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Culture War

Children of the state.

I started this post with the assumption, based on the absence of any news articles, that the NH Catholic Diocese, of which I am a member, had given up on any attempts at stopping the repeal of NH’s parental notification law. Further investigation revealed I was wrong, the Diocese has, in fact taken a stand and issued a letter stating its position. Good for them. A letter from the Bishop in this past Sunday’s bulletin might have been helpful, but unfortunately, that didn’t happen.
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As a believer in parental rights when it comes to children, the passage of NH HB 184, the repeal of the right of parental notification prior to a minor girl receiving an abortion, is something that must not happen. Call or email your state senators and representatives today. The clock is ticking.
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This is the letter from the Diocese:
Hon. David E. Cote, Chairman
Judiciary Committee
New Hampshire House of Representatives
Room 208—Legislative Office Building
Concord, New Hampshire 03301
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Dear Representative Cote and Members of the Committee:
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As Chancellor of the Diocese of Manchester and on behalf of Bishop John B. McCormack, I am writing to express our opposition to HB 184.  The Parental Notification Prior to Abortion Act recognizes the fundamental and constitutionally-protected role of parents in caring for their children and should not be repealed.
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The Catholic Church vigorously promotes the dignity and sanctity of both human life and the family as essential elements of human society.  The Diocese of Manchester strongly supported enactment of the Parental Notification Prior to Abortion Act.  Indeed, when its constitutionality was questioned before the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit and the United States Supreme Court, the Diocese of Manchester, along with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, urged the Courts to uphold the law.
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Diocesan support is rooted firmly in the natural law that when any significant issue confronts a family member, the family should come together to resolve it.  A pregnant minor will benefit from parental involvement as she faces a life-altering decision that involves not only her unborn child, but also her own physical health and emotional well-being.  Parents have an equally fundamental interest in the welfare of their children as well as a right and a responsibility to care for them.

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Parental notification. Legs versus babies.

The following was written by Jenny Watson of Laconia, NH, who has graciously allowed me to post it here for GraniteGrok readers:
What if you read the following in your local paper?

Fifteen year old skier’s leg amputated without parents’ knowledge or consent

Skier Jason Borden’s left leg was amputated Saturday after he shattered it in a skiing accident. The surgery, which was not considered an emergency, was performed at Thomson’s General Hospital without his parents’ knowledge or consent. Physicians are currently debating whether such surgery was even necessary, citing experts who believe the boy’s leg could have been saved. Jason’s parents, Phil and Cindy Borden are outraged and are currently filing papers to sue Thomson’s.
After reading such an account, wouldn’t you be outraged? Wouldn’t you hope the Bordens would succeed in suing Thomson’s General Hospital out of existence? What if you also heard that the state legislature was considering a measure to allow all such operations to be conducted on minors without even the knowledge of their parents? Wouldn’t you be angry that the rights of parents who love their children and who will be the ones picking up the pieces after the surgery had been so cavalierly tossed aside? Wouldn’t you believe that the same state which requires permission from a parent before a child is allowed to take ibuprofen at school had gone insane?
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Fortunately, the above story is fictitious. Yet something analogous is happening in New Hampshire with regard to the surgical procedure of abortion, and our lack of outrage only shows that we can come to accept shocking events merely because they are commonplace.
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“Murder Inc. dba Planned Parenthood”

Friend Bill Asbell of Dover forwarded the following note to me, reacting off the story getting widespread attention throughout the New Media this week: the premature baby born 21 weeks and 6 days after conception. He has agreed to share it with GraniteGrok readers. Science is making abortion "rights" or as some would euphemistically call … Read more

JOHN LYNCH DOES NOT SUPPORT PARENTAL NOTIFICATION (BUT APPARENTLY NEITHER DOES THE NH GOP)

It was recently reported that Governor Lynch would sign a bill repealing the State’s parental notification law because "The current law fails to protect the health and safety of all women." Lynch claims he supports parental notification, just not the current parental notification law.  But Lynch has never offered an alternative law to the current law.  Given the issue has been around since before Lynch became Governor, it is fair to say that Lynch is not really interested in parental notification; he merely is interested in appearing to support parental notification.  Not surprisingly, the New Hampshire Republican Party has not been saying that the Governor is being disingenuous.

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AAAARRRRGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!!

I am declaring GraniteGrok an Anna Nichole Smith- free zone! No Fox News for me for a while…

The things people care about. And things they don’t.

Am I the only person totally tired of hearing about the "Barbaro is euthanized" story? Not that I wish to see any animal in pain, but, it’s a horse, for crying out loud! How many "fetuses" are "euthanized" in the womb each and every day here in America? Why is that not on the front page? Are … Read more

I just didn’t know

Can somebody please help me with this one? The following from the Telegraph (UK), discussues a "diagnosis" of a 12 year old: Tim was diagnosed as a transsexual two years ago, when doctors and psychiatrists concluded that his claims to be "in the wrong body" were so deeply felt that he required treatment. "Diagnosis"? I … Read more

Where have all the Boy Scouts gone?

