The Progressive Puppy

Cat Cam - Crossed Wires

In this amusing video, a cat's secret life is revealed.  Produced by the indie rock group Superchunk.

TN Councilman Frank Neudecker Shares A Constituent's Bigotry

Social conservatives in Tennessee promote an Angry White Jesus mindset that invariably leads to hate crimes and the bullying of schoolchildren.  Petty public officials seeking the approbation of Christianist zealots bask in religious fundamentalism while spreading propaganda as capably as any corporate-funded right-wing lobbyist.  On Truth Wins Out, Evan Hurst points to an odious tirade published on the official website of Jackson city councilman Frank Neudecker.  The site is called Frank Talk (sigh) and the harangue in question was written by Linda Hunnicutt, the sort of woman who fifty years ago would spend her days ironing sheets and hoods for her Klansmen kinfolks.  Perhaps she still does that.  If venom was lighter fluid she could ignite more than a few backyard crosses.

Christian dominionists are analogous to cigarette manufacturers, even though they're not guilty of dispensing nicotine.  Prejudice is the fundies' drug of choice, and home-schooling provides an effective delivery system for their poison.  Ms. Hunnicutt, who might have been tutored at the feet of white supremacist David Duke, opines:  Take a good look at where all of this tolerance has gotten us.  It has given us years of Hillary Clinton, Barney Frank, Nancy and Harry and now dead Teddy. Lord how blessed these people have made us. Now we have a Muslim President who isn't even a citizen and his following of little tolerant dingleberrys touting Tolerance oh yes we have to be so tolerant of this slug… this infiltrator, this Trojan horse's ass and his ill mannered, ugly, in bred looking bride wearing her $600 blinking sneakers, oh what class this first lady brings to the white house.  (Fair enough, but what do you really think about the Obamas?) ... Tolerance has given us a country where the white people are so brain damaged and cultured they tolerate being controlled by the likes of people we laughed at as nutty a few years ago.  (Mocking people who are different is the preferred pastime of Bible thumpers.)  Remember the little fatty fuzzy haired kook Richard Simmons?  Now he is a common fixture and so respected.  Uck ... (Bear in mind that an elected respresentative thought this person's words were important enough to share with his Jesus-loving constituents - and the world.)  Our schools, courts, everything is being taken over by the homosexuals who have been bred to make us all a UNISEX nation it seems. (Who have been bred?  To make?)  Years ago we tolerated these so called people as entertainers.  Even then they weren't really funny, just funny looking.  Remember Liberace?  Oh my goodness how wonderful he and his little brother were and how they honored their Mommy.  (I swear I'm not making up this shit.)  The only thing I can say about him is he was good at the piano but then what else could he possibly do?  The only good thing about these freaks is they will not be reproducing. The problem is that is not stopping the growth of perverts and humans that don't know which way to swing. They are in the schools where they are now the respected and revered teachers of our children teaching TOLERANCE.  (Councilman Neudecker voices approval at the bottom of the page, where he praises Hunnicutt for her eloquence and Christ-like compassion.)  Now all of you tolerant and anti-racist readers, go to your emails and unsubscribe ... Maybe you need to stay in the sun a lot more and no one will notice the white of your skin.  (This is what passes for wit in the Bible Belt.)

Hurst responds:  Look, this is the internet, and any wingnut with a modem can set up a Wordpress account and write whatever hateful, misinformed, fearful things he wants. Indeed, like-minded wingnuts are even free to organize hate groups like those recognized by the Southern Poverty Law Center. But this is different — Frank Neudecker actually represents people as an elected official. Frank Neudecker represents conspiracy-minded wingnuts, but he also represents black people, gay people, transgender people, and all other sorts. By his endorsement of this piece, written by someone else, but that HE published, he has made the choice to piss all over all his constituents who don't happen to be hate-filled, sheltered old white people who yearn for the days when the coloreds and the faggots knew their place.

Councilman Neudecker (pictured):  "Y'all be sure and bring yer business dollars to Jackson, Tennessee!"

Sissor Sisters Fighting The Fire

Scissor Sisters front man Jake Shears, delivering the goods ...

