Warren Throckmorton

I have been writing a lot about Uganda lately but sadly, that is only one of too many places in the world where one’s beliefs and speech can cost you freedom and much, much more.
According to advocacy group ChinaAid, the Chinese authorities have detained Gao Zhisheng. Here is a letter to the Chinese government that you can sign at the FreeGao website.

To the Attention of: Chinese Ambassador Mr. Zhou Wenzhong
Dear Sir:
We are aware that Chinese authorities have detained Christian attorney Gao Zhisheng since February 4, 2009. He was at the home of relatives in his hometown in Shaanxi province when more than a dozen Public Security Bureau (PSB) officers forcibly took him away. He is being held at an undisclosed location.
Gao Zhisheng is a 2008 Nobel Peace Prize nominee, Chinese army veteran and prominent Christian attorney. He cares deeply for the nation of China, and is a loyal citizen. Since 2005, Gao has been repeatedly kidnapped, arrested, imprisoned and tortured by Chinese authorities for his work defending those persecuted for their faith. He, his wife and two children have been monitored and tormented by authorities for more than two years.
We, the undersigned, are deeply concerned about Gao Zhisheng’s welfare and why he is being detained. This act of arbitrary detention itself is in violation of Chinese law.
We are praying for the leaders of China and formally request that you release Gao Zhisheng immediately. Thank you for your kind attention to this matter.

There is a Facebook group with more information about Gao here.
I signed the petition, and I urge you do as well.

Same-sex marriage in the heart land.
Note the attorney quoted at the end of the article: Richard Socarides. Charles Socarides son. English majors, help me, is that irony?
It seems even clearer to me that this issue will eventually come before the Supreme Court. Can the nation long sustain a patchwork quilt of laws regulating marriage?
Here is the ruling summarized with a link to the full court documents.

Yesterday, a prominent Catholic priest, Anthony Musaala fought off allegations he is gay.
Today the same news service, New Vision reports the following:

MPs want gay group’s activities regulated
Thursday, 2nd April, 2009
MPs want government to regulate the activities of homosexuals who have come out publicly to defend their rights.
Kawempe North MP Latif Sebaggala says Government should not allow homosexuals to hold press conferences to iron out their issues because the vice is illegal.
However, Government Chief Whip Daudi Migereko says there are No laws that prohibit homosexuals from holding press conferences.
Migereko says that the ministry of Internal affairs will track homosexuals and take action against them.

UPDATE: Perhaps in China to learn more about oppressing people for their beliefs, Ugandan official Buturo said his government is planning more laws, especially one which would criminalize the promotion of homosexuality.

Well, that headline probably got your attention. Judith Reisman in a WorldNetDaily column today compared the two groups primarily because they both involve youth. In fact, the comparison, such that it is, ends there.
Naturally, GLSEN is none too happy being compared to Nazis. They issued a press release earlier today.

NEW YORK, April 1, 2009 – In a commentary called “GLSEN and the Hitler Youth,” World Net Daily columnist Judith Reisman today compared Day of Silence participants, GLSEN and students who participate in Gay-Straight Alliance student clubs to Hitler Youth. The column was featured on the wnd.com front page.
“Last week at our Lobby Day in Washington, DC, I saw students aglow with joy after having the opportunity to speak directly with their elected representatives and take part in our democratic processes,” said GLSEN Executive Director Eliza Byard. “Today I read a commentary comparing those young people, as well as me and my staff, to Nazis. We can only hope this is some sort of sick April Fool’s joke.”

Reading the commentary, it does not seem like Reisman means for the reader to chuckle. Reisman makes sweeping unsubstantiated statements like this:

Under color of a ‘Safe Schools Movement’ battling alleged ‘bullying’ of so-called ‘gay’ children (K-12), some see GLSEN as a modern version of the Hitler Youth and as preparing the ground for a larger, sweeping, schoolroom Youth Brigade.

Who are the “some?” She no doubt does but writes in an indirect fashion, as if the outrageous connections should be clear to the informed reader. Reisman also misleads readers via combining her views with serious scholarship. Here she quotes Ronald Berger but makes it seem as though he is a WWII elder who is troubled by the NEA and that he assesses the NEA and GLSEN as being comparable groups to the Nazi’s National Socialist Teachers Association.

The similarities between Hitler’s National Socialist Teachers Association (NSTA) and the Rockefeller and Playboy funded National Education Association (NEA) and American Library Association (ALA) troubles some World War II elders. Like Hitler’s NSTA, our NEA also largely guides the “ideological indoctrination of teachers.” (Ronald J. Berger “Fathoming the Holocaust,” Aldine Transaction, 2002, p. 50) Moreover, NSTA, the NEA, GLSEN and the Hitler Youth all seek to sever schoolchildren from their parent’s religious and sexual training.

I checked the Berger reference. His quote there is referring to the NSTA and not NEA or GLSEN. Reisman makes it seem that Berger said the NEA indoctrinates teachers in a manner similar to the Nazi group. I have no love for the NEA but this is not an honest approach to commentary.
I was surprised by one thing: she did not reference Scott Lively’s Pink Swastika once. But with this op-ed, she may have out done him.
If you would like to comment on the article, you can do so by contacting WorldNetDaily here.

What goes around comes around. In Uganda, the same kind of either-or arguments are being offered about the origins of homosexuality in order to gain political advantage. It is easy to see why same-sex attracted people would gravitate toward authorities who say their attractions are inborn. One does not need to propose a plot of cosmic proportions to understand that homosexuals in Uganda are afraid for their safety and counter the misinformation of the recent American visitors with inborn theories.

Truth is, in any given case, we don’t know. If the last sentence of the article is an accurate representation of Mr. Mukasa’s views, there are many doing this research who would agree: “Mukasa however says homosexuals are normal people born like any child but develop a natural attraction to the same sex.”

I just posted a video of Stephen Langa misleading his audience with Richard Cohen’s book. Today an article from UGPulse describes the views of Victor Mukasa, speaking in protest of the recent campaign against homosexuality. Although his statements about origins may or may not be completely accurate for any or all same-sex attracted people, the political environment there does not give him much room for nuance — another casualty of the American visitation.

Let’s hope there are no more casualties.

UPDATE: An AP writer has a story here with the Health Minister Buturo saying he wants to help gays be rehabilitated.

UPDATE #2: A popular Catholic priest and Gospel singer has been outed by the anti-crusaders who hosted the conference where Don Schmierer, Caleb Brundidge and Scott Lively spoke. The priest denies the accusation.