September 6, 2015


News Clips For The Day


A CHRISTIAN REVOLUTION?


http://www.cbsnews.com/news/kim-davis-kentucky-clerk-jailed-marriage-licenses-same-sex-couples-holding-head-high/

Hundreds rally for clerk jailed over marriage licenses
CBS/AP
September 5, 2015

Play VIDEO -- Kentucky county clerk goes to jail over gay marriage stance
Play VIDEO -- Kentucky clerk sparks debate over religious freedom vs. obeying the law
Photograph -- David Jordan, a member of Christ Fellowship in North Carolina, preaches in support of the prayer rally at the Carter County Detention Center for Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis, held in contempt of court for her refusal to issue marriage certificates to same-sex couples, in Grayson, Kentucky, Sept. 5, 2015. REUTERS/CHRIS TILLEY
Related Article -- A history of gay rights in America


GRAYSON, Ky. -- They stood chanting outside the jailhouse, "Thank you, Kim; Thank you, Kim," and prayed that the defiant county clerk locked inside could hear them.

As Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis began her third day as an inmate at the Carter County Detention Center on Saturday, having chosen indefinite imprisonment over licensing same-sex marriage, around 300 people gathered on the lawn outside.

"She won't bow, I promise you," Davis' husband, Joe, told the crowd. "She sends her love to each and every one of you all. And this is what she said, 'All is well. Tell them to hold their head high because I am.'"

Part revival, part political rally, a series of speakers denounced the government and the judiciary and hailed Davis a Christian hero in a war against the godless. They waved signs that read "Kim Davis for President," ''no to sodomite perversion" and "God gives his hardest battles to his strongest soldiers."

Some traveled from states away to support the embattled clerk, held in contempt of court by U.S. District Judge David Bunning on Thursday and sent to jail until she agrees to follow the court's order. She has pledged she never will.

News of her imprisonment rocketed around the world, igniting a furious debate over religious freedom and the place of God in government.

The couples Davis turned away for two months finally received their licenses Friday and said they spent Saturday celebrating their lives together, in peace for the first time since the controversy erupted around them.

CBS News correspondent Dean Reynolds [said] that same-sex couples came to the county courthouse two by two, holding hands and high hopes that their relationships would be validated.

David Jordan, a member of Christ Fellowship in North Carolina, preaches in support of the prayer rally at the Carter County Detention Center for Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis, held in contempt of court for her refusal to issue marriage certificates to same.

"This is about the civil rights of everybody in this county to get a marriage license," said April Miller, one of the lead plaintiffs in the lawsuit that landed Davis behind bars.

Miller and Karen Roberts got their license around midday. Miller emerged in the bright sunshine holding her license above her head while Roberts let out a joyous whoop as supporters cheered.

"Now we can breathe. I'm still ecstatic and happy. I just can't wait to get married now," Roberts said.

While the licenses were freely given, the drama surrounding the clerk does not appear to be ending anytime soon.

Each courthouse visitor ran the gauntlet of anger and acrimony from opponents of homosexuality and same-sex marriage, Reynolds reports.

On Saturday, as the temperature topped 90 degrees in Grayson, Kentucky, Davis' supporters sweated and shouted for more than an hour.

"More fear man, they don't fear God," Matthew Trewhella, a pastor from Wisconsin, preached from the stage. "She said that she was doing this under God's authority. She is 1,000 percent correct. She is echoing what western man has said for over 1,500 years now. And that is that divine law trumps human laws."

Davis refused to issue marriage licenses for two months since the Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage across the nation. Despite a series of court orders, she continued turning couples away.

Bunning told Davis Thursday that she'd left him no choice.

The judge, appointed to the court by President George W. Bush, became a target of the crowd's rage. A man carried a sign as big as a bathtub: "Judge Bunning is an abomination," it read and pointed to a Bible passage that says, "Acquitting the guilty and condemning the innocent -- the Lord detests them both."

Local evangelist Randy Smith called on the judge to "get saved and repent from his sin." He bashed the governor, the attorney general and local officials -- all for declining to help Davis' crusade. And he asked God to see to it that the five Supreme Court justices who voted to legalize same-sex marriage be unseated.

He asked Christians across the globe to spend Thursday fasting and praying for Davis, to mark "one week of unlawful tyranny." He asked them to be ready for war against religious oppression.

On the jailhouse lawn, the rally's organizers distributed fliers that listed what Davis' supporters should do: pray for her release, write the judge and demand she be set free, send Davis postcards to jail, where she remains in a cell alone though allowed a Bible to read.

