Apparently, the D.C. Police received a report of a potential bomb threat to the Human Rights Campaign and possibly other groups in DC. We want to be the first to denounce any threat against the person or property of any gay marriage advocate, including HRC. America should not be a place where people are afraid to voice their views on marriage whether pro or con.
UPDATE -- Metro Weekly reports via Twitter that HRC has been given the all clear:
The Democrats’ top leader in Congress said Thursday that the party’s platform will soon include a plank calling for the legalization of gay marriage.
“The president’s in favor of it — I’m sure it will be [included],” said Reid.
Delegates to the Democratic National Convention will meet in Charlotte, N.C., to vote on the party’s platform in early September.
Voters in North Carolina this week approved a state constitutional amendment banning gay marriage.
And in fact, in all probability, more Democrats in North Carolina supported the marriage protection amendment than opposed it..
Katrina Trinko of National Review summarizes the post Obama announcement polling:
It looks like Barack Obama’s decision to support gay marriage is hurting him in the polls. A CBS/NYT poll out tonight gives Mitt Romney a 3-point lead among voters, 46 percent to 43 percent. A Rasmussen poll conducted after Obama’s announcement on gay marriage gave Romney a 4-point lead. And in the Gallupdaily tracking poll (which is based on seven days’ polling), Obama’s only 1 point ahead today.
Overall, the CBS/NYT poll found that 25 percent of voters are less likely to back Obama because of his new position on gay marriage, while 16 percent are more likely.
Mitt Romney doubled down against same-sex marriage Saturday, using his commencement address at Liberty University to reaffirm his belief that marriage is between “one man and one woman.”
The presumptive Republican presidential nominee told graduates of the Jerry Falwell-founded evangelical university “culture — what you believe, what you value, how you live — matters.”
“As fundamental as these principles are, they may become topics of democratic debate from time to time,” Romney said. “So it is today with the enduring institution of marriage. Marriage is a relationship between one man and one woman.”
Our President Brian Brown's exclusive op-ed with CNN:
North Carolina is so important to the re-election chances of Barack Obama that he picked Charlotte as the host city for the Democratic nominating convention.
On May 8, all his careful plans came crashing down when 61% of voters in a North Carolina referendum adopted a constitutional amendment defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman.
... Obama's embrace of same-sex marriage will help ensure he becomes a one-term president, and his political demise will begin with North Carolina.
Despite what many in the media claim, the American people do not support same-sex marriage. They sure as heck don't in North Carolina, where voters made it clear they want to prevent activist judges and politicians like Obama from redefining marriage.
The National Organization for Marriage, which I head, helped lead the North Carolina campaign. Our victory for marriage was so impressive that the prominent Democratic Public Policy Polling firm sent out this Twitter missive as the results came in: "Hate to say it, but I don't believe polls showing majority support for gay marriage nationally. Any time there's a vote, it doesn't back it up."
Read the rest right here.
Drew Zahn at WorldNetDaily:
In response to objections over a public statement made earlier this year backing Washington’s same-sex marriage bill, the leadership of Starbucks Corporation assured its investors not to worry, for profits have never been better.
Starbucks President and CEO Howard Schultz fielded questions from shareholders over whether taking a stance on the controversial issue would dilute the company’s bottom line, particularly in nations where the company is expanding but homosexuality is widely considered immoral.
“I would say, candidly, since we made that decision, there has not been any dilution whatsoever in our business, and as you can see, shareholder value has increased significantly,” Schultz replied. “Performance in many ways should be one of the metrics to decide whether or not this decision in any way has been dilutive, and it hasn’t.”
But now, the National Organization for Marriage has determined to put a dent in that boast, launching the Dump Starbucks campaign, urging supporters of traditional marriage to sign a pledge to boycott the popular coffee seller.
Go to DumpStarbucks.com to join nearly 38,000 people who have already signed the pledge!
