A Gilbert Moment

The fifth grader I am tutoring is reading, Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher by Bruce Coville.

The dedication reads:

"For Jane.

Believing in dragons is easy. Jane believes in people - an act of love that takes considerably more imagination."

I thought that was a very Chestertonian thing to say.

Another sign the Apocalypse is upon us.

I can sometimes understand the campaing for Responsible Drinking from those who do not understand what drinking is about or from those who don't drink in their own neighborhood,- "...It is quite a mistake to suppose that, when a man desires an alcoholic drink, he necessarily desires alcohol." GKC

BUT RESPONSIBLE SNAKING?!?!

This is what Mars is saying and with a straight face no less:

Responsible snacking

To offer consumer more choice we developed Mars RED. Mars RED is a viable great tasting option for consumers looking for a lower fat treat (Mars RED is 50% less fat than the average leading chocolate bar brands).

King Size is made two pieces - one for now and one for later.

We’re developing packaging to encourage chocolate lovers to snack wisely.

This initiative is being strongly opposed by the American Federation of Fourth Graders. “First we get Happy Meals with apple slices and now you’re making our candy smaller?”

Said my daughter, the local AFFG chairperson, “There’s something wrong with you people! There’s something wrong with your whole fascist machine!”

Once again they confuse reasonable with responsible.

For those of you who thought the bishops would be snookered again or that they might back down on their fight with the current occupant:

A letter from Archbishop Schnurr: response to Obama’s mandate ‘accommodation’

February 13, 2012

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Despite the so-called “accommodation” announced by President Obama on Friday, the mandates from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services regarding insurance coverage for abortion-inducing drugs, sterilization, and contraception still do not adequately and clearly protect the freedom of conscience of employers and their employees.

Although the announcement claims now to exempt religious employers by placing the onus of coverage for these services on insurers, many of the details remain unsettlingly murky. For instance, many religious organizations – including the Archdiocese of Cincinnati and its agencies – are self-insured, which apparently means that they would still have to pay for services they find immoral. (emphasis added) Secondly, it is unclear how insurers can be forced to cover these services for “free” while not passing on the cost to the insured. This could still violate the conscience rights of many employees who do not want to be forced to provide objectionable services for others, such as through their premium payments.

The Catholic Church, along with many other religious leaders, is reiterating its firm position that the freedom to follow one’s conscience and to have access to health care are both fundamental human rights. We will not be forced into a position of choosing between the two. We are open to conversation and dialogue with the Administration to find solutions. However, one course of action which would provide a permanent resolution would be the passage of the Respect for Rights of Conscience Act (HR 1179 and S 1467). We renew our call for people of faith to stand up for religious liberty and urge Congress to pass this comprehensive legislation.

CALL TO ACTION: Contact your U.S. Representative and Senators by e-mail, phone, or FAX letter:

Call the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121, or call your Members’ local offices.

Send your email to Congress through www.usccb.org/conscience.

Additional contact information can be found on Members’ web sites at www.house.gov and www.senate.gov.

MESSAGE: “Please co-sponsor the Respect for Rights of Conscience Act (H.R. 1179, S. 1467) and help enact it into law. The Obama Administration’s decision to require even religious institutions to provide coverage of sterilization and contraceptives, including drugs that can cause an abortion, makes passage of this measure especially urgent. Please ensure that the rights of conscience of all participants in our nation’s health care system are respected.”

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Most Reverend Dennis M. Schnurr

Notre Dame finally sees the Long Con

When Obama received his honorary degree at Notre Dame's May 17, 2009, commencement, he vowed to respect the conscience rights of those who believe abortion is wrong.

“Let's honor the conscience of those who disagree with abortion, and draft a sensible conscience clause, and make sure that all of our health care policies are grounded not only in sound science, but also in clear ethics, as well as respect for the equality of women,” said Obama. “Those are things we can do.”

Oh How they loved him then. "See," they said, "he ain't so bad."

In responce to his recent power play the faculty now says: “This is a grave violation of religious freedom and cannot stand. It is an insult to the intelligence of Catholics, Protestants, Eastern Orthodox Christians, Jews, Muslims, and other people of faith and conscience to imagine that they will accept an assault on their religious liberty if only it is covered up by a cheap accounting trick.”

Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming.

Why They Hate Us So.

The Current Resident seems to have backed down on his insistance that Catholic groups provide contraception and abortion service free of charge in their health insurance. He is now saying that the insurance companies will have to pay for it. So if a Church provides insurance to its employees in a policy from X company than X company HAS TO provide this coverage. He still gets what he wants.

Obama's new plan is analogous to having a father take $50 out of his wallet and put it in his wife's purse to pay for their son to attend a rap concert he doesn't want junior to attend.

NOW HERE THIS: The current resident has no Constitutional authority to mandate that Churches do anything! So now he looks like he is respectful of the Churches concerns with this compromise BUT he has no constitutional authority to mandate that insurance companies provide a service at a price he dictates.

As many hail this compromise we lose sight of the fact that he is acting outside the powers of the president and that day by day we lose bits of our freedoms. Which is what he wants any way. As my football coach used to say. "By the yard its hard. By the inch its a cinch."

Please understand if he gets away with overstepping in this there is no reason he can't over step where ever he wants when ever he wants.

It looks like he is retreating from his attack on the Catholic Church but he will be back because as Father Barron stated the great enemy to liberal totalitarians is the Catholic Church.

Happy Birthday Chuck

We are celebrating this today in no small part of what Uncle Gilbert did with his book Charles Dickens: A Critical Study (1906).

A very awkward sentence indeed.

Wrong Again White Boy

What was I thinking?!?

The Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation apologized for cutting off funding from Planned Parenthood.

Yes that's right APOLOGIZED.

"Screw the facts, the statistics, and screw the body count. We are sorry. Please continue to send your money don't worry about how we spend it. And we really need to be loved by Mayor Bloomberg and his friends. Really we won't make the mistake of being right again."

and the walls begin to crumble

And so it begins: The Komen Foundation no longer is sending money to Planned Parenthood. Of course they are not doing this because of the documented connection between breast cancer and abortion or that PP does not provide mammograms, which Komen admits, but because PP is under investagation for financial misconduct. (Shocked I say Shocked!)

A spokeswoman for the the Komen Foundation, Leslie Aun, explained that the cutoff was a result of the charity's newly-adopted criteria barring grants to organizations that are under investigation by local, state, or federal authorities.

They need that rule because common sense is too diiiiiiifficult to understand.