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[Sparkle]

Originally Posted by Toughy

/snip
I understand what has motivated the above letter, however it very well could have been written by Sarah Palin or Rush or Sean or Glenn, et al. Just put 'homosexual' or 'pagan' or 'move on.org' in place of fred phelps.....
/snip

You're quite right but ...

I can't help but admit the letter does bring me a distinct pang of glee.

[betenoire]

Originally Posted by rlin

an open letter to westboro from anonymous... fred is done!
We, the collective super-consciousness known as ANONYMOUS - the Voice of Free Speech & the Advocate of the People

Fair enough, but I find it laughable to read that a group calling itself "the Voice of Free Speech" is going to kick some ass because they don't like someone else's free speech.

[rlin]

Originally Posted by Toughy

Note to rlin: my post is absolutely not directed towards you personally....it is not about you personally.....it's about the letter and it's meaning.


I understand what has motivated the above letter, however it very well could have been written by Sarah Palin or Rush or Sean or Glenn, et al. Just put 'homosexual' or 'pagan' or 'move on.org' in place of fred phelps.....

It's hateful and mean and violence is implied. I don't see any reason for any of us to be crawling around in the gutter with any of them.

you are correct about it being a terroristic threat... cuz... it obviously is...

that said... we already have what you said could be... we have palin and hannity and beck attacking us daily... i cant help being elated that someone may hit them as hard as they hit us...

i guess im not as easy going as i once was... the other cheek hurts too...


R

[rlin]

from anonnews.org

Dear Phred Phelps and WBC Phriends,
So we've been hearing a lot about some letter that we supposedly sent you this morning. Problem is,
we're a bit groggy and don't remember sending it. Our best guess is that you heard about us on that
newfangled TV of yours and thought we might be some good money for your little church.
You thought you could play with Anonymous. You observed our rising notoriety and thought you
would exploit our paradigm for your own gain. And then, you thought you could lure some idiots into a
honeypot for more IPs to sue.
This is not so foreign to us; as you may have heard, we trade in Lulz. You just do not have enough to
offer right now.
While Anonymous thanks you for your interest, and would certainly like to take a break and have some
fun with you guys, we have more pressing matters to deal with at the moment.
But, we will keep this application on file, and will certainly contact you if any openings become
available in future.
Next time, don't call us. We'll call you.
Additionally, as your "Press Release" failed to understand: When Anonymous says we support free
speech, we mean it. We count Beatrice Hall among our Anonymous forebears: "I disapprove of what
you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."
Do some among our number hate you and your cynical exploitation of your human rights for monetary
gain? Of course. But the MoralFags are also the first to admit that they are, in fact, your rights to
exploit.
In closing, let us assure you: We are not BAWWWING sissies, nor are we afraid of your false god;
we're just really busy. Stay tuned, and we'll come back to play another day.
We promise.
To the Media: Just because it was posted on AnonNews doesn't mean every single Anon is in
agreement, in fact in this case it doesn't even mean a single Anon is in agreement. Next time, if you
could give us a few minutes to put all our paperwork in order, we'll be sure to let you know what we're
up to. (LOL)
To Anonymous: It's a trap. They've got their ports wide open to harvest IPs to sue. Don't DDoS, and
boycott Operation Westboro. If you really want to continue messing with them, just send them a few
male prostitutes and faxes of goatse. Nothing more.
(Note: This letter was written by more than 20 Anons, at the same time, and none of them were inbred
family members. Unlike that other, shitty "Press Release".)
We are Anonymous.
We are legion.
We do not forgive.
We do not forget.
Expect us.

[Mister Bent]

The TSA is out of hand.

I am of the mind that certain measures to protect air travel are necessary, but there must be some measure of common sense among TSA agents.

Rep. Sharon Cissna underwent a body scan as she was preparing to leave Seattle-Tacoma International Airport Sunday and was then required to undergo the pat-down by Transportation Safety Administration officials, said Michelle Scannell, her chief of staff.

Scannell said the TSA called for the pat-down because the scan showed Cissna had had a mastectomy.

The TSA, on its website, says security officers "will need to see and touch your prosthetic device, cast or support brace as part of the screening process."