"The wicked are trying to make an example of her but God can turn it around," the flier reads. "Pray that America repents of the sin of celebrating sexual perversion and imprisoning Christian dissidents."



http://www.cbsnews.com/news/oregon-judge-vance-day-refuses-perform-same-sex-marriages-religious-grounds/

Oregon judge refuses to perform same-sex marriages
AP September 5, 2015


SALEM, Ore. -- Marion County Judge Vance Day is being investigated by a judicial fitness commission in part over his refusal to perform same-sex marriages on religious grounds, a spokesman for the judge said.

When a federal court ruling in May 2014 made same-sex marriage legal in Oregon, Day instructed his staff to refer same-sex couples looking to marry to other judges, spokesman Patrick Korten said Friday.

Last fall, he decided to stop performing weddings altogether, aside from one in March that had long been scheduled, Korten said.

"He made a decision nearly a year ago to stop doing weddings altogether, and the principal factor that he weighed was the pressure that one would face to perform a same-sex wedding, which he had a conflict with his religious beliefs," Korten said.

In an email, Day declined to comment and referred questions to Korten.

The issue of same-sex weddings is "the weightiest" of several allegations against Day that are being investigated by the Commission on Judicial Fitness and Disability, Korten said.

He declined to detail any of the allegations, saying he didn't want to defy the commission, which considers complaints confidential until it is ready to make them public.

The investigation of Day's conduct comes amid heightened national attention to the responsibilities of public officials who oppose same-sex marriage. Kim Davis, a county clerk in Kentucky, went to jail Thursday because of her refusal to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

Last month, the Ohio Supreme Court's Board of Professional Conduct said judges can't refuse to marry same-sex couples on personal, moral or religious grounds.

Judges who stop performing all marriages to avoid marrying same-sex couples may be interpreted as biased and could be disqualified from any case where sexual orientation is an issue, the Ohio board ruled.

The investigation of Day came to light Thursday when the Oregon Government Ethics Commission - a separate entity from the judicial fitness commission - approved the judge's request to create a legal defense fund to pay his lawyers.

Day, a former chairman of the Oregon Republican Party, was appointed to the bench in 2011 by then-Gov. John Kitzhaber, a Democrat.

Day's move concerned Jeana Frazzini, co-director of the gay-rights group Basic Rights Oregon.

"Taking that kind of a step really calls into question how an LGBTQ person could expect to be treated in a court of law," Frazzini said. "It goes beyond marriage and gets to serious questions about judicial integrity."




Davis -- "She won't bow, I promise you," Davis' husband, Joe, told the crowd. "She sends her love to each and every one of you all. And this is what she said, 'All is well. Tell them to hold their head high because I am.'" …. Part revival, part political rally, a series of speakers denounced the government and the judiciary and hailed Davis a Christian hero in a war against the godless. They waved signs that read "Kim Davis for President," ''no to sodomite perversion" and "God gives his hardest battles to his strongest soldiers." …. "She said that she was doing this under God's authority. She is 1,000 percent correct. She is echoing what western man has said for over 1,500 years now. And that is that divine law trumps human laws." …. Bunning told Davis Thursday that she'd left him no choice. The judge, appointed to the court by President George W. Bush, became a target of the crowd's rage. A man carried a sign as big as a bathtub: "Judge Bunning is an abomination," it read and pointed to a Bible passage that says, "Acquitting the guilty and condemning the innocent -- the Lord detests them both." …. He asked Christians across the globe to spend Thursday fasting and praying for Davis, to mark "one week of unlawful tyranny." He asked them to be ready for war against religious oppression. …. "The wicked are trying to make an example of her but God can turn it around," the flier reads. "Pray that America repents of the sin of celebrating sexual perversion and imprisoning Christian dissidents."

