Protecting Women And Their Children Around The World

My pastor and I have a friendly tiff going on. He says that Jesus was strictly a-political; therefore, Christians should abstain from politics completely. I say that Jesus challenged violent, poverty-inducing, socio-political structures throughout his life and ministry; therefore, Christians have a duty to advocate for peace and to speak out for the poor and the oppressed. Both of us are hardheaded, and neither of us cedes much in our debates, but we always walk away as friends, because at the end of the day there's a key component to the discussion that we both agree on: The Bible is not a public policy manual!
I realize that might feel like an outrageous statement to some. After all, the first runescape gold five books of the Bible are commonly referred to as the "Books of the Law." These books contain legal codes that governed the every-day life of the ancient children of Israel, ranging from personal hygiene to how to prosecute thieves and murderers. Furthermore, the Hebrew prophets railed against the kings of their day for making "unjust laws" and "oppressive decrees" (Isaiah 10:1), implying that there is such a thing as an unjust law -- and woe to the legislators who write them!
Over and over the Scriptures reveal a God who cares deeply about the poor, the widow, the orphan and the alien, yet strangely, the man who Christians believe embodies the buy runescape gold will of God in action (Jesus) refused to take sides in the bitter partisan divisions of His day. Jesus welcomed both zealots and tax collectors as members of his inner circle. And when two brothers asked Jesus to solve an inheritance dispute, He responded by saying, "Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?" (Luke 12:14). If Jesus intended his followers to establish themselves as the moral guardians of society, He had a funny way of showing it.
The pattern continues with the Apostle Paul. The indisputable case for followers of Jesus not involving themselves in judging those outside the Church comes from a passage in I Corinthians 5:12-13, where Paul says, cheap runescape gold "What business is it of mine to judge those outside the Church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside." Paul clearly established a demarcation between Christians judging matters within the community of believers (allowed) and matters outside the community of believers (not allowed). At the very least, this suggests that Christians who think they can impose what they perceive as "biblical values" on secular society are -- more often than not -- wrong. There's simply no way to translate the Bible into concrete public policy, at least not without a considerable degree of ambiguity.
For example, most of my conservative friends are convinced that they have a biblical rs gold mandate to outlaw abortion and gay marriage, even though abortion is only mentioned once in Scripture, and the reference is -- oddly -- the Prophet Jeremiah cursing the man at his mother's side for not aborting him! (Jeremiah 20:14-18). And gay marriage was hardly an issue on the radar in biblical times. The Laws of Leviticus prescribe a massive redistribution of wealth every 50 years by canceling people's debts and restoring property to original owners, yet many Christians are convinced -- right or wrong -- that justice for the poor is a matter of individual charity alone, and that anyone who suggests otherwise is duped by the devil. And while we're talking about what's biblical and what's not biblical, cheap wow gold why isn't anyone suggesting that America as a nation love its enemies and turn the other cheek?
Come to think of it, maybe my pastor is right for refusing to use the power of the pulpit to trumpet a political agenda. I live in San Juan County, New Mexico, a place where the average evangelical pastor is about 20 degrees to the right of Rush Limbaugh. Yet, at Sunrise Christian Church, I've never heard a sermon that could be misconstrued as a cleverly disguised political endorsement -- and the congregation is better off for it.
Because my pastor refuses to drag the church into the bitter divides of the culture war, there exists a wide diversity of political and theological persuasions within the congregation. People can walk into church and feel genuinely welcomed as they are, without having to conform to some mind-numbing group think. As a member of the worship team, I look out into the congregation every Sunday and see people with vastly different political, cultural and theological beliefs, all worshiping God. It's refreshing!
Pastor David, even though I tease you with my Talking Tom app, telling you that neutrality always benefits the oppressor and never the oppressed, the reality is I'm glad that you've created an atmosphere at the church where nothing is more important than Jesus Christ and him crucified. As you know, my wife and I and our two boys are moving to Albuquerque this year. Thank you for being there when we needed it the most.

Slavery and the Presidents: Where Is the Public Acknowledgement?

