September 7, 2015


News Clips For The Day


http://news.yahoo.com/fed-angry-supporters-let-trump-defy-political-gravity-114923280--election.html

Trump defies political gravity thanks to fed-up supporters
Associated Press By JILL COLVIN
September 6, 2015

Associated Press Videos -- Trump Signs Pledge to Back GOP
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How Trump plans to turn gawkers into hardcore supporters Reuters
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As media accepts Donald Trump, what happens now? Christian Science Monitor
Why Donald Trump's Supporters Are Sticking Around ABC News
Donald Trump insults Megyn Kelly: Is belligerence the core of his appeal? Christian Science Monitor


NORWOOD, Mass. (AP) — Donald Trump insults and exaggerates.

He dismisses the need for public policy ideas, gets confused about world affairs and sometimes says things that flat-out aren't true.

And the cheers from his supporters only grow louder.

By the standard that voters typically use to judge presidential candidates, Trump probably should not have survived his first day in the 2016 race.

Yet as the summer draws to a close and the initial votes in the nominating calendar appear on the horizon, Trump has established himself as the Republican front-runner.

Listen to these voters:

—"It's totally refreshing. He's not politically correct. He has a backbone and he cannot be bought," said Leigh Ann Crouse, 55, of Dubuque, Iowa.

—"This country needs a businessman just like him to put us back on track, to make us stop being the laughing stock of this world," said Ken Brand, 56, of Derry, New Hampshire.

—"He says everything that I would like to say, but I'm afraid to say. What comes out of his mouth is not what he thinks I want to hear," said Janet Boyden, 67, of Chester, Massachusetts.

They are among the dozens of voters interviewed in the past two weeks by The Associated Press to understand how Trump has defied the laws of political gravity.

Uniting them is a deep-rooted anger and frustration with the nation's political leaders — President Barack Obama as well as conservative Republicans who, these voters say, haven't sufficiently stood up to his Democratic administration.

Some haven't voted in years, or ever, and may not next year. But at this moment, they are entranced by Trump's combination of utter self-assurance, record of business success and a promise that his bank account is big enough to remain insulated from the forces they believe have poisoned Washington.

By the way, they say it's not that they are willing to look past Trump's flaws to fix what they believe ills the country. It's that those flaws are exactly what makes him the leader America needs.

"At least we know where he stands," said Kurt Esche, 49, an independent who was at Trump's recent rally outside Boston. "These other guys, I don't trust anything that comes out of their mouths. They're lying to get elected. This guy's at least saying what he believes."

In this Sept. 3, 2015, photo, Leigh Ann Crouse of Dubuque, Iowa, shows her support for Republican.

"He may have started as a joke," Esche said, "but he may be the real deal."

Crouse is a merchandise processor at a retail distributor outside Dubuque, the Mississippi River town where Trump tossed Univision anchor Jorge Ramos from a news conference.

A political independent who has never participated in Iowa's leadoff presidential caucuses, Crouse said she began following Trump from the moment he referred to Mexican immigrants as criminals during his campaign kickoff.

"He's just attracting people who are frustrated, and as you can see, there are a lot of us," she said.

Illegal immigration is the perfect summation of Trump's unorthodox campaign.

He claims it's an issue the GOP would not be discussing if not for his presence in the race, even though the topic has been at the center of political debate for years.

It's the only one on which he has made a concrete proposal; his rivals, by comparison, have rolled out lots of ideas on a range of issues.

Here's Trump's pitch: deport millions of people who are living in the United States illegally and build a border wall. Critics deride this approach as naïve, but his supporters say it's the obvious solution.

"As crazy as it might be, I think he's addressing something that needs to be heard," said Randy Thomas, 40, of Bedford, New Hampshire. "I think he's saying something that everybody thinks always has to be addressed. If you have a country of laws, you have to abide by the laws."

Republican pollster Frank Luntz, who recently held a discussion with a group of nearly 30 Trump backers in Virginia, said such support is emblematic of Trump's popularity. It stems less from their love for the candidate and more from a belief those in power have failed.

"He activates the anger and frustration they have toward Washington and Wall Street," Luntz said.

For many, Trump's rise is a reaction to Obama, long criticized by opponents as a weak leader who appeases America's enemies rather than asserting U.S. dominance on the global stage.

The voters interviewed by AP said much of Trump's appeal stems from their belief he is a decisive and forceful leader who never backs down or apologizes, even when maybe he should.

Many appear convinced that the sheer force of Trump's personality can reverse decades of global realignment, and that his pledges to rid the country of people living in the U.S. illegally and penalize imported goods will restore manufacturing jobs lost to China and boost an economy still scarred by the recession.

"We're just so weak. We're not respected anymore," said Jerry Welshoff, 56, of Franklin, Massachusetts. He arrived at a recent Trump event near Boston unsure about the candidate; he emerged sold on the candidate.

"We've appeased everything. We can't negotiate. I would want Donald Trump to sit across a table from (Russian President Vladimir) Putin or Iran or the Mexican prime minister to cut a deal because he's done it his whole life," he said.

The frustration among voters isn't limited to their feelings about Obama.

Welshoff said the Republican Party has done nothing but acquiesce to Obama despite taking control of Congress in 2014.

It's the same complaint heard from Duane Ernster, 57, of Dubuque. He is disappointed by the few accomplishments of tea party candidates elected to Congress in 2010.

"Things just didn't happen. It just hasn't happened the way we'd hoped," he said. "Maybe we need a warrior instead of a politician. People compare Mr. Trump to Putin. There's something to be said about the man, who takes care of the Russian people."

Others are simply blown away by Trump's wealth and his promise to pay for his campaign out of his own pocket. "He won't owe anybody," said Susan Sager, 57, of Aiken, South Carolina.

This is an important point of distinction with both Democratic front-runner Hillary Rodham Clinton and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, who began the campaign viewed as the GOP front-runner due in no small part to his ability to raise huge amounts of money.

