Tuesday, September 13, 2005

WINNING THROUGH INTIMIDATION

“And the thorn said to the trees, If it is truly your desire to make me your king, then come and put your faith in my shade; and if not, may fire come out of the thorn, burning up the cedars of Lebanon.”

(Judges 9:15)

THE HIDDEN DANGERS OF POLITICAL CORRECTNESS

“If the press is not free, if speech is not independent and untrammeled, if the mind is shackled or made impotent through fear, it makes no difference under what form of government you live, you are a subject and not a citizen.”

(William E. Borah)
 
“Restriction of free thought and free speech is the most dangerous of all subversions. It is the one un-American act that could most easily defeat us.”

(William O. Douglas)

“There is no more fundamental axiom of American freedom than the familiar statement: In a free country we punish men for crimes they commit but never for the opinions they have.”

(Harry S. Truman)

WHAT THEY DON’T WANT YOU TO KNOW

The RECORD has been receiving a steady stream of hate mail since the beginning of last month, when we ran a headline “Fed Up with Decadence and Perversion, City of San Diego Cancels Nude Event.” Our story described how the city was finally forced to put a lid on gay activism, after it was revealed that five convicted child molesters were part of this year’s annual gay pride celebrations.  But what has apparently infuriated the gay community the most was our revelation that the organization known as “Southern Decadence” held a scaled-down gay pride parade in New Orleans last week, even as that devastated city struggled to get back on its feet.

Many of the hate-filled e-mails we received were laced with profanity. One missive from the “tolerant” and “loving” gay community wished us to travel the road to perdition, although they expressed that wish in much simpler terms.   On the whole, the hate mail we received over the past month was only slightly less virulent than the e-mails we received after The RECORD revealed the names of the corporate sponsors of this year’s Equality Maine awards banquet. After that article, our website was defaced with blasphemous comments and pornographic material.

Clearly, the gay community is worried that the public will finally find out what really goes on within the homosexual subculture.  When we publish photos that are even mildly critical of the bizarre antics at gay pride parades, we are told that the photos are a form of “hate speech.”  Other photos of behavior at gay pride parades are so bad that we cannot even describe them here. Let us just say that the photos go far beyond pride in homosexuality to “celebrate” weird and dangerous forms of perversion.

We received the following e-mail yesterday:

“I demand that the picture [of cross-dressers at the Southern Decadence Parade in New Orleans] be removed along with the article, as it only inspires hate. That is not Maine. Everyone in Maine does not think like your group, and I will be voting no on your recall referendum.”

Out-of-control gay activists were responsible for a bill recently passed in the California legislature which would have censored all campaign speech critical of homosexuals. The bill was vetoed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The RECORD has repeatedly maintained that the hidden agenda of the homosexual rights movement is to censor all speech critical of homosexuals. Beyond that, homosexual activists want to make objections to homosexuality a criminal offense, as has already been done in Canada, Britain, and Holland.

 It is indeed odd that homosexuals consider photos of their own parades “hate speech” that needs to be censored.  
 
DAVID PARKER SPEAKS FROM LEXINGTON BATTLE GREEN

The following is an excerpted version of David Parker’s speech on Lexington Battle Green on September 6th.  Parker is a concerned parent who was arrested after questioning the hidden agenda of the homosexual rights movement.  In this historic birthplace of liberty - I stand before you as a loving and compassionate father, banned from all schools by the Lexington administration, and subject to arrest.

I stand before you banned from attending my son's first day of school, banned from participating in his education at school, as he enters first grade tomorrow at Estabrook Elementary school. I am banned from voting, teacher-parent conferences, and school committee meetings. The Lexington school administration demands that I ask permission for these rights. What free US citizen must ask for permission to vote, or to be in the presence of his son? The school administration, once again, is attempting to put themselves in the role as parent.  The school administration continues to show intolerance to the values and beliefs of many parents. The school administration and some citizens are becoming the very essence of what they claim to be against. 

I was arrested on April 27th when my wife and I went into a scheduled meeting at Estabrook Elementary School, here in Lexington. We asked for advanced notification when issues of transgenderism, homosexuality, and gay-headed relationships were going to be discussed with my six year old, when adults within the school were involved in those discussions. The principle and director of education were informed by e-mail that we would be insisting on this notification. I did not dictate anything to anyone - I was very happy to see what I thought were good faith efforts at some form of accommodation.

