LIGHTHOUSE BLOG

Terry Goddard's Country Club Suit Impacts Gays & Lesbians

The Phoenix Country Club today settled on a lawsuit from Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard.  The suit claimed sexual discrimination against the club for having separate facilities for men and women.   Rather than continue to fight the suit, the private, members only country club caved and settled, thus allowing members of both sexes the right to share facilities.

I find this whole mess to be another big-brother government intervention where they had no business or jurisdiction.  That said, why men would want to dine apart from women is just beyond me.  But perhaps tradition got the best of the country club members until today.  In any case, the fact that it was private club means that its membership, via by-laws, and not government, should dictate the rules of the club. 

Goddard's case will undoubtedly have unintended consequences among private groups and clubs across the state, including gay and lesbian groups, who may now be legally obliged to have members of the opposite sex attend any private functions.  Perhaps Goddard himself will ensure nondiscrimination at those events.  Whatever the case, the political fallout of this idiocy will indeed be entertaining.

A must see video...

Everyone needs to watch this 41 second video.

4 Million more people watched Reagan's inauguration than Obama's

According to figures just released, 4 million more people watched the inauguration of President Ronald Reagan in 1981 than did President Barack Obama in 2009.  What's interesting about that is that we didn't have the plethora of cable TV channels back then that we have now, yet Reagan still drew more viewers.

Taking into consideration that President Obama had perhaps a million more spectators at the event itself, Reagan still had more viewers overall, by the tune of about 3 million.

Excuse me if I didn't cry

For 40 years I've been raised to believe that skin color makes no difference, that people, as Martin Luther King said, should be "judged by the content of their character and not by the color of their skin."

But time and time again, from Colin Powell's appointment as Secretary of State, Halle Berry's Oscar, and now Barack Obama's Presidency - these all have important significance because....of skin color.  So which is it America? 

I tend to side with Martin Luther King on this one, and not with the majority of Americans who ignore Dr. King and vacillate back and forth on the importance of race.  Race played no role for me in the election - an election where upwards of 96% of African-Americans voted for the African-American candidate.  Further, there were 3 million more African-American voters than ever before.  That, to me, tells a lot about racism and the importance of skin color.  It also reeks of hypocrisy.

So while I watched the inauguration today, I could not get caught up in all the emotion just because of our new president's skin color.  There are just too many policy issues, particularly abortion and economics, where I disagree with the new president.  

Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, and Barack Obama represent the most liberal triad of goverment leaders in recent history.  Their unchecked policies will affect us all, and we have much to be concerned about.  So excuse me if I didn't cry today.

Obama is 43rd American to take oath, not 44th

 President Obama had his facts wrong at the opening of his speech, claiming to be the 44th American to take the Presidential Oath. He is only the 43rd.  The picture explains why.

I hope he is a better student of history than he appears to be.

Marathon Negates Separation of Church & State

Today the Valley hosts the annual Rock & Roll Marathon and 1/2 Marathon, an exciting event for runners and fans.  And while I support any event that helps people shed pounds, I can't help but notice the impact the government facilitated event has on city dwellers, especially churchgoers.  

Because of the circular configuration of the race track, people on the inside are virtually stuck, and people on the outside are likewise prevented from getting in.  Now, there are exceptions if you don't mind huge waits and traffic snarls, but for the most part, where you wake up the morning of the race - inside or outside the track - is where you'll stay until the race is over.

I have always lived on the inside of the track.  My Church has always been on the outside.  There is simply no easy and efficient way for me, due to government restrictions, to attend services during either of the Sunday morning Masses.

Can you imagine if a church sponsored event surrounded and blockaded a government building?  There would be mass hysteria, investigations, protests and jail time.  But when the government blocks access to churches in three Valley cities, nary a sound is heard.  I just couldn't let the separation of church and state hypocrisy go unstated another year.

Good luck runners...and churchgoers!

"Seeing Red AZ" Blog Deleting Critical Comments

I just received an email from a friend fuming about the hatchet job SeeingRedAZ.com is doing to Lisa James and Arizona Right to Life, and the fact that she deleted his comment correcting the record. 

The blogger seems to have gone off the deep end in her zeal to attack AZRTL and Lisa James without providing any balance via critical comments.

I normally don't post things about my fellow bloggers, but the truth must take precedent over any cyber-kinship.

Here is the comment that was deleted from the blog post, which was ironically and hysterically titled "Where's the straight talk...:"

That post lacks integrity. Are you pro-gay because you voted for Cheney who has a gay daughter? Seriously, you’re really reaching here.

Pullen’s record of personally writing checks to a pro-abort democrat candidate is well known, as are his statements that he didn’t think the pro-life issue was important when selecting candidates for state office. Both candidates have a few pro-life glitches in their past. None of us is perfect.

I don’t recall where AZRTL made this a “non-issue.” The very fact that they had the candidates fill out surveys, and issued an opinion, clearly indicates that it WAS an issue. AZRTL just didn’t, after looking at ALL of the facts, believe that one stood above the other.

I hope my fellow blogger at SeeingRedAZ will post Larry's original comment and allow for some debate.  After all, just deleting comments with which she disagrees just gives credence to her critics who believe she can't back up her arguments.

Arizona Right to Life PAC Releases Statement on AZ GOP Chairman's Race

The Arizona Right to Life Political Action Committee just released a statement regarding Lisa James and Randy Pullen, both candidates for the Chairmanship of the Arizona Republican Party.

"The Arizona Right to Life PAC has reviewed the candidate questionnaires for both Chairman Pullen, and his opponent, Lisa James.  Both candidates'responses were found to be in-line with the pro-life legislation and pro-life agenda of Arizona Right to Life PAC.  Seeing no discernable difference among the two candidates, based on the questionnaires alone, the Arizona Right to Life PAC has decided that both candidates would carry the pro-life cause with them to the Chairmanship of the Arizona Republican Party.

 

AZRTL PAC didn't have any clear choice in this race, unlike the Maricopa County race, where the two candidates turned in contrasting questionnaires.

It's nice to see that both Mr. Pullen and Ms. Jamesalign themselves with the pro-life majority in Arizona.  This will allow them to battle it out over other issues.

Jerry Brooks Submits New Survey to AZRTL PAC

The Arizona Right to Life PAC has received a new candidate questionnaire from Maricopa County GOP Chairman candidate Jerry Brooks.  This questionnaire updates the one submitted to AZRTL PAC on 31 December.

The first questionnaire contained several "NO" answers to important questions to the pro-life community (see previous post).  It also contained only four "YES" answers.  The rest of the answers were either left blank or answered "N/A."

The second questionnaire, submitted this morning, contains all "YES" answers, which represent the pro-life position on the various issues.

Arizona Right to Life PAC, who had endorsed Rob Haney after reviewing both candidate questionnaires last week, has requested an explanation from Mr. Brooks on why his two questionnaires are so different, and will make a determination upon receipt of his explanation.

Brewer Interview Not Pleasing To Pro-Lifers

Governor-in-waiting Jan Brewer was on Bruce Jacob's show this morning.  When asked if she would sign the pro-life legislation that General Napolitano vetoed, Brewer stated that she didn't like partial birth abortion.  Asked again by Jacobs, because her first answer was clearly a non answer, on whether she would "welcome" the same bills that Napolitano vetoed, Brewer said she would "welcome them."  Those answers, to this staunch pro-lifer, are not satisfactory answers for someone who claims to be pro-life.  I hope GIW Brewer was not being purposely coy and evasive, but instead simply mishandled two very direct questions.