PROVIDENCE, RI—Former Woonsocket Police Officer John H. Douglas was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Providence to 12 months and one day in federal prison followed by two years’ supervised release, the first six months to be served in home confinement, for assaulting a juvenile who was in his custody. Douglas pled guilty in June to a federal criminal civil rights charge.
The sentence, which was imposed by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Mary M. Lisi, was announced by U.S. Attorney Peter F. Neronha and the U.S. Justice Department.
On September 15, 2009, Douglas and two other Woonsocket Police Officers escorted a juvenile in police custody to a small hallway inside the Woonsocket Police Station. Once inside the hallway, Douglas, who was angry at the juvenile because he believed the juvenile had earlier injured a fellow Woonsocket Police Officer, directed another officer to remove the juvenile’s handcuffs, then repeatedly punched and kneed the juvenile, who remained in leg shackles. As a consequence of this beating, the juvenile suffered blunt force trauma and bone fractures in his facial area.
U.S. Attorney Peter F. Neronha commented, “Most police officers strive to serve their community every day with dedication and distinction, often making split second decisions that put their lives on the line to protect others. But when an officer chooses to abuse his authority and violates the civil rights of a person he or she is supposed to protect, their conduct will not be tolerated and they will be justly punished.”
“Police officers in our nation are entrusted with a great deal of power so that they can carry out their critical public safety duties. Those officers who abuse that power and violate the civil rights of individuals in their custody will be held accountable,” said Thomas E. Perez, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division.
This matter was investigated by Special Agent James Pitcavage of the FBI. The case was jointly prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Terrence P. Donnelly and John P. McAdams and Trial Attorney Avner Shapiro of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.
Former Woonsocket Police Officer Sentenced for Civil Rights Violation
Here's a radical idea: Let's reinstitute National Day-Off in America.
Here's a radical idea: Let's reinstitute National Day-Off in America.
If the rWorld is about improving the quality of our lives, what steps can we take to improve our quality of life?
The simplest and most radical change we can make is to reinstitute a common day off in America. A day where shopping, commerce, is severely restricted and youth sport league play and practice is forbidden.
At this point you might be wondering if I am part of the Christian equivalent to the Taliban, or that the tower in which I dwell is built exclusively of ivory.
Lend me your ears for a minute more.
Presently we reside in a nation where we have scheduled ourselves within an inch of our lives. We don’t have time for ourselves, to say nothing of time for others.
It’s hard to use the phrases “family life” and “quality time” in the same sentence.
In most families both parents work, and it is the exception if they work the same days and hours. Indeed many parents believe they need to work completely different schedules in order that one may be at home, most of the time, to take care of the children.
The numbers of minutes in a day that a nuclear family can all be together are few. The numbers of hours in a week in which they can all be together is fewer.
Scheduling a family event is an ordeal.
Scheduling an event with the extended family has all the ease of leading a camel through the eye of a needle. Quite frankly, if such an event is to take place it will be at Thanksgiving or Christmas, depending on which side of the extended family is chosen.
We live in a nation of people that are scheduled within an inch of their life, some by choice others of financial necessity.
We live in an iWorld where the best many of us can do is schedule appointments with our family members one at a time.
This illustration is the poster child for ways in which the quest to increase standard of living undermines the quality of our lives.
But it doesn’t have to be this way.
The solution is simple: Reinstitute a common day off in America.
By legislating a common day, during which commerce ceases along with all organized sports for children, we each get the opportunity to get our lives back.
What would we lose? 24 hours of commerce a week and the opportunity to drive our kids dozens of miles to their various games and practices.
Who would it hurt?
Not business. Business could eliminate 24 hours of labor overhead without suffering a lose of revenue. People won’t buy less, they will simply alter their shopping patterns
By my calculations, the only people who will be hurt will be those who work part-time, minimum wage jobs without benefits at retail outlets. But with just a little creativity we could use the tax revenue generated by businesses who financially benefit from the 24-hour moratorium to help support and transition those impacted.
The benefits?
A nationwide collective sigh of relief, akin to the relief that is felt when a snow, wind or ice storm give us an unplanned day off.
Only we’d get a “snow day” once a week.
We’d get a day set aside for re-creation.
Literally a day where we can be re-created through recreation.
Recreation includes any activity that re-creates us.
Worship
A nap
An extended cup of coffee
Unscheduled time to be with those you love and who love you.
Family time.
Extended family time.
Personal retreats.
Is this possible?
Absolutely. Many countries legislate a common day off.
One example would be the Germans.
Do the Germans do this because they are so religious?
Not now. They do it because it is a terrific idea. It provides enormous personal and social benefit at no cost.
Could we work out the details?
Sure. The devil is not in the details.
The devil is in the chaos we presently call living.
It’s time to call for a time out.
