U.S. forgets the lessons of Vietnam & flubs Iraq

By Diane Silver

The Washington Post has already posted a piece from its Sunday newspaper on how we undermined our own effort in Iraq. This fascinating article details how civilian and military leaders either forgot or refused to follow the lessons learned from fighting a guerilla war in Vietnam.

Thomas E. Ricks of the Post writes:

(T)here is also strong evidence, based on a review of thousands of military documents and hundreds of interviews with military personnel, that the U.S. approach to pacifying Iraq in the months after the collapse of Hussein helped spur the insurgency and made it bigger and stronger than it might have been.

The very setup of the U.S. presence in Iraq undercut the mission. The chain of command was hazy, with no one individual in charge of the overall American effort in Iraq, a structure that led to frequent clashes between military and civilian officials.

Apparently, military leaders had little education on fighting insurgencies and literally hadn't read what is considered the best book on the subject. Today, we're playing catch up, and it may well be too late.

I cannot say that I have even the smallest understanding of how hard it must be to fight in Iraq. Sometimes, though, the Post's revelations point to a failure to apply common sense, at least among some officers.

I'm just a foolish, middle-aged woman from Kansas, but long ago I learned that if you want someone to like you, you don't harass them. To win the trust of the Iraqi population and to prompt them to tell us about insurgents, wouldn't it have been wise to be decent to folks?

In an effort to gain intelligence, the U.S. military would often arrest every able-bodied male of combat age in a neighborhood. Guess what happened. The Post reports:

Senior U.S. intelligence officers in Iraq later estimated that about 85 percent of the tens of thousands rounded up were of no intelligence value. But as they were delivered to Abu Ghraib prison, they overwhelmed the system and often waited for weeks to be interrogated, during which time they could be recruited by hard-core insurgents, who weren't isolated from the general prison population.

This fascinating piece looks is the first in a series of articles on the topic.

Gays finally get same respect animals receive & earn blessings from the Arkansas Episcopal church

By Diane Silver

The retiring Episcopal bishop of Arkansas has OK'd blessing ceremonies for "faithful, monogamous same-sex relationships," AP reports. (registration required.)

The Right Rev. Larry Maze, bishop of the 14,000-member diocese, wrote to clergy that "seeking ways of recognizing and blessing" the relationships "falls within the parameters of providing pastoral concern and care for our gay and lesbian members."

AP says:

(Maze) said the ceremonies will be local observances in each church, not approved formal rites. Arkansas has banned gay marriage, so same-sex couples will have no legal standing in the state.

Two churches - St. Michael's Episcopal Church in Little Rock and St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Fayetteville - plan to offer the ceremonies.

The Rev. Lowell Grisham of the Fayetteville church, notes:

"My gay friends are very sensitive about the notion that we've been blessing animals for years and find it so difficult to bless their relationships."

What's sad about the current fight over same-sex marriage is the hypocrisy of it.

Many gay and lesbian couples have had some form of informal blessing or ceremonies for their relationships for years from many different churches.

I know of Lutheran, Episcopal and Baptist churches, for example, where clergy have performed ceremonies. Many of them have occurred in Kansas. But of course, this can't be admitted in public in case someone gets upset.

I applaud the bishop of Arkansas for his brave move. May more churches realize that human beings and their relationships are at least as important as animals.

The Census Bureau finds another 31,528 people in Washington, D.C.

By Nancy Jane Moore

Responding to a challenge filed by city officials, the U.S. Census Bureau changed its 2005 estimate of Washington, D.C.'s population from 550,521 to 582,049 -- a jump of 31,528. The new figure also means that the city's population grew over by almost 2 percent over the last five years, instead of falling by about 4 percent.

Given the booming area economy and the fact that every street you walk on seems to be a construction zone -- not to mention the high-flying real estate market -- the revised figures make much more sense than the earlier estimate. In fact, I can't quite figure out how they missed them the first time. Misplacing 5 percent of the population seems like a pretty big error to me.

The Washington Post quotes Brookings Institution demographer William H. Frey as calling this increase "a big deal." It makes up for losses in the 1990s, he noted.

