SCHOOL BOARD BAN ON STAR OF DAVID FAILS

Citing concerns over gangs who wear six-pointed stars, a Mississippi school board announced in August that the Star of David was now banned from school property. Harrison County school Superintendent Henry Arledge justified the board decision by saying it was done to protect the welfare of the students. The Catholic League immediately protested the decision, finding itself on the same side as the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).

The school board also considered banning crosses but decided not to do so.

The ACLU filed suit in U.S. District Court representing a Jewish student who was ordered to remove the Jewish symbol. The Catholic League’s position, as released to the media, was as follows:

“Ridding the schools of violence is a must, but it cannot be done by sacrificing religious liberties in the process. The decision by the Harrison County school board was at the very least ignoble and at the worst anti-Semitic. Either way, the Catholic League sees a vital religious liberty at stake and will file an amicus brief against the school board, presuming the case moves beyond the District level.

“This has to be one of the dumbest decisions we’ve heard about coming from a school board, and we’ve heard of plenty.”

As it turned out, the school board quickly overturned its decision by voting unanimously to exempt religious symbols from its policy prohibiting gang apparel. The Catholic League was just as quick in commending the school board for its action.




USA TODAY RECONSIDERS AD

There they go again. The Eternal Gospel Church of the Seventh-Day Adventist (a splinter group that does not represent the Seventh Day Adventists), has once more succeeded in placing a full-page ad attacking the Catholic Church. Their biblically-flawed interpretation of Catholicism found its way into the pages of the August 10 edition of USA Today. We immediately protested.

In a letter to Karen Jurgensen, editor of USA Today, William Donohue pointed that previous runs of this ad in the Sun-SentinelMiami Herald and Washington Times have all secured assurances from the editors of these newspapers that this ad would not be run again. “I am asking that you pledge to do the same,” he said in his letter of August 10.

On August 13, Jurgensen replied saying, “It was a difficult call and we are, in fact, reviewing the process that led to the decision to run the ad.” She closed by writing, “I have shared your concerns with the advertising department.”

If USA Today decides to rerun this ad, it won’t be a difficult call for us deciding what to do next. We’ll keep you posted.




PRO-ABORTION CATHOLICS

In a recent edition of Legal Times, William Donohue was quoted as saying, “From its inception, Catholics for a Free Choice has misrepresented itself as a Catholic organization. To be a Catholic and lobby for abortion is as incongruous as it would be for a Catholic to lobby for slavery.” Well, not all Catholics agree.

In the August edition of Call to Action’s newsletter, ChurchWatch, it offered a “Correction” from its May cover story. It “neglected to credit Catholics for a Free Choice by name as the leading faith-based organization challenging Vatican views, and the lead group in the campaign to downgrade the Vatican’s special U.N. status as a “nonmember state permanent observer.” Call to Action is a Catholic dissident organization.

In the September 3 edition of the National Catholic Reporter (NCR), a Catholic dissident newspaper, there was an ad placed by Catholics for a Free Choice advertising “multiple positions.” Qualifications included “knowledge of Catholicism and commitment to reproductive rights.” Notice that the ad didn’t say “knowledge of reproductive issues and a commitment to Catholicism.” And it is a sure bet that the newspaper would never give ad space to an organization that promoted slavery.

The Catholic League welcomes both developments. It brings into stark relief the fact that Call to Action and National Catholic Reporter have always been pro-abortion entities. By coming out of the closet, Call to Action and NCR have ended the debate.




KUDOS TO NEVADA GOVERNOR

Last May, Nevada Governor Kenny Guinn signed a bill outlawing discrimination against gays and lesbians. So when it was time for him to sign a proclamation supporting a gay pride parade in Reno in August, everyone thought it would be a sure thing. But Guinn stunned Nevadans by not signing the bill, citing his opposition to the inclusion of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence in the parade.

Guinn, who knew about the showdown between the Catholic League and the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence in San Francisco, wanted nothing to do with supporting the anti-Catholic group. “There were concerns that this particular group tends to cross the line of decency and appropriateness and would conduct themselves in such a manner that would offend people of different religious groups,” said Guinn spokesman, Jack Finn.

      We sent a congratulatory letter to Gov. Guinn thanking him for his “courageous stand in opposing bigotry.”



DONOHUE MAKES TOP 100 LIST

The Internet site, www.DailyCatholic.org, has run a survey asking participants to vote for the “Top 100 Catholics of the Twentieth Century.” William Donohue made the list; he finished in 73rd place.




CUF: BONA FIDE CATHOLIC

Catholics United for the Faith (CUF) recently appointed William Donohue to serve on its board of advisors. CUF is an international Catholic organization which has the support of many bishops. Those who would like to know more about this bona fide Catholic group should write to them at 827 N. Fourth Street, Steubenville, OH 43952 or call them at 1-800-693-2484. CUF has chapters around the country and publishes an excellent periodical, Lay Witness. Leon J. Suprenant Jr. is the executive director.




