In 1944, two leaders of the Jewish and Christian communities approached Pulitzer Prize winning philosopher Will Durant about creating a movement to raise moral standards. What emerged from this meeting was a decision to create a movement to fight intolerance, instead. Durant created the seminal document of this new movement, the "Declaration of INTERdependence." The movement started with a bang, featuring gala events in Hollywood, and reached its apex when the Declaration was read into the Congressional Record on October 1, 1945 by the Honorable Ellis E. Patterson. However, the INTERdependence movement soon faded and was replaced by the civil rights movement.

The Will Durant Foundation has now reissued the Declaration of INTERdependence and is collecting signatures. Please proceed across the break to read the Declaration, then send an email to add your name to the signatories.

I originally posted a diary a long time ago addressing the right-wing demonization of the secular humanist left. I am re-issuing it below the fold with minor edits because of Senator Obama's speech at the Call To Renewal Conference. Tragically, Senator Obama has embraced and used elements of the false narrative that the right-wing has constructed about secular humanism, saying:

"Secularists are wrong when they ask believers to leave their religion at the door before entering the public square."

As a result, "I think we make a mistake when we fail to acknowledge the power of faith in the lives of the American people and join a serious debate about how to reconcile faith with our modern, pluralistic democracy."

At best, we may try to avoid the conversation about religious values altogether, fearful of offending anyone and claiming that - regardless of our personal beliefs - constitutional principles tie our hands. At worst, some liberals dismiss religion in the public square as inherently irrational or intolerant, insisting on a caricature of religious Americans that paints them as fanatical, or thinking that the very word "Christian" describes one's political opponents, not people of faith.

Ironically, it is Senator Obama who has painted a caricature of secularists as fanatical, inherently irrational, intolerant, political opponents. In truth, there is only one organization that lobbies on behalf of secularists, The Secular Coalition for America, and they have a single lobbyist (Lori Lippman Brown) who's hands are full dealing with BushCo's clear violations of the separation clause. So, they are not out there trying to stifle any and all public religious expression. In fact, take a quick look at their website and you will see that the SCA readily and frequently engages in serious honest debate about faith and politics in our pluralist democracy. Like all things that come out of the right-wing, reality has been turned on its head regarding who is attacking whom in this conflict.

Senator Obama and others, please read on to educate yourself about secular humanism so that we may indeed have an honest and open discussion.

My right-wing brother accused me of "tottering on the edge of fascism" recently when I listed "disseminating covert propaganda disguised as news broadcasts" among the many illegal things BushCo should be impeached for. My brother's argument was that the liberal MSM promotes fascist group-think, so the administration has to combat that by putting out its own side of the story. He was actually arguing that government propaganda is protected free speech! As we all learned from our Former Dittohead friend Jim Derych, right-wingers easily dismiss anything that threatens their worldview as being a product of the imaginary "liberal media," but my brother was taking it a step further.

Being called a fascist is nothing new; we on the left are often assailed by right-wingers calling us fascists. But I was a little stunned when my brother said it to me. Obviously, his argument is ridiculous, and when I challenged him to define fascism, all he came up with was that fascists don't tolerate any differing opinions (oddly, earlier in our conversation he had said that the Democrats are "fragmented"... fragmented group-think, that's a new one for me). To back his claim that fascism resides on the left end of the political spectrum, my brother cited the fact that the Nazi party was the National Socialist German Workers Party. But I can't decide if he was being totally dishonest, or if he simply doesn't recognize Hitler using the exact same tactic the GOP uses when they name things like the Clear Skies initiative, the Healthy Forests initiative, and the Help America Vote Act. No doubt it is a little of each.

Anyhow, I emailed my brother a few quotes about fascism to help clear up his misunderstanding. I didn't go with a politician's, historian's, or pundit's definition of fascism, either. Instead I went right to the source: Benito Mussolini.

Follow me across the break for the quotes and my analysis I sent to my brother, as well as some quotes from a piece written by Vice President Henry Wallace in 1944.

I really enjoy listening to Thom Hartmann when he guest hosts on Air America (I don't get him on any of my local stations and have trouble streaming him). He brings scholarship and a historical accuracy and perspective that is often lacking in talk radio.

Anyhow, Thom has been pushing the idea of reframing the Iraq quagmire. We won the war in short order, he says. We overthrew the government, killed or arrested the opposition government officials, disbanded the army, destroyed infrastructure, and seized resources. We are now engaged in what is rightfully called the OCCUPATION OF IRAQ. Hartmann has now written a post at Common Dreams detailing his reframe: Reclaim the Issues - "Occupation, Not War"

I wrote a diary on the pluses and minuses of this reframe here, but that was before Hartmann published. So, I'll repeat some of that diary as I look at Hartmann's article across the break.