Mayor Anthony Williams -- who wants to see the city's population jump by 100,000 -- was also happy about the new figure, according to the Post. The population has grown by about 10,000 since 2000.

The Census Bureau didn't do much to let people know about the change -- no press release, just an email to city officials and a tiny, hard-to-find chart on its webpage showing the cities whose challenges to 2005 estimates were approved. The main population charts haven't been corrected yet.

By the way, the District has quite a few more people than Wyoming and we're not that much smaller than North Dakota, Alaska and Vermont. All of these states have three things we don't have: two senators and a voting member in the House of Representatives.

And unlike the people of Puerto Rico and other territories, who also have no vote in Congress, we pay federal taxes. If you were paying attention in history class, you probably remember that one of the causes of the American Revolution was taxation without representation. Unfortunately, unfair voting plans in the U.S. didn't end with the American Revolution.

If you'd like to help in our ongoing fight for representation in Congress, check out DC Vote.

Headlines: Washington murders, ignored Iraqi dead, gays & children, voting on evolution

Washington, DC
Fenty gets it right: D.C.'s emergency legislation is not going to solve the crime problem

Iraq
The civilian death toll keeps rising in Iraq. Is anyone paying attention?

Gay Marriage & Children
The American Academy of Pediatrics: Same-sex marriage is good for kids and society

The Kansas Evolution Election & More
The Kansas Evolution Election: What the heck is going on?

The Kansas Evolution Election: Who's Who & how you can help

The Kansas Evolution Election: If you think the Board of Education hasn't mucked things up, take a look here

The Kansas Primary: Moderates running for the state House need your help

And More...

The New York Times gets angry: Bush overreached & Congress wimped out

The military fights to protect our Constitution. Shouldn't they be entitled to freedom of religion?

Ohio joins movement to take back Christianity

The Kansas Evolution Election: Who's Who & how you can help

[updated 7/24/06]

By Diane Silver

To see the first part in this background briefing on the election, look here.

When last we met, we discussed how Kansas is holding what amounts to a referendum on evolution and the religious right's education agenda. For those of us who find the idea of a religiously based public school system frightening, the issue has become: Who should we support and what can we do to help? The tasks are easy.

If you live in Kansas, educate yourself, vote, give money and work for the right candidate.

If you are outside of Kansas, learn about the candidates and provide financial support.

The contribution limit is $500 each for the primary and the general elections

Perhaps this FAQ can be of some help.


1. Who are the moderate candidates?

MAIN*PAC, which is affiliated with the moderate MAINstream Coalition, the Kansas Alliance for Education and the Kansas City Star have all endorsed the following candidates in contested primaries.

District 1 * Incumbent Democrat Janet Waugh of Kansas City
District 3 * Republican challenger Harry McDonald of Olathe
District 5 * Republican challenger Sally Cauble of Liberal
District 7 * Republican challenger Donna Viola of Hutchinson
District 9 * Republican challenger Jana Shaver of Independence

The Wichita Eagle has endorsed Viola for District 7. The Eagle did not print endorsements for any of the other primary races.

2. Who are the anti-evolution candidates?

District 3 * Incumbent John Bacon of Olathe
District 5 * Incumbent Connie Morris of St. Francis
District 7 * Incumbent Ken Willard of Hutchinson
District 9 * Incumbent Iris Van Meter decided not to run again. Her son-in-law Brad Patzer of Neodesha supports her agenda and is running in her place.


3. Detail, detail! Tell us about the moderates and where we can go to donate to their cause.

-->District 1 * Leavenworth, Wyandotte and parts of Douglas counties.

Incumbent Democrat Janet Waugh
http://www.janetwaugh.com/
JWaugh1052@aol.com
916 So. 57th Terrace
Kansas City, Kansas 66106

Waugh has been involved with schools and children for more than 30 years. Prior to joining the State Board of Education in 1999, Janet served for more than 15 years on the Turner Board of Education including eight years as president.

