News Flashes & Eye Lashes: 2000

(Jump to 2001 News Flashes & Eye Lashes)

7/28/00
SLAVERY REPARATIONS…WHY? I DIDN’T DO IT.
Walter Williams, a nationally syndicated columnist, expresses how asinine he finds the concept of U.S. reparations for slavery in an article titled, "Reparations for Slavery an Immoral Idea" in the July 28, 2000 issue of Human Events. Unfortunately, his argument suffers terribly from serial non sequiturs. Arguing that since, "…both slaves as well as their owners are all dead…punishing perpetrators and compensating victims is out of the hands of the living." Urging us to remember other slavery "villains" such as 18th and 19th century African Moslems, he says, "President Clinton apologizing for slavery in Africa, of all places, is stupid--apologizing to descendants of slave traders for slavery in America."
This parading of progressively more egregious statements is something Williams seems to tremendously enjoy,"…Blacks benefited immensely from the horrors suffered by our ancestors." The factual basis for this statement? Well, it seems he applies dubious statistics and irrelevant comparisons resulting in two conclusions: 1) Summing the incomes of Black Americans alone would earn them the #14 or #15 spot of richest nations in the world. 2) "The 34% of blacks considered to be poor are fairly well off by world standards.
Williams seems almost thankful when he says, "Had there not been slavery, and today’s blacks were born in Africa instead of the United States, we’d be living in the same poverty that today’s Africans live in and under the same brutal regimes."
(source: Human Events, 7/28/00, p. 19)

7/27/00
HOLY COW! IS THIS WHAT "HOLY MATRIMONY" IS ALL ABOUT?
After having learned some interesting things about what husbands and wives want from an article titled "5 Things Husbands Should Know…" in the July 2000 issue of Answer Magazine, I thought I’d share a few excerpts:
"Most women…want their husbands to take the lead in marriage and family matters. There are exceptions, of course, but they are just that-exceptions."
"A husband’s attitude at this point is crucial. Let him assume he is the head because he is in some way superior, and he may feel threatened. Let him see it as a God-given post, a responsibility assigned, and the climate of his marriage will be much different."
"A mature husband will not feel threatened if after prayerful consideration, the wife develops interests outside the home. Many women need such stimulation and can handle the pressures."
"Women want to have first place in the affections of their husbands. A wife wants her husband to like being with her. No, he may not have time to help her with the dishes. But it’s not help she may want as much as assurance that her husband loves her more than the evening paper or the ball game."
(source: Answer Magazine, July 2000, Vol. 7 No. 3)

7/27/00
NEW COLLEGE JUST FOR HOMESCHOOLERS
There’s only one major : Government. Students must wear uniforms. They won’t drink. They will attend chapel daily. And they won’t date unless they have parental approval. Bring back memories of your college days? Probably not. However, when Patrick Henry College in Purcellville, Virginia opens in the fall, this is the lifestyle its prospective home-schooled freshmen will lead. President Michael P. Farris, head of the Home School Legal Defense Association and a former candidate for lieutenant governor in Virginia, established this college geared towards home-schooled students with a mission, "…to train a new generation of Christian conservative political leaders."
Touting rigorous admissions standards, the still unfinished Patrick Henry College claims to have drawn a pool of applicants who are competitive with even the most academically elite schools in the nation. One of the three essays required for admissions asks applicants to describe his/her, "…relationship with Jesus Christ and …personal walk of faith." Another singular feature of the one-major curriculum at Patrick Henry is the apprenticeship model in which students are required to, "…spend half their time interning on Capitol Hill or in other public-policy jobs." With 70 of the 90 applicants currently admitted, Patrick Henry will fall below Farris’ desired enrollment of 120. One student quoted in the Washington Post article said, "…if she went to a traditional university, she would not be used to the diversity of its student body." Another indicated that, "…Patrick Henry seemed ideal for a Christian conservative aspiring to be governor of Virginia."
(source: Washington Post, 4/16/00; article attached to direct mail from Patrick Henry College)