On Feb. 9, a member of Congress took an important step in attempting to educate the nation about an important slice of history relative to the White House. Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-NY) sent a letter to President Barack Obama to suggesting that the latter find a way to commemorate those enslaved individuals who helped to build the White House.







The letter stated, in part, "An acknowledgement of the role of slave labor displayed in the White House would be an important swtor credits symbol that the United States does not run from its history, but rather learns from it." The White House, of course, is an important icon of the nation's identity but embodies one of its most long-standing contradiction: a revolution against tyranny that maintain (and expanded) the enslavement of millions.







According to the White House website, in the last two years alone, there were 1.5 million individuals buy swtor credits who visited the White House. None of those visitors would necessarily know that 12 U.S. presidents were slaveholders and seven of them had slaves in the building we now call the White House which opened in 1801. There is no mention of these facts either in White House tourist brochures or any other documents given to visitors.







George Washington is not included in this scenario because he and nine of his slaves spent his presidency swtor gold in Philadelphia. Ironically, a plaque does exist recognizing those nine individuals which is part of the new pavilion in Philadelphia that houses the Liberty Bell. The pavilion is built over the site and specifically the slave quarters where Washington lived as president. It took a decade of protests, lawsuits, and grassroots activism to finally get the National Park Service to include the plaque which it initially refused to do.







Plaques wow gold also exist that acknowledge the slaves who helped to build the U.S. Capitol, many of whom also worked on the White House. In June 2010, Congress dedicated two plaques in "Emancipation Hall" at the Congressional Visitor's Center. The plaques state, "This original exterior wall was constructed between 1793 and 1800 of sandstone quarried by laborers, including enslaved African Americans who were an important part of the work force that built the United States Capitol."







As buy wow gold noted, many of these individuals built the White House between 1790 and 1800. This included unskilled as well as skilled labor. For example, there were at least five black carpenters -- Peter, Ben, Daniel, Harry, and Tom -- who worked on both structures. Slave labor also cut down trees, made bricks, cleared the land, and performed many, many other tasks all without pay, adequate food, or basic health care.







A public plaque or some other display would, in part, complete the circle of owning the history of presidents, Congress, and slavery. While there are hundreds of memorials, plaques, and other means that present a false narrative of American history, there are too few that genuinely tell the more complicated and often harsh reality that many faced as U.S. democracy unfolded.

As Rep. Ackerman notes in his letter, "I urge you to take steps to have an appropriate representation acknowledging the role of slave labor in constructing the White House in an area of public viewing."

Congressional Budget Cuts Could Slash Job Opportunities for Fema

Earlier this week, proposed congressional budget cuts in 2013 spending called for steep reductions in employment related programs, including a 12 percent cut to the U.S. Department of Labor. This significant decrease would adversely impact employment training programs for women veterans and women victims of violence who are struggling to find employment.
According to their 2013 budget request, the Department swtor credits of Labor's allocation for the existing Pathways Back to Work Fund would be significantly reduced. This fund helps current low-income adult workers gain new skills in order to stay in the workforce long-term. Together with the Department of Education, the Department of Labor would support partnerships between community colleges, states, and businesses that would buy swtor credits aid job transition for these vulnerable adults. For women 20 years and over, the latest household data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows the unemployment rate decreasing, from 7.9 in January 2011 to 7.7 in January 2012 (seasonally adjusted). Now that the unemployment rate seems to be decreasing for these women, why cut the funds that are helping women find long-term careers?
More swtor gold than ever, the large number of enlisted servicemen and National Guard returning from the Iraq and Afghanistan theaters are finding traditional employment assistance programs leaving record numbers out of work and financially vulnerable. Veterans would also have benefited greatly from the Department of Labor's funding in 2013. Not only does the department intend to support educational opportunities, runescape gold but they also plan to fund employment and additional transitional services to help veterans get a civilian job (Department of Labor 2013 Budget Request). The budget would also have promoted grants for employment services to veterans. As far as female veterans, more than 20 percent of these women who served in Iraq and Afghanistan could not find a job in December 2011, according to the Bureau of buy runescape gold Labor Statistics. Transitional services would have been especially helpful for female veterans, as they seem to have a harder time finding and staying in a civilian job after they leave the military. This is due to a Veterans Affairs system that has much to be desired as far as meeting essential needs of women: health care, child care, and psychological needs.
As the president and founder of Second Chance Employment rs gold Services, I know how important transitional services are to veteran and low-income women. I also know how important job training is, especially now, when an overwhelming number of Americans are competing for employment. Veterans and women victims of violence are extremely disadvantaged in this job market, as many have not been employed in years, and they have not learned unique skills specific to their dream careers. At Second Chance, we help women victims of violence and women veterans find and secure jobs. We help women with job applications, schedule interviews and provide interview training, and we track their progress in their new jobs. The GOP's proposed budget cut will not only slash women veterans' and victims of violence chances of getting a job, but it will also put more pressure on nonprofits like mine to fill in the public job service gaps the government cannot.

