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Happy Independence Day

Freedom for Egyptians (Egyptian-American):

I had never seen such a great love. There were two young girls next me cheering the bands as if they were in a staduim according to my Egyptian standards. They did not look as if they were celebrating a major national occasion. It is a country that gave a lot to its citizens. They take pride in being U.S. citizens and being part of this nation. One of the things that I have noticed in U.S. parades that some nationalities who became Americans take the chance to celebrate. I saw the Taiwanese and filipino Americans in the parades with the both flags saying Happy Birthday to the U.S. The last thing I can say it about American parades that it is about the love; the love of the crowds and the paraders. It is so in the air and no one can miss it. The last real parade in Egypt took the life of our late President Anwar Sadat on October 6,1981. Sometimes the Egyptian government pretent to do parades during spring time but nobody cares. So really I cannot compare the American parades to anything I have ever experienced in my life in Egypt. ...

Lebanon.profile (Lebanese):

Too often, Lebanese desire uniformity in education. The assumption is that the same national curriculum will breed a similar nationalism. This model is restrictive and oppressive, and it has not been proved to work in any environment.

Americans took a different tack in educating children. Instead of pushing a national syllabus, schools must come to their own educational solutions with very general guidelines from the state. To this end, the intellectuals and writers of textbooks become more powerful than the teachers themselves. From year to year, course to course, children are bombarded with different ideas that give them the opportunity to come to the best conclusion themselves.

Neither the teacher nor the state has hegemony over the children’s minds. ...

ActivistChat (Iranian):

Happy Birthday America.

Happy 4th of July to all.

Happy 4th of July to the people of America.
Happy 4th of July to the oppressed nations
and the freedom loving people of the world.

We honour the 4th of July, 1776,
and solute Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin,
John Adams, Roger Sherman and Robert R. Livingston,
the members of the committee which drafted the
Declaration of Independence on that memorable day.

We salute the great people of America in their courageous move to kick the greedy British out of their great country
and we solute the people of America

for their contribution to end that filthy tyrannical empire.

+++++++++++++++++++++++

4th of July was officially declared as public holiday by the US congress in 1941,

but in reality it is truly an international event that should be honoured by all. ...

On December 25, 1776, General George Washington led his troops in a surprise attack against the British, who had settled into winter quarters in New Jersey. The American forces crossed the Delaware River at night and defeated the British troops first at Trenton and then at Princeton. These victories, although minor, dramatically improved the morale of the American forces.
Iranian people should be prepared for final battle of freeing their homeland ....

Nadz (Palestinian-American)

I grew up hearing more bad things about America than good, and even though I have always been an American citizen, I used to join in on the blame-America-first rhetoric in order to avoid ugly arguments. Not anymore.

I'm proud to say that I'm a citizen of the greatest country on earth. It is a country of ideas, and universal ones at that. Whether it is a monarchy, a communist state or a democracy, China will always be China, Germany will always be Germany and so on. In the case of the United States, it started with principles and ideas on which the nation was then founded. America is unique in that regard - our democracy is what makes America.

No matter how many American flags people burn from Karachi to Mardrid, people know this and are itching to benefit from the opportunities they create. We are not always perfect. We make mistakes. But we should not apologize for being the greatest country on earth and I'll drink an extra beer to that. ...

Happy Fourth of July!

"We do not want to see them get married."

Via Neo, Reginald Bohannon explains a key element of conservative beliefs and principles:

... even if you're going to remain a Democrat, do not give up on your conservative beliefs and principles. Just like with gay marriage -- blacks know gays, we have them in our families -- we love gays, but by and large, we do not want to see them get married.

Reginald Bohannon loves me! I'm all giddy. He loves me so much, he doesn't want to see me get married. Reggie, sugar, I am touched by your jealous streak. But really ... I am SO not your type.

Now of course, a lot of gay couples I know are already married. Not that the State recognizes it, necessarily, but they had a solemn commitment ceremony in a house of worship - a.k.a., a marriage - and they've gone about the whole business of loving and supporting and being faithful. Something must be done!