The Coalition for African American Pastors:
Memphis, TN – A coalition of well-known and highly respected Black clergy headed by the Reverend William Owens, founder and president of the Coalition of African American Pastors (CAAP) and other leaders responded strongly to President Obama’s declaration of support for same-sex marriage. Reverend Owens led in the civil rights movement in Nashville, Tennessee and said he is appalled by the ongoing effort by GLBT activists to link sexual diversity to the historic fight for civil rights for Black Americans. The coalition includes such noted leaders as:
- Bishop George D. McKinney, Jurisdictional Prelate of Southern California Second Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction and General Board Member of the Church of God in Christ; senior pastor of St. Stephens Cathedral in San Diego, California
- Bishop Felton Smith, Prelate of the Tennessee Eastern First urisdiction and Senior Pastor of New Covenant Fellowship Church of God in Christ in Nashville, TN. He also serves as Episcopal Coordinator on the Board of Bishops for the Church of God in Christ.
- Bishop Brandon B Porter, Prelate of the Tennessee Central, Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction of the Church of God in Christ and Senior Pastor of Greater Community Temple in Memphis
- Bishop Ed Stephens, Jr., Senior Pastor of Golden Gate Cathedral in Memphis
- Bishop James H. Gaylord, Prelate of the 1st Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction of Eastern New York and Senior Pastor of Kelly Temple in Harlem, NY.
- Dr. Dwight Montgomery, Pastor of Annesdale Cherokee Baptist Church, Memphis, and President of the SCLC (Memphis Chapter)
- Dr. Chuck Singleton, Senior Pastor of Loveland Church in Ontario, California
- Bishop Robert Jefferson, Senior Pastor of Cullen Missionary Baptist Church, Houston, Texas
- Bishop Janice Hollis, Presiding Prelate of the Covenant International Fellowship of Churches.
- Rev. William Owens, Sr., Founder and President, Coalition of African American Pastors, Memphis
“We cannot and will not remain silent while marriage, the most fundamental institution in our and any nation, is undermined by our own President while using Christian language and relating it to civil rights.
Over at Public Discourse, Carson Holloway examines some of the tensions and contradictions that remain in President Obama's flip-flop on same-sex marriage:
The president has recently received a good deal of credit from liberal commentators for having come out clearly in support of same-sex marriage. Having once opposed it, and having more recently said that his position was evolving, he has now said that he is in favor of it. The credit he is getting for this supposedly brave stand is undeserved, however, because the president's position is still, on a close examination, very muddled. It is sufficiently inconsistent to lead one to suspect that it arises from a deep confusion or, alternatively, an equally deep cynicism about the principles at stake.
These contradictions are readily apparent to anyone who takes the time to read the full transcript of the president's interview with ABC's Robin Roberts, in which he made national news by announcing his new position and discussed the reasons for it at length.
Progressive Candidate Dave Strohmaiher who is facing a primary contest against six other Democrats cuts this ad asking for progressive democrats to give him the money to air it Montana:
What do you think, will these visuals help him win more Democratic primary votes in Montana?
The Brooklyn Daily on the ongoing efforts to settle Storobin's bid to defeat Lew Fidler for ex-Sen. Carl Kruger's seat:
Councilman Lew Fidler’s brief lead over GOP opponent David Storobin in the still-too-close-to-call race to replace prison-bound ex-pol Carl Kruger is about to disappear.
Brooklyn Supreme Court Judge Larry Martin ordered the Board of Elections to count 119 absentee ballots Fidler (D–Marine Park) claimed the Storobin camp obtained illegally, ruling late yesterday that there was no evidence of voter fraud in the March 20 special election.
Political insiders say Fidler’s 87-vote lead will likely be eliminated and Storobin will surge ahead by approximately 30 votes once the city opens the contested ballots — which both sides expect were cast for the Republican rookie.
