#Colorado speech and debate

[bella-clao]

Guys does anyone know what to do for the new PF topic. I’m actually struggling so hard wtf are we supposed to do for statistics.

I spent like 2 hours trying to find any amount of statistics on how it could maybe impact those who work for social media companies but I couldn’t find anything.

Resolution: The United States federal government should repeal section 230(or something like that)

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Kevin Robillard at HuffPost:

In June 2015, former President Donald Trump infamously came down a golden escalator and declared himself the man who couldn’t be bought. “I’m using my own money,” Trump said in the opening speech of his presidential election campaign. “I’m not using the lobbyists. I’m not using donors. I don’t care. I’m really rich.” Trump, who did self-fund large portions of his 2016 primary campaign, would return to this theme again and again. He would run against a field of more mainstream GOP politicians, each backed by super PACs filled with million-dollar checks from wealthy donors, and then against Democrat Hillary Clinton, who many voters saw as the embodiment of a moneyed class of Washington insiders. Now, almost a decade later, he is running as a candidate who is openly for sale. He has said he’ll offer plum jobs to major donors like Elon Musk, promised favors to oil executives, bragged to the wealthy about the tax cuts he can deliver and has even taken time away from his campaign to pitch a cryptocurrency project for his sons.

Americans can even buy DJT on the stock market, in the form of shares in the publicly traded holding company that owns his social media site, Truth Social. That company’s revenues are meager, with the share price hitting all-time lows, but it’s still being propped up by the former president’s loyal political fandom. “He just thinks he operates in his own world,” Fred Wertheimer, a veteran of decades of fights over campaign finance and government ethics, told HuffPost. “What he’s doing is incredibly brazen in both asking for large amounts of money and telling people what he’s going to do for them in return.” “Bottom line, I’ve never seen anyone do what he’s doing,” Wertheimer said. Trump’s campaign did not respond to an email seeking comment for this story. His new strategy may have created an opening for Democrats, if Vice President Kamala Harris and her campaign can seize it.

[...] Trump’s image as an outsider/businessman, unafraid to upset political apple carts, powered his run through the 2016 GOP primaries. He took special aim at former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, the beneficiary of the outside group Right to Rise, which had stunned observers with its explosive fundraising. “They will be bombarded by their lobbyists that donated a lot of money to them,” Trump told a crowd in Iowa of his primary rivals, not long after his campaign’s launch. “Jeb raised $107 million, OK? They’re not putting that money up because it’s a wonderful charity.” Standing on a debate stage in Boulder, Colorado, that October, Trump decried how super PACs were corrupting his fellow candidates. “Super PACs are a disaster,” he said. “They’re a scam. They cause dishonesty. And you better get rid of them because they are causing a lot of bad decisions to be made by some very good people.”

Republicans who worked on the campaigns against Trump remember the message as particularly devastating, if not especially novel. Alex Conant, who was then the communications director for the presidential campaign of Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), noted plenty of candidates had tried to run as outsiders taking on the establishment before, but said the tactic was far more effective for a New York real estate developer. “That was his most salient message in 2016,” Conant said. “He was a uniquely good messenger for it, because he was such an outsider, and it also kind of excused all the unconventional stuff — attacking John McCain, attacking Republican Party leaders. A more typical politician, if they were doing that, you would think they were idiots. For him, it was part of what made him so authentic.” In the general election, Trump relied more on outside groups and traditional fundraising than he did during the primary campaign. But as he took on a rival from a second political dynasty ― Democratic nominee Hilary Clinton, who was battling scandals about her email account and a trio of paid speeches she delivered to Goldman Sachs — he still ran as an insurgent.

[...]

‘Always Will Be A Con Man’

Despite his rhetoric, Trump did little to “drain the swamp” upon taking office. He failed to follow through on a promise to divest his business holdings. His hotel quickly became a gathering spot where those hoping to win Trump’s favor could also line his pockets. He appointed lobbyists to key government positions overseeing defense, trade and environmental protection. He took in up to $160 million from international business deals while he was president. “He has and always will be a con man who’s really only looking out for himself and whatever helps him to obtain power,” said Tiffany Muller, the president of the Democratic campaign finance group End Citizens United. “All his promises went out the window. Instead of draining the swamp, he brought the swamp to him and his properties and cashed in.”

Donald Trump and his supporters have long pushed the baseless refrain that “he can’t be bought.”

Well, I have some news that the MAGAdonians don’t like: Trump didn’t drain the swamp but expanded the swamp and has been bought by Super PACs to fulfill their agendas.