Fortunately, Reginald Bohannon has his "conservative beliefs and principles". (After all, he's "come out of the closet" as a conservative, and yes, Reginald, I'm just tickled to death that you borrowed that metaphor.) So if he "doesn't want to see gays get married", what are his options?

Well, he could try keeping his eyes closed, but I suspect that's not what he has in mind. I think he actually wants to stop gay folks from marrying each other. So, let's pass a law!

First, we've got to make domestic partnerships illegal. So, according to Reginald Bohannon's conservative beliefs and principles, the government must pass laws forbidding certain kinds of contracts between citizens. Then we've got to outlaw these "commitment ceremonies" in gay-friendly churches, because, who do these people think they're kidding? They're trying to get married, and we can't have that. So Congress needs to pass some laws respecting establishments of religion.

Oh, but maybe this is all a bit extreme. Perhaps we can allow those people to have something, just as long as it isn't called "marriage" and is not the equal of marriage. Because we love gay people, heck, some of our best friends are gay. They just need to remember their place. And we don't want to see them get married.

Thanks, Reginald Bohannon, for your concern, your caring, and most especially for your love. I'm very imprressed that you didn't waste your time talking about what conservatives might do to strengthen heterosexual marriage, or any of that wishy-washy stuff. No, it's all about queer folks.

Me, I'm just one of those live-and-let-live liberal types. I say, if Reginald Bohannon doesn't want to recognize my marriage, or the next-door neighbor's, that's really fine with me. It's his business, and I really wouldn't want the Government forcing that on anyone. Because what makes a marriage a marriage - what makes it sacred - is, by definition, entirely out of the Government's sphere.

What I would like from the State - and, in fact, what I will insist on - is full and equal protection in the material sphere. This includes the right to share the burdens and responsibilities of domestic life - in short, partnership. And I think everyone should have these rights.

You know, it's funny - I can remember (and it wasn't that long ago) when the conservative complaint against gays was that they were too promiscuous. I remember reading Norman Podhoretz' eloquent warning against the perils of an AIDS vaccine, which might allow gay men to "bugger each other by the hundreds with medical impunity." And now? Now the threat from gay folks is that they might start living like responsible adults.

Me, I'm easy. As far as I'm concerned, people should be free to practice in their private lives whatever perverse behaviors they want to indulge in ... even getting married.

Afternoon Roundup

Stratfor (subscription) updates:

2142 GMT - Israel intends to try the Hamas activists, government ministers and parliament members captured during an early-morning incursion into the Gaza Strip, the Israeli Defense Forces said June 29. The Palestinians will be tried for involvement with terrorist activities.

2020 GMT - Militants sponsored by Iran could increasingly pose a threat to British interests if progress is not made regarding Iran's nuclear program, Britain's Intelligence Security Committee (ISC) reported June 29. The ISC comprises lawmakers from both houses of Parliament, and has access to highly classified material. ...

2016 GMT - If no progress is made on the nuclear dispute, Iranian state-sponsored terrorism could pose a greater threat to British interests, the British Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee said June 29.

Debka: Olmert/Peretz dispute stalls Summer Rain.

Israel’s Gaza Operation is put on hold Thursday – according to DEBKAfile’s exclusive sources by a deadlocked dispute between prime minister Olmert and defense minister Peretz. The armored forces and tanks which rolled into southern Gaza Tuesday night have been stationary for 24 hours, only directing desultory artillery fire at empty ground in the north. Amir Peretz is blocking a swift and expeditious offensive urged by the prime minister’ Ehud Olmert and the IDF high command to rescue Gilead Shalit, the Israeli corporal kidnapped by Hamas Sunday, June 25, and eradicate the Qassam missile infrastructure. Yet the prime minister is hesitating to pull rank and pass orders to the army over the defense minister’s head Peretz is clinging to a policy of “restraint and diplomacy,” despite the complete breakdown of mediated negotiations in the early hours of the abduction. The prime minister’s office and general command report that no serious diplomatic bid to negotiate the soldier’s release has been floated for 48 hours. None of the intermediaries report progress, even the live wire, Egyptian intelligence chief, Omar Suleiman. PMO officials and top commanders are furious with the defense minister and take strong exception to his assertion Thursday: “We stand at one of the most significant moments for setting new game rules between us and terrorist elements in the Palestinian Authority.” Terrorism is not a game, they say. Frustration with the defense minister was sensed in the speech delivered by the army chief Lt. Gen Dan Halutz at the passing out ceremony of fighter pilots. “Israeli citizens must never be hostages to rockets and the kidnappings of civilians and soldiers,” he said. “We dare not wait for casualties to justify a defensive operation. When someone wants to kill you, you must kill him first.”