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Anti-Gay Music: Pepsi's "Mistake," Grammy's Deadly Homophobia

The Grammy nomination of Jamaica's Buju Banton, whose song lyrics call for the brutal murder of homosexuals, is being condemned by LGBT organizations nationwide.  Among the groups speaking out against the Recording Academy is the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation and the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center.  LAGLC spokesman Jim Key says:  "We’re shocked that Buju Banton, a singer with a long record of performing a song that glorifies the murder of gay people, would be honored with a Grammy nomination, regardless of the artistic merit of any of his work."  And GLAAD released this statement:  "Reggae singer Buju Banton’s anti-gay lyrics and the climate of hatred they create are a threat to the safety of gay and transgender people everywhere.   In a climate of increased anti-gay violence in this country and Banton’s home country of Jamaica, it is deeply disappointing that the Recording Academy would choose to laud the work of a singer who has advocated violence against the gay community."

From the Miama Herald:  In a popular song released in 1988 entitled "Boom Bye Bye," Banton repeats the anti-gay ‘f-word’ and says that "faggots have to die" and he will "shoot them in the head" or "burn them."  ... (T)he song "Batty Rider" from Banton’s 1993 record “Mr. Mention” glorifies the shooting of gay men.  In October 2009 Banton was quoted in news reports as saying "This is a fight, and as I said in one of my songs 'there is no end to the war between me and faggots' and it's clear." 

Banton's comment was made after his unedifying meeting with members of the LGBT community - which means that the singer has no desire to renounce his hatred or stop inciting murder.  After all, why should he?  His homo-hating fans love that stuff.

Meanwhile, Pepsico has issued a disingenuous apology for sponsoring a concert in Uganda where the reggae artist Beenie Man sang about his desire to "cut the throats of all gay men."  The company's official response:  "We are appalled by the performer’s lyrics and find them repugnant.  Our bottling partner in Uganda was not aware of the performer’s views and never would have sponsored the concert with this knowledge.  Moving forward, we will work closely with our bottling partners to be more vigilant about the events associated with our brands."  (That second sentence is bullshit.  Pepsi's bottling partner had to know what kind of musician was being booked, especially in light of the country's proposed legislation calling for the execution of gays.  Hell, in Uganda this sort of thing would be government sanctioned.  For Pepsico to suddenly claim that its African subsidiary was unaware of the singer's reputation is far-fetched.)

Although the Pepsi matter is thought to be resolved, the insensitivity of Grammy members who nominated Buju Banton for their prestigious award remains an open wound.  To my knowledge, there's no way of knowing which members actually approved Banton's nomination.  But their recognition of him shows that homophobia is very much alive in the music industry.  Would a recording artist who sang even mildly racist lyrics be honored in this way?  No.  But the Grammys find it acceptable for a musician to promote the murder of gays and lesbians?  That's disgraceful. 

This isn't an Adam Lampert situation where ABC cancelled a few appearances over an onstage kiss. This is an offense against the LGBT community that will be remembered for years to come.   (Pictured Top: Buju Banton, Bottom: Beenie Man)

Teacher charged with making "terrorist threat" against gay student.

Randolph Forde, a math teacher at Mundy’s Mill High School, was arrested on charges of making terrorist threats against a gay student he'd been systematically bullying.  It all started when Forde pulled the 16-year-old out of class one afternoon and rudely questioned his sexual orientation.  "A child’s sexuality is never a teacher’s business," said Marcia Killebrew, the student's mother. "I feel like the man was being extremely inappropriate."  The next day, Forde started verbally harassing the student in algebra class.  Terrence Madden, the student's attorney, says the teacher threatened to "hit him in the fucking mouth." 

Megan Matteucci writes on the Atlanta Journal Constitution:  A few days later, Forde asked another student to “put a hit” on the teenager, according to a police report.  "The suspect advised to the witness that he would pay him to kill the victim," the report states.  The teacher wrote the victim's name on a note and showed it to another student on the school bus, the report says.  ... Forde told police he "had no interaction with the witness or the victim, and he never made a statement regarding the victim," according to the report.  Forde's attorney, Borquaye Thomas, said the 16-year-old only complained after he got in trouble for another incident...  Forde asked the student about being gay after he saw the boy dancing inappropriately with another male student in class, Thomas said.  "All of the students knew Mr. Forde was joking," Thomas said. "The other students said Mr. Forde always plays around with them like that."  (Hiring one youngster to murder another and threatening to strike a stufent "in the fucking mouth" is supposed to be a joke?)  Killebrew, the targeted student's  mother, contacted Clayton County police, who presented the allegations to a magistrate judge.  A judge issued an arrest warrant on Oct. 13, according to court records.  The teacher has since been released from jail, but was ordered to stay away from the student...  Forde waived a preliminary hearing and is waiting for the case to be sent to a grand jury, Madden said...  The teacher's attorney said an internal review by the school system recommends he be suspended without pay for five days and attend training for "inappropriate and unprofessional" interaction with a student.  However, the school's review could not corroborate that Forde put a hit on the teenager, Thomas said.  Killebrew said she will ask the school board on Tuesday to terminate Forde, not just suspend him.