[dontmeantobepoliticalbut]

A new Washington state law will require employers to post salary ranges for jobs they're trying to fill, starting Jan. 1.

Why It Matters: Experts say disclosing salary ranges makes job hunting easier, while also helping reduce gender and racial pay inequities, Axios' Alex Fitzpatrick wrote in June.

Details: Last week, the state Department of Labor and Industries released a new administrative policy clarifying aspects of the new law.

• According to the department, vague language such as "$60,000 per year and up" or "up to $29 an hour" won't meet the new law's transparency requirements.

• Instead, job listings must include a clear salary minimum and maximum.

• Postings also must describe benefits associated with a job, including vacation days, health insurance and retirement plans.

What They're Saying: In a floor speech in February, state Sen. Emily Randall (D-Bremerton) called the measure "an important pay equity bill," adding that people "should be able to have all the relevant information before they apply for a job."

• Lawmakers who opposed the proposal argued it would put an unnecessary burden on companies looking to hire in Washington.

• "It'll chase more businesses to Idaho and Texas and Florida," state Rep. Jim Walsh (R-Aberdeen) said during a floor debate in March.

Of Note: The new Washington law applies to employers with 15 workers or more, even if most of a company's workforce is located out of state.

Colorado, California and New York City have recently passed similar pay transparency laws.

[queeryouthassemble]

[ID: A square Instagram post, split in half horizontally. The top half of the page has a red background, and displays a large, all-caps, white and dark gray heading reading "the Supreme Court rules in favor of anti LGBTQ+ web designer." The bottom of the page displays a photo of a pro-queer protest, featuring signs that read "religion doesn't excuse discrimination," "our rights are not up for debate," and "free speech is for everybody." End ID.]

[ID: A red square post, with an all-caps dark gray heading reading "let's talk about it..." smaller white text underneath reads "In December 2022, Lorie Smith, owner of 303 Creative LLC, went before the Supreme Court to ask if an artist can constitutionally be prohibited from discriminating against customers based on their sexual orientation. She claimed that the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Law* "forced her to create websites celebrating marriages that defy her belief that marriage should be reserved to unions between one man and one woman". On June 30, 2023, the Supreme Court ruled that the web designer's work is a form of artistic expression and that forcing her to create a website for a same-sex wedding violates her First Amendment rights in a 6-3 vote. *The Colorado Anti-Discrimination Law "prohibits all 'public accommodations' from denying 'the full and equal enjoyment' of its good and services to any customer based on his race, creed, disability, sexual orientation, or other statutorily enumerated trait." End ID.]

[ID: A red square post with an all-caps dark gray heading, that reads "this opens the door for discrimination against LGBTQ+ folks." Below that, white text reads "This not only creates pretext for other anti-discrimination laws nationwide to be challenged, but also allows businesses to deny customers who present themselves or identify as LGBTQ+. This decision sets a dangerous precedent and threatens decades of progress against LGBTQ+ rights." In the bottom left are two illustrated people, standing side-by-side, the one on the left holding a sign which reads "defend LGBTQ rights." End ID.]

[ID: A red square post with an all-caps dark gray heading reading "Queer Youth Assemble's Statement:" Smaller white text underneath reads "We at QYA are sickened and disappointed by the Supreme Court’s ruling. “We the people of the United States” should refer to all people, not a select few privileged by the nine individuals on the bench. We will continue our fight to protect the queer community across the country and amplify the voices of those impacted by this ruling. Discrimination has detrimental long-term impacts; as evidenced by the restrictions and discrimination following Black Wall Street, discrimination in all forms has a lasting impact on a community when it comes to resources including housing, finances, education, and access to opportunities of all manner." End ID.]

[ID: A red square post with an all-caps dark gray heading reading "continued..." smaller white text underneath reads "Queer Youth Assemble is committed to providing the resources LGBTQIA+ youth need to thrive in the face of injustice and discrimination. Stay safe, stay strong, and stay proud." An illustrated person at the bottom holds a sign that says "queer people will not be erased." End ID.]

[ID: A red square post with an all-caps dark gray heading which reads "what can I do?" Smaller white text underneath reads "1. ORGANIZE AND ATTEND PROTESTS If you are interested in taking direct action in the form of organizing a protest or demonstration related to the new legal precedent set by this case, contact QYA's Head of Policy, Faith, at faithc@queeryouthassemble.org 2. EDUCATE If it is safe to do so, inform your family and community on what is happening to the queer community, and educate those around you, helping them to to be better allies, and more aware of the severity of this ruling. 3. REACH OUT TO QUEER ORGANIZATIONS Contact your local LGBTQIA+ organizations/centers and ask them to organize events to raise awareness about the SCOTUS decision." End ID.]

