June 13, 2013

Issue

And Where Do You Shop?

Details

The following businesses had booths at Sunday’s ‘Gay Pride’ Festival in Philadelphia.  There were also booths representing  local businesses.  Here’s a link to some of the sponsors.

(click on pictures to enlarge)

AT&T   

Campbell’s Soup Company

Comcast (had a table reserved, but as far as we know never showed)

Dow Chemical

Geico (had a plane/banner flying overhead)

Home Depot (had a table reserved, but as far as we know never showed)

Mary Kay

Nationwide Insurance (located behind the Philadelphia Department of Health booth)

New York Life

PECO

State Farm Insurance

Verizon

Walgreens  (do not have a picture of their booth, but their presence was indicated on festival literature)

Wells Fargo

Click here for our news release issued yesterday.

Action Steps

Again, the question where do you shop, buy insurance or bank?

Check out Faith Driven Consumer  and Cultural Polluters.

Philadelphia Gay Pride Festival Proves Gramley’s Point

(Philadelphia) — Last week Diane Gramley, President of the American Family Association of Pennsylvania (AFA of PA), spoke at a news conference in front of the Washington, DC headquarters of the homosexual lobby group Human Rights Campaign.   She focused on the statistics from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) which outline the dangers associated with the homosexual lifestyle and questioned the use of the word ‘pride’ after looking at the multiple health risks.  This past Sunday’s Philadelphia Pride Festival proved her point.

“Philadelphia’s ‘pride’ festival is obviously a misnomer.  One of the CDC stats I mentioned last week was that  in 2010 seventy-seven percent of HIV infections among men were male to male sexual contact.  The numerous locations where ‘pride’ festival goers could get free HIV testing or information about the danger indicates the major heath risks,” Diane Gramley, president of the AFA of PA notes.

(click on pictures to enlarge)

• Free Condoms paid for by tax dollars and made available by the Philadelphia Department of Health  (as the FDA notes, ” Condoms may be more likely to break during anal intercourse than during other types of sex because of the greater amount of friction and other stresses involved.”   The CDC implements the words ‘used consistently and correctly’ when describing the effectiveness of condoms and also notes, ” Rates of condom breakage during sexual intercourse and withdrawal are approximately two broken condoms per 100 condoms used in the United States.)
• Mazzoni Pride Test

• Temple University’s – health survey

• University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine

“According to the CDC’s HIV Surveillance Report, the Philadelphia region ranks 16th among metropolitan areas for new AIDS cases.  In 2011, 960 Philadelphians were newly diagnosed with HIV, over 75 percent were Stage 3 AIDS.  About 12,000 Philly residents are living with AIDS today, yet the Philadelphia Department of Health is handing out free condoms which if used ‘consistently and correctly’ and don’t break may stop the spread of the HIV virus.  Mayor  Michael Nutter, rather than issuing a welcome letter to the ’25th annual Philadelphia Gay Pride Parade and Festival,’ should be looking at these statistics and questioning their promotion of the lifestyle which is at the center of this public health risk,” Gramley concluded.

# # #

June 11, 2013

Issue

Debate on Gang of 8 Immigration Bill Continues Today!

Details

S744 is called the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act.  Does it live up to its name?

1.)  Border Security — S744 does not provide money for additional border fencing or even completion of what is already required under current law. Department of Homeland Security is not required to build a fence (which was ordered by the Secure Fence Act signed by President George W. Bush). DHS is required only to submit a plan.

2.)  Economic Opportunity — illegal aliens who entered the United States before age 16 would be put on a path to citizenship. And, S.744 also includes a provision for in-state college tuition for illegal aliens. Out-of-state students will be forced to pay a higher tuition rate, while foreign national illegal aliens will be granted a reduced price tag on education, subsidized by American taxpayers.  Illegal immigrants new U.S. legality will be concealed under the bureaucratic title, Registered Provisional Immigrant (RPI) status.

According to the Heritage Foundation, this amnesty will cost the U.S. taxpayers $6.3 trillion over the lifetimes of the amnestied persons.  This  includes all forms of public benefits less the taxes they pay.

Eagle Forum:  The Gang of Eight authorizes the issuance of 33 million lifetime work permits (for 11 million amnesties plus accelerated chain migration) over the next ten years. This enormous influx of job seekers will flood our labor markets and communities, thus continuing the high unemployment of Americans, driving down the wages of those who do have jobs, and eliminating their hope of ever rising to the middle class and achieving the American dream.

