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A Voice In the Philippine Wilderness? August 28, 2007

Posted by Maddog in Politics and Law, Prolife Issues, Religion and Social Issues.
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Olongapo Councilor JC delos Reyes fights the good fight.

“

You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt lose its savour, wherewith shall it be salted? It is good for nothing any more but to be cast out, and to be trodden on by men. You are the light of the world. A city seated on a mountain cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel, but upon a candlestick, that it may shine to all that are in the house. So let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

”

– Matthew 5:13-16

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In these days of paralyzing political correctness, it’s refreshing to see someone stand up for the truth and say it like it is. There are just too many unfounded claims and unchallenged popular assumptions (quite often promoted by vested interests) which our people unthinkingly swallow, hook line and sinker.

Overpopulation is just one example of these popular myths foisted upon the Third World by those who can profit from its acceptance. Peddling abortifacient contraceptives, condoms, and eventually abortion services is a billion dollar industry. Killing babies is big business.

But now the overpopulation bogey is being debunked in Olongapo by one brave soul who has chosen to take a stand — alone if necessary — and to speak the truth. That proverbial “voice in the wilderness” is Councilor John Carlos G. de los Reyes, the only one of the 27 candidates fielded for various elective positions by the Ang Kapatiran Party in the last election to win a seat.

A post on the party website’s home page, “JC delos Reyes Opposes the Olongapo City Repro Health Code“, summarized (in too few words) JC’s lonely fight:

Recently, the City council of Olongapo met to pass the Reproductive Health Code. JC was the lone opposition to the code for reasons explained in the privilege speech he delivered. (Click here to read JC’s privilege speech )

Needless to say, the code was passed with a vote of 11 to 1, JC being the only one who voted against. We laud and support JC for standing up for our party’s stand on the issue.

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The Absurdity of Same-Sex Marriage August 16, 2007

Posted by Maddog in Politics and Law, Religion and Social Issues.
Tags: , , ,
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(Warning: this post mentions certain mature — even disgusting — concepts. It is not intended for young readers)

The proponents of same-sex marriage want to change a revered institution to accommodate the sexual preference (or alleged “rights” or sexual orientation) of certain groups. These groups often include lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transexuals (sometimes referred to as the LGBT sector). Now while that may sound very inclusive and tolerant, their advocacy is actually based on faulty logic that will eventually lead to disaster.

Many people assume that because the institution marriage involves a relationship between a man and a woman (and with God as Witness and Judge as Christians believe), then it must also be based on sexual preference: the distinctly heterosexual preference of the majority. That is not exactly the case.

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God’s created reality as the basis of marriage

It is true that marriage — especially Christian marriage — is a monogamous heterosexual union. But the sexual preference of the human participants alone is NOT its basis. If it were, then it would be subject to change at any time, subject to the whims of any of the contracting parties. But marriage is supposed to be far more stable and permanent than that.

The truth of the matter is that the heterosexual orientation of marriage comes about because of something far more basic: the natural, biological reality that God created.

The purpose of marriage is to bring about the union of persons in a relationship that allows them to beget children and to raise them in a loving, nurturing environment: the family. Marriage, therefore, recognizes the simple biological reality in God’s design: that natural reproduction and nurturing of offspring is essential for the continued survival of the human race.

This reality cannot be changed. Non-heterosexual unions cannot beget children. Even science, for all its advances, still cannot effectively replace natural reproduction (if it tried to, the world would de-populate very quickly). And even if it could, this does not change the original basis of marriage nor nullify its validity. It is still an institution based upon a biolgical imperative that is part of God’s created reality.

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SCO’s Linux Claims Are Dead — Long Live Linux! August 13, 2007

Posted by Maddog in Technology Issues, open source.
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sco_trash.jpgSome questionable endeavors deserve to fail. Some are so dastardly that they deserve to fail in a spectacular manner — with disastrous consequences for those engaged in it. SCO’s anti-Linux lawsuits against Novell and IBM fall into the latter category. Not only is it right for SCO’s claims to be dismissed, SCO should be made to pay dearly for its outrageous attempts to act as the attack dog.

Happily, that’s what seems to be happening. Last Friday, in “Court Rules: Novell owns the UNIX and UnixWare copyrights! Novell has right to waive!”, Groklaw reported that U.S. District Court Judge Dale Kimball ruled that Novell owns the intellectual property (IP) for Unix, effectively obliterating SCO’s claims not only against Novell but also against IBM. Computerworld also reported the story in “Novell wins rights to Unix copyrights.”

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A Small Victory For Reason August 3, 2007

Posted by Maddog in Politics and Law.
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sticker_on_helmet.jpgFilipinos concerned about stupidity and abuse of authority in government can take some consolation in one small victory. It looks like Bayani Fernando’s unbelievably idiotic helmet rules will not be imposed for now. This good news was reported in the Manila Times article, MMDA defers bike helmet ordinance, which came out last July 28. Here is part of it:

MOTORCYCLE riders who are against the Metro Mayors’ Council’s resolution requiring them to print on their helmets the license plates of their vehicles can relax for the mean time: The Metro Manila Development Authority has deferred the implementation of the ordinance.

MMDA Chairman Bayani Fernando on Thursday asked the representative of the National Capital Region Police District (NCRPO) to study the issues and concerns raised by the Motorcycle Philippines Federation.

. . .

Fernando asked Police Supt. Rey Roderos, deputy director for operations NCRPO, to meet with various groups of motorcycle riders led by the MPF before the agency implements the rules and regulations (IRR).

This is to make sure that the law will be favorable to all parties and will serve its true purpose of preventing crime and protecting the citizens, Fernando said.

Of course, this is not the end. Fernando could still try to find some way to implement this ridiculous stupidity. But at least we have more time to make him realize that his plan will achieve none of his stated objectives.

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