UPDATE -- Politicker, NY: "David Storobin Now Leads by 27"
Seth McLaughlin at The Washington Times:
While many Republicans consider the sudden emergence of gay marriage as an issue in the 2012 presidential campaign an unhelpful distraction, social conservatives Sunday insisted the Obama administration has given presumptive Republican nominee Mitt Romney an opportunity.
“I think the president this past week took six or seven states he carried in 2008 and put them in play with this one ill-conceived position that he’s taken,” American Values President Gary Bauer said on CNN’s “State of the Union.”
“I think that Barack Obama has helped fit that missing piece of intensity that Mitt Romney is going to need,” Tony Perkins, president of the conservative Christian organization Family Research Council, said on CBS’ “Face the Nation.”
Gay marriage is suddenly the country’s hottest political talking point after Mr. Obama last week said he now personally supports same-sex marriages — though he said the legality of such unions should be decided by individual states.
Mr. Romney, who once argued in Massachusetts that he would be a better advocate for gay rights than Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, quickly drew a sharp contrast with the president on the issue, insisting that marriage is “one man, one woman.”
Gay-rights activists gathered Monday at the Colorado Capitol for a special legislative session to consider civil unions said they were fired up to lobby for a measure that died on a Republican maneuver last week – but skeptical the matter would fare better in the special session.
Hundreds of activists wearing red and waving signs greeted lawmakers returning to Denver for the special session, which was called by Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper last week to reconsider what he called “a fundamental question of fairness and civil rights.”
... Conservatives sought to portray the special session as a waste of taxpayer money. As they have before, Republicans describe the measure as a proposal for gay marriage, rather than civil unions.
Please click here to learn more about the rally we are encouraging our supporters to attend later today!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 14, 2012
Contact: Anath Hartmann or Elizabeth Ray (703-683-5004)
"The resolution was designed to ensure that Bank of America applies this business practice of allowing employees to speak out on personal time to all employees and vendors, and not just those who support the current whims of corporate leadership." —Jonathan Baker, Director, Corporate Fairness Project, NOM—
Washington, D.C. — At the Bank of America 2012 annual shareholder meeting last week in Charlotte, North Carolina, Bank of America shareholder Thomas Strobhar offered a resolution from the floor to enshrine the freedom of speech of employees in the Bank of America Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action Statement.
"In 2011 Bank of America wrongly released independent vendor Frank Turek from a contract because of his support, on his personal time, for marriage as the union of one man and one woman. When this action was brought to the attention of company executives they quickly stated that Mr. Turek remained a vendor in good standing. The fact remains, however, that his contract was ended because he had expressed his personal view on marriage while other bank personnel expressed their views against the traditional definition of marriage without penalty," said Jonathan Baker, Director of the National Organization for Marriage Corporate Fairness Project. "The resolution was designed to ensure that Bank of America applies this business practice of allowing employees to speak out on personal time to all employees and vendors, and not just those who support the current whims of corporate leadership. This resolution would have explicitly protected the rights of Bank of America employees who both favor and oppose gay marriage."
Bank of America Shareholder Thomas Strobhar, who attended the meeting and offered the resolution, said "Bank of America becomes a stronger company when they embrace diversity of all types, not just those that are currently in favor with pop culture. As a shareholder I simply believe that it is imprudent for a corporation to take sides on a cultural matter unrelated to their business." Strobhar continued, "Bank of America took the correct position of allowing their employees to speak out on their own time on the North Carolina Marriage Amendment, and as a shareholder I'd like to see that position added to their Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action Statement so that all employees will know where they stand."
During the debate on the North Carolina Marriage Amendment, which successfully passed last Tuesday, Bank of America was faced with situations where bank employees spoke out publically on the amendment. In contrast with Dr. Turek who was fired, Bank of America correctly allowed these individuals to speak their mind, while not on company time, as was company practice. The resolution would have enshrined this practice into the Bank of America corporate policies and ensured that all employees, and not just those speaking for one side of an issue, know they are valued by the corporation and are free to speak their mind on their own time.