"Israel has declared war on the Palestinian Authority." How dare they?

Hamas says Israel has declared war on the Palestinian Authority, after more than 60 senior Hamas figures, including many members of the PA government, were arrested overnight.


The precisely-coordinated operations were executed in Ramallah, Jenin, Jerusalem, Shechem, Kalkilyeh, Bethlehem, Hevron and other towns throughout Judea and Samaria, starting shortly after midnight.

Among those captured in simultaneous operations in many PA cities are members of the PA government and parliament, and senior Hamas movement leaders.

Israel emphasized that the arrests were not in order to obtain "trading cards" in exchange for the abducted soldier Gilad Shalit, but were rather routine police arrests of criminals suspected of membership in a terrorist organization. "Anyone who is found to be innocent will be released," Israeli sources said.

How many Pakistanin prisoners does it take to ... ? Oh, never mind. Just go read the article at the link.

Lavender Alert

Pentagon: Homosexuality not a disorder. Imagine our relief. Well, it's a step in the right direction, anyway. Edge NYC: 'The Pentagon is revising a document that calls homosexuality a mental disorder, officials said Wednesday. Lawmakers, medical professionals and others had pressed for the change in a document outlining procedures for dealing with disabled service members. "Homosexuality should not have been characterized as a mental disorder in an appendix of a procedural instruction,’’ Lt. Col. Jeremy Martin, a Defense Department spokesman, said Wednesday. "A clarification will be issued over the next few days.’’ "Notwithstanding its inclusion, we find no practical impact since that appendix simply listed factors that do not constitute a physical disability, and homosexuality of course does not,’’ he said in a statement.' (Article by Pauline Jelinek, Associated Press.) Gay.com: 'Pentagon officials said Wednesday that the Department of Defense no longer classifies homosexuality as a mental disorder, but the change has no effect on the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy against gay personnel. In a 1996 document recertified as "current" three years ago, the Pentagon categorized homosexuality alongside mental retardation and personality disorders. The document was uncovered this month by the Center for the Study of Sexual Minorities in the Military, a think tank at the University of California at Santa Barbara.'

Eric Rofes dies. 247Gay: 'Eric Rofes, a longtime leader in the movement for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender equality, died unexpectedly Monday in Provincetown, Mass. He was 51-years-old and, according to family and friends, suffered from a heart attack. ... Rofes started his activism in the 1970s in Boston where he worked on the GLBT pubication Gay Community News . He was a founder of Boston's first group for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) teachers, two of the first LGBT youth groups in the country and the first Boston-based group focused on organizing gay and lesbian voters (Boston Lesbian and Gay Political Alliance).' Rofes was the author of Reviving the Tribe: Regenerating Gay Men's Sexuality, Culture in an Ongoing Epidemic (Haworth, 1996) and Dry Bones Breathe: Gay Men Creating Post-AIDS Identities and Cultures (Haworth, 1998). Just Out: 'The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force mourns the death of Eric Rofes, a leader, activist, visionary, former board member and dear friend to the Task Force. He died yesterday as the result of a heart attack.' Read about Eric Rofes at the link.

Arkansas supreme court backs gay foster parents. Gay.com: 'Arkansas cannot ban gay men and lesbians from becoming foster parents because there is no link between their sexual orientation and a child's well-being, the state's high court ruled Thursday. The court also said testimony in the case showed that the ban was based on one group's view of morality. The state's child welfare board instituted the ban in 1999, saying children should be in traditional two-parent homes because they would be more likely to thrive.'