But instead, at the last hour, they decided to not accommodate to any degree and decided that I was trespassing. They kept hope alive in that meeting and I hung on to that hope. Instead, they had me arrested and taken to the Lexington jail where I spent the night stripped of my shoes, my belt, my wedding ring, and my parental rights. I did not insist on being arrested. I insisted on some form of accommodation for just my child.

The former Lexington superintendent claims that certain diversity books don't imply human sexuality. However the kindergarten book entitled, "Who's in a Family" is described on the elementary school website accordingly, 'this book emphasizes the positive aspects of different family structures including gay-headed families.’ The first grade book, "Best, Best Colors" by Eric Hoffman is described on the school's web site as follows, "Nate has trouble deciding what his favorite color is, but his two lesbian mommas help him realize that he does not have to have a best, best color." The term, lesbian, certainly concerns human sexuality.

Furthermore, Robert Skutch, the author of “Who's in a Family,” stated the following on May 3rd in an NPR interview, "I wrote the book to introduce these relationships to young children" and "start before they are taught there is any other way." - meaning, before parents can have an impact. I have been told that there are books such as these in every classroom at Estabrook. When I found out there were plans to have even more books introduced in every classroom, I asked if they would notify parents.
 
Parents, you need to ask questions of your school administration. This includes teachers, the principal, director of education, director of health, superintendent, and call your school committee members. You must turn in the opt-out form, and by law they must respond. 

Realize that a discussion on transgenderism and gay-headed relationships, while claiming to only present reality to children, usually morphs into approval and acceptance. This occurs in a conversation seamlessly and without your notification. There is a small, but active group that believe only they determine and speak for the values and character of this town. People have been successfully intimidated and silenced, by name calling and negative stereotyping. People have felt overpowered in this town because of a very vocal and determined group of individuals who seek to impose their beliefs on everyone.

As a result, there has been a polarization in this community that existed way before my family moved to Lexington. It is obvious that everyone does not embrace each other's beliefs nor should they be forced to. Freedom is for everyone to enjoy.

When it comes to freedom, all things are possible, but not all things are good. Complete freedom unguided and uncontrolled leads to chaos, darkness, and pain for children.

We have arrived at a time in history when there are those that seek to proselytize the acceptance of transversing these boundaries, within the public schools, beyond our reach, and against our will. We as parents, at the very least, have the right to be notified how and when this is planned.

Our children in the public schools are actually being told, "not to tell their parents" when this takes place, and parents are being denied access to their own children and lied to - to keep them from discovering what is actually going on. Insidiously, this is being done in the name of safety and tolerance. This is absolutely unacceptable and we as parents will not stand for it.

When I firmly, albeit patiently, objected and then finally insisted to be notified when and how my own children were to be exposed to these issues; I was arrested and hauled off to jail. The true test of any group's respect and tolerance of differences is how they treat those that disagree with them.

I have been charged with trespassing by Lexington School authorities, but as they have judged me, they have also judged themselves. The sanctity of our values and beliefs has been trespassed upon. My parental rights have been trespassed upon. They have trespassed upon sacred ground in which they do not have authority. I am asking them to reconsider their position. Parents are not going to stand for it any longer.

I am asking the school administration to start by terminating this "no trespass" order. However, I realize that hearts may continue to be hardened, as apparent from counter demonstrations which may include school committee members.

Therefore, let the call go forth from Lexington, across Massachusetts, and throughout the United States to the world --

Parents stand your ground!
Don't return their hate and intolerance when fired upon,
But if they mean to have a war over our parental rights,
Battling for the hearts and minds of our children,
Then let it begin here.

STUDENTS BUILD 9-11 MEMORIAL

Over this past weekend, students from Oxford Hills Christian Academy built a touching memorial to the victims of the 9-11 attacks by planting three thousand American flags at Moore Park in South Paris. The memorial was the idea of Mary Beth Hoover and Becky Leland, high school students at Oxford Hills Christian Academy.

On Saturday morning, Mary Beth and Becky went to Moore Park right after a school assembly on the meaning of the American flag. There they waited until all the other students, kindergarten through twelfth grade, arrived at the park to help in the project.  There they began planting the flags as members of the South Paris Fire Department sounded their sirens in memory of the victims.