California Libertarians and the question of image

One common trope in California Libertarian politics is that we put forth flawed candidates and leaders. Whether it be single issue ferret farmers or spitting druids, we attract and endorse people who make the members of the majority parties laugh in their collective sleeves.  We do ourselves no favors when our candidate for governor campaigns with single-minded determination for marijuana legalization while the real issues of the day are discussed at the adult table. We are irrelevant. The general populous thinks of us as wackos, nutjobs and buffoons.

I polled 73 people over the last two months and asked one question regarding our party. What one word best describes libertarians in California politics. The number one response was either wacko, crazy or nutjobs (64%). The number two was “out of touch” (22%).

Two respondents mentioned our officially sanctioned support of a convicted pedophile. I’d seen a few posts on Faceboodk mentioning a convicted sex offender in our leadership, but I did not know the name of the person or the specifics of the case. I looked it up this morning. It was not hard to find. The person in question is one Matthew Barnes. He was convicted in 1993 of three counts of lewd or lascivious acts with a child under 14-years of age.

A 2009 article indicates Barnes became the San Bernardino county Libertarian Party’s group vice-chairman for 2010. Barnes is a registered sex-offender.

When members of the San Bernardino County Libertarian Party elected Matthew Barnes as the group's vice chairman for 2010, they knew he was a registered sex offender.

"The members of the party that voted for him, they voted for him knowing he had completed his time and his punishment and didn't want to hold that against him," said Paul Darr, the county party chairman, who says he's planning a run for the State Assembly. "He completed his punishment by the state and has been reformed."

Barnes, 41, pleased guilty in 1993 to three counts of lewd or lascivious acts with a child under 14 years old, according to court records. The crimes were committed in the summer of 1987, when Barnes was 19.

Of course, people responded:

people4money of the Democratic Underground wrote:

This guy, Matthew Barnes, had sex with a 13 year old in the 90's, and this local chapter of the Libertarian party sees no reason why he shouldn't be their vice chairmen since he already served his time. I can't help but wonder if they secretly see him as some sort of victim of the big bad government for not recognizing his right to fuck 13 year olds. Maybe if he did something truly horrible, like lobby to end exploitation of third world, sweat labour, they wouldn't have been so forgiving. ...fucking kids though, now that's forgiveable to them apparently.

I really hate libertarians. I really do. They think the 12th century practices pederastry, polygamy, prostitution, etc, are some how progressive…

Sebastian Knowlton writes:

This is a sickening story everyone, and I’m tired of sidestepping it. A convicted, multiple-offense, child molester has been working with the San Bernardino County LP here in California for some time now, and the county brass continues to shamefully justify his presence there, simply because they had a friendly relationship with him prior to learning of his crimes. Granted, I could overlook alot ...

I could keep posting blog comments, but I’ve made my point. Californians, when they hear of Barnes’ appointment, issues a collective WTF. So do I. Given my focus on clergy sex abuse, I am stunned that any political organization would put forth a convicted pedophile as its face to the public. What I know to be true through countless hours of research is that a pedophile can never serve in a position of trust, and they will never be trusted by the larger population. Pedophiles are also at high risk to abuse again. The downstream potential for damage to the Libertarian Party is enormous. It does not matter if the person is “rehabilitated” by serving a prison term. Pedophiles are a different class of criminal. One that requires an increased need for vigilance and little if any trust.

Politically speaking, pedophiles are toxic. They alienate people who might otherwise be attracted to our ideas and shift the dialog away from our ideas to our practices. Allowing Matthew Barnes a leadership role was a bad idea. It hurt the party and feeds the trope that we are a party of nutballs. We need people to talk about our ideas and not nutballs.

Matthew Barnes is no longer in a leadership role at the Libertarian Party of San Bernardino, but he is active. His name pops up all over the web associated with state and local libertarian events. In other words, the Libertarian Party of California will forever be tainted by the perception that it somehow supports pedophiles and that Barnes is our poster boy.

