Rick Perry Signed Hate Crimes Bill in Texas

"Thus, if Perry were to become the Republican nominee for president, both major presidential candidates would be on record as having signed into law what is arguably the most dangerous element of homosexual activists’ political agenda, which we routinely characterize — when criticizing Obama and other Democrats who advocate it — as threatening to result in the criminalization of Christianity"

From The New American

By Kelly Holt

Not long after Rick Perry became Governor of Texas, according to an Associated Press release on May 12, 2001 he signed the James Byrd Hate Crimes Act (HB 587) named for a black man in Jasper, Texas, who was dragged to death behind a pickup in 1998.

In a bill-signing ceremony on May 11, 2001 Perry said:

As the Governor of our diverse state, in all matters it is my desire to seek common ground for the common good. In the end, we are all Texans and we must be united as we walk together into the future. That’s why today I have signed House Bill 587 into law. Texas has always been a tough-on-crime state. With my signature today, Texas now has stronger criminal penalties against crime motivated by hate.

President Obama signed a similar law, and the Texas statute signed by Perry does effectively establish a special “protected class” status including enhanced sentencing for crimes allegedly motivated by bias against it.

Pope Concludes Seminar with Former Students; What Does 'New Evangelisation' Mean?

From Vatican Radio

What does New Evangelisation actually mean? How does the Church – universally and locally – envision its concrete application? Is there any ‘master plan’? And what did they really talk about at the Ratzinger Summer School? These are some of the questions that Emer McCarthy put to Fr. Vincent Twomey SVD., Professor emeritus of Moral Theology at Maynooth seminary in Ireland, and one of the founding members of the Ratzinger Schuelerkreis.

Recently convened for their annual meeting in Castel Gandolfo (Aug. 25-28), the group of 40 former theology and philosophy students of then Professor Joseph Ratzinger were given the task of discussing this sometimes ‘nebulous’ term. Added to their ranks were academics who have chosen to study the thought and writings of Joseph Ratzinger – a suggestion first put forward by Fr. Twomey himself - creating a veritable ‘think-tank’, with some surprising results.

In the first part of this two part interview, Fr. Twomey speaks of how the concept of New Evangelisation is a thread that runs throughout the teaching and writing of Pope Benedict XVI, then Professor Ratzinger. He brings us back to their first meeting over 40 years ago, when as a young Irish missionary priest, he sought out the ‘promising and brilliant theologian’ in his ‘simple’ Bavarian home to ask to study under him. Fr. Twomey takes us on a journey from the Münster and Tübingen years, through the establishment of Ratzinger’s first ‘Doctoral colloquium’, to the Regensburg years and finally, Rome. He speaks about why the New Evangelisation calls for ‘God’s humility’ and why – contrary to popular belief – secularisation is not wholly negative. 

Listen: 

China Seeks to Legalise 'Disappearances'

China is making plans to legalise state-backed "disappearances" of the kind endured by the maverick artist Ai Weiwei earlier this year, in a move which lawyers and human rights advocates have described as "terrifying".

Ai WeiWei, the artist and Chinese dissident. Photo: REUTERS

From The Telegraph

By Peter Foster

Amendments to China's house arrest laws would allow prisoners to be detained in secret locations and without their families being informed, according to proposals published this week on the website of China's rubber-stamp parliament, the National People's Congress.

Turkey Pledges to Return Some Religious Properties

Fearing mounting losses at the European Court of Human Rights and recent adoption of Congressional legislation calling attention to its repression of Christian communities, the Turkish Government issued a decree this weekend which would return Christian and Jewish religious properties confiscated after 1936, reported the Armenian National Committee of America.

“Erdogan’s decree, clearly prompted by increased Congressional scrutiny of Turkey’s repression of its Christian minority and successive losses at the European Court of Human Rights, would return less than one percent of the churches and church properties confiscated during the Armenian Genocide and the decades that followed it,” said ANCA Chairman Ken Hachikian. “Ninety six years after the genocide perpetrated against the Armenians, Greeks, and Syriacs, this decree is a smokescreen to evade the much broader consequences of those brutal acts. The ANCA will expand its outreach to Congress and the Administration to ensure that the Turkish Government comes to terms with its brutal past, respects the religious freedom of surviving Christian communities and returns the fruits of its crime.”

