civil rights 
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Sat Aug 12, 2006 at 08:22:41 AM EDT
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Per my earlier diary, here's a article from today's Times that explains how efforts to keep people in society and not in stir work.
Click here to read the NYT story.
Good economics meets good policing meets good policy.
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Tue Jun 13, 2006 at 10:53:48 AM EDT
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Torture is a moral issue. This is the heading for a quarter-page ad in June 13th’s New York Times op-ed section. It is an announcement of the National Religious Campaign Against Torture which is a non-profit group headquartered in Princeton, NJ that formed early this year. Cardinal McCarrick, Rabbi Jerome Epstein, Dr. Sayyid M. Sayeed, Dr Rick Warren and 22 other prominent religious leaders from a diverse background have endorsed the campaign’s statement against the use of torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading tactics by our government.
In May, a month that is devoted to the Virgin Mary, Pope Benedict XVI spoke to a crowd at the Shrine of Our Lady of Divine Love just outside Rome. He gave a recitation of the rosary and then spoke of the love of God and of Mary as a sign of that love. Pope Benedict concluded by speaking of the power of love and the current imperative for choosing love over violence in dealing with our enemies “there is a need to convert to God, to God who is Love, so that the world may be freed from war and terrorismâ€.
Also in May, I had the distinct pleasure of hearing Colin Powell speak. He was not most proud of his accomplishments in war, but of his accomplishments in bringing and maintaining peace. He spoke what he believes is the only way to end terrorism. It is, according to a 4-star general, through small acts of kindness that we will end the fear and the hate that feeds terrorism.
If the Pope and a 4-star general can agree to choose diplomacy over bombs and love over violence then why can't we?
In a letter to the Senate in support of the McCain-Warner Ammendment to the Defense Authorization Act Bishop John H. Ricard, speaking on behalf of the USCCB wrote "In a time of terrorism and great fear, out individual and collective obligation to respect basic human dignity and human rights, even of our worst enemies, gains added importance." At a time when the Pentagon is re-writing the Army field manual to remove language that relates to the Geneva Convention and prohibitions against the use of inhumane treatment of prisoners, and detainees at Guantanamo are committing suicide because they have lost all hope this statement is very poignant.
To view NRCAT's statement against torture go to www.nrcat.org. Please endorse this statement and tell your legislators that your faith tells you that you must choose love because torture is a moral issue.
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Wed Apr 26, 2006 at 03:22:31 PM EDT
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 Hundreds of local high school and University students plan not to speak today.
They'll join approximately 500,000 students from about 4,000 schools took part in the 10th annual National Day of Silence today. The event is a project of the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) in collaboration with gay-straight alliances nationwide. Instead, they will wear red tape across their mouths and hand out cards explaining their silence as part of the National Day of Silence protesting the discrimination gay youths face. Says GLSEN cofounder Kevin Jennings:
On the Day of Silence, hundreds of thousands of students across America will use silence to voice the truth about anti-LGBT bullying and harassment in America’s schools, The tremendous numbers of students who take part in the Day of Silence is cause for celebration and a loud message from America’s students that we must work harder to ensure safe and effective schools for every child.
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Mon Jan 23, 2006 at 11:40:08 PM EST
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Yet another victory for civil rights can be attributed to Laurel Hester. Jackson Township Republican Committeeman Mark Seda was so moved by Laurel Hester's situation that he proposed a resolution to extend domestic partner benefits to municipal employees:From what I can see, I'm only one of millions who's been touched in a very big way by Lt. Hester's story. Her dignity and the incredible bravery she's displayed at the end of her life in wanting to change the world has inspired me to realize that as an elected official I should be standing by her side. The resolution passed unanimously tonight. His press release is below.
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Sat Jan 21, 2006 at 10:00:26 AM EST
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(Welcome AMERICABlog readers! Click here to read more about Laurel Hester.)
"This is one of the happiest days of my life...I feel like David conquering Goliath," said Laurel Hester on Saturday morning.
After nearly a year of refusing to grant Lt Laurel Hester the right to pass her pension benefits on to her partner, Ocean County's freeholders will finally grant Hester her dying wish when they vote on Wednesday.
Steven Goldstein of Garden State Equality: "Truth be told, we did lose hope for a reversal in the last couple of weeks. We had applied all the pressure in the world, embarrassing the freeholders and few public servants had ever been embarrassed before in the state of New Jersey or in this country, and they would not budge. Finally they did. Hallelujah! There is a God....Now that the Ocean County freeholders have done the right thing, we thank them with all our hearts and welcome them to the New Jersey of the 21st Century, where compassion and common-sense prevails over hatred and outmoded homophobia."