Fred Phelps sets sights on Oregon funerals. Basic Rights Oregon: 'Rev. Fred Phelps and his followers will be coming to Oregon on Thursday, July 29 and Saturday, July 1st, to protest at the memorial services of Spc. Robert Jones of Milwaukie and Pfc. Thomas Tucker of Madras. Jones was in his second tour of Iraq when he was hit with mortar and died instantly in Baghdad on Friday, July 16. His memorial will be held at the New Hope Community Church in Clackamas. Tucker was one of two American soldiers kidnapped by militiamen in Iraq on June 16. His body, along with the body of fellow soldier Kristian Menchaca, was found on June 20. The soldiers had been tortured, mutilated, and booby-trapped. Private Tucker's memorial will be held at Deschutes County Fairgrounds Expo Center in Redmond.' Your humble blogger was there for Specialist Jones' service, along with the Plus + Ultra team ... and a large number of Patriot Guard Riders! The memorial service passed without incident.

Robert L. Jones

Robert L. Jones, United States Army

Army Spc. Robert L. Jones

22, of Milwaukie, Ore.; assigned to the 40th Engineer Battalion, Baumholder, Germany; killed June 17 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his Humvee during combat operations in Ramadi, Iraq. Also killed was Sgt. Reyes Ramirez.

See also here.
The Patriot Guard Riders plan to be there. So do I.

Next stop: Chelm.

Via Regime Change Iran, here's Azarmehr:

A fair person has to, at times, take his hat off to his adversary's skills. I consider myself a fair person; in sports for example, I am always happy to admire my opponent's skills and strengths and commend him on his outstanding abilities. I also have to admire the Islamic Republic at times. Most of all, for their ability to manipulate the Western media, and particularly the "experts" or the "Iran Analysts". ...

Go to the link to read the rest.

Body of Eliyahu Asheri Found

Debka: 'The body of 18-year old Eliahu Asheri from Itamar is found buried in a field in a-Tira in Ramallah ...'

Ben Westlund Update

From the Ben Westlund for Governor campaign, via e-mail:

Mid-Willamette Valley Regional Office Up and Running

Thursday morning, June 15th, the Mid-Willamette Valley Team was pleased to open its campaign headquarters in downtown Eugene. With signature gatherers swarming statewide and buzz building, Courtney and Jonathan now have a mid-valley place to call home.

Feel free to swing by the new office any time. Courtney and Jonathan could always use more hands, minds and cookies. They're located at 360 E 11th Ave in downtown Eugene.

Willamette Valley regional pages.

Update

I've got a date with the Westboro Baptist thugs tomorrow. The Phelps gang is planning to protest at the funerals of two Oregon soldiers, and I will be present at one of these. Should be interesting. Watch Plus + Ultra for more.

Suspect Arrested in Attack in Polish Chief Rabbi

AP via Yahoo:

WARSAW, Poland - Police on Wednesday arrested a man suspected of attacking Poland's chief rabbi in late May, describing him as a 33-year-old tied to neo-Nazi groups who confessed to assaulting the Jewish leader.

The arrest comes nearly five weeks after Michael Schudrich, a New Yorker who became the nation's chief rabbi in 2004, was punched and attacked with what appeared to be pepper spray on a street in central Warsaw on May 27. Schudrich was not injured in the attack.

The suspect, identified only as Karol G. in keeping with Polish privacy laws, was arrested Wednesday morning outside his Warsaw home, and identified shortly after that by Schudrich in a police lineup, national police chief Marek Bienkowski said at a news conference.

"He confessed to the attack and was recognized by the victim," Bienkowski said. ...

Middle East Roundup

Washington Post: Kuwaiti elections.

June 28 -- Kuwaiti women will be able to take part in parliamentary elections as candidates and voters for the first time on Thursday. Following are some key facts about the vote:

A total of 253 candidates, including 28 women, are contesting Kuwait's 25 constituencies. Two parliament seats are up for grabs in each constituency.

Parliament passed a law in May 2005 giving women the right to vote and stand as candidates in elections for the 50-seat National Assembly.

Kuwait tolerates some informal groups but does not allow parties; security forces are not eligible to vote. Read the whole thing at the link.

Body of Eliyahu Asheri believed found; terrorist leaders arrested.

