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ACTION ALERTS 2005 ARCHIVES (Part II)
AFA of PA ACTION ALERT
Last Day to Apply for Absentee Ballot; Governor Rendell Issues Pornography Awareness Week Proclamation
Today is the last day before the election on November 8th for you to apply for an absentee ballot. With today being the last day, it will be best for you to go to the ‘Voter Registration” office of your county courthouse to apply – that way there’s no way that it will get lost in the mail or won’t arrive in time for next Tuesday’s election.
Also,
the end of last week I received a copy of Governor Rendell’s “White
Ribbon Pornography Awareness Week” proclamation.
The language is below:
GREETINGS:
It
is my pleasure to recognize the week of October 30-
Providing
for the safety, success, and happiness of our youth is one of our most
important responsibilities. A child's home and community
environment will have the greatest impact on their lives, and it is
unfortunate that the reality many children face is one of violence,
abuse, and neglect. Today's children face tremendous challenges
and dangers that threaten to impede their success in school and life.
Accessibility to pornography is one of the challenges, but one that is
easily preventable. With the protection of a loving, involved
family, an enriching environment, and an active community, our children
will be prevented from viewing pornography and not be subjected to the
false and distorted hope of human sexuality that it provides.
As
Governor of the
Signed
under the Governor’s Seal,
Edward
G, Rendell
Governor
Don’t forget about the AFA of PA Pornography Awareness Week resource page on our website. Click here.
ACTION NEEDED:
1.) Don’t forget to vote on November 8th. If you are going to be out of town, be sure to apply for an absentee ballot today. This election is just as important as any other election!
2.) Thank Governor Rendell for issuing the Pornography Awareness Week proclamation. His contact information is as follows:
Call at 717.787.2500 or e-mail using the form at http://sites.state.pa.us/PA_Exec/Governor/govmail.html
AFA of PA ACTION ALERT
1.) NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER AND REMEMBRANCE – SEPTEMBER 16, 2005
2.) FEDERAL HATE CRIMES BILL PASSES AS ALL ATTENTION IS FIXED ON SUPREME COURT CONFIRMATION HEARINGS
1.) Proclamation
by the President: National Day of Prayer and Remembrance for the Victims
of Hurricane Katrina
A Proclamation by the President of the United States of
America
NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim Friday, September 16, 2005, as a National Day of Prayer and Remembrance for the Victims of Hurricane Katrina. I ask that the people of the United States and places of worship mark this National Day of Prayer and Remembrance with memorial services and other appropriate observances. I also encourage all Americans to remember those who have suffered in the disaster by offering prayers and giving their hearts and homes for those who now, more than ever, need our compassion and our support.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this eighth day of September, in the year of our Lord two thousand five, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirtieth.
GEORGE W. BUSH
2.) September 14 saw the United States House pass legislation that heads us down a slippery slope of charging those who oppose homosexuality with a hate crime. We’ve already been through this in Pennsylvania with eleven Christians last October being charged with a hate crime. The prosecutor in Philadelphia used a hate crimes law that we were guaranteed during the debate on the State House floor that ‘it was not about words, but about blood on the streets.’ Well, there was no blood on the streets of Philadelphia, but still eleven Christians faced $90,000 in fines and up to 45 years in prison! Thanks to the efforts of the AFA Center for Law and Policy the charges were eventually dismissed. But who wants to be placed in situation of possibly being charged with a hate crime! This state law has a dampening effect upon the free speech rights of Christians and now a similar federal law has passed!
H.R.3132 – the Children’s Safety Act of 2005 -- was introduced to make improvements on the national sex offenders’ registry program. It was a widely popular bill with strong bipartisan support. Unfortunately, during the debate on Wednesday, Congressman John Conyers (D-Michigan) introduced an amendment – the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act -- to the bill which creates a federal hate crimes law to include special protections for ‘gay,’ ‘lesbian,’ ‘bisexual,’ and ‘transgender’ individuals. A voice vote as to whether to include the amendment appeared to reveal the no votes would not permit it to be included. Congressman Conyers demanded a roll call vote. That amendment passed by a vote of 223 to 199. Twelve of our 19 Pennsylvania Congressman voted in favor of including the hate crimes amendment! The ones voting in favor are as follows:
Robert Brady
Charlie Dent
Michael Doyle
Chaka Fattah
Michael Fitzpatrick
Jim Gerlach
Tim Holden
Paul Kanjorski
John Murtha
Todd Russell Platts
Allyson Schwartz
Curt Weldon
As mentioned earlier this was a very popular bill and after a short debate on the floor of the House, it passed by a vote of 371 to 52, with 10 ‘No Votes.” In that vote every single Pennsylvania Congressman voted for the overall bill.. It now faces a vote and probable passage in the Senate.