[ID: A red square post with an all-caps dark gray heading that reads "where can I donate?" Below that, smaller white text reads "1. LAMBDA LEGAL https://support.lambdalegal.org/site/SPageNavigator/donateApplePay.html 2. ACLU https://action.aclu.org/give/now? 3. Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund https://transgenderlegal.org/support-us/ 4. THE LGBTQ+ BAR https://lgbtbar.site-ym.com/donations /default.asp" An illustrated person in the bottom right corner holds a sign that reads "support queer causes." End ID.]

[ID: A red square post, with an all-caps dark gray heading that reads "sources." Below that are two columns of sources. The left column reads, from top to bottom, "AMERICAN PROGRESS https://www.americanprogress.org/article/widespread-discrimination-continues-shape-lgbt-peoples-lives-subtle-significant-ways/ SUPREME COURT https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/22pdf/21-476_c185.pdf LAWYERS COMMITTEE FOR CIVIL RIGHTS https://www.lawyerscommittee.org/lawyers-committee-for-civil-rights-under-law-condemns-supreme-courts-harmful-ruling-in-303-creative-llc-v-elenis/" The right column, from top to bottom, reads "Statement from President Joe Biden https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/06/30/statement-from-president-joe-biden-on-supreme-court-decision-in-303-creative-llc-v-elenis/ GLAD https://www.glad.org/statement-on-supreme-court-ruling-in-303-creative-v-elenis/" End ID.]

[lordendsavior]

Ironically, the policing of queer identity through queerbaiting allegations has grown in part because of increasing acceptance of queer people. Many young people accusing celebrities of queerbaiting have grown up in a world where gay marriage is legalized and countless celebrities now publicly identify as members of the LGBTQ+ community, decades after watershed moments like Ellen DeGeneres coming out.

But the reality is, many people – celebrities and the rest of us – do not feel safe being queer in the public eye, with good reason. The queerbaiting debate continues in a climate in which three-quarters of Republican senators voted against codifying gay marriage into law, Nazis are publicly intimidating drag queens at children’s events, and anti-LGBTQ+ hate speech online is on the rise. Last year was the deadliest on record for transgender people in the US and just one month ago the deadly shooting at a gay night club in Colorado showed us that even safe spaces are not always safe.

Ultimately, we aren’t owed a view into anyone’s bedroom, not even artists who make our favorite films and music. At its core, queerbaiting is essentialist, regressive in nature, and strips queerness of all of its nuance and magic. The path to coming out is messy, non-linear, and ever-changing – a journey that is flattened by online communities that insist on labeling identities that are always going to be fluid and personal.

[freehawaii]

RED HILL MOMS DEMAND US CONGRESSIONAL HEARINGS ON US NAVY POISONED WATER

HawaiiNewsNow.com - January 10, 2023 

Two moms who were sickened during the Red Hill fuel-tainted water crisis more than a year ago are on Capitol Hill, demanding a congressional hearing on potential long-term health impacts. 

Both mothers lived at Pearl Harbor and have since moved away. 

They say it’s been an uphill battle to get people on a national level to listen to their concerns. 

Army Maj. Amanda Feindt’s husband, Patrick, was released from a Colorado hospital three days ago after eight days there. He had double vision, slurred speech, and pain. 

“What I’m fearful of is that we don’t know now what we will know in a year from now,” Feindt said. “The harm is people continue to get sick. Symptoms are not fleeting. People are very sick and it’s scary.” 

Kat McClanahan suffers from balance issues and tremors. 

“It’s alarming to me that we can be in a position now in 2023 that we can have water sources that are debated about whether safe levels of jet fuel are safe in it or not and I think that’s outrageous,” she said. 

They met with new Hawaii Congresswoman Jill Tokuda and U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger, whose amendment to demand the Veterans Affairs Department investigate health impacts on jet fuel exposure on U.S. service members was passed by the House last year. 

“We’ve been able to meet with a couple of congressmen and women during this during this trip who actually do have constituents in their own state who have been exposed to jet fuel,” said Feindt. 

“It is very serious symptoms that prove not to be fleeting.”

