Author Archives: Editor

Thomas More Law Center Appeals Conviction of Young Christian Missionary Arrested at Dearborn Arab Festival

Standing barely 5 feet tall, 18-year old Negeen Mayel, whose parents escaped from Afghanistan after the Russian invasion, could not escape the clutches of the Dearborn, Michigan Police Department. Her crime: she was a Christian publicly filming her fellow Christian missionaries discussing the Gospel with Muslims at last year’s annual Dearborn Arab Festival, and she didn’t turn off her camera quick enough after a police officer ordered her to do so.

Negeen Mayel was convicted in the Dearborn District Court of failure to obey a police officer’s order. Astonishingly, at the trial, the officer admitted that the filming by Mayel was in fact not a crime.

The Thomas More Law Center (TMLC) filed its opening brief with the Wayne County Circuit Court, seeking to overturn her conviction. Mayel was one of four Christian missionaries originally arrested for preaching the Gospel at the 2010 Arab Festival in Dearborn, Michigan.

All four Christians were charged with Breach of the Peace for discussing their faith with Muslims at the Festival. All four were acquitted by a jury. However, Negeen Mayel was also charged with “failure to obey” for not turning off her video camera when told to do so by a Dearborn police officer. The officer then forcefully grabbed Negeen’s arm and camera, placed her in handcuffs, and had her locked-up in the city jail.

Dearborn is considered home to the largest Muslim population in America. As a result, many City officials, including the Mayor, engage in official action solely to please this significant voting bloc. In this case, police effectively replaced our constitutional guarantees of Free Speech with Sharia law, which forbids Christians to proselytize Muslims.

The Law Center’s brief argues that the conviction must be overturned because the arresting police officer lacked any information that Mayel was involved in criminal activity when she was seized by the officer, in violation of the Constitution. According to the brief filed with the Circuit Court, the police officer’s order “to shut off her camera and remain with him for questioning directly violated constitutional rights. Consequently, cannot be criminally charged nor convicted for disobeying an unconstitutional—and thus unlawful—police order.”

Robert Muise, TMLC’s Senior Trial Counsel who is handling the matter, stated, “The arresting officer’s actions and the actions of the Dearborn police department are textbook examples of civil rights violations of the highest order. Consequently, when a conviction is based on the actions of a police officer that violate fundamental constitutional rights, as in this case, that conviction must be reversed, lest our constitutional freedoms be rendered meaningless platitudes subject to the will of police officials.”

Read more about Negeen Mayel’s case by going here and here.

Democratic Senators Ignore Their Constituents on Health Care

Posted by Jennifer Mesko

Eighteen Democratic senators continue to ignore the fact that their home states are so opposed to President Obama’s health care law that they have sued to block it from taking effect.

The U.S. Senate voted 47-51 Wednesday on repealing the massive health care law. Fifty Democrats and one Independent opposed the repeal, while all 47 Republicans supported it. Democrat Mark Warner of Virginia and Independent Joe Lieberman of Connecticut missed the vote.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who forced a vote on the law by adding it as an amendment to another bill, said the battle is not over.

“We intend to continue the fight to repeal and replace ObamaCare with sensible reforms that would lower the cost of American health care,” he said in a video posted Wednesday.

The vote followed a federal court ruling Monday that struck down the law as unconstitutional. The Department of Justice will appeal the case — brought by 26 states — to the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

“I believe we are looking forward to a day when the Supreme Court says to Congress, ‘You went too far. You went beyond the Constitution of this great nation,’” Sen. Mike Johanns, R-Neb., told The Wall Street Journal.

Sen. Bill Nelson, D., Fla., introduced legislation Wednesday that would ask the U.S. Supreme Court to bypass appeals courts and take up the case.

The 26 states that sued are: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Florida, Indiana, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah and Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming.

Virginia and Oklahoma are suing separately.

Source: CitizenLink, Feb. 3, 2011

Myers’ Letter Urges Rep. Hackett to Support Healthcare Reform Bill HJR 2

February 7, 2011

Representative Hackett,

It is my understanding you have yet to sign on as a co-sponsor of H.J.R. 2, proposing to enact Section 21 of Article I of the Constitution of the State of Ohio to preserve the freedom of Ohioans to choose their health care and health care coverage.