"Remember this. They have total control over Jeb and Hillary and everybody else that takes that money," Trump said this past week, adding: "I will tell you this. Nobody's putting up millions of dollars for me. I'm putting up my own money."

The argument that Trump is uncorruptible is powerful.

"I just think he's doing it for all the right reasons," said Nancy Adam, 60, at the rally near Boston. "It's not about the money. It's not about the political power. He's already got everything. He has nothing to lose by doing this."

Trump's uncanny ability to stumble without consequence has befuddled his rivals.

The latest misstep for Trump came Thursday. After pledging only to run as a Republican, he fumbled a series of foreign policy questions from radio host Hugh Hewitt. Trump confused the Quds Force, an elite Iranian military unit, and the Kurds, an ethnic group of more than 30 million people.

He said the line of inquiry amounted to a "gotcha question."

"I mean, you know, when you're asking me about who's running this, this this, that's not, that is not," Trump said, "I will be so good at the military, your head will spin."

Such an answer would invariably be attacked as disqualifying if offered by anyone other than Trump. His rivals have yet to figure out how to challenge an unpredictable opponent who appears immune to such gaffes.

"He just keeps repeating things over and over again. And you all just accept it for the truth, and it's not," Bush told reporters in New Hampshire on Thursday.

Indeed, Trump's foibles often appear to make him stronger.

During his recent discussion with Trump supporters, Luntz played several video clips of the billionaire's least flattering moments.

One was Trump's rejection of Arizona Sen. John McCain's status as a war hero — "I like people that weren't captured, OK?" Another was his complimenting daughter Ivanka's figure and saying that if she "weren't my daughter, perhaps I'd be dating her."

Instead of being rattled, the participants ate up Trump's comments and left the meeting feeling even more confident in their support for him than when they had arrived.

"I think the Trump candidacy is here to stay and I think Republicans need to figure out how to deal with it," Luntz said. He said there is little the party establishment, journalists or his rivals with a background in politics can do to knock Trump down, because the candidate's supporters distrust those groups so strongly.

"In essence, he's Teflon because the people most able to take him down can't because of the very jobs that they do," he said.

It's for that reason that Herman Cain, the former chief executive of Godfather's Pizza who rose to the top of the polls in the fall of 2011, only to see his fortunes derailed by allegations of sexual harassment, said he believes that Trump can succeed.

"It is a totally new paradigm for how the race for president is unfolding," said Cain, making the case that Trump, as well as two other Republican candidates, former Hewlett-Packard chief executive Carly Fiorina and former neurosurgeon Ben Carson, had tapped into a portion of the electorate that is typically disengaged from the political process.

Many of the Trump supporters interviewed by AP said there was a chance they might change their minds before voting next year or sit the contest out. Trump's campaign operation lacks the sophistication of many of his rivals, who in some cases have years of experience in politics and the business of getting out the vote.

For all of Trump's success so far, he's yet to drive any candidate from the race.

There are several debates still to come and five months until the Iowa caucuses — enough time for a rival to build a winning coalition of voters such as Marvin Smith, a Republican from Independence, Kentucky, who said Trump "scares the hell out of me."

"He's appealing to some base emotions. But my worry is that he splinters the Republican Party," Smith said. "He's saying the message people want to hear, but I don't like the way he's saying it."

But anyone who has bet against Trump so far in this campaign has come up — as Trump would say — a loser.

Paul Demerjian, a 55-year-old small business owner from Stoneham, Massachusetts, said he isn't much into politics. But there he was at a recent Trump rally outside Boston, mobbing Trump's SUV as he made his exit.

"I haven't been passionate about a politician running for office since Ronald Reagan," he said.

Associated Press writers Thomas Beaumont in Dubuque, Iowa, Bill Barrow in Greenville, South Carolina, and Julie Pace in Cincinnati contributed to this report.

Follow Jill Colvin on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/colvinj




“Donald Trump insults and exaggerates. He dismisses the need for public policy ideas, gets confused about world affairs and sometimes says things that flat-out aren't true. And the cheers from his supporters only grow louder. …. Uniting them is a deep-rooted anger and frustration with the nation's political leaders — President Barack Obama as well as conservative Republicans who, these voters say, haven't sufficiently stood up to his Democratic administration. Some haven't voted in years, or ever, and may not next year. But at this moment, they are entranced by Trump's combination of utter self-assurance, record of business success and a promise that his bank account is big enough to remain insulated from the forces they believe have poisoned Washington. …. A political independent who has never participated in Iowa's leadoff presidential caucuses, Crouse said she began following Trump from the moment he referred to Mexican immigrants as criminals during his campaign kickoff. "He's just attracting people who are frustrated, and as you can see, there are a lot of us," she said. …. It's the only one on which he has made a concrete proposal; his rivals, by comparison, have rolled out lots of ideas on a range of issues. Here's Trump's pitch: deport millions of people who are living in the United States illegally and build a border wall. Critics deride this approach as naïve, but his supporters say it's the obvious solution. …. . It stems less from their love for the candidate and more from a belief those in power have failed. "He activates the anger and frustration they have toward Washington and Wall Street," Luntz said. For many, Trump's rise is a reaction to Obama, long criticized by opponents as a weak leader who appeases America's enemies rather than asserting U.S. dominance on the global stage. The voters interviewed by AP said much of Trump's appeal stems from their belief he is a decisive and forceful leader who never backs down or apologizes, even when maybe he should. …. "We're just so weak. We're not respected anymore," said Jerry Welshoff, 56, of Franklin, Massachusetts. He arrived at a recent Trump event near Boston unsure about the candidate; he emerged sold on the candidate. "We've appeased everything. We can't negotiate. I would want Donald Trump to sit across a table from (Russian President Vladimir) Putin or Iran or the Mexican prime minister to cut a deal because he's done it his whole life," he said. …. "Remember this. They have total control over Jeb and Hillary and everybody else that takes that money," Trump said this past week, adding: "I will tell you this. Nobody's putting up millions of dollars for me. I'm putting up my own money." The argument that Trump is uncorruptible is powerful. …. "He just keeps repeating things over and over again. And you all just accept it for the truth, and it's not," Bush told reporters in New Hampshire on Thursday. …. One was Trump's rejection of Arizona Sen. John McCain's status as a war hero — "I like people that weren't captured, OK?" Another was his complimenting daughter Ivanka's figure and saying that if she "weren't my daughter, perhaps I'd be dating her." Instead of being rattled, the participants ate up Trump's comments and left the meeting feeling even more confident in their support for him than when they had arrived.”