Day -- Marion County Judge Vance Day is being investigated by a judicial fitness commission in part over his refusal to perform same-sex marriages on religious grounds, a spokesman for the judge said. When a federal court ruling in May 2014 made same-sex marriage legal in Oregon, Day instructed his staff to refer same-sex couples looking to marry to other judges, spokesman Patrick Korten said Friday. …. In an email, Day declined to comment and referred questions to Korten. The issue of same-sex weddings is "the weightiest" of several allegations against Day that are being investigated by the Commission on Judicial Fitness and Disability, Korten said. He declined to detail any of the allegations, saying he didn't want to defy the commission, which considers complaints confidential until it is ready to make them public …. Last month, the Ohio Supreme Court's Board of Professional Conduct said judges can't refuse to marry same-sex couples on personal, moral or religious grounds. Judges who stop performing all marriages to avoid marrying same-sex couples may be interpreted as biased and could be disqualified from any case where sexual orientation is an issue, the Ohio board ruled. …. Day, a former chairman of the Oregon Republican Party, was appointed to the bench in 2011 by then-Gov. John Kitzhaber, a Democrat. Day's move concerned Jeana Frazzini, co-director of the gay-rights group Basic Rights Oregon. "Taking that kind of a step really calls into question how an LGBTQ person could expect to be treated in a court of law," Frazzini said. "It goes beyond marriage and gets to serious questions about judicial integrity."

"Taking that kind of a step really calls into question how an LGBTQ person could expect to be treated in a court of law," Frazzini said. "It goes beyond marriage and gets to serious questions about judicial integrity." When I was young, I grew up in pretty liberal United Methodist Church, where I learned to view my religion as a way of thinking contemplatively and not as an extremely emotional and dogmatic set of rules to which I absolutely had to conform. I did not believe certain core Fundamentalist Christian ideas such as the Virgin Birth and Jesus’ rising from the dead. I did believe in being fair to everyone, being honest in my daily life, helping the poor and those who are unable to defend themselves, and proceeding through life with as much faith and hope as possible. In my senior year in high school I took a Bible course, which was not required but was encouraged. That teacher was involved with Youth For Christ, and though I tried to “believe” as they wanted me to, I wasn’t able to.

The way I approach life is through thinking, learning and experiencing rather than accepting a mandatory set of beliefs and following the crowd. The YFC experience turned me off to religion entirely until in my thirties I joined AA and began to follow the Steps, which include trying to find some faith in a Higher Power, following a basically honest and humble path, refraining from taking a drink entirely, and praying regularly. Partly because I was more experienced and had a better idea of what things are good and what are bad, and partly because I was ready to approach the element of inner consciousness which Christians call the “soul,” I began to turn to a Higher Power in earnest. I chose the Spirit of Life as my Higher Power and began to meditate and examine life much more closely than I ever had before. In the last few years I have joined a Unitarian Universalist Church and I have companions who think as I do.

This “God of my understanding” is not a vengeful, angry, jealous God who is going to put me into a fiery hell if I believe one thing rather than another, but who will definitely be displeased if I cheat, steal, treat the downtrodden with disrespect, join in any hate groups, elevate myself above others and in general fail to “walk humbly” in life. I am comfortable with that persona and at peace. I have taken it as my role to learn as much as I can during my life and help those who need help. In that pursuit I have found myself to be “called” if you will to point up the injustices when I see them and support those who seem to me to be walking a path of goodness.

I do not stress sexual misconduct as so many Christians do, but rather unfair attitudes and behaviors. Physical or mental abusiveness is one of the worst human characteristics in my opinion, so I point those things out when I see them. I, like Ms. Davis, have an axe to grind. She wants to keep gays from marrying and I want to let those who are not harming others live. In other words, my motto is “Live and Let Live.” This is the way that our US Constitution was set up in the beginning, but now the Fundamentalist Christians are trying to remake and even take over our government. I’m sorry they don’t like gays, but to me our rights include following our own beliefs, but not to the exclusion of other’s right to their beliefs. I want to see peace and they are sowing strife. That is not the Christianity that I believe in, and it is not rightfully their place to mandate that I and others follow their views.

I am very concerned about promoting justice and compassion for those who need help. As a result I do talk a lot about issues like police brutality, or any kind of brutality – animals, children, the mentally disturbed are all treated despicably by many in our country, which I think is an outgrowth of pure viciousness. We have been taught competition and greed over all else in this country by the “conservative” thinkers. Every now and then somebody tries to push an Ayn Rand book on me, which is the epitome of that philosophy.

