GlynnHarper.com

Politics, Gay, Religious, Dream Analysis. World War II. Submarines. Naval Aviation. Episcopalian/Anglican, Annapolis graduate, veteran, published author: Novel A Perfect Peace: A war story)

Friday, June 27, 2003

What's wrong with the Courts' being involved in the culture war?
Remember the Civil Rights Movement?


The court has taken sides in the culture war,'' Justice Antonin Scalia wrote for himself and Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist and Justice Clarence Thomas, suggesting the ruling would invite laws allowing same-sex marriages.
It's not the first time that the courts have had to step in and protect the rights of a minority from the oppression of the majority: Remember that "local law and opinion" resisted giving full civil rights to Black Americans in the sixties. If the U.S. were ruled strictly by what the majority in local areas thought was best, we'd still have compulsory prayer in schools, and a great number of popular decisions that oppress a minority. The genious of liberal democracy is not the rule of the majority, but the protection of the rights of minorities. Why is that so hard for the right wing to understand? The principal certainly got lost among the right when the Supreme court ruled in Bush vs. Gore. Why wasn't the Florida Legislature allowed their constituional right to decide which delegation of electors would represent Florida? It wouldn't have changed Bush being declared winner, but it would have been constitutional.
While the Democrats take straw polls on the Internet

Another OP-Ed piece in the NY Times today, Happy Days are Virtually here again says that "Political wonks eagerly await the government's quarterly report next week on the fund-raising totals by the nine Democratic presidential candidates. For Americans not engaged by raw money as a worthy denominator of political life, there is an alternate universe of pre-primary competition at work — a virtual primary on the Internet this week run by a pressure group on the Democratic left called MoveOn.

This is about the time in the presidential election calendar when anyone from state parties to third-grade classes starts taking straw polls. The MoveOn effort is more extensive than most — enthusiasts clicked on for the two-day primary that drew more than 300,000 voters. The virtual tally — results of which were not expected until today — would top the combined turnouts in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina in 2000.
More About Lobbies' Threat to American Democracy?


In Paul Krugman's in today's New York TimesToward One-Party Rule he underscores the degree to which the Republican Party, especially a project by Pennsylvania's Senator Santorum is coercing corporations in the United States to hire only Republicans. Krugman writes in part: "The Washington Post explains, Mr. Santorum's colleagues have also used "intimidation and private threats" to bully lobbyists who try to maintain good relations with both parties. "If you want to play in our revolution," Tom DeLay, the House majority leader, once declared, "you have to live by our rules."

Lobbying jobs are a major source of patronage — a reward for the loyal. More important, however, many lobbyists now owe their primary loyalty to the party, rather than to the industries they represent. So corporate cash, once split more or less evenly between the parties, increasingly flows in only one direction.

And corporations themselves are also increasingly part of the party machine. They are rewarded with policies that increase their profits: deregulation, privatization of government services, elimination of environmental rules. In return, like G.M. and Verizon, they use their influence to support the ruling party's agenda."

Scary? Damn tooting!

Thursday, June 26, 2003

Supreme Court strikes down Texas Sodomy Law

Free at last. Free at last. Thank God Almighty, we're free at last. (Sort of. Nothing in the Court's opinion addresses the other ways Gays/Lesbians are discriminatated against, e.g., including them as a protected class in hate crime legislation.)
Have Lobbies Destroyed American Democracy?

In Fareed Zakaria's book The Future of Freedom he makes a frightening argument that ". . . lobbies, which do most of the monitoring and influencing, have gained power compared with the target of their efforts -- the government." Zakaria quotes journalist Johnathon Rauch as saying as far back as the 1970s: "the American government probably has evolved into about what it will remain: a sprawling, largely unorganized structure that is 10% to 20% under the control of the politicians and voters and 80% to 90% under the control of the countless thousands of client groups [lobbyists].