She also held state and regional offices for the PTA and served on various committees with the Kansas Association of School Boards. She has coached and managed ball teams, served as Sunday School Superintendent and for the past six years has served as a Youth Friend.

Waugh manages a family business, Sav-On Auto Sales, and is a member of the Kansas Independent Automobile Dealers Association.

MAIN*PAC says that the religious right is collecting money and organizing for Waugh's opponent.


-->District 3 * southern Johnson County, Miami and Linn counties

Republican challenger Harry McDonald
http://www.electharrymcdonald.org/
biologycctrack@hotmail.com
Committee to Elect Harry McDonald
P.O. Box 4017
Olathe, KS 66063

A science teacher and educator for his entire professional career, McDonald taught for 30 years at Blue Valley High School in suburban Kansas City. Among other subjects, he taught biology, zoology, botany and chemistry and coached high school track and cross country.


-->District 5 * Includes almost the entire western half of Kansas

Republican Sally Cauble
http://www.caubleforcommonsense.com/
info@caubleforcommonsense.com
P.O. Box 1085
Liberal, KS 67905

A native of western Kansas, Cauble earned a BA in elementary education from Southwestern College in Winfield. She taught elementary school for 10 years. She served on the Liberal School Board for eight years and on the Southwestern College Board of Trustees for nine years.

Among other activities, Cauble has also served on the Seward County United Way Board of Trustees and as Christian Education Director at the First United Methodist Church.

Because of the overwhelming Republican presence in western Kansas, this race will probably be won or lost in the primary.


-->District 7 * Central Kansas, including Harvey, Reno & McPherson counties & extending south to Kingman, Pratt and Harper counties.

Donna Viola
PO Box 292
McPherson, KS 67460
dviola1@cox.net

Viola is a member of the McPherson School Board, a small business owner and a lifelong Kansan.


-->District 9 * Runs from the Salina area to north Wichita

Jana Shaver
http://www.janashaver.com/
PO Box 304
Independence, KS 67301
janashaver@cableone.net.

Shaver grew up in Fredonia and earned BS, MS and specialist in education degrees from Pittsburg State University. She taught second grade for eight years and worked as a reading specialist for five years before working as curriculum director for Independence schools for 14 years.

She is president of the Kansas Association of Community College Trustees, past chair of the Independence Community College Board of Trustees and has served on numerous other boards. She is a member of the First United Methodist Church.


4. What can I do?

Give money to the moderate candidates. If you're in Kansas, volunteer to walk, stuff envelopes or join a phone bank. Even a few hours will help.

To volunteer or donate, contact the candidates directly or work with MAIN*PAC or the Kansas Alliance for Education.


5. Where can I get the best information?

The best source? In This Moment, of course!

Actually, I have to admit that the best blogger coverage is coming from Red State Rabble. Also check out Thoughts From Kansas. Other, slightly slower, sources are such mainstream media as the Lawrence Journal-World, Topeka Capital Journal, Wichita Eagle and Kansas City Star.

Fenty gets it right: D.C.'s emergency legislation is not going to solve the crime problem

By Nancy Jane Moore

Adrian Fenty moved way ahead of the competition for my vote for Mayor of the District of Columbia on Wednesday when he voted against a so-called "crime emergency" bill that sets a 10 PM curfew for juveniles and adds surveillance cameras to the streets.

According to The Washington Post, Fenty, who represents Ward Four on the City Council and is one of the candidates for the Democratic nomination for mayor in the upcoming September 12 primary, was the only member to oppose the actual legislation, though two other council members disagreed with the declaration of emergency.

It wasn't just that he opposed the bill, but why he opposed it that got my attention. As quoted in the Post, Fenty said:

I think people know that these are not ways to solve crime. At best, we're tinkering around the edges. At worst, we are putting forth that we are doing something about a crime emergency when everyone in this room knows that we are not.

That's dead on. This is cosmetic. It's not going to fix anything.

And it's unfair to kids. Here's the curfew rule, as listed in the Post:

Youths younger than 18 will not be allowed on District streets after 10 p.m. unless they are with a parent, on the way home from work, or attending a civic or church outing.

