Another Insane, Obscene Ruling From This Supreme Court

Did you see this?

Supreme Court: religious schools can discriminate when hiring

In one of these cases being tried, a teacher was fired from a religious school because she it was discovered she had breast cancer.

You would think religious schools would fight to make sure organizations COULDN'T discriminate when hiring. Dear God--pun intended--I hope they don't call or consider themselves Christians.

More Right Wing insanity.

And hypocrisy.

Thanks, Republicans.

More Equality Breaking Out In America Today

You maybe saw or heard about this today. It broke this morning, in the last hour or 2.

SCOTUS rules LGBT people protected 

from job discrimination

And sure, it's good news, certainly, but...

It's 2020 and women still don't have equality in the workplace, equality in pay.  In America.  And that's not all.

18 Ways Women Still Aren't Equal to Men 

And check this out.x

Only six countries have equal rights 

for men and women

No real surprise here. The 6 countries?  With equal rights for men and women? Yeah.  All Socialist.  Go figure.

Why the US needs to pass 

the Equal Rights Amendment

Why?  Why the US needs to pass the Equal Rights Amendment?

How about because we think ourselves to be a nation of equality.  And justice. Both.  How about that?

And unbelievably, we aren't even TALKING about the Equal Rights Amendment now, as a nation. It's not even a topic of discussion presently.

And here's some more bad news.

Only one more state needs to pass the Equal Rights Amendment to finally get it ratified. 

Here are the 13 that haven't

Yeah. Missouri is one of the sad, pathetic 13 states that HAVEN'T passed the Equal Rights Amendment.

Pitiful.

Unfortunately, they also did this.

Supreme Court won't consider limiting police immunity from civil lawsuits

They also let stand that police can be and are immune from prosecution.

Then, they ruled basically for Sanctuary Cities--or at least that they can still exist and be supported.

Supreme Court turns aside Justice Department, won't hear California sanctuary cities case

So we got two out of three good rulings today, for the people, from the Court.

We'll get there one day, to equality, full equality and fairness for all Americans.

Some day.

Additional Link:

Liberals have a good day on a conservative Supreme Court

Timely Quote of the Day, II

It seems Mr. Lincoln had a great deal to say about the likes of a President Trump.

You Didn't Make the List, Kansas City!

Congratulations, Kansas City!  You didn't make the list!

America's Most Segregated Cities

I thought sure we'd be on here but we're not, thank goodness. Segregated and separated as we are, and by law, at the time, we aren't one of the worst.

As it turns out, however, St. Louis is, so Missouri didn't get left out. And the statistics are pretty brutal.

6. St. Louis, MO-IL
> Black ppl. in black neighborhoods: 42.2%
> Black population: 18.2%
> Black poverty rate: 29.7%
> White poverty rate: 9.0%

The St. Louis region earned a national spotlight in the summer of 2015 when Michael Brown, a black teenager, was shot and killed by police in Ferguson, sparking protests across the nation. Ferguson is a predominantly black neighborhood — and Brown’s death is inseparable from racial segregation in the area. One of the most damaging effects of residential segregation is funding disparities between neighboring school districts. Because property taxes play such a large role in school funding, well-off communities often
have an interest in keeping poor areas separate.

Instead of one, St. Louis has 24, quite disparate school districts. This August, water fountains in 30 predominantly black St. Louis public schools were shut down due to lead contamination. Some of the area’s wealthiest communities with some of the best-funded schools are less than 20 miles away, and with state-of-art facilities, have reliable clean water.

As is common in large metro areas — not just the most segregated — the poverty rate among black St. Louis residents, at nearly 30%, is approximately three times the poverty rate among the area’s white residents.

The St. Louis region earned a national spotlight in the summer of 2015 when Michael Brown, a black teenager, was shot and killed by police in Ferguson, sparking protests across the nation. Ferguson is a predominantly black neighborhood — and Brown’s death is inseparable from racial segregation in the area. One of the most damaging effects of residential segregation is funding disparities between neighboring school districts. Because property taxes play such a large role in school funding, well-off communities often have an interest in keeping poor areas separate.

