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MOVIES: Chris Evans as Captain America.
Gay stories: A survivor's account of an unbelievable hell called home.
Judges: Should we appoint them or elect them?
WATCH: And get out the Kleenex.
(via Igor Volsky at the wonk room)
On Rachel Maddow's show, NBC News' Richard Engel reports on early word on the Pentagon troop survey, which asked service members a variety of questions regarding serving alongside gay soldiers and 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' repeal.
Engel reports that "these studies show a relative if not positive outlook, at least an accepting outlook."
Said Engel: "The findings are that for most soldiers, and this wasn’t the sum total of all soldiers, it wasn’t that big of a deal…The majority — the number one answer, first answer was ‘I don’t care.’ That's significant."
Engel adds: "A key thing this study kept coming back to is that it’s very important about the chain of command. What commanders say. How far commanders act. What tone they set. The marines were the most negative out of the services. They had the most people who were — with negative responses. And the marine corps leadership has taken a stance and has been very vocally against this issue. And the study found that most soldiers and sailors and all different service members follow a chain of command. So if the chain of command accepts this as the law, the data is that so will the soldiers."
Watch, AFTER THE JUMP...
Posted 11:05 PM EST by Andy Towle | Permalink
| Comments (3)
Midland School Board Member Clint McCance told Anderson Cooper that he is resigning from the school board following a firestorm of outrage over remarks he made on Facebook celebrating the suicides of teens who killed themselves after homophobic bullying.
Ellen DeGeneres also spoke to Anderson about the remarks.
Said DeGeneres: "It would not be acceptable if someone used the N-word. When the civil rights movement happened, it took not just the community of blacks to make a change, but white people needed to step in and say this is unacceptable. We cannot tolerate this and treat any citizen with lesser value. And, I think, as a gay person, I would like to personally ask every heterosexual person out there who is appalled by this to – we need your help now. This is absurd and he should resign.”
I'll have clips up once available.
Previously...
Protesters Call for Resignation of Clint McCance [tr]
Anderson Cooper Rips Clint McCance [tr]
Arkansas Midland School District Distances Itself [tr]
Watch: Thomas Roberts Talks to Arkansas Times Reporter [tr]
Arkansas School Board Member Clint McCance Wants 'Fags' Dead [tr]
Posted 10:53 PM EST by Andy Towle in Arkansas, Bullying, Clint McCance, Education, News | Permalink
| Comments (10)
Yesterday I posted the hideous segment from KETK, an NBC affiliate in Tyler, Texas, which re-aired a segment from KTBB radio surveying listeners about whether gays were destroying America. Listen to it HERE.
KTBB radio posted this apology on its site today:
The Talkback question that aired on KTBB Radio and was simulcast on KETK NBC 56 television in Tyler on Wednesday, October 27 was unfortunate in its wording and unfortunate in the perception that it created among a large number of thoughtful individuals. The question, “Will the acceptance of homosexuality lead to the fall of America?” is poorly worded at best and inappropriate altogether at worst. For that, we apologize.
There are many issues surrounding homosexuality that are fair game for discussion in the media and in opinion journalism. The proper role, if any, for openly gay individuals in the military, the legitimacy of same-sex marriages and the public behavior by some individuals at gay and lesbian events held outdoors in public view are among topics about which reasonable people may disagree. These and other topics surrounding homosexuality are topics that talk radio hosts and opinion journalists may legitimately pose to their respective audiences.
With that said, the way our Talkback question was posed might be seen as asking, “Do homosexuals, by their very existence, threaten to bring down America?” We believe that such a question, posed in such a manner, is likely to generate more heat than light.
I understand how those who either heard, or heard about, KTBB’s Talkback question on Wednesday might have been offended. For the offense that was taken, we sincerely apologize.
Paul L. Gleiser, President
KTBB Radio
GLAAD also followed up with the station, which is attempting to make amends in various ways. KETK has removed the piece form its website, and will also air an upcoming interview with Fort Worth City Councilman Joel Burns, who has become something of an anti-bullying icon in Texas and around the country after his statement to the City Council in Fort Worth. KETK General Manager Dave Tillery is considering appearing on-air to apologize, and the station is rethinking how they repackage the KTBB content.
Posted 8:10 PM EST by Andy Towle in News, Radio, Texas | Permalink
| Comments (13)
A protest was held today outside Midland High School in Arkansas today, demanding Clint McCance, the school board member who has outraged the nation after remarks celebrating the suicides of gay and lesbian youth on Facebook, resign.
The Arkansas Times reports that 35 protesters were on hand calling for McCance's resignation, but that there were also counter-protesters:
"David reports that about 10 counter-protesters, including a preacher from Oil Trough, arrived in Ford pickup bearing a Christian flag and an American flag. They said they were not present to stand up for gays or straights but to 'stand up for God.' There was a large contingent of police on hand, including six state troopers and some local police, and so far all has been peaceful. Demonstrators were ordered away from the front of school because law officers said they were impeding traffic. They were moved to the edge of a ditch behind the school...Three of the group calling for McCance's resignation, including a former Midland High student, were invited into school offices to speak with Superintendent Dean Stanley and School Board president Bryson Wood."
More at the Arkansas Times...
A few short clips of the protest, AFTER THE JUMP...
Previously...
Anderson Cooper Rips Clint McCance [tr]
Arkansas Midland School District Distances Itself [tr]
Watch: Thomas Roberts Talks to Arkansas Times Reporter [tr]
Arkansas School Board Member Clint McCance Wants 'Fags' Dead [tr]
Posted 7:10 PM EST by Andy Towle in Arkansas, Bullying, Clint McCance, News | Permalink
| Comments (10)
Here's a pretty stunning image of the storm that swept across the northern half of the U.S. this week:
"Meteorologists get excited about the storm because it set a record for the lowest pressure (not associated with a hurricane) measured over land in the continental United States. At 5:13 p.m. CDT, the weather station in Bigfork, Minnesota recorded 955.2 millibars (28.21 inches of pressure). Pressure is one indicator of a storm’s strength, and this measurement corresponds to the pressure seen in a Category 3 hurricane."
Posted 6:51 PM EST by Andy Towle in News, weather | Permalink
| Comments (9)
ET pays a visit to Palin in Alaska, and asks about her Presidential plans.
Watch, AFTER THE JUMP...
Continue reading "Sarah Palin: I'll Run for President 'if There's Nobody Else to Do It'"
Posted 6:20 PM EST by Andy Towle in 2012 Election, News, Republican Party, Sarah Palin, Tea Party, Teabagger | Permalink
| Comments (25)
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