Monthly Archives: January 2013

Russia: Reject Homophobic Bill, Says HRW

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Russian_Federation_(orthographic_projection).svgEurasia Review
January 28, 2013

Vicious attacks on gay rights protesters in Russia in recent days underscores the need for the Russian Duma to reject a draft law on “propaganda for homosexuality.” Russian authorities should thoroughly investigate the violence and new threats and hold accountable those responsible.

On January 25, 2013, the Duma, the lower chamber of parliament, voted in the first reading in favor of draft provisions that would impose fines on individuals, government officials, and organizations that engage in “promoting” homosexuality to anyone under 18.

“The draft law contributes to an atmosphere that makes violence against LGBT protesters seem acceptable,” said Anna Kirey, a researcher with the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) program at Human Rights Watch. “If adopted, the bill would violate the free expression rights of all Russians and discriminate against and further stigmatize Russia’s LGBT community.”

Read more at Eurasia Review

Northern Arizona Authors Association meeting scheduled for Feb. 2 in Flagstaff.

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FLAGSTAFF—The Northern Arizona Authors Association will conduct their meeting this Saturday, February 2d in Flagstaff. The meeting will be held at one of Flagstaff’s oldest churches, the Federated Church at 400 W. Aspen. The meeting will be held from 10 am to 12.

Author Cozzette Riggs proposes to have a longer meeting some time later to demonstrate how to put short stories directly on Kindle devices. People would have to bring their own laptop with their stories ready to publish. The later meeting is still uncertain, but might be held at Camp Civitan or at the City Hall in Williams.

Two House proposals raise Constitutional concerns.

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Republicans in the Arizona legislature are submitting several bills aimed at protecting the rights of the citizens of Arizona. In their zeal of patriotism, however, two bills have been submitted concerning patriotic oaths that are causing concern.

Although one might question why one would be reluctant to take a patriotic oath of allegiance to the country, they may violate the First Amendment right of the individual. If they were to pass and somehow merit the signature of the governor, they would almost certainly wind up in the courts.

HB 2284, sponsored by Representative Steve Smith would require schools in grades one to twelve to set aside a specific time during the day in which students would be required to recite the Pledge of Allegiance unless their parents specifically request the pupil be excused.

According to AZCentral, Representative Smith said he introduced the legislation in response to a Maricopa high-school student who last year reported feeling mocked and embarrassed after she was the only one in her class to stand and say the pledge.

Making time for students who want to voluntarily say the Pledge should not pose a problem, but forcing them is raising First Amendment concerns.

Another bill raising constitutional eyebrows is sponsored by freshman Representative Bob Thorpe. HB 2467, would require students to take an oath to support and defend the Constitution similar to those required by public officials. In addition to passing the required course of instruction, the principle or head teacher of a school would have to certify in writing that the student performed the following oath:

I, _________, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic, that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge these duties; So help me God.

Representative Thorpe said that the intent was to inspire the students to further study the Constitution. He said, however, that he intends to change the wording of the bill to make it voluntary.

“Both bills are clearly unconstitutional, ironically enough,” said American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona Public Policy Director Anjali Abraham in the AZCentral article. “You can’t require students to attend school … and then require them to either pledge allegiance to the flag or swear this loyalty oath in order to graduate. It’s a violation of the First Amendment.”

Women’s free introductory clay target program to be held near Tucson

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Ladies: Have you ever wanted to learn the fun and excitement of clay target shooting but didn’t know where to start? Clay target shooting is one of the nation’s fastest-growing recreational sports.

The Arizona Game and Fish Department is offering free introductory women’s shotgun programs on Saturday, Feb. 2 and Saturday, March 2 at the Three Points Public Shooting Range, located on U.S. Route 86 just west of Robles Junction (about 25 miles southwest of Tucson). The program starts at 10 a.m. and will last about two hours.

The program will provide everything you need, including a loaner shotgun during the event, ammunition, targets, eye and ear protection, and expert instruction in a safe, friendly, non-intimidating environment. The program is based on the tremendously successful Desert Roses women’s shotgun shooting program held at the Ben Avery Clay Target Center in Phoenix.

Best of all, there is no charge. However, pre-registration is required, as class size is limited.

To register, contact Mike Rogers at the Ben Avery Clay Target Center at desertroses@azgfd.gov or (602) 909-7817. Bring a friend!

These events are being conducted in partnership with the Tucson Rifle Club, Pinnacle Shooting Sports, and Confident Shotgunning.

Secret hearings in case of Chandra Levy slaying

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chandra-levyWASHINGTON (AP) — A judge has been holding secret hearings in the case of the man convicted in the 2001 killing of Chandra Levy, the latest twist in a high-profile murder that went unsolved for years and captivated the public because of the intern’s romantic relationship with a California congressman.

The meetings, held sporadically behind closed doors at the courthouse over the last several weeks, raise questions about what comes next in a criminal case that appeared resolved by the 2010 conviction of Ingmar Guandique. The illegal immigrant from El Salvador is now serving a 60-year prison sentence in Levy’s death, but the hearings could signal a problem with the prosecution of the case.

Authorities acknowledged they had no DNA evidence or witnesses linking Guandique to the crime, building their prosecution instead around a jailhouse informant who said Guandique had confessed behind bars that he was responsible for Levy’s death. They also said the attack on Levy fit a pattern of assaults by Guandique on other female joggers in the same location where she went missing and during the same timeframe.

Guandique, who was already imprisoned for those attacks when he was accused in Levy’s death in 2009, professed innocence at his sentencing hearing. His lawyers said police and prosecutors made him a scapegoat for a botched investigation.

