gdp's Comments

http://www.fortmorgantimes.com/ : Pray or work? Former Cargill employees look for jobs, reconciliation - Fort Morgan Times

Mon, 11 Jan 2016 13:47:21 +0000

The fact that the Somali workers were demanding that they be allowed to go in groups larger than what they had been is left out of this article. Biased much? And by the way, Islam does not require prayer six times per day. It's five. To say they must pray at a specific time is misleading. Prayers occur during blocks of time at just before dawn, at noon, in the mid afternoon, at sunset and in the evening. The afternoon prayer is a block of several hours during which the afternoon prayer can be done so it is not as if they have to pray at 2 PM on the dot.

http://www.fortmorgantimes.com/ : Aric Clark: The Limits of Belief - Fort Morgan Times

Fri, 4 Jul 2014 13:22:05 +0000

Nothing. Nothing. Nothing else will make as big of a difference? You are a minister, you should know better. Your first and foremost duty is to teach morality-you know that thing that prevents most unwanted pregnancies in the first place. The vast majority of unwanted pregnancies occur outside of marriage and are caused by carelessness and selfish desire. God teaches us a better way-where are your words about that? Nothing but contraceptives would make the biggest difference in reducing abortion? How small your god must be. My God is so much bigger than that. Not sure what you are arguing here. Does it matter that 4 types of 'birth control' will not be covered by Hobby Lobby insurance? Does it really matter that the belief that the four are abortifacient is untrue? I assure you that they do not matter one bit. Hobby Lobby employees have plenty of options with or without the insurance coverage. Most birth control costs less than 5 dollars a month and there are plenty of resources for women who find themselves in a 'crisis' situation that are at low or no cost. The idea that women are somehow being denied birth control is blatantly false.

http://www.fortmorgantimes.com/ : Aric Clark: Gentlemen, We Have A Problem - Fort Morgan Times

Sat, 31 May 2014 21:48:13 +0000

"We are participants in, and creators of, a culture that systematically dehumanizes half our species to the point where they are constant targets of abuse." It is far more complicated than that. Men are dehumanized too. While the statistics regarding assaults on women are a sad statement of our society it would shock you to know that some research shows that men are just as abused by women. The difference is that we don't hear as much about men being abused by their wives or girlfriends as we do the reverse. Like mental illness and other issues no one wants to talk about it. The stigma of men being abused by women is too great. That is not to say that women are to blame either for this young man's rage and heinous actions. What we have is a society that dehumanizes everyone. As you say, women are objectified and easily turned into punching bags but think about this: How many times do we see men portrayed in popular culture (movies, commercials etc) as inept idiots and weaklings? Even as a woman I find no humor in the TV commercials lately that seem to think it is funny for a woman to slap a man's face for no reason at all. Somehow this is supposed to emphasis how much she is enjoying the food that she is eating. If our culture so despises gun violence and violence in general, as evidenced by the numerous articles the Santa Barbara shootings and others generate, why do we tolerate the needless and completely meaningless violence we see on TV and elsewhere. Why is seeing a man get hit in the crotch so often considered funny? Is it as harmless as we think it is? One has to wonder. How often are men rebuked by women for holding the door for them or for doing something that is just being polite and is not meant in the least to imply that she is weak or unable to do something for herself. Furthermore, men are often vilified in divorce cases when they don't deserve it. Women always get preferential treatment in child custody and alimony/child support. So much so that law firms are beginning to specialize in defending a father's rights in divorce proceedings. And men are tired of getting the short end of the stick. Tired of an innocent 'you look nice' being turned into sexual harassment at work. Some are so tired of it they are "going Gault"; getting out of the rat race and no longer trying to clime the corporate ladder to better their financial circumstances because in their experience the former wife or the next wife will get it all anyway. Some men are giving up on getting married all together. There are some studies suggesting that too many kids are on medication for ADHD that do not have the condition. More often then not the children are seen for 10 to 15 minutes by their regular doctor who checks off symptoms on a list and if they get enough check marks a prescription is written and the child is not referred as they should be to a mental health professional to make the diagnosis. And who are these perfectly healthy, normal kids on drugs that they don't need? BOYS.. The vast majority of boys on Ritalin do not need the drugs and such drugs when used by those who do not need them can be harmful. (see the Esquire article linked below) It is all well and good for each of us to take a good long look in the mirror and consider our part in this cultural mess but it will take more than 'do you feel safe around me' to make a real difference. Did you know the police had actually been asked to talk to Elliot Rodgers because of the videos he'd been posting and they were either completely fooled by him or just too naive to see that he was a real danger. It is about more than looking in the mirror as you suggest. More than confronting the idea that violence is acceptable or even that men are supposedly more prone to use violence than women. It is, as we have seen in most of these shootings, our society's refusal to confront our grossly inadequate mental health system. Some reading you might find interesting: One wonders if there isn't a relationship between this one and the next article I've linked below. The ADHD phenomenon started about 30 years ago I believe http://www.esquire.com/features/drugging-of-the-a... and "One trait they all share in common is psychiatric medication but unsurprisingly the biggest focus in a round table discussion among film studies scholars, psychiatrists and psychologists in a publication named Violence and Gender is that they were all young males." http://pjmedia.com/drhelen/2014/05/26/mass-murder... And "As many people have pointed out, Rodger KILLED MORE MEN THAN WOMEN, including himself. Of course, the men he killed don’t count; the main story here is that women were targeted and it makes for a more sympathetic story. " And just as importantly, most writers including you, Reverend, have not addressed another serious stigma; mental illness which when men suffer from it is still taboo far more so than for women: http://pjmedia.com/drhelen/2014/05/25/the-elliot-...