[math-goth]

I work in applied math. One of our projects is a lab where we apply epidemiology models to the problem of gun control. One this I have noticed is that the gun control debate masks the root cause of gun violence. The Colorado shooting is an example. A meme starts on the internet from and account like Libs Of TikTok. The meme propagates like a mind virus - thinking about this epideillogically - where the meme is "LGBT people are grooming kids." Then someone with neurobiology that predisposes them to extreme violence or homicide - think serious brain pathologies. That person finds a gun and commits a mass shooting. The easy access to the guns did amplify the situation, but the root cause is the discourse. So, in my somewhat informed opinion, it's better and maybe easier to 'inoculate' against the memes in the form of hate speech coming from actors who are knowingly committing stochastic terrorism.

[thatnerdyfairy]

Super Tuesday

Content Warnings: Donald Trump, Presidential Election, Voting

If you want more updates like this, please feel free to follow or join my Discord Group

Good morning. It is Monday, March 4th and it is a day to be a US Citizen. As many of you may or may not know tomorrow, March 5th, is Super Tuesday, the day that jump-starts the US Presidential Election Primaries. 15 States are participating in Super Tuesday this year and will be holding their primaries tomorrow. These states are: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont and Virginia are holding primaries. Two states, Alaska and Utah, are holding the Caucuses.

“In 2016, former President Donald Trump won eight of [the] states that are holding nominating contests on Super Tuesday 2024. This year, Trump has won nearly every  GOP presidential nominating contest, having lost only the D.C. Republican primary on Sunday night to Nikki Haley” (CBS). If you are a member of one of these states and do not support Trump, your vote in this primary is CRUCIAL. Data analyzers estimate that March 12th, one week from tomorrow is the earliest that Trump could win enough delegates to become the official Republican nominee for the 2024 election. The states with primaries on or before that date but after Super Tuesday are: Georgia (March 12th), Hawaii (Republican only, March 12th), Mississippi (March 12th), New Hampshire (March 12th), and Washington (March 12th) (NCSL). As dates draw closer I will send out updates and reminders. 

Please remember that if you are registered to vote, you may need to change your party affiliation if you are in a state that holds Closed Primaries. If you are in a state that holds Open or Semi-Closed primaries, you may not need to alter anything before voting in the primaries. 

States with Primaries and/or Caucuses that are happening on or before March 12th are listed again below for your convenience with the type of primary as well as the date of the primary. Idaho (Republican Caucus March 2nd) Partially Closed

Missouri (Republican Caucus March 2nd) Open

Alabama (March 5th) Open

Arkansas (March 5th) Open

California (March 5th) Top Two Open

Colorado (March 5th) Open to Unaffiliated

Maine (March 5th) Open to Affiliated

Massachusetts (March 5th) Open to Unaffiliated

Minnesota (March 5th) Open 

North Carolina (March 5th) Open to Unaffiliated

Oklahoma (March 5th) Partially Closed

Tennessee (March 5th) Closed

Texas (March 5th) Partially Closed

Vermont (March 5th) Open

Virginia (March 5th) Open

Alaska (Republican Caucus March 5th) Top Four

Utah (March 5th) Partially Closed

Georgia (March 12th) Open

Hawaii (Republican Caucus March 12th) Open

Mississippi (March 12th) Open

New Hampshire (March 12th) Open to Unaffiliated

Washington (March 12th) Top Two If you are registered to vote, you can find rules on how voting in the primaries works in your state here: https://allintovote.org/rules-in-your-state/

If you are not yet registered to vote, please do so ASAP here: https://allintovote.org/register/

Vocabulary

Super Tuesday: The “jump start” day for the Presidential Primaries, the day the most states are holding primaries and the most delegates will be assigned in the election process

Primaries: “Primary voters choose their preferred candidate anonymously by casting secret ballots. The state where the primary is held takes the results of the vote into account to award delegates to the winners.” This helps decide who the candidates for each political party will be.

Caucus: Similar to a primary with the addition of speeches and debates by voters to encourage other voters to join their “team” as it were. 

Delegates: “In the context of presidential elections, delegates are individuals who represent their state or community at their party’s presidential nominating convention. These delegates choose a presidential candidate to represent the national party in the November general election.”

Closed Primaries: Primaries in which voters must vote on only the ballot for the party with which they are registered to vote

Open Primaries: Primaries in which voters can vote for any candidate regardless of affiliated party.

Semi-Open or Semi-Closed Primaries: Primaries that are a hybrid of the two above options, with a range of limitations to voting.

Sources

[mightyflamethrower]

(Real Clear Wire)—With all the devastating news about urban crime, drug overdoses, illegal immigration, rampant homelessness, out-of-control budgets, and educational failures, it is encouraging that President Donald Trump has committed his next administration to a saving America’s cities.

As Just the News reported, “With the nation’s first primary state as a backdrop, former President Donald Trump took aim Saturday at Democrats’ urban strongholds, vowing to both secure and revitalize blue cities weary from years of violence and economic decay.”