Rev. Dale Kuehne is the author of “Sex and the iWorld. Rethinking relationship beyond the age of Individualism.” He is associate professor of politics and founding director of the New Hampshire Institute of Politics at Saint Anselm College. He serves as pastor of Emmanuel Covenant Church in Nashua, NH and regular ShareWIK.com columnist.
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"These are the most amazing breeds of men...prophets!"
"These are the most amazing breeds of men...prophets!"
What Does The Bible Teach About A Woman's Role In The Church, Home and Government?
What Does The Bible Teach About A Woman's Role In The Church, Home and Government?
Martinique, Nov. 6, 2010 [Photo: Libna Stevens]
1996 David L. Brown
In 1963 Betty Freidan s book, The Feminine Mystique, was published and it popped the lid off "Pandoras Box" releasing the Womans Liberation Movement. American culture has not been the same since. Womans lib has touched every facet of American culture and now it is increasingly coming into the evangelical and fundamental church.
This past year my aunt Mildred died. She was one of the almost 4,000 ordained and licensed women in the Assemblies of God.
I was brought up in the United Methodist Church. I remember on more than one occasion having a woman preacher in the pulpit. In fact, there are 4,743 women "clergy" in the ranks of the United Methodists today. One of them pastors the Methodist church in this town.
Our family briefly vacationed in Florida this past winter. We stayed with a retired Christian friend. I had been the assistant pastor of this womans husband back in the early 70s. We attended church with her the Sunday we were there. It was a Southern Baptist Church. I was shocked when a woman got up and preached the sermon. Upon doing some research I find that there are about 1000 ordained Southern Baptist women clergy despite a 1984 Convention resolution stating that the Scripture "excludes women from pastoral leadership." In a September 1993 meeting of the SBC Executive Committee, a measure to expel congregations for ordaining women was rejected unanimously.
The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has 2,419 female leaders. In 1979 the United Presbyterian Church, forerunner of the Presbyterian Church U.S.A., adopted a resolution REQUIRING the congregations to elect women elders. This politically correct denomination also voted to ban the ordination of any man who opposed women clergy and gave such men 10 years to change their minds or get out (EP News Service, June 21, 1980).
The United Church of Christ has 1,803 female leaders while the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has 1,358 ordained women.
The Episcopal Church in the United States, which approved women's ordination in 1976, has more than 1,000. The Episcopalians ordained the first Anglican female bishop in 1989. The General Synod of the "mother church" in England endorsed the concept of female priests in 1993. In 1991 Queen Elizabeth paved the way for female priests by appointing a woman as one of her royal chaplains in Scotland.
The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, though more conservative than other Lutheran bodies, is beginning to allow women to preach in regular worship services. A survey showed that about 1,000 LCMS clergymen maintain that the Bible is not opposed to the ordination of women (Christian News, Feb. 13, 1989).
The focus of this study is going to be, What Does The Bible Teach About A Womans Role In The Church? If you read the April 8, 96 issue of Christianity Today you might be convinced woman preachers are OK. Is that true?
I think a good place to begin is to point out the fact that...
THE LORD LOVES WOMEN AS MUCH AS HE DOES MEN
Linda and I recently attended a biblical counseling seminar. One of the topics that Dr. Ed Bulkley was addressing was the biblical chain of command and how it related to men and women. He shared a little statement that may be helpful to you, it was to me -- In soul men and women are equal (Gal. 3:28). In role & function there are differences (Eph 5:23; 1 Tim 2:12).
Galatians 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
This verse points out the fact that the spiritual standing of every human being regardless of nationality, class or gender is the same. I like the way one author put it, "the ground is level at the cross. Women matter as much as men..." That is true when our spiritual standing is in focus! And that is clear to see from the life and ministry of Jesus Christ and the apostles.
Jesus taught woman and was ministered to by them --
Luke 10:38-42 Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word. 40 But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. 41 And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: 42 But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.
Jesus was supported financially by women --
Luke 8:3 And Joanna the wife of Chuza Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others, which ministered unto him of their substance.
Women were among the first to be saved --
Acts 16:13-15 And on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither. 14 And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul. 15 And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us.
Lydia was one of the first European converts to Christ.
I refer you back to an earlier quote -- "the ground is level at the cross." There is no difference in the spiritual standing between men and woman. A Christian woman has as much access to God as a man does. God cares about his children regardless of their nationality, race or gender.
THE ROLES OF MEN AND WOMEN ARE DIFFERENT
Though the spiritual standing of men and women are the same before God, he has ordained that men assume the leadership role in the church and home and that women assume the support role. From the dawn of creation men and women were created for different roles, that is clear. Gen 2:18 & 20-24 show that God created Eve from Adam to be his "help meet" (helper or aid).