Big Peace : In Face of Islamic Censorship, U.S. Citizens Must Cling to Sovereign Autonomy

Sun, 22 Jan 2012 21:27:16 +0000

Woe to the preacher and his sermon on Genesis 16 which defames Mohamed's many times great grandpa and that points out that God did not do Ishmael any favors but instead actually cursed him and all of his descendants: And he shall be a wild ass of a man. His hand shall be against every man, and every man's hand against him; and he shall dwell in the face of all his brethren. In other words, he was to be like a wild animal, lawless and unrestrained; hated from within his nation and hated from without and hating them all right back. This isn't just an attack on free speech. It is by extension also an attack on the free exercise of religion, you know, the ones that came before Mohammed ever descended from that violent, wild ass of a man. Some might characterize action taken against a preacher preaching on Genesis 16 as the law of unintended consequences but even if Hillary is ignorant of the potential for verse 12 to incite violence, she'll just shrug her shoulders and say, too bad, so sad. Use it or lose it indeed. If free speech goes, so does everything else.

Big Government : EXCLUSIVE: Nancy Pelosi’s Daughter: ‘My Mom Wants to Leave Congress’

Fri, 30 Dec 2011 00:45:16 +0000

You're probably right, Marlene. I was just giving Alexandra the benefit of the doubt since I don't know anything about her.

Big Government : EXCLUSIVE: Nancy Pelosi’s Daughter: ‘My Mom Wants to Leave Congress’

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 13:58:53 +0000

Purposefully or unwittingly, Alexandra is just drumming up support for dear old mom. With her disclosure, the left sighs for poor Nancy and knowingly nod their collective heads. She is just so heroic, so dedicated and not enough can be said about how much she has sacrificed. All the more reason to love her even more. Some play the race card. Nancy plays pity card.

Big Journalism : Why Is the Media Glossing Over Child Rape?

Sat, 12 Nov 2011 19:22:12 +0000

From the 'Missing DA" article: "I would be very surprised if ultimately he was not discovered somewhere assuming he's not still alive out there laughing at us," Castor adds. ...if he's not still alive out there laughing at us? What an odd thing to say under the circumstances and particularly when Castor had also said that Gricar was a 'by the book' guy. Castor implies that Gricar may have disappeared himself but there is no evidence that he did or even had reason to that any one knows of. Throwing that 'laughing at us' phrase out there could be a subtle way of diverting people off the scent of Gricar's disappearance and it's connection to this crime. Seems to me Castor was being careful with what he said in this article. Little information of any real substance and seems to be down playing the connection.

Breitbart.tv : #OccupyDenver Protester Gives Creepy, Intense Def Poetry Rant

Mon, 24 Oct 2011 11:42:01 +0000

Oh, that's nice. Paint everyone with the same brush....just like the protesters are doing.

Big Hollywood : Bon Jovi Hungers for 'Pay What You Can' Dining

Thu, 20 Oct 2011 12:52:13 +0000

Heh. I recently checked out the web page of a similar restaurant in Oregon and there were few pictures. One was of a long line of well heeled diners waiting to get in and one of, again, what appear to be well heeled diners eating inside. Naturally those who can afford to pay help subsidize meals for those who can't pay but it looks more the the well off subsidizing each other's meals. They too give out a sort of voucher, no work necessary it seems, but no mention of how many of the vouchers have actually been used so one wonders if these folks are just fooling themselves. I'll applaud Jon's efforts when there is a follow up article with interviews with the people these places are supposed to be for and how work in exchange for a meal certificate actually works out. Interesting that the AP didn't hang around till opening time to get pictures of patrons but then if they turn out to be like the ones in Oregon, the pictures would defeat the narrative.