6/30/00
OPPORTUNITY DOESN’T ALWAYS KNOCK
Stating that, "…recent numbers indicate that minority enrollment has rebounded significantly at the University of California and is larger today than in 1999," Herbert London, president of the Hudson Institute, believes Proposition 209 to be a blessing. The proposition eliminated affirmative action procedures in California’s public universities three years ago. Although London doesn’t bother to cite these critical "numbers" in his article in the June 30, 2000 issue of Human Events, he stridently claims that, "…there are more opportunities for minorities than was ever the case before." He goes on to acknowledge the actual DECREASE in minority enrollment at flagship campuses at Berkeley, San Diego, and Santa Barbara with only a cursory mention. He resolves this discrepancy by pointing to the shift of minorities to all the colleges in the state university system. And although he admits that this, "…redistribution does mean that some minority students were shifted to less competitive campuses," he takes an "any-education-is-better-than-no-education" stance. Ward Connerly, the original Proposition 209 crusader, emphasizes that this is a, "…redistribution of students to where they should be."
(source: Human Events, 6/30/00)

6/28/00
SOME SISTERLY ADVICE
When The Rules was published a few years ago, it gained cult status among women who found in it the necessary pedagogy to revive the pre-feminist world of dating and mating. Here, women would engage in battle with men, devising strategies to capture mates and to best utilize the ammunition of their feminine wiles. In an article titled, "Feminism is Dead in America," found in the July 6, 2000 issue of The Wanderer and in the June 28, 2000 issue of Conservative Chronicle, Linda Bowles proclaims that feminism and the feminist ideal of economic independence through work "…is past its peak and in serious recession for the simple reason that it did not work out as promised." She cites a study of 800 women conducted by the fashion magazine, Cosmopolitan, that says "…a strong majority of women want a full-time life at home with a husband and children. "
In an altruistic effort, Bowles offers some "sisterly advice":
"Join the National Rifle Association. Meet some real men, and learn to defend yourself at the same time. I know both thoughts may frighten you, but such fear can and should be overcome. Malehood and weaponry are of value in a lonely and dangerous world."
"Don’t get in your husband’s face during halftime when his beloved team is behind by four touchdowns."
"Lesbianism is a silly misadventure down a dead-end street."
"Ignore all those feminists telling you how empty and valueless you are unless you get out of the home and into the workforce. Look at their angry and unhappy faces. They would give up everything they have for a husband who cherishes them and for precious children who call them ‘mama’."
(source: The Wanderer, 7/6/00)

7/5/00
IT’S A "NO-BRAINER"
Rep. Roscoe Bartlett (R- Md) seems protective of the U.S. military. He strives to maintain the military’s position as a bastion of masculinity by sponsoring "a no-brainer" amendment to the Defense Authorization Act that, "…would prevent women from serving on undersea vessels [submarines]." Rep. Bartlett cites Dr. Charles A. Donovan of the Family Research Council and Anita K. Blair from the Independent Women’s Forum to clarify the "no-brainer" part of the amendment. The former says, "Close quarters inside submarines magnify personal stress, and create conditions in which body contact is unavoidable and privacy is almost nonexistent, especially regarding the rotating bunk procedure that is common." And Blair believes that, "… women would be at increased risk of pregnancy and sexual harassment if assigned to submarine deployments that often last for months / …many [sailors] must ‘hot-bunk’—that is occupy a bunk used by another sailor…"
The real "no-brainer?" As long as this "boys will be boys" attitude percolates through male-dominated institutions, the strict enforcement of rules and expectations of male sailors to heed those rules, to act professionally, and to be accountable for their actions will suffer at the cost of opportunities for qualified female sailors.
(Source: National Liberty Journal 6/00)

7/26/00
CRUMBLE AND FALL
"Any society that adopts homosexuality as its central building block will ultimately crumble upon itself. It is one thing to move an activity from the prohibited to the tolerated category; but it is totally unheard of to move homosexuality from the prohibited to the preferred category," says Matthew Staver, Chief Counsel for the National Liberty Journal. Arguing that marriage is the glue that holds any society together and the obvious preferred category for any community, Staver believes Vermont’s sanction of same-sex unions to be the demise of the world as we know it. Since Vermont’s landmark April legislation gave homosexuals access to the slew of marriage benefits and rights that heterosexual couples enjoy (i.e. insurance, adoption and inheritance rights, medical benefits to name a few), he fears homosexual organizations will push for further domestic partnership legislation and sexual orientation nondiscrimination laws.

