New Photo Breaks the Server Sorry - Back in Business Now February 22, 2006March 3, 2017 THAT VIRGINIA SPEECH Bruce: ‘I found a line in that speech on Virginia’s anti-gay amendment to be very descriptive: ‘We have heard from the other side that this amendment must pass sooner rather than later, as if there is some kind of crisis.’ To see the character of the crisis one need only look to the younger generation. This fall, when my daughter and friends went to their high school fall formal dance, some had dates, some did not. One of their gay friends did not have a date. What did they do? Brought him along so he wouldn’t miss out on the dance, of course! Our children – heaven willing – are far less likely to live in a manufactured fear of gays. They see and understand the reality. This IS a crisis to the other side. If moves are not made NOW to entrench the discrimination, they are less likely to be successful when their children and grandchildren reach voting age. I hope that if we can, as an enlightened nation, move to block the entrenchment of discrimination and hatred, our children will have a world where they can sweep it away.’ Jeff Bauer: ‘This portion of David Englin’s speech really nails it: ‘We have heard from the other side that this amendment must pass sooner rather than later.’ Some politicians must feel in their gut the tide is running out on this issue. Demographics are working against them. An overwhelming majority of the 20-40 age group couldn’t care less about a person’s sexual orientation and know that it’s inherently unfair to discriminate on that basis. In my generation (and yours) the bogeyman was interracial marriage. The last of the anti-miscegenation laws was struck down in 1967. Even the interracial dating prohibition at Bob Jones University was nullified in 2000.’ PHOTOSHOP Mike Kelley: ‘I think your picture at the top of this page is better if you are not wearing a suit. My first thought was you turned into a Republican.’ ☞ Now, now. I just thought it was getting a little ridiculous to be using a picture from 1923. This one isn’t brand new either, but at least it’s from the right century. Wayne Arczynski: ‘I hate to say this, but the new pic makes you look, well . . . like . . . sort of like… a . . . Republican.’ ☞ Enough with that! (Some of my best friends are Republicans – though very few of them have been voting that way lately.) LIBERTARIANS Well, the Libertarian candidate is not going to win anytime soon, so most people probably assume that Libertarians generally vote Republican. And maybe they do. But according to this analysis of Congressional voting patterns, most Republicans don’t vote the way Libertarians would like them to. Compared with their Democratic colleagues, they are a lot more likely to vote for Big Brother interfering with your life. ISLAMICISTS Mitchell R: ‘Your lumping of Nazis, Slave-owners and Islamicists caught me by surprise. According to the Wall Street Journal style guide, an Islamicist is someone who studies Islam. Perhaps you picked the term up from anti-Islamic ideologues who, judging from a quick Google search, have recently used the term as a shorthand for militant Islamic movements.’ ☞ Thanks for the correction. Have changed it to ‘radical Islamists.’