The Rest of Week Ending 6/26/22

 

Change of plans due to content disagreement. Time has now become an issue and therefore have decided to go with what I already have.

Todd Starnes is not stupid, but this makes no sense. I know of only one such skirmish that may fit Starnes' criteria. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Lk1kvZ_WNY One such incident is not “city after city, after city.” Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1063702487850134

While I am not surprised, he is definitely not so bright. I lose points on that issue. https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=561875852007627

And Kent, in street parlance, that's known as “gaydar.”

FYI:: This Televangelist's TERRIBLE Take On LGBTQ Issues https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54BOa1bMsgo

How can she swear an oath to uphold our Constitution if she doesn’t even know what it contains nor what it means? There is no mention of religion, specifically Christianity. https://twitter.com/patriottakes/status/1540451986021257219

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America. (Signed in convention September 17, 1787. Ratified June 21, 1788)

So people who aren’t members of “the church” aren’t real Americans. You know, like Christians are. Oh,,, and y'all better be sure it is Boebert's flavor of Christian – the hateful, bigot kind.

Just some of the crazy out there since the Parkland shooting (pt1)

These are in no particular order,,,

Starnes decided to lay the blame on a fictional character, “the Devil,” and on progressive social issues, not unmitigated gun ownership,,,

Todd Starnes: And the Devil Smiled

You see — I believe there is a God — but I also believe there is a Devil. And I see his hand at work in our country. And I have no doubt that he is smiling at the chaos and the carnage that has scarred the land of the free.

Shooting part of a demonic attack aimed at weakening America through gun control in preparation for the rise of the Antichrist.

Parkland school shooting - Carl Gallups

“This has it’s origins in the spiritual realms. There is a concerted demonic attempt to undermine the United States of America, to bring it down, to destroy the most precious among us. Why is that such a demonic attempt? Because we know the scriptures say that there will arise a generation that will see this Antichrist system, this one-world order … The bottom line is we are headed that way.”

“The United States is the largest Christian nation the planet has ever seen. It’s the number one military superpower, it’s the number one economic superpower and so there is a demonic attempt to destroy it, to bring it down, to break the culture into some kind of submission. One of those ways is to take away our ability to defend ourselves, so every time something like this happens, the leftists start screaming—you can almost hear it from the pits of hell—’Take away all the guns, take away all the guns.’ That’s not the solution and we all know it’s not and we know why, but we hear that, so this is very spiritual, it’s very deep, it’s very dark.” (Source)

Because Jesus.

Pennsylvania church plans to bless worshipers’ assault rifles

Sanctuary Church and Rod of Iron Ministries are one in the same, run by the Moon family from South Korea who started the controversial Unification Church.

At 10 a.m. next Wednesday, church leaders expect up to 600 people for a blessing ceremony, and many of those people are expected to be armed with AR-15s, the gun used in recent mass shootings across the country.

"This will be a big thing for us. It's a new stage for us because it incorporates the rod of iron, as it is in Revelations. Revelations talks about the returning Christ ruling with the rod of iron," said Tim Elder.
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The Moon family also owns Kahr Arms, a gunmaker that moved to Pike County a couple years ago. WNEP was at the opening ceremony in Blooming Grove Township.

Pennsylvania state Rep. Daryl Metcalfe (R) attacked the survivors of last week’s mass shooting in Parkland, Florida for speaking out against gun violence, questioning whether they are really students and dismissing their attempts to influence policy. (Source)

 A Tweet liked by Trump Jr,,,

A subtler version of, “Do we really think — and I say this sincerely — do we really think 17-year-olds on their own are going to plan a nationwide rally?” (Jack Kingston, a former United States representative from Georgia)

Media Promoting Opinions of Teenagers in Emotional State

“The national press believes it is their job to destroy the Trump administration by any means necessary. So if the media has to use kids to do that, they’ll use kids.”

Benjamin Kelly, an aide to a Florida state representative, Shawn Harrison, emailed a Tampa Bay Times reporter on Tuesday accusing Mr. Hogg and a classmate, Emma Gonzalez, of being actors that travel to the sites of crises.

Florida lawmaker’s aide fired after saying outspoken Parkland students are actors

 

High School Marching Band Benched over Christian Hymn | Todd Starnes

The only losers are are the children,,,

According to Todd "I never distort the truth" Starnes,

There was no halftime show under the Friday night lights at Mississippi’s Brandon High School — the marching band had been benched.

The band was ordered off the field because the Christian hymn “How Great Thou Art” was a part of their halftime show — in violation of a federal court order.

Starnes does mention the prior court proceedings that led to the decision.  What he fails to mention,

In a statement Friday evening, the Rankin County School District said, "A Federal Court Order was recently issued to the Rankin County School District.

"The order states: 'Defendants are permanently enjoined from including prayer, religious sermons or activities in any school sponsored event including but not limited to assemblies, graduations, award ceremonies, athletic events and any other school event. That means administrators, teachers and staff of the Rankin County School District may not participate in any religious activity, or solicit or encourage religious activities at school or while performing duties as a RCSD employee.'"

And, as Hemant Mehta noted, the appearance of state sanctioned religious expression has been an ongoing issue for this school district.

This is a District where a school held a religious assembly during the school day, only to be exposed by one of the students, then held another one a year later. This is a place where another school in the District held a Gideon Bible giveaway. And this is a place where the Superintendent blocked the formation of a Gay-Straight Alliance. Because of all this, a judge ruled that any future violations of church/state separation would result in an automatic $10,000 fine.

Now whether this possible violation was intentional, remains to be seen.  There obviously was miscommunication,

Harrell said that he met with RCSD officials and all of the school principals near the end of July so they understood the order and the restrictions the district is operating under. But he didn’t find out about concerns regarding the band performance until the Friday before the game after a school employee brought it to his attention.

But to have to scrap an entire half-time show because of one piece does make one wonder how central a theme it was.  [I was never in marching band, so my notion may be off with the reality of what it is like.]  And I do question the musical piece chosen for logistical reasons.  How the hell do you march to "How Great Thou Art"?  I see it more of a stage band or orchestral piece.