Through the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) passed by Congress a few years ago, recognition of same-sex marriage is left to the discretion of each individual state. Currently 30 states have enacted the anti-gay DOMA and do not recognize same-sex unions. Under these circumstances, Staver predicts an inevitable mass exodus of homosexual couples to Vermont’s Promised Land and the subsequent request by these newlyweds to have their relationships honored in the 15 or more states with no DOMA. In a final plea urging Vermont’s residents to remember the wrongs done to them by Vermont’s legislators , he coaxes Vermont’s residents to, "…regain the courage of the patriots of one of their neighboring states when they engaged in civil disobedience during the Boston Tea Party."
(Source: National Liberty Journal 6/00)
5/8/2000

LOVE/HATE
Quote for the files: "I like hate crime for the same reason that I like child abuse: the less frequently it occurs, the more we see it, and the very fact that we are counting it means it is declining." - Philip Jenkins, Professor of History and Religious Studies at Penn State, in Chronicles.
Source: Chronicles, May 2000

3/24/2000
BELIEVE IT OR NOT
In an appropriately titled article about Robert Ripley's Believe it or Not collection in World magazine, one of the items described is a fertility statue, illustrated with a photograph of the statue with the breasts obscured by pixelization. This is presented with the subtitle "Ripley would be too politically incorrect today." It is unclear as to whether of not this is an attempt at humor. Believe it or not.

3/23/2000
RIGHT-WING TAKES ON ELECTION 2000
The right-wing Weekly Standard ran two pieces on the Bush-Gore match-up. The first explained how Bush could win, the implication being that Gore had an overwhelming advantage. The conclusion was that Bush would win because he’s simply more "likable." The second piece described Gore’s overwhelming advantage, again with the caveat thrown in at the end, that there was a "glimmer of hope" for Bush if the campaign played out like the 1992 election, where an overconfident administration was clobbered by an upstart (Christopher Caldwell, the author, neglects to mention that it was a Bush, who was clobbered by an upstart campaign which included Gore).
National Review gave it recommendations for Vice-Presidential candidates in its most recent issue. Bill Bennett is touted as a perfect candidate to counter Bush’s recent gaff with Catholic conservatives, as well as his lack of "maturity" (read intelligence?). Andrew Cuomo is likewise recommended as Gore’s ideal running mate in a description of his status as a Democratic rising star.

3/20/2000
JOHN BIRCH SOCIETY APOLOGISTS FOR JOERG HAIDER
In The New American, John McManus, president of the John Birch Society, plays apologist for Austria's Joerg Haider, claiming that Haider's comments regarding Hitler's positive impact on the German economy was "unfairly characterized by Haider's detractors as a defense of everything Hitler ever did." McManus calls the Freedom Party's rise unsurprising in light of the "tight-fisted two party rule" in Austria over the past 50 years. McManus does concede that there may be legitimate reasons to have reservations regarding Haider, but not because of his xenophobic views, rather because of his private meetings with globalists Newt Gingrich and Alan Greenspan (tennis with the latter, no less). McManus concludes on the one hand, that European Union globalists benefit from their attacks on Haider since it keeps them from having an "authentic Competitor," while maintaining, on the other hand, that Haider is now their ally.
(Source: The New American, Mar. 13, 2000)