Big Peace : Eric Holder: Incompetent or Malfeasant Ideologue?

Mon, 10 Oct 2011 13:18:32 +0000

The only thing he seems to be incompetent at is covering his tracks. He admitted that he did not know the details of the FALN terrorist's deeds. Same with FF. Claiming he didn't know is not incompetence, it's admitting that he was negligent. By not reading memos that involved a case with this many agencies participating he wasn't just negligent, he was willfully negligent. But I suspect he knew all about it which make it malfeasance.

Big Hollywood : Audiences Listen, and Vote With Their Wallets, When Celebs Talk Politics

Fri, 7 Oct 2011 12:56:55 +0000

I wasn't saying the Hollywood nutballs were any better than the Chinese. But it seems you are more interested in the quality of films rather than what is actually the point of this article. If one is going to stand on principal you have to consider that China is not our friend. The Chinese may be 'embracing' capitalism but their film industry is heavily controlled by the government. The one child rule and preference for boys has lead to mass abortions of girl babies. They artificially devalue their currency. Chinese generals loved 9/11 and even claimed credit for it. They are the main perpetrators of industrial espionage. I don't doubt that the Chinese government gets a big chunk of the movie profits you so enjoy spending your money on.

Big Hollywood : Audiences Listen, and Vote With Their Wallets, When Celebs Talk Politics

Fri, 7 Oct 2011 02:27:41 +0000

You might want to rethink giving your movie dollars to China

Big Peace : Threat from American Soldier

Tue, 27 Sep 2011 01:50:34 +0000

Grown up? Apparently you think you are the only grown up in the world. You have decided that family of fallen warriors do not need to know the details of their deaths. But that is not your decision to make. Their spouses or parents are grown ups and can decide that for themselves and they will decide it for their children. It is natural to want to protect others from the ugly side of war, but you give the families little credit by insinuating that they are so naive that they will accidentally stumble across the details or that they don't already realize that their loved one died so painfully. Who are you to judge the strength of their character, their wisdom or worldliness and deem the details too much for them to bear? Perhaps some will find out the details accidentally but if you are so concerned about it you could do something more constructive instead of carrying on this feud. Have you ever blogged about why you think they should be protected from the details? Have you ever asked any family members how they feel about it? You're attitude seems to be that these people are children and frankly, if it was me, such arrogance would make me very angry and I wouldn't thank you for adding that emotion on top of my grief.

Big Journalism : ESPN's Double Standard

Wed, 21 Sep 2011 13:53:37 +0000

Thanks, Dana, for posting what the real discussion should be and who the object of our outrage should be. Tyson is still vile and ESPN is no better than he is. You can probably expect Greta Van Sustren to come after you the way she did Carlson.

Big Peace : Suspected Honor Killing Of Fatima Abdallah Investigation Continues In Tampa

Thu, 11 Aug 2011 12:20:42 +0000

http://floridafamily.org/images/TampaDeathReportA... Manner of death is what caused the injury that lead to death. The injury is the cause of death: Cause of death in this case is subdural hemorrhage and facial fractures due to blunt impact to head. Manner of Death: Accident (decedent fell and struck head on table). Of course it should say Manner of death: Murder This is weird. 'Trapezius muscle on the left side has a small amount of hemorrhage (most likely secondary to cardiopulmonary resuscitation)" The trapezius is in the back of the neck so what does that have to do with CPR?

Big Journalism : Progressive Media Suffers Meltdown Over Akin's 'Liberalism and God' Remark

Wed, 29 Jun 2011 02:56:04 +0000

Right on. Unlike the Good Samaritan who by choice used his own resources to help the robbed and beaten man, Liberals prefer to do charity by proxy and then they like to pat themselves on the back about it which is also displeasing to God.

Big Peace : Report: Hugo Chavez Near Death?

Sun, 26 Jun 2011 13:31:54 +0000

If the picture in El Nuevo Herald is anything to go by there isn't much to get excited about. The only person who looks sick is Fidel.

http://www.fortmorgantimes.com/ : Muslim speakers aim to foster community understanding, harmony - Fort Morgan Times