In the end it really is the kids that suffer.  Learning any piece of music is difficult and takes time and practice.  Learning the marching routine adds another level of dedication.  Whether the administration over reacted, I'm not sure.  As one comment notes, and it does raise an interesting question,

The principal cannot say a prayer over the intercom during school hours. This is a situation where no one is given a choice to participate. However, a school can have an organized elective class that studies religion. Or, teaching the bible as literature is permissible. If you take sacred music out of history's repertoire, there would not be much left.

It is the position of The National Association for Music Education that the study and performance of religious music within an educational context is a vital and appropriate part of a comprehensive music education. The omission of sacred music from the school curriculum would result in an incomplete educational experience.

but again the performance venue and presentation is questionable. 

Don't get me wrong, I am all for kids learning these iconic pieces of sacred music and how they influence our current music.  I am all for learning music history and theory,  BUT ",,,being careful to avoid another lawsuit,,,, is what I want government officials to do with my tax dollars.”
 

High School Marching Band Benched over Christian Hymn | Todd Starnes

I fought the law, but the law won

Embattled school board under fire again after leader’s divisive rant

Several parents in the district filed a lawsuit in November through the Freedom From Religion Foundation. The board decided to fight the lawsuit, maintaining that members have the right to pray and enlisting a conservative values law firm to combat what they called secular bullying.

That case is ongoing and in discovery. Andrew Seidel, the lawyer for Freedom From Religion, said there won’t be a jury trial and his group will be pushing for a judge to grant summary judgment.

On the prayer issue, hundreds of community members signed a petition supporting school board prayer and showed up at board meetings in a show of support for Cruz and Na. But this time, Cruz’s rant has alienated some of his supporters, too.

• FFRF sues over school board prayer in Chino Valley, Calif.
• Andrew Cruz recall, Chino Valley Unified School District, California (2015)

Denver cites religion to delay Chick-fil-A contract

The Denver City Council delayed the routine approval of a contract for Chick-fil-A to operate one of its restaurants at the city’s airport after a “gay” council member charged corporate profits would be used “to fund and fuel discrimination.”

The attack on one of the most successful and most popular food franchises in the nation is just the latest since 2012, when CEO Dan Cathy expressed his view that marriage is the union of a man and a woman.

At one point, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel threatened to refuse to allow the company to open any restaurants in Chicago. He later dispatched an aide to say he really wouldn’t do that.

Liberty Counsel President Mathew Staver at the time said such a move would be unconstitutional anyway. But he said the reaction to Cathy’s support of the historic definition of marriage proved homosexual activists are militantly intolerant and want to intimidate and silence critics rather than engage in debate.

The Denver Post reported that the routine contract with Chick-fil-A was pending before the council when Councilman Paul Lopez called it “really, truly a moral issue on the city.”

The company repeatedly has assured the government it follows nondiscrimination laws and regulations.

• Contract for Chick-fil-A at DIA gets Denver council subcommittee's OK

Group is gunning for small town's veteran memorial cross

Mayor Hatch told me the council will meet next month to decide what course of action to take. Meanwhile, the citizens of Knoxville are launching a campaign to save the memorial.

“This political correctness stuff is getting way out of hand,” resident Doug Goff told me. “When we are bending to the will of one person in the town -- you know something is wrong there.”

Goff is a lifelong resident of Knoxville. He’s also a Navy veteran. And he’s helping to spearhead an August 30^t rally to defend the cross.

“This is a memorial for our veterans,” he said -- wondering if Americans United has a problem with the crosses in Arlington National Cemetery.

“The cross is white because the headstones in Arlington are white,” he said. “Would you take that cross down, too?”
,,,
Meanwhile, I think Americans United should answer Mr. Goff’s question. Will they demand that Arlington Cemetery remove their crosses?

I don't see any crosses, do you?

 

 https://romneymanassa.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/arlington-national-cemetery-ii.jpg?w=624

What is at Arlington,,,

• Cross with veterans memorial prompts complaint in Iowa
• Cross Punch: Activists Wrong To Cite Arlington National Cemetery In Their Fight To Save A Sectarian War Memorial In Iowa

Prayer at Florence High School flag pole continues after lawsuit

Less than a month after Fremont County School District RE-2 settled a lawsuit with a former teacher over religious discrimination at Florence High School, students and church leaders were back in front of the school Friday morning for prayers at the flag pole.
,,,
Community members, along with the pastor of The Cowboy Church at Crossroads, were also there.
"It's short, 20, 30 seconds and then they go in and then we wait for another group to come," said pastor Randy Pfaff.
,,,
The lawsuit was settled in July, and part of the provisions ban the school district from endorsing or sponsoring religious groups or activities, and the Cowboy Church can no longer hold worship services at district facilities.
According to the settlement, students can still gather to pray and form religious organizations, but they must be student led. Now the group, Fellowship of Christian Huskies, will have to make that transition.

"The students of course still have a club going but everything they try to do has been diminished and they don't have a leader any more to really lead in that way and Christianity does not need to be out of our schools," said Candy Thompson, one of Pfaff's supporters in the community.

• Colorado Teacher Sues His District Over Constant, Administration-Supported Promotion of Christianity
• Lawsuit claims church, state not separate at high school

Derpity, derpity

Go ahead and gloat Todd,,,

Tennessee Pisses Off Right-Wingers By Recognizing… Divorce Equality? (VIDEO)

According to WBIR, everything about the change was fine until Memphis attorney Kendra Armstrong did an interview with Starnes on his Fox News radio show. Armstrong told Starnes,

Why are heterosexual parents having their rights violated? So now it’s improper and inappropriate in a court of law to refer to a parent as a mother and a father?

Only in the mind of someone like Armstrong does including same-sex couples in a document’s wording violate the rights of those in a male-female marriage. But wait, it gets better. She also told Starnes,

It’s absolutely ludicrous to make the term mother and father obsolete. Quite frankly, the terms ‘Parent 1′ and ‘Parent 2′ seem more offensive than mother and father. It’s implying that one parent is the first parent and the other parent is secondary.

First of all, changing the language of one court form is highly unlikely to make “mother and father” obsolete. Especially considering that mothers and fathers would never see the form unless they are getting a divorce. Then there’s the matter of one parent being “secondary.” No, it’s not subordinating one parent, it’s merely a way of identifying one parent from the other.
,,,
But thanks to Starnes, and Armstrong, Tennessee has reversed the change, and has gone back to the old forms. Starnes suggests that the credit is all his. “A few hours after my column was published the Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) announced they were reversing the policy,” he wrote on the Fox News website.