Genesis 2:21-24 And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; 22 And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. 23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. 24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
Note that the support role of women was established before the fall. (See 1 Cor. 11:7-9 for further support). The role of a wife is to support her husband, to make him successful.
Now, if man had not sinned, he would always have ruled with wisdom and love; if the woman had not sinned, she would always have obeyed with humility and meekness. But both Eve and Adam sinned. Turn to --
Genesis 3:16-17 Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee. 17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened (obeyed) unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;
The first role reversal in the marital relationship came when Eve submitted to the serpent and not God or her husband and when Adam obeyed Eve and not God. As a result God said that the husband would rule over his wife and she was to submit to his headship. The word rule means to govern or to have dominion.
Now, perhaps you are wondering what does this have to do with the church and the womans role in the church.
A WOMANS ROLE IN THE CHURCH
To answer that question we need to look at -- 1 Timothy 2:11-14 Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. 12 But I suffer not (do not allow) a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. 13 For Adam was first formed, then Eve. 14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.
These verses do not leave much to the imagination. First, a woman could and should be a learner. But she is not to teacher or preach the Word to men. That would obviously preclude a woman from being a pastor or deacon. Titus 2:4 clarifies that a woman can teach women and children.
I will conclude todays message by turning your attention to 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 Let your women keep silence (to hold their peace) in the churches: for it is not permitted (given liberty) unto them to speak (preach, speak); but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law. 35 And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.
Biblically, a woman can neither be a pastor or deacon in the church. Neither is she to teach the Word to men. Having said that, I want to make it clear that woman are important to the church and do important things. Their ministry is to revolve around support, service and ministry to woman and children.
The woman who fulfills the role God established for her is not inferior but is a Godly woman.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN MEN FAIL TO LEAD?
God has established in His Word that men are to be the leaders in the home, church and society. The Biblical role of women is a support role. But what happens when men fail to fulfill their leadership obligation? There is a very sobering passage of scripture that answers this question, Isaiah 3:1-12. There are two verses in this passage that I want to look at -- Verses 4 & 12 And I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them. As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths.
These verses indicate that when men fail to lead as they should then women and children will fill the vacuum. When that happens the results are disastrous. God sends judgment when he is disobeyed. There are several biblical examples to support this. Queen Jezebel is one example (1 Kings 18, 19 & 21) of a woman who usurped her husbands authority. She persecuted the prophets of God and put a price on Elijahs head. As for child oppressors, consider for a moment the rule of Manasseh. He was installed as king at age 12. His reign was long and wicked (696-642 B.C.) and the Lord blames him for the downfall of Judah (2 Kings 21:10-16).
I want to make it clear. Gods perfect will is for men to lead in government, in the home and in the church. It is Gods perfect will for women to assume the support roles in the home, church and perhaps the government not the leadership roles. When men are strong and obedient to Gods commands, there is not a serious problem with what the women, particularly when the women are obedient to Gods will. But when men are weak, lazy or cowardly, there are going to be problems. When men are not obeying God and not being spiritually what they are supposed to be, God responds in judgment by allowing a role reversal to take place, that is dominant women and oppressive children.
Thats why there are major problems in homes, churches and government in our day. Thats why the youth crime rate is going ballistic. Thats why women are "wearing the pants" in the family and the church. Thats why more women are being elected to public office.
How Do You Explain Deborah?
Perhaps there are those who are wondering, "If you really believe that men are to be in the leadership roles and women in the support roles, then how do you explain Deborah (Judges 4:4-5)? Why did God make Deborah a judge in Israel?" The answer is not difficult. God's perfect will is for men to lead, but when men will not assume their responsibilities, God uses women. The men in Deborah's day were weak and chicken-hearted. Barak, the captain of the armies of Israel, proves this to be true. He refused to go into battle unless Deborah went with him. Deborah had to remind him that God had said it is time to fight. Deborah had to encourage and challenge him to go. Deborah had to go with him!
"And Barak said unto her, If thou wilt go with me, then I will go: but if thou wilt not go with me, then I will not go" Judges 4:8
Deborah clearly realized that this was neither right nor natural for her to have the leadership position. She even tells Barak it would result in shame upon his name. "And she said, I will surely go with thee; notwithstanding the journey that thou takest shall not be for thine honour; FOR THE LORD SHALL SELL SISERA INTO THE HAND OF A WOMAN..." Judges 4:9.
Obviously it was a period in Israel's history during which God could find no man to do His will, so He used a brave, willing woman.
The root problem in Deborah's day was spiritual apostasy. Where there is spiritual apostasy in a nation, a church, or a home, God sends his judgment by rendering the men powerless against their enemies. He removes discernment and true wisdom from their thinking.