Read more here

[Sparkle]

http://www.hrcbackstory.org/2011/02/...tory-doma-law/

Today the Obama Administration announced it won’t continue its defense of the so-called “Defense of Marriage Act” (DOMA) in court. DOMA denies federal recognition and benefits to legally married same-sex couples and purports to allow states to deny recognition to those couples as well.

“This is a monumental decision for the thousands of same-sex couples and their families who want nothing more than the same rights and dignity afforded to other married couples,” said HRC President Joe Solmonese. “As the President has stated previously, DOMA unfairly discriminates against Americans and we applaud him for fulfilling his oath to defend critical constitutional principles.”

[Sparkle]

and the Washington Post article

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...l?hpid=topnews

[EnderD_503]

Another good step forward.

Rutgers University to allow co-ed dorm rooms
Published: Monday, February 28, 2011, 9:00 PM

NEW BRUNSWICK — Starting this fall, Rutgers University will allow male and female students to live in the same dormitory room for the first time in a pilot program designed to make the New Brunswick campus more welcoming to gay students.

More than 100 undergraduates in Demarest Hall, New Gibbons and Rockoff Hall will have the option of selecting a roommate of the opposite sex, campus officials said. The pilot program will allow gay, lesbian and transgender students to choose either male or female roommates. Heterosexual students will also be permitted to live in co-ed rooms with their boyfriends, girlfriends or platonic friends of the opposite sex.

The new option — called gender-neutral housing — was created at the request of gay, lesbian and transgender students who objected to Rutgers rules that require undergraduates to choose roommates of the same sex.

"I’m really glad they did it, although I wish it wouldn’t have taken as long," said Aaron Lee, a Rutgers senior who is a self-described transgender student. "We live in a world where in order to be considered a human being you have to be male or female, and not everyone fits into that kind of binary. It’s important to have spaces where people don’t necessarily have to worry."

Rutgers-Newark will offer a similar program this fall, though campus officials said they will limit the mixed-sex housing to a maximum of three rooms in either University Square or Woodward Hall.

Gay campus groups had been asking for gender-neutral housing options for years without success. University officials reconsidered the idea after the death of Tyler Clementi, a freshman who made national headlines when he committed suicide last semester.

Clementi, 18, jumped off the George Washington Bridge a few days after his roommate allegedly used a webcam to watch him in an intimate encounter with another man. It is unclear exactly why Clementi committed suicide, but the freshman’s death prompted Rutgers officials to take a closer look at how gay students are treated on campus.

The number of colleges offering mixed-sex housing options has been growing steadily in recent years, according to the National Student Genderblind Campaign, a grassroots group that advocates for changes in campus housing policies. Columbia University, George Washington University, Emory University, Ohio University and Ramapo College in Mahwah already offer gender-neutral options.

At Rutgers, the pilot program will be limited to Demarest Hall on the College Avenue Campus, New Gibbons on the Douglass Campus and some apartments in Rockoff Hall, a 12-story building in downtown New Brunswick.

Students will get into the dorms through the student housing lottery, campus officials said. Then, students will be given the option of naming a roommate of either sex. Parents will not be permitted to veto their children’s roommates. Undergraduates will not be asked to reveal if they are gay.

"We’re not asking students their relationships," said Joan Carbone, the university’s executive director of residence life. "People should not have to declare their sexual preference to us."

The halls will include gender-neutral bathrooms, where men and women share bathing facilities. Individual shower stalls will have doors instead of curtains to allow for more privacy, residence life officials said. Access to the locked bathrooms will be limited to residents with key cards.

The mixed-sex rooms will not be available to freshmen, Rutgers officials said. But first-year gay and lesbian students will be given the option on their housing form of requesting a roommate who is supportive of their sexual preference.

Steven Goldstein, head of Garden State Equality, said Rutgers’ decision to allow mixed-gender housing is a small part of the changes needed to help gay students be safe on campus.

"Our experience is that students get bullied both by students of the same gender and the opposite gender, so integrated housing may be a step. But it’s not nearly enough and cannot substitute for more comprehensive anti-bullying policy," said Goldstein, chairman of the statewide gay rights organization.