Living the Spirit of Chivalry at the TFP Camp

From TFP Student Action

By John Ritchie

"Youth was made not for pleasure, but for heroism", a phrase coined by Paul Claudel, captures the spirit of every TFP Call to Chivalry camp.

On July 27, dozens of teenage boys gathered at the St. Louis de Montfort Academy to begin a challenging 10-day camp packed with activities, including talks, skits, rosary processions, field sports, outings, hikes, camping, swimming, sword play, archery, skeet shooting, spear toss, shield ball, capture the flag, and even a treasure hunt and medieval banquet, featuring a visit from King Henry V of Agincourt fame who held his young audience spellbound with a stirring rendition of Shakespeare's St. Crispin's Day Speech.

Respect, discipline, manners, noble conversation and manly piety are virtues fostered during the event, and many of the talks this year focused on the heroes and saints of the British Isles.

The International Pilgrim Virgin Statue of Our Lady of Fatima visited the Academy during the camp, giving those present the signal honor of holding an all night vigil in her presence. A solemn procession initiated the vigil and the statueof Our Lady was escorted by TFP members dressed in ceremonial habit.  This famous statue wept miraculously in New Orleans in 1972, shortly before the legalization of abortion in America.  Each camp participant willingly filled a time slot dedicated to prayer and silent reflection.

Jack Vermett

"It was impossible to get bored because there was too much to do," said 13-year-old camp participant Jack Vermett from Illinois. "My favorite part was the visit to the Arlington National Cemetery. I learned manners and I liked the talks and the games too."

Zechariah Long

"I really enjoyed the talk by the decorated U.S. Army Ranger," remarked Zechariah Long, 18, from upstate New York.  "The Ranger saw real combat in Afghanistan, but he told us that moral courage is much greater than physical courage.  He challenged all of us to join the spiritual war and defend the faith."

The timeless virtues of Catholic Chivalry continue to attract young souls and offer an antidote to the moral crisis shaking contemporary society.  At a time when real moral courage is required to remain faithful, TFP camps will continue providing young men with saintly role models to look up to and follow, and with the grace of God, help form a new generation of brave leaders ready to champion the rights of God and defend His law.

For more information on these camps,  contact TFP here.

Rick Perry Run Carefully Orchestrated by Global Elites?

From NewsWithViews.com

By Paul Walter

The pool of presidential candidates for the Republican nomination has been considered less than exciting for many party faithful. Mitt Romney, a rerun from 2008, appears to be popular with the more moneyed crowd than average Americans who rejected his bid the first time around. Rep. Michelle Bachmann jumped out in front with her fiery rhetoric and appealing smile. Rep. Ron Paul, also jumped to the top three while candidates like former Speaker of the House, Newton Gingrich, Jon Huntsman and Herman Cain continue to struggle in single digit numbers in the polls.

A Perfect Storm of Hype and Big Government Nannyism

Irene, the category 1 hurricane downgraded to a tropical storm, provided the country with a good glimpse of liberal, big government politicians who have long since forgotten that they live in a free country, if they ever knew it.  

Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who has been known to hold news conferences to tell New York parents how to dress their children on cold mornings, has every right to advise New Yorkers about safety threats, and even to warn that public services may not be available in the event of a serious crisis.  However, ordering people out of their homes and fining those who disregard his Stalinist dictates have no place in America.  This is a Mayor who believes it is his business to control the trans-fats you consume and the amount of salt in your food, while being photographed munching on trans-fat laden Doritos and employing 3 chefs at Gracie Mansion who cost the taxpayers $245,000.

The bombastic Chris Christie looks equally foolish ordering citizens of New Jersey to "get the hell off the beaches."  Who the hell are these people, anyway?  They are public servants, not our Masters.  Their responsibility extends to making sure public services function, the people are warned, and to coordinate the response.  It was leaders like these who failed to ensure a safe infrastructure in New Orleans and then threatened to shoot those attempting to escape their government holding pens.  

Let the Tea Party Movement and all of America draw a lesson from these despots.  It is not the bombastic strongman who will solve America's moral and economic crisis, not the politician who thinks he, not you, knows what is best for your family, but rather those increasingly rare leaders who respect the Constitution, know the proper limits of their office, trust the good sense of the people, and above all, protect American freedom.