To schedule an interview with Jonathan Baker, Director of the Corporate Fairness Project at the National Organization for Marriage, please contact Elizabeth Ray (x130), [email protected], or Anath Hartmann, [email protected], at 703-683-5004.
Freedom of Speech Resolution
Whereas, the Bank of America Corporate Social Responsibility Report of 2010 says, "Employees with diverse backgrounds and perspectives enrich our business, engage us to better serve our customers and make us a better community partner."
Whereas, the Bank of America Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action Statement states it recruits and hires candidates without regard to race, religion, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, age, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, veteran status, marital status, medical condition or disability.
Whereas, we do not offer similar assurances of non-discrimination to job candidates or employees who publicly speak out on issues of concern to them.
Whereas, by not providing free speech safeguards we potentially deprive our company of the unique intellectual heritage, characteristics and perspectives each person brings to the job.
Resolved, the shareholders request the Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action Statement specifically include protection to engage in free speech.
###
Patrick Buchanan's most recent column in Human Events:
"... Obama, by declaring that homosexual marriages should be on the same legal and moral plane as traditional marriage, just took command of the forces of anti-Christian secularism in America's Kulturkampf. And Nov. 6, 2012, is shaping up as the Antietam of the culture war.
... Republican turnout in North Carolina's primary was up half a million, the highest in history. And this is a state Obama carried in 2008, a state whose largest city, Charlotte, will host Obama's convention.
Even in liberal California in 2008, while John McCain was getting a smaller share of the vote than Barry Goldwater in 1964, Proposition 8, restricting marriage to men and women, won.
How does Obama propose to win this battle?
He has one path to victory -- the Supreme Court.
... Obama needs one more justice. If elected, he will get it, and same-sex marriage will be forced on all of America. If Romney wins, the Supreme Court will likely leave the issue of same-sex marriage to be decided by the people and their elected representatives.
Welcome to the DumpStarbucks.com News!
Let's start with a bit of news this week.
Tuesday saw a long campaign in North Carolina end in a victory for marriage! As yet another state came down in support of marriage as the union of one man and one woman it was especially telling that TV commercials from the opponents failed to even mention the fact that the amendment was about marriage as they attempted to sway the conversation. Fortunately voters saw through this smokescreen.
Let's remember this most recent victory for marriage when activists tell us that same sex marriage is inevitable!
On to Starbucks and what you can do this week:
Log into your Facebook account and look up Starbucks. Leave a message on their Facebook wall respectfully asking them why they do not respect the views of those customers, employees, and shareholders who do not support same sex marriage.
Keep it short and sweet, but this is a question they need to be asked and that they have refused to satisfactorily answer.
I wonder what would happen if we put Howard Schultz, CEO of Starbucks, in the same room with Lloyd Blankfein, the CEO of Goldman Sachs?
This past week The Advocate shared a story where Blankfein said that he felt it might be good for Wall Street firms (he was speaking at an Out on the Street event for Wall Street executives) to sit out the marriage battle and let it resolve naturally. Getting corporations involved could backfire he said.
Don't tell me the fact that Starbucks is not physically headquartered on Wall Street makes the difference.
Given Starbucks' corporate support for same sex marriage, and the public comments of Mr. Schultz, it is apparent that Schultz and Blankfein do not agree. As Blankfein is the first national corporate spokesman for the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), and the HRC has supported Starbucks in their corporate position on same sex marriage, it would also be interesting to hear if this is the official HRC position or if Mr. Blankfein is speaking on his own here.
One last bit of news, and big thank you! While I missed this story until recently, New Zealand Right to Life has sent a letter to Starbucks New Zealand and is urging consumers to cease patronizing Starbucks. The New Zealand Right to Life folks are dedicated to doing the right thing and recognize the significance of a company taking this type of position. We applaud them for their years of work to support the sanctity of life and want them to know that we appreciate their support!
Have a great week!