This view is made even more frightening by an article that began on the front page of today's New Orleans Times Picayune. The article was 129 column-inches long (that's 10 3/4 feet) detailing the family connections of some 17 U.S. senators and House members who had one or more close members (sons, sons-in-law, and spouces) employed in lobbying Congress. Two are the sons of Senator John Breaux of Louisiana and Trent Lott of Mississippi, and include a list of prominent members of both houses and both political parties, who sit on important committees that control the writing and passage of laws that directly benefit the lobbyists the Congressional family members work for with the express purpose of influencing legislation. These scions of solons are pulling down compensation in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. The article is by Chuck Neubauer, Judy Pasternak and Richard T. Cooper of the Los Angeles Times.
Headlines that appeared in the Times Picayune are "Lobbying lucrative job for sons of senators," "Family connection appeals to clients," "Lawmakers deny impropriety," (If you believe that, let me sell you a bridge.) and "No expertise required for some lobbying jobs." Quoting from the article: "When BellSouth hired Chet Lott (Sen. Trent Lott's son) it had a stable of seasoned communications lobbyists. Lott was living in Kentucky, running a string of pizza franchises and playing polo, having dabbled in country music."
I begin to despair that the government in this country can be fixed short of a Constitutional Amendment limiting the amount of money special interest groups can spend to influence legislation while defending their blatant buying of influence as Constitutionally guaranteed "freedom of speech."

Wednesday, June 25, 2003

The Real Importance of the Supremes Ruling About Affirmative Action

The most important aspect of the Supreme Courts ruling allowing Affirmative Action on the part of the Graduate School at the University of Michigan is not that minority (race) can be considered in admissions. The most far-reaching aspect of the decision is that it affirms the independence of institutions of higher education to set their own educational philosophy and the means through which they accomplish it. The independence of institutions of higher education from government interference is one of the ways in which liberal democracy is kept from degenerating into illiberal democracy through governmental controls.

One can imagine that in the future, race may not be an overriding consideration if racial diversity becomes a natural outcome of present day affirmative action, which one might optimistically hope. Other types of diversity may become important however. For instance, the ratio of men and women students in universities continues to move toward a majority of women. It may be that affirmative action may be necessary in order to provide a diversity of sexes. One might also think that in a more enlightened time, universities may want to ensure diversity by affirmative action in including a fair share of openly homosexual students as well if, indeed, a well rounded education includes the opportunity to associate with all aspects of society.

Tuesday, June 24, 2003

Great News! Release date set for A Perfect Peace

I received a note from my publisher. My novel A Perfect Peace is set for release on September 15, 2003.

Monday, June 23, 2003

Supply at Holy Comforter

Enjoyed my second Sunday as vacation supply priest at Holy Comforter. I'll be in the pew visiting St. Andrew's Sunday, June 29, then I'll be supplying in LaPlace all four Sundays in July. I'm still available for August supply work.
New Page listing the books I'm reading/have read on my Web Site

I've added a new page to my web site of the books I am reading or have read recently. I've included a short discussion and whether or not I recommend them. Also there's a link to Amazon.com if any of them interest you.

Saturday, June 21, 2003

Essay on my web site about the religious right

I have written an essay in response to a letter from a religious conservative that appeared on the letters section of Andrew Sullivan's blog site. Click this link to read the letter. My essay is on the essays page on my web site. Click this link to read it.

Friday, June 20, 2003

Homophobia is alive and well in the Diocese of Texas

The following article was sent to me by my friend Dwight in Texas. The bishops of Texas have a long history of homophobia, which I have personally felt the brunt of.
42Ak *** Houston Chronicle Thursday, June 12, 2003

