“Father, forgive them. They do not know!” Bravo Mel Gibson! Well done!

The Passion of The Christ is a true portrayal of what we read in the scriptures. I do not know why so many Jews were protesting against the film. Was it that they were afraid of how they would be seen? Of course it would be silly for anyone to believe that all Jews crucified Christ. What was most shocking is that it was the High Priests who led the charge.

Although the film was subtitled, words were not needed to get the message across. The dramatization itself was more than effective.

What struck me most is the thought that the more things change the more they remain the same.

Is it me or do you notice that some of the most bitter people are religious people? They always feel threatened. Just like how the religious right in America today feels that marriage is under attack and needs protection.

Today, the people who hate the most are churchgoers and Christians. It’s people on the right who cannot be tolerant of others. Those who are supposed to be most Christ-like are so much the opposite. They would tend to want to deny others the rights that they enjoy. They go to church on Sabbath or Sunday and then they go out and bomb or kill a few. These people who are hypocrites call upon the name of the Almighty more than anyone else yet one could never tell by their actions.

Now we have a President who is using the bully pulpit to try to amend the constitution so that it can deny a class of citizens certain rights. Never before has this been done. As Al Sharpton rightly puts it “government should not be worrying who we go to bed with at night but rather if we have a job when we get up in the morning.”

What undermines marriage is divorce, a cheating spouse, unemployed parents, families without health insurance, and parents away fighting a war in Iraq.

So what is this constitution?

The document itself tells us what it is.

Article VI of the document tells us that “This Constitution, and the laws of the United States which shall be made in pursuance thereof; and all treaties made, or which shall be made, under the authority of the United States, shall be the supreme law of the land; and the judges in every state shall be bound thereby, anything in the Constitution or laws of any State to the contrary notwithstanding.

Yes Siree, it is THE SUPREME LAW OF THE LAND.

Because of the supremacy clause in the constitution if there is a state law contradicting federal law then the state law is struck down as unconstitutional.

What does it take to amend the constitution? The document itself also tell us.

Article V reads “The Congress, whenever two thirds of both houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose amendments to this Constitution, or, on the application of the legislatures of two thirds of the several states, shall call a convention for proposing amendments, which, in either case, shall be valid to all intents and purposes, as part of this Constitution, when ratified by the legislatures of three fourths of the several states, or by conventions in three fourths thereof, as the one or the other mode of ratification may be proposed by the Congress; provided that no amendment which may be made prior to the year one thousand eight hundred and eight shall in any manner affect the first and fourth clauses in the ninth section of the first article; and that no state, without its consent, shall be deprived of its equal suffrage in the Senate.”

As you can see it’s not easy. It’s more of a Herculean task. Has it ever been done before? Sure it has. There have been twenty-seven amendments added to the Constitution since 1789. The first ten amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, were adopted as a unit in 1791.

Although the federal government is required by the provisions of the Constitution to respect the individual citizen's basic rights, such as right of trial by jury (Article I, Sec. 9), the most significant guarantees for individual civil rights were provided by ratification of the Bill of Rights (Amendments 1-10). The First Amendment guarantees freedom of religion, speech, and the press, the rights of peaceful assembly and petition. Other amendments guarantee private property, fair treatment of those accused of crimes, such as unreasonable search and seizure, freedom from self-incrimination, a speedy and impartial jury trial, and representation by counsel.

Other amendments provided for abolishing slavery (13th - 1865), universal male suffrage [right to vote] (15th - 1870), a federal income tax (16th - 1913), direct election of U.S. Senators (17th - 1913), women's suffrage (19th - 1920), limiting to two the number of terms any one person may serve as president (22nd - 1951), suffrage to citizens 18 years and older (26th - 1970). The 18th Amendment (1919), mandating nationwide prohibition of alcoholic beverages, met with open defiance; the 21st Amendment (1933) repealed the failed 18th Amendment. An attempt to pass an Equal Rights Amendment (1972) fell three states short of ratification; it was reintroduced in Congress in 1982.

The 14th Amendment, ratified in 1868, placed several significant limitations on the powers of the states. It extended the federal protections of the Bill of Rights to citizens under state law, who previously had to look to each state constitution for such rights. The other provision of the 14th Amendment which places limits upon the powers of the state is the guarantee of "equal protection under the law" for all citizens of the United States. The Supreme Court applied this clause in its landmark decision outlawing school segregation (Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka).

Well now President Bush is attempting to amend the constitution not to broaden rights but to deny them to a group of citizens.

Please sign our guestbook if this is your first time here.

Is this the way to go? Isn’t the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) signed into law by President Clinton enough? Isn’t marriage a state issue? DOMA already provides that no other state shall be forced to recognize gay marriages of another state.

Mr. President, I beg to disagree with you. Marriage is already protected and if it’s under attack then it’s not by gays and lesbians wanting to get married.

On the other side of the coin, gay advocates need to give a little. Leave marriage between one man and one woman. Leave that term to heterosexuals. Get your own term. What is fundamental is that same gender loving people get the rights afforded to heterosexual couples. After all, isn’t that what this is all about? Call it civil unions. Just get the same rights. The same tax benefits, immigration benefits, property rights, etc;

No matter where you stand on the issue, whether or not you believe that homosexuality is wrong, it’s not for heterosexuals to throw the first stone.