Fischer: Natural Disasters, Military Defeats And Economic Catastrophes Are Always Warnings From God

"God uses military defeats, natural disasters, economic catastrophes," he said, "they are God's way of rousing a deaf nation. These things are megaphones that God uses to call a wandering and wicked nation back to himself in repentance and prayer."

"So the bottom line with these catastrophes," Fischer concluded, "whether they're military, whether they're natural, whether they're economic, this is God's way of calling a nation back to repentance. The only question is will we listen."

Far-Right Pastor: US Turning Into Gay Dystopia, Unlike Putin's Christian Russia

End Times preacher Carl Gallups spoke to WorldNetDaily yesterday about the Shemittah prophecy of something bad happening in September, citing an article from a Russian government-owned news agency, Sputnik, claiming that the U.S. is “gearing up for onrushing economic collapse.”

Despite the fact that the Russian media has been a mouthpiece for President Vladimir Putin’s government, which is attacking Protestants in Russia and occupied Ukraine, Gallups praised the “reliable” Russian media for covering the Shemittah prophecy (actually, the article doesn’t mention it at all) and the government’s “infusion of ‘Christian influence’ in Putin’s ‘new’ Russian culture.”
,,,
In a separate interview with the far-right outlet, the preacher attacked a public school in San Francisco for organizing a gay history class, claiming that the classes won’t tell students about “the history of the major civilizations that ultimately met their demise concurrent with the rise of rampant sexual promiscuity and deviancy within those cultures, especially embracing and accepting homosexuality.”

Describing homosexuality as “one of the most dangerous sexual lifestyles on the planet,” he lamented that “this is just the beginning of the social rot that is to come.”

Far-Right Activists: Gay People Will Lead To The Downfall Of The Military, Civilization

Gaffney asked Lyons about Pentagon’s plan to work toward allowing transgender people to serve openly in the armed forces, saying, “One of the things that I just can’t get my head around is what do you when you have to have — as apparently the administration is going to insist — transgender individuals as well as females on these vessels. How does that work, practically speaking?”

Lyons called the plan “pure nonsense” and cited Paul McHugh to claim that “transgender is not a civil rights issue, it is a mental disorder,” saying that all transgender people need is to be “treated” and “returned to a normal lifestyle.”

Lyons then paraphrased the late conservative writer Stan Evans,  saying that “the gay, lesbian, transgender lifestyle is nothing but a return to a pagan ethic…which has led to the downfall of previous civilizations.”

Noebel: Teaching Gay Tolerance In Schools Is 'Child Molestation'

Gay marriage, Noebel warned, is going to “affect everything,” pointing out that even before the Supreme Court ruled on marriage equality, children in public schools were learning about the existence of gay people, which he said amounts to “child molestation.”

“They were already down in kindergarten, first, second and third grades teaching the younger innocents,” he said, “And you talk about child molestation. This, to me, was child molestation. When you start teaching first-, second- and third-graders about the glories and wonders of the homosexual lifestyle, you know you’ve got a problem.”
,,,
“The game plan is to destroy Christianity,” he concluded, to Scott’s agreement. “That’s the game plan. Because they contend that Christianity has been very tough on the homosexuals for 2,000 years and now it’s time to get back at the whole thing and show them who’s really boss. So we’re in a very explosive cultural revolution.”

Klingenschmitt's Defense: Gays And Pedophiles Are Possessed By Different Demons

"There are clearly two different demons at play here," he said. "There is, of course, a demon of homosexuality in those who openly parade their sodomy in the streets. But then there's a different demon of child molesting that is inside some of these reported molesters ... I'm not saying that all of the homosexual are child molesters, I never claimed that. But I'll tell you in this case, all the child molesters in the Boy Scouts are homosexual. And how can I tell that? Very simple, it's logical, there were no girls in the tents. Those are men molesting boys and their attraction to other men, or even other boys, is a different demon and we're calling that out."

Former CIA Director Stops By Insane Conspiracy Theory End Times Show

While Wiles didn’t share with Woolsey his theories about demonic flies, the Illuminati’s role in the 9/11 attacks or how gay super-soldiers are taking over America, they did chat about nuclear threats, with the ex-CIA director saying that the U.S. shouldn’t even try negotiating with Iran because its regime can’t be trusted. He said any deal with Iran on its nuclear program would be “suicidal” and “sheer madness.”

 Nevada Rep. Michele Fiore Has Girl Parts On Her Nakedness Area, And So Should You!

“I was raised by my best friend in the whole wide world is my mom and she is a lesbian. But I will say with the bathroom issue is as a heterosexual female I want to be in the bathroom, I want to be in the shower with other girls and if you are transgender and you have a penis… I don’t feel like looking at your penis! Nor do I want you looking at my Va Jay Jay. So I don’t care if you want to have a Va Jay Jay, until you have a Va Jay Jay stay out of my nakedness area! That’s it.”

Prattville minister pleads guilty in same sex marriage case

This whole fracas "began" in February when "Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore threw the state into disarray when, at the 11th hour, he ordered probate judges not to allow gay marriages. He gave the order even though a federal judge ruled the state's ban was unconstitutional and the U.S. Supreme Court allowed the marriages to begin Monday,,,.   Moore said probate judges were not bound by Granade's order last month because the judges were not defendants in an earlier lawsuit brought by two women seeking recognition of their California marriage."

From there, an Autauga County Probate Judge, Alfred Booth, allowed marriage licenses to be issued but prohibited any marriages to take place in the courthouse as long as same-sex couples are allowed to marry.  This led to the dispute with Anne Susan Diprizio.  Diprizio is a minister and her offer to perform the ceremony for them lead to her arrest on charges of disorderly conduct.

If you remember, windbag extraordinaire Todd Starnes. in citing Tony Perkins, said,

“Americans are witnesses to the reality that redefining marriage is less about the marriage altar and more about fundamentally altering the freedoms of the other 98 percent of Americans,” Perkins said.

Why should evangelical Christian ministers be forced to perform and celebrate any marriage that conflicts with their beliefs?

,,,

“Government officials are making clear they will use their government power to punish those who oppose the advances of homosexual activists,” Perkins said.

So why aren't the "religious liberty" folks protesting?  It is clear that Diprizio was prevented from practicing her religion.