Area clergy to vote
against gay bishop


Anglican leaders fear division in church


By RICHARD VARA
Houston Chronicle Religion Editor
Episcopal Diocese of Texas Bishops
Claude E, Payne and Don A.
Wimberly said Wednesday they plan
to vote against confirmation of an
openly gay priest as bishop of New
Hampshire.
"We have consistently opposed
ordination of noncelibate
homosexuals, and we oppose the
confirmation of the New Hampshire
election," the bishops said in a
statement.
Saturday's election of the Rev. V.
Gene Robinson by the New
Hampshire diocese has created a
firestorm in the 2.3 million- member
Episcopal Church in the United
States, as well as in the worldwide
Anglican Communion.
Bishops-elect are usually confirmed
by a majority of standing
committees of the nearly 100 dio-

ceses in the U.S. church. But be-

cause Robinson's election fell within
120 days of the church's biennial
General Convention, he must be
approved by the House of Bishops
and the House of Deputies.
Wimberly said he and Payne issued
the statement after church members
and other bishops called diocesan
headquarters in Houston for their
reaction to Robinson's election.
Payne will retire in June but
will be a voting member at the July
30 convention in Minneapolis.
Wimberly will succeed Payne as
diocese leader.

Their statement criticized
Robinson’s election because "it
simultaneously funnels the
creative energy of the faithful
away from mission into internal
conflict. The issues of gay
ordination and the blessing of
same-sex unions have embroiled
the Episcopal Church in a more
than 20-year debate between
traditionalists and liberals. It has
also caused a growing rift
between more progressive
Western churches and the more
conservative churches of Asia,
Africa and South America.
The Rev. Laurens "Larry"
Hall, rector of St. John the
Divine Episcopal Church in
River Oaks, said he agrees with
Payne and Wemberly’s
decision.
Robinson's election "initiates a
confrontation with the world
communion," Hall said. "So for
the first time in history, I think
the Anglican Communion will
be divided."
In 1998, a worldwide meeting
of Anglican bishops in
Canterbury, England, approved
a stance describing
homosexuality as incompatible
with Scripture.
However, Archbishop of Can-
terbury Rowan Williams and
U.S. Presiding Bishop Frank
Griswold have ordained openly
gay priests.

A Day of Sacred Conversation: Regarding homosexual individuals and practice

The General Convention Deputation of the Diocse of Louisiana and the Bishop have invited Diocesan clergy and lay representatuves to "A Day of Sacred Conversation from 9:30 a.m. (registration begins) to 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 26, 2003 at St. Martin's Episcopal School, 5309 Airline Drive, Metairie, LA for the purpose of discussing how does the Church and individuals respond to the resolutions and issues coming before the Convention as regards homosexual individuals and practice. A catered lunch will be served. Cost of registration is $12.00.
This is a signifcant opportunity for those who are invested in this issue to hear and be heard. "It is hoped that this day will help us to hear one another and help our fellow Louisianans as they journey to Minneapolis."

Wednesday, June 18, 2003

More about Gay/Lesbian Unions

Today's issue of The New York Times has an article about Canada's legalizing Gay/Lesbian unions. I guess we will soon have to add that issue to the list of Evidence of U.S. backwardness along with the death sentences and natural life sentences. This is another issue in which the United States continues to lag behind the evolution of Society.

Tuesday, June 17, 2003

News from Jill in Michigan

Talked to my friend Jill in Harrison Township Michigan today. Good to get her news and hear what's happening to her DIL Rebecca and son David. Jill's looking for a rector for her parish Grace Church in Mt. Clemens, Michigan. Anybody know a good priest who wants to go to Michigan? Hi, Jill! Hi, Rebecca!
Hillary Bashing Redux

A letter to the editor in today's New Orleans Times Picayune takes Hillary to task for her "Crass Commercialism" in making a book tour to promote her new book Living History instead of minding the store in the Senate. The writer compares Hillary unfavorably to other former first ladies whose presidential husbands were unfaithful: Jackie Onassis "who lived a life of quiet dignity," and Eleanor Roosevelt who "devoted her life to helping others on a national and international scale." The writer failed to mention that Mrs. Roosevelt wrote several books (Including book tours) lectured extensively (for money) and a regular newspaper column. The writer also overlooked other Senatorial examples of "Crass Commercialism:" Senator Elizabeth Dole, her husband former Senator Bob Dole (who ran unsuccessfully against Bill Clinton for president instead of minding the store) and Viagra!!
News from my friend David in NYC,

Just got a call from my friend David in NYC. It was good to hear from him as always. Gave him my web address and blog address so he could see how smart I am. Hi David!