This is exactly what is happening in our nation today. We are under Gods judgment because our leaders are weak and godless. Thats why parents cannot control our little children, and women are in places of leadership where they should not be. It is God's judgment because of the apostate condition of professing Christendom. Just as Israel in Deborah's day was in bondage to their enemies because of their apostasy so America is walking down that same path. Men, we need to get back to the Biblical chain of command --
1 Corinthians 11:3 But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.
Men, we need to be the kind but firm leaders in our homes and churches that God has ordained in His Word. Colossians 3:19 gives husbands an important command -- In doing a word study of the phrase be not bitter I found the idea is, dont treat your wife harshly which makes her bitter. Thats good advice.
HOW CAN WOMEN SERVE CHRIST & HIS CHURCH?
While it is clear that women are not to be preachers, deacons, teachers or spiritual leaders because that would place them in a leadership role over men (1 Tim 2:11-14 & 1 Cor 14:34-35) there are other things that women can and should do.
Women can teach & evangelize other women
Titus 2:3-5 The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; 4 That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, 5 To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.
Mature Christian women are to disciple the younger woman teaching them to exercise self-control (be sober), to be affectionate to their own husbands, to be fond of their children, to be self-restrained in their passions and desires (discreet), modest and focused sexually only on her own husband (chaste), domestic, a stayer at home, upright in character (good), and obedient to her husband.
Further, women can and should minister the word to other women as well. Turn to Acts 21:8-11. In this passage we will see that Philip the evangelist had 4 unmarried daughters that ministered the word of God. Some point to this passage as evidence that women can be preachers, but the context shows differently. Paul and his helpers stayed with Philip and his family. But when God wanted to reveal something to Paul prophetically, he did not use any of Philips daughters. He used a male prophet from another city named Agabus. This shows us that the girls ministry must have been with among other women. Lets read the passage.
And the next day we that were of Paul's company departed, and came unto Caesarea: and we entered into the house of Philip the evangelist, which was one of the seven; and abode with him. 9 And the same man had four daughters, virgins, which did prophesy. 10 And as we tarried there many days, there came down from Judaea a certain prophet, named Agabus. 11 And when he was come unto us, he took Paul's girdle, and bound his own hands and feet, and said, Thus saith the Holy Ghost, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.
Women can assist and serve in the church in a variety of areas
Romans 16:1-2 I commend unto you Phebe our sister, which is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea: 2 That ye receive her in the Lord, as becometh saints, and that ye assist her in whatsoever business she hath need of you: for she hath been a succourer of many, and of myself also.
The word translated servant is the Greek word diakonos (dee-ak'-on-os). It literally means to run on errands; an attendant, a waiter at table or in other serving duties. The word in the masculine gender is diakoneo(s) (dee-ak-on-eh'-o) appears in the New Testament about 68 times and is translated serve, minister, administer every time but 5. Five times the word refers to the office of a deacon that can only be held by men (1 Tim 3:8-13; Acts 6:1-7). I bring this up because there are some who try to say that Phebe held the office of a deacon. She did not. She was a servant, a helper around the church and she succoured (assisted, helped or was hospitable) to many, including Paul.
Turn to 1 Timothy 5:9-10 Let not a widow be taken into the number under threescore years old, having been the wife of one man, 10 Well reported of for good works; if she have brought up children, if she have lodged strangers, if she have washed the saints' feet, if she have relieved the afflicted, if she have diligently followed every good work.
You might wonder why I have turned you to this passage. This passage gives the qualifications for widows that were considered worthy of regular support by the local church. She was to have a history of good works, been a faithful mother, been hospitable to strangers, been willing to serve fellow Christians in menial ways, as well as help those who are in distress. In short, she has a history of diligent labor for the Lord.
Acts 9:36-39 gives us the example of this kind of woman. Her name was Tabitha or Dorcas. She had made clothes for many of the believers. May the Lord raise up many Godly women like Dorcas in this church. Women with a servants heart.
Women can share the gospel in a private context
Priscilla and Aquila shared the Gospel with Apollos privately. It was a team effort but it is clear from the passage that she took part (Acts 18:26). I believe the Bible allows women can share the gospel in a non-public context with a man if the opportunity presents itself as long as 1) it is done with the husbands permission 2) it is done discreetly and 3) as long as she avoids the appearance of evil.
Further, women can be involved in support roles in church or missionary work. Philippians 4:2-4 I beseech Euodias, and beseech Syntyche, that they be of the same mind in the Lord. 3 And I entreat thee also, true yokefellow, help those women which laboured with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and with other my fellowlabourers, whose names are in the book of life. 4 Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.
I will conclude by saying I praise the Lord for all the women who follow the Biblical model. May God increase your number. Likewise I praise the Lord for men who are striving to be what they should be spiritually. We need you. We need MORE of you.