Source:http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/201...d_rooms_i.html

[UofMfan]

What can I say, this is breaking news to me.

Fascinating

[betenoire]

Originally Posted by UofMfan

What can I say, this is breaking news to me.

Fascinating

What did it used to say? Now at the top of the screen it says only "Stating a discriminatory preference in a housing post is illegal - please flag discriminatory posts as prohibited"

[UofMfan]

Originally Posted by betenoire

What did it used to say? Now at the top of the screen it says only "Stating a discriminatory preference in a housing post is illegal - please flag discriminatory posts as prohibited"

That is interesting. That is what happens when I multitask.

Let's try again.

[Corkey]

Just announced on ABC news, Nitwit Newt to run for republican nomination for President. Will announce his nitwit self sometime this week.

[Jess]

Think we could get his sis to run instead???

[betenoire]

Originally Posted by UofMfan

That is interesting. That is what happens when I multitask.

Let's try again.

Can I stare at my on in the mirror or down my top? Or do I have to stare at others? THIS IS AN IMPORTANT QUESTION!

[UofMfan]

Originally Posted by betenoire

Can I stare at my on in the mirror or down my top? Or do I have to stare at others? THIS IS AN IMPORTANT QUESTION!

What am I, the expert?

I would think stare at others, more so in your case

[betenoire]

Originally Posted by UofMfan

What am I, the expert?

I would think stare at others, more so in your case

Whatever. My boobs are awesome. I know this because I am looking down my top right this second.

You're so mean to me. I'm going to dwell on that while I walk to the store to buy catfood right now.

[Jess]

from gayrva.com:



According to today’s Supreme Court ruling, the controversial Westboro Baptist Church will be able to picket funerals. The 8-1 vote in favor of the WBC upholds an appeals court ruling that prevented the father of a deceased Marine from suing the church for $5 million.

Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the court’s opinion.

More from the Associated Press: ( http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_suprem...neral_protests )

Roberts said free speech rights in the First Amendment shield the funeral protesters, noting that they obeyed police directions and were 1,000 feet from the church.

“Speech is powerful. It can stir people to action, move them to tears of both joy and sorrow, and — as it did here — inflict great pain. On the facts before us, we cannot react to that pain by punishing the speaker,” Roberts said. “As a nation we have chosen a different course — to protect even hurtful speech on public issues to ensure that we do not stifle public debate.”

[AtLast]

Originally Posted by Jess

from gayrva.com:



According to today’s Supreme Court ruling, the controversial Westboro Baptist Church will be able to picket funerals. The 8-1 vote in favor of the WBC upholds an appeals court ruling that prevented the father of a deceased Marine from suing the church for $5 million.

Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the court’s opinion.

More from the Associated Press: ( http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_suprem...neral_protests )

Roberts said free speech rights in the First Amendment shield the funeral protesters, noting that they obeyed police directions and were 1,000 feet from the church.

“Speech is powerful. It can stir people to action, move them to tears of both joy and sorrow, and — as it did here — inflict great pain. On the facts before us, we cannot react to that pain by punishing the speaker,” Roberts said. “As a nation we have chosen a different course — to protect even hurtful speech on public issues to ensure that we do not stifle public debate.”

Even, Alito dissented on this one!!

[Corkey]

Even though I abhor WBC, I have to agree with the court. And it really is a visceral kind of agreement, because If I want my voice heard, then I have to acknowledge they have that right. No matter how vehemently I disagree with them. They cause pain to those they demonstrate against, we, all of us want our rights. I wish we could punish them more on hate speech, but that isn't going to happen. There is a petition brought against the ones who are lawyers in that group to disbar them. That may be, legally, the only course left.

[Jess]

I agree. It's very difficult to ( gnaw a hole through your jaw) and say "yes, you have the right to speak, even when others disagree with you".

I am finding it more and more important to ignore folks like that and not give over "our" power to those mindsets. Giving them any attention at all only adds fuel to their fire. That is really hard to do though, when you see the hateful things they do.

The only way the system works is if it works for all.