Says one Republican voter, “There are several debates still to come and five months until the Iowa caucuses — enough time for a rival to build a winning coalition of voters such as Marvin Smith, a Republican from Independence, Kentucky, who said Trump "scares the hell out of me." "He's appealing to some base emotions. But my worry is that he splinters the Republican Party," Smith said. "He's saying the message people want to hear, but I don't like the way he's saying it." I think this may be the voice of the old-fashioned “Moderate Republican,” who was behind General Eisenhower when I was young, and almost all Americans “liked Ike.” John McCain and John Kasich also have had thoughtful and calm things to say down through the years, so the moderates haven’t all gone away. People of that persuasion don’t want the American voters to spiral outward into rightwing insanity, any more than I do.

Trump’s speaking disrespectfully of John McCain angered me, because he is one of the few Republicans in Congress who stand up for human rights and good laws, while the Tea Party tries repeatedly to shut down the government rather than working together with Democrats to make laws that are fair to all and which solve our problems. All Trump does is arouse racial and cultural anger to a fever pitch – it was already a part of our society, of course, but he constantly stirs it up. Some of his audience seemingly really want so much conflict in this country that we will be like Syria ourselves.

What these Trump supporters call weakness in Obama seems to me to be deliberate and well-considered action instead. Obama stood fast against those in Congress who threatened to impeach him for doing a number of things by Executive Order when Congress wouldn’t act on them; and who sent a bizarre and ill-considered letter to Netanyahu inviting him to speak in Congress against the upcoming Iran nuclear plan. He did all that without making a big to-do over the situation. Instead of being arrogant and bombastic like Trump, he is modest well-spoken. Likewise, Obama has yet to incite racial hatred as a political weapon, though being black himself he certainly could have done that. It’s a shame that there are apparently lots of people in the US who are wowed by those hostile and unethical measures on the part of Donald Trump. I am waiting for the moderate Americans to step forward against him. I believe that there is a larger percentage of the American public who have common sense and self-restraint than of those who want to see fanaticism rule here. People like that find Trump and many in the Tea Party “scary,” rather than appealing.




WORDS FROM THE POPE – TWO ARTICLES



http://www.cbsnews.com/news/pope-francis-to-ease-annulment-procedure-for-catholic-church-marriages/

Breaking up is hard to do, but easier soon for Catholics
AP September 7, 2015

Photograph -- Pope Francis attends a special audience with members of the Parish Evangelisation Cell System in Paul VI hall at the Vatican September 5, 2015. REUTERS


VATICAN CITY -- Pope Francis on Tuesday will release new streamlined procedures for annulling marriages after he - and thousands of Catholics before him - complained that the church's current system is cumbersome, costly and often unfair.

Francis will release the new rules after a Vatican-appointed commission of canon lawyers spent the past year studying ways to simplify the process while safeguarding the principle of the indissolubility of marriage, the Vatican said.

Catholic doctrine holds that a church marriage is forever. An annulment is a judgment by a church tribunal that the marriage had some inherent defect from the start. Reasons vary, including that the couple never intended their marriage to last or that one of the spouses didn't want children.

Pope eases church rule on abortion forgiveness

Catholics have long complained that it can take years to get an annulment, if they can get one at all. Costs can reach into the hundreds or thousands of dollars for legal and tribunal fees.

Without the annulment, divorced Catholics who remarry outside the church are considered to be adulterers living in sin and are forbidden from receiving Communion - a dilemma at the core of a current debate roiling the church.

Francis has already called for annulments to be free, saying all Catholics have the right to justice from the church. He has also said the church should take into account that ignorance of the faith can be a reason to declare a marriage invalid.

Francis has previously quoted his predecessor as Buenos Aires archbishop as saying half of the marriages that are celebrated are essentially invalid because people enter into them not realizing that matrimony is a life-long commitment.

Some of the proposals for streamlining the process have included removing the mandatory appeal for each annulment granted. A key member of the study commission, Cardinal Francesco Coccopalmerio, has said he favors letting individual bishops make the decision rather than a full-fledged, three-member tribunal.

Many dioceses in the developing world don't have annulment tribunals. The United States has so many that it often accounts for half of all the world's annulments each year.




“Pope Francis on Tuesday will release new streamlined procedures for annulling marriages after he - and thousands of Catholics before him - complained that the church's current system is cumbersome, costly and often unfair. Francis will release the new rules after a Vatican-appointed commission of canon lawyers spent the past year studying ways to simplify the process while safeguarding the principle of the indissolubility of marriage, the Vatican said. …. An annulment is a judgment by a church tribunal that the marriage had some inherent defect from the start. Reasons vary, including that the couple never intended their marriage to last or that one of the spouses didn't want children. …. Catholics have long complained that it can take years to get an annulment, if they can get one at all. Costs can reach into the hundreds or thousands of dollars for legal and tribunal fees. …. Francis has already called for annulments to be free, saying all Catholics have the right to justice from the church. He has also said the church should take into account that ignorance of the faith can be a reason to declare a marriage invalid. Francis has previously quoted his predecessor as Buenos Aires archbishop as saying half of the marriages that are celebrated are essentially invalid because people enter into them not realizing that matrimony is a life-long commitment.”

