’t the first to have a judge intervene
in a personnel decision. But unlike many similarly situated districts,
school officials here have decided to fight to keep a fired teacher out of
the classroom.

The case involves Joseph Quigley, a longtime English teacher at Northwest
Classen High School. Quigley was fired in May for willful neglect of duty,
repeated negligence, instructional ineffectiveness and other reasons. The
school board upheld his firing, and he appealed in Oklahoma County District
Court. Last month, a judge ordered Quigley reinstated. --snip--

--------------------------------------
From Oklahoman:

"Quigley’s case is somewhat complicated by the fact that he’s gay and has long been an advocate of a more succinct discrimination and bullying policy that specifically covers sexual orientation. Inevitably, that history is intertwined with questions about his teaching performance."

From Judge Swinton:

“And all I have with regard to the end of year or end of instruction testing is that his students did well”

“And I can’t find that anything that he wished to show his students would have harmed them in any way or done anything more than help educate them in the curriculum that Mr. Quigley was assigned.”

“There have been emails sent during instruction time, but no one’s brought me any evidence that has caused a lack of learning in his classroom if it, in fact, happened.”

“to criticize a teacher and try to take his job away for not following a policy that he gets faulted whether he uses it or doesn’t use it does not appear to be a good use of the district’s time.”

“If the problems had remained the same with a different evaluator that had not made up her mind, this case would have been completely different, but the school district chose not to do that.”

And last but not least--

“So I believe it’s obvious from the parts of this case that I have just commented on that I find that in no way has the district met their burden of proof.”

Brittany Novotny: Sally Kern's Nemesis

complete at: http://www.examiner.com/x-12237-Transgender--Transsexual-Issues-Examiner~y2009m9d15-Brittany-Novotny-homophobe-Sally-Kern-may-face-trans-opponent-in-next-election


More than a year ago, Oklahoma state Rep. Sally Kern made headlines and created an Internet firestorm when she blasted gay men and lesbians — and ended up offending Muslims in the process — by saying that “the homosexual agenda is just destroying this nation” and poses a bigger threat to the U.S. than terrorism or Islam.

Kern did not know that her comments were being recorded, but within a few hours, the Internet was abuzz with videos and commentary. Now the Dallas Voice reports that Kern may be facing another “threat” — a skilled opponent in the 2010 race for her seat in the Oklahoma legislature.

Brittany Novotny is an Oklahoma civil rights attorney who has indicated that she is considering a run. She is expected to make a formal announcement in the near future, but she has already created a Web site for donations.

I don't live in Oklahoma, but if Novotny runs, I will certainly be rooting for her. I would never support a candidate solely because of that candidate’s trans status. But I would certainly support a qualified candidate over a homophobic, hateful incumbent, and Novotny seems to have the right stuff, as evidenced by the bio below that she supplied to me:

"The youngest of five siblings, Brittany Novotny was born on March 6, 1980, in Chickasha, Oklahoma, to Theresia and Louis Novotny. She grew up in Oklahoma City and graduated from Westmoore High School in 1998. After high school, she went on to USAO, where she worked at a local youth shelter, while also managing a full-course load. Brittany graduated Magna Cum Laude with a B.A. in Sociology in 2002 and embarked on a career in law.

She earned her J.D. from the University of California – Hastings in 2005. Despite her time in California, Brittany saw that she could make the greatest difference as a lawyer back in her home state. She subsequently moved back to Oklahoma City and was admitted to the Oklahoma Bar in 2005. In 2007, she started her own law practice in Oklahoma City focusing on employment and civil rights law, while also doing some pro bono work for several clients. Recently, she began in-house counsel work with the American Federation of Government Employees, Local 916.

In addition to managing her own career, Brittany has also been an active member of the Oklahoma Democratic Party. As a member of the Young Democrats, she serves as the National Committeewoman and the chair of the YDO LGBT caucus.

Brittany is a hard-working Democrat dedicated to improving Oklahoma for subsequent generations. She has tirelessly advocated for civil liberties and equality within the state, recently receiving the 2009 Leadership Award for Community Action from RAIN Oklahoma, and has become a mainstay of Oklahoma politics."

Oklahoma City School Board Falls in Self-Dug Hole -- Quigley Offers Rope

photo courtesy of: http://fogonazos.blogspot.com/2007/02/largest-drain-hole-ever.html


Readers:

I've received permission to post this written communication from Joe Quigley, made through his attorneys, to the Oklahoma City School Board as a good faith overture to spare the District unnecessary expense and embarrassment. The District continues to dig a deeper hole for itself in the pursuit of a self-destructive tactic using the removed dirt to cover its own fecal droppings.

Even if the appeal of a de novo ruling is legal, the District is still required in the meantime to continue Quigley's pay or assign him to a teaching position reflecting his qualifications and experience. Though unable to see clearly because of its vindictive fog towards Joe Quigley the School Board will learn its lesson the hard way.
(de novo: http://tinyurl.com/27kxre)

More background links are available here: http://tinyurl.com/qmvm28

Note: NW Classen refers to Northwest Classen High School in Oklahoma City. Opinions stated are my own, other than those clearly attributed to others.