Technically those people are mentally and emotionally disturbed, of course, and if they were to repent I would forgive them, but they don’t usually. George Wallace of Alabama did, however, specifically come to regret his actions against blacks and ask for forgiveness. I was impressed with him, because there are any number of other racists who have not taken that step. Between now and the time that they do, I want to see such people lose their position of power over others. I think they should serve time in prison just like other violent offenders, and be required to go to a mental health treatment center.





http://www.cbsnews.com/news/can-bernie-sanders-gain-support-from-minority-voters-in-iowa/

Can Bernie Sanders gain support from minority voters in Iowa?
By KYLIE ATWOOD CBS NEWS
September 5, 2015

Photograph -- Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, D-Vermont, greets Sarah Young Bear-Brown and her son Maddox Tubby after talking to tribal members of the Sac and Fox Tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa/Meskwaki Nation during a campaign event at the Meskwaki Nation Settlement near Tama, Iowa, Sept. 4, 2015. REUTERS
Photograph -- img1416.jpg, Ernestine Keahna and her family hold up a sign supporting Bernie Sanders KYLIE ATWOOD / CBS NEWS


TAMA, Iowa -- Ernestine Keahna sat on a wooden bench outside the Meskwaki Tribal Center in Tama, Iowa, with three of her seven children, one granddaughter and one great-grandson. She stared off into a parking lot spread out on the 8,000 acre settlement of her homeland and spoke with her daughters about what they had just heard from Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders.

"He makes a lot of sense," said Nina Young Bear, Keahna's 55-year-old daughter.

"Too much sense. Like Obama," 78- year old Keahna said. "I wish Obama could run again." Keahna's daughters nodded their heads in agreement.

Sanders had just spent an hour of his Iowa tour in a gymnasium at the Meskwaki Tribal Center, where approximately 250 locals came to hear him speak. The settlement is not a hot spot for presidential candidates -- in fact, most people in the room couldn't recall a visit from a presidential candidate at all. Sanders drove to this campaign stop immediately after finishing a roundtable with more than 20 Hispanic community members in Muscatine, Iowa. With these back-to-back events in the Hawkeye State, Sanders' campaign is making it clear that he's hoping to gain traction with minority groups in the state.

Together, Hispanics and Native Americans only make up about 6 percent of the total population in the state. Yet in a caucus, every vote matters.

"In presidential elections, every vote makes a difference. That's because no one wins by a huge margin," said Steffen Schmidt, a political science professor at Iowa State University. He also noted that what candidates do in Iowa reverberates to minority populations all over the country.

The Sanders campaign will be hard-pressed to attract the energy and numbers that propelled a 2008 Obama caucus victory in Iowa, when more than 239,000 Democrats came out. Fewer than 125,000 Democrats showed up in 2004. The Obama Iowa coalition is not behind one Democratic candidate, and many say that reaching for those high numbers is unrealistic. But reaching out to small groups could be key.

Hillary Clinton and Sanders are doing it in different ways.

"I think you can come with your own ideas, and you can wave your arms and give a speech," Clinton said in an interview with MSNBC on Friday. "But are you connecting and really hearing what people are either saying to you or wishing that you would say to them?"

At the Meskwaki settlement, Sanders stressed that climate change is real and caused by human activity.

"You destroy nature, you destroy life," Sanders said, commending Native Americans for their long history of respecting nature.

Ernestine Keahna and her daughters, who express a deep connection to their land, felt emotional when hearing Sanders come out strong on the environment. The elder daughter is worried about the Keystone XL pipeline and is ready to protest it if necessary.

With the Latino community members in Muscatine, Sanders' comments on immigration and the treatment of the Hispanic community made an impact. He called the "mean and degrading" comments from Republican front-runner Donald Trump on immigrants "unacceptable," and he cautioned against blaming immigrants for all of the country's problems. He also stated his support for comprehensive immigration reform.

"We work to eat. A lot of people don't care about working because they can eat no matter what. We come to this country to work," said 66-year-old Jose Sanders, a retired foundry worker who was at the Sanders roundtable. "I like the way he talks."

Santos Saucedo dressed in a suit for Sanders' visit. He is the executive director of the Muscatine County Boxing Club that coaches about 35 kids every day for free. Most of the kids are Latino.

"He is definitely someone that I really like," said Saucedo, a fervent Democrat who is currently carrying out his own campaign to join the Muscatine City Council.

When asked about Clinton, Saucedo just shook his head. "Not her," he said.

Democrat Martin O'Malley has visited Muscatine, but Clinton has yet to come to the town.

Last weekend, Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, visited Iowa to campaign for Clinton. He received tough questions from Latino community members in Des Moines, but Clinton support at the event was evident.

It remains to be seen who these small pockets of Democratic Iowan Hispanic and Native American voters decide to support and, most importantly, if they will go out on caucus night.