Where Is Jamie Dimon When You Need Him?

JP Morgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon is constantly running around railing about financial reform generally and the Volcker Rule in particular, usually in such hyperbolic terms that it should self-discrediting. Here's one example of his over-the-top ridiculous claims about the Volcker Rule: "We are going to have to have a lawyer, compliance officer, doctor to see what [a trader's] testosterone levels are, and a shrink, what is your intent?" Mr. Dimon has said a number of times. He has also often referred to the Dodd-Frank law that was enacted by the Legislative and Executive Branches of the United States government to protect the American people from another multi-trillion dollar financial collapse, most of which was used to bail out the biggest banks in this swtor credits country from their reckless trades and investments, as "Dodd Frankenstein." Such juvenile name-calling should be beneath any responsible executive, but not much more can be expected from a Wall Street that just can't stop whining about how poorly they are being treated, ignoring the no-accountability bailouts and bonuses and the real suffering of the rest of America. Yet, Jamie inexplicably continues to get great coverage in all the top tier media (or at least the almost guaranteed friendly media that his handlers let him talk to). But, his crocodile tears and frequent civilization-will-end complaints are little more than transparent attempts to protect his and his fellow bankers' bonuses and businesses, buy swtor credits even though he would never, ever refer to such an unseemly topic. No. He talks about getting the economy growing again and increasing employment. To listen to him and what he claims his concerns are, you'd think he was the chief growth and employment officer of the US. Very odd how he never mentions his bank profits or revenues or anti-competitive business lines or, God forbid (or should I say "Goldman forbid"?) bonuses and excessive compensation. No. Jamie doesn't care about any of that. He only cares about US growth, employment and competitiveness -- just listen to him. He is so singularly focused on being selflessly pro-American he is the global guard dog against all things anti-American. Well, ok, not all things. swtor gold But certainly all things that might keep him from earning billions in compensation or reigning in his bank's many business lines, which conveniently act as a nice cover for every other Tom, Dick and Harry in the financial industry worldwide, no matter how undeserving they might be. Yet now, when there are some very real and very serious anti-American actions being asked for, he is strangely silent. Could it be because the current anti-American requests coincide with his claims against financial reform? Of course it is and it reveals what Jamie Dimon and all the other bankers from the biggest banks are really concerned about. Here's a hint: it isn't US jobs, businesses, growth, employment or any of that. He and the rest of the too-big-to-fail wow gold banks are only concerned about making sure they are as unregulated as possible and that nothing, nothing, nothing gets in the way of continued excessive compensation. That's why he isn't calling out the UK, Canada and Japan for being anti-American in their attempts to get a big loophole put in the Volcker Rule so that Jamie's bank and the other 4 biggest banks in the US can continue to prop trade in their sovereign debt. Why should foreign countries tell the US how its laws should be written? This is a particularly important question because these particular laws were passed to protect US taxpayers and the US treasury from the trillions in costs of another financial crisis. Yet, Jamie and all his fellow guard dogs against anti-Americanism buy wow gold are silent. Thankfully, some disinterested experts have analyzed these claims and reveal them to be simply entirely baseless. For example, Simon Johnson, former Chief Economist at the IMF and current professor at the Sloan School of Management at MIT (among too many other things to list here), has a piece in the New York Times today that methodically takes apart these dangerous and destructive claims. Called "Mr. Volcker vs. the Bank of Canada," he clearly explains what is going on here: Congress rightly decided that excessive risk-taking by very large banks had to be curtailed. Responsible regulators around the world are cheering from the sidelines, and that's why I was shocked to see the recent comment letter from the Bank of Canada that criticized the American cheap wow gold law. Importantly, Mr. Johnson points out that we're not just talking about Canada seeking a huge loophole in US financial regulation: "Canada is not alone in seeking an exemption from the Volcker Rule. The European Union would like an exemption for the debt of its member governments, yet Greece is already effectively in default, and several other countries are likely to follow.... Some Japanese officials have expressed interest in an exemption from the Volcker Rule, yet Japan's net debt is reckoned to be more than 120 percent of gross domestic product. This is a highly indebted country, and it would be foolish to grant any kind of waiver from the Volcker Rule to a country with such a high debt level." His conclusion is unassailable: "...regulators in the United States should ignore such selfish interests of foreign governments...." Frankly, such anti-American requests to put such a huge loophole in the law meant to protect US taxpayers should be rejected summarily unless the foreign countries agree in advance to pay for all US expenses from the next financial crisis if that loophole had anything to do with it. Mr. Johnson has some excellent suggestions for this as well. So, where is Jamie Dimon and his concerns about anti-Americanism? If anyone was genuinely concerned about such things, they wouldn't stand for foreign governments telling the US how it should write laws, protect its own taxpayers and implement financial reform to prevent another financial catastrophe. Jamie's silence tells you more about him than all his words put together.

