Roundup: Are You Ready to Go Back to the 50’s?

The GOP has taken over, and it's time to start looking at all of the ways they can turn back the clock on progress.

Old fashioned values.  Turning back the clock.  Reproductive justice was just one of the frames used in the 2010 elections to focus voters who are really just wishing that we could go back and relive the 50’s.  Don’t believe me?  Check out this letter from Montana.

The same people who promote sex education today were the free love generation of the ’60s. The progressive viewpoint promoting open sexuality created sex education in the schools and the tolerance of girls coming to school visibly pregnant (these girls used to have a home school teacher). These progressives mocked, and still mock, the moral values of the ’50s. These progressives who are “all-knowing” have overseen an increase of unwed pregnancies and venereal disease. The verdict is clear, it is time to stop listening to these “all-knowing” progressives and go back to those morals which promoted sexual restraint. These morals saw much less unwed pregnancies and venereal disease. Parents need to, for the sake of the children, stand up to these “all-knowing” progressives and just say “no.” These “ all-knowing” progressives will say that it is the media that sexualizes our children. As they very well know, media follows the culture, not the other way around. When promiscuity is not tolerated in our culture it will not be in the movies. Parents need to stand up and, for the sake of their children, just say no to progressive sex education in our schools.

Want to see all the ways that the GOP could potentially turn back the clock, in this case as a means to move us away from a secular society?  The “On Faith” columnist lists them over at the Washington Post:

Here’s a roundup of the potential bad news:

* The Republicans slated to head House committees are not only religious and social conservatives; many embody the most extreme right-wing brand. Rep. Lamar Smith of Texas, who will almost certainly be the new chair of the House Judiciary Committee, is one of the hardest-line conservatives in Congress. He has long been an opponent of all abortion rights (receiving a 100 per cent rating from the National Right to Life Committee). He’s the sort of anti-choice right-winger who opposes not only abortion but embryonic stem cell research–and judges whose decisions would allow that research to continue. He has been a consistent and strident critic of all in the federal judiciary whose decisions, on matters ranging from the teaching of creationism in public schools to religious school vouchers, run counter to the religious right’s assault on the separation of church and state.

* In the new Congress, there will be almost no moderating Republican voices on any committee. Many moderate Republicans throughout the country were defeated by Tea Party candidates in primaries. On the judiciary committee, the chairman will be backed up by members like Rep. Steven King (R-Iowa), who recently attacked the federal district court judge who struck down the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy.

* Look for an endless stream of amendments to vital appropriations bills designed to promote favorite right-wing causes like abstinence-only sex education. and to favor faith-based social spending over programs administered by secular organizations.

* Forget about any possibility of ending “don’t ask, don’t tell” in the next two years. The Republicans aren’t going to listen to any high-ranking military officials who have already testified against the policy, and the military knows which side its bread is buttered on. Obama, who has always waffled on these issues, is certainly not going to press this battle while he is struggling to retain his presidency.

* Worst of all, from a secular point of view, is the unlikehood of Obama being able to affect the federal judiciary during the next two years. The Senate, of course, still has a Democratic majority, but it has already been demonstrated that in the absence of a super-majority, any appointment can be blocked by any senator. Given the Republicans’ stated objective to make Obama a one-term president, they can endlessly delay any judicial appointment proposed in the next two years. Should any of the four far-right Supreme Court justices drop dead during the next two years, I believe that Republicans will stall the confirmation of his successor. Why wouldn’t they? They scent blood in the water, and it’s hard to imagine that the voting public will punish them for keeping a seat vacant on the Supreme Court until 2012.

And that’s only half of the examples.  Be sure to follow the link for even more.

Speaking of going back to the same place in time, in case you had any doubt, Colorado will be seeing a Personhood amendment on the 2012 ballot again, as they declare victory in 2010 because, well, they had more people vote for it than in 2008, and, oddly enough, because Ken Buck lost his senate race.

Conventional Wisdom: Only 15% will support a personhood 100% abortion ban.

Colorado’s 2008 vs. 2010 Campaigns: The “Yes on Personhood” vote grew by 10% as compared to our 2008 Yes votes, in that 27% of the 2008 vote is now 30% of the 2010 vote, and that encourages us!

In 2010 on Amendment 62: 30% of Colorado voted Yes to ban all abortion, and that is with the opposition of the biggest names in the pro-life industry.

Join Us: in praying for the wisdom and resources to build on this increase the Lord has given us (ten percent growth in those who voted Yes) so that we can reach even more people to protect every precious child by love and by law.

Regarding Ken Buck’s Close Loss: After breaking every pro-life campaign promise he made including by promising to confirm pro-choice judges if elected, Ken Buck told the Amendment 62 proponents, “I’m not going to cater to personhood for 2% of the vote.”

Of course, the conservative voting turnout percentage in 2010 was much larger than in 2008, yet they only gained 3 percent vote change, but we won’t let facts get in the way of a good spin, right?

Mini Roundup: In a belated Halloween roundup, one church has some pretty creepy ideas what belongs in a haunted house.  You can bet that they didn’t hand out condoms as treats, either.

November 4, 2010