Now, before we jump, repeat after me: end the occupation, end the occupation, end the violent occupation of Iraq

How can I make such a statement when our soldiers are still in Iraq and being killed daily? It is a matter of framing that Thom Hartmann brought to my attention on Monday night when he guest-hosted the Majority Report. By most historians' definition, a war is over when one country overthrows the government of another country. We did that long ago in Iraq. What we have now is a violent occupation.

I have thought about it, and I have to agree with Hartmann that if I were writing a history book on the subject, the War in Iraq would have ended with the overthrow of Saddam, and the subsequent years would be called the Violent Occupation of Iraq. That doesn't necessarily make it good politics, though.

So what? What's the difference? Well, across the fold I take a look at how this simple reframing can change the whole argument. It could potentially help us get our soldiers out, but may also grant Bush a slight saving of face.

I recently received a promotional email from Borders promoting Ann Coulter's new work of fiction, "Godless." In the mailing, they call her a "political firebrand." I worte to borders to express my disappointment:

There are many legitimate political books that have been released in the last few months, yet Borders has chosen to promote the book by Coulter? That is mind-boggling, and extremely disappointing. She is not a "political firebrand," she is a hate-mongering propagandist. The inaccuracies and lies in Coulter's earlier books are extremely well documented (do a Google search for: Coulter book lies).

Just because an author's books sell well does not make her work good, accurate, or worthy of your promotion. You should at least list the book under Fiction where it belongs.

Follow me across the break to read their limp response and my follow-up.

According to researchers at MIT, the government could actually benefit from the use of tinfoil hats by conspiracy theorists. The research shows that tinfoil amplifies government frequencies, rather than blocking them. So this raises the question, did the government covertly start the tinfoil hat myth in order to trick anti-government types into helping the government track them?

"It has long been suspected that the government has been using satellites to read and control the minds of certain citizens. The use of aluminum helmets has been a common guerrilla tactic against the government's invasive tactics [1]. Surprisingly, these helmets can in fact help the government spy on citizens by amplifying certain key frequency ranges reserved for government use. In addition, none of the three helmets we analyzed provided significant attenuation to most frequency bands."

Update [2006-6-3 17:45:38 by mrboma]: Click here for the CBS News story

My parents are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary this weekend. Not a huge deal, but still a great accomplishment in my opinion. Now consider that my family is one of the largest in the U.S., and this becomes a story for the media. How big is my family? I am one of 16 children, ten boys, six girls - all the same mom and dad and all single births - ranging in age from 49 to 26. Now top it off with the fact that this will be the first time the whole family has gotten together since 1981 (photo from that occasion is in the extended text. Still need more? This day was almost prevented when my Dad was literally RUN OVER BY A CITY BUS in 1989 (see the press release in the extended text).

The coverage started on Thursday with this article in the local freebee, The Grunion Gazette. The larger locals, the Long Beach Press-Telegram and LA Times, are supposed to be running stories on Saturday or Sunday. We are being interviewed by KCAL/CBS on Friday (to be played on the noon news and maybe the later newscasts if it is a slow news day). KCAL/CBS and KTLA are also sending cameras to the anniversary party on Saturday, so we should be on the Saturday evening news as well. LA Family Magazine will be running a story next month some time.

To read the press release and see the 1981 photo, please proceed across the bump.

 April 2006 Issue of Discover Magazine has an article entitled Anything Into Oil about a "thermal conversion process" developed by Changing World Technologies (CWT), that can extract oil from almost any waste. How is this possible? Think of it this way: carbon buried in the Earth's crust for thousands of years can turn to diamond under the extreme heat and pressure. We can mimic that heat and pressure in the lab to create diamonds in a matter of days. Well, oil is produced in the same way - extreme heat and pressure coming to bear on biologicals over thousands of years - and we can likewise mimic the process to create oil (and extract other useful byproducts) from waste in a matter of hours. Yes, hours. Basically, this process makes oil a renewable resource. It isn't a pipe-dream either; there is a small, operational, proof-of-concept plant in Pennsylvania and a full-sized working plant converting Butterball Turkey waste in Carthage, Missouri.

Additionally, the process destroys bacteria, viruses, and prions (the infectious proteins that cause mad cow and related diseases), eliminates toxins and carcinogens, and breaks down non-biodegradables. The useful byproducts include water and a potent, organic fertilizer. Plus, it would reduce the need for landfills. To top it off, it creates far more energy than it uses. This is the ultimate in recycling.