Every amnestied person will become eligible for ObamaCare upon receiving a green card, and within five years will be able to cash in on our 79 means-tested welfare benefits. The timetable for these generous benefits will almost certainly be advanced because of Senator Chuck Schumer’s demands, Obama’s executive orders, or lawsuits brought before judges who believe in a “living” Constitution.

3.)  Immigration Modernization –  The entire 11 million illegal aliens who would be set on the path to citizenship under S744 are supposed to learn English (too many loopholes in the law to make this a reality) and are supposed to undergo a background check by the same CIA and FBI that missed the danger signs of the Boston Marathon bombing brothers being potential terrorists.

“Immigrant integration’ is included in the Gang of 8 bill.  This will simply give taxpayers’ dollars to leftwing and Islamist activist groups like CASA, LaRaza, MALDEF and CAIR.  This bill defines these groups as nonprofit organizations including those with legal advocacy experience working with immigrant countries.”

Current U.S. law provides for the yearly admission of more than one million persons, more than any nation in the world, and the Gang of Eight’s bill will double that number.  Current immigration laws are not being enforced, why should more immigration laws be passed that would give lawbreakers passage to the head of the line when others have obeyed the law and waited (and continue to wait) to legal enter the United States?

It is apparent that this bill does not live up to any of the three components of its name!  Our southern border will remain an open door, the economic opportunity of American citizens will be adversely affected and this so-called ‘immigration modernization’ bill will simply reward  those who have entered the country illegally.  Rewarding lawbreakers is not the way the American Dream is fulfilled!

The vote in the Senate on S744 may come as early as today!

Action Steps

Go to our ACTION CENTER to contact Senators Bob Casey, Jr. and Pat Toomey to ask  them to vote ‘NO’ on this outrageous bill.

June 5, 2013

Issue

Tuesday’s News Conference

Details

Thank you for your prayers.  Tuesday’s news conference in front of the Washington, DC headquarters of the Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest homosexual lobby group, went off without incident.  A big thanks to Peter LaBarbera with Americans for Truth About Homosexuality for organizing the press conference.   All the participants did a great job.  The truth was spoken during the news conference – including the dangers of the homosexual lifestyle, no one is born ‘gay,’ and disagreeing with their political agenda and not celebrating their lifestyle does not make us haters.  The Gospel was presented by several who participated.  Pray that those who heard what the Bible really says about sin and the need for repentance will accept God’s plan of salvation.

Action Steps

Cliff Kincaid with Accuracy in Media and USA Survival was there and videotaped the entire news conference.  He has it posted on You Tube in three parts.

Click here for Part 1 — Peter’s Introduction and Liberty Counsel’s Matt Barber’s presentation

Click here for Part 2 — Mission America’s Linda Harvey and Diane Gramley’s  presentations

Click here for Part 3 — Patrick Mangan, Executive Director of Citizens for Community Values of Indiana and filmmaker Eric Holmberg.  This video also includes closing Q & A.

June 4, 2013

Issue

UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Details

From HSLDA:  The U.S. Senate’s Foreign Relations Committee has announced that there will be a hearing on the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities today! The Senate needs to hear from you immediately that this already defeated UN treaty must not be ratified by the U.S. Senate.

The United States Senate must protect our domestic sovereignty and the care of children with disabilities from unelected, unaccountable UN bureaucrats. Parents know best how to care for their children with disabilities. U.S. law is currently the gold standard for ensuring that people with disabilities are protected and able to participate in all areas of U.S. society.

Action Steps

1.)  Go to our ACTION CENTER  to contact Senator Bob Casey, Jr. and Senator Pat Toomey asking them to vote ‘Nay’ on the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

2.)  Make a follow-up phone call.  Senator Casey’s DC number is (202) 224-6324 and Senator Toomey’s is (202) 224-4254.

May 30, 2013

Issue

While Your Legislators are Home This Week

Details

Your state legislators will be in his or her district offices all this week and would love to hear from you — well, maybe not!  But they need to hear from you about these two very dangerous bills — HB 300 and SB 300.

According to the Philadelphia Gay News, both these bills were introduced on May 7th at a press conference attended by a “coalition of lawmakers, activists and corporate partners.” Passage of either of these bills will add actual or perceived sexual orientation and gender identity to the PA Human Relations Act.

