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The Michigan Messenger going forward

By Staff Report | 11.16.11

I am writing today to announce the closure of the Michigan Messenger. After four years of operation in Michigan, the board of the American Independent News Network, has decided to shift publication of its news into a single site, The American Independent at Americanindependent.com. This is part of a shift in strategy, towards new forms [...]

Colorado-based abstinence program provided false and misleading information to Michigan students

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By Todd A. Heywood | 11.16.11

An abstinence-only presentation provided to numerous school districts in Calhoun and Eaton Counties in October of this year provided false and misleading information to students about HIV, experts allege.

Class action lawsuit filed against MERS over unpaid taxes

foreclosure
By Todd A. Heywood | 11.15.11

Two county registers of deeds filed a class action lawsuit Monday on behalf of Michigan’s 83 counties alleging that the Mortgage Electronic Registration Services owes millions of dollars in property title transfer taxes.

Schuette fights important mercury regulations

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By Eartha Jane Melzer | 11.14.11

Despite evidence of the impact of mercury on children and public health, Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette last month joined with 24 other state attorneys general in filing a lawsuit to scuttle new EPA regulations that would reduce mercury emissions from power plants.

Family group says it wants homosexuality criminalized

By Todd A. Heywood | 02.09.10 | 7:26 am

Gary Glenn, president of the American Family Association of Michigan, has added his voice to a growing chorus of American leaders calling for the re-criminalization of homosexuality in the U.S.

In an e-mail to Michigan Messenger, here’s how Glenn responded when asked if he supported the criminalization move proposed by the Family Research Council’s Peter Sprigg’s comments last week on Hardball:
 

“The short answer to your question is yes, we believe that states should be free to regulate and prohibit behavior that’s a violation of community standards and a proven threat to public health and safety — including, as most of the United States did throughout its history, homosexual behavior.”

The issue has come up because Sprigg and other advocates oppose repealing the federal government’s prohibition of openly gay military personnel. The statement was made on Hardball with Chris Matthews. A transcript of the exchange with Sprigg and Matthews via Firedoglake:

MATTHEWS: Do you think we should outlaw gay behavior?

SPRIGG: Well, I think certainly-

MATTHEWS: I’m just asking you, should we outlaw gay behavior?

SPRIGG: I think that the Supreme Court decision in Lawrence v. Texas, which overturned the sodomy laws in this country, was wrongly decided. I think there would be a place for criminal sanctions against homosexual behavior.

MATTHEWS: So we should outlaw gay behavior.

SPRIGG: Yes

Shortly after this statement by Sprigg, American Family Association broadcast host of Focal Point Bryan Fisher said he believed that homosexuality should be punished with criminal sanctions. Then, he wrote a blog backing it up.

If you believe all Scripture is inspired, then you are compelled to accept that legal sanctions may appropriately be applied to those who engage in homosexual behavior.

So there you have it. Glenn, who is suing the federal government over the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act claiming it will impinge on his ability to preach his Christian beliefs, wants to use the law to force their religious beliefs on others.

Comments

  • Angelo_Frank

    Well at least they are honest about their bigoted beliefs. Sprigg, Glenn, Fisher and others associated with the American Family Association are not Christians, but merely use that religion to attain funds and donations for a campaign of hate. What do they suggest, summary execution of those suspected of homosexual behavior. Welcome to Uganda.

  • exGander

    Well said, Angelo_Frank!

  • Rhazes

    These type of people never think. There's an estimated 10.5 million gays in the United States. Pennsylvania just did an estimate on a new prison to store 4,000 inmates the cost was 350 million. We would need to build 10's of thousands of prisons which is impossible to pay for. I'm not sure where these people expect us to pull several hundred Trillion dollars from.

    The logistics of prosecuting homosexuals would mean rapists, drug dealers and murders would be out on the streets for years before being tried.

    Make them pay fines instead? If tickets don't people from speeding they sure as hell won't stop them from having sex. My last speeding ticket wasted about 3 hours of my time waiting in court so I could pay the fine and not get a point. Now add 100s of gays to that line and we would be there for a whole day.

    Jury duty would be every month to handle these cases. Last time I was on a jury it ate up 4 weeks of my time and put me a couple thousand in debt.