10 PM? Kids could get in trouble because they went to an 8 PM movie. Or went to a baseball game -- it's pretty rare when a 7:30 baseball game is over in time for people to get home by 10 PM. Plus that exception for church outings galls me -- surely there are other wholesome activities for kids besides religious ones.

I'm not real happy about surveillance cameras either. I think we should all be entitled to a little privacy as we go about our daily lives.

Frankly, I'm not even convinced there's a new crime emergency. What we've actually had is several high-profile crimes in "good" parts of town. There was a nasty murder in Georgetown. Tourists have been robbed on the National Mall. It seems that the thugs aren't confining themselves to attacking poor people in bad neighborhoods anymore. We've had plenty of nasty murders in poor neighborhoods this year without any special action. In fact, far too many of them remain unsolved.

I'm sure we could use more police on the street. And more streetlights, which are probably more effective than cameras at actually preventing crime. But if the problem is really an increase in juvenile crime -- which is what the police chief says -- what we need is something more substantial than a curfew or even more cops. We need vastly better schools, early childhood programs, parenting programs, after school activities of all kinds (arts, sports, homework help), summer jobs, and any number of other programs designed to reach every -- and I do mean every -- child in our community.

Thugs aren't born; they're made. And if we provide all our children -- not just the cute ones, the bright ones, the ambitious ones, and the ones whose parents are savvy enough to get them into the right schools -- with better alternatives, we're going to make fewer thugs.

Yes, all that costs money. But until we're willing to invest long-term in our children, we're going to have a serious juvenile crime program in D.C.

The Kansas Primary: Moderates running for the state House need your help

We're 10 days out from the Kansas primary, and there is much more going on then a vote on the state Board of Education. Among other important races, voters have a chance to keep moderate members of the Kansas House of Representatives in office and to boot out those pushing the agenda of the religious right.

This Saturday folks from a variety of groups in Kansas will be walking door-to-door for moderates in Johnson County.

-->From 9 am to 12 pm on Saturday, July 22, folks will be walking for 16th District State Representative Jim Yonally. Rep Yonally has been a strong and consistent advocate for fairness. He is facing tough challenge in the Republican primary challenge from a social conservative. For anyone who is travelling to the KC area to canvass, he has offered to let a few volunteers borrow his guest rooms Friday evening.

MAIN*PAC reports that volunteers are meeting at 10039 Mastin Dr. Overland Park at 8:45 am. Yonally is also collecting names of those who will appear in an Endorsement ad. You can send your name to jly.jcs@sbcglobal.net

-->From 2pm to 5pm on Saturday, July 22, folks will be helping Milack Talia in the 23rd district. He's facing a far-right candidate in the Democratic primary, and if he is victorious on August 1 and moves on to the general election, he'll be facing a right-wing Republican incumbent. If Talia wins, he add a vote of moderation to the Statehouse.

MAIN*PAC reports that volunteers are meeting at Antioch Park at 1:45 p.m. Look for the Shelter on your left as you drive in.

For more details, you can also contact Tom Witt at thomaswitt@mulliganvalley.com.

The Kansas Evolution Election: If you think the Board of Education hasn't mucked things up, take a look here

Jack Kreb, president of Kansas Citizens For Science and member of the Science Standards Writing Committee, is explaining all in a series of free talks next week.

Here's the schedule.

• Monday, July 24, 7-9 PM, at Johnson County Community Center, Carlsen Center, Room 211, College Blvd. & Quivira, Overland Park, Kansas
• Thursday, July 27, 7-9 PM,, at Hutchinson Community College & Area Vocational School, Shears Technology Center, 1300 N. Plum, Hutchinson, Kansas
• Monday, July 31, 7-9 PM at Kansas City Kansas Community College - Performing Arts Center, 7250 State Avenue, Kansas City, Kansas.

Kreb's presentations are particularly important as we head towards the Aug. 1 primary. That is the first opportunity Kansans have to kick the anti-evolution members of the state board out of office.

As Thoughts From Kansas explains Kreb's presentations are important for another reason.