Instead of one, St. Louis has 24, quite disparate school districts. This August, water fountains in 30 predominantly black St. Louis public schools were shut down due to lead contamination. Some of the area’s wealthiest communities with some of the best funded schools are less than 20 miles away, and with state-of-art facilities, have reliable clean water.

As is common in large metro areas — not just the most segregated — the poverty rate among black St. Louis residents, at nearly 30%, is approximately three times the poverty rate among the area’s white residents.

So you see, it's not just about people of different colors being separated. It's about opportunities and jobs and education, right on down to wealth, certainly. Segregation becomes about perpetuating both wealth and poverty.

And that's just wrong. 

Links:

How segregation creates chronic unemployment, 

poverty traps, and crime

The Effect of Segregation on Crime Rates

Poverty and Crime: Breaking a Vicious Cycle of Discrimination

Lead In Water: What Are The Health Effects And Dangers?

Why lead is so dangerous for children

News Flash to City Fathers

This, breaking today from the NCAA to all city leaders across the nation:

NCAA vote: No Final Fours in cities 

without anti-discrimination laws

The NCAA's Board of Governors implemented a new requirement Wednesday in the bidding process.

After months of hinting that it would use its athletic power to take a stand against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, the NCAA on Wednesday made it official.

The organization's Board of Governors, at its quarterly meeting in Indianapolis, adopted a new requirement for sites hosting or bidding on NCAA events in all divisions -- from Final Fours to educational conferences.

Those host cities must "demonstrate how they will provide an environment that is safe, healthy and free of discrimination, plus safeguards the dignity of everyone involved in the event," the NCAA said.
So there you are, folks.  If you like discriminating against yet one more group---it used to be Jews, then the Irish, then blacks, now it's the LGBTQ community--the tide, the world, is turning against you.

It reminds me of the quote from Martin Luther King, Jr.

"The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice."

Right Wing, "Conservative", Religious, Supposedly "Christian", Republican Springfield Repeals Equality

There's a shocker, huh?

LGBT protections repealed in Springfield

The bigots from the pews won.

This one, this time.

The thing is, what they don't recognize is that we all want equality.

This is America, right?

Didn't we always say, haven't we always been told, from grade school? that "...all men are created equal"?

What too many don't recognize is that the opposite of equality id discrimination.

So, Kansas City.... You Want the Final Four Back?

It looks as though Kansas City's chances for possibly getting the basketball Final Four back from Indianapolis just shot up this week:

NCAA 'concerned' over Indiana law that allows biz to reject gays

It seems the religious zealots over in Indiana got their way with some Right Wing, Republican legislators:

Gov. Mike Pence signs 'religious freedom' bill in private

This "religious freedom" bill is their desire to discriminate against fellow Indianans, and legally:

Senate Bill 101 prohibits state or local governments from substantially burdening a person's ability to exercise their religion — unless the government can show that it has a compelling interest and that the action is the least-restrictive means of achieving it. It takes effect July 1.

Although the bill does not mention sexual orientation, opponents fear it could allow business owners to deny services to gays and lesbians for religious reasons.

And of course they would deny service. It's their stated goal.

All of a sudden, there are lots and lots of people and groups and even companies calling for a nationwide boycott of the entire state, too, as proof:

Youth Travel Sports Should Boycott Indiana

San Francisco Is First Major City To Boycott Indiana Over LGBT Discrimination Law

ESPN's Ruocco to Sports Leagues: Boycott Indiana Until New 'Religious Freedom' Law Changed

George Takei Asks Twitter Followers to #BoycottIndiana

Salesforce boycotts Indiana over fear of LGBT discrimination

So all of a sudden, Kansas City, you're looking better and better.

NCAA: 'Religious freedom' law creates concern for future events

That Sprint Center you have downtown?

Do you have an open schedule?

Kansas Republicans, trying to outdo Missouri Republicans (on stupid)

Yessirree, in the Mo-Kan, bi-state battle for the more ignorant legislation to come out of a state capitol, Kansas Republicans have just today bested and one-upped their counterparts in Jefferson City.