"Well, that was history," said Charlie Shuckahosee, the Native American facilities manager at the Meskwaki Tribal Center, after folding up the 200 chairs he had set up for the Sanders event. He described Sanders as "pretty cool."

Yet when asked if he would caucus for Sanders, he paused.

"I thought Obama would get me to vote, but I didn't vote then either, so I don't know," Shuckahosee said with a laugh.




“The settlement is not a hot spot for presidential candidates -- in fact, most people in the room couldn't recall a visit from a presidential candidate at all. Sanders drove to this campaign stop immediately after finishing a roundtable with more than 20 Hispanic community members in Muscatine, Iowa. …. Together, Hispanics and Native Americans only make up about 6 percent of the total population in the state. Yet in a caucus, every vote matters. "In presidential elections, every vote makes a difference. That's because no one wins by a huge margin," said Steffen Schmidt, a political science professor at Iowa State University. …. Together, Hispanics and Native Americans only make up about 6 percent of the total population in the state. Yet in a caucus, every vote matters. "In presidential elections, every vote makes a difference. That's because no one wins by a huge margin," said Steffen Schmidt, a political science professor at Iowa State University. …. At the Meskwaki settlement, Sanders stressed that climate change is real and caused by human activity. "You destroy nature, you destroy life," Sanders said, commending Native Americans for their long history of respecting nature. Ernestine Keahna and her daughters, who express a deep connection to their land, felt emotional when hearing Sanders come out strong on the environment. The elder daughter is worried about the Keystone XL pipeline and is ready to protest it if necessary. …. "We work to eat. A lot of people don't care about working because they can eat no matter what. We come to this country to work," said 66-year-old Jose Sanders, a retired foundry worker who was at the Sanders roundtable. "I like the way he talks." …. It remains to be seen who these small pockets of Democratic Iowan Hispanic and Native American voters decide to support and, most importantly, if they will go out on caucus night. "Well, that was history," said Charlie Shuckahosee, the Native American facilities manager at the Meskwaki Tribal Center, after folding up the 200 chairs he had set up for the Sanders event. He described Sanders as "pretty cool."

Caucusing is one of the more confusing things that I’ve ever tried to understand. I wouldn’t enjoy doing it, and I definitely think voting at the polls is better. This article speaks of the necessity to get the folks all together in one place, and I’ll bet if it rains you will get a very low turnout. Voting is more foolproof. Of course there are those who don’t get to the polls to vote also. It’s good that we do get a ballot in the mail that can be sent in by a certain date and counted toward our candidate. Some elderly or disabled people wouldn’t be able to vote in person. I wonder if in a caucus it is possible to send a proxy to vote for you. If so, that would help, and caucusing does raise awareness of the issues involved and the candidate’s qualifications. Our Democrats seem to do better when they go to Town Meetings. Now I would like to attend a presidential town meeting. When the audience asks questions, the candidates are required to face some questions that the media might not pose. These American Indians seem to like Sanders. I do hope they will get their darned photo IDs in hand and go to the polls to vote for him!





http://www.cbsnews.com/news/arbys-makes-decision-on-clerk-accused-of-denying-officer-service/

Arby's makes decision on clerk accused of denying officer service
CBS NEWS
September 4, 2015

Photographs -- Police Sergeant Jennifer Martin, left, and Arby's clerk Kenny Davenport, right. CBS NEWS
Play VIDEO -- Arby's employee says denying cop service was a joke
Play VIDEO -- Arby's apologizes for denying cop


PEMBROKE PINES -- An Arby's clerk in Florida accused of denying a police officer service for being a police officer has met with company executives and has been handed down a punishment, reports CBS Miami.

Kenny Davenport, 19, said he was working when Pembroke Pines Police Sergeant Jennifer Martin pulled up to the drive thru window. But he says their interaction was a joke that was taken the wrong way.

According to a police report on the incident, Martin was told by Manager Angel Mirabal at the restaurant that an employee, now identified as Davenport, did not want to serve her. Mirabal allegedly said, "He doesn't want to serve you because you are a police officer."


After the uncomfortable encounter, Martin said she was uncertain she wanted to eat at the restaurant because her food may be tainted. The manager tried to assure her everything was fine, and handed over her food.

According to the report, the manager allegedly laughed and said the clerk was allowed to refuse service to the officer.

CBS Miami reports that Davenport met with company executives Friday morning where he was put on leave with two days pay.