A Prattville Unitarian minister, arrested on a misdemeanor disorderly conduct charge in February for trying to marry a same sex couple, pleaded guilty to the charge Monday morning in Autauga County Circuit Court.

Anne Susan DiPrizio, 44, of the 300 block of Cambridge Street, entered the plea before Judge Ben Fuller, but not before some delays and judicial wrangling. He gave her 30 days in the Autauga Metro Jail, and then suspended the sentence in place of 6 months unsupervised probation. Fuller also ordered her to pay a $250 fine and other associated court costs.

It should be noted, "Gov. Bentley, a Republican and a Southern Baptist, said he believes strongly that marriage is between one man and one woman, but that the issue should be "worked out through the proper legal channels" and not through defiance of the law."


Prattville minister pleads guilty in same sex marriage case

At least I'm in the same month,,,

Todd Starnes: Gay Rights Movement Ushering In 'Cultural Cleansing'

The decision to fire Atlanta fire chief Kelvin Cochran for violating city employment policies by distributing his self-published book, which included denunciations of homosexuality, to employees has turned into the latest Religious Right persecution story.

Yesterday Erick Erickson of Fox News and RedState compared the LGBT community to the terrorists behind the Charlie Hebdo attack and groups such as the Georgia Baptist Convention, Faith 2 Action and the Faith and Freedom Coalition came out strongly against Atlanta’s mayor.

Fox News commentator Todd Starnes used his daily radio segment today to accuse the gay rights movement of “cultural cleansing” over the incident, suggesting that “Christians need not apply to public sector jobs” in Atlanta.

“Chief Cochran is just the latest victim in the ongoing cultural cleansing of American society,” Starnes said.

Fischer: 'Being An Active Homosexual Should Disqualify You From Public Office'

Bryan Fischer is very upset that Atlanta fire chief Kelvin Cochran was fired for violating city employment policies after distributing to co-workers an anti-gay book that he had self-published, responding on his radio program today by declaring that gay people ought to be disqualified from serving in public office.

The American Family Association spokesman reiterated his view that gay people should not be allowed to serve in office after learning that one of the city council members who objected to Cochran's book is gay.

Let the infighting begin!! With 16 possible GOP candidates contemplating throwing their hats into the presidential fracas that will be 2016, the backstabbing has begun,,,

GOP Prez Contender Jeb Bush: Respect Lawlessness and Perversion

What a complete crock! With one statement, Jeb Bush has provided all the proof needed that he is completely and totally unworthy of even being a Republican nominee, much less President of the United States.

Anti-Gay Pundits Claim They Are Getting Pushed Into The Closet

According to Mefferd, the fire chief’s firing is a sign that conservatives are now forced to be closeted. She borrowed a line from anti-gay author Michael Brown: “It’s kind of like what Michael Brown said, what they want is to shove us in the closet now.” LaBarbera agreed, lamenting that “homophobia is the new sin, homosexuality is out as the sin.” 

Bryan Fischer's Incoherent Theory Of The First Amendment

As we have noted before, Fischer insists that "violating the First Amendment is something only Congress can do," and since local government is not Congress, he has no grounds to complain about any non-congressional entity supposedly violating the First Amendment.

According to Fischer's own well-established theory, his entire complaint that the city of Atlanda [sic] violated Cochran's First Amendment rights is utterly incoherent considering that the city of Atlanta is not Congress.

Religious Right Activist Wants National Guard Deployed To Stop Gay Couples' Marriages

Thomasson told WorldNetDaily yesterday that Republican governors aren’t doing enough to stop clerks from issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples following court decisions striking down marriage bans, and called for governors like Phil Bryant of Mississippi to use the National Guard to prevent same-sex marriages from taking place in their states.

“The casualties will be the children,” Thomasson said. “These Republican governors, by their own actions, are telling impressionable boys and girls ‘you can aspire to have a same-sex marriage for yourselves.’”

Peter LaBarbera of Americans For Truth About Homosexuality similarly told WND that “if someone stood up to the homosexual lobby and the courts, they would achieve hero status.”

'Swallowed By Satan' Author Angry With Tim Cook, Madonna

 “Through the ‘90s we had Madonna with all the bisexual stuff she was doing and then AIDS sort of seemed to, through the pharmaceutical companies, people were living longer with AIDS and it just seemed to slipped from the media limelight and there was just sort of a misplaced charity towards the gay community that had suffered so greatly during the AIDS crisis,” he said. “I think people very much wanted to love them and feel sorry for them for what they had gone through and I think it sort of got twisted into accepting everything gay men or women do, into saying, ‘Let’s accept them wanting to be married.’ I don’t know, it’s just bizarre what happened. Things at the core of the gay lifestyle haven’t changed, I think it’s gotten darker and sicker.”

BarbWire: America Facing Satanic 'Homo-Terrorist Tyranny'

The firing of Atlanta’s fire chief for promoting his self-published anti-gay book to his employees has prompted Indiana pastor and BarbWire editor Jeff Allen to publish yet another anti-gay tirade, writing in a column today that gay-rights opponents may soon face jail for defying “the emerging homo-terrorist tyranny.”

“[I]n their anti-Christ crusade to destroy, devalue and desecrate the foundational structure of the family, the homosexual juggernaut is rapidly augmenting their Leftist arsenal through a menacing cache of lawless judicial rulings and the ostensibly named anti-discrimination ordinances,” Allen warns. “Satan’s compliant foot soldiers for the cause of counterfeit marriage will never stop sadistically trampling the principles of self-governance, the First Amendment and the will of the people under their feet.”

He laments that anyone in the U.S. who crosses “these homo-pathological thugs” will face destruction because the “Baal of homosexuality is a viscerally hateful and jealous god,” and now America will experience “cultural implosion” as it becomes “nothing more than just another cautionary footnote in the annals of history.”

"We the people"

So this was posted by Todd Starnes the other day.  

Notice a problem with it?  I thought it was up to "we the people," and not the "establishment," to decide who our candidates and elected officials should be?

Joe. My. God.: IDAHO: Hate Group Sues City For Right To Discriminate Against Gay Couples

An interesting story from Joe Jervis over at Joe.My.God. Take a look at who is involved, "[t]he owners are being represented by the Alliance Defending Freedom. News of the lawsuit comes, unsurprisingly, from Todd Starnes."