All we have to do is look at other states which have such terminology in their laws which deal with employment, housing and public accommodation to see how dangerous they are.  Here are a few examples:

• Indianapolis bakery faced eviction for citing moral objections to a special-order request for rainbow-decorated cookies for “National Coming Out Day;”
• Kentucky Christian outfitter, Hands on Original, found guilty of ‘sexual orientation discrimination’ for declining to print T-shirts promoting the 5th annual “Lexington Pride Festival;”
• Vermont owners of a family inn fined $30,000 for turning down a lesbian couples request to hold their “wedding” reception there.

Homosexual activists are very effective in playing the victim card.  Even though two open homosexuals serve in the State House, serve on city councils across the Commonwealth, serve as Harrisburg controller, own businesses, etc., they claim victimhood because their lifestyle is not affirmed by all society.  Thus their tactic is to use the force of law to make us affirm their lifestyle.   According to recent polling done by a homosexual activist group, 70 percent of Pennsylvanians support these bills.  When looking at poll results, one must always ask exactly what questions were asked!

According to the Philadelphia Gay News, the House version is being led by Reps. Dan Frankel (D-23rd Dist.) and Chris Ross (R-158th Dist.), while the Senate bill is spearheaded by Sens. Larry Farnese (D-First Dist.) and Pat Browne (R-16th Dist.). ” This marks the first time that the legislation is being taken up by bipartisan co-prime sponsors. It is also the first time both pieces of legislation will carry the same bill number.” (It’s “interesting” that neither of these bills have been posted on the state website, thus we do not know who all the co-sponsors are!)

Action Steps

1.)  Go to our ACTION CENTER to contact your State House member and ask him or her  not to support HB 300.

2.)  Go to our ACTION CENTER to contact your State Senator and ask him or her  not to support SB 300.

3.)  A follow-up phone call to their district office nearest you would be most effective also!

May 29, 2013

Issue

Thank Congressman Joe Pitts

Details

Last Friday Marlin Stutzman (R-IN) sent a Congressional Letter to Eric Holder in support of the Romeike family.  It was also signed by 26 of his colleagues, including Pennsylvania Congressman Joe Pitts.  Remember the Romeike family had been persecuted in Germany because they were homeschooling their five children.  They moved to the US,  settled in Kentucky and received initial asylum.  However,  the Obama Administration through Attorney General Eric Holder, challenged it and the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals backed the Administration.

The Romeikes face deportation and, upon returning to Germany,  the government may take their five children.  FYI – Adolph Hitler is the one who passed the “No Homeschooling Law” and it has never been revoked.

Action Steps

Thank Congressman Pitts for joining 26 of his colleagues in signing the letter to Attorney General Holder in support of the Romeike family which faces losing their five children to German authorities if forced by the Obama Administration to return to their homeland.

Click here for his contact form.     He’s also on Twitter — @RepJoePitts

Message to copy and paste into the contact form or write your own:  Thank you, Congressman Pitts, for signing onto Representative Marlin Stutuzman’s letter in support of the Romeike family which faces deportation back to Germany and religious persecution under its anti-homeschooling law.  When they left Germany, the parents were facing hefty fines and the government threat of a lien on their home simply because they wanted to homeschool.  In January 2010 a federal immigration judge granted the Romeike’s asylum, however in May 2012 the Obama Administration revoked the asylum seeking to deport the family.  On May 14, 2013 the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals backed the Administration. But that decision is WRONG!  Thank you for taking a stand for this family which simply seeks freedom to educate their children as they feel God would have them do.

Boy Scouts’ Decision Will Not Stop Homosexual Activists Attacks on the Scouts

(Harrisburg) —  This evening the Boy Scouts of America  (BSA) voted to allow open homosexual youth into its ranks.  The American Family Association of Pennsylvania (AFA of PA), a statewide traditional values group, is saddened by the path the Boy Scout organization has chosen to follow.

“The Boy Scouts are trying to appease homosexual activists who  want to remake the largest youth organization in the nation.  Allowing youth who identify as homosexual in as members will not oppose these activists, they don’t want any blocks on homosexuals leaders either.  The Scouts have taken the first step into dismantling the organization,” commented Diane Gramley, president of the AFA of PA.