The Discovery Institute and Kansas' Intelligent Design Network are rolling out their misinformation campaign to try to explain how the standards that these IDC advocates back aren't IDC backing standards.

Hat tips to Thoughts From Kansas and Red State Rabble.

The civilian death toll keeps rising in Iraq. Is anyone paying attention?

By Nancy Jane Moore

The United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq issued a report this week saying that 5,818 civilians were killed during May and June. About the same number were injured.

There were over 3,000 deaths in June alone and there have been 14,338 killed since January. These are the official figures from the Ministry of Health and the Medico-Legal Institute, which is apparently the morgue.

The official guess is that over 50,000 Iraqi civilians have been killed since the US invaded. Most everyone thinks that number is low.

My first thought, on seeing the June numbers, was that more Iraqi civilians died in June than US soldiers have died during the entire war. And I've found the deaths of our soldiers very depressing.

You may have missed this report -- Iraqi news is being pushed off the front pages by the situation in Lebanon. More death and destruction, more suffering, more people learning to hate. The thing that is weighing on my mind is the fact that everyone involved -- Israelis, Palestinians, Hizbullah, and even ordinary Lebanese -- talk about the other side as if they weren't human. That leaves very little ground for constructive dialogue.

The worst thing about the UN report on Iraqi deaths is not the numbers, bad as they are. No, the worst thing is that the UN Report presents no real suggestions on how to solve this problem. They talk about consultations, meetings, the establishment of a "thematic working group on human rights, a few grants to non-governmental organizations. But no big plans to fix the problem.

I don't really fault them for that -- I don't have any solutions myself. My best idea requires the use of a time machine: Go back to 2003 and have the US not invade Iraq. I don't suppose that's practical.

If you care about what's going in Iraq, read the report. It's a pdf, but it doesn't take long to load, even on dial-up. Not only does it give the horrible death count, but it discusses the widespread kidnappings, the repression of women, the ill-treatment of minorities and gays, the horrible risks to those who are trying to take care of everyone else -- police, soldiers, doctors, judges.

People are suffering. The least we can do is pay attention.

Thank you Washington Post for linking to both sides in gay marriage debate

Sometime this afternoon while I was engaged in other pursuits, the Washington Post put up a longer AP story about today's House of Representatives vote on the same-sex marriage ban and corrected an error in their "On the Net" feature that I pointed out earlier.

The pro-gay Human Rights Campaign web site is now posted along with the anti-gay Family Research Council. Before only anti-gay organizations were listed.

My faith in journalism is restored, well at least, some of my faith.

I have no idea if my post made a difference and that, honestly, doesn't matter. It may seem like a small thing, but many small bits of information add up to truth. Many thanks to the Washington Post.

See my earlier post here.

The American Academy of Pediatrics says same-sex marriage is good for kids and good for society

By Nancy Jane Moore

A special article in the July 2006 issue of the journal Pediatrics -- the official publication of the American Academy of Pediatrics -- provides a wealth of statistical and analytical support for legal recognition of same-sex marriage.

The article, "The Effects of Marriage, Civil Union, and Domestic Partnership Laws on the Health and Well-being of Children," not only points out that children raised by same-sex parents do as well as those raised by heterosexual couples, but also enumerates the risks to children posed by the lack of legal relationships. Here are just three of the problems they list:

• children's right to maintain a relationship with a nonbiological/not-jointly-adopting parent in the event of the death of the other parent
• surviving parent's right to maintain custody of and care for nonbiological/not-jointly-adopted children
• Social Security survivor benefits for a surviving partner and children after the death of one partner

And here are some percentages they list that show the importance of the issue:

• 33.4 percent of lesbian couples are raising children.
• 22.3 percent of gay male couples are raising children.
• 45.6 percent of married heterosexual couples are raising children.
• 43.1 percent of unmarried heterosexual couples raising children.
• And same gender couples live in 99.3 percent of all U.S. counties and are raising children in at least 96 percent of those counties.

That is, the lack of same-sex marriage is an issue that affects children everywhere.