As Joe points out via http://www.goodasyou.org/good_as_you/2014/05/want-to-deny-same-sex-couples-ministers-then-dont-sell-deluxe-wedding-packages-for-profit.html Good As You, the Hitching Post is a for-profit business that also performs civil ceremonies, it is not a church but a business entity.

Joe. My. God.: IDAHO: Hate Group Sues City For Right To Discriminate Against Gay Couples

Richard Land Angry That Gays Will 'Ram' Nondiscrimination Laws 'Down Your Throat' | Right Wing Watch

“What they just did violates the Constitution of the United States,” Land insisted. “It also shows, once again, the ugly face of the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender movement. They are not a live-and-let-live bunch, they are, ‘We’re going to ram this down your throat, we’re going to force you to accept this or we’re going to run you out of business.’”

Starnes said the decision was proof of anti-Christian “hostility” against business owners: “Christians are coming under attack for their beliefs.”

Richard Land Angry That Gays Will 'Ram' Nondiscrimination Laws 'Down Your Throat' | Right Wing Watch

ADDENDUM::California's Springs Charter Schools Purge 'Christian' Books From School Libraries - The New Civil Rights Movement

Jean Ann Esselink writing over at New Civil Rights Movement offers this bit of narrative:

Brad Dacus, president of PJI, has sent a letter warning the school district that it is "violating the First Amendment by removing library books based on their perceived Christian content." PJI says they will sue if the schools do not cease their "ill-conceived and illegal book-banning policy.”

“It is alarming that a school library would attempt to purge books from religious authors. This is a major sweep by this charter school to eliminate the religious viewpoint. Libraries cannot engage in an open purging of books simply because they are of a Christian perspective.”

Responding to the threat, Springs Charter Schools Superintendent Kathleen Hermsmeyer informed lawyers for PJI that she was attempting to bring the school district into compliance with state law, writing:

“We do not purchase sectarian educational materials and do not allow sectarian materials on our state-authorized lending shelves.”

Pressing their point, the Pacific Justice Institute cited a 1982 Supreme Court ruling that says local school boards may not remove books from school library shelves simply because they dislike the ideas contained in those books, or seek to remove books to "prescribe what shall be orthodox in politics, nationalism, religion, or other matters of opinion.”

Ms. Hermsmeyer responded to the charge, denying the schools were discriminating against Christian authors or publishing companies, saying all religious material was being removed, no matter the source, writing:

“At no time, however, have we discriminated against Christian authors or publishing companies who create secular educational materials. We are a public school, and as such, we are barred by law from purchasing sectarian curriculum materials with state funds. We only keep on our shelves the books that we are authorized to purchase with public funds.”

California's Springs Charter Schools Purge 'Christian' Books From School Libraries - The New Civil Rights Movement

ADDENDUM::Politichicks.com California Charter School Refuses to Reverse Decision to Ban Christian Books - Politichicks.com

So usually when I look at articles I start from the beginning and work my way through. But what stuck me was how this article ended.

What we have here is an overt control of the thought police. When people practice bullying (whether verbal or physical) or murder, the motivation is first and the thought is second. Historically, it has always been the negative act was prosecuted which was sufficient. Now we have a double jeopardy, adding an extra penalty for the thoughts that preceded the cause. This is overkill; but even worse, the thought policy is being embraced—very chilling indeed!

So upon discovering that this was a state funded charter school, that the term "library" was misapplied, and by all accounts the issue is curriculum and text books, Sloane has chosen the route of Christian persecution and being bullied..  Surprise, surprise,,,NOT!!

You see there are two very important points being left out of this narrative. The first being that this incident occurred over the summer. Second, Superintendent Dr. Kathleen Hermsmeyer addressed the issue concerning what the "library" actually is but yet PJI is grossly missing the point and pushing an issue that doesn't even exist.

Sloane in her OP cited Hermsmeyer's press release. Pay attention to the ellipses,,,

“On August 22, Michael Peffer of the Pacific Justice Institute contacted my office at Springs Charter Schools about a conversation…between a parent of a Springs Charter Schools’ student and an employee of Springs Charter Schools, neither of whom were identified. The conversation took place in the Springs Resource Library, which is a warehouse for textbooks we use in our school programs…

Now here is the actual press release, the bold text is what Sloane left out.

“On August 22, Michael Peffer of the Pacific Justice Institute contacted my office at Springs Charter Schools about a conversation that had occurred last summer between a parent of a Springs Charter Schools student and an employee of Springs Charter School, neither of whom were identified. The conversation took place in the Springs Resource Library, which is a warehouse for textbooks we use in our school programs (it is not actually a library, in fact, we have since renamed it the Curriculum Warehouse to eliminate any confusion). Due to the fact that our schools are independent study charter schools, we do not maintain traditional lending libraries. According to the letter, the unidentified Springs employee told the unidentified parent that he/she was instructed to “remove all books with a Christian message, authored by Christians, or published by a Christian publishing company.”

So why is this important, that this occurred over the summer?

Like any brick and mortar school with a library (in this case a curriculum warehouse), the summer months are taken up with administrative duties which included cataloging, organizing, repair and/or replacement, cleaning and much more. Part of those duties would also include making sure that materials the school supplies are compliant with the laws of their respective state. My guess is that disgruntled parent came in on a day of organizing and, observed a staff member removing donated sectarian reading material. Wondering as to why, a question was asked, but the answer may not have been as clear and concise as it should have been.

I can see the disgruntled parent being a bit perplexed. I can even see them contacting JPI for clarification. What I can't see is how JPI, Starnes et al can so ignore the clarification presented by Hermsmeyer

As Hermsmeyer stated in her letter to JPI,

,,,like every other public school in the State of California, we cannot legally maintain religious textbooks on our warehouse shelves for distribution to our families. Donated items are made available to our families at no cost. Any and all donated items are not incorporated onto the shelves of our Curriculum Warehouse. The only materials we maintain on the shelves of our Curriculum Warehouse are items we have purchased ourselves in accordance with the laws of our State.

I don't know much more succinct Hermsmeyer could be.  JPI's response to Hermsmeyer also make no sense what-so-ever. Their insistence on using the word "library" when they know it is not a library is mind boggling.