It is my hope, along with many of your constituents in the 84th district that you will do so very soon. The Ohio Liberty Council, The Ohio Freedom Alliance and the several Liberty Groups in your district are ramping up to engage representatives to insure that Ohioans will remain free and not “forced” to purchase healthcare. It is my hope other constituents will also contact you to ask that you very quickly become a co-sponsor.

If you have any questions or if I can be of further assistance please don’t hesitate to contact me. Thank you for representing the 84th district.

Sincerely,
Andy Myers
Policy Analyst
Ohio Freedom Alliance

Ohio Lawmakers Introduce Life Saving Legislation

The Viable Infants Protection Act (House Bill 78) was introduced by Representatives Uecker and Kristina Roegner. The Viable Infants Protection Act prohibits abortion after 20 weeks when the child is proved to be viable and can live outside the womb. Greene County Representatives Jarrod Martin and Roger Hackett are among its co-sponsors.

House Bill 79 was introduced by Representatives Danny Bubp and Joe Uecker and co-sponsored by Martin and Hackett. HB 79 excludes abortion coverage from the State Exchange created in the federal health care reform law. The Federal law includes a provision allowing states to opt out of abortion coverage.

A related bill would revise Ohio’s current Judicial Bypass for Parental Consent law. House Bill 63 will strengthen current law by requiring a “clear and convincing evidence” standard, requiring judges to specifically inquire about the minor’s understanding of the possible physical and emotional complications of an abortion, and requiring judges to question how much the minor has been prepped to respond to such questions.

Representatives Ron Young and Lynn Slaby sponsored HB 63 with Representatives Martin and Hackett among its numerous co-sponsors.

The Ohio Right to Life supports these life saving bills and asks Ohioans to support them as well. Visit the Ohio Right to Life website to find how. (http://www.ohiolife.org)

Top 12 Legal Violence Producing Drugs

Last weekend, I saw on most of the major networks multimillion dollar advertisements of the smoking cessation aid called Chantix. I also remember reading recent reports about some of the most commonly prescribed drugs that are associated with violence and violent crimes.

Although my lead came from the Mercola emailed newsletter, I will focus on the primary source of Mercola’s report, a Time article, and others. The source is a multi-authored medical research report
published by the online professional journal Plos One. The title of the report is “Prescription Drugs Associated with Reports of Violence Towards Others.”

The medical researchers identified 484 drugs that accounted for 780,169 serious adverse event reports. Of these reports, 1,937 cases met their violence criteria. The violence cases included 387 reports of homicide, 404 physical assaults, 27 cases indicating physical abuse, 896 homicidal ideation reports, and 223 cases described as violence-related symptoms. The patients were 41% female and 59% male with a mean age of 36 years.

Among 484 evaluable drugs, 31 drugs met the researchers’ criteria for a disproportionate association with violence, and accounted for 1527 (79%) of the 1937 violence cases. The drugs are listed in Table 1. They include varenicline (a smoking cessation aid), 11 antidepressant drugs, 3 drugs for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and 5 hypnotic/sedatives. No violence cases were reported for 324 (66.9%) of the 484 of all evaluable drugs. Thus, for 84.7% of all evaluable drugs in widespread clinical use, an association with violence appeared highly unlikely.

Let’s identify the top 12 drugs of the 31 mentioned above and their better known brand names:

Quite Smoking Prescription Drug:
Verenicline is none other than Chantix, the highly advertised “quit smoking” drug.

Attention Deficit Disorder Prescription Drugs:
Amphetamines for ADHD include AdderAll, DextroStat, Dextedrine, and Vyvanse
Atomoxetine is better known as Strattera

Anti-Depressants Prescription Drugs:

Fluoxetine is Prozac also known as Reconcile, Rapidflux, Sarafem, and Selfemra
Paroxetine goes by the trade names of Paxil and Pexeva
Fluvoxemine goes by the trade name of Luvox
Venlafaxine goes by the trade name of Effexor
Desvenlafaxine goes by the trade name of Pristiq
*Sertraline is better known by brand names Zoloft and Lustral
Escitalopram is called Lexapro as well as Cipralex, Seroplex, Lexamil, Lexam

Hypnotic/Sedative Prescription Drugs:
Trizolam goes by the trade name Halcion and is also known as Apo-Triazo, Hypam, and Trilam
*Zolpidem goes by the trade name Ambien as well as Zolpimist, Edluar, and Tovalt ODT

* The asterisk indicates drugs with the same statistical rating for their association with reports of violent behaviors.