It’s interesting that physical and mental abuse are not given – at least in this article – as an acceptable reason for an annulment. The answers from Catholic readers are very telling, and clear reason for me never to join the Catholic Church. I hope the Pope will make a clear declaration on the forgiveness of annulment due to marital abuse. There are things that people simply shouldn’t have to tolerate. Interestingly, sometimes a wife will abuse the husband instead of the other way around. That is also to me very wrong, and shouldn’t be allowed. While we are talking about this, no CHILD should be abused either. In addition, no decent person will abuse the family pets or livestock. We need to rethink all abusiveness in this country, because it is widely ignored by authorities and goes on unabated.



http://forums.catholic.com/showthread.php?t=673159

Discussion:

May 7, '12, 7:46 am
Ophelia23's Avatar Ophelia23 Ophelia23 is offline
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Prayer Warrior Join Date: April 4, 2012
Posts: 2,891
Religion: Roman Catholic

Default Is physical abuse grounds for annulment?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

First, please let me note that this question does not pertain to me or my marriage.

I am researching this for a close friend of mine, and having difficulty finding a straight answer. I have encouraged her to visit our priest and speak with him, but she is not ready to take that step just yet. Is physical abuse grounds for annulment in our Faith? I found a good article at http://eaandfaith.blogspot.com/2006/...-catholic.html, but it still does not seem to answer my question. The type of abuse I am referring to is gravely serious physical injury with repeat offenses. Bruised collar bone, broken arm, black eye; it is horrible. Horrible.

Does anybody happen to know?



May 7, '12, 7:55 am
jilly4ski jilly4ski is offline
Regular Member

Generally physically abuse, in and of itself are not grounds for a declaration of nullity. However, if the abuse was occurring before the wedding that could be evidence that either party did not fully and freely consent to the marriage. Or an undisclosed mental disorder on the part of the abuser would be grounds. Or other specific circumstances could make it grounds.

Since a declaration of nullity requires that something was lacking at the time of the wedding, not something that developed later, such abuse could be used as evidence but usually is not grounds per se.



May 7, '12, 8:02 am
1ke 1ke is offline
Forum Elder Join Date: May 25, 2004
Posts: 26,189
Religion: Catholic

Re: Is physical abuse grounds for annulment?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It is certainly just cause for physical separation and even civil divorce. The Church's teaching on this matter is clear:

From the Catechism:
2383 The separation of spouses while maintaining the marriage bond can be legitimate in certain cases provided for by canon law. If civil divorce remains the only possible way of ensuring certain legal rights, the care of the children, or the protection of inheritance, it can be tolerated and does not constitute a moral offense.

From Canon Law:
Can. 1153 §1. If either of the spouses causes grave mental or physical danger to the other spouse or to the offspring or otherwise renders common life too diffcult, that spouse gives the other a legitimate cause for leaving, either by decree of the local ordinary or even on his or her own authority if there is danger in delay.

So, there is no reason for her to delay in removing herself and any children from this situation.

Regarding nullity, that is more complex. Being a bad spouse (including adultery, physical abuse, etc) is not grounds for nullity. A bad person can validly contract marriage. It is unfortunate when this person turns out to be a bad spouse.

That does not mean that there are not other grounds for nullity, and that the abuse could be evidence of other such reasons.

This is not something for which you will be able to obtain a "yes" or "no" answer here or from any priest in the abstract. This would require that your friend, once divorced, sit down with her priest and discuss in detail.

I can suggest the book Annulment: The Wedding That Was by Michael Smith Foster. It may help both you and your friend understand the Church's teaching.


Pax, ke

ke's universal disclaimer: In my posts, when I post about marriage, canon law, or sacraments I am talking about Latin Rite only, not the Orthodox and Eastern Rites. These are exceptions that confuse the issue and I am not talking about those.
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#4 Old May 7, '12, 8:47 am
TheRealJuliane TheRealJuliane is offline
Senior Member Join Date: October 11, 2010
Posts: 19,026
Religion: Roman Catholic

Default Re: Is physical abuse grounds for annulment?

She needs to leave the marriage and get to a safe place. Whatever happens after that, she needs to preserve her life and safety first. Getting away from an abuser is #1. Then you worry about divorce and annulment. Annulment is a side issue in any case until there is a chance for remarriage. Again, urge your friend to get help to get out.





http://www.cbsnews.com/news/pope-francis-catholics-shelter-syrian-refugees-migrants-flood-europe/

Pope calls on Europe's Catholics to shelter refugees
CBS/AP
September 6, 2015

Photograph -- Pope Francis delivers his blessing to faithful during the Angelus noon prayer from his studio window overlooking St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Sept. 6, 2015. AP
Photograph -- Migrants arrive at the main railway station in Dortmund, Germany Sept. 6, 2015. REUTERS
Play VIDEO -- Europe struggles with handling flood of migrants
Photograph -- Pope Francis delivers his blessing to faithful during the Angelus noon prayer from his studio window overlooking St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Sept. 6, 2015. AP
Play VIDEO -- Flood of migrants arrive in Austria after overwhelming Hungary


Pope Francis asked the faithful throughout Europe to shelter refugees fleeing "death from war and hunger" on Sunday, as German Chancellor Angela Merkel planned to discuss the migrant crisis with other members of her nation's governing political coalition.

Thousands of migrants -- many of them refugees from war-torn Syria -- arrived in Germany by way of Austria by train, bus and car on Saturday. Most went to Munich, the Bavarian capital, where authorities said some 7,000 people were registered and over half received a bed for the night.

Migrants arrive at the main railway station in Dortmund, Germany

Special trains also took 570 people to the Thuringian town of Saalfeld. More than half of them were taken onward to Dresden, where a school for German army officers has been cleared to provide temporary shelter for 350 newcomers. Other trains brought migrants to Hamburg in the north and Dortmund in the west of the country, while more than 300 people traveled to the capital Berlin on specially chartered buses.

At each stop the migrants were received with cheers, bags of food and toys for the children.

Most Germans have been welcoming of the migrants. But far-right groups have protested their arrival, including in Dortmund overnight.