James Nimmo


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[From Joe Quigley]

I guess since they decided to go for the appeal it would not be necessary to keep certain things quiet anymore. The following was what I submitted to the union as a way to save the taxpayers money and bring things to a quiet end right after the district court decision was rendered.

The union pared it down to its essentials (underlined, basically) and presented it to the Board days before their decision.

They went for the appeal and for ignoring the court.


Offer to avoid further time and energy.

I was notified by the district in writing that I would receive remuneration until the adjudication of the trial de novo. If I lost I was off the payroll. If I won, I stayed on. By Oklahoma statute the district cannot pay me if I am not employed by them. Therefore I was till employed.

Instead of hiring a substitute to cover certain English classes that could be mine, releasing the substitute if I prevailed, or offering them a contract if I did not, all positions at the school and throughout the district in the field of Language Arts were filled by full time employees. In the case of NW Classen it would appear the administration either assumed they would prevail, or barring that made sure all positions were filled so as to lock me out. Either way they may have purposely attempted to thwart the will of the court.

This being the case, I am being further inconvenienced as if I were being punished for prevailing in court. Grieving this action is a possible remedy as I have not requested a transfer, and administrative transfers are disciplinary in nature.

However:

If the district would rather have this situation end now as conveniently for them as possible so that everyone can move on to other things and no more tax payer money is spent, I would offer the following:

In exchange for an agreement not to pursue an appeal of the district court decision, and for adding the phrase “sexual orientation, gender identity” in the student and parent handbook before the phrase “or for any other reason”, or at the end of the list of protected categories where they appear in the policies on nondiscrimination, bullying, and harassment, or where they appear in the student code of conduct,

So that the list will now read, “race, color, gender, national origin, religion, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, or for any other reason”,

I will agree to accept whatever placement to which I am assigned and for which I am certified giving up the option to pursue any further action against the district regarding my placement.

Considering the convenience of the distance from my home to NW Classen, and that there are many convenient options for transportation, such a placement could constitute an extreme inconvenience which I am willing to accept provided the aforementioned conditions are both met.

The addition of “sexual orientation, gender identity” must be immediate. These words can be conveniently added to the web page version of the handbook with notices to campuses to make note of the change and disseminate appropriate notices to students and faculty, with a written assurance that these words are not a temporary action, but are permanently part of the wording of the relevant policy language.

[Joe Quigley]

Oklahoma School District Fails to Learn its Lessons About Discrimination

Photo courtesy of: http://germanhistorydocs.ghi-dc.org/about.cfm

Disclaimer: The following remarks are my own and are not to be construed as coming from any source other than the URLs provided.


Mr. Joe Quigley, who with the defense support of his teachers' union, successfully proved in the Oklahoma County Court, Judge Swinton presiding, that the Oklahoma City Public School District wrongfully terminated his tenured teaching contract.

Quigley is one of Oklahoma City's leading voices in advocating for the inclusion of GLBT protective language in the District's public policy manual. Through various extra-legal actions and verbal hairsplitting the District has time and again avoided its public duty under the law to include all minority students under a non-discrimnation umbrella.

Judge Swinton ordered the District to reinstate Quigley to his former status.

However, the District voted, with two dissenting votes, to appeal Judge Swinton's order and is stopping the payment of Quigley's paycheck during this process, in direct violation of the Court's judgement.

Here are quotes from Judge Swinton's decision:

Case No. CJ-2008-4883

"In determining whether or not the preponderance burden of proof has been met by the school district, I've considered the main factors that were brought forward in the Defendant's Exhibit 1. That addressed most of the exhibits that we have been through the last couple days.

In considering the issue as to whether or not Mr. Quigley used videos improperly, it appears to me that this is one of the prime examples that the school district believes that following policy is more important than educating children. And I can't find that anything that he wished to show his students would have harmed them in any way or done anything more than help educate them in the curriculum that Mr. Quigley was assigned.

It appears that he was subjected to dispirit treatment with regard to the policy on videos and that that does not establish any of the allegations alleged against him.

With regard to failure to use PASS Skills, I have the conflicting information between observers and the video showing that the skills were listed. And all I have with regard to the end of year or end of instruction testing is that his students did well, by his testimony. No one brought me the test scores, so I don't know. I have to accept his testimony.

With regard to lesson plans, in reviewing the policy of Northwest Classen the only requirement is that they should reference the objectives in the PASS documents, not that they have to be listed by number or by specific date or attached to a video request. There's no requirement in this policy for that. So that appears to be less than objective.

With regard to the emails. It again focuses on the allegation that the district has stated that he's failed to do the things his employer asked him to do. Well, I think what teachers are asked to do is educate the children, and it appears this case is more concerned about whether or not we can fill out forms or keep track of emails or who we're sending emails to. There's no evidence that the children were neglected in his class because he was sending emails. There have been emails sent during instruction time, but no one's brought me any evidence that has caused a lack of learning in his classroom if it, in fact, happened.