Dr. Mercola provides some perspective on anti-depressant drugs. First, he points out that anti-depressant drugs do not correct the underlying cause of depression. Second, he reveals research proving their never has been any evidence supporting the widely held belief that depression is a chemical imbalance in the brain. It has always been a marketing ploy to sell drugs to the American public. Third, the risks of taking anti-depressants outweigh the presumed benefits: The risks include damaged to the immune system, developing bipolar depression, and loss of cognitive ability. The risks are very high for 25% to 50% of kids who are taking some form of depressant or ADH medication for five years or more. Fourth, there are other ways of fighting depression, according to Mercola. They include a healthier diet, mental and physical exercises, and similar non-drug remedies. Prayer and meditation have been employed by many people for millenniums as means to resolving emotional issues.

Sources:
http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0015337

Top Ten Legal Drugs Linked to Violence


http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/02/02/top-ten-legal-drugs-linked-to-violence.aspx

Senate Debates ObamaCare Repeal, Liberal Icon Errs, and Americans Want Autocratic Obamacare Repealed

Mainstream news reports of the U.S. Senate’s debate about repealing Obamacare showcased arguments of the two leaders Democrat Harry Reid and Republican Mitch McConnell. One of Reid’s arguments was that 80 percent of the people favored it.

What Reid didn’t mention was his source.

Was it his constituents back home?

It certainly was not the general U.S. voting population.

Since the Democrat-led Congress passed the mostly unread autocratic healthcare reform bill, all surveys/polls showed a majority of Americans want it repealed. Two main reasons: (1) It will harm the economy, and (2) it will force Americans to buy insurance and penalize those who do not.

If you don’t believe me, check out the following two on-line sources of polls:

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/current_events/healthcare/health_care_law
http://www.pollingreport.com/health.htm

Those two polling website provide a history of poll data on the subject.

As you will discover, most Americans are not against making insurance cover people with pre-existing conditions or proving coverage for the poor and their children. They ARE against government telling them what they will purchase and not purchase. What they will consume and not consume.

Congressional Republicans offered health care reform legislation that included what most Americans claim should be included in health care insurance i.e., what was mentioned above. They only left out the core element of Obamacare, which is the sanctioned mandatory purchase of healthcare as defined by the federal government and fines or imprisonment for not doing so.

Senator Reid, it is true most Americans are for health care reform; they are just against your autocratic version. They don’t want to follow your iconic socialistic paternalism. Most American still want their inherent rights like freedom. Yes, they even want the right to consume what ever they choose or refuse.

US Policymakers Look for Ways to Cut United Nations Funding

Members of Congress met this week to discuss cutting some US funding of the United Nations until it undertakes “sweeping” reform measures to prevent corruption and allow for voluntary funding.

The US is the single largest donor to the UN, covering nearly a quarter of the organization’s annual operating budget, which does not include the additional funds that the US provides for peacekeeping operations. US lawmakers are pressing for broad spending cuts as they seek to reduce the US budget deficit.

US Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, the new chairman of the House Foreign Affairs committee, pushed for “reform first and payment later,” and minced no words over her displeasure with the controversial UN Human Rights Council.

“I’d like to make sure that we once and for all kill all U.S. funding for that beast,” Ros-Lehtinen said.

Ros-Lehtinen’s proposed reform would allow the US to choose UN projects and activities that are in line with American interests and would foster greater transparency as “each UN office, activity, program, and sub-program, country by country and function by function, must be justified on its own merits.”

Indeed, corruption scandals continue to plague the UN. Currently, the UN’s chief investigator is now under investigation for retaliating against whistle-blowers.

In the wake of a staggering federal deficit, other US policymakers are taking a hard look at US funding of the UN. On the first day of session in the House, Rep. Cliff Stearns introduced a measure calling on Congress to deny the use of federal funds for the “design, renovation, construction, or rental of any headquarters for the United Nations in any location in the United States” unless President Obama “transmits to Congress a certification that the United Nations has adopted internationally recognized best practices in contracting and procurement.”

Another bill introduced this month by Rep. Kevin Brady (R-Texas) calls for a 10% reduction in voluntary contributions.

US lawmakers have withheld funding from the UN in the past. In the 1990s, then-head of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Jesse Helms, succeeded in blocking all UN funding for an extended period of time.