E-mail: FirstBaptistChurchOC@gmail.com
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Federal Courts Order Seizure of 82 Website Domains Involved in Selling Counterfeit Goods as Part of DOJ and ICE C
DEPARTMENT Of JusticeOffice of Public Affairs
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Monday, November 29, 2010
Federal Courts Order Seizure of 82 Website Domains
Involved in Selling Counterfeit Goods as Part of DOJ and
ICE Cyber Monday Crackdown
WASHINGTON – Seizure orders have been executed against 82 domain names of commercial
websites engaged in the illegal sale and distribution of counterfeit goods and copyrighted works
as part of Operation In Our Sites v. 2.0, Attorney General Eric Holder and Director John Morton
of the Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
announced today.
The coordinated federal law enforcement operation targeted online retailers of a diverse array of
counterfeit goods, including sports equipment, shoes, handbags, athletic apparel and sunglasses
as well as illegal copies of copyrighted DVD boxed sets, music and software.
During the course of the operation, federal law enforcement agents made undercover purchases
from online retailers suspected of selling counterfeit goods. In many instances, the goods were
shipped directly into the United States from suppliers in other countries using international
express mail. If the goods were confirmed as counterfeit or otherwise illegal, seizure orders for
the domain names of the websites that sold the goods were obtained from U.S. magistrate judges.
Individuals attempting to access the websites will now find a banner notifying them that the
domain name of that website has been seized by federal authorities.
"By seizing these domain names, we have disrupted the sale of thousands of counterfeit items,
while also cutting off funds to those willing to exploit the ingenuity of others for their own
personal gain,” said Attorney General Holder. “Intellectual property crimes are not victimless.
The theft of ideas and the sale of counterfeit goods threaten economic opportunities and financial
stability, suppress innovation and destroy jobs. The Justice Department, with the help of our law
enforcement partners, is changing the perception that these crimes are risk-free with enforcement
actions like the one announced today.”
“The sale of counterfeit U.S. brands on the Internet steals the creative work of others, costs our
economy jobs and revenue and can threaten the health and safety of American consumers,” said
ICE Director John Morton. “The protection of intellectual property is a top priority for
Homeland Security Investigations and the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination
Center. We are dedicated to protecting the jobs, the income and the tax revenue that disappear
when counterfeit goods are trafficked.”
The operation builds upon Operation in Our Sites I, which was announced in June 2010. In that
first action of this broader law enforcement initiative, authorities executed seizure warrants
against nine domain names of websites offering pirated copies of first-run movies.
The nationwide operation was spearheaded by the National Intellectual Property Rights
Coordination Center (IPR Center) led by ICE’s Office of Homeland Security Investigations
(HSI), in coordination with the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property
Section and nine U.S. Attorneys’ Offices including the Southern District of New York; District
of Columbia; Middle District of Florida; District of Colorado; Southern District of Texas;
Central District of California; Northern District of Ohio; District of New Jersey; and the Western
District of Washington. The Criminal Division’s Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering
Section also provided significant assistance.
The IPR Center is one of the U.S. government’s key weapons in the fight against criminal
counterfeiting and piracy. The IPR Center is led by ICE’s HSI and includes partners from U.S.
Customs and Border Protection; the FBI; the Department of Commerce; the Food and Drug
Administration; the Postal Inspection Service; the General Services Administration, Office of the
Inspector General; the Naval Criminal Investigative Service; the Defense Criminal Investigative
Service; the Army Criminal Investigative Division’s Major Procurement Fraud Unit; the
Consumer Product Safety Commission, INTERPOL; and the Government of Mexi co Tax
Administrative Service. The IPR Center allows law enforcement and the private sector jointly to
address the growing transnational problem of counterfeit products. The IPR Center coordinates
outreach to U.S. rights holders and conducts domestic and international law enforcement as well
as coordinates and directs anti-counterfeiting investigations. To learn more about the IPR Center,
visit www.ice.gov .
The enforcement actions announced today are an example of the type of efforts being undertaken
by the Department of Justice Task Force on Intellectual Property (IP Task Force). Attorney
General Eric Holder created the IP Task Force to combat the growing number of domestic and
international intellectual property crimes, protect the health and safety of American consumers,
and safeguard the nation’s economic security against those who seek to profit illegally from
American creativity, innovation and hard work. The IP Task Force seeks to strengthen
intellectual property rights protection through heightened criminal and civil enforcement, greater
coordination among federal, state and local law enforcement partners, and increased focus on
international enforcement efforts, including reinforcing relationships with key foreign partners
and U.S. industry leaders. To learn more about the IP Task Force, go to
www.justice.gov/dag/iptaskforce/.
