Wednesday, November 27, 2024
Thanksgiving 2024
By Deacon
Mike Manno
Thanksgiving is that one, unique
American holiday that serves as an introduction to the Christmas season. It is
both cultural and religious, depending on your particular point of view, which
can embrace either one or both at the same time.
Hopefully, most will see the holiday
as a time for family, fellowship, and gratitude for those things for which this
life has provided us. For many it will be a day of loneliness and regret.
Others will take the day as a simple day away from our normal routine and
cares.
But there are a few things, that in
this time of deep political and secular divisions, will unify most Americans: food,
football, and parades. Let’s quickly look at all three.
Food: While turkey seems to be
the popular main dish for the day, its historical links to the holiday are
rather murky. It is generally thought that the Pilgrims feasted on turkey at
the first Thanksgiving celebration with the Indians. However, there is no
indication turkey was on the menu that day. But, for religious people of that
day, a celebration of thanks would normally have occurred after a successful
harvest, which, for an agrarian people, would suggest the possibility of game
birds, but nothing more special than that.
There were similar thanksgivings
celebrated by Spanish settlers in Florida which pre-date the Pilgrims, yet
their diet would more likely have been fish, lobster, clams, and oysters, not turkey.
So why is turkey the staple of
Thanksgiving dinners? Most likely the idea was popularized by Charles Dickens’ A
Christmas Carol, published in 1843. It also should be remembered that as
Thanksgiving became more popular in America, wild turkeys had become plentiful
and cheap to acquire. Thus, turkeys are more an accident of history than a specific
diet for a special day.
Parades: The largest and best
known of the Thanksgiving parades is the Macy’s parade in New York. It is
televised throughout the United States, as well as elsewhere, by two national
networks: the official broadcast by NBC and an unofficial one by CBS. On NBC
you will hear references to Macy, on CBS you won’t.
The Macy’s parade was televised in 1939,
and NBC has been the official broadcast since 1953. The “unauthorized” coverage
by CBS began when the parade went by its New York studios. The outdoor public
events could be broadcast by anyone, but since NBC had the rights to broadcast
the parade, certain logos and performers could not be shown by CBS, which calls
the parade simply, The Thanksgiving Day Parade, rather than the official
title, The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
The Macy’s parade began in 1924, which
makes it the second oldest – Philadelphia was first in 1920 with Gimbel’s
parade, started by Ellis Gimbel to popularize his department store. The Macy’s
parade started with store employees marching to the store in festive costumes.
Both parades end with the appearance of Santa Clause, but in Philly in 1920
Santa not only appeared, but he also climbed a fire department ladder to
Gimbel’s eighth floor, where the toy department was located, and climbed
through the window.
The same year Macy’s started, Detroit
began its American Thanksgiving Parade, tying it for second oldest. It
was started by the J. L. Hudson department store, and while the other parades
are famous for balloon figures, Detroit is famous for the use of the Big Head
Corps, a collection of papier-mâché heads, and the Distinguished Clown Corps of
civic and business leaders dressed as clowns.
All three of the parades have appeared
each Thanksgiving, save for the war years in the early 40s in which Macy’s and
Detroit cancelled. During the Covid year 2020 the parades were produced but
closed to the public who could only see it on television or via computer.
One of the most iconic uses of the
Macy’s parade was in the 1947 film Miracle on 34th Street,
which follows the hiring of an old man, who calls himself Kris Kringle, as the
parade and store Santa Clause and his relationship to a young girl, Susan
Walker, played by a young Natalie Wood. The movie used actual footage of the
1946 parade.
Of course, there are other places
where Thanksgiving parades are held, but these three seem to be the oldest and
best known.
Football: It is now a tradition
that three NFL games are broadcast on Thanksgiving Day. The tradition started
in 1920 in a similar fashion to the collegiate practice of Thanksgiving play.