Monday, June 16, 2003

Supply at Holy Comforter

I was supply priest at Holy Comforter. yesterday morning while the Chaplain, Fred Devall is on vacation. I will be there again next Sunday. Holy Comforter is the Episcopalian worship center at the University of New Orleans (Lakeside campus) and Southern University at New Orleans. The center is part of the Evangelical vision of Charles Jenkins, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana. I enjoyed being behind the altar again for the first time since my retirement at Easter. Like an old fire horse who hears the bell on Sunday morning, it was good to be back in harness. Since it was Trinity Sunday, I pointed out that the Trinity is one of the things that distinguishes Christianity from other monotheistic religions. My sermon centered on explaining the Holy Trinity in terms of human existence: the physical, human image we see in a mirror (the son), the reality of the potential self, created in the image of God (God the Father, which lives behind the human image) toward which we journey in a lifetime of discovery and revelation, and our human soul, which is immortal and unperishable like the Holy Spirit. I distinguished the human "spirit," which animates our material bodies but which is lost at the end of mortal life, from our human soul which continues to exist after physical death. In God, of course, there is no similar distinction between spirit and soul because the Godhead is immortal, immutable and omnipotent. Eventually I will expand the sermon in the Sermons link on my web site www.glynnharper.com.
Letter to the Editor of The New Republic

I emailed the following note to The New Republic Magazine

Re: Andrew Sullivan’s The Euro Menace, June 16, 2003>.

I for one take some comfort in the prospect of a United States of Europe, which might serve as a counterbalance to the bullying behavior of the U.S.A. as characterized by the current administration. As a loyal, patriotic American, I am frankly embarrassed and shamed by our country's "do as I say and not as I do" behavior. For instance (as Peter Beinart points out in TRB from Washington in the June 9, 2003 issue) the decision to end the ban on developing low-yield tactical nuclear weapons while opposing the development of nuclear weapons by others. If an unchecked U.S.A. troubles me, as a citizen, I can only imagine the fear it must engender in the rest of the world where our credibility and trust continue to erode in the face of the arrogance of the Bush Administration.




Saturday, June 14, 2003

STAIR Training this Morning


I attended a STAIR (Start The Adventure In Reading) training session this morning. STAIR is a tutoring program for 2nd graders who need special help in learning to read. I've been familiar with STAIR since my time as Interim at St. Andrews and since I am now retired I wanted to help out with helping kids learn to read. The kids are mostly from a local elementary school where some of the kids at St. Anna's and others in the neighborhood go to school. Since retirement, I miss interacting with the kids, so I'm looking forward to working with them. I remember how much I enjoyed Mother reading to me and my brothers before we started to school and also how much I enjoy reading now. I can't imagine life without having a good book to keep me company when TV and the movies don't offer anything interesting. Besides, with my budding career as an author, I'm just training readers of my own writing. You can read about my new novel by going to my web site and clicking on the "my books" link.

Friday, June 13, 2003

Things in the News Today that Gave Me Pause


Generic Drugs

The president has been touting pending rule changes by the FDA to prevent the brand name drug companies from keeping generics off the market indefinitely (e.g. Paxil which should have been a generic years ago) by filing repeated patent infringement challenges that trigger multiple 30-month delays -- sometimes for nothing more than packaging changes. But similar legislation was killed last year by drug company lobbyists and pharmaceutical lobbies were non-comittal Thursday on whether they would accept the FDA's changes, which could be challenged in court unless a pending Senate bill ratifies the changes. Consumer advocates fear the incremental FDA rule could doom bigger reform. New Rules promise faster generic drugs. Reported by Lauran Neergaard, AP medical writer, Page A-9 in today's New Orleans Times Picayune.