For additional information, please click here to read the news release that we issued.
ACTION NEEDED:
1.) Plan on participating in the National Day of Prayer and Remembrance.
2.) Contact your Congressman and express your disappointment in his or her ‘yes’ vote on H.R. 3132. If your Congressman’s name is listed above, he or she also voted in favor of adding the amendment to the Children Safety Act of 2005. Express your dismay that they voted to give greater protections to adult homosexuals than seven-year-old girls or grandmothers! Also, don’t forget that there are 36 known sexual orientations – including pedophilia! Click here to find out who your Congressman is – simply key in your nine-digit zip code.
3.) Contact Senator Frist and ask him to see that the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act does not become law. Tell him we are depending on him since it violates the principles of liberty and equality that Americans hold so dearly.
Contact him at 202.202.3344 or e-mail using the form.
AFA of PA ACTION ALERT
What is a College or University Near You Offering This Fall?
Learn the New Pronouns of the English Language! (see end of alert)
As college students are heading in every direction across Pennsylvania and the nation, parents may want to consider some disturbing trends. An article from today’s Dallas/Fort Worth Star Telegram concerning schools’ decisions to provide gender neutral housing included information that the University of Pennsylvania will be offering such housing for the first time this fall. A little additional research unveiled this bit of information in their student handbook. Gender neutral housing is available to all except freshman students. Click here to view the handbook. Note ‘gender neutral housing’ is dealt with in number 22.
The goal of homosexual, bisexual, transsexual activists is to not only normalize homosexual activity, but to remove all distinctions between male and female. Their belief is that those who say they are confused about their gender identity should be accommodated and allowed to act and dress as the opposite sex. The questions are -- do you want your son or daughter in such a learning environment and do you want your hard-earned money paying for such accommodations through tuition fees?
In early 2004 the University of Pennsylvania added ‘gender identity’ to their non-discrimination policy. One result as noted above is the offering of gender-neutral housing, but transgender activists also want a tweaking of the current co-ed housing policy, changing the male/female choice on University forms and creating gender-neutral restrooms in Penn facilities. Note this article from the University’s April 1, 2005 Daily Pennsylvania for further details. Click here.
A
gender-gray glossary
Transgender. Transsexual. Transvestite. What's the difference, you
ask? Here are definitions that'll make the whole issue a bit more . . .
transparent.
Transgender: This word is used to
describe all types of gender-variant people; it's an umbrella term for
those who feel their biological sex doesn't fully match their gender
identity.
Transsexual: This is a term for
people whose gender identity (man or woman) differs from their sexual
identity (male or female). They might have undergone surgery and/or
hormone treatment to permanently alter their appearance, but not always.
Genderqueer: This term is used by
the trans community to describe anyone who falls somewhere in between
the black-and-white categories of male and female. This can include
transgender people, but other people call themselves genderqueer simply
because they don't agree with or fit into the gender roles and
expectations set by society. And others believe that gender is more of a
spectrum or a continuum and that they are somewhere in the middle.
Ze and Hir: For the most part,
when you're referring to a transgender person, use the pronoun that
matches their gender identity. If a person considers herself a woman,
refer to her as "she," and vice versa. But some people don't
like to be lumped in with one gender or the other. There's a whole new
set of pronouns you can use. Spellings vary, but here's a popular
version: Use ze instead of "he" or "she" -- Ze
is a freshman this year. And use hir (pronounced
"hear") in place of "him" or "her" --
Hir dorm room is tiny. These pronouns aren't universally popular
yet, so don't look for them in the dictionary.
http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/12461845.htm
ACTION NEEDED:
1.) To express your concerns about gender neutral housing contact University of Pennsylvania President, Dr. Amy Gutmann at
Office
of the President
100 College Hall
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6380
(ph) 215-898-7221
(fx) 215-898-9659
presweb@pobox.upenn.edu
2.) Contact the Board of Trustees at
Office of the University Secretary
211 College Hall
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6303
Email: ofcsec@pobox.upenn.edu
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