The history of the Thanksgiving game
dates back to 1876 before the NFL was formed. The University of Michigan hosted
19 Thanksgiving Day games starting in 1885. Michigan’s game against the Chicago
Maroons in 1890 has been cited as the beginning of the tradition of
Thanksgiving Day football.
Founded in Canton, Ohio in 1920, the
National Foodball League and several teams did play on Thanksgiving. In Detroit
the Lions started the tradition of hosting a Thanksgiving game in 1934 to get
people to go to the Lions’ games. The Lions lost that first game to the Chicago
Bears (16-13) before a sold-out crowd. The Lions have played in 83 such games
over the years with a 37-44-2 record.
In 1966 a second Thanksgiving game was
added by the Dallas Cowboys, and a third game was added in 2006 to satisfy the
AFC who was restricted to only play as a visiting team since both Thanksgiving
home teams, Detroit and Dallas, were NFC clubs.
During the 1939 and 1940 seasons, only
the Pittsburg Steelers and the Philadelphia Eagles played on Thanksgiving Day
due to President Franklin Roosevelt who moved the normal day for Thanksgiving
from the last Thursday of November to the second to last Thursday. He did so
because he thought that it would spur another week of Christmas shopping during
the Great Depression. The president’s date conflicted with that of some states and
was referred to as Franksgiving.
I guess the point here is that no
matter how you spend the day, try to remember what it is first and foremost:
family, friends, and faith. After that, enjoy the turkey, watch the parade, and
relax to a lot of football, if that is your taste. Can life get any better?
The Rich Heritage of Giving Thanks for American Liberty
ORLANDO, FL – Thanksgiving is one of the most cherished holidays in America, as it is firmly rooted in family, community, and above all, gratitude for God’s grace and provision. From the Pilgrims to the Founders, to the Civil War through today, Thanksgiving remains steeped in the biblical principles of humble prayer and gratitude that honor God for the inspiration of American liberty and all that it took to achieve it.
While
Thanksgiving certainly echoes the early biblical harvest festivals, such as the
Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot), a time when the Israelites gave thanks for God’s
provision during the harvest season (Leviticus 23:33–43), the first
Thanksgiving is traditionally traced back to 1621 in Plymouth, Massachusetts.
The Pilgrims, seeking religious liberty and escape from persecution, saw the
New World in America as an opportunity to practice their religion freely and to
create a society based on their faith and values. The Pilgrims spent 66 days at
sea aboard the Mayflower to reach America, including sailing
through treacherous storms. Prior to going ashore in Plymouth, they voted to
establish a new form of government in the New World and signed America’s first
governing document, the Mayflower Compact.
In
the Mayflower Compact, the
Pilgrims clearly stated both their voyage and new government was for “the glory
of God and the advancement of the Christian faith.” This agreement also
established the idea of “just and equal laws” for self-government made by and
for the people, a forebear of American democracy. The Pilgrims would then
develop relations with the native Wampanoag people who taught them their
farming and survival skills. Those who survived the subsequent harsh winter,
which took many lives, decided to celebrate their first successful harvest. As
Christians, the Pilgrims celebrated their survival, community, and harvest with
expressions of gratitude and prayers of thanksgiving emphasizing their reliance
on divine grace and providence for their newfound liberty.
Though
not uniform, Thanksgiving-like celebrations would become common in the colonies
during the 17th and 18th centuries and were often marked by community feasts
and religious observances. It wasn’t until 1789 that President George
Washington would further inspire the Thanksgiving holiday by issuing the first
official Thanksgiving proclamation under America’s new Constitution. Leading up
to the Constitution, Washington led the Continental Army, as its general,
through many battles and hardships, including harsh winters, food shortages,
inadequate clothing and supplies, and intense psychological strain from family
separations, suffering of comrades, and the fear of death. It is estimated about 25,000 American soldiers
died in the Revolutionary War for the cause of liberty from combat, disease,
and British captivity. Despite these overwhelming challenges, Washington
understood that his army’s resilience, sacrifices, and ultimate victory were
not powered by men alone but also by divine providence. As President,
Washington expressed liberty is a natural, God-given right, and he connected
hard-won American liberty to a people who honored God and the Christian
Faith.
