TERRORIST IDENTIFIED AS SPONGEBOB!

I must be the most dim-witted, short sited, myopic human on the face of this Earth. After reading in the news this morning, about the Christian Right’s posse going after and outing another cartoon "gay" in our culture. “HUH?” “I never saw that in Sponge Bob.” I incredulously said to myself. If these so called, righteous people can draw a conclusion like that, they must be out of their skulls (they really must be, because anyone in their RIGHT - meaning SANE not Political - mind who watched a silly celluloid cartoon character could never come to this judgment, that's just plain whacky!) These people are Looney tunes! For Pete's Sake, why don't they try looking for some real skin and boned terrorists?

Good Grief, the likes of Jerry Falwell, and others of his ilk are out there (wasting time) trying to find the good, bad and ugly in all we have to entertain ourselves (especially THE UGLY). I wish they would just buy land somewhere ( I mean an island or a small, maybe big, country…) and lead all their PURE, CHERUBIC, SERAPHIC, WINGED, HALOED, VIRGINAL, CHASTE, CELIBATE, AND UNDEFILED phobic followers to this promise land. An ELYSIUM of BLISS, DELIGHT, HEAVEN, NIRVANA, PARADISE, RAPTURE, EXALTATION AND ENCHANTMENT. Away from all the DEVILISH, DIABOLIC, EVIL, SINFUL, AGONY, MISERY, TORMENT AND HELL the rest of us are willing to live in. Hey, they could even take the Dubya couple and make them The Imperial Emperor and Empress!

I mean, they certainly have enough money to do this, with all the bucks they have deceived, flimflammed, chiseled and cheated their pathetic, unenlightened flock out of.

In closing, the only real crime here with all these impractical, foolhardy concocted media cartoon figures is that they are mainly conjured up to persuade the masses to spend their hard earned cash on foolhardy, impractical and foolish junk because it will make their children happy. ”THE AMERICAN WAY”, Carolyn

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE GAY CARTOON SITE WITH MUSIC.

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THE CARTOON CLOSET
“It isn't absurd for anyone, including Falwell, to notice these hints, inferences, and references. But it is ridiculous to object to them. There's no scientific or psychological basis for believing that children are affected in their sexual development or eventual sexual orientation by exposure to homosexuality--on television or in real life. If the creators of cartoons are intentionally or unintentionally giving children the idea that gay people are part of the big, happy human family, that's a good thing, not a bad one. (If it weren't for gay people, there would be no Lion King--or much else on the all-American cultural front.) The conservative paranoia about recruiting, which leads them to think that gay school teachers and Boy Scout leaders present a hazard to the young is pure prejudice.
Anyway, for the religious right, this battle is pointless because the war is already lost. Gay themes are everywhere. Pee-wee's Playhouse runs every day on the Fox Family Channel, the cable network Pat Robertson recently sold to Rupert Murdoch. It's just a couple of hours ahead of The 700 Club.” From this site: THE CARTOON CLOSET
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Another blow to tolerance from A BUSH appointee, Secretary of Education Spellings.
WHAT ELSE IS NEW! SOMEONE OUGHT TO SPELL OUT THE MEANING OF TOLERANCE TO THIS STILL ANOTHER BUSH ALTER EGO. Carolyn

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Spellings' Intolerance
Late last year, when the Department of Education highlighted the new PBS series "Postcards from Buster," it praised the show's embrace of different cultures: "And by learning about different cultures, Buster also helps to show children what we all have in common." But apparently the concept of universal humanity only extends so far. On her second day on the job as secretary of education, Margaret Spellings, who replaced a previous education secretary with little regard for our nation's educators, has condemned a not-yet-aired episode of the show because of the title character's visit to the state of Vermont, where he spends some time with Emma, an 11-year-old girl, and her two mommies.

THE HORROR!: Although the episode's "focus is on farm life," Secretary Spellings rebuked the president and chief executive officer of the Public Broadcasting System for exposing the nation's children to "such lifestyles." It is unclear what is so offensive about the family's "lifestyle." Emma introduces Buster to her mother and her stepmom, "whom she says she loves a lot," and the few glimpses the viewer gets of the family – the parents are always a background aspect of episodes – show "loving, moral, and committed" relationships. Furthermore, the episode actually revolves around teaching children how maple syrup is made and the processing of milk from cows.

ERRING ON THE SIDE OF NOT AIRING: In a win for intolerance, PBS has chosen not to distribute the episode nationally to its subsidiary stations, but claims the decision is due to the sensitivity of the issue rather than the secretary's objections. However, PBS officials – including President Pat Mitchell – had "viewed the episode and called it appropriate" before Secretary Spellings expressed her displeasure. Self-described as a "trusted community resource," PBS used to herald itself for quality programming that had the power to "inform, inspire and delight." For seven straight years, its subsidiary stations have been "atop all broadcast and cable networks for children's programming," winning 10 Daytime Emmys in 2004 alone. It is disheartening that a network that informs our nation's children has now been pressured to accept the bigoted agenda of Secretary Spellings.

LOCAL STATIONS STICKING TO PRINCIPLE: Marc Brown, creator of "Postcards from Buster," was understandably saddened by PBS's decision, and for good reason: "What we are trying to do in the series is connect kids with other kids by reflecting on their lives. In some episodes, as in the Vermont one, we are validating children who are seldom validated." Emma is one little girl who the Department of Education, in conjunction with PBS, has decided deserves to be left behind. Thankfully, the show's producer, Boston-based WGBH, and other individual subsidiaries such as WNET-TV in New York and KVIE-TV in Sacramento, have recognized the value of such an episode and will be airing it in late March.

EDUCATING OR PREJUDICING?: Secretary Spellings primly declared that "Congress' and the Department's purpose in funding this programming certainly was not to introduce this kind of subject matter to children." She provides no justification as to why. The funding to which the secretary refers is the Ready-To-Learn program that provides grants for "the development of educational programming for preschool and early elementary school children and their families," and the stated purpose of the grant program is to promote school readiness and literacy amongst school-age children, a task which even the department has admitted "Postcards from Buster" is more than up to. And though Secretary Spellings points to the law's statement that "any funded shows must give top attention to 'research-based educational objectives, content and materials,'" she makes no explanation as to why the "Sugartime!" episode does not fit into these guidelines, as the format for this particular episode is no different from previous ones.

EPISODE MEETS GOALS OF GRANT: Secretary Spellings also failed to address additional wording in the grant that states, "Diversity will be incorporated into the fabric of the series to help children understand and respect differences and learn to live in a multicultural society." At a time when one in three gay teens is threatened with a weapon while at school, it seems that the educational programming provided by the "Sugartime!" episode would certainly fall under the purview of the grant and be well worth the money. Instead, the Department of Education continues to choose different spending priorities.

SETTING UP THE CASE FOR CONSERVATIVE CENSORSHIP: In addition to criticizing this particular episode, Secretary Spellings "asked PBS to consider refunding the money it spent on the episode." That was not her only request. She also asked for the destruction of any symbol or statement "linking the department to the show" and that the member stations be alerted to "the nature of the show." She finished off the letter with an open-ended warning: "You can be assured that in the future the department will be more clear as to its expectations for any future programming that it funds." For now, the department is more than clear as to whether bigoted ideology matters more than fruitful education and true acceptance.

From: http://www.americanprogressaction.org/

CAROLYNCONNETION - I've got a mind and I'm going to use it!