In the Debate on Immigration, Deportation Must Be Sensible

The chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, in his Roll Call op-ed ("President Is Ignoring Immigration Laws," Feb. 6), argues that a policy of deporting serious criminals instead of parents, military families and students attending college is bad for the country. Once again the Republicans are on the wrong side of the law-and-order approach to immigration.

Like so many Republican accusations swtor credits about this president, the ones surrounding immigration come straight out of a fantasy world. I wish we had the president that Chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas) says we have. If we did, I could have saved two trips to Park Police headquarters for being arrested in front of the White House protesting the president's deportation policies.

I praise buy swtor credits the president when he does well, and I criticize him when he's wrong. But the fact is that President Barack Obama has deported more people, put more personnel on the ground at the border and reduced illegal entry more than any previous president. He is proud of it and trumpets it frequently. But through the Republican political lens, he appears to be a president swtor gold who is soft on illegal immigration.

The question is not how many people to deport. Unfortunately, given the complete obstructionism of the Republican side to craft a more sensible alternative, we are stuck with a system that forcibly removes about 400,000 people per year, with huge costs to taxpayers, families and communities. A population about the size of Minneapolis is deported runescape gold every year, and we have reached our capacity to deport more.

For this president, the question has not been how many to deport but who to deport first. Republicans say we should deport anyone we find, even if that means reducing the number of criminals we deport and reducing the capacity of both local law enforcement and our criminal courts to go after actual violent criminals -- regardless buy runescape gold of whether they are immigrants. A sophomore in college or a handyman with two U.S. citizen children are simply not threats to public safety. But Republicans want them prioritized equally with someone who has murdered, driven while drunk or trafficked drugs. That is plain crazy, but that is the Republican approach to immigration.

When this Congress is over and the president is re-elected, I rs gold fully expect a debate on how we re-establish law and order in our immigration system, and I fully expect the leading Republicans on the immigration issue to fight every attempt at reform tooth and nail. Too many on that side of the aisle are addicted to scapegoating and denigrating immigrants -- and Democrats -- to have it any other way.

But the rest of us want a legal immigration system that works and a way for those who have been here for years and built lives here -- the vast majority of those who are here illegally in the absence of a functioning legal immigration system -- to get in the system and on the books so that immigration enforcement has teeth and employers play by the rules.

We will have that debate eventually, over the strenuous objections of Republicans who oppose a sensible law-and-order approach to immigration reform.