I saw the school’s press release, and this is not a reversal of their decision at all. People might argue whether or not they are legally obligated to take the books off the shelves if they are text books or part of the curriculum. We’re not talking about that. We’re talking about books that have a library book type marking, as opposed to donated books being given away because they can’t have them in the library. The school’s press release has made the issue more confusing than it was before. She appears to be mushing together the issue of textbooks versus non-textbooks.
,,,
Is the employee who told our clients they had to “remove all books with a Christian message, authored by Christians, or published by a Christian publishing company” right or wrong? If that happened, it doesn’t matter—it’s way too overbroad; however, if we get information that shows we’re wrong, we’ll say it. We always do. In this case, we believe the information we obtained from a parent is reliable.

Whether the employee spoke hastily or mis-worded their response is moot. Whether the disgruntled parent heard only what they wanted to hear is moot. What matters is the law.

Politichicks.com California Charter School Refuses to Reverse Decision to Ban Christian Books - Politichicks.com

UPDATE::School accused of 'purging' Christian books

So I have been trying to get more info about this incident and it hasn't been easy.  MSM either is unaware or they are taking a wait and see approach.  Other than some cranky "we Christians are a persecuted bunch" type sites using Starnes and PJI as source there isn't much out there.  But I did find one article that had an interesting discussion taking place in the comments that may offer some clarity to the matter.

It starts with Peggy Muller's, September 28, 2014 at 3:42 pm comment.

River Springs Charter School is a public charter school which supports homeschool families. The problem here is the term “library” is confusing people. This is not a library in the traditional brick and mortar sense of a on site public school library. This is actually a resource center which carries public school curriculum which parents can borrow. As such it cannot stock specifically Christian materials to be used by the parents to implement what is a public school education.

Let me clarify. I would not be able to demand a public school use Bob Jones or Abeka math curriculum at a traditional public school,,, On the other hand, the school cannot stock textbooks and curriculum which is produced by Christian textbook/curriculum publishers,,, they have to abide by state criteria in that curriculum offered and paid for by the school must be non-sectarian. Again, this is not a “library.” It is a resource center to house public school curriculum, not necessarily recreational reading material, to be used by the parent to implement a public school education.

Muller then continues to clarify some of the points asked by the OP.  What is important and IMO what Starnes and PJI intentionally "blurred" in their presentation of their facts, this is not a traditional library, "This is actually a resource center which carries public school curriculum which parents can borrow."

So PJI is either a bunch of lazy lawyers who have no clue how to fact check, and the last people I would want representing me in a court of law.  Or they have and agenda, which we already know that they do.

School accused of 'purging' Christian books | Fox News

Starnes may be at it again, waiting on more information to become available. Whether legally right or wrong, I do not believe in the banning of any book.

“We do not purchase sectarian educational materials and do not allow sectarian materials on our state-authorized lending shelves,” Superintendent Kathleen Hermsmeyer wrote in a letter to attorneys at the Pacific Justice Institute (PJI).

[,,,]
Pacific Justice Institute is representing a parent who discovered what they called a “Christian purging” of the charter school’s library.

“She was told by one of the library attendants that the library has been instructed to remove all books with a Christian message, authored by Christians, or published by a Christian publishing company,” read a letter PJI sent to the public charter school. “The attendant advised that the library would no longer be carrying those books. Indeed, our client was told that the library was giving those books away, and she actually took some.”

Among the books deemed inappropriate, the PJI said, was “The Hiding Place” the biography of Corrie ten Boom, a Dutch Christian who was imprisoned by the Germans for helping Jews escape the Holocaust.

Odd that they choose this book to highlight as I met Ten Boom in 86 or 87 when she was doing a book tour for Tramp for the Lord.  There was a screening of "The Hiding Place" prior to her "talk" (she had recently had a stroke so another individual spoke in her place).  Through high-school and college I did numerous book reports and a speech on the inspiration gained for her "testimony." Oh the memories,,,

“It is alarming that a school library would attempt to purge books from religious authors,” said Brad Dacus, president of the religious advocacy group. “This is a major sweep by this charter school to eliminate the religious viewpoint. Libraries cannot engage in an open purging of books simply because they are of a Christian perspective.”

Dacus said the charter school must reverse “their ill-conceived and illegal book-banning policy.” If they fail to do so, he said, PJI is prepared to take further legal action.

And there is a first for everything, Starnes actually cited case law.  To bad the case isn't actually there which is odd since the last update occurred at 9:01AM today,

Pacific Justice Institute said the charter school has violated the First Amendment. They cited a 1982 Supreme Court ruling that said “local school boards may not remove books from school library shelves simply because they dislike the ideas contained in those books and seek by their removal to ‘prescribe what shall be orthodox in politics, nationalism, religion, or other matters of opinion.’” If you’d like to read the entire case – it’s “Board of Education, Island Trees Union Free School District No. 26 v. Pico.”

Here is the actual case if interested.

School accused of 'purging' Christian books | Fox News

Arizona School Provides Room for Muslims to Pray | Todd Starnes

More bloviating by Todd Starnes, per usual, he misses the whole point,,,

The Christian cleansing in Orange County Florida stands in stark contrast to the accommodation being given to Muslim students in Tucson Arizona. Television station KVOA reports that Muslims attending Desert View High School have been given access to a room to conduct their prayers during class.

School officials say everything is by the book. That may be the case but do they provide private accommodations for the Catholics to pray? or the Pentecostals?

Versus,,,

"Students are to be permitted to pray or engage in religious activities or expression in the same manner and to the same extent as students are permitted to engage in non-religious activities or expression, before, during and after the school day."

Favela told the News 4 Tucson Investigators, "Our policy is very clear about allowing and accommodating this. It is not a violation in the sense that we are not promoting it. It would be a violation of church and state issues if we were promoting these views."

First the school in Arizona is not promoting or endorsing one specific religion over another as in Florida. When educators (teachers, administrators and staff -volunteer or paid) are in the public schools, they are wearing their government hats. They cannot establish or encourage religion in the classroom or at school sponsored events.

Second, an accommodation is being made, but what Starnes misses, this accommodation is being made to prevent a disruption in normal school functioning. Consider this, would you rather these 4-6 students pull out their prayer rugs, perform whatever ritual(s) necessary, commence with said prayer etc., smack dab in the middle of an ongoing class presentation? Or, would you rather these 4-6 students go to a separate room, just as Christian clubs do at the same public schools?