There's much more detail in the article -- reading it will give you a thorough understanding of the importance of recognizing same-sex marriage. And among other things, it suggests that the US will get more tax income if gay couples are legally married and file taxes jointly.

Further, it moves the argument away from the silly demagogic appeal of "marriage is between a man and a woman" by providing clear evidence that children of gay and lesbian couples are getting the short end of the legal stick.

Yoohoo, Washington Post! It's time to link to BOTH sides of the same-sex marriage debate.

[updated 5:30 p.m. to note that the Post corrected its error. See here.]

By Diane Silver

I fondly remember the good old days in journalism school when our professors told us about those silly traditional journalism values like fairness and covering both sides of an issue.

Coverage of today's vote by the U.S. House on a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage provides a case in point. To no one's surprise, the House failed to get the required 2/3 majority needed to send the ban to the voters.

While today's AP story posted at the The Washington Post web site does quote people on both sides of the issue, the "On The Net" feature at the bottom of the story only provides links to the organizations that want to ban marriage.

As of 1:58 p.m. Central, the only links posted are for Alliance for Marriage and Traditional Values Coalition.

The problem is that failing to link to pro-marriage groups gives the casual reader the idea that there are no organizations that support same-sex marriage. (Wrong.) Where do the folks on our side of the issue go for more information?

Memo to the Post's online editors: Ever hear of the Human Rights Campaign? What about Marriage Equality USA?

I'm a former newspaper reporter, and I know what it's like to prepare things on deadline. The Washington Post is a fine newspaper, but someone definitely dropped the ball here.

The Kansas Evolution Election: What the heck is going on?

By Diane Silver

For those of you who have been on vacation or are visiting from the far corners of the Earth, here is the first part of a background briefing on our rather interesting election.

1. What is the Kansas Evolution Election?

This year the voters of Kansas are holding what amounts to a referendum on evolution.

The election will determine the fate of four of the six members of the Kansas Board of Education who voted to de-emphasize the teaching of evolution in the state's K-12 schools. These are the same board members who have pushed the religious right's agenda into schools in a variety of other ways.

The fate of one moderate board member who has fought the majority's anti-science agenda is also being decided.

A turnaround on the board may well happen. The last time the religious right took control of the Kansas Board and undermined the teaching of evolution and science, they were booted out of office in the next election in 2000.

2. Why should I care?

If you live in Kansas, the future of your children's education rests on the results of this election. The state's reputation and, possibly, its economic future are also at stake. Businesses report difficulty in luring out-of-state employees to what people consider to be a backward state. High School students say they are worrying that colleges might consider their diplomas to be second class.

If you live outside of our wonderful scarlet state, the election is still important. Think of it this way: If the anti-evolution social conservatives can be defeated here, they can be beaten anywhere. Also, if you're facing this kind of attack in your own state, you might want to check out the tactics and arguments being used in Kansas.

3. What are the key dates?

August 1
Primary

November 7
General Election

4. When must I register to vote? When can I advance vote?

For the Aug. 1 Primary Advanced Voting by mail and in-person at County Election Offices has already begun.

Alas, it's now too late to register for the primary, but you can still register for the general election.

For the Nov. 7 General Election
October 18 - Advanced Voting begins by mail and in- person at County Election Offices.
October 23 - Last day to register to vote in general election
November 6 -- Advanced voting closes for the general election

For other details on voting see http://www.voteks.org/.

5. Why should I vote in the primary?

Two reasons.

(1) Each candidate faces a primary opponent. If the religious radicals get knocked off in the primary, then the balance of power automatically shifts on the state board.

(2) It is no surprise that Kansas is an overwhelmingly Republican state. Often the candidate who wins the GOP primary, automatically wins the vote in November. For example, MAIN*Pac brings word that the race between moderate Sally Cauble and incumbent radical Connie Morris in western Kansas may well be decided in the primary.

Up next: Who's Who in this election.

Spam attack forces comments change

Well, isn't this delightful. I woke up this morning to discover that overnight about 130 bits of spam were posted as comments on In This Moment.