In the
nation’s first inaugural address in 1789,
President Washington said, “…the propitious smiles of Heaven can never be
expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right which
Heaven itself has ordained; and since the preservation of the sacred fire of
liberty and the destiny of the republican model of government are justly
considered, perhaps, as deeply, as finally, staked on the experiment entrusted
to the hands of the American people.”
Later
that year, President Washington proclaimed November
26 as a day of national thanksgiving and prayer. He called on Americans to
“acknowledge the providence of Almighty God” for the nation's liberty,
independence, and blessings. He proclaimed that Americans should offer “sincere
and humble thanks” for God’s “manifold mercies” for victory in the war, in
establishing the Constitution, and for the “religious liberty” conferred on the
nation by God.
“…we
may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks…for the
great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed,
for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enabled to
establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness…,”
proclaimed Washington.
By
1815, the various state governments had issued at least
1,400 official prayer proclamations, almost half for times of thanksgiving and
prayer and the other half for times of fasting and prayer. However, much of the
credit for America’s national Thanksgiving holiday belongs to Mrs. Sarah
Josepha Hale, often called the “Mother
of Thanksgiving.”
Leading
up to the American Civil War, Hale saw a Thanksgiving holiday as a way to
potentially heal and unify the nation through honoring its roots. As a writer
and editor of Godey’s Lady’s Book, Hale campaigned for decades to
make Thanksgiving a national holiday by writing letters to presidents and
publishing articles commending the virtues of gratitude and prayer. As so, she
wrote to President Abraham Lincoln advocating for a national Thanksgiving
holiday.
During
the darkest days of the Civil War, Lincoln was visiting the battlegrounds at
Gettysburg. This bloodiest battle in American history claimed approximately
60,000 lives. As Lincoln walked among the thousands of graves at Gettysburg, he
committed his life to Jesus Christ. Lincoln conveyed to a
clergyman, “When I left Springfield [to assume the presidency], I asked the
people to pray for me. I was not a Christian. When I buried my son, the
severest trial of my life, I was not a Christian. But when I went to Gettysburg
and saw the graves of thousands of our soldiers, I then and there consecrated
myself to Christ.”
After
Gettysburg, Lincoln was deeply influenced by Hale’s advocacy for a national
Thanksgiving holiday. On October 3, 1863, Lincoln issued a formal proclamation that
set aside the last Thursday of that November as the first annual National Day
of Thanksgiving and Praise.
President
Lincoln proclaimed, “In the midst of a civil war of unequaled magnitude and
severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign states to invite and provoke
their aggressions, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been
maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed
everywhere, except in the theater of military conflict…No human counsel hath
devised, nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the
gracious gifts of the Most High God, who while dealing with us in anger for our
sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy.”
Thanksgiving
is a cornerstone of American heritage. America’s fabric is woven with gratitude
because the gift of American liberty – achieved through the faith, struggle,
and immense sacrifice – requires it. From the story of the first
Thanksgiving to the proclamations of yesteryear and of today, the expressions
of prayerful gratitude by the people of the Mayflower, the
Colonies, the American Revolution, and the American Republic are deeply
inspired by God’s providential hand on the nation, as well as the belief that
the survival of the nation depends on the biblical values and the gratefulness
of its citizenry. As historically celebrated, Thanksgiving is a humble, yet
powerful way to express timeless thankfulness for the biblical notion that
“Where there the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.”