KHALID MUHAMMAD: BIGOT FOR ALL SEASONS

On September 3, a group of activists representing a diverse section of New Yorkers, including William Donohue, assembled on the corner of 127th street and Lenox Avenue in Harlem to denounce the bigotry of Khalid Muhammad. The next day 800 people showed up at his much ballyhooed “Million Man March.”

Led by Beth Gilinsky of the Jewish Action Alliance, the press conference brought together civil rights leaders who are opposed to the inflammatory rhetoric of Khalid Muhammad. The day before the press conference, Donohue spelled out the league’s concerns:

“It is important that New Yorkers of every demographic group speak out against the hatred that Khalid Muhammad represents. His motives and actions are that of a thug. Indeed, his repeated attacks on Jews, Catholics and whites put him in a class with the most malicious elements in American society. Muhammad has far more in common with the David Dukes of this world than with the Martin Luther Kings, and that is why it is imperative that his call for hatred be challenged by those who seek amity, not enmity.”

At the press conference, Donohue said he was there “to show solidarity with my Jewish brothers and sisters” who have been the prime targets of Muhammad’s bigotry. Donohue was delighted that this year, unlike last year, New York’s African-American leaders condemned the march. The sole exception was Rev. Al Sharpton, who said nothing.




ARIZONA GIG NIXED

The Yuma, Arizona Office of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and the Yuma Area Government Alliance decided to celebrate “Women’s Equality Day” by featuring Sheila Dierks, a dissident Catholic radical feminist. We protested and Dierks was dumped.

Dierks is the author of WomenEucharist, and is identified on her website as someone who is “often saddened and horrified by positions which the Church hierarchy support.” She has founded chapters of her wayward group in New Jersey and Colorado. They keep busy by gathering “for prayer and sacrament without an ordained minister.” In other words, her creation is a fraud.

When we protested the propriety of having someone who is anti-Catholic offer a presentation of her work at a state-sponsored event, the organizers claimed not to know too much about Dierks. But when they learned how bizarre she was, they quickly dropped her in favor of someone more mainstream.




A BAD JOKE COMPOUNDED

Michael Ducharme was about to be fired as a teacher at Eustis High School, in Central Florida. But he did the smart thing and quit.

Ducharme, complaining about the heat, told his students that “I’m as hot as a pregnant nigger.” He later apologized to his students, explaining that what he meant to say was, “I’m as hot as a pregnant nun.” What a guy.

Ducharme’s tolerance for anti-Catholicism didn’t sit well with his principal, Bill Miller, who said that Miller’s second bad joke “compounded” his mistake. We sent a letter to Miller commending him for his action.

Members should know that such tolerance for anti-Catholicism, while rejecting other forms of bigotry, is not unusual. Just a few months ago, the Seattle Times was up in arms about the name of the Seattle University mascot, called “Chieftains.” So what did the newspaper recommend as a new name? It suggested “Runnin’ Rosaries” or “The Holy Waters.”

Bigots like Ducharme and the editorial board of the Seattle Times don’t see themselves as bigots. And that’s because they don’t see anything wrong with anti-Catholicism. This makes them worse than Archie Bunker-types: all the education in the world will never undo their bigotry. That is why public pressure works so much better than dialogue in these instances.




BEASTLY EXHIBIT AT BROOKLYN MUSEUM OF ART

Beginning October 2, the Brooklyn Museum of Art will feature “Sensation: Young British Artists from the Saatchi Collection.” The exhibit contains the work of 42 artists that have been furnished by Charles Saatchi, a leading collector of contemporary art. Among the displays is one by Chris Ofili, “The Holy Virgin Mary.” This collage shows a Black Madonna surrounded by pictures of female genitalia and anuses with elephant dung splattered all over the linen. Other displays feature dead animals and sexually mutilated bodies. Christie’s is a sponsor of this exhibit. No one under 16 is allowed to see it unless accompanied by an adult.

Catholic League president William Donohue sounded off on this today:

“I know of no other enterprise, profession or industry that allows as many frauds to be perpetrated on it than the artistic community. No wonder Hitler was accepted as an artist: all he had to do was proclaim himself to be one and that was enough for the creative-types to welcome him.

“This exhibit is designed to shock, but instead it induces revulsion. What is even more revolting than the art is the mentality of Arnold L. Lehman, the director of the Brooklyn Museum of Art: ‘This is truly a defining exhibition,’ he said. That it is, but for reasons he’ll never figure out. ‘I think New Yorkers are incredibly sophisticated,’ said Lehman, ‘and believe like I do that they should be exposed to works that are emotionally engaging and ones that make us think.’ So here we have it: the scatological is a tonic for the brain, something the sophisticated can imbibe along with their bottled water.

“We are calling for New Yorkers of every religion to boycott the Brooklyn Museum of Art. We will also seek to defund the institution of public money by writing to the appropriate public officials.”