Authorities estimate that up to 800,000 people could apply for asylum in Germany by the end of the year.

Francis said Sunday that the Vatican's two parishes were taking in two families of refugees. He gave no further details as he addressed tens of thousands of people in St. Peter's Square.

Francis said it was not enough to simply say, "Have courage, hang in there," to the hundreds of thousands of refugees who are on the march toward what he called "life's hope."

Pope Francis delivers his blessing to faithful during the Angelus noon prayer from his studio window overlooking St. Peter's Square

"Every Catholic parish, every religious community, every monastery, every sanctuary in Europe should accommodate one family, beginning with my diocese of Rome," Francis said in giving his Sunday Angelus prayer.

CBS News correspondent Charlie D'Agata was with hundreds of refugees aboard a train that pulled into the Austrian town of Nickelsdorf from Hungary on Saturday. Austrian police said 6,000 migrants reached the country Saturday alone.

They'd been stuck in Hungary for days or weeks, and D'Agata says many had run out of food, water and patience long ago.

"Now we are free," one man said. "For five days in Hungary, we were in a very, very bad position."

Austrian Matina Adelsberger said she had seen what was happening to the migrants and had to help.

"I'm so happy they could be here, and we could give them something to eat, and that they see they are welcome here," Adelsberger told CBS News.

A welcome that included warm clothes for Kisam Zukari's daughters, who haven't had much reason to smile since they fled the Syrian city of Latakia.

Among the volunteers: Syrian refugee Lohi al Hussein, who made that same perilous journey himself a few months ago.

"Austria is very nice, very good country," al Hussein said. "I like it, really. I want to stay here."

In France, meanwhile, Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said in a statement Sunday that several dozen mayors had offered to help in recent days, and convened a national meeting to organize refugee housing on Sept. 12.

France is trying to speed up the process for seeking asylum and to better welcome refugees, as the numbers coming to Europe this year have soared. Many asylum seekers in France have no place to live and sleep in make-shift camps, from Paris to Calais.




“At each stop the migrants were received with cheers, bags of food and toys for the children. Most Germans have been welcoming of the migrants. But far-right groups have protested their arrival, including in Dortmund overnight. …. Francis said Sunday that the Vatican's two parishes were taking in two families of refugees. He gave no further details as he addressed tens of thousands of people in St. Peter's Square. Francis said it was not enough to simply say, "Have courage, hang in there," to the hundreds of thousands of refugees who are on the march toward what he called "life's hope." …. "Every Catholic parish, every religious community, every monastery, every sanctuary in Europe should accommodate one family, beginning with my diocese of Rome," Francis said in giving his Sunday Angelus prayer. …. "Now we are free," one man said. "For five days in Hungary, we were in a very, very bad position." Austrian Matina Adelsberger said she had seen what was happening to the migrants and had to help. "I'm so happy they could be here, and we could give them something to eat, and that they see they are welcome here," Adelsberger told CBS News. …. In France, meanwhile, Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said in a statement Sunday that several dozen mayors had offered to help in recent days, and convened a national meeting to organize refugee housing on Sept. 12. France is trying to speed up the process for seeking asylum and to better welcome refugees, as the numbers coming to Europe this year have soared. Many asylum seekers in France have no place to live and sleep in make-shift camps, from Paris to Calais.”

This is an interesting Pope. He doesn’t simply command faith, hope, love and chastity before marriage, he tells his followers to take in one Islamic family each into their homes. I say that’s interesting because it is more practical than to preach a sermon. It is a specific instruction. Hundreds of thousands of Islamic migrants as a concept is too large to deal with emotionally and mentally. It might cause panic. Instead he broke it down into something that is possible, and that shares the burden among them all. It’s very similar to the loaves and fishes, don’t you think? I think he’s not only a good man, he is a good leader. I do hope something will happen in Syria, Algeria, etc. to reduce or stop this flow of humanity, however, because there is only so much food, housing and work to be shared in Europe. It would be interesting if Russia’s involvement with bombing and boots on the ground in Syria could stop ISIS. I’m sure his reasons for going in are more to do with getting a bargaining chip on the oil resources there than his desire to help world peace, but maybe I misjudge him. At any rate, I’ll keep tracking the subjects of ISIS and the migrants flooding into Europe. It’s endlessly interesting and important.





http://www.cbsnews.com/news/after-attacks-tanzanian-children-with-albinism-receive-prosthetics/

After attacks, Tanzanian children with albinism receive prosthetics
By JIM AXELROD CBS NEWS
September 5, 2015

Play VIDEO -- Global Medical Relief's mission
Play VIDEO -- Hunters killing albino children for limbs
Photograph -- albinism.jpg -- Children with albinism who lost their hands to human poachers in Tanzania learn to use their new prosthetics at Shriners Hospital for Children in Philadelphia. CBS NEWS


NEW YORK -- When you hear Kabula Nkarango Masanja's story, the idea that she could smile seems unimaginable.

"In 2010, I was sleeping with my mom," Kabula said. "To the room, two men came inside."

The 17-year-old girl from Tanzania lost her right arm five years ago. She was hunted in her homeland by human poachers for her albinism - a condition that leaves her with little to no pigment in her skin, eyes and hair.


She said the two men attacked her with a machete, cutting off her entire arm.

"They kept it," she said.

In Tanzania, albino body parts can sell for thousands of dollars on the black market. It's believed - by some - the parts hold supernatural powers and can be used in potions to bring good luck and wealth to the consumer.

Between 2000 and 2014, the United Nations reported that the country had seen more than 150 cases of attacks on people with albinism.

Elissa Montanti runs the Global Medical Relief Fund, a nonprofit she founded in Staten Island 17 years ago to help kids injured by war or natural disasters receive prosthetics. Her organization was featured on "60 Minutes" in 2011.

"I have never, never experienced anything like this before," Montanti said. "I've seen kids that have kicked a can and it exploded, dangled from a tree in Indonesia from the tsunami, the earthquake in Haiti. But this is something unimaginable."