By Samantha Singson

Although UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon publicly stated that he is confident in keeping the funding status quo, some media reports suggest Ban was anxious to meet with congressional leaders to make his case for their continued full support of the UN.

Concerned Women for America’s Wendy Wright told the Friday Fax, “UN officials have lived well off the backs of US taxpayers.” Voicing her support for Ros-Lehtinen’s reform measures, Wright said, “It’s time for transparency and accountability and the end to waste fraud and abuse at the UN.”

UN dues must be financed through annual congressionally approved spending plans and are subject to approval by both the House and Senate. Ros-Lehtinen promised that this week’s meeting is just the first in a series of consultations the House Foreign Affairs Committee will hold on UN funding.

This article was first published in the Catholic Family & Human Rights Institute (C-FAM) publication FridayFax on January 27, 2011.

Islamic Society of North America Comments On President Obama’s State of the Union & Commentary

Last Tuesday, President Barack Obama delivered his first 2011 State of the Union Address. Where democrats and republicans crossed the “party line” in Congress to sit with one another, the President also focused on inclusion, and stated his “conviction that American Muslims are a part of the American family.”

ISNA welcomes his remarks and shares some of them with you below:

“We are part of the American family. We believe that in a country where every race and faith and point of view can be found, we are still bound together as one people; that we share common hopes and a common creed; that the dreams of a little girl in Tucson are not so different than those of our own children, and that they all deserve the chance to be fulfilled. That, too, is what sets us apart as a nation…

And so we must defeat determined enemies wherever they are, and build coalitions that cut across lines of region and race and religion. America’s moral example must always shine for all who yearn for freedom, justice, and dignity.

And as extremists try to inspire acts of violence within our borders, we are responding with the strength of our communities, with respect for the rule of law, and with the conviction that American Muslims are a part of our American family.”

“We sincerely hope that President Obama’s message of a united American family resonates with the general public and that, as Congress enters the upcoming hearings on religious extremism, they do not take them as an opportunity to unfairly punish the entirety of a religion for the actions of a few misguided and wrongful individuals. We hope Congress will remember our President’s message, from last night, that American Muslims are united with all Americans in the war on terror, and the mis-guided actions of a few by no means represent the whole,” said ISNA Secretary General Safaa Zarzour.

Notes:

First Safaa Zarzour is an Illinois lawyer and educator who was appointed to the position of Secretary General in 2010. Second, ISNA and Zarzour have ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas, and so-called terrorism, according to investigative research of The Hudson Institute and Time Magazine and reported by Islamic Jihad Watch. Third, although Zarzour is an effective inter-faith communicator and educator, his work for ISNA and CAIR (Council on American Islamic Relations) not only benefits Hamas and the global Muslim Brotherhood but also Muslim charity work and terrorism conducted by the same origanzations. That is the irony of so-called radical Islamic terrrorists; they function as community organizers and charities among Muslim communities (i.e., Gaza, West Bank, Lebanon, etc.) and function as terrorist outside the community (i.e., Israel, Africa, London, Spain, New York City, etc.). Fourth, Zarzour appears to be an accomplished American, outstanding Muslim, and passoniate educator, and lawyer, but natural skepticism raises the question whether or not his inter-faith relations building is really an effort to convert all America’s infidels into faithful Muslims. That alone would be a good thing–the American way–if it were not for Islam’s ultimate Quranic justification of using the sword to make disciples and eliminate unbelievers. Fifth, the problem is that it can happen in America as it has elsewhere throughout history.

Do you remember the recent near genocide of Southern Christians in Sudan? It was carried out by the Muslim leaders of Sudan.

How about the Muslim League of Arab Nations attempt to exterminated the new nation of Israel in 1948?

Or, maybe, you remember the Jerusalem Muslim Mufti’s contributions leading to the Holocaust? The Mufti campaigned against Hitler’s legal and illegal attempts to force migrate German Jews to their ancient homeland.

Perhaps, you remember the history about the genocide of Armenians in 1915 by the Islamic Ottoman Imperialists? Some of their methods employed by the Nazis mimicked the Ottmans.

Most American Muslims and ISNA leaders may only want to live free under American rule-of-law. Zarzour may be seeking only to understand the faith of others while helping them understand Islam. But, it does not mean others will not come after who will seek to subjugate all infidels by force. Global reign is the goal of Islam.

This is what Americans must remember.