So as things stand now, Forde is currently out of jail on a ten thousand dollar bond - and he's still drawing a paycheck from the school district!  A hearing to decide whether he keeps his job won't be held until after Thanksgiving - more than a month after being arrested.  (Welcome to the Peach Tree State, folks.)  While it is possible that the student made up the part about the teacher putting a hit out on him, there seems to be no question that the youngster was called out of class by this man and berated about his sexual orientation - or that he was threatened with violence.  That in itself should be cause for the teacher's dismissal.  But I also think it's unlikely the judge would have ordered an arrest warrant unless he believed there was some validity to the student's claim. 

GOPers Spread More Fear About Universal Health Care

The Republicans' hastily assembled health care plan, if you want to call it a "plan," is a muddy mishmash of insurer-friendly proposals that do nothing to help ordinary Americans.  But boy do those Gopers love to slam Democrats who are least trying to fix the problem...

From Daily Kos:  As the debate over health care reform heats up, Republicans in Congress are predictably regurgitating the talking points penned by GOP spinmeister Frank Luntz to once again block progress.  Perhaps none of the GOP fearmongers has been more prolific than Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. Time and again, McConnell has warned that President Obama's proposal "denies, delays, or rations health care."  Of course, health care that is denied, delayed and rationed is exactly the crisis Americans face today...  McConnell's dystopian future of health care delayed is already Americans' nightmare present.  A Thompson Reuters survey released in April found that 1 in 5 Americans "have delayed or postponed medical care, mostly doctor visits, and many said cost was the main reason," a staggering jump from 15.9% in 2006.  (You can read more about Luntz The Healthcare Propagandist here.)

McConnell certainly isn't the only hysteric in Ye Olde Obstructionist Partie.  RNC Chair Michael Steele, tin-foil hat firmly in place, warns of oppression by scary Orwellian Health Police:  "Well you’ll get issued, Doc, you’re gonna issue, to your patients, a health care card that’s gonna be part of a national ID system that, you know, every time I charge something or use that card, it’s going to show up on a grid what I’ve done and what I have failed to do, according to the government plan. So the government will know whether or not I’ve had my physical at the appropriate time and then probably some health police will come knocking on my door telling me I’m now costing the system money because I haven’t, you know, gone and done my preventive care."  (This man really needs a psychiatric evaluation.)

One major medical emergency can leave a family destitute, two can lead to homelessness.  And it shouldn't be this way.  Parents whose child is suffering from an incurable illness should be allowed to concentrate on that rather than worrying about losing their house.  A man whose wife is stricken with cancer shouldn't be further burdened with the prospect of financial ruin.  But this is what happens when medicine marries big business.  Former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich proposes concrete steps the President might take to ensure that all U.S. citizens have access to medical care:  You must build public support by forcefully making the case for universal health care everywhere around the country.  The latest Wall Street Journal/NBC poll shows that three out of four Americans want universal health care.  But the vast majority... don't know how much money the medical-industrial lobbies are spending to defeat it, and have no idea how much demagoguery they're about to be exposed to.  You must tell them...  Forget bipartisanship.  Universal health care can pass with 51 votes.  You can get 51 votes if you give up on trying to persuade a handful of Republicans to cross over.  Eight years ago, George W. Bush passed his huge tax cut, mostly for the wealthy, by wrapping it in an all-or-nothing reconciliation measure and daring Democrats to vote against it.  You should do the same with health care. 

Americans are prepared to stand with the President on this issue if he's willing to show more leadership and less timidity than he's demonstrated over the past six months.