The Vatican Goes For Both Sides of the Political Aisle
Carvelle worked for the Democratic Party
Matlin worked for the Republican Party
Both recently received into the Roman Catholic Church
The Vatican Goes For Both Sides of the Political Aisle
Carvelle worked for the Democratic Party
Matlin worked for the Republican Party
Both recently received into the Roman Catholic Church
http://www.americancatholic.org/news/report.aspx?id=3246#
Beth Griffin
NEW YORK (CNS)--Whoever commands the next congressional majority after the upcoming midterm election will discover that fortune favors those who put service and duty above party and self, according to Republican political consultant Mary Matalin.
She shared the rostrum with her husband, Democratic political strategist James Carville, at the 65th annual dinner of the Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation held Oct. 19 at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel.
Matalin said the dinner is renowned as a festive gathering of political opposites for a good cause. Noting that Al Smith did not apply a political test to his friendships, she said she and Carville have learned by experience that "some of the dearest people you campaign hardest against over time might become family and friends."
She cited as examples former U.S. President Bill Clinton and former first lady Hillary Clinton, who is now secretary of state.
Matalin and Carville met while they were working for rival candidates in the 1992 presidential campaign. Matalin was deputy campaign manager for political operations for George H.W. Bush. Carville was chief campaign strategist for Bill Clinton. They were married in a civil ceremony in 1993.
The Al Smith dinner honors the memory of the former governor of New York, who was raised in poverty and was the first Catholic nominated by a major political party to run for president of the United States. Proceeds from the $1,500-a-plate event help needy children in Greater New York. The foundation distributed $1.7 million in grants after last year's dinner.
Matalin and Carville shared the three-tiered dais with New York's political and philanthropic luminaries, looking out over a sea of 800 formally attired benefactors in the grand ballroom of the storied hotel.
Following a meal of poached lobster and braised short ribs, they poked fun at themselves, each other and candidates in congressional and New York gubernatorial races. After a well received humorous riff aimed at both Republicans and Democrats, Carville announced in a Louisiana drawl, "There's too much low-hanging fruit here, folks."
Matalin said she was received into the Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil this year. "Most converts go straight to confession," she said, "but I guess if you're a political consultant, you go right to a microphone."
She said that Carville has "been a big help in my spiritual journey--and not just in daily martyrdom."
Turning serious for a moment, Matalin spoke about the example New York Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan sets for his seminarians and said, "The church is filled with honorable, kind, self-sacrificing priests who are pure of heart--and thank God for every one of them."
She advised, "If you're looking for hope and change, you'll find a lot of both in the direction of Rome. It's the best kind of hope because it offers forever and the best kind of change because it happens in your own life."
Carville jokingly disputed that change is part of Vatican vocabulary, but he said to be Catholic is to believe in miracles. Specifically, he said the church "graciously welcomed me back into its bosom" after Matalin became a Catholic. They then had a Catholic wedding at St. Stephen Church in New Orleans this past April and he was astonished to learn from his sister afterward that his grandparents were married in the same church in April 1910.
In their talks, both Matalin and Carville got comic mileage out of raising their teen and preteen daughters. Matalin said the experience is "all about the peace process."
Al Smith's great-grandson, Alfred E. Smith IV, was the master of ceremonies for the event. He said Smith was a man of courage and principle, an independent thinker who was steadfast in his beliefs. The governor "wore his heart on his sleeve, not his ambition," said the emcee. "Had he not been so open about his religion, he might not have made himself such an easy target for the anti-Catholic bigotry that marred his presidential campaign."
Archbishop Dolan, host of the dinner, said he was lucky "because I get to spend a big chunk of my life visiting the children helped by the Al Smith Foundation-special-needs kids, homeless infants and their mothers, hungry kids, abandoned children, babies whose very birth is in question due to the poverty and struggles of the mother, kids fed, clothed, loved, embraced and educated because of you."
He acknowledged his predecessor, Cardinal Edward M. Egan of New York, who was on the dais, and Cardinal William H. Keeler, retired archbishop of Baltimore, sitting at a table of honor.
The invocation was offered by Jesuit Father Timothy J. Cadigan, another great-grandson of Gov. Al Smith. Metropolitan Opera tenor Michael Fabiano sang the national anthem in perhaps the only October performance of that song not shortened by the cheers of baseball fans.
Dinner guests were entertained by the music of the Peter Duchin Orchestra, performed from a balcony overlooking the ballroom.
Adventists, others partnering to change attitudes toward donating, receiving organs
In United Kingdom, organ donation campaign finds traction within faith communities
In United Kingdom, organ donation campaign finds traction within faith communities
Adventists, others partnering to change attitudes toward donating, receiving organs
Seventh-day Adventists joined representatives from other faith communities in a meeting with British Parliament members last week to formalize their work in support of the country's organ donation campaign.
The campaign, which seeks to raise awareness of the need for organ donations -- particularly among black and Asian ethnic groups -- is an "acknowledgement of the contributions and commitment" of faith and community groups, said Komal Adris, founder and director of the national Organ Donor Campaign.