Stand back, ladies and gentlemen, as the Kansas Right Wing is fighting today to make discrimination legal in that state:

Kansas Bill Allowing Businesses to Discriminate

And not only did they vote to make discrimination a-okay here in America, but they're basing it on religion, as good Christians would because, after all, isn't that what Jesus would do?  From the article:

The Kansas state legislature has voted to allow businesses and government employees to discriminate against homosexuals on the grounds of their religious beliefs.

The measure passed an initial vote by a wide margin of 72 votes to 42. If it passes another vote today, it will go to the Republican-controlled state senate where it will likely be passed.

House Bill 2453 would allow businesses like restaurants, hotels, bars and stores to refuse service to a homosexual person or persons if “it would be contrary to their sincerely held religious beliefs.” It would also allow government employees to refuse to issue wedding licenses to homosexual couples without threat of a lawsuit. If an employee does refuse to provide a service, the state is required to find another employee who will serve them as quickly as possible.

And did you get that last part?  You have to love that--all you have to be is "sincere."

I can hardly wait now, to see what those kooky, Right Wing, "small government" over-reachers will come up with over in Jefferson City, to try to outdo this beauty.

Remember back, years and years ago, when America used to be AGAINST discrimination?

Quote of the day--for the "Lord's Day"

 

 

 

Notes on a viral video

I just found this video on the YouTube home page.

Observations:

1)  How cool, simply;

2) How great that Home Depot is getting/will get support and goodwill out of it;

3) This is what equality is all about;

4) Most of us don't have, will never have someone who loves us that much;

5) It's freaking beautiful;

6) How great that all those friends--ALL those friends--were there and so supportive;

7) Their parents were there;

8)  Lots of family was apparently also there;

9) Plenty of people will have cried at how beautiful and simple this is.

10) If someone's religion gets in the way of this beauty, in the way of love, of this kind of love, it's their problem--the one with the judgmental, condemning religion--and no one else's.


Now, get out there and have a beautiful weekend, people.

Our future?

One of the best things about the next, upcoming generations is that they're so open-minded and inclusive and can't even imagine, for the most part, discriminating against a person for their race or sexual preference or whatever.

If there's a bad thing it's that, if we're ever invaded by a foreign nation, I expect and fear they'll be so distracted by the latest technology and also highly likely, chewing on Cheetohs and/or KFC and too preoccupied in too many ways to notice.

To borrow a quote from another local blogger:  "YOU KIDS GET OF MY LAWN!!"

On Malcolm X birthday

"I'm for truth, no matter who tells it. I'm for justice, no matter who it is for or against. I'm a human being, first and foremost, and as such, I'm for whoever and whatever benefits humanity as a whole."

--Malcolm X


Malcolm X was far brighter and far more right, more correct than most of the establishment wanted to give him credit at the time--at least publicly--without doubt.

Most white people then and even far too many to this day have no idea what black people in this nation have gone through nor still go through to this day.

And they don't care to know, either, most of them.

Links:

Malcolm X - Wikipedia

Malcolm X Quotes

Anyone else see the irony?

Anyone else notice this?

Well, anyone else besides those of us who care about things like equal rights and fairness and equality, anyway?

Anyone notice how shameful and ironic and hypocritical, all, that, at the same time, the Right Wing and Republicans are pushing voter ID laws to cull and shorten the voting lists across Missouri, Kansas, other states and, indeed, the nation, the US Supreme Court is also considering whether we need the 1964 Voting Rights Act still?

All at the same time.

As if racism somehow magically went away. Far from it. We know better. We know far better.

The now more hidden, more nuanced, subversive racism of today is far more sinister, too.

And the wonderful thing about pushing for these voter ID laws, along with the racism, is that it helps shorten the voter lists for the handicapped and elderly and minorities, usually, frequently, as the Republicans so well know.

That they can do this in broad daylight, too, is stunning.

Shameful and disgusting but stunning, certainly.

If you can, if you would, please go here to contact your legislator and tell them we don't want "Jim Crow" laws back in Missouri:

http://jcnaacp.blogspot.com/2013/02/say-no-to-jim-crow.html?spref=fb

Links:   Supreme Court raises doubts about Voting Rights Act 

Jim Crow laws - Wikipedia