With regard the zero grading policy, what a Catch-22. First Mr. Quigley's faulted for giving zeroes for lack of participation during class and then faulted for leaving them blank if work is late but they're within the five-day policy of turning it in. So I'm sure the SmartWeb is a wonderful program and I'm sure there are parents that use it, but to criticize a teacher and try to take his job away for not following a policy that he gets faulted whether he uses it or doesn't use it does not appear to be a good use of the district's time.

It appears this case could have been solved very easily if they had just changed the evaluator. If the problems had remained the same with a different evaluator that had not made up her mind, this case would have been completely different, but the school district chose not to do that.

So I believe it's obvious from the parts of this case that I have just commented on that I find that in no way has the district met their burden of proof. And I, as a parent of a child of Oklahoma City Public Schools, apologize to Mr. Quigley for the way you've been treated. And I hope in the future-----I doubt that you'll choose to stay with the Oklahoma City Public Schools, but I hope our children will have that opportunity and I wish you good luck."

The latest article about the District's action is here:
http://tinyurl.com/mnkxxe

The earlier article concerning the District's dismissal of Mr. Quigley is here:

http://tinyurl.com/m2wpty

Did Texas execute an innocent man?

Trial by Fire
Did Texas execute an innocent man?
by David Grann

Readers,

At the New Yorker website is an extensive article about the strong possibility that Texas executed an innocent man.

Combined with "intuitive" arson investigators using outdated techniques, and overworked, unimaginative defense lawyers there is the strong possibility that an innocent man was executed in spite of valiant efforts and substantial scientific developments in the investigation of arson.

There were too many significant points made in the article for me to snip some examples. Get a copy from your public library, independently- owned bookstore, download or read from the website.

http://tinyurl.com/m8sst8

Bull's Eye Accuracy from Bill Moyers

Friday 06 September 2009

FOCUS | Bill Moyers: Uncivil Discourse
http://www.truthout.org/090609Z?n


Bill Moyers, Bill Moyers Journal: "Bill Maher asked me on his show last week if America is still a great nation. I should have said it's the greatest show on earth. Forget what you learned in civics about the Founding Fathers - we're the children of Barnum and Bailey, our founding con men. Their freak show was the forerunner of today's talk radio."

Surrender in book on Mohammad cartoons

Note to readers: I'm not a fan of Ayn Rand but I AM opposed to censorship of information. Also, here is the location of the illustration: http://hatshepsut.mu.nu/archives/169006.php
________________________________

http://blog.aynrandcenter.org/surrender-in-book-on-mohammad-cartoons/

Surrender in book on Mohammad cartoons
September 4, 2009 by Elan Journo

The Washington Post has come out swinging against Yale University Press for deciding to cut visual depictions of Mohammad from a new scholarly book on the Danish cartoons crisis. The book, “Cartoons that Shook the World” by Jytte Klausen, was purged not only of the 12 infamous cartoons, but also of an illustration from a children’s book and other artistic depictions of the prophet. None appear in the book, for fear that Islamists may launch attacks in response. The Post’s editorial observes that the cartoons are “inflammatory and tasteless” but notes that “it’s difficult to imagine a more legitimate place for them” than in a scholarly work. By refusing to publish the images, “Yale University Press is allowing violent extremists to set the terms of free speech.”

snip--more at: http://blog.aynrandcenter.org/surrender-in-book-on-mohammad-cartoons/

Have Republicans Turned Into a Weird Religious Cult?

By Johann Hari, Independent UK
Posted on August 24, 2009, Printed on August 30, 2009

http://www.alternet.org/story/142144/

Something strange has happened in America in the nine months
since Barack Obama was elected. It has best been summarised by the
comedian Bill Maher: "The Democrats have moved to the right, and the
Republicans have moved to a mental hospital."

---

How do they train themselves to be so impervious to reality?
It begins, I suspect, with religion. They are taught from a young age thatit is good to have "faith" - which is, by definition, a belief without any evidence to back it up. You don't have "faith" that Australia exists, or that fire burns: you have evidence. You only need "faith" to believe the untrue or unprovable. Indeed, they are taught that faith is the highest aspiration and most noble cause. Is it any surprise this then percolates into their political views? Faith-based thinking spreads and contaminates the rational.

---

Sometimes in politics you will have enemies, and they must be
democratically defeated. The political system cannot be gummed up by a need to reach out to the maddest people or the greediest constituencies. There is no way to expand healthcare without angering Big Pharma and the Republicaloons. So be it. As Arianna Huffington put it, "It is as though, at the height of the civil rights movement, you thought you had to bring together Martin Luther King and George Wallace and make them agree. It's not how change happens."

However strange it seems, the Republican Party really is spinning
off into a bizarre cult who believe Barack Obama is a baby-killer
plotting to build death panels for the grannies of America.. Their new slogan could be - shrill, baby, shrill.

complete at: http://www.alternet.org/story/142144/