3/20/2000
HARNESSING HUMAN DEPRAVITY
The Schwarz Report, a publication of the Christian Anti-Communism Crusade now handled by Summit Ministries, included the following in its monthly harangue against Marxism: "Marxism cannot succeed because it has no way to harness human depravity for the service of others. Instead it depends on altruism where little or none exists, and it supplies no incentive for that altruism to be cultivated."
(Source: The Schwarz Report, Vol. 40 No. 2)

3/15/2000
CALLING ALL CHRISTIAN VOTERS
Jerry Falwell has announced the formation of a seven month campaign "to reclaim America as one nation under God." Falwell is calling "this movement" People of Faith 2000 with which he intends to "bring ten million people of faith—people who have never before voted—to the polls on November 7, 2000." Falwell explains his motivation in an email dated March 9, 2000, "As I have watched with deep concern the orchestrated plans of liberals and civil libertarians to demonize and marginalize people of faith, I have arrived at the same conclusion I reached over 20 years ago when I formed the Moral Majority. Over 100,000 pastors, priests and rabbis, plus seven million religious conservative grassroots laypeople, joined forces more than two decades ago. Between 1979 and 1984, we registered over 8.5 million new voters through the churches and religious organizations and re-activated millions more back into the political arena!" Falwell says he will devote the next seven months of his life to energizing, informing and mobilizing the 70 million religious conservatives in America in such a way that "the November 7, 2000 election results will be historic."

3/9/2000
WEB SITE OFFERS $1.5 MILLION TO KILL "ABORTIONIST"
According to Anti-Abortion Violence Watch newsletter, a web site offered a $1.5 million reward for "aborting a child killer." It goes on to declare that "aborting abortionists is a commodity," and the author makes clear that he is "personally opposed to killing abortionists, but I don’t want to impose my morality on others" (emphasis added). The site was brought to the attention of the Department of Justice by pro-choice groups, and was taken off the internet pending investigation.
(Source: Anti-Abortion Violence Watch)

3/9/2000
EX-GAYS SCHEDULE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCES
An international Exodus conference will be held in London on August 28 through September 1. The theme of this conference is "Until the Whole World Knows" and will feature Alan Medinger, Alemu Beeftu, Melvin Wong, Patricia Allan, and Susan De Bruine. Several workshops will be "taught by various Exodus ministry leaders worldwide who will travel to London for this special event, held every three years," notes the January 2000 Exodus Update. A series of other ex-gay conferences have been scheduled for 2000 as well. Living Waters is conducting a training in Auckland, New Zealand from March 5-10. Exodus Latin America will hold a conference March 30- April 2 in Quito, Ecuador. A "Healing Homosexuality" seminar featuring Richard Cohen will be held on March 18 in Baltimore, MD. Courage, the Roman Catholic arm of the ex-gay movement, will hold a conference in Holyoke, MA from April 24-27. Exodus International will hold its Mid-Atlantic Regional conference, "The Father’s Healing Love," featuring Jack Frost on April 28-30 in Harrisonburg, VA. Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays (P-FOX) will hold its annual conference featuring Joe Dallas, Richard Cohen and Robert Knight in Old Town, VA on April 28-30. And the 25th annual North American Exodus conference featuring Andy Comiskey, Frank Worthen, Kathy Koch, and Steve Arterburn will be held in San Diego on July 24-28.

3/8/2000
DR. LAURA GOES TO CINCINNATI
Dr. Laura Schlessinger, controversial host of the "Dr. Laura" radio show and a favorite of Christian Right leaders, will be the keynote speaker at the Citizens for Community Values (CCV) annual fundraising spring banquet on April 13, 2000. Dr. Laura is heard on more than 450 radio stations in North America and has been widely criticized for her rightist views on homosexuality and feminism among other issues. CCV’s mission is "to promote Judeo-Christian moral values and to reduce destructive behaviors contrary to those values through education, active community partnering, and empowering individuals at the local and national level." CCV has a $1.5 million budget for 2000 according to its Winter 2000 newsletter, Citizens’ Courier.