As the outlet reported, President Trump told a crowd in Durham, New Hampshire, “We’re going to rebuild our cities into beacons of hope, safety, and beauty. It will be the greatest investment ever made.”

Trending: Stephen Miller Has a Suggestion for Conservatives in Colorado and They Should Strongly Consider It

This is encouraging. All too often, Republicans have neglected our great cities – or been openly hostile toward them because of their Democratic leadership.

Perhaps the most famous example of this was an Oct. 29, 1975 speech in which then-President Gerald Ford explained why he would not help New York City with its fiscal crisis.

The following day, the New York Daily News had a huge page-one headline: “Ford to City: Drop Dead.”

President Ford was philosophically right as a fiscal conservative and federalist, but the political message was devastating for Republicans.

I served with Buffalo Congressman Jack Kemp, who was the most innovative pro-city Republican with whom I have ever worked. Kemp developed a program for enterprise zones to help encourage business development in the poorest parts of cities. Working with civil rights activist Bob Woodson, the two developed a program to allow people in public housing to put in sweat equity and eventually gain ownership of their units. Kemp and Woodson followed Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in trying to create an ownership society.

One of the most striking moments in U.S. House debate history was when an outraged Democrat Congressman Barney Frank, who opposed Kemp’s proposal, argued that under the plan, a poor family in New York City might be able to acquire a property worth $1 million in the New York market. It did not seem to occur to Frank that helping poor people become wealthy was a good idea.

President Trump, a product of Queens and Manhattan, understands that we cannot be a great nation if our great cities decay and die. Consider his own words from a speech about saving America’s cities in Reno, Nevada:

“[W]e’re going to indemnify police officers and law enforcement officials throughout the United States from being destroyed by the radical left for taking strong actions on crime. They’re going to be indemnified… Policemen are forced not to do anything when they want to, and under the threat of losing their pension, their house, their family, they lose everything, and they’re afraid to move. … We’re not going to let that happen anymore.

“In addition, we will take over our horribly-run Washington, DC – and clean up, renovate, and rebuild, our Capitol, so that it is no longer a nightmare of murder and crime. You see what’s happening. But rather, will become the most beautiful Capitol anywhere in the world. It’s a mess. It’s a filthy, disgusting, mess. Our parks will be cleaned, the tents and graffiti, all of these tents and graffiti, right in the middle of the most beautiful parks in the world. Those tents and graffiti will be removed. Slum areas will be demolished and rebuilt to the highest level of architectural elegance. Washington, DC will become a symbol of beauty, security, freedom, and strength…

“In addition to our Capitol, we are going to rebuild our cities into beacons of hope, safety, and beauty. Better than they have ever been before. We are going to focus on our cities… It will be the greatest investment ever made in these cities. And we will work closely with Democrat leaders. They are all run by Democrats, if you can believe it. But we’ll work closely with the Democrat leaders of all these failing places to make sure that this rebuilding will be a lasting and compassionate one. It’ll be a great rebuilding. Safety will again be restored, so that our children can go out with their parents, mother, and father, and play in the park without being beat up, molested, or shot. Students will be able to walk to school in peace, criminal rates will plummet, and people will long just long to move back to the city again.”

The fact that President Trump explicitly included working closely with Democrat leaders is a good step toward making the second Trump administration more bipartisan – but still deeply committed to reform.

This was an encouraging speech for our future and a real commitment to save America’s citizens. It is a good step toward bringing Americans together and healing some of the partisan divisions.

Those who are committed to union incompetence, leftwing extremism, and keeping power will fight against a program to save America’s cities. Most Americans, however, will be excited by the vision of a safe, prosperous, and forward-looking urban future.

I expect the American people will win.

I've come to the conclusion that living in densely populated urban areas rots both your brain and your soul. I'm not sure the cities CAN be saved.

One other note: Ya know what is different about Hillary Clinton and President Trump. He'll always be remembered as "President" Trump and she'll always be known as the woman whose husband wasted a perfectly good Cubano while having sex with his intern in the Oval Office.

[cattarattat]

Finally legalities moving forward to REMOVE TRUMP FROM THE 2024 PRESIDENTIAL BALLOT…

Based upon 14th. Ammendment of the American Constitution which LEGALLY BANS anyone from running for or being elected into public office whom has participated in an "insurrection or rebellion" against the American government.

"The Colorado judge overseeing the first significant lawsuit to bar former President Donald Trump from the state's 2024 presidential ballot on Friday issued a protective order prohibiting threats and intimidation in the case, saying the safety of those involved — including herself and her staff — was necessary as the groundbreaking litigation moves forward.