I have nothing against Matthew Barnes. I don’t know his ideas or the quality of his thinking. This is not about Barnes, this is about Libertarian leadership. Barnes should never have been allowed in a leadership position. If our leadership cannot see this simple fact, they do not deserve the privilege of leadership.

Technorati Tags: Libertarians,Nutballs,Matthew Barnes,Politics,Pedophiles

Clergy freak of the week - Dustin Werneberg

Youth pastor Dustin Werneberg (28) was arrested for allegedly raping a girl under the age of 16. Werneberg was the youth pastor at First Baptist Church in Coalgate.

Coalgate police investigator Richard Costantino says former youth minister Dustin Ray Werneburg was arrested on eight sex crime charges after a parent came forward saying Werneburg had inappropriate contact with their daughter.

"Information was passed to us. We had it checked out. Found that it was factual and we are still proceeding with the investigation," Costantino said.

An affidavit states the victim's parent found inappropriate messages and pictures between Werneburg and his daughter. It also shows the two began texting in November of 2011 and exchanged at least 1,000 messages.

Source: Former youth minister arrested on sex crimes

Note to parents – A youth pastor should never be allowed to communicate with your child via unsupervised or unsanctioned text messages or emails. As a parent, you should be monitoring your child’s cell phone activity.

Watch this video. It shows First Baptist pastor Jeff Self saying something odd:

"We had some allegations of sexual misconduct him basically inappropriately approaching a teenage girl. And with that we met with leadership of the church and asked for his resignation," Self said.

Wereneburg resigned in August, but Self says this was not the first allegation made against Werneburg.

"We had three allegations over the course of three years. Two of them he had come to me and said you are going to hear this personally, and it was a he said she said and we believed him and there was no anything else about it, but once we had that third allegation that was really significant in August," Self said.

Their youth pastor had three allegation of misconduct over three years. They kept him working with kids even though there were allegations because it was a “he said, she said” kind of thing and they believed him. Jesus friggen Christ people. Have you learned nothing? Hello! Where there is smoke, there is fire.

Note to parents: Your kids are not safe at First Baptist Church in Coalgate. Perhaps you should move on to Second Baptist, or even Third.

Technorati Tags: Clergy Sexual Abuse,Youth Pastors,Baptists,Rape,Pedophiles

Alan West vows to serve America as gadfly

Alan West concedes.

Rep. Allen West on Tuesday conceded in his re-election effort in Florida’s 18^th Congressional District, but suggested he will still be active in politics or public office…

…“Leaders don't need a title to be able to lead,” West told Fox News. “I will continue to be servant of this nation.”
Read more: West gives up the fight, concedes in his re-election bid

West vows to serve in some capacity, I’m calling him a rightwing political gadfly from here on out.

I am sorry for the link to Fox News. I thought their pandering to this loser hilarious.

Goodbye Alan West. Don’t let the door hit you on the ass as you leave. 

Technorati Tags: Republicans,Tea Party,Politics

Related articles

• Rep. Allen West concedes in re-election bid (firstread.nbcnews.com)
• Rep. Allen West concedes to Patrick Murphy (cbsnews.com)
• Allen West concedes after recounts, court fights (miamiherald.com)

The world does not owe you a living

People who play the victim card annoy me. There is something wrong about hearing someone who has been injured milking the story for more than they deserve. It grates at me like a nasty rash. It's just wrong. The case of Grace Suozzi set me off today. She was sucker punched in Wal-Mart on Christmas Eve in 2011 by a poor excuse for a human named Jacquetta Simmons. A judged sentenced Simmons to five years in prison; largely for her attitude it would seem. I want to feel sympathy for the victim, but I am unable to feel much sympathy because I think she overplayed her injury.

Grace Suozzi testified at Simmons' sentencing. She is a gray-haired old lady (71) who seems fit and able. Yet one sucker punch has turned her into a jobless shut-in. Her life is one of fear… over a single sucker punch. She blamed all of her current problems on the event. She even asked for the victim to be forced to pay her medical bills. She garners no sympathy from me. Take your punch, demand justice, and get on with your life. If you need more than justice allotted, then sue Simmons for civil damages. The key idea here is, get on with your life. Don't let one incident define the rest of your life. 

