In the chron: Youcef Nadarkhani converted from Islam to Christianity when he was 19. Now he’s a 34-year-old pastor facing execution by Iran for apostasy. Because it involves the barbaric persecution of one of their coreligionists, Christian conservatives in the US and Europe have been doing their best to focus the world’s attention on Pastor Nadarkhani’s...
Saudi Arabia promises to enter the early 20th century in four years
In the Chronicle: Every few years, the paranoid religious fundamentalists who run Saudi Arabia decree a policy change meant to lead the world into believing that they’re right on the verge of leaving the Middle Ages. Yesterday, King Abdullah decreed that in 2015, women will be allowed to vote and stand as candidates in municipal elections. How magnanimous....
Tea party audience: Uninsured sick people should die
In the Chronicle: At CNN’s tea party debate last night, Wolf Blitzer asked elderly crank Ron Paul what ought to be done for an uninsured thirty year old who becomes gravely ill. Paul said freedom was all about taking risks, which brought applause from the GOP audience, because they love freedom, but apparently aren’t too keen on sick poor people. “Are...
Obama hits the mark, but can he stay on it?
Posted in the Chronicle: President Obama’s speech to Congress was well written, thoughtful, and strongly delivered. It wasn’t exactly the Andrew Shepherd hammering I’d hoped for, but the legislation he proposed would do exactly what the nation needs: immediately hire 500,000 people — teachers, police, construction workers and others. To his credit,...
Houston judge limits rights of gay father
In the Houston Chronicle: A Houston judge entered an order on June 24 which prohibits a father from leaving his children alone with any man they aren’t related to “by blood or adoption.” Because there was no allegation of abuse in the case, family law practitioners say the order is an unheard of infringement on the rights of parents and a judicial...
Question about Bachmann “submitting” to her husband was fair
Cross-posted at chron.com: At last night’s Republican debate in Iowa, conservative columnist Byron York asked Michele Bachmann whether she would “submit” to her husband as president. The crowd took exception: Watch the latest video at video.foxnews.com They seem to have missed the crux of the question. It was Bachmann who, as a candidate in 2006,...