People that know me know that I have a wide variety of books, both new and old. I am one of those odd people that feel I must personally own and possess any book I have read. In addition, from time to time, I pick up some old book that strikes my fancy. Friends and … Read more

Oh Tree of Love! Oh tree of Love! Of all the Trees so Lovely!

Well, that time of year is once again upon us. You know- the time of year when one can still find a few people around that are brazen and uncouth enough to use the “C” word. That’s right- there is a small minority of people who still dare to refer to the “Holiday Season” as (gasp!) Christmas! Can you imagine? Don’t “those” kinds of people understand that they might offend somebody with such blatant attempts at forcing their “belief system” on others?
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The good news is that with each passing year, the list of entities that can be counted on to respect the Constitution’s recently discovered ban on all things Christian continues to grow. We all know that the public school system has been systematically erasing our Nation’s Christian religious heritage for what is now going on an entire generation. Indian “spiritual” rituals? No problem. Japanese paper origami cranes for “the gods”? No problem. Singing “Silent Night” at a “seasonal concert”? BIG PROBLEM!
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We are now at a point where it has become a societal taboo to even utter the word “Christmas”.  Consider the local hospital’s annual decorative tribute/ fundraiser, which occurs each year around this time: The “Holiday Tree of Love”. How nice. How non-sectarian. How “non-offensive”. How very “sixties”. Can you imagine the uproar if the hospital referred to its tree by the term Americans used to call this ubiquitous December decoration- a CHRISTMAS tree? Heaven forbid they do so because that would be “imposing” a religion on people!
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It’s really not all bad, however. Perhaps we can, through the simple replacement of certain words, re-introduce some traditional Christmas (oops) songs back into the various “holiday concerts” and other “winter celebrations”. How great it would be to once again hear the children singing Bing as he croons, “I’m dreamin’ of a rainbow solstice…Just like the ones we used to know.”
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Or better yet, they can sing a seasonal song AND celebrate alternative lifestyles at the same time with this beloved little ditty: “Have yourself a merry little winter, Let your heart be light. From now on, our troubles will be out of sight; Have yourself a merry little winter, Make the Yule-tide GAY…” How perfectly politically correct! In the same vein, how about this updated classic:  “I saw Daddy kissing Santa Claus underneath the tree of love last night. He didn’t see me creep down the stairs to have a peep; He thought that I was zoned in front of the TV. Then, I saw Daddy tickle Santa Claus underneath his beard so snowy white; Oh, what a laugh it would have been If Mommy had only seen Daddy kissing Santa Claus last night.”
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Such wonderfully updated songs could demonstrate once and for all that no religious intent is connected with this time of year while simultaneously celebrating tolerance and diversity!
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He’s not half the man he used to be…

Have you ever come across some little tidbit of information and just scratch your head in wonderment? Such was the case when I came upon this bit of news: Doctors and Children’s Groups Say Male Circumcision Must be Voluntary, Consensual National Institutes of Health’s endorsement of adult male circumcision leaves the question of infant circumcision … Read more

And I thought the Dems would lead this charge…

After spending the last several years paving the way for Democratic control of the state of NH, Granite State "Republicans"- and more particularly, R.I.N.O.s (Republicans In Name Only)- continue to carry their water…
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In this posting right after the election, I noted the following:
The November 9th Citizen (Laconia, NH) reported on what the newly-elected Democrat majority has in mind for its first order of business when they take hold of the reigns of power here in NH: repeal the state’s parental-notification law.
One of the first things on the Democrats’ agenda now that they hold the majority in both houses of the Legislature could be to repeal the state’s parental notification law.
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On Wednesday, hours after an electoral tidal wave swept them into power, several prominent Democrats said they would support a repeal of the controversial law. "I hope so," Sen. Lou D’Allesandro, D-Manchester, said of the potential appeal.
What really irks me about this is that there was not one peep about this issue during the entire campaign, and yet this is what’s being fingered as their first priority- allowing underage minors to have an invasive medical procedure performed without parental or guardian knowledge.
Guess what? I was wrong. It’s not a DEMOCRAT that’s started the ball rolling! It’s a REPUBLICAN!!
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Say it ain’t so!

I’m sure that most ‘Grok readers join me in lamenting the sudden demise of the Pamela Andersen/ Kid Rock marriage. The New York Post provides an intersting tidbit of the cause: Pam’s recent cameo appearance in the Borat movie. "Ron Meyer held a screening of ‘Borat’ at his house for a bunch of people, including Pam … Read more

Scarlet “A” [bortion]

The headline from The Telegraph (UK) sums it all up: More women have abortions as it loses stigma And why not? First came "casual sex". Then the occasional "casual baby" without the "old fashioned" marriage, and, as heralded by pop culture’s Murphy Brown, sans full-time father/ "man about the house"- excepting the usually short-lived "stray-cat" … Read more