….Dozens of lawsuits have been filed around the country seeking to disqualify Trump from the 2024 ballot based on the 14th Amendment clause barring anyone who swore an oath to the Constitution and then 'engaged in insurrection' against it from running for office. Their arguments revolve around Trump's involvement in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol to halt the congressional certification of the 2020 presidential election.

The case in Colorado is the first filed by a group with significant legal resources. The issue is expected to reach the U.S. Supreme Court, which has never ruled on the insurrection provision in section three of the 14th Amendment.

Wallace has set an Oct. 30 hearing to discuss whether Trump needs to be removed under Colorado law prohibiting candidates who don't meet qualifications for higher office from appearing on ballots. She has said she wants to give the Colorado Supreme Court — and possibly U.S. Supreme Court — as much time as possible to review the decision before the state's Jan. 5 deadline to set its 2024 presidential primary ballot.

A parallel case in Minnesota filed by another well-financed liberal group is scheduled to be heard by that state's supreme court on Nov. 2.

Trump's attorneys are scheduled to file two motions to dismiss the lawsuit later Friday. One will contend the litigation is an attempt to retaliate against Trump's free speech rights. Wallace has set an Oct. 13 hearing to debate that claim.

Sean Grimsley, an attorney for the plaintiffs in the case, proposed the protective order in court Friday. He cited federal prosecutor Jack Smith last week seeking a gag order against Trump for threats made in his prosecution of the former president for trying to overturn the 2020 presidential election results.

'At least one of the parties has a tendency to tweet — or Truth Social,' Grimsley said, referring to Trump’s own social network where he broadcasts most of his statements, 'about witnesses and the courts.'"

[bella-clao]

Silly public forum post

Actually did kinda good at a circuit tournament which is surprising. Doing debate in a smaller area of colorado means we don't get to see many larger tournaments but the Arizona Invitational was a whole new world. We had a super good time, and nearly broke but ran into some kids who go to the yale invitational every year. Anyways, 3-3 isn't bad for a case written 3 days before :)

[pashterlengkap]

LGBTQ+ allies defeated book banners in two contentious library meetings

Free-speech advocates defeated anti-LGBTQ+ book banners in two showdowns in Colorado and Arizona this week. In Colorado, the board of trustees for Douglas County Libraries voted to keep four contested LGBTQ+ books on the shelves after a standing-room-only debate over the books’ appropriateness for readers under the age of 18. --- Related Stories Community bands together & shuts down LGBTQ+ book-banning effort After the board voted against the proposal, hundreds applauded their decision. --- The books under contention were the children’s picture book The Hips on the Drag Queen Go Swish, Swish, Swish; the Black queer coming-of-age memoir All Boys Aren’t Blue; the teen resource title This Book is Gay; and the young adult mystery Jack of Hearts. Though the last three titles include mentions of sex, none include explicit sexual scenes. Get the Daily Brief The news you care about, reported on by the people who care about you. Nonetheless, resident Aaron Wood filed four appeals looking to get the books removed from shelves. “I’m not out to demonize a particular community and, honestly, I believe this has a disadvantage for the LGBT community, because I would be opposed to heterosexual content that would put sexual perversion or sexual acts in front of children,” Wood told KDVR. The state LGBTQ+ organization One Colorado said that it would continue to monitor state book-banning debates “to ensure that access to diverse communities through books.” Meanwhile, in Rio Rancho, New Mexico, pro-LGBTQ+ free speech advocates vastly outnumbered anti-LGBTQ+ protestors in a Monday night meeting of the Rio Rancho Public Library. The anti-LGBTQ+ group New Mexico Mass Resistance had published a tweet encouraging people to attend the meeting. The tweet included an image of two figures having anal sex and the following message: “The American Library Association (ALA) wants to destroy the heterosexual nuclear family…. Stop being afraid of evil. Speak the truth. Mass Resistance has been designated as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. The group has accused LGBTQ+ activists of “pushing perversion on our kids” and “trying to get legislation passed to allow sex with animals.” Anti-LGBTQ+ conservative groups have opposed the ALA, claiming that it supports child access to “pornography” in libraries and schools. .@nmstatelibrary .@edrabinski .@MassResistance pic.twitter.com/A71PBDCjmR— New Mexico MassResistance (@NM_MassResist) August 8, 2023 Though the library hadn’t planned to discuss censorship at its meeting, all 20 speakers made public comments against book banning, KOB-TV reported. “The books [Mass Resistance] may not want their children to read, I might want my children to read. So they can certainly control it at home, but they shouldn’t restrict these books, and make choices for everybody about what books people should read or not read,” said Willie Orr, a member of the progressive political group Indivisible Albuquerque. Anti-LGBTQ+ book-banning advocates attended a Rio Rancho City Council meeting in April 2023. At the time, council members reminded citizens that they could fill out a “request for reconsideration” form to challenge any books on library shelves. However, Jason Shoup, Rio Rancho’s director of Library and Information Services, told the aforementioned news station, “We have not had a single one of those requests in this calendar year. We have not seen a single one.” In the United States, bans on LGBTQ+ books are “escalating dramatically,” according to the free-speech organization PEN America. The bans have largely come from Republican politicians, conservative school boards, and so-called “parents’ rights” groups that have opposed such content as “woke indoctrination” that’s “inappropriate” for school children. http://dlvr.it/SvGrLt