Gregory Peck in To Kill a Mockingbird

On the News Hour with Jim Lehrer last night there was a wonderful tribute to Gregory Peck showing his speech to the jury in the movie version of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird. I may just buy the movie to send that clip to a couple of racists I know that still don't think there's anything wrong with racist jokes.
More Hillary Bashing by Gentlemen Bill Safire

Despite his spirited defense of Martha Steward in William Safire's article today, Safire excuses her untruthfulness as merely exercising her right to a personal defense of her reputation, and pointing out that merely "lying" is not the same thing as purgury. He says "Even a wealthy woman who created a company that employs thousands and genersates taxable profits is entitled to act like a jerk on occasion without risking a charge of . . . criminal [conspiracy]." Earlier in the article, he says the U.S. Attorney, after a year-long investigation has not accused Steward of insider trading because ". . .he decided that would be too difficult a charge to persuade a jury to believe." Then Safire trashes Hillary Clinton by saying that "In the Hillary Clinton Travelgate case, the independent counsel Robert Ray concluded that her sworn testamony was 'factually false', but he declined to procecute because he didn't think a jury would convict the first lady of perjury." First of all, Safire assumes that the independent councel's opinion was better evidence of Clinton's guilt than the discretion of a jury, which certainly sounds like Safire believes that guilt by prosecutorial opinion, even by a lily-livered prosecutor, outweighs a jury trial.

Let's see now, what it boils down to is that the U.S. Prosecutor gave Hillary a pass, which was wrong, but he didn't give one to Martha Steward under similar circumstances, which was also bad. The difference of course is that it's fun to bash Hillary and gentlemanly to defend Martha Steward.

Burning the Flag Redux

A consitutional amendment to ban burning of the U.S. flag has reared it's head again, but according to Cokie and Steve Roberts in their article today, instead of "putting this turkey back on the shelf where it belongs" this time the jingoistic patriotism resulting from 9/11 might sway enough votes to change the outcome. They quote Rep. Mike Pence, (R) Indiana as making the case that "This (banning flag burning) is about this Congress exerting its ability to express community standards in this democracy." The Roberts say: "That statement shows a profound misunderstanding of the true meaning of democracy. The rule of the majority always has to be balanced against the rights of the minority; particularly unpopular minorities."

This seems to me to be one more instance of the danger of radicals on the right and on the left. Long live the American Taliban? All power to the people? Maybe it ought to be legal to burn the flag only after you've wrapped yourself in it.

The Old Republican Prescription Drug Bait and Switch

After long labor and in the midst of the great sound of Republican trumpets, the House has squeezed out a prescription drug benefit for Medicare. The trouble is, it leaves a gapping hole in the middle of coverage AND it does not go into effect until 2006. If you're an old folk, waiting three years for assistance is not very promising AND 2006 will be two years into the next administration. Anybody want to bet that it will ever go into effect, especially if W. wins another term? Now you see it now you don't, just like the tax cuts that will expire at about the time the drug benefit kicks in.

Thursday, June 12, 2003

Well, thanks to Biz Stone's book, Blogging, I got my blog spot up and running, and I finally got enough of my web page done to try it out too. I don't have a link to it from my blog yet, but if you want to see what it looks like on its first day, go to www.glynnharper.com.

Now I'm hungry and the dogs need a walk before my daily fix of the New Hour with Jim Lahrer.

Wednesday, June 11, 2003

This is my first post to my new blogging site. As a beginning, I just sent this letter to the editor of the (New Orleans, Louisiana) Times Picayune:

I wonder why those in the conservative religious community who cheered the Louisiana Legislature's prohibiting gay/lesbian marriages, were so profoundly silent when the same legislature made it legal for two heterosexual drunks to meet on Bourbon Street and get married without the 72-hour waiting period. It seems to me a peculiar silence for those whose objections to Gay marriage include a grave concern for the sanctity of marriage. Why are straight drunks who have known each other only a few hours less threatening to the success of marriage than two gay people who have lived together faithfully for years?

I also wonder about the motives of the "ministers" who perform these quickie marriages. Maybe it's the same motive as the legislature: its a way to make a quick buck. Is it homophobia? Cynicism? Hypocrisy? Or just plain greed? Maybe all of the above?

The Rev'd Glynn C. Harper