Read more at USA Today

Court says Obama appointments violate constitution

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WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama violated the Constitution when he bypassed the Senate last year to appoint three members of the National Labor Relations Board, a federal appeals court ruled Friday in a far-reaching decision that could severely limit a chief executive’s powers to make recess appointments.

The decision of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit marked a victory for Republicans and business groups critical of the labor board. If it stands, it could invalidate hundreds of board decisions over the past year, including some that make it easier for unions to organize.

When Obama filled the vacancies on Jan. 4, 2012, Congress was on an extended holiday break. But GOP lawmakers gaveled in for a few minutes every three days just to prevent Obama from making recess appointments. The White House argued that the pro forma sessions – some lasting less than a minute – were a sham.

Read more at AP News

Free tax preparation in Williams.

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WILLIAMS—A free tax preparation experience at the Episcopal Church in Williams for people with incomes less that $51,000. The St. John’s Episcopal Church is located at 202 W. Grant street; on the corner of Second Street and Grant. The tax preparation meetings will be Thursday, January 31 from 10 am to noon and 1 pm to 3 pm. There will be two more opportunities on Thursday, February 28th and March 21 from 5 to 8 pm on each day.

There will also be tax preparation services at the Grand Canyon Recreation Center at 2 Mohave Street, Williams. The dates are Friday, February 8 from 5-8 pm and Mondays, February 11 & 25 and March 4 & 11 from 10 am to 1 pm.

You will need to bring (1) a picture ID for taxpayer and spouse, Social Security or ITIN cards for all household members, (2) all tax papers, such as W2 and 1099 forms and other proof of income, (3) name, address and tax ID of child care provider; Amount of money paid to child care provider last year, (4) account and routing numbers for direct deposit. If filing jointly, both spouses must be present to sign the return. A copy of last year’s tax returns are helpful.

In Flagstaff, tax preparation will be available at the Coconino High School, 2801 Izabel Street on Saturdays from January 19 to April 13 from 9 am to 4 pm. Used the south entrance. Also at the Lura Kinsey Elementary at 1601 S. Lone Tree Road on Wednesday, April 3 and Thursdays January 31, February 14, February 28 and March 14. The time is 4:30 to 7:30 pm each day.

A third location is St. Pius at 2237 E. Cedar Avenue on Tuesdays, February 5 & 19, March 5 & 26 and April 9 from 4 to 7 pm. They will host one more on April 15 from 9 am to 4 pm.

There will also be sessions at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church basement at 224 S. Kendrick Street. The times are from 1 pm to 4 pm on Thursdays February 7 & 21, March 7 & 28, and April 11.

The Family Resource Center at 4000 N. Cummings Street will host tax preparation volunteers on Fridays, February 1 & 15, March 1 & 15 and April 5 from 4-7 pm.

Goodwill, 2225 N Steves Blvd Tuesday: February 12 & Wednesday 27 9:00am-1:00pm

Interested parties can call 888-635-0545 or visit the United Way of Northern Arizona for more information. New locations may be added.

Gun Owners Refuse to Register Under New York Law

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After Democrats in New York rammed a sweeping assault on the right to keep and bear arms through the legislature that failed to exempt police officers from the draconian restrictions, gun owners and even some lawmakers are planning what has been dubbed potentially the largest act of civil disobedience in state history. According to news reports, gun rights activists are urging everyone to defy far-left Governor Andrew Cuomo’s new registration mandate while daring authorities to “come and take it.”

Analysts say the legislation, passed in a frenzy last week in the wake of the Newtown shooting, represents the most brazen infringement on the right to keep and bear arms anywhere in the nation. Among other points, the so-called SAFE Act seeks to limit magazines to just seven bullets, require virtually all of the estimated one million semi-automatic rifles in the state to be registered with authorities, mandate reporting of patients who express indications that they may have thoughts about hurting themselves or others by doctors, and more.

Aside from being unconstitutional, experts on gun violence also point out that the draconian schemes are a bad idea: Studies have repeatedly shown that more guns lead to less crime, and the phenomenon is obvious across America — just compare Chicago or D.C. to Alaska or Wyoming. The mandated reporting requirements for doctors, meanwhile, have come under fire from across the political spectrum. Whether it will even be possible to enforce the bill, however, remains to be seen.

Preparations are already being made for mass resistance. “I’ve heard from hundreds of people that they’re prepared to defy the law, and that number will be magnified by the thousands, by the tens of thousands, when the registration deadline comes,’’ said President Brian Olesen with American Shooters Supply, among the biggest gun dealers in the state, in an interview with the New York Post.

Even government officials admit that forcing New Yorkers to register their guns will be a tough sell, and they are apparently aware that massive non-compliance will be the order of the day. “Many of these assault-rifle owners aren’t going to register; we realize that,’’ a source in the Cuomo administration told the Post, adding that officials expect “widespread violations” of the new statute.

Read more at The New American

Sandy victims left out in the cold during arctic blast

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The brutal cold snap affecting much of the country is taking a devastating toll on victims of superstorm Sandy, many of whom are camped out in tent cities or living in homes without power, heat or running water.

Hundreds of people in New York’s Staten Island and along the Jersey Shore are still without basic necessities nearly three months after the devastating storm struck.

“Many families in Union Beach are using space heaters to warm upstairs,” said Jeanette Van Houten, a resident from the small New Jersey town that was among the hardest-hit communities. “There’s people with no heat, no electric, but they are staying in the house because it’s better than having to deal with FEMA and having to leave hotels every two weeks.

Read more at FOX News