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip - Israeli forces rounded up dozens of Palestinian Cabinet ministers and lawmakers from Hamas, increasing pressure on the Islamic militants to release a captured Israeli soldier, and witnesses said tanks moved into northern Gaza, widening Israel's largest military operation in the year since Israel pulled out of the seaside territory.

Adding to the tension, a Palestinian militant group said it executed an 18-year-old Jewish settler kidnapped in the West Bank. Palestinian security officials said they believed the body of Eliahu Asheri had been found in the West Bank city of Ramallah.

Hamas officials said more than 30 lawmakers have been arrested in the West Bank.

Amarji: Syrian government crackdown bodes ill.

Dr. Radwan Ziadeh, my dear colleague and good friend and one of the main figures behind the Damascus Declaration and the more recent Damascus-Beirut Declaration has recently been slapped with a travel ban on account of his continuous involvement in civil society activities around the region and the world.

Indeed, and over the lat two months alone, Radwan came to the US twice to take part in various meetings and seminars. He also gave a few of lectures in Washington D.C., Chicago, and elsewhere.

The move comes as part of the Assads regime’s ongoing crackdown against activists and opposition figures in the country, a development destined to witness further escalations in the days and weeks ahead, as the regime continues its reversion to old-style totalitarian rule. ...

"Find and destroy."

Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered special services to "find and destroy" the killers of four Russian diplomats taken hostage in Iraq. The head of Russia's security services immediately pledged to see Putin's order carried out. The Russian government confirmed the four men's deaths this week, after an insurgent group released a video showing two of them being killed. ...

Olmert briefs Annan, Mubarak.

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert spoke on Wednesday evening with UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who telephoned in order to receieve updates on the
situation in the Gaza Strip. ...

Olmert said the PA was doing nothing to either bring about the release of Shalit or to halt the firing of Kassam rockets at Israeli communities.

Olmert also spoke today with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and thanked him for Egypt's assistance in the efforts to lower tensions and to
bring about the release of Shalit.

B'Ivrit.

When a reporter in London asked me if I could define the difference between the two Israeli blogospheres, I told him that Anglo bloggers are mostly concerned with "explaining" Israel to the outside world, whereas Hebrew bloggers rarely write about politics - preferring to concentrate on personal issues and tech issues. The reporter found that hard to believe: Isn't Israel a highly politicized society? he asked. Yes, I answered. In a way, it is. But it is also a society that is exhausted by politics. In fact, I almost never discuss the subject with my native-born Israeli friends. We talk about everything but - and that is not a conscience decision. ...

Amongst the Hebrew bloggers who have written about Gaza, some are against the IDF invasion, others are in favour and still others are indifferent. I haven't found anybody who is concerned about what the rest of the world thinks - whether they be mainstream media, Arab bloggers or other. Below are some translated excerpts of posts about Gaza that I read today. ...

Iran: Almost 500 anti-regime protests in past month.

London, Jun. 28 – There have been some 480 anti-government protests in Iran since in the Iranian calendar month ending June 21, according to a tally provided to Iran Focus by Iranian dissidents.

Students were the most politically active group in the past month, having organised at least 136 demonstrations, sit-ins, gatherings, and strikes.

Workers took part in some 60 protests.

Among the month’s major protests was a 100,000-strong anti-government rally by ethnic Azeris in the city of Tabriz against the publication of an insulting cartoon in the official daily Iran.

Interrogations of Iranian women continue.

Activists of the women’s movement in Iran have been under interrogations by security agents since their last rally in Tehran on June 12. According to a Rooz reporter from Tehran, two of the activists who are also founders of the Women’s Cultural Center Nooshin Ahmadi Khorasani and Parvin Ardalan received their arrest warrants after participating in the June 12th demonstration. They appeared at the designated security center and were interrogated. At the same time former member of Parliament and former member of Daftar-e Tahkim Vahdat student organization Mousavi Khoeini who was arrested during the rally continues to be in detention.

Nasrin Sotoodeh and Zohreh Arzani who are the defense attorneys for Ardalan and Ahmadi Khorasani told Rooz that they would like to not respond to press questions before they have received the questions from security authorities. These attorneys have already been denied access to their clients. Both Khorasani and Ardalan have appeared everyday at a security center to answer questions posed by security officials.