“Give
thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever.” (Psalm 107:1)
Trump FDA appointee is pro-life
Trump has appointed pro-life physician Dr. Marty Makary as head of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), opening the possibility of reversing the agency’s illegal approval of the abortion pill. Abortion pills, controversially fast-tracked for FDA approval over 20 years ago, now account for well over half of abortions in the United States. READ
Homan visits border, vows to end humanitarian crisis
Tom Homan met with Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Tuesday at the state’s border with Mexico, where the soon-to-be border czar reiterated President-elect Donald Trump’s promise to “finish the job” of ending the humanitarian border crisis. In his remarks, Homan – a Catholic – emphasized a need to address violations of human dignity such as sex trafficking and people smuggling. READ
Saturday, November 23, 2024
Judge refuses to hear witnesses’ arguments in emergency hearing over Mountain West Conference’s covert adoption of ‘transgender player policy’
CV NEWS FEED // Judge S. Katon Crews on November 21 prevented witnesses from testifying and only heard lawyers’ arguments in a lawsuit against a collegiate athletic conference’s covert adoption of a “transgender player policy” that allowed male player Blaire (Brayden) Fleming to compete on San Jose University’s volleyball team.
Outkick reports that
four of the plaintiffs, including San Jose University volleyball team
co-captain Brooke Slusser and assistant head coach Melissa Batie-Smoose, were
set to testify at the hearing against Mountain West Conference, the regional
athletic conference comprising eight Western states. However, Crews, a Biden
appointee, decided on November 20 that the hearing would not include witness
testimony.
The plaintiffs’ lawyers argued that the Mountain West
Conference’s adoption of the “Transgender Player Policy” violates Title IX and
the players’ First Amendment Rights. Most importantly, they pointed to the fact
that the Conference quietly added the policy to the handbook in September.
Journalist Dan Zaksheske, who covered the event for
Outkick, posted to his X account that lawyers stated, “Our clients should not
be bound by a rule that was hidden from them.”
Outkick states
that Mountain West’s lawyers admitted that adding the policy to the handbook
was not chosen by vote, and it was a choice made by conference staff. The
policy was voted on and ratified in 2022, but it was only added to the handbook
in September 2024, without notice, after the controversy around the San Jose
transgender player started.
Zaksheske posted to his X account that the plaintiffs’
lawyers responded to this admission.
“In rebuttal, plaintiffs lawyer argues that the defense
just admitted to a violation of Mountain West bylaws to add ‘Transgender
Participation Policy’ to its handbook on the same day Boise State forfeited
against SJSU,” the post said.
Boise State was the first team to forfeit against San Jose.
Outkick observes, “That raises the question of why the
Mountain West had an official policy that wasn’t included in its handbook and
if they have other ‘secret’ policies that are not publicly known.”
The plaintiffs’ lawyers requested injunctive relief before
the Mountain West Conference tournament on November 27 for three things: to
disqualify San Jose State’s male player Blaire (born Brayden) Fleming from
playing, to overturn losses of teams who forfeited against San Jose, and to
overturn the corresponding wins of San Jose.
Samantha Kelley, the founder of and president of FIERCE Athlete and a former varsity soccer player,
offered a comment to CatholicVote on the adoption of the policy. She stated
that she and her organization “stand for the integrity of women’s sports and
also the anthropological difference between men and women.”
UNITED AIRLINES FIRES CATHOLIC EMPLOYEE WHO CRITICIZED ‘PRIDE’
United Airlines fired Catholic flight attendant Ruben Sanchez after he criticized the LGBTQ movement during a flight. CatholicVote Vice President Joshua Mercer stated: “It appears that a Catholic flight attendant was fired for simply sharing his Catholic faith. …We need answers. Catholics deserve to know if United respects their faith.” READ
Friday, November 22, 2024
Targeted for Speaking Truth: Brave Female Student Athletes Challenge Woke Policies Threatening Girls' Sports and Free Speech
Murrieta, CA— Today, two high school female athletes and their families filed a federal lawsuit against the Riverside Unified School District (RUSD) and school officials at Martin Luther King High School, alleging violations of their First and Fourteenth Amendment rights as well as Title IX protections. The plaintiffs, K.S., a ninth-grade cross-country athlete, and T.S., an eleventh-grade cross-country athlete and team captain, contend that RUSD’s policies unfairly restrict their freedom of expression and deny them fair and equal access to athletic opportunities.