The November 23 meeting included members of the Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, Sikh and Buddhist communities and addressed how faith and culture can influence a person's attitude toward organ donation and decision to become a donor or recipient.
Altruistic organ donation -- in which person donates an organ to a stranger -- has made headlines in the United Kingdom since 2006, when Parliament passed the Human Tissue Act, which established a legal framework for anonymous donors, the Telegraph reported last month. Out of 3,800 living donations since then, 52 have been altruistic, the article said.
The Organ Donor Campaign seeks to raise that number, especially among minorities. Despite comprising just 8 percent of the United Kingdom's population, members of minority communities account for a quarter of patients actively waiting for kidney transplants.
They also donate the fewest organs -- statistics indicate that just 1.7 percent of organ donors are black, 1.6 percent are Asian and more than 95 percent are white. An increase in organ donations from minorities would make a radical difference in the treatment of end-stage kidney, heart and liver failure, organ donation advocates said.
Overall, more than 10,000 people in the United Kingdom are waiting for an organ transplant, and 10 percent of them are likely to die while waiting, according to the Organ Donor Campaign's website.
Faith communities are ideally situated to change their members' attitudes toward organ donation, Adris said. The Seventh-day Adventist Church's structure, network and contacts make it a particularly valuable ally, Adris told Sharon Platt-McDonald, who directs the church's Health and Disability Ministries in the United Kingdom and was among Adventist representatives at the meeting.
"The fact that [Adventists] have health leaders within each of the churches is pretty phenomenal," Adris said. "You've got a ready resource that we can now work with in disseminating the message, which makes the job that we're trying to do a lot easier."
Prior to the meeting, five Adventist congregations in the United Kingdom worked to raise awareness of the upcoming campaign, participating in interviews and focus groups with key members of the country's Organ Donation Taskforce.
"It was a privilege to be involved in a national program such as this and be able to share the message that Adventists are compassionate people who care about the needs of others," said Sam Davies, pastor of the Luton Central Adventist Church. "Organ donation is something that we can become involved with, as it saves lives," he said.
The Organ Donor Campaign is a joint initiative of the Organ Donation Taskforce and the Department of Health in the United Kingdom. To read more about the initiative, visit www.theodc.org.uk.
ANN World News Bulletin is a review of news issued by the Communication department of the Seventh-day Adventist Church World Headquarters and released as part of the service of Adventist News Network. For reproduction requirements, click here. The opinions expressed by Commentary authors and sources in ANN news stories do not necessarily reflect those of Adventist News Network© and/or the Seventh-day Adventist© Church.
U.S. Military in Iraq Tries to Intimidate Soldiers Into Not Reading Wikileaks
U.S. soldiers in Iraq who try to read about the Wikileaks disclosures—or read coverage of them in mainstream news sites—on unclassified networks get a page warning them that they're about to break the law.
The federal government seems to have lost its mind in a manic game of internet whack-a-mole aimed at getting the Wikileaks State Department cables thrown down the memory hole: First, Sen. Joe Lieberman successfully nudged Amazon into kicking the site off its servers. Then the Library of Congress blocked the site for all employees and users of its computer terminals. Now we learn that the State Department is warning prospective hires that if they write about Wikileaks on Twitter or Facebook, they might not get that job. And now Gawker has learned that military installations in Iraq are trying to keep soldiers from reading about Wikileaks.
A tipster wrote to tell us that "the Army's unclassified, NIPRNET network in Iraq has blocked every major news website because of the Wikileaks issue," going on to say that Foxnews.com, CNN.com, MSNBC.com, the Huffington Post, and a variety of other sites are blocked on the Army's unclassified network. A spokesperson for U.S. forces in Iraq disputed that claim, saying that the web sites aren't actually blocked—it's just that attempts to access them on the unclassified network brings up a warning page saying that you're about to break the law:
[U.S. forces in Iraq have] not blocked any news websites from being read. Because of the Wikileaks release of secret documents and their easy availability on the web, USF-I has posted a warning page NIPRNet computers go to first. This page simply warns the user that the website they are about to view may contain classified documents and that such documents should not be viewed, downloaded, or distributed on NIPR computers. There is a button at the bottom of this warning page that then allows the user to go to the website.
The feds have clearly lost it. Many of those soldiers receiving the warnings have security clearances that would have granted them access to the State Department cables before they were leaked. It's not the first time the military has threatened servicemembers with sanctions if the view Wikileaks documents—back in August, the Department of the Navy issued guidance warning sailors and marines against looking at the Afghanistan documents leaked by the site—but it seems to be the first time it's tried to prevent them from reading news stories about leaked documents.
Not even Social Security Administration employees are safe from the intimidation: The Administration has reportedly sent an alert to all its employees claiming that the Wikileaks documents "remain classified and SSA employees should not access, download, or transmit them. Individuals may be subject to applicable federal criminal statutes for unlawful access to or transmission of classified information."