The change of heart came after the freeholders had a political meeting with other Republican leaders in the county.
Freeholder James Lacey: "I think we're doing the right thing now. I feel comfortable."
But there's more:
In addition, state Sen. Andrew Ciesla, R-Ocean, has asked the state Office of Legislative Services to prepare a bill he will sponsor that will eliminate the difference in the pension inheritance rights of members of the police and fire retirement system and other state public employee retirement systems.
I want to thank the freeholders for deciding to do the right thing before Laurel dies. Today is a monumental victory for civil rights. Justice prevailed over bigotry, and a Laurel Hester can die in peace knowing she left the world better than she found it.
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Fri Jan 20, 2006 at 10:25:48 AM EST
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(Forgot to publish directly. Please recommend at Daily Kos http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/1/20/102752/337 - promoted by Xpatriated Texan)
Most of us that work participate in some type of benefits program. Generally, that includes retirement benefits, health insurance, life insurance, and the like. But, whose benefits are they? Yours? Or the organization for which you work?
How about the American dream? To whom does it belong? Does the process of working hard to get ahead, enjoying the benefits of your efforts, and leaving your loved ones a bit better off, emotionally and financially, when you die belong to only one group of people? Does the government have the right or the power to cut some groups of people off from that dream?
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Thu Jan 19, 2006 at 04:09:50 PM EST
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When Garden State Equality Chair Steven Goldstein stood up to address Ocean County's freeholder's last night, he sarcastically thanked them for doing so much to advance the gay rights movement:"Not since police raided a bar called Stonewall in Greenwich Village in the 1960s have any five people advanced the cause of gay rights as much as you have." As one speaker last night noted, Ocean County has become the "poster child for the homophobia in New Jersey." Disgusted by their heartless inaction and wanting to avoid a similar fate, other counties have since acted to pass domestic partner benefits to county employees. They include Bergen, Hudson, Mercer, and Union. Recently, Monmouth County - a Republican controlled county neighboring Ocean, passed domestic partner benefits. Last night, while Ocean County's freeholders filibustered for hours, the Passaic County freeholders unanimously voted 7-0 to do likewise.
Tonight, Camden County will become the first county in South Jersey - and the seventh in the state - to grant domestic partner benefits to government employees. According to Steven Goldtein, "This demonstrates the unified disgust of all New Jersey -- North, Central and South -- with the grotesque hatred the Ocean County Freeholders have for Lieutenant Laurel Hester."
(And if there's any doubt that Ocean County has become the poster child of homophobia, take a look at all the press they've generated just today: NY Times, Star Ledger, Asbury Park Press, Press of Atlantic City, Advocate, 365Gay.com)
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Thu Jan 19, 2006 at 08:48:30 AM EST
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( - promoted by jmelli)
The Ocean County Freeholders continue to refuse to support officer Laurel Hester's right to grant her pension benefits to her life partner. Not really news, if you've been following the case at all... the OC Freeholders have seemed pretty "dug in" on this issue throughout. Even in the face of a heartrending video appeal.
(continued below)
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Wed Jan 18, 2006 at 09:51:36 AM EST
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Today at 4:00 pm in Room 119, first floor, Ocean County Administration Building, 101 Hooper Ave., Toms River, N.J. (map) is the Ocean County freeholder meeting where a videotaped message from Lt Laurel Hester will be played Her lung cancer has spread to her brain and she is too weak to attend. This will be her last plea asking for the right to allow her to pass on her pension benefits to her partner, who will otherwise not be able to afford to keep their home.All are encouraged to attend and support Laurel.
Several news outlets have taken notice:
The Asbury Park Press presents just the facts: "Pension death benefits for the Police and Fire Retirement System (PFRS) and the Public Employee Retirement System (PERS) are different. All PERS retirees are allowed to designate their pension death benefit to anyone from a newborn child to a senior citizen. PFRS employees — the category Hester falls into — can only leave a pension death benefit to a legal spouse."
The Ocean County Observer notes that there is likely to be a lawsuit against Ocean County's freeholders. They also preview Hester's video message: 'Make a change for good — a change in the lives of so many people who have dedicated their lives to county government,' Lt. Laurel Hester will urge Ocean County's freeholders this afternoon as her life slips away to the ravages of cancer."
The "Student for Life" column at Rutger's Daily Targum weighs in: "The claim the decision of the freeholders was based upon financial reasons is ludicrous and insulting. The county has enough money to allow partners of heterosexuals to receive the pension of their spouse in the event of their death. Yet, they will not extend this same right to other government employees who live a different lifestyle because they claim they don't have enough the financial resources."