"This was a complex and difficult decision, but as a company that highly values trust and fairness, we ultimately found that the crew member was not involved other than to attempt to remedy the situation," said the company's CEO Paul Brown in a statement. "We have reviewed our process and decision with the Pembroke Pines Police Department who made it clear they consider the case closed."

The manager, on the other hand, was fired.


"As a result of our thorough investigation, we have terminated the manager and placed the crew member on temporary paid leave," the statement read.

Thomas McCutcheon tells CBS Miami he was not happy with how the Arby's controversy has played out so far for his grandson Kenny Davenport.

"I want my grandson exonerated of all this misunderstanding and not to have to look over his shoulder," said McCutcheon.

The company has also reached out to local law enforcement by offering free meals to uniformed officers on Friday. Police can go into any of their Miami-Dade and Broward locations for the free meal.

CBS Miami previously reported that a South Florida police union called for a national boycott of Arby's after Martin was denied service.

"I am offended and appalled that an individual within our community would treat a police officer in such a manner. It is unacceptable," said Pembroke Pines Police Department Chief Dan Giustino.

In reaction to the incident, the Dade County Police Benevolent Association called for the employees involved to be fired.

Arby's issued an apology in regards to the incident.

"We take this isolated matter very seriously as we respect and support police officers in our local communities. As soon as the issue was brought to our attention, our CEO spoke with the Police Chief who expressed his gratitude for our quick action and indicated the case is closed. We will be following up with our team members to be sure that our policy of inclusion is understood and adhered to. Further, we will be following through with disciplinary action up to and including termination of the employees involved, as appropriate."

A few days after the incident, Davenport had said that he does not hate cops.

"We don't hate anybody," he said. "We're just trying to get people out of the drive thru."

Davenport's grandfather had previously told CBS Miami that he believes the whole incident was being blown out of proportion. He raised his grandson and said he has respect for the police. He believes the whole thing was centered around a misunderstood joke.

"Officers lives matter," he said. "Everybody's life matters. Somebody made a joke and she just didn't take it the right way. She didn't think they were joking. She thought it was a serious matter. Now their job as an officer is very serious and I appreciate all that they do."

Kenny Davenport had told CBS Miami he saw little point in trying to explain himself.

"There's no point in talking," he said. "I'm 19. She's an officer and I'm colored."




“Kenny Davenport, 19, said he was working when Pembroke Pines Police Sergeant Jennifer Martin pulled up to the drive thru window. But he says their interaction was a joke that was taken the wrong way. According to a police report on the incident, Martin was told by Manager Angel Mirabal at the restaurant that an employee, now identified as Davenport, did not want to serve her. Mirabal allegedly said, "He doesn't want to serve you because you are a police officer." After the uncomfortable encounter, Martin said she was uncertain she wanted to eat at the restaurant because her food may be tainted. The manager tried to assure her everything was fine, and handed over her food. .... CBS Miami reports that Davenport met with company executives Friday morning where he was put on leave with two days pay. "This was a complex and difficult decision, but as a company that highly values trust and fairness, we ultimately found that the crew member was not involved other than to attempt to remedy the situation," said the company's CEO Paul Brown in a statement. "We have reviewed our process and decision with the Pembroke Pines Police Department who made it clear they consider the case closed." The manager, on the other hand, was fired.”

This, to me, was not a “complex and difficult decision.” The young man was acting like a jerk and was appropriately reprimanded. The only change I would make is that I don’t think he should get two days’ pay after such an episode. He could equally as well have been fired, as was the manager. The manager definitely should have lost his job, as he is supposed to have more common sense than the kid in question, and he didn’t show that. I’m sure they are both sorry for their actions, however, and have learned a lesson.





http://www.cbsnews.com/news/still-believing-in-the-american-dream/

Still believing in the American Dream
CBS NEWS
September 6, 2015

Related Articles:

The corrosive impact of America's growing wealth gap (CBS Moneywatch, 02/18/15)
The 1% will own most of world's wealth by 2016 (CBS Moneywatch, 01/19/15)
How the wealth gap is damaging the U.S. economy (CBS Moneywatch, 08/05/14)
our-kids-over-244.jpg, SIMON & SCHUSTER


Are all our nation's families still LIVING THE DREAM? The American Dream, that is, long considered our birthright. A question for our Labor Day Weekend Cover Story reported by Martha Teichner.

The '50s and '60s were good years to celebrate in Port Clinton, Ohio -- prosperous years for the little town on the edge of Lake Erie. Port Clinton's population: 6,000 or so. The local auto parts factory alone employed nearly a thousand.