Since I refuse to provide free advertising to anyone and despise spam, I am in the process of deleting all of it.

I've also turned on the Word Verification feature. This means that when you make a comment, you have to type the squiggly word in the appropriate box to prove that you're a human being.

Apologies for the hassle.

U.S. House vote set for tomorrow on banning gay marriage: Call your representative NOW

By Diane Silver

Yet again the Republican Congressional leadership is attempting to win political points by scapegoating gay and lesbian Americans.

Last month the Senate voted on a proposed constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage. Tomorrow it's the House of Representatives' turn. This vote is particularly vile because the proposal's defeat in the Senate means that it has no chance of getting out of Congress.

Now is the time to call and email your representative. Let him or her know that discrimination and prejudice are NOT the American way.

Check out the Human Rights Campaign's Vote No web site. Take a look at what it feels like to be a lesbian -- otherwise known as life as a political football.

The New York Times editorial page gets angry: Bush has overreached and Congress has wimped out

By Nancy Jane Moore

In an editorial that pulls no punches, The New York Times on Sunday said:

[T]he Bush administration's response to the terror attacks . . . had far less to do with fighting Osama bin Laden than with expanding presidential power.

The Times found two results of this policy:

One result has been a frayed democratic fabric in a country founded on a constitutional system of checks and balances. Another has been a less effective war on terror.

The editorial concludes that:

Americans' civil liberties have been trampled. The nation's image as a champion of human rights has been gravely harmed. Prisoners have been abused, tortured and even killed at the prisons we know about, while other prisons operate in secret. American agents "disappear" people, some entirely innocent, and send them off to torture chambers in distant lands. Hundreds of innocent men have been jailed at Guantanamo Bay without charges or rudimentary rights. And Congress has shirked its duty to correct this out of fear of being painted as pro-terrorist at election time.

The Times hopes that Congress will take a stand, as "the president has made it clear that he is not giving an inch of ground."

I only take issue with one comment in the editorial, which I urge everyone to read. The Times says "no one questions the determination of the White House to fight terrorism." But I do question it. It appears to me that, rather than fighting terrorism, the White House has used it as an excuse to implement the neocon foreign policy and to expand executive power. While there are many dedicated government workers -- mostly, though not exclusively, career employees rather than presidential appointees -- who have given their all to actually do something about the actions of Osama bin Laden and others like him, their actions have been undermined by an out-of-control administration.

And I've got one more question for The Times: What took you so long?

The military fights to protect our Constitution. Shouldn't they be entitled to freedom of religion?

By Nancy Jane Moore

The Military Religious Freedom Foundation was recently established to fight the ongoing efforts of the religious right to make the military an evangelical Christian stronghold. The group is suing the U.S. Air Force for violations of the First Amendment. According to a website description of the litigation:

The suit seeks to counter attempts, which have persisted for more than a decade, to impose Evangelical Christian beliefs and practices on [Air Force] Academy Cadets. The violations include pressuring non-Evangelical Christian Cadets to listen to proselytizing efforts to forcing them to participate against their will in Evangelical Christian prayers.

Mikey Weinstein, the founder, is a graduate of the Air Force Academy, a former Air Force JAG officer, and a lawyer who once worked in the Reagan Administration. He's also something of a character, at least according to The Washington Post profile on him Sunday.

Weinstein's family is military. His father graduated from the Naval Academy, his brother-in-law, eldest son, and daughter-in-law all graduated from the Air Force Academy, and his youngest son is at the Air Force Academy. That is, this is a family that takes the military seriously.

Weinstein is also Jewish. According to the Post article, he decided to start this organization and litigation after his son came up against repeated and nasty anti-Semitism -- of the "you killed Jesus" type -- at the Academy.

The Post provides a couple of good quotes from Weinstein:

[T]he Christian right wants people to think that separation of church and state is a myth, like Bigfoot.

I will not accept my government telling me who are the children of the greater God and who are the children of the lesser God.

It's good to see more people fighting the influence of the religious right. I'm sure the ACLU and the Americans United for Separation of Church and State -- who have been fighting this battle for years -- welcome the help.