[stormcrow513]

You know the part of the Colorado wolf debates that currently sending me because no one talks about it,

So some background here, Colorado wolves were killed out I believe 80 years ago,

Wildlife people have been fighting to bring them back

Who are they fighting?

Ranchers you know where your quarter pounder comes off,

The wildlife guys argue the over all crucialness of having wolves in the ecosystem

The ranchers argue that wolves destroy their livihoods by killing cattle

All of these things are true

And my background was growing up in the rodeo circuit, a lot of overlap with ranchers, while there were families like mine who owned horses to compete, those horse were bought fead and took care of so that my sister's could ride in the rodeos, we didn't breed cattle or anything like that, we weren't ranchers my sisters were competitors,

Anyway I've loved wolves from word go, probably cause I have been exposed to dogs since the womb, I didn't have loads of women thoch at me through my ma's belly I had dog noses lol,

And I realized that similarities between my dog Trampy and wolves and I love Balto so I knew wolf dogs were a thing,

I knew Trampy was a wolf dog and he was, well he treated me like I was one of his puppies he and Lady our German shepherd had puppies I grew up with them,

Point is even as a small child I couldn't understand shooting wolves it felt like you'd feel if someone in a suburban setting said I shoot dogs that step foot in my yard,

So I have been arguing with ranchers about wolves since I could speck,

Admittedly I was bad at it, I was scared to argue with men, I was scared of my father and I painted all men that age as potential dangerous, and I have speech problems that when nervous make it almost impossible to be clear in what I'm saying,

I wish that wasn't so because none of those men heated me so no conversation on this could be had,

When saying they need to kill the wives to protect cows the thing is it always comes back to,

Because that's how my forefathers did it,

Not we kill wolves cause that's cheapest,

Or easiest

They either say cause that's how my forefathers did it

Or because it's the only way,

So you got to group of ranchers,

Guys who think there's no other way

Or

Guys who think the only way it can be done is the way their forefathers did it,

The first, can't seem to comprehend how far tech is gotten

The other

Thinks technology their forefathers didn't have shouldn't be used

So the first guys need to work with some enventers like have some tech savvy fucks the macgyver type that understands the need for cost efficients and durability the fact that it's far from good cell wifi service, oh and need for ranchers to be able to fix it themselves, have someone like that spend a year with ranchers bet they could get everything going smoothly,

The real problem then becomes with the guys who want to again stick to the way their forefathers did it,

These guys are hard to reason with, just seen a show a bit back talking about something I knew of but never thought of this before

So

There's these cattle drives where these guys ride on their horse herding cattle from one bit of land to another and my dudes these can be real far away,

And more an more as time goes on they are having to go through or around people's property,

Cows die in this,

Yes the cows whose lives they kill in order to protect

They risk these cow lives when they could put em in a trailer and haul them to the other bit of land,

Like yes it costs money but your already losing money from the dead cows you dumb fuck,

Like they will not budge on this but do this guy's oh piss in toilets

Yes,

Have cell phones?

Yes

Cars trucks? ?

YES

So why is this out dated way of ranching the one you won't let go of?

*High Disclaimer*

[prelawland]

Cakeshop Owner’s Second Legal Battle

By Alek Hedlund, Liberty University Class of 2022

February 20, 2022

One of the fiercest debates surrounding American law consists of how far First Amendment rights to free speech and the exercise of religion extend into the area of one’s occupation. Courts have been tasked to address the issue of anti-discrimination under Civil Rights law and the ability of business owners to incorporate their personal beliefs into how they conduct their businesses. This issue has gained national attention through Masterpiece Cakeshop owner Jack Philips, in Colorado. In 2017, Philips refused to bake a cake for a same-sex couple on behalf of his Christian faith, where he won with a narrow majority at the Supreme Court.