Yet by the goodness of God, we are so far from want…

The Mayflower Compact has always been one of my personal favorite American documents. I always like to read it around Thanksgiving. It is a short and simple statement that life should be ordered by mutually-agreed to laws. Written by rational, thinking, and consummately civilized persons, The Mayflower Compact is universally considered to be the first basis in the New World for written law: 
“In the name of God, Amen. We, whose names are underwritten, the Loyal Subjects of our dread Sovereign Lord, King James, by the Grace of God, of England, France and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith, e&. Having undertaken for the Glory of God, and Advancement of the Christian Faith, and the Honour of our King and Country, a voyage to plant the first colony in the northern parts of Virginia; do by these presents, solemnly and mutually in the Presence of God and one of another, covenant and combine ourselves together into a civil Body Politick, for our better Ordering and Preservation, and Furtherance of the Ends aforesaid; And by Virtue hereof to enact, constitute, and frame, such just and equal Laws, Ordinances, Acts, Constitutions and Offices, from time to time, as shall be thought most meet and convenient for the General good of the Colony; unto which we promise all due submission and obedience. In Witness whereof we have hereunto subscribed our names at Cape Cod the eleventh of November, in the Reign of our Sovereign Lord, King James of England, France and Ireland, the eighteenth, and of Scotland the fifty-fourth. Anno Domini, 1620.”
It was signed by 41 of the Mayflower’s 102 passengers. Contrast the words of the Pilgrim settlers, half of whom died in the first New England winter, with those being spouted by partisans of the current movement to erase the mere mention of God from any area of public and government life. I am sure that many such persons and groups, led by the ACLU, cannot have much stomach for the fact that our forebears came to this land “for the Glory of God, and Advancement of the Christian Faith.” It really flies in the face of their arguments in favor of removing “under God” in our Pledge and “In God We Trust” from our money.

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I guess I missed this one…

The November 9th Citizen (Laconia, NH) reported on what the newly-elected Democrat majority has in mind for its first order of business when they take hold of the reigns of power here in NH: repeal the state’s parental-notification law. One of the first things on the Democrats’ agenda now that they hold the majority in … Read more

Two quick thoughts…

A couple of quick thoughts for a Columbus Day here in Central NH so beautiful that only God could have made it… . First, the anti- Columbus Day movement in the country mostly comes from the liberal-run public school system. The people in charge of those institutions these days despise Columbus. On the other hand, most … Read more

Diversity Week at URI. “Celebrating the values of diversity & multiculturalism.” Values?

With the oldest offspring in her senior year of high school, the spectre of choosing a college and sending her away from the nest looms large. While I did not attend, I have a number of friends who went to the University of Rhode Island (URI). That, combined with the fact that I am originally from RI, has caused me to maintain an e-scription to the student paper- The Good 5-cent Cigar. Through the years, by reading the paper and watching the events at the school, one can get the sense of which way the pendulum has swung on that campus- back and forth from standard liberal to moonbat leftie. As with most state universities these days, conservative thought and viewpoints need not apply.
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What caught my eye most recently was an article on that university’s Diversity Week 2006, which led me to the URI Multicultural Center website, noting the event’s ten-year anniversary:
Diversity Week is a full week (September 25-29) with over 60 workshops, presentations, music performances and festivities celebrating the values of diversity and multiculturalism. It offers students and the community at large the opportunity to step outside their familiar zones and into other worlds (without leaving Kingston, RI!!!) . It is supported by over 30 University departments and campus organizations. Each individual event is a treasure but taken together as a whole, the week is truly an amazing tapestry. The fact that Diversity Week is now celebrating its 10th anniversary at URI is a testament to resonance and importance on campus.
Sounds like the standard liberal pap one would find on most college campuses. As usual, the devil is in the details…

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Lawyers!

Soon, "personal responsibility" will be considered a quaint phrase, like "Sunday best" or "two-parent family."  How goes the old joke?  "What do you call 500 lawyers at the bottom of the ocean?"  Answer:  "A good start."
From Fox News:
Professor: BlackBerry Addiction Lawsuits Likely in Future
Friday , August 25, 2006
TORONTO — Keeping employees on electronic leashes such as laptops, BlackBerries and other devices that keep them constantly connected to the office could soon lead to lawsuits by those who grow addicted to the technology, a U.S. academic warns. In a follow-up to an earlier paper on employees’ tech addictions, Gayle Porter, associate professor of management at the Rutgers University School of Business in Camden, N.J., has written a paper that states workers whose personal lives suffer as a result of tech addictions could turn their sights on their employers. "These people that can’t keep it within any reasonable parameters and have these problems in their lives at some point may say: ‘My life is not all that great. How did this happen? Who can I blame for this?’," Porter, who co-authored the study with two other academics, said in an interview on Thursday. "And they’re going to say, ‘The company’."

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The French – way to reinforce that stereotype!

This story from Fox News:  Countries Pledge 3,500 Troops to U.N. for Lebanon Peacekeeping Force Friday, August 18, 2006 UNITED NATIONS — The United Nations got pledges Thursday of 3,500 troops for an expanded U.N. peacekeeping force in Lebanon, but it was unclear whether the soldiers represented the right mix of countries and units and could deploy … Read more

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