My Zen Arcade

Daily Kos: PALIN-tology – 45+ Problems for McCain’s VP in just 35 hours
This is a great list. I can only assume that McCain didn’t know all this or he wouldn’t have picked her.Of course, that means that she really is just a political toy. Or, alternately, that McCain’s team are idiots. Did [...]

Its OK, we killed our daughter because of our religion.  Shouldn’t we get a free pass?
A day before Madeline died, according to the criminal complaint, the father wrote an e-mail with the headline, “Help our daughter needs emergency prayer!!!!.” It said his daughter was “very weak and pale at the moment with hardly any strength.”
Fuck [...]

So, in case you missed it, yes, we know, we were lied to, and have continually been lied to, about the Iraq war.
Here’s a couple snippets from the NYT article.
Most of the analysts have ties to military contractors vested in the very war policies they are asked to assess on air.
–
John C. Garrett is a [...]

Of course.  Because we always think about the children.
On the plus side, it looks like the states are about the tell GW to go to hell.  It stuns me that an elected official would put restrictions on how states dole out healthcare.  Oh, right, don’t want to screw those big insurance companies that donate so [...]

it should be noted that my feelings towards Scientology aren’t significantly different than my feelings towards any other religion.  The only differences are:

Scientology is blatant and shameless in requiring money if you want salvation (most churches try to hide this best they can)
Scientology promises super-power (most churches say they have super-powers, but only a few [...]

Ahhh…the horrors never end.  I hadn’t heard about this one.
Short version: Parentsw believe crazy-ass shit and so they don’t do what parents are supposed to do and just let their child die because doing what they are supposed to do would conflict with their flavor of crazy.

Sphere: Related Content

Well, the other 3 kids have been removed from the Neumann home during the investigation.  What keeps coming up is how there wasn’t any ‘intent’ on the parents part.  They honestly thought they were doing the right thing.
Parents who physically abuse their children often say the same.  ‘They had to learn a lesson’ or ‘my [...]

They called their church the night before
On the night before 11-year-old Madeline Kara Neumann died of complications from untreated diabetes, her parents did not call a doctor. Instead, Dale and Leilani Neumann prayed over the telephone Saturday with the founder of a religious Web site named americaslastdays.com
So lets make sure the record [...]

One Higher Power: Why does the media only cover when prayer goes wrong
Where is the ABC News report of the higher power saving my grandfather’s life from a diabetic episode based on a “hunch” – a “still, small voice” my uncle heard and heeded?
Well, first off, the media often does these kind of human [...]

Again, we take kids away from parents all the time. But if ‘god’ or ‘faith’ enter into it, they are untouchable.
Wisconsin’s faith-based healing law
Peters is referring to state statute 948.03(6), against failing to act to protect children from bodily harm. It contains an exemption for what it refers to as ” Treatment through prayer.” To [...]