The lawsuit stems from incidents where both athletes wore
shirts bearing the messages “Save Girls’ Sports” and “It’s Common Sense. XX ≠
XY” in support of biological standards for female sports. School officials
ordered the students to remove or conceal the shirts, claiming they created a
“hostile” environment, comparing wearing these shirts to wearing a swastika in
front of Jewish students..
In addition to free speech concerns, the complaint
highlights RUSD’s failure to comply with Title IX, which guarantees equal
athletic opportunities based on biological sex. T.S. was ousted from her
position on the varsity cross-country team to make room for a biological male
transgender athlete who did not consistently attend practices and failed to
meet the varsity team’s strict qualifying requirements. As a result, T.S.
missed opportunities to compete at a high-profile meet, losing valuable chances
for college recruitment and recognition.
The plaintiffs argue that the school’s selective
enforcement of dress codes and failure to uphold Title IX policies violate
their constitutional rights and place female athletes at an unfair
disadvantage. The lawsuit seeks to affirm the students’ right to express their
views, ensure fair athletic opportunities for female students, and hold RUSD
accountable for policies that the plaintiffs allege are discriminatory.
The plaintiffs are seeking declaratory and injunctive
relief to prevent further suppression of their free speech rights, a judgment
affirming Title IX protections for female athletes, and compensation for
damages incurred.
Father loses fight to stop his ex-wife castrating their 12-year-old son
'I lost all parental rights to my sons. Goodbye, boys,' Jeff Younger wrote on X (formerly Twitter). 'California Judge Juhas gave my ex-wife authority to castrate my son, James.'
LifeSiteNews) — A
California judge has permanently stripped parental rights from Texas father
Jeffrey Younger over his refusal to allow his 12-year-old son to be chemically
and surgically castrated at the wish of the boy’s mom.
“I lost all parental rights to my
sons. Goodbye, boys,” Younger wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
“Perhaps, we will meet when you are
adults. California Judge [Mark] Juhas gave my ex-wife authority to castrate my
son, James,” Younger wrote.
The ruling may be the end of a battle
spanning back to at least 2018. Despite Younger
and his twin sons living in Texas, the state supreme court allowed his wife to
take the kids to California.
Younger and Anne Georgulas have been
locked in a legal battle over the mother’s attempts to raise their boy James as
a “girl” named “Luna,” including surgically and chemically transforming his
body to more closely resemble this imposed “gender identity.”
As LifeSiteNews has reported, Younger
has consistently stressed that his
son’s gender confusion has been inflicted on him by Georgulas despite the boy’s
own inclinations. Younger, who has incurred hundreds of thousands of dollars in
legal fees in his effort to protect his son, is raising money for legal, expert witness,
and other expenses.
As LifeSiteNews previously reported,
Younger’s ex-wife Anne Georgulas moved herself and James to radically
pro-transgender California and, in January 2023, the Texas Supreme Court voted 8-1 to allow them to remain there
despite Jeffrey’s objections, claiming not to see any reason the previous court
order preventing her from unilaterally “transitioning” their son would not be
followed – despite California having by that point enacted a law to
make the denial of cross-sex hormones, puberty blockers, and “transition”
surgeries a form of “child abuse and abandonment.”
“All contact with my boys must be
supervised. I won’t do that. I send letters and gifts to my sons,” Younger
wrote on X yesterday. “My ex is not required to give them to the boys. I cannot
post pictures of my sons. Let my story be a cautionary one for young men.”
“Fathers have no rights to their
children. Do not enter the family law system,” he wrote.
Biden-Harris’ Latest Attack On Religious Liberty
As we have previously pointed out, the Biden-Harris administration is the most anti-Catholic in American history. Although their days are numbered, they are still trying to stick it to Catholics.