For me, life is like boxing, except I'm not a contender. I'm a journeyman earning my way as I go. Sometimes I take one on the chin (like getting the crap beat out of me many years ago), or sometimes I take a career hit, but sometimes I win too. I take the good with the bad and keep moving. If I dwelled on all my failures, mistakes and hurts, I'd be stuck in 1983. Small traumas are part of life. Sometimes it's you that takes a shot, sometimes its the next guy. A sucker punch causing a black eye and a single night in the hospital is small trauma. Move on. 

As for Jacquetta Simmons - Five years is a just sentence for sociopathic behavior. Who hits a 70-year-old woman over a receipt? Lock her up until she can act like a civilized human being. 

Photographer Brian Skerry at the Aquarium of the Pacific

Brian Skerry is a National Geographic nature photographer. On December 1, 2012 Skerry opens a photography exhibit at The Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach. Admission to the exhibit is included with a general admission ticket to the Aquarium. 

Skerry’s images capture once-in-a-lifetime moments with marine life, from a diver happening upon a gargantuan whale at the sea floor to a tiny fish looking out from inside a discarded soda can. Rich colors and luminous settings draw viewers in and transport them to the world found underwater. Skerry has traveled the globe for thirty years documenting the planet’s oceans and aquatic wildlife.

Brian Skerry is worth seeing.  

Technorati Tags: Photography, Art

The rule of three

Three important photographers died this week.

• AP Photographer Walt Zeboski Dies at Age 83
• Canadian photographer Arnaud Maggs dead at age 86
• Cornel Lucas, Photographer Whose Portraits Defined Film Stars, Dies at 92

Of the three, I am best acquainted with the work of Walt Zeboski. His haunting photo of Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme comes to mind; as do his many photos of Ronald Regan.

I know Cornel Lucas for his black and white portrait of Joan Callins, which I actually recreated (poorly) for a high school photography class back in the 70s.

I had planned on posting on Walt Zeboski, but then my inbox filled up with obituary notices. All were important to photography. All should be remembered.

Technorati Tags: Obituaries,Photography

Related articles

• Cornel Lucas, Photographer Whose Portraits Defined Film Stars, Dies at 92 (nytimes.com)
• Cornel Lucas obituary (guardian.co.uk)
• AP Photographer Walt Zeboski Dies at Age 83 (abcnews.go.com)
• Arnaud Maggs, 1926 to 2012 (appliedartsmag.com)

Allen West about to exit stage left

Watching Allen West desperately try to keep his congressional seat is entertaining and illuminating. West is intractable. He refuses to concede. He’s lost the election, that much was made clear in the recent recount. Now, he must exit the stage. Right?

“It’s time for Allen West to do the right thing and concede,” said Murphy’s senior adviser, Eric Johnson.

“As usual, Murphy’s people are full of garbage,” Tim Edson, West’s campaign manager, said. “This is something the secretary of state and governor will have to sort out.”

Don’t wait for West to concede. Let him go down in history as a self-deluded bully and loser. It will be better that way. Now, if we can just get him to act like Snagglepuss and exit, stage left. Heavens to Betsy, I need the laugh.

Technorati Tags: Politics,Nutballs,Tea Party,Republicans

Related articles

• Allen West Loses to Patrick Murphy After Sunday's Recount Reaches Deadline (blogs.browardpalmbeach.com)
• Election Officials Miss Deadline To Report Recount Results In Allen West Race (tampa.cbslocal.com)
• Allen West Gets His Recount, Still a Loser (crooksandliars.com)
• Allen West falls further behind - Alex Isenstadt (politico.com)

Smart people doing smart things

What's not to like?

How does one steal Christmas?

I’m trying to steal Christmas? I must not have gotten the memo. Am I supposed to march or something? I hate marching. And why am I always the last to know? Atheists… we need to work on our communications.