Even without much education, there were well-paid, blue-collar jobs to be had in 1959, when Robert Putnam graduated from Port Clinton High School, valedictorian of his class.

Putnam, now a professor at Harvard, said there was a sense that you were living the American Dream. "That was a Golden Age for the American middle class," he said.

For Putnam, the American Dream -- which he says means opportunity for all -- is in trouble.

Port Clinton, his own hometown, he sees as proof. The auto parts factory and all of those jobs are gone.

"This is a Rust Belt case," he said. "In the Rust Belt, of course, manufacturing disappeared, and that undermined the social fabric and the opportunity for kids. But you can find the same thing all over the country, even places that don't have Rust Belt stories."

He said, "You can't have the American Dream if there's not a good, solid economic base for the middle class."

A glance at incomes tells the story. Since 1979, a 200% rise for the top one percenters; the gap with everybody else widening, especially for middle income households earning between $42,000 and $82,000.

In his recent book, "Our Kids: The American Dream in Crisis" (published by CBS-owned Simon & Schuster), Putnam argues that this widening income gap has led to a widening and dangerous "opportunity gap" based on social class -- children's futures dictated by their parents' affluence and education.

"It's not just the American economy that's pulled apart, leaving out the middle," he said. "It's the American society that's pulled apart into rich families and poor families."

In the middle of Port Clinton, Adrienne Hines smiles down from a billboard advertising her services as a bankruptcy lawyer.

"When I see clients who have so very little, how do they even contemplate the American Dream?" she asked.

Her husband, Scott, is a judge who settles workmen's compensation disputes.

"The scary part is, we realize a few bad choices and we could have been them," he said.

Which has shaped their definition of the American Dream.

"I think it really comes down to security," she said. "And for us, I think that's what the American Dream is, knowing you are eliminating the worry factor from your life."

They live well, but not lavishly, on the outskirts of Port Clinton. Their 13-year-old twins, Zoe and Avery, take piano lessons. They have family dinners together. When they talk, education is a common theme. The twins have been taken to college campuses, art museums, and to Europe (twice).

When asked if they feel they are living the American Dream, Adrienne replied, "I do."

But according to a December 2014 New York Times poll, the number of Americans who still believe in the American Dream is slipping. It was 72 percent in early 2009, at the worst of the financial crisis, and 64 percent this past December, in spite of the improved economy.

Chris Lawson, from a not-so-nice part of Port Clinton, Ohio, did not grow up living anybody's version of the American Dream.

"My mom wasn't around too much when I was little," he told Teichner, "so I was mostly in my dad's custody. But he was always running around, so I was raised by my grandmother. My dad was a little nuts, so he's locked up right now. He's in prison."

Lawson's childhood was chaotic, just graduating from high school, a slog. "I didn't have many friends in school, 'cause I was kind of an outcast."

During summer months he does landscaping work, but would like a steadier job.

In his early 20s, Lawson is not someone you'd expect to be a big believer in dreams. But he is, or has been ever since his three-year-old daughter, Camille, was born. He shares custody with Camille's mother.

"Since I've had her, it's not about me anymore," he said. "None of this is. I just gotta make sure she's on the right path, and that I'm on the right path to getting her there."

Teichner asked, "Is she your American Dream?"

"Oh yeah, definitely," he replied. "She's my angel."

"You just look so happy."

"I love her," said Lawson. "She makes me so happy."

The flip side of the news that faith in the American Dream has slipped to 64 percent, is that 64 percent -- nearly two-thirds of Americans -- still DO believe in an idea that is often about much more than making money.

For immigrants, such as Hussain Tasawar, it can still be a beacon of hope. Everybody, he said, has a dream when they come to America "about freedom and nice living."

A banker in Pakistan, Tasawar left because it was dangerous for anyone who opposed the party in power. He walked to Afghanistan at night to escape. His family now lives in New Jersey. He drives a taxi. Tasawar, all his children and grandchildren are proud American citizens.

Teichner asked, "You think coming to America gave you the opportunity you were hoping for?"

Yes, he said. "If you are hard worker, you can get everything here."

His youngest daughter, Saba, started college last week.

"She will go to the university and she can get opportunity, if she is intelligent," Tasawar said.

"You don't think of it on a day-to-day basis that, 'Wow, my father struggled so much, and now he's here,'" said Saba. "You kind of just use what you have. But when you think back, I think it's a very respectful and honorable thing."