Small Business Group’s Response to President Obama’s State of the Union

In response to President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address, the nation’s leading organization dedicated to promoting entrepreneurship and protecting small business issued the following response:

“Entrepreneurs are heartened to hear that President Obama wants to make the U.S. the best place on earth to do business. Indeed, across the globe, nations are cutting taxes, simplifying their tax systems and reducing regulations to make it easier to start up and grow a business. Developed and emerging countries alike have quickly adapted to the competitive environment and are reaping rewards in their aggressive efforts to attract capital and business investment. President Obama has awoken to this realization, and mere rhetoric alone will not change the competitive dynamic. Entrepreneurs and investors must now see dramatic changes on the policy front. This means, immediately locking in a pro-growth tax system, restraining the regulatory tide that is sweeping over every sector of our economy and reducing government spending,” said Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council (SBE Council) President & CEO Karen Kerrigan.

SBE Council chief economist Raymond J. Keating added: “While the President’s pro-business rhetoric is encouraging, other specifics in his speech were disappointing. First, his explicit call for a tax increase on upper-income earners showed that he still fails to grasp that such a tax hike on entrepreneurs and investors would be bad for the economy. Second, his call, in effect, for higher taxes on oil companies in order to subsidize other energy sources reveals a desire for politics to overrule markets, with the result being higher costs in the end. And third, he took one step forward on trade, by urging Congress to approve the South Korea trade deal, but two steps back by failing to push ahead now with the Panama and Colombia accords.”

Kerrigan concluded: “We look forward to working with President Obama and Congress in the critical areas of reducing regulation and simplifying the tax system. Leadership and action are desperately needed on these issues if the U.S. is to become more competitive in the global economy. Furthermore, small business owners have substantive ideas for improving the health care overhaul bill that was enacted into law. We only hope the Administration will listen to our solutions this time around.”

SBE Council is a nonpartisan, nonprofit advocacy and research organization dedicated to protecting small business and promoting entrepreneurship.

Ready To Start A Business? The Ohio’s Small Business Development Centers Partnership with SCORE Could Help

Two organizations are using their combined strengths to offer extensive quality training and assistance to start-up businesses. The Small Business Development Centers (SBDC) of Ohio are partnering with SCORE’s Southern Ohio District to offer services that will encourage small businesses to grow, expand, and increase productivity, providing long-term sustainable success.

The Small Business Development Center of Ohio Network was created in 1985 through a partnership between the U.S. Small Business Administration and the Ohio Department of Development. The SBDC provides quality in-depth business management consulting, training and technical assistance.

SCORE was organized in 1965 and is a resource partner of the U.S. Small Business Administration. It is a nonprofit organization whose 13,000 national volunteers are successful entrepreneurs and executives who share their “no cost” expertise to start up and in business clients. Some volunteers have mentored their clients for more than 10+ years.

Both Ohio’s SBDC’s and SCORE’s Southern Ohio District will provide counseling and mentoring to individuals and groups where knowledge and guidance are shared from previous experiences, and will host informational seminars and workshops coaching and educating businesses about available services and resources, maximizing business potential.

“Our focus is to educate and guide businesses about the opportunities and resources available, putting the right tools in their hands and allowing company owners to benefit and strengthen their bottom line,” said Karen Shauri, State Director of SBDC of Ohio. “This partnership increases our network reach and maximizes both organizations’ strengths and talents.”

To accomplish these objectives, the Ohio SBDC program links federal and state government resources and local public/private nonprofit resources to meet the needs of the small business community.

“The combined business objective of our partnership is to help strengthen our clients’ opportunities for successful growth and profitability” said Mary Jane Good, SCORE’s Southern Ohio District Director.
The focal point of the collaboration is small business development. This joint effort will enable the organizations to maximize resources to best reach goals. By partnering two organizations, Ohio’s business community can have access to a wide variety of resources, furthering economic growth and success.

The SBDCs foster a strong climate for small business growth with many local community partners including colleges and universities, economic development agencies, chambers of commerce, and other community organizations. In 2010, SBDCs served more than 25,000 clients and assisted with 432 business starts.

SCORE has strong business partnerships with Chambers of Commerce, various universities, schools, libraries, city officials, and organizations. Since October 1, 2010 the Southern Ohio District has provided more than 2,695 services to interested individuals in the form of face to face, online counseling, and seminars. The District has Chapters in Columbus, Dayton, Greater Cincinnati, Newark, Chillicothe and Marietta.