Earlier this year, Montanti read of an attack on 5-year-old Baraka Cosmas Lusambo. Men broke into his family's home in March while he was asleep.

"They hit my mother twice on her head," Baraka said in Swahili, through a translator. "Then they came to me. They cut off my hand."

Montanti brought Baraka, Kabula and three other children to the United States from Tanzania in June to receive prosthetics. The five children received their prosthetics at the Shriners Hospital for Children in Philadelphia.

"I feel good because it is going to help me in many different areas, which I cannot do with one hand," Kabula said.

"They will be able to grasp to pick up a pen, to write, to pick up a fork and eat," Montanti said. "This will definitely make them feel more whole, give them a sense of empowerment."

When they return home, they will be sheltered in safe houses run by Under the Same Sun - a Canadian organization that protects people with albinism in Tanzania.

Montanti plans to bring the children back to the United States as they grow to get their prosthetics refitted.

"There will be lots of tears, but I know I'm going to see them again," Montanti said.

Broadcast associate Matthew Kwiecinski contributed to this report.




“The 17-year-old girl from Tanzania lost her right arm five years ago. She was hunted in her homeland by human poachers for her albinism - a condition that leaves her with little to no pigment in her skin, eyes and hair. She said the two men attacked her with a machete, cutting off her entire arm. "They kept it," she said. In Tanzania, albino body parts can sell for thousands of dollars on the black market. It's believed - by some - the parts hold supernatural powers and can be used in potions to bring good luck and wealth to the consumer. Between 2000 and 2014, the United Nations reported that the country had seen more than 150 cases of attacks on people with albinism. …. "I have never, never experienced anything like this before," Montanti said. "I've seen kids that have kicked a can and it exploded, dangled from a tree in Indonesia from the tsunami, the earthquake in Haiti. But this is something unimaginable." Earlier this year, Montanti read of an attack on 5-year-old Baraka Cosmas Lusambo. Men broke into his family's home in March while he was asleep. "They hit my mother twice on her head," Baraka said in Swahili, through a translator. "Then they came to me. They cut off my hand." …. "They will be able to grasp to pick up a pen, to write, to pick up a fork and eat," Montanti said. "This will definitely make them feel more whole, give them a sense of empowerment." When they return home, they will be sheltered in safe houses run by Under the Same Sun - a Canadian organization that protects people with albinism in Tanzania. …. "There will be lots of tears, but I know I'm going to see them again," Montanti said.”

Extreme ignorance makes the human race pathetic on one hand, and in cases like this, brutal as well. To gain magical powers they are lopping off the rare albino people's arms, as occurs also in some parts of Africa with gorillas. Gorilla hands are considered magical also. I’m glad that the problem has an aid organization working with those people who have lost limbs in this way, because to be able to deal with life on their own is so important. Also, it gives them some emotional support and fraternal contact with others who have the same heartrending problem.





http://www.cbsnews.com/news/30-west-point-cadets-injured-in-pillow-fight/

30 West Point cadets hurt in pillow fight
CBS/AP
September 5, 2015

Photograph -- In this Friday, Sept. 4, 2015, photo, cadets march into Michie Stadium before an NCAA college football game between Army and Fordham in West Point, N.Y. AP PHOTO/MIKE GROLL


WEST POINT, N.Y. -- An annual freshman pillow fight at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point turned bloody this year when cadets swung pillowcases packed with hard objects, injuring 30 cadets, the academy said in a statement.

West Point Superintendent Lt. Gen. Robert L. Caslen, Jr. said 24 cadets suffered concussions during the Aug. 20 melee. Other injuries included a broken nose, a dislocated shoulder and a hairline fracture of a cadet's cheekbone. According to Caslen, none of the concussions was severe and all cadets have returned to duty.

"While these spirit events do occur, we never condone any activity that results in intentional harm to a teammate," Caslen said. "Although the vast majority of the class appears to have maintained the spirit of the event, it is apparent that a few did not."

The New York Times reported some cadets swung pillowcases believed to have been packed with their helmets. Although upperclassmen overseeing the fight required cadets to wear helmets, online video showed many bare heads.

First-year students, known as "plebes," organize the pillow fight as a way to build camaraderie after a grueling summer of training for the rigors of West Point, spokesman Lt. Col. Christopher Kasker told the Times.

The elite academy has trained generations of Army leaders and counts Presidents Ulysses S. Grant and Dwight D. Eisenhower among its graduates.

First-year students, known as "plebes," organize the pillow fight as a way to build camaraderie after a grueling summer of training for the rigors of West Point, spokesman Lt. Col. Christopher Kasker told the Times..




“An annual freshman pillow fight at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point turned bloody this year when cadets swung pillowcases packed with hard objects, injuring 30 cadets, the academy said in a statement. West Point Superintendent Lt. Gen. Robert L. Caslen, Jr. said 24 cadets suffered concussions during the Aug. 20 melee. Other injuries included a broken nose, a dislocated shoulder and a hairline fracture of a cadet's cheekbone. According to Caslen, none of the concussions was severe and all cadets have returned to duty. "While these spirit events do occur, we never condone any activity that results in intentional harm to a teammate," Caslen said. "Although the vast majority of the class appears to have maintained the spirit of the event, it is apparent that a few did not." …. First-year students, known as "plebes," organize the pillow fight as a way to build camaraderie after a grueling summer of training for the rigors of West Point, spokesman Lt. Col. Christopher Kasker told the Times. …. First-year students, known as "plebes," organize the pillow fight as a way to build camaraderie after a grueling summer of training for the rigors of West Point, spokesman Lt. Col. Christopher Kasker told the Times.”