Apparently one of the reasons the Scouts have reached this decision is concerns over finances.  Many Fortune 500 companies, which have added sexual orientation and gender identity to their corporate policies, have said they will withhold donations from the BSA.  Their actions are because of the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index.  A February 4th Washington Times article possibly reveals some of the money problems at the Scouts on the national level.   Five Scout executives make more than $410,000 annually, including Chief Scout Executive Robert J. Mazzuca, who was paid $815,000 in salary in 2011, plus another $166,000 in other compensation. CFO James J. Terry Jr. made $697,000 in 2011, according to the Scouts’ 990 Form, and COO C. Wayne Brock made $568,000.

“Tonight’s decision undermines the Scout Oath to be morally straight and misleads young men who have identified as homosexual.  This change in BSA policy re-enforces the lie that they are born ‘gay’ and will lead not only them, but others in Scouting to believe homosexuality is okay.  That is the wrong message the Boy Scouts of America should be sending,” further noted Gramley.

Parents and sponsoring churches will now have major decisions to make concerning the Boy Scouts of America.

# # #

May 23, 2013

Issue

Last Chance to Contact the Boy Scouts

Details

Today 1400 leaders of the Boy Scouts of America will be voting on whether to change its longstanding membership policy to include open homosexuals in its ranks.  Last week I was part of a group that met with a Scout Executive for 30-45 minutes.  He answered all our questions, but a couple times he said  the Boy Scouts is a business and the decision made on the 23rd would be made from a “what’s best for the business” approach.  To me that was the most disturbing comment that he made during our conversation.  Click here to read the resolution that will be voted on.

Here’s a quote from Robert Knight’s February 4th Washington Times article:  “The timing of this exercise in political correctness is odd. The Scouts, who won a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in June 2000, just had another major legal victory in San Diego, where the 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals reversed a federal district judge’s 2003 decision to evict them from their camp in Balboa Park in a lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union. Last year, the Scouts released a two-year study concluding that their current leadership and membership policy is the correct one. What’s changed? More United Way chapters are leaning on the Scouts, and major corporations have been pulling their funding in recent months, United Parcel Service (UPS), Intel and Merck among them.

This must worry Scout executives, five of whom make more than $410,000 annually, including Chief Scout Executive Robert J. Mazzuca, who was paid $815,000 in salary in 2011, plus another $166,000 in other compensation. CFO James J. Terry Jr. made $697,000 in 2011, according to the Scouts’ 990 Form, and COO C. Wayne Brock made $568,000. That could buy a lot of tent pegs.”

Action Steps

Please contact the Scouts one more time.  The result of the vote on the resolution is to be announced between 5:00 and 7:00 this evening.  Please go to our website to find your Scout Council.  Contact them directly to voice your concerns about overturning this 103 year old policy.  They in turn will contact the representatives who will be voting on this resolution.  Check this out from our friends at onmyhonor.net for Ten Reasons to Vote ‘No” on the Resolution.

May 15, 2013

Issue

State House and Senate Education Committee Hearings

Details

Yesterday beginning at 9:00 a.m. the House Education Committee held, as they put it, an “Informational briefing on the Common Core Standards from PA Dept. of Education Secretary Ron Tomalis.”   He  will present his version of why Pennsylvania should adopt these standards for every school in the Commonwealth, rather than supporting local control of our children’s education. Coincidentally, Secretary Tomalis submitted his resignation to Governor Corbett this week after receiving hundreds of emails and phone calls critical of his support of Common Core. One must ask why is committee chairman, Paul Clymer, refusing to hold actual hearings?

Today beginning at 1:00 p.m. the Senate Education Committee will hold just such a hearing where individuals for and against Common Core will testify.  The chairman of that committee is Senator Mike Folmer who opposes Common Core, click here for a Guest Opinion that he wrote for his local paper where he voices opposition.

Did you know Bill Gates has given away $150 million in grants to push Common Core?    Recipients of some of that money have been the PA Partnerships for Children and the Pennsylvania Business Council.  Representatives from both of these organizations will be testifying today in support of Common Core — surprise, surprise!

Did you know Matt Przywara, the business manager at the School District of Lancaster said,  “We work as though we’re never out of the woods.”  Przywara expects the district to face deficits of $5 million to $6 million per year over the next few years. Soaring pension and health care costs are the main drivers. SDL also is bracing for federal budget cuts and increased operating costs related to the new Common Core curriculum standards that take effect in 2013-14.

Action Steps

Governor Pence of Indiana recently signed a bill into law delaying the implementation of Common Core in that state.  Pennsylvania needs to do the same thing!

Contact your State Representative, State Senator and Governor Corbett to express your concerns about Common Core.  Click here to go to our ACTION CENTER.