Wed, 1 Jun 2011 03:59:37 +0000

This discussion is not about who is better than the other. Comparing the behavior of a particular group with a history of a particular behavior to the general behavior of the general population, or of those in times long gone, is apples and oranges. This is about opening people's eyes to the dangers of allowing preferences to be given to one group over another. Equal rights are endangered when some are given a right that the rest of us are denied. It is happening already. This country was founded on the idea that all are created equal, the same way God treats us all as equals. None should have to give up their rights in order for others to have rights. Why did the NJ judge think the wife had to give up her right to be safe in favor of he husband's 'right' to beat her? He chose the husband over the wife. Muslim children can pray in school but Christian children cannot. Muslim girls wear head coverings but Christian children are told to put their rosaries away. As for judgement. By saying that you think I should think of what God intends for me, how he would want me to treat people...you have already judged me (or did you mean the proverbial 'you' and not necessarily 'me" exactly?) in a way you have no right and no evidence of whether or not I have judged them or how I may have treated anyone. Illustrating the behavior of Muslims as I have here is not judgement. It is simple statement of fact not much different than when Jesus spoke to the Samaritan woman at the well and brought up that she had no husband but "the fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband." That was a criticism, done kindly to be sure but a criticism nonetheless. Judging as used in the Bible is different than criticizing. The men who wanted to stone the adulteress were judging her, as in condemning, carrying out a sentence. Criticism is merely pointing something out, hopefully to be constructive. I have criticized but have condemned no one. If I have done wrong, God will judge me AND condemn me, not a Muslim or anyone else who thinks it is his duty to carry out God's wrath upon me. Yes, it is true that we all are His children and Christ died for all...but not really "whether we accept him or not." Not exactly. In order to receive his gift of eternal life we must accept Christ as his son and our savior: "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6 As mentioned elsewhere in this discussion that bible verses and even Jesus are in the Quran. The Jesus mentioned in the Quran is very very different from the one we know in the Bible. So one should be careful about asserting that Muslims know anything about Jesus or that what they teach is the same as what we do. In the Quran, Jesus is not divine, not the Messiah and did not die on the cross but ascended to heaven before he died and was not resurrected on the third day. For if someone comes along and preaches another Jesus than the one we preached, or should you receive a different spirit from the one you received or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you are all too willing to listen. II Corinthians 11:4 I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. John 10:1 I appreciate the exchange of views as well Goodwill. As I have challenged you, you have challenged me. Even if we don't convince each other of any thing here, perhaps we have been heard by others who will take way something from what all of us have said here. That to me, is the purpose of these discussions.

http://www.fortmorgantimes.com/ : Muslim speakers aim to foster community understanding, harmony - Fort Morgan Times

Wed, 1 Jun 2011 03:53:30 +0000

Oops, having problems with this app. Anyway, if anyone noticed a deleted comment it was just a duplicate. Onefellow, Yes, good example of 'moderate' Muslim. They started a TV show to help people better understand Muslims. Oh, yes, there are many many more examples. Those are just a few to show what the progression has been. In France Muslim's will block an entire street for blocks by rolling out their prayer rugs. No one seems to notice that they do not block streets or businesses in their countries of origin.

http://www.fortmorgantimes.com/ : Muslim speakers aim to foster community understanding, harmony - Fort Morgan Times

Tue, 31 May 2011 00:29:10 +0000

" I don't believe we can witness by pointing out the flaws and differences in Muslim thinking, which inevitably sparks argument." We can't pretend that they don't exist either. In Muslim culture, it is common and acceptable for a Muslim to carry out a Quranic punishment on someone outside of the law of the land. Connect the dots here. Just a few years ago in Turkey a teenage girl who committed the crime of 'talking to boys' was buried by male members of her family in the back yard. Alive. As far as I have been able to find out that while 'honor killing' is a crime in Turkey, they got no more than a wrist slap. In various non Muslim countries with large Muslim populations, there is increasing Muslim on non Muslim crime particularly the rape of non Muslim women. Non Muslim children who have been given enormous tolerance are the ones who are in tolerant by bullying non Muslim children especially girls. In England some 15% of cases in Sharia court involve non-Muslims. In New York a man lured his wife who was leaving him to the TV studio they worked at and he beheaded her. He manufactured evidence that she was abusing him and that was why he had to cut her head off. And In Arizona a young woman was run down by her father and killed. She was too western. In New Jersey a court judge denied a restraining order for a Muslim woman who was divorcing her husband, stating that the husband's abuse (and rape of her) was part of his religious belief. That case was overturned by a higher court but that lower court judge never ever should have ruled the way he did in the first place. That is what creeping Sharia is. That is how it starts. Be tolerant, Appease them. Before you know it some judge thinks a religious belief is not in contradiction to the laws of our county. Go to the mosque. Pray how you like. Dress how you like. Just don't think you can insinuate your Islamic laws into the laws of the United States of America or into our culture. Where is that discussion in these meetings on integration here or anywhere else? If you think, Goodwill, that we pique Muslim interest, then that is fine, but that will still be a tough sell. Remember the girl (in Ohio ?) who converted and ran in fear for her life? Apostasy is the top, unforgivable sin in Islam. So in the meantime, do we keep bending over backwards until our backs break like they are in Europe?