3/8/2000
HATE IT
David Horowitz, a self identified former 60s radical turned conservative and now president of the Center for the Study of Popular Culture, feels hated. "[W]hen the scales fell from my eyes, and I saw the New Left for the insidious evil it represents, I did the inexcusable. I spoke out against it and when I did, I became hated," writes Horowitz in his January 31, 2000 fundraising appeal. "You see the Left isn’t forgiving or civil. Instead, they’re violently, fervently committed to their unholy war to tear down American democracy and replace it with their version—an Americanized version—of communism," continues Horowitz. So Horowitz is doing his part to "halt the Left" with his "Conservative Challenge 2000" initiative. According to Horowitz, Conservative 2000 is: "Putting Marxist promoters on American campuses on the defensive as I take the truth about our democracy straight into their lecture halls with out Challenge Debates; Bringing Conservative leaders face-to-face with Hollywood celebrities, writers, producers, and directors to challenge their stereotyped images, ideas and attitudes about conservative principles, policies and visions for America’s future; and opening the direct lines of communication with conservative leaders across America to teach about the left-wing forces they’re fighting and how to combat their guerilla-like tactics."

3/6/2000
ANTI-HOMOSEXUAL PROPAGANDA
A survey sent by D. James Kennedy, head of Coral Ridge Ministries, begins with the following: "True or False: A crime is less wrong if a homosexual commits it – and more wrong if a homosexual is the victim?" Kennedy goes on to describe a rape of a 13 year-old boy that was "buried" by the media, compares it to the "equally horrible" Matthew Shepard case, and uses this as evidence of the "pro-homosexual propaganda machine." He then asserts that we should "please understand [him]: [he] do[es] not hate homosexuals." Just send in your much-needed contribution with your five-question survey. Kennedy concludes without a hint of cynicism.
(Source: Direct-mail appeal from Coral Ridge Ministries).

3/6/2000
PROMISE KEEPERS BACK TO CHARGING FOR CONFERENCES IN 2000

This year men will have to pay to attend a PK event. Promise Keepers has scrapped its donation only policy to boost income for new projects including non-conference efforts, its global ministry to men, outreach to local churches, pastors’ events and two national daily radio broadcasts. Fees of $69 per adult and $49 per youth will be charged. Income dropped significantly after PK dropped registration fees in 1998 at which point the organization downsized. Earlier this year PK closed its eight regional offices. PK has scheduled 15 conferences for 2000 with a theme titled "Go the Distance." Conferences will be held in Lynchburg, VA; Pittsburgh, PA; Portland, OR; Louisville, KY; Milwaukee, WI; Albuquerque, NM; Worcester, MA; Denver, CO; Oklahoma City, OK; Sacramento, CA; Minneapolis, MN; Los Angeles, CA; Orlando, FL; and Atlanta, GA. (For conference dates or more information see www.promisekeepers.org)

3/6/2000
ANTI-ABORTION VIDEO MAGAZINE

Started in 1992 by anti-abortion activist Mark Crutcher, LifeTalk Video Magazine is a monthly video provided by Life Dynamics Incorporated. ‘The Abortion Industry’s Worst Nightmare Just Came True!" screams the brochure. LifeTalk provides "news, commentary and insights from America’s most effective pro-life organization; interviews with spies who work for Life Dynamics inside the abortion industry; information about powerful new pro-life strategies and services; and discussions with the movement’s leaders, hidden heroes, and grass-roots activists." LifeTalk comes monthly in the form of a VHS tape. (For more information see www.ldi.org).

3/3/2000
HAPPY BIRTHDAY PAT

Rev. Pat Robertson is having a 70th birthday bash at the Washington Hilton and Towers on March 24, 2000. Among the sponsors are Jesse Helms, Dick Armey, Pat Boone, Ann Jillian, Rush Limbaugh, Jerry Falwell, Kathie Lee Gifford, Rosey Grier, Gary Busey, Jose Feliciano, Henry Hyde, Dean Jones, Trent Lott, Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr., Ed Meese, Oral Roberts, and Strom Thurmond.
(Source: Mailer sent to PRA)

(Jump to 2001 News Flashes & Eye Lashes)