  • ebrayton

    The one thing that always amazes me is how Glenn and his ilk talk about governments having rights. The phrase “states should be free” is a nonsense phrase; freedom exists solely at the level of the individual. States are governments and governments have authorities, not rights. There is no “right” of governments to violate the rights of individuals, nor is there any legitimate authority for doing so.

  • honestabe9

    If this fool believes that legal sanctions should be taken to those who engage in homosexual behavior; then every Tom, Dick & Mary who engage in premarital sex should have legal sanctions brought against them. The last time I checked fornication is SEX.

    I wonder if Mr. Glenn; and I use the term loosley; children are pure as the driven snow.

  • mbusaleo

    Good Mr. Glenn, am one man who stands by his words. i have read ur fuckin comments and have seen all opposing Mr. Glenn have no sense for nature. let me ask you a simple question, if your son proposed you as his wife or husband would you allow it in the name of human rights? we need to change for good not leaving a life that has never happened since i was brought on this earth. even animals don't do this for God's sake. Let President Obama understand that its not good for a man to marry a fellow man. if it was good, he would married a a fellow man and leave his a side.
    welcome to uganda

    • http://www.facebook.com/jaeakin JohnE

      If you would bother to possibly consult an encyclopedia, or hell even just a nature magazine, you would know that homosexuality is exhibited in almost all animals in the world. In case you forget we are only one other species of animal, sapiens of the genus homo.

      • newtruth

        Firstly you seem to have overemphasized the occurrence of homosexuality in animals and secondly what bearing has this on homosexuality being morally wrong? …some insects copulate with their parents but this does not justify equivalent deviant behavior in humans anymore than it does homosexuality.

  • cew

    Glenn just wants to rile people, mobilize haters for political purposes. He'll get plenty of press for his position and that's what his marginal group needs to keep going. Talk of repealing DODT will also be used to mobilize conservative voters in the next election round. So, this is business as usual.
    Ya'll should move to Massachusetts where gay behavior includes getting married.

  • war_blur

    “…a growing chorus of American leaders?” Hardly.

    How about recriminalizing interracial marriage? Is that next? How about rescinding the rights of African-Americans and women to vote?

  • douglas30

    I reckon they should also look into criminal charges for adulterers, divorce, bearing false witness against their neighbor, and a few other 100 commandments they conveniently break daily. Maybe we should prosecute them for some of those things.
    I do recall something to the effect of “those of you without sin, cast the first stone.” Not one of them has big enough balls to even pick up a pebble. I have a few other choice words that I think I'll reserve for them when I decide to call their office. Just waiting for a moment when I'm really pissed off.

    • douglas30

      Furthermore, God only knows how much money and time is wasted now over these stupid straight people's divorce cases in the court system. Most them of which are self-proclaimed, born-again Christians who can't even manage keeping their own marriages together. Such fools in jesters clothing.

  • jakeH

    And this is why many believe Christianity is dying. It's more of an oppressive political movement than a religion anymore.

  • waitress

    I read in the Savage Love column recently that the estimated number of heterosexuals in the United States that have had or do practice anal intercourse, is larger than the amount of gay men having anal intercourse. Kinda weird all these straight people committing sodomy, eh Glenn? And I do mean WOMEN takin it up the butt.

  • waitress

    I read in the Savage Love column recently that the estimated number of heterosexuals in the United States that have had or do practice anal intercourse, is larger than the amount of gay men having anal intercourse. Kinda weird all these straight people committing sodomy, eh Glenn? And I do mean WOMEN takin it up the butt.

  • newtruth

    Why is it bigoted to suggest that homosexuality is wrong? Religion condemns this, Biology condemns this. Is prowling around public toilets really comparable to normal marriage? You have been misled by a lot of media repetition hinging on a simple trick, In the past black people were considered inferior and homosexuals considered deviant now black people are considered equal and homosexuals also equal and it is suggested to you that it as bigoted to call a homosexual a deviant as it is to use the n word on a black person …yet this flawed logic excludes the obvious possibility that blacks and whites are indeed equal and at the same time a homosexual is a deviant. This by the way is my view. And secondly to people who think today's view is always better than yesterday's remember Aristotle rightly thought the world was round and then only after 1000 years he was proven correct and during the “flat earth times” anyone who thought the word was round would be an old fashioned Aristotlen heretic yet he may still be right and similarly I view the homosexual as a sinner and a deviant just like they did 100 years ago but just because your view is currently more prevalent doesn't mean it will prevail

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