If anything, what this incident highlight is why religion should not be in public schools at all; the rituals and the magic need to stay at home and/or places of worship.

Arizona School Provides Room for Muslims to Pray | Todd Starnes

Student punished for saying "bless you" | Fox News

So here is the original hyperbolic rant from Todd Starnes Student punished for saying "bless you" | Fox News , as usual it is lacking in credibility and I'm a bit confused. According to Starnes,

Kendra says she was tossed out of the class and sent to the principal’s office where things apparently went from bad to worse.

“The assistant principal said if I didn’t want to respect my teacher’s rules then maybe my pastor should teach me because my freedom (of) speech and religion does not work at their school,” she wrote.

As you might imagine the school has a very different take on what happened inside that classroom._

Starnes continues by citing this article,

“We can’t discuss discipline issues because of right to privacy of students,” assistant principal Lynn Garner told the Dyersburg Gazette. “But I can say there are two sides to every story. Sometimes people spin things and turn them to make them seem one way.”

The assistant principal said Kendra was sent to In School Suspension as a matter of protocol. She was allowed to leave at the end of the class period.

Which is problematic as no where in this article is there a direct quote attributed to the assistant Principal stating that Kendra was sent to ISS. What it does say is this,

Shortly after, Turner was reportedly instructed to go to the principal's office, where she was placed in ISS for the remainder of the period. The decision by the DCHS administration to place Turner in ISS was one normally followed on a daily basis according to Garner. Once classes changed, Turner was allowed to attend her next class. <--Not a quote

"The majority of the time, when a student comes to the office either voluntarily or was sent by a teacher, they are placed in ISS until the end of the period because we have two supervisors in there to watch them," said Garner. "Also, it gives us a chance to find out what the situation is and what happened in the classroom for them to be in the office in the first place. In this case, this was not a religious issue at all, but more of an issue the teacher felt was a distraction in her class." <--Does not say Kendra was sent to ISS, only what the school's protocol is.

The author of the Dyersburg State Gazette article took the word(s) of the student, Kendra Turner, and misapplied the schools protocol as stated by the DCHS Assistant Principal Lynn Garner, making it look as if Garnerstated that Kendra was given ISS.

BUT,,,

And this is where things get a bit odd and contradictory according to Hemant Mehta, following her initial posting, Kendra added more detail in subsequent online contact (here and  here.)

 Hemant being the diligent activist AND former high-school teacher, called up the Principal Peggy Dodds:

"According to Dodds, Turner was not given an in-school suspension. She wasn’t sent out of the classroom, either — she chose to walk out. And, most importantly, she wasn’t punished by the teacher for saying “God bless you” — however, the teacher did admonish her for “disrupting the classroom.”

Hemant concludes with this,

If Turner’s story is accurate, then sure, the teacher should be reprimanded. It’s not a crime to say “God bless you” and students have every right to practice their faith at school (without causing distractions).

But we’ve heard stories like this before, and they’re almost never accurate. It helps to hear what all sides have to say before jumping to any conclusions.

There's more, Hemant's follow-up.

The ACLU also had this to say in their overview of the incident so far,

Now, it is worth noting that Kindle may have opened herself up to criticism with a posted list of banned words. Perhaps she was listing words that students commonly yell out in class. But rather than picking and choosing what students can or can’t say, she should simply have a policy that prohibits disruptive outbursts of any kind in class. That way no one can claim discrimination. (By the way, whatever happened to raising your hand if you have something to say in class?)

Unbiased media outlets really need to take note of Mehta’s work. Rather than running with a report based mostly off of a kid’s social media post, they have an obligation to get both sides of the story. In this case, many news outlets were far too easily satisfied when the school either declined to comment or didn’t immediately respond.

And finally the possible impetus behind it all,,,

But I suspect there’s more going on here. This scene of a Christian student leading a class in protest against a supposedly anti-Christian educator isn’t an isolated event. A week earlier, a professor at the University of Central Florida sent an open letter to his class after a student allegedly stood up in class and called on his fellow students to refuse to participate in a discussion of “religious bigotry.”

The cultural “script” for both of these incidents appears to be Harold Cronk’s recent film “God’s Not Dead,” in which Radisson (Kevin Sorbo), a philosophy professor, requires his freshman students to sign a pledge avowing that, “God is dead.” One Christian student (played by Shane Harper) resists, rhetorically humiliating Radisson in front of his class, and inspires non-Christian classmates to convert. The film, an over-the-top piece of anti-intellectualism, portrays educators as modern-day Pharisees who promote ideology rather than critical thinking.

So it’s hardly surprising that some Christian students began performing this script in the first week of classes. By equating educators with the villains of the New Testament, ordinary classroom encounters can be transformed into an extension of Biblical narratives. In Cronk’s film, Harper’s character is compared to a Christian facing martyrdom in the Coliseum. Why would anyone want to be an ordinary student when they could be a hero of Biblical proportions? The “God’s Not Dead” script also harnesses ordinary adolescent resistance to authority and gives it cosmic significance. Swenson said of school authorities, “I want them to realize that God is in control and they’re not.”

Jason Bivins notes that for the New Christian Right, schools are a site not just of political but cosmic struggle against the forces of evil. This is a worldview in which ordinary policies can be seen as demonic persecution. Just as claims of a “War on Christmas” equated saying “Happy Holidays” with anti-Christian hostility, policies about saying “bless you” at inappropriate times may soon become the next battlefield of the culture wars.

Three things to note in all of this:

1. Kendra Turner is being representative by Jeremy Dys of Liberty Counsel fame.
2. In the various news reports there are no on camera interviews with any school officials.  
3. FERP, the why behind the schools silence.

School removes plaques honoring God - Fox

Hiram Sasser, director of litigation for the Liberty Institute, tells me the atheists don’t have a legal leg to stand on.

“Unless there is a parent with a student who attends the school and is offended, then there is no one with legal standing to even file a lawsuit,” Sasser told me. “The censorship of these plaques sends a message of division and hostility to the community.”

He said FFRF sends about 1,000 demand letters a year – but they only have the budget to back up about a dozen with lawsuits.

“No school should ever take action based on an FFRF letter,” he said.

School removes plaques honoring God - Fox

Women ordered to stop praying inside mall | Fox News

I am starting a new "series" called the Starnes Watch. Let's see how much of his pandering turns out to be an accurate portrayal of events or hyperbole. Here's our first one which takes place in Georgia.