But seriously folks, Pat Roberson is a douche. He is a fear mongering and decrepit old hatemonger. Why does anyone listen to him?

The truth is, atheists do not give a rat’s ass about how Christians celebrate Christmas. All we ask is that you don’t trying to make us celebrate your Christmas. As an American, I am free to celebrate Christmas by not celebrating it. I exercise that right every year. Doing so does not hurt Christians at all, nor does it attack Christian’s most cherished commercial holiday. Christians will go shopping on black Friday. The will go to church on Christmas and Christmas Eve, and then, just like most of the rest of America, they will open presents on Christmas morning just like they have for the last 100 years. Move along people. There is nothing to see here.

All Pat Roberson’s inane and hateful pronouncements really do is give me an excuse to update his obituary.

Hat tip: Tana Ganeva at AlterNet

A wtf Christian cult story

Bible study, group sex, rape and murder – this amazing story of religious excess sounds like Hollywood fiction rather than something out of a Midwestern American Christianity. It is instead, the story of the birth of a new Christian cult based in personal charisma and group sex that eventually led to rape and murder. Tyler Deaton has a lot to explain.

While Deaton spoke in calm and assuring tones, at least one of his closest inner circle apparently was starting to come undone.

Three days later, investigators say, 23-year-old Micah Moore would go to police and uncork the terrible secrets that allegedly occurred over several months at a Grandview home where Deaton and other members of his religious group lived.

Witnesses told of a clan of young adults making sex part of their religious experience, of men in the group sexually assaulting Bethany over months, and of Deaton’s role as their “spiritual leader.”

Read more here: Secrets of Tyler Deaton's prayer group emerge

I’m speechless. Religion can be used for evil by anyone. I see it on the pages of this blog every week.

Deaton is linked to IHOP.

Deaton’s group came from Texas to be part of the International House of Prayer, based in south Kansas City.

On Monday, Allen Hood, the president of the International House of Prayer, said in a statement that Deaton led his group independently and operated under a “veil of secrecy,” though members attended a school operated by IHOP. The statement also made reference to the group’s “disturbing religious practices.”

Read more here: Tyler Deaton’s role at the International House of Prayer becomes clearer

Since when is it a good idea to let anybody run a group under a “veil of secrecy?” By now we all know this to be dumb. IHOP is simply distancing themselves from yet another controversy. Deaton has been listed as a division coordinator on IHOP’s website until the charges came to light. Now… well, you know the story.

 

Technorati Tags: Clergy Sexual Abuse,Rape,Cults,Murder

Profile of Courage photo by Lisa Scale wins award

Lisa Scale of Bella Photography won the distinguished Deputy Minister of Nation Defense award for Photography. Heck, I’m an American and this make me feel patriotic. It pushes all the right buttons and is a good photo too. 

Technorati Tags: Photography,War

Youth pastor Robert Warren arrested

This is an odd case. Baptist youth pastor Robert Warren was arrested for giving “items of a sexual nature” to a teen girl in Yuma Arizona.

According to the Yuma County Sheriff's Office, a woman contacted their office over the weekend to report that her daughter had received “items of a sexual nature” from the church's youth pastor, 43-year-old Robert Warren.

Detectives from the sheriff's office interviewed the victim and were able to determine that Warren had made contact with the victim and informed her that he had obtained the items in question and had dropped them off at her house.
Read more: Youth pastor at Yuma church arrested

We don’t know what the items are, but perhaps that makes it worse. My imagination conjures all sorts of unhealthy scenarios.

The victim is a 14-year-old girl.

Warrant is the youth pastor at Valley Baptist Church. There is no mention of the arrest on the church website and there is no longer any mention of Robert Warren. The church is standing behind Warren.

Valley Baptist Church Pastor Glenn Conell told KSWT-TV that the incident was out of character for Warren and added that the church is standing behind him. However, Pastor Connell will consider taking appropriate action, depending on the police investigation.

Warren admitted sending the items. So why is the church standing behind him? There is no mention of support for the victim or her family.