An editorial in the Herald News notes that today, Passaic County will become the sixth county to grant health and retirement domestic partner benefits, though Ocean County still has not. "The Ocean County freeholders have refused, citing financial considerations. But no one really believes it is about money. There aren't that many county employees in registered domestic partnerships. The underlying issue is morality -- or a lack of it. Is it moral to deny the domestic partner of an employee the same benefits given to a spouse when marriage is not an option?"
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Fri Jan 13, 2006 at 09:22:38 AM EST
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The irony of Ocean County's freeholder's coldhearted refusal to grant pension benefits to Laurel Hester is that their bigotry has served as the catalyst for advancing civil rights in New Jersey:Goldstein said that the attitude in Trenton toward expanding the partnership law was enhanced dramatically by the recent, highly publicized refusal of the Ocean County Board of Freeholders to extend benefits to Lieutenant Laurel Hester, a 24-year veteran police officer with the county prosecutor’s office who is dying of cancer. This past October, Hester personally asked the Board for such benefits, which the county can extend under the 2004 law, so that her domestic partner, Stacie Andree, could have the same pension rights that surviving spouses of county employees enjoy. Despite widespread protests and public condemnation of the freeholders—some of whom cited the “sanctity of marriage†as a defense—Ocean County has refused to budge. Several other counties, however, have since acted to extend domestic partner benefits to their employees.
“The Hester case was a real factor,†Goldstein said. “It was mentioned by every legislator I talked to you.†And we learned yesterday that yet another county (Passaic) will also be extending domestic partner benefits soon.
Laurel is sick and will not be able to attend the freeholder meeting on January 18th, but there will be a video message from Laurel - her last direct appeal to the freeholders - played at the meeting. If you're in the area, considering coming out to support her on Wed, Jan 18 at 4 pm at the Ocean County Administration Building, 101 Hooper Avenue, Toms River.
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Fri Dec 23, 2005 at 11:43:18 AM EST
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Ocean County's freeholders now cite a "tremendous cost" as the reason they are unable to extend pension benefits to domestic partners. According to their inflated estimates, the costs would be between $114,000 and $220,000, or 23 to 45 cents per taxpayer in the county.
While they complain about the costs for petty things such as death pension benefits, they approve $175,000 worth of funding for expanding a library, including $60,000 for a "floor...with a special seascape." They then go on to hand out 192 turkeys and 400 toys to Ocean County veterans saying that each and every one deserves a "blessed holiday season." How ironic that as they honor war veterans, they refuse to let Laurel Hester - a veteran herself of the county's prosecutor's office - have the benefits she has worked 23 years for. Apparently they feel no shame in ruining her holiday season.
Part three of "It's Laurel Hester's Wonderful Life" is below, stolen completely from The Big Gay Picture. Read it all, and considering sending the Ocean County freeholders To Kill a Mockingbird before their January 7th meeting.
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Thu Dec 22, 2005 at 01:03:46 PM EST
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Below I've reproduced part two of a three part series written by The Big Gay Picture on Laurel Hester. But there are also two important letters to the editor in today's Ocean County Observer on this issue.
A letter by Dane Wells rebukes the freeholders' claims that the pension benefits requested would be a "tremendous cost": Using the county's own inflated numbers, it seems the price of providing death benefits to the partners of all county workers would amount to about 23 cents a year for a typical taxpayer, or about half the cost of a single mile traveled in just one take-home county car.
Aside from a certain five freeholders with an annual budget exceeding $300 million, I don't think there are many county residents unwilling to pay just half the price of this newspaper to ensure the dignity and peaceful death of a fellow human being, let alone one who was such a loyal and devoted public servant.
As for the benevolence of the freeholders in pointing out the value of Laurel's employee life insurance, how horribly cruel that they left out the part that she has to die before her sick time runs out in a little more than a week for her beneficiary to collect it. I can only assume this deception was somehow sanctified.
But I was pleased to see that Lt. Hester is in the freeholders' "personal prayers." As they gather with their own pension-protected loved ones at Christmas, I would ask each of them to remember Laurel, struggling in agony for every breath, and yet hoping her last gasp will come before Jan. 1, when the stone coldheartedness of the Ocean County freeholders will leave her family homeless.
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Wed Dec 21, 2005 at 09:18:07 AM EST
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Michael from the Big Gay Picture had a chance to speak with and interview Laurel Hester - only the second time she has spoken to the media (the first was a brief NY Times interview). Below is the first of a three part profile of Laurel Hester and her struggle to secure domestic partner benefits in Ocean County.
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