I am clearly not a “team” person. I never was. In addition to having no attraction to this kind of thing, I think “team spirit” is the root cause of all group violence, and it is always a part of the ever continuing war and hatred that we just can’t get rid of in our human societies. It’s sick, intellectually inferior and evil. I’m sure some of you will disagree, but just like Donald Trump, I say “Frankly Scarlett, I don’t give a damn!” You may want to chime in here as a law student I knew once did, “Lucy, why don’t you say what you really mean”





http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/iran-nuclear-talks/colin-powell-iran-deal-pretty-good-deal-n422551

MEET THE PRESS IRAN NUCLEAR TALKS SEP 6 2015, 11:58 AM ET
Colin Powell: Iran Deal Is a 'Pretty Good Deal'
MEET THE PRESS IRAN NUCLEAR TALKS
by ALEXANDRA JAFFE
SEP 6 2015



Former Secretary of State Colin Powell expressed support for the nuclear agreement with Iran on Sunday, calling the various planks Iranian leaders accepted "remarkable" and dismissing critics' concerns over its implementation.

"It's a pretty good deal," he said on NBC's "Meet the Press."

Critics concerned that the deal will expedite Iran's pursuit of a nuclear weapon, Powell added, are "forgetting the reality that [Iranian leaders] have been on a superhighway, for the last 10 years, to create a nuclear weapon or a nuclear weapons program, with no speed limit."

He said the reduction in centrifuges, Iran's uranium stockpile and their agreement to shut down their plutonium reactor were all "remarkable."

"These are remarkable changes, and so we have stopped this highway race that they were going down — and I think that's very, very important," Powell said.

He also pushed back on skeptics who have expressed worries about the ability of independent inspectors to verify that Iran is following the agreement. Powell said that, "with respect to the Iranians — don't trust, never trust, and always verify."

"And I think a very vigorous verification regime has been put into place," he said.

"I say, we have a deal, let's see how they implement the deal. If they don't implement it, bail out. None of our options are gone," Powell added.

On Wednesday, Maryland Sen. Barbara Mikulski came out in support of the deal, giving President Obama the 34 Democratic votes he'd need in the Senate to override a veto of the deal and all but ensuring its implementation.

And Powell noted that, even if the deal did fail in Congress, dozens of other nations who were party to the negotiations have already agreed to it, making it impossible for the U.S. to sit out.

"Even if we were to kill the deal — which is not going to happen — it's going to take effect anyway, because all of these other countries that were in it with us are going to move forward," he said.

"They're all going to be moving forward — we're going to be sitting on the sidelines."




“Former Secretary of State Colin Powell expressed support for the nuclear agreement with Iran on Sunday, calling the various planks Iranian leaders accepted "remarkable" and dismissing critics' concerns over its implementation. …. He said the reduction in centrifuges, Iran's uranium stockpile and their agreement to shut down their plutonium reactor were all "remarkable." "These are remarkable changes, and so we have stopped this highway race that they were going down — and I think that's very, very important," Powell said. He also pushed back on skeptics who have expressed worries about the ability of independent inspectors to verify that Iran is following the agreement. Powell said that, "with respect to the Iranians — don't trust, never trust, and always verify." …. "I say, we have a deal, let's see how they implement the deal. If they don't implement it, bail out. None of our options are gone," Powell added. On Wednesday, Maryland Sen. Barbara Mikulski came out in support of the deal, giving President Obama the 34 Democratic votes he'd need in the Senate to override a veto of the deal and all but ensuring its implementation. …. dozens of other nations who were party to the negotiations have already agreed to it, making it impossible for the U.S. to sit out. "Even if we were to kill the deal — which is not going to happen — it's going to take effect anyway, because all of these other countries that were in it with us are going to move forward," he said.”

The doctrine of Holy Obstructionism alone is going to keep the Tea Party and most of the other Republicans from approving the Iran agreement, in my opinion because moderate Republicans are afraid to buck their hostile oppression on all things Obama. I trust Powell’s opinions on what is a helpful agreement and what is not, since he also was Secretary of State and involved in such negotiations while in that office. He is also a General in the Army, and therefore experienced in strategic matters. He also, like Obama, talks like an intelligent, moderate thinker, and seems to be more interested in a dependable peace than in maintaining a continued cold war anywhere in the world. The Middle East is a tinderbox, and needs whatever stability and peace can be arranged.

Besides, I am interested in Iran. They are voluntarily fighting ISIS at this time like the Kurds, who are my heroes right now for their pure courage; and unlike most of the countries over there and elsewhere, who are too afraid to meet them in person on a battlefield, they have sent in ground troops. I think it’s an Islamic war, and it would be better if Islamic people would arm their villages to fight marauding ISIS invaders rather than running. Moderate Islamic believers need to take back their “religion of peace” and kick out the fundamentalists. Even the aggressive Russia apparently wants to remain safely overhead while dropping bombs.





http://www.cbsnews.com/news/obama-to-require-federal-contractors-to-give-employees-paid-sick-leave/

Obama to require federal contractors to give employees paid sick leave
AP September 7, 2015

Photograph -- President Barack Obama delivers remarks on climate change in Kotzebue, Alaska September 2, 2015. REUTERS


WASHINGTON -- Showing solidarity with workers on Labor Day, President Barack Obama will sign an executive order Monday requiring paid sick leave for employees of federal contractors, including 300,000 who currently receive none.

The White House wouldn't specify the cost to federal contractors to implement the executive order, which Obama was to address at a major union rally and breakfast in Boston. The Labor Department said any costs would be offset by savings that contractors would see as a result of lower attrition rates and increased worker loyalty, but produced nothing to back that up.

Under the executive order, employees working on federal contracts gain the right to a minimum of one hour of paid leave for every 30 hours they work. Stretched out over 12 months, that's up to seven days per year. The order will allow employees to use the leave to care for sick relatives as well, and will affect contracts starting in 2017 -- just as Obama leaves office.

The Obama administration has been working on the executive order for months, and chose Labor Day to announce it as Obama works to enact what policies he can before his presidency ends despite resistance in Congress to laws he's proposed to improve workplace conditions. That push has reverberated in the 2016 campaign, where Democratic candidates are seeking to draw a distinction with Republicans on who's most supportive of the middle class.

