Justified?

by Groff Schroeder

Trump Administration policies including the president's self described "Muslim Ban," Attorney General Sessions' apparent abandonment of protecting gays and lesbians from discrimination, and the president's ban of transgenders from the US military, etc., appear to violate the "golden rule," and America's Constitutional rights to equality, privacy, due process, freedom of association, and freedom of religion. Furthermore, the armed neo-Nazi protests in Charlottesville, Virginia on August 11 and 12, 2017 – as well as President Donald J. Trump's repeated divisive statements about them – are deeply saddening, dismaying, disturbing, and troubling.

Profit conflicts

by Groff Schroeder

Virtually every developed nation on earth successfully provides high quality health care to their citizens routinely, economically, and equally with government operated not-for-profit systems. In America, political conflicts of interest, rigid ideology, and campaign "donations" have evolved a "market based" public not-for-profit (Medicare/Medicaid/Tricare) private for-profit (corporate insurance based) health care "partnership"characterized by inferior medical outcomes, relentless market upheaval, unequal access, conflicts of interest, bizarre legislative maneuvers, unprecedented public expense – and almost unimaginable private profit.

Believing in doubt

By Ken Burrows

The title of this essay may, at first glance, sound oxymoronic. It is not. Because doubt, properly acted upon, is often a needed step to reach truth. Valerie Tarico, Ph.D., a former evangelical Christian, is one of many who have traveled this path. In her book Trusting Doubt, she describes not only the personal enlightenment that doubt helped lead her to but also the psychological dynamics at work in human beings when they choose to either embrace doubt or refuse it entry into their decision-making about what they believe.

Doing the "right" thing?

by Groff Schroeder

Chances are, pretty much anybody and everybody sets out to do the correct thing when they decide to take any action – and virtually everyone seeks to take actions that provide positive outcomes for themselves and or others. Unfortunately, there appear to be many people on earth willing to use deception to manipulate the decisions and actions of others. Therefore, the success or failure of any decision or action to achieve the desired positive outcome depends upon access to complete and correct information.

The Freethinkers of Colorado Springs statement to KOAA News Five in response to President Trump's May 4, 2017 executive order "Promoting Free Speech and Religious Liberty" follows.

The "Promoting Free Speech and Religious Liberty" Executive Order does not appear to make any substantial change to IRS 501c3.

E Pluribus Unum

by Groff Schroeder

In 1776, Congress directed Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson to design the Great Seal of the United States. Although other committees followed, two of the Franklin committee's design elements appeared on the final seal, the Eye of Providence and the motto "E Pluribus Unum," meaning out of many, one. When Congress adopted America's seal in 1782, the words e pluribus unum celebrated the joining together of America’s people and former colonies into a democratic republic, and symbolized the American People's shared feelings of respect and responsibility to our nation, our Constitution, and our fellow citizens. Seven years later, Congress ratified the Bill of Rights and its First Amendment, the first two clauses declaring, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” E Pluribus Unum was the de facto motto of the United States of America for 174 years.

Respect for Whose Life?

By Janet Brazill

Our newly elected president has just rushed to reinstate the “Mexico City policy,” otherwise known as the “global gag rule.” This prevents non-governmental organizations working abroad from receiving federal funding for family planning if they perform abortions or even talk to their clients about abortion. (The rule applies even though clinics are prohibited from using U.S. funds for abortions anyway.)

Strange success
by Groff Schroeder

On Friday, January 27 President Trump signed an executive order that repeatedly cites the September 11, 2001 attacks and claims to protect the United States from terrorist attack by prohibiting travel and immigration to the United States for 130 million individuals and refugees from seven predominantly Muslim countries - not one of which is associated with terrorist attacks in the United States. Countries that have been involved in terrorist attacks, including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates, were excluded from the ban. The Trump Organization (which President Trump remains directly associated with despite a strong need to present at least the appearance of integrity in the public trust) maintains business interests in the excluded nations, but not the banned nations. Sad.

Funny elections?

By Groff Schroeder

Most Americans agree that free and fair elections are a crucial foundation of our democratic republic, its Constitution, its People, and our freedoms. Yet few would disagree with this statement from the recent election campaign, “There is something funny about the elections, folks.”

Freedom vs. Tyranny

By Groff Schroeder

Freedom is the absence of illegitimate control by government. In contrast, tyranny is forced compliance with arbitrary, brutal, cruel, oppressive, and unlawful government. Freedom provides the ability to control and advance one's own destiny and to live, speak, and write as you wish without fear, interference, or coercion. Free societies provide citizens government protection from environmental degradation, enforced religion, and personal or financial exploitation through the the Rule of Law. Tyranny provides constant, invasive, and personally threatening surveillance designed to escalate societal compliance rooted in constant fear of imminent government-directed arrest, coercion, torture, and murder. Tyranny is law unto itself, exploiting the environment, religion, and citizens directly.

Unpatriotic?

By Groff Schroeder

Great controversy has recently enveloped athletes who kneel in protest during America's national anthem, a song whose third verse apparently celebrates the execution of American slaves who sought freedom by escaping their owners and serving the British in the War of 1812. While regular rituals of American life honor patriotic symbols such as the American flag, American culture rarely provides similar recognition or respect to the founding documents and principles of the United States, their history, or the nation they establish - let alone the rights and freedoms they guarantee. While many Americans know the history of the American flag and national anthem, fewer appear to know the history of the US Constitution.

Fact or Falsehood?

by Groff Schroeder

If someone believes a falsehood and repeats it, are they lying? In these “interesting times” of “clickbait,” media megalopoly, and advertising and entertainment driven “news,” how can we be sure our statements are correct?

Religious Freedom?

By Groff Schroeder

So-called "religious freedom laws" suggest that the United States Constitution grants religious freedom to not only human beings, but also non-human entities such as businesses, corporations, organizations, and institutions. Ironically, these laws appear to grant citizens and non-human organizations alike the power to deny civil rights the Constitution guarantees to all citizens.

What should be done about the Nones?

By Rodger Jump

First, what are the Nones? When you go to the hospital for surgery, you fill out a form that asks for your religious affiliation. I suppose in case things don’t go well. One of the choices is “None.” So patients who have no religious affiliation get tagged with the appellation of Nones. So too in society at large, the religiously unaffiliated often become Nones.

My creed:

To love justice, to long for the right,
to love mercy,
to pity the suffering, to assist the weak,

to forget wrongs and remember benefits,
to love the truth, to be sincere,
to utter honest words, to love liberty,
to wage relentless war
against slavery in all its forms,