And if you happen to run across Hussain Tasawar's taxi, take a look at the name of the company he works for: yes, the American Dream Car & Limousine Service.

Related Articles:

Nobel economist Joseph Stiglitz: "American Dream is a myth" (CBS Moneywatch, 04/23/15)
"60 Minutes"/Vanity Fair poll: The American Dream (04/06/15)
Is the American Dream dying? (CBS Moneywatch, 02/26/15)
American Dream no longer includes being a homeowner ("CBS Evening News," 10/31/14)
How to achieve the American Dream (CBS Moneywatch, 06/06/14)


For more info:
"Our Kids: The American Dream in Crisis" by Robert D. Putnam (Simon & Schuster); Also available in eBook and Unabridged Audio Download formats
Read an excerpt
Robert Putnam, Harvard University
Adrienne Marie Hines, consumer bankruptcy attorney, Kademenos, Wisehart, Hines & Lynch
americandreamlimo.biz




“Even without much education, there were well-paid, blue-collar jobs to be had in 1959, when Robert Putnam graduated from Port Clinton High School, valedictorian of his class. Putnam, now a professor at Harvard, said there was a sense that you were living the American Dream. "That was a Golden Age for the American middle class," he said. For Putnam, the American Dream -- which he says means opportunity for all -- is in trouble. …. "This is a Rust Belt case," he said. "In the Rust Belt, of course, manufacturing disappeared, and that undermined the social fabric and the opportunity for kids. But you can find the same thing all over the country, even places that don't have Rust Belt stories." He said, "You can't have the American Dream if there's not a good, solid economic base for the middle class." …. In his recent book, "Our Kids: The American Dream in Crisis" (published by CBS-owned Simon & Schuster), Putnam argues that this widening income gap has led to a widening and dangerous "opportunity gap" based on social class -- children's futures dictated by their parents' affluence and education. "It's not just the American economy that's pulled apart, leaving out the middle," he said. "It's the American society that's pulled apart into rich families and poor families." …. "When I see clients who have so very little, how do they even contemplate the American Dream?" she asked. Her husband, Scott, is a judge who settles workmen's compensation disputes. "The scary part is, we realize a few bad choices and we could have been them," he said. Which has shaped their definition of the American Dream. "I think it really comes down to security," she said. "And for us, I think that's what the American Dream is, knowing you are eliminating the worry factor from your life." …. The flip side of the news that faith in the American Dream has slipped to 64 percent, is that 64 percent -- nearly two-thirds of Americans -- still DO believe in an idea that is often about much more than making money. For immigrants, such as Hussain Tasawar, it can still be a beacon of hope. Everybody, he said, has a dream when they come to America "about freedom and nice living."

Yes, money isn’t the only thing we should be asking from life, but it is important. Immigrants from war zones are probably going to have a better life here than they had at home, you betcha. We should be looking at our hard core city poor and ask them the same questions about the American Dream. I certainly wouldn’t move to Syria to live. There are people here who keep trying to get even as far up as the true Middle Class and who can’t quite make it. It is almost necessary to get a job-oriented college degree – not just a vague liberal arts AB – to get a good job. A teaching certificate would help, though teachers don’t get paid very well, and of course if you take a tack toward the side -- such as writing a successful book -- that would really help. There are still some employment positions that involve apprenticeships, “growing with the company” etc., and some people do manage to invent something useful and market it. Bill Gates and Steve Jobs come to mind.

Whatever the course of study, it will take planning, a knowledge of investing, frugality and persistent work. If we can find a good love match and pursue that, too, and hopefully have at least a couple of kids, or at least a good social life and a hobby, it will really improve the way life feels. The young man in this article who had a two or three year old girl, and was dedicated to her, had found the real path to happiness. Often a church will deliver that as well. Children do anchor one to something concrete and satisfying in most cases. I’m back again, I see, to the idea that money isn’t the only thing or even the most important thing, unless luxuries and high social status are truly our goals. I have never personally been of that turn of mind, and as a result I have had a fair amount of contentment. The US is one of the best places for people who value their own thoughts and personal level achievements, and who will fight for the right to keep them. I can’t stress enough the importance of accepting life and being grateful, especially as we get older, as I have learned to do. I will fight for our “social safety net,” however – Social Security and Medicare -- and if we can just elect Bernie Sanders or Joe Biden/Elizabeth Warren rather than one of the Republicans, things will hopefully be okay. Those three good Democrats will try to improve the health of the economy, I feel sure.