And the State Department has—informally, it seems—been putting out word that people who write about the Wikileaks cables on Twitter or Facebook shouldn't bother applying for State Department jobs in the future. According to the Arabist, a blog on Arab culture and politics, Columbia University's career services department sent an alert to students relating a call the office got from a Columbia alumnus and State Department employee:
The documents released during the past few months through Wikileaks are still considered classified documents. He recommends that you DO NOT post links to these documents nor make comments on social media sites such as Facebook or through Twitter. Engaging in these activities would call into question your ability to deal with confidential information, which is part of most positions with the federal government.
To repeat: Do NOT make comments about Wikileaks on Twitter or mention them at all or you will be considered a security risk and never be good enough to work at the state department.
We contacted the State Department and Columbia University for comment, but haven't heard back. Likewise with the Social Security Administration.
Update:
State Department spokeswoman Nicole Thompson got back to us. She said that she's unaware of any State employees issuing any "directives" to any schools about what students should and shouldn't write on social networks. But would State look unfavorably upon a prospective employee who had written about the leaked cables on Facebook? "To talk about current events is one thing," she said. "Would talking about it make you ineligible for a job at the State Department? No. But to go into detail, and propagate information that was illegally obtained—I don't think that's a good move for anyone. Not Julian Assange, not Wikileaks, and not any U.S. citizen."
Send an email to the author of this post at john@gawker.com.
Christian sexuality is a Jacob's ladder
Christian sexuality is a Jacob's ladder
'Outwardly and physically' sexuality is simply a reproductive act, but 'inwardly and spiritually' it has an iconic significance
How should Christians think about sex? Specifically, within what framework should we consider this aspect of life and experience?
Perhaps the first thing to clarify is why there should be a specifically "Christian" way of thinking about sex at all. What is it about Christianity that could make a difference? And the answer surely lies in the doctrine of the incarnation.
Christians, as distinct even from Jews (their closest theological neighbours), believe that God has been "embodied". The word of God, himself God from the beginning, "became flesh and dwelt among us" in the person of Jesus (John 1:14).
Therefore the body, the locus of our sexuality and the vehicle of its expression, is also a vehicle and means of expression of God's own self. And whatever Christians think about sexuality, it has to be integrated with this specifically Christian understanding.
This suggests, however, that the most appropriate theological category in which to put human sexuality is that of a "sacrament", which the Church of England usefully defines as, "an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace".
According to the Catechism, therefore, a sacrament consists of two parts: the outward sign and the inward grace, and in the context this distinction is both vital and helpful. Thus a sacramental approach to sexuality reminds us that just as holy communion begins with plain bread and wine, and baptism with ordinary water, so human sexuality originates with nothing fundamentally special or unique.
In Genesis 1, the command given to human beings is exactly the same as that earlier given to the fish and the birds: "Be fruitful and multiply." There is neither reverence nor admonition when God first speaks about human reproduction.
Considered from this perspective, therefore, human sexuality is just one variant of a process found throughout the animal and plant world, whereby the fusion of two gametes forms a zygote via whatever means are necessary to bring them together. It is no more "special" in this regard than the water used in baptism is special when it comes out of the tap.
And therefore a fundamental feature of Christian thinking about human sexuality ought to be a recognition of its mere functionality and its commonality with that of other living creatures. (Indeed, such a recognition might be helpful in many of our wider cultural debates on this topic.)
The "embodiment" of God, however, is an important pointer as to why human sexuality can never be considered only in terms of reproductive function, any more than communion is only bread and wine. For with the incarnation there is a "bridge" between heaven and earth and therefore between the non-physical God and our physical selves.
Furthermore, scripture is replete with imagery depicting the relationship between God and humanity in marital terms. Indeed, taken as a whole, the Christian scriptures begin with a coupling in a garden and end with the descent of the New Jerusalem out of heaven "as a Bride adorned for her husband" (Revelation 21:2).
Human sexuality needs to be seen, therefore, in both its sacramental aspects if it is to be understood Christianly.
"Outwardly and physically", it is part of the marvellous, but commonplace, process by which living things make variant versions of themselves. Thinking of it this way should keep us grounded in all our thinking about the topic, including both its personal expression and its social dimension.
But considered "inwardly and spiritually", human sexuality has an iconic significance, being a point where the divine finds earthly expression – where something that is true about the creator-redeemer God in his relationship with his created-redeemed people is imaged and embodied in human relationship and experience.
This is why the subject of our sexuality is so inescapable, despite various efforts over time to neutralise, demonise or trivialise the subject. It is a veritable Jacob's ladder – a place where heaven and earth combine. But until the two become one, it will continue to trouble us, as well as to enthral us.