Technorati Tags: Baptists,Yuma,Arizona,Youth Pastors,Clergy Sexual Abuse,Sex Crimes

A field test of Innova’s Blizzard plastic

I had a chance to play a round of disc golf with Innova’s new line of “Blizzard” discs this morning. Blizzard technology reduces the weight of disc because the plastic is full of micro-bubbles. The weight reduction moved discs that I cannot normally throw into my range. I tried a 135 gram Wraith and a 139 gram Krait this morning expecting a pickup of 30’ or so. I hit 30’ and then some.

The real measure of performance is your score. My typical score at my home course, El Dorado DGC in Long Beach, is within two strokes of par over 18 holes. I am a par player who gets an occasional birdie and one or two bogies per game. I am so consistent that my results are normally predictable. My best game is a –4 for a 50. A typical game is +2 for 56. My best score on the front nine is –3; for the back nine it is –1.

I played nine holes this morning. I scored a –4 for a 23, which is a personal best. I birdied holes one, three, six and eight. I can discount hole three as lucky because I made a 45’ putt for birdie, which is a 1 in 20 putt for me. The other birdies were normal putts (under 20’). I putted 27’ for birdie on hole four and missed. I putted 47’ for birdie on hole five and bounced off (after a 315’ drive). Hole seven was a disaster. I hit a tree with my drive and needed a 220’ upshot to save par. I landed within 10’ and nailed my putt. I did the same  on hole nine. Hole two was a good drive which landed behind a tree. I made a good position shot and then putted for par from 15’. It was a very good round.

I used the Wraith as the driver on each hole. I threw a second drive with the Krait for comparison. My distance pickup averaged 60 feet. The reason I hit four birdies and putted for two others is simple; I was pin high on each hole. The lighter plastic worked. I could throw the Wraith; the Krait, not so much. It was a tree magnet.

The distance was nice, but control issues caused me to miss target to the left by a large margin. I was usually pin high and 40’ to the left.

My average open-field drive is normally between 210 and 240’. In an open field test this morning, I threw the Krait an average of 275’ and the Wraith a stunning (for me) average of 315’. My longest drive was 325’, but I was helped by a huge jump off a concrete sidewalk. I do not yet have the control I need with either disc. I’m sure control will come with practice.

I’m heading over to Discover the World to buy the entire inventory of Blizzard plastic so my disc golf friends cannot get their hands on this stuff. That’s fair. Right?

Technorati Tags: Disc Golf,Blizzard,Innova,El Dorado DGC,Long Beach

A Christian spelltard

I’m a an atheist spelltard. I have a few friends who edit posts. They gently correct my errors. My ego survives the process, but just barely. I can easily fix errors. It’s not like they are written in stone…

Mike Ritze, Oklahoma Lawmaker, Erects Ten Commandments Monument With Spelling Errors.

The rose-stone block reads “Sabbeth” instead of “Sabbath.”

And at its base, the tenth commandment reads, “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidseruent.” It should read "maidservant."

Rep. Mike Ritze, a fundie Oklahoma state congressman, is a spelltard. This fact alone makes me feel better today. I needed to feel better. It’s been a hard week.

I give the ill-advised monument 10 months before it is removed by our fair and balanced courts. Dippy judge Roy Moore lost his battle over a similar issue, so will Mike Ritze.

Technorati Tags: Christianity,Conservatives,GOP,Video,Mike Ritze,Mike Ritze Oklahoma,Mike Ritze Ten Commandments,Ten Commandments Lawsuit,Aclu,Oklahoma,Roy Moore,Roy Moore Ten Commandments,Separation Of Church And State,Ten Commandments Oklahoma,Politics News

Every day is payday

I get paid in headlines. Accused molesting priest blamed God.

He alleges another priest came into to the room and asked Rapson what he was doing.
Rapson replied: "You know what we do here."
To which the other priest said: "You've really got to resist."
Rapson replied: "God made us this way and it's his fault."

God mad us pedophiles. Yep. I love my daily dose of Catholic headlines.

Technorati Tags: Catholics,Clergy Sexual Abuse