It’s not uncommon for shopping malls to have rules of conduct. Some places ban saggy pants. Others won’t let you ask people for money. But a mall in Georgia may have one of the most unusual rules -- they won’t let shoppers pray – not even over their meals.

Meet Tammy Brantley of Dublin, Ga. She’s a wife, a mom and an avid power walker. She’s also a person of deep faith in God.

Tammy is the co-founder of “Dublin Girls Run,” a group of local ladies that combines Southern fellowship with physical fitness.

[,,,]
A few weeks ago the Dublin Girls had gathered inside the local mall for an evening power walk. They formed a small circle and as they had done many times before, they bowed their heads to petition the Almighty.

But before one of the runners could say, “Lord Jesus,” she was interrupted by a mall cop barreling down a corridor.

“The security guard came running toward us and said, ‘You are not allowed to pray at the mall. That’s against the policy,’” Tammy told me.

The ladies were aghast.

SCORE:: B/B+

By all accounts that I could find what is presented is accurate, BUT,,,

"Meanwhile, the Dublin Girls are searching for a new place to power walk. Tammy said she understands that the mall is indeed private property and they have a right to dictate appropriate rules and regulations."

"[T]he mall is indeed private property"  that is the key.  Brantley states as much in a July 24th posting to her public F/B account:

"However, I had a long conversation with the property Manager over the mall. They are in fact, privately owned..therefore we must abide by their rules. I was told in this conversation that this rule has been set forth to not offend other religions and people who walk through the doors. They feel that if they allow one religious group to pray and worship..they would have to let them all. They will not allow prayer vigils or outward displays of faith. My response to him was that we should not ever worry or fear offense when we are standing for God,,, I told him that I refuse to let anything cause the ladies to not be able to focus on that because of the fear of ridicule or intimidation. I will allow all of you to make your decision based on how God lead's you. BUT ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS WE CAN DO AS CHRISTIANS IS TO PRAY THAT GOD WILL REIGN DOMINION OVER THE MALL AND THE OWNERS."

Exactly which "God" is Brantley referring to?  Would she be without object to a group of Sikhs practicing Nitnem banis prior to their workout.  Or how about a Hindu group saying the Prārthana?

Sounds a bit like Christian privilege to me - I don't like your rules but because I am a Christian, your rules do not or should not apply to me (but they do apply to everyone else who isn't a Christina like me. )

Sound familiar?  It should because that is the same logic behind the "religious liberty" legislation being pushed by Alliance Defending Freedom.

Brantley went from understanding that the mall property is privately owned with their own rules, ",,, if they allow one religious group to pray and worship, they would have to let them all. " To, the incident being a case of discrimination.  This being said in an August 2nd public posting

"I remembered that in any discrimination case, nothing was ever done until someone had the guts to say no. Because of those not afraid, MLK, Rosa Parks to name a few... we all have rights to speak freely and PRAY freely."

So it is okay for a privately owned "Christian" bakery or a privately owned "Christian" photography studio to plead for the ability to discriminate based on religious beliefs but a a privately owned mall with a policy banning all - not just Christian - religious expression is now being crucified for exercising the same rights.  Something that  Starnes nor Brantley seem to understand.

Women ordered to stop praying inside mall | Fox News

Please note that I have left out any links connecting to Mrs. Brantley's page out of respect.  Although her name is public as is her F/B account (for the moment) I personally do not believe she is ready for the shitstorm that is to come.

Fringe Furor: Extremists Denounce Executive Order Banning Anti-Gay Discrimination | Americans United

“The Obama administration and its militant cronies want to tell Christians whom to hire, how to run their business and how to think,” Todd Starnes declared in a recent column. “And now the president has decreed that any religious group that holds viewpoints divergent from the LGBT agenda is not worthy of federal tax dollars.”

He concluded, “The Obama administration seems hell-bent on forcing Christians to assimilate to the militant LGBT agenda. Resistance is futile.”

That agenda, of course, is simply about achieving equal civil rights. To refer to it as militant is the most blatant fear-mongering; we’re talking about GLAAD, not Al Qaeda. But to Starnes and his ilk, the prospect of equal rights for LGBT people represents a direct threat to their fundamentalist ideology.

Cue the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). In an email blast sent to supporters the day the order was signed, Archbishop William E. Lori and Bishop Richard J. Malone wrote, “In the name of forbidding discrimination, this order implements discrimination. With the stroke of a pen, it lends the economic power of the federal government to a deeply flawed understanding of human sexuality, to which faithful Catholics and many other people of faith will not assent.”

That’s some incredible logic.

Let’s be clear: faith-based organizations can still discriminate against LGBT employees. They’re entitled to express their conviction that sexual minorities are “deeply flawed.” They’re simply not legally entitled to public funds if that’s the direction they choose to take. It is not the responsibility of the federal government to help these groups advance their specific interpretation of a religious tradition.

Fringe Furor: Extremists Denounce Executive Order Banning Anti-Gay Discrimination | Americans United

UPDATE::Broward schools’ Runcie says Bible controversy ‘should’ve been handled differently’ - Schools - MiamiHerald.com

Did the teacher misbehave? An obvious yes. Did the school/school district misbehave? It definitely could have been handled a bit better.. But, is this an egregious example of Christian persecution? No!!

In Broward, the Liberty Institute’s attorneys had threatened legal action against the school system unless it publicly apologized and allowed for the Bible to be read during “free reading” periods.

With Runcie’s public apology — and the district’s insistence that the Bible had all along been acceptable during “free reading” — those conditions appear to have been met.

The story should have ended right there. The Liberty Institute placed demands upon the school which they met. Corrections have been made. BUT,,,

Now it appears the Liberty Institute has demanded even more of the school,

But in a letter e-mailed to the school district on Tuesday, Liberty Institute director of litigation Hiram Sasser demanded assurances that Giovanni be allowed to read his Bible during “accelerated reading program” class periods as well.

“If we do not receive a satisfactory response, we will proceed with the appropriate legal steps up to and including litigation,” Sasser wrote.

So when exactly is this kid supposed to do his actual school work?  Give an inch they demand a mile!!

Broward schools’ Runcie says Bible controversy ‘should’ve been handled differently’ - Schools - MiamiHerald.com