As Christ did with Mary, the prostitute, when the High Priests came to stone her, and wrote in the sand “Ye without sin cast the first stone.”

It’s time our politicians stop trying to divide us and bring us together for a change. It’s time they start focusing on the real issues at hand. People you have the power. You have the vote. The Senators, members of the House of Representatives and the President are there because citizens put them there. Your votes! They work for the people and not the other way around. It’s time to get this untwisted. Elections are approaching, make sure your vote counts. Stop the hate!

Laugh Online

Watch out for the "Milk Man" One day a little boy walked in on his parents having sex. He was in such shock that he ran to his room and hid in the closet. His father came in a few moments later and said, "Don't worry son. Your mom and I were just making you a little sister." And the little boy got all excited and went out to tell all his friends about his new little sister. The next day the dad came home and found the little boy crying in his room. "What's wrong?" He asked. The little boy whimpered and said, "Well, you know that little sister you and mommy were making me? Today the milkman ate it....!"

Mr Stupid... Calling Mr Stupid....

A woman was reporting her car as stolen, and mentioned that there was a car phone in it. The policeman taking the report called the phone and told the guy that answered that he had read the ad in the newspaper and wanted to buy the car. They arranged to meet, and the thief was arrested.

How to Get Stupid White Men Out Of Office

Could this book swing the 2004 presidential election? How to Get Stupid White Men Out Of Office ignites young pissed off non-voter generation with 12 co-authors, 20 success stories, 80 city swing state tour. For more information contact Tennessee Jones at 718-643-1599 or e-mail Tennessee@softskull.com POLITICIANS BEWARE! A new book is about to hit the shelves that may end your political career. As an emergency response to the current political stupidity, 12 of the most brilliant young political artists and organizers in a generation have come together to create the most important political book of 2004. With an initial first printing of 50,000, How to Get Stupid White Men Out Of Office (Softskull Press; March 2004; $12.00) is going to revolutionize the way young people who don’t do electoral politics do electoral politics –and how they win. With an unprecedented 80+ city tour focused on key swing states, the 12 co-authors and The League of Pissed Off Voters have built a war chest of creative new online and offline political tools that will capture the imagination of young non-voters just in time for the November 2004 elections. Without question, this book and organization will help swing local elections (the creators of the book and their friends have already done that –see below). And if the presidential election is close, people who read How to Get Stupid White Men Out Of Office in the next few months could wake up on November 3rd and realize they have shifted the entire course of world history. What is the book about? How to Get Stupid White Men Out of Office documents 20 success stories from the past five years of young people who have swung or won elections -from city council to the US Senate- in 16 states, and on the Internet. Alisha Thomas, a 24-year-old black woman won a State Legislative seat in suburban Cobb County, Georgia, the heart of Newt Gingrich country. University of Michigan students leveraged a student government election to catapult themselves into and shift the national debate about Affirmative Action. A 21-year-old City Council member in Providence, Rhode Island, and a 25-year-old Mayor in New Paltz, NY -both Greens. Young Native Americans in South Dakota who swung a US Senate seat by 528 votes in 2002. Ras Baraka, Newark’s hip-hop Deputy Mayor. The young Latina campaign manager who beat the Daley Machine in Chicago. How to Get Stupid White Men Out Of Office puts its finger on the pulse of an unprecedented historical moment when the blossoming youth-led political movement -from Seattle to Peace to Sweatshops to Immigrant rights to Hip-hop- has awakened and is begun to flex its cultural influence and organizing muscle in the nasty new battlefield of electoral politics. CONTINUE

TV, Radio & Electronics Repair

What do you do when your TV, radio, CD player, camcorder or home entertainment center conks out? Many people run right out and replace it. With home electronics getting less expensive everyday, most items may cost more to repair than to replace. Repairing high end equipment such as big screen televisions or expensive camcorders is more cost effective.

When something goes wrong with electronic equipment, the first steps are to troubleshoot, then to decide whether to consider repairing the item or to replace it.

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Financial Records: What to Save, What to Shred & When

Do you have last month's grocery receipts mingled in with your insurance policies? Is your birth certificate cohabiting with ATM receipts from 1987? Many people know that keeping their records under control can save time, energy and headaches, but don't know where to begin. To turn good intentions into great record keeping, consider observing the following expiration dates for your documents. And remember protect your financial information by shredding what you decide to discard.

Canceled checks
If your checking account is at DCU, you don't have this nuisance. Instead of canceled checks to fill up the box in your closet or under your bed, we provide on-line front and back check images. They're available within five days of clearing and we store up to six month's worth for you. Print out only the ones you need. If you need copies going further back, particularly for a legal problem or IRS audit, we can get you copies as far back as you need them. But if you should still have a checking account elsewhere. Hang on to canceled checks for one year, and then consider discarding all those you won't need for tax, warranty, or insurance purposes.

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*Canceled or Cancelled (both corrrect spelling).