For full article please visit

Colorado Cakeshop Owner in Second Legal Battle

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Virginia PreLaw Land

[virginiaprelawland]

Colorado Cakeshop Owner in Second Legal Battle

By Alek Hedlund, Liberty University Class of 2022

February 19, 2022

One of the fiercest debates surrounding American law consists of how far First Amendment rights to free speech and the exercise of religion extend into the area of one’s occupation. Courts have been tasked to address the issue of anti-discrimination under Civil Rights law and the ability of business owners to incorporate their personal beliefs into how they conduct their businesses. This issue has gained national attention through Masterpiece Cakeshop owner Jack Philips, in Colorado. In 2017, Philips refused to bake a cake for a same-sex couple on behalf of his Christian faith, where he won with a narrow majority at the Supreme Court [1].

Philips has, again, found himself in a legal controversy over Masterpiece Cakeshop. An individual named Autumn Scardina sued Philips after he refused to bake a cake celebrating Scardina’s gender transition. Scardina is an attorney who attempted to order the cake on the same day the United States Supreme Court agreed to hear Philips’ first case against the same-sex couple. Scardina alleged that the refusal to bake the cake is a violation of Colorado anti-discrimination law. Conversely, Philips’ argument centers around the idea that baking a birthday cake celebrating gender transition would violate his First Amendment right to free speech. He was fined $500 for denying service to Scardina [2].

A trial judge in Colorado ruled in favor of Scardina, and the Colorado Court of Appeals affirmed the judgment in Scardina v. Masterpiece. Judge Timothy Schutz stated that the pink cake with blue frosting does not express any inherent meaning on its face, although the purpose behind choosing its color scheme was to validate Scardina’s gender transition. Philips’ lawyers with the legal group Alliance Defending Freedom plan to file an appeal, stating that Philips was compelled to express a message that conflicted with his personal beliefs [2].

Scardina’s attorney, John McHugh, celebrated the ruling as a victory for the LGBT community and all Colorado residents, more broadly. He stated that the ruling amounts to an equal application of the law [2]. In his view, equal protection of the laws would forbid businesses and their owners from discriminating against individuals based on personal characteristics or lifestyles. However, it is difficult to balance those interests against upholding the First Amendment rights of those running a business.

Although Philips and his attorneys intend to appeal the decision, it is unclear how strong his argument aligns in comparison to his 2017 Supreme Court ruling. In Philips’ case against the same-sex couple, it was clear that the cake’s intended purpose was to celebrate gay marriage since it was a wedding cake. Because of the cake’s overt purpose, Philips was able to make a successful argument that he was being compelled to violate his right to religious expression. In this instance, however, the birthday cake lacks a clear message within its design, although one could infer its meaning.

Moving forward, it will be interesting to see whether Philips finds himself at the Supreme Court yet again. When Philips won his last case in 2017, the Court ruled in his favor on narrow grounds. Instead of creating an entire free-speech exemption to anti-discrimination laws, the Supreme Court concluded that the Colorado Civil Rights Commission was specifically targeting Philips’ religious beliefs [2].

In short, it would be difficult for Philips to win solely by making the argument that his First Amendment rights exempt him from anti-discrimination laws. On the contrary, his argument probably fares better if he alleges that he was being targeted by someone who knows of his religious affiliation. This is a plausible conclusion, considering that Scardina most likely knew of the high-profile case and attempted to order a cake on the same day the Supreme Court agreed to hear it. With a majority of justices in 2023 that tend to favor protections toward religious freedom, perhaps the Court could come to the same conclusion as it did in 2017.

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[1 Casiano, Louis. “Colorado Masterpiece Cakeshop Owner Loses Appeal over Gender Transition Cake.” Fox News, FOX News Network, 27 Jan. 2023, https://www.foxnews.com/politics/colorado-masterpiece-cakeshop-owner-loses-appeal-gender-transition-cake.

[2] Raymond, Nate. “Colorado Baker Loses Appeal over Refusal to Make Gender Transition Cake.” Reuters, Thomson Reuters, 26 Jan. 2023, https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/colorado-baker-loses-appeal-over-refusal-make-gender-transition-cake-2023-01-26/.

[3] Jones, Jeffrey M. “Confidence in U.S. Supreme Court Sinks to Historic Low.” Gallup.com, Gallup, 21 Sept. 2022, https://news.gallup.com/poll/394103/confidence-supreme-court-sinks-historic-low.aspx.