"There are certain Republicans that said we can't afford to do this," said Labor Secretary Thomas Perez. He lamented how paid leave is seen as a partisan issue in the U.S. despite broad support in Europe. "The Republican Party is out of step with similar conservative governments around the world," he said.

Roughly 44 million private sector workers don't get paid sick leave -- about 40 percent of the private-sector workforce, the White House said. In his speech to the Greater Boston Labor Council's breakfast, Obama was also to renew his call for Congress to expand the requirement beyond contract workers to all but the smallest U.S. businesses, an idea that has gained little traction on Capitol Hill.

Obama raises minimum wage for federal contractors

The Labor Day gathering in Boston was attracting other bold-named politicians, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Boston Mayor Marty Walsh among them. Vice President Joe Biden, who is considering entering the Democratic presidential primary, was to echo the labor rights theme in a march with AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka on Monday at a Labor Day parade in Pittsburgh.

Unable to push much of his agenda through a Republican-controlled Congress, Obama has in recent years used executive orders with frequency to apply policies to federal contractors that he lacks the authority to enact nationwide. His aim is to lay the groundwork for those policies to be expanded to all Americans. Earlier executive orders have barred federal contractors from discriminating against workers based on their sexual orientation or gender identity, raised the minimum wage for contractors and expanded the number of contract workers eligible for overtime.

Although labor groups have hailed those moves, they remain deeply skeptical of Obama's push to secure sweeping new trade deals with the Asia-Pacific region and with Europe. Many unions have warned that the deals could lead to the widespread elimination of certain types of U.S. jobs.

The White House said it couldn't estimate how many federal contractors don't offer paid leave now, citing a maze of state and local laws that make crunching the numbers difficult. Officials also declined to put a dollar figure on how much contractors would face in added compensation costs.

Cecilia Muniz, director of the White House's Domestic Policy Council, said the administration has an obligation to get the most out of every federal tax dollar.




“Showing solidarity with workers on Labor Day, President Barack Obama will sign an executive order Monday requiring paid sick leave for employees of federal contractors, including 300,000 who currently receive none. …. The White House wouldn't specify the cost to federal contractors to implement the executive order, which Obama was to address at a major union rally and breakfast in Boston. The Labor Department said any costs would be offset by savings that contractors would see as a result of lower attrition rates and increased worker loyalty, but produced nothing to back that up. …. Stretched out over 12 months, that's up to seven days per year. The order will allow employees to use the leave to care for sick relatives as well, and will affect contracts starting in 2017 -- just as Obama leaves office. …. That push has reverberated in the 2016 campaign, where Democratic candidates are seeking to draw a distinction with Republicans on who's most supportive of the middle class. "There are certain Republicans that said we can't afford to do this," said Labor Secretary Thomas Perez. He lamented how paid leave is seen as a partisan issue in the U.S. despite broad support in Europe. "The Republican Party is out of step with similar conservative governments around the world," he said. …. The Labor Day gathering in Boston was attracting other bold-named politicians, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Boston Mayor Marty Walsh among them. Vice President Joe Biden, who is considering entering the Democratic presidential primary, was to echo the labor rights theme in a march with AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka on Monday at a Labor Day parade in Pittsburgh. …. His aim is to lay the groundwork for those policies to be expanded to all Americans. Earlier executive orders have barred federal contractors from discriminating against workers based on their sexual orientation or gender identity, raised the minimum wage for contractors and expanded the number of contract workers eligible for overtime. Although labor groups have hailed those moves, they remain deeply skeptical of Obama's push to secure sweeping new trade deals with the Asia-Pacific region and with Europe. Many unions have warned that the deals could lead to the widespread elimination of certain types of U.S. jobs.”

It is a shame that Obama has faced “the party of NO” during his whole administration, but at least he has addressed some of the worst abuses with his Executive Orders. So many presidents nowadays don’t even talk about labor issues, undoubtedly because they don’t want to face the assaults that Republican business owners will mount against them, especially in election years, from attack ads to withholding of campaign funds. What I would like to see if for several very large unions to recruit, not in the workplace where employers can fire the workers or change their benefits and wages, but in the public sphere where workers can pay dues and get the union support in the form of strikes. Why not use Facebook and other Internet sites as contact points for workers who want to join and publication of something like a blacklist of business who are extremely abusive. Then send picketers to workplaces as well.

Something like that has been done recently in regard to McDonald’s and some other fast food places, where pay is notoriously low. McDonald’s recently relented and raised at least some of their workers’ wages, and WalMart did as well. I believe that happened because Obama raised the Federal workers, to become effective in 2016, and some legislators are discussing a new federal minimum wage. WalMart either did their much touted Christian duty or they feared the smear campaign over the Internet that involved the press when reporters found out some very harsh pay and labor practices there, and the fact that many of their workers were actually signed up with Medicaid and Food Stamps just to make ends meet. That made a very ugly story. Maybe the Internet alone would be powerful enough to make businesses “straighten up and fly right.” At any rate, there has been some progress with worker pay scales, and I’m hoping there will be more.

There are also businesses that do white collar work and abuse their workers. I worked at one here in Jacksonville within the last ten years. They process insurance forms. Data entry jobs are sometimes abusive as well, with low pay and abusively long hours and of course, no union. There is one business here that uses a telephone crew to solicit money for the Fraternal Order of Police. The operators are worked for long hours without more than a few minutes rest and a lunch period, and on almost every holiday; also they offer no sick leave nor vacation pay. Another one is a painting and kitchen remodeling service that goes under the name of Sears, but which is not affiliated with the Sears retailing company. Most telephone sales jobs like that go under the heading of “customer service,” but they are just sales, and involve a heavy quota in order to retain the worker’s position. The world of work is better than it was in 1890 under the “Robber Barons,” but it still is unfair in many if not MOST cases.