Yes, we should be working to get ourselves off of oil, but that will take a long time. In the meantime, this could ease the transition and help make us energy independent. I have already sent a letter to my mayor and city council asking them to look into the technology.

Read below the break for more about this amazing technology.

This is the weekly summary of the Humanist Network News (HNN). The HNN is published every Wednesday via e-mail and on the Institute for Humanist Studies (IHS) Web site. This diary is a slightly reformatted copy of the weekly email they send me, which I post here every Thursday (Yes, I have permission from the IHS). (CP @ MLW, BT, SP)

March 16, 2006
Humanist Network News
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1. Agnostic Mom: The complication of simplifying complications
   
2. Drug case gives religious exemptions a second fix
   
3. IHS in the News: IHS is best response to theocracy
   
4. IHS helps secular students organize at Albany schools
   
5. Infidels, students & IHS create freethought debate circuit
   
6. What do you think about the eBay atheist?
   
7. An English teacher moment
   
8. Sweet Reason will be back next week
   
9. Job opportunity: American Atheists staff
   
10. Letters to the Editor
    
11. Media Roundup
    
12. Cathartic Comics
    
13. Poll of the Week

Summaries, links, and MY TAKE across the break.

This is the weekly summary of the Humanist Network News (HNN). The HNN is published every Wednesday via e-mail and on the Institute for Humanist Studies (IHS) Web site. This diary is a slightly reformatted copy of the weekly email they send me, which I post here every Thursday (Yes, I have permission from the IHS). (CP @ MLW, BT, SP)

March 8, 2006
Humanist Network News
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

1. Court: Schools can't turn away military recruiters for anti-gay policy
   
2. Now Hiring: IHS seeks 2 new employees
   
3. AHA also now hiring
   
4. Freethought convention season almost here
   
5. Pro-evolution columnist deftly debates Young Earth'er
   
6. Agnosticism: The power of not knowing (and enjoying it)
   
7. Film Review: Cache
   
8. Sweet Reason, my girlfriend's gone religious on me
   
9. Letters to the Editor
   
10. Media Roundup
    
11. Strange Times
    
12. Cathartic Comics
    
13. Humanist Humor
    
14. Poll of the Week

Summaries, links, and MY TAKE across the break.

This is the weekly summary of the Humanist Network News (HNN). The HNN is published every Wednesday via e-mail and on the Institute for Humanist Studies (IHS) Web site. This diary is a slightly reformatted copy of the weekly email they send me, which I post here every Thursday (Yes, I have permission from the IHS). (CP @ MLW, BT, SP)

February 28, 2006
Humanist Network News
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This week's HNN is the monthly podcast, so nothing in the extended area this week.

1. New HNN podcast features freethinking cartoonists, eBay atheist
   
2. Cathartic Comics: A selection of freethought cartoons by the cartoonists featured in this week's podcast.

This is the weekly summary of the Humanist Network News (HNN). The HNN is published every Wednesday via e-mail and on the Institute for Humanist Studies (IHS) Web site. This diary is a slightly reformatted copy of the weekly email they send me, which I post here every Thursday (Yes, I have permission from the IHS). (CP @ MLW, BT, SP)

February 22, 2006
Humanist Network News
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1. Helping youth help us all
   
2. Kurtz to speak at IHEU - UN bioethics conference
   
3. Ontario Tories' Tory supports religious schools
   
4. Rationally Speaking: Are you pursuing your project?
   
5. Comparing media from around the world
   
6. Film Review: Freedomland
   
7. Sweet Reason, can a student start a Darwin club?
   
8. Letters to the Editor
   
9. Media Roundup
   
10. Cathartic Comics
    
11. Humanist Humor
    
12. Poll of the Week

Summaries, links, and MY TAKE across the break.

This is the weekly summary of the Humanist Network News (HNN). The HNN is published every Wednesday via e-mail and on the Institute for Humanist Studies (IHS) Web site. This diary is a slightly reformatted copy of the weekly email they send me, which I post here every Thursday (Yes, I have permission from the IHS). (CP @ MLW, BT, SP)

February 16, 2006
Humanist Network News
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

1. Agnostic Mom writes religion-free parenting blog, column
   
2. IHS in the News
   
3. IHS public policy director to speak at Stanford University, Feb. 22
   
4. Black American freethinkers to host dialogue on race, poverty
   
5. Tell us what you think about the Muhammad cartoons?
   
6. Film Review: Munich
   
7. Sweet Reason, can a humanist and a pastor have a happy marriage?
   
8. Letters to the Editor
   
9. Media Roundup
   
10. Strange Times
    
11. Cathartic Comics
    
12. Humanist Humor
    
13. Poll of the Week

Summaries, links, and MY TAKE across the break.