Former President George W. Bush and Sen. Mitt Romney are two Republicans who won't support the re-election of Donald Trump for President in 2020, the NY Times website reports today (June 7, 2020).
Also, former Secretary of State Colin Powell announced today that he will vote for Joe Biden, telling CNN that Trump "lies about things" and Republicans in Congress won't hold him accountable.
Biden himself intends to roll out his "Republicans for Biden" coalition later in the campaign, after fully consolidating his own campaign.
Public expressions of opposition to Trump from Republicans have accelerated in recent days over his repeated calls for protesters to be physically constrained, "dominated," as he put it, and his administration's order to forcefully clear the streets outside the White House so he could walk out for a photo opportunity while holding up a Bible have had a negative impact on Trump.
Sunday, June 7, 2020
Saturday, June 6, 2020
Marine Corps Bans Usage of Confederate Flags; Seen as Being Related to Divisive Racist Beliefs
The U.S. Marine Corps today (June 6, 2020) banned the public display of the Confederate battle flag, according to the Alternet website.
"Depictions of the Confederate battle flag are unauthorized in public and work spaces aboard an installation," the Marine Corps wrote in guidance to the troops.
The ban applies to bumper stickers, clothing, and flags among other items.
"The Confederate battle flag has all too often been co-opted by violent extremist and racist groups whose divisive beliefs have no p;ace in our Corps," the Marines explained.
"Depictions of the Confederate battle flag are unauthorized in public and work spaces aboard an installation," the Marine Corps wrote in guidance to the troops.
The ban applies to bumper stickers, clothing, and flags among other items.
"The Confederate battle flag has all too often been co-opted by violent extremist and racist groups whose divisive beliefs have no p;ace in our Corps," the Marines explained.
Friday, June 5, 2020
US Southern Baptist Rel. Has a Historic Drop; Drops 300K Members between 2018 and 2019
Total membership in the nation's largest Protestant denomination fell at a historic rate between 2018 and 2019, the Religion News Service website reports today (June 5, 2020).
The Southern Baptist Convention said it had 14.5 million members in 2019, down about 287,655 from the previous year.
Membership dropped 2 percent, the largest single-year drop in more than 100 years.
The decline reflects a larger trend of Americans leaving Christianity at a rapid pace. According to the Pew Research Center, 65 percent of Americans describe themselves as Christians, down 12 percentage points during the past decade.
The Southern Baptist Convention said it had 14.5 million members in 2019, down about 287,655 from the previous year.
Membership dropped 2 percent, the largest single-year drop in more than 100 years.
The decline reflects a larger trend of Americans leaving Christianity at a rapid pace. According to the Pew Research Center, 65 percent of Americans describe themselves as Christians, down 12 percentage points during the past decade.
Thursday, June 4, 2020
Va. Gov. to Bring Down Robert E. Lee Statue; George Floyd Protesters Covered It in Graffiti
One of the nation's most notorious monuments to the Confederacy -- a statue of Gen. Robert E. Lee in Richmond, Virginia -- is set to be pulled down in a victory for civil rights activists, the Daily Beast website reports today (June 4, 2020).
Gov. Ralph Northam today announced plans to remove the statue from its massive pedestal in Richmond's Monument Avenue and put it into storage "as soon as possible."
The statue was covered in graffiti last weekend by people protesting the death of George Floyd in police custody.
Gen. Lee was a prominent Confederate general in America's Civil War.
Gov. Ralph Northam today announced plans to remove the statue from its massive pedestal in Richmond's Monument Avenue and put it into storage "as soon as possible."
The statue was covered in graffiti last weekend by people protesting the death of George Floyd in police custody.
Gen. Lee was a prominent Confederate general in America's Civil War.
Wednesday, June 3, 2020
Pope Slams George Floyd's Racist Death as a Sin; Asserts We Must Not Turn a Blind Eye to Racism
Pope Francis prayed for George Floyd in his weekly Wednesday audience today (June 3, 2020), calling Floyd's tragic death and racism a "sin," according to the USA Today website.
Addressing people in the U.S. from the Vatican, Francis said he has "witnessed with great concern the disturbing social unrest in your nation" in the days after Floyd, 46, died in police custody when a white Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for more than eight minutes to make sure he strangled Floyd to death.
"My friends, we cannot tolerate or turn a blind eye to racism and exclusion in any form and yet claim to defend the sacredness of every human life," the pope said.
Francis added he is joining the church in St. Paul and Minneapolis and across the U.S. 'in praying for the repose of the soul of George Floyd and all those others who have lost their lives as a result of the sin of racism."
Addressing people in the U.S. from the Vatican, Francis said he has "witnessed with great concern the disturbing social unrest in your nation" in the days after Floyd, 46, died in police custody when a white Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for more than eight minutes to make sure he strangled Floyd to death.
"My friends, we cannot tolerate or turn a blind eye to racism and exclusion in any form and yet claim to defend the sacredness of every human life," the pope said.
Francis added he is joining the church in St. Paul and Minneapolis and across the U.S. 'in praying for the repose of the soul of George Floyd and all those others who have lost their lives as a result of the sin of racism."
Tuesday, June 2, 2020
DC Bishop Rips Trump for Bible Photo at Church; "Trump Opposed to Jesus' Love,Sacrificial Living"
Mariann Budde, the bishop for the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, D.C., blasted President Trump for staging a visit to St. John's Church near the White House last night, the Yahoo News website reports today (June 2, 2020).
As Trump prepared to speak in the Rose Garden, police in riot gear and using tear gas, began violently removing peaceful protesters so that Trump could safely make it to the church where he posed for a photo outside the church while holding up a Bible.
"The president just used a Bible, the most sacred text of the Judeo-Christian religion, at one of the churches of my diocese without permission, as a backdrop for a message antithetical to the teachings of Jesus and everything that our churches stand for." Budde said. "I am outraged."
Budde wanted to make it clear that her diocese does not back the president's message. She added that following Jesus and His way of love do not back the president, since "we follow someone who lived a life of nonviolence and sacrificial love."
As Trump prepared to speak in the Rose Garden, police in riot gear and using tear gas, began violently removing peaceful protesters so that Trump could safely make it to the church where he posed for a photo outside the church while holding up a Bible.
"The president just used a Bible, the most sacred text of the Judeo-Christian religion, at one of the churches of my diocese without permission, as a backdrop for a message antithetical to the teachings of Jesus and everything that our churches stand for." Budde said. "I am outraged."
Budde wanted to make it clear that her diocese does not back the president's message. She added that following Jesus and His way of love do not back the president, since "we follow someone who lived a life of nonviolence and sacrificial love."
Monday, June 1, 2020
Montenegro May Be First COVID-Free Nation; Will Claim Honor June 2 Based on WHO Rules
Montenegro, a small Balkan country north of Greece with some 600,000 people, is claiming it is about to become the first coronavirus-free country in Europe, the Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty website reports today (June 1, 2020).
Montenegrin Prime Minister Dusko Markovic announced on May 25 that no continued cases were registered in the mountainous country on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. His announcement came a day after the last known coronavirus-infected patient had recovered.
Now, if no new cases are reported, Montenegro plans to declare itself coronavirus-free on June 2, in step with guidelines set out by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Technically, Montenegro would not be the first country to declare itself coronavirus-free. Slovenia did the same recently, only to later report fresh cases.
Montenegrin Prime Minister Dusko Markovic announced on May 25 that no continued cases were registered in the mountainous country on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. His announcement came a day after the last known coronavirus-infected patient had recovered.
Now, if no new cases are reported, Montenegro plans to declare itself coronavirus-free on June 2, in step with guidelines set out by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Technically, Montenegro would not be the first country to declare itself coronavirus-free. Slovenia did the same recently, only to later report fresh cases.
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