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a proposed regulation last month that, if it is approved, would discriminate against Catholic entities across the nation. In order to receive a HHS contract, every entity would have to agree not to discriminate on the basis of gender identity, among other demographic categories. There are no religious exemptions afforded.
The Catholic Church stands firm on this issue: gender ideology, the idea that sex is not rooted in nature and is fluid, is anti-science, as well as against Church teachings on sexuality. Therefore, it is unconscionable to force Catholic agencies to violate their tenets as a condition of receiving a HHS contract. This would mean, among other things, that Catholic hospitals would be forced to perform sex-reassignment surgery.
The public has until December 2 to weigh in on this issue. The bishops already have. We need to do so now.
We realize that leaving a comment is cumbersome—we can do nothing about it—but we have done our best to make it as easy as possible. Please take the time to sound off. Thanks.
To Leave a Comment on the HHS Rule Change:
1. To leave a public comment go to: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/10/03/2024-17095/hhs-acquisition-regulation-regulatory-review
2. This will take you to the page for the proposed rule "HHS Acquisition Regulation: Regulatory Review."
3. On the top right, just under the rule name, click the green box with "SUBMIT A PUBLIC COMMENT" written in white.
4. This will open a small panel where you can type your comment.
5. In the large white box next to "Comment" with the gold asterisk, you may type your comment.
___a. Click inside the white box and begin typing
___b. This section is mandatory
6. Optionally, if you would prefer to upload a file, click the small green box with "+Add a file" written in white just below the large white box.
7. You may leave the email blank.
8. Next, you will have to complete the "Tell us about yourself! I am..." section.
___a. You will have an option of selecting "An
Individual," "An
____Organization," or "Anonymous"
________I. To select your category, just click the circle below your choice
___b. If you chose to submit as "An Individual," you
will have to leave
___your first name and last name (the other fields are optional)
___c. If you choose to submit as "Anonymous," you can jump to the end
9. Finally, click the box next to
"I read and understand the statement above," and click submit
comment.
Thousands of babies saved through abortion pill reversal
The Abortion Pill Rescue Network has saved 6,000 babies since its founding in 2008. The network has a 24/7 hotline that connects women in 93 countries with providers who can help reverse their chemical abortions. READ
Biden gives medal to Planned Parenthood boss
President Joe Biden this week awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Cecile Richards, the former president of Planned Parenthood. During her 12-year tenure at Planned Parenthood, Richards oversaw nearly four million abortions. READ
Religious Freedom Victory for Iowa Church Becomes Final
|
MARION, IA – An Iowa administrative law
judge’s recent decision to dismiss a “frivolous” petition and keep Calvary
Chapel Iowa’s tax-exempt status intact has become final and is the first
legal decision rendered under Iowa’s newly enacted Religious Freedom
Restoration Act (RFRA). In September 2024, the judge rejected a petition from a group of Iowa taxpayers
to revoke the church’s tax-exempt status on two properties – the pastor’s
recently constructed home and a portion of the church’s campus in Cedar
Rapids, Iowa used for a Christian daycare and school. The judge cited that
the state’s RFRA protected the church from having to prove its tax exemption
entitlements to individuals not involved in enforcing state tax law. The
group did not appeal the RFRA-based decision within a mandated 30-day
timeline, which now binds the judge’s ruling to keep the church’s exemptions
in place as a “final agency decision.” Enacted in April 2024, Iowa’s RFRA provides robust
legal protections for the Free Exercise of Religion, especially from spurious
actions from public or private individuals or organizations that would
ultimately burden religious practices.
|
Friday, November 15, 2024
Thursday, November 14, 2024
Catholic fired for refusing covid shot wins millions in court
“A Michigan woman who was fired after refusing the COVID-19 vaccine because of her ‘sincerely held’ Catholic beliefs has just won a massive lawsuit,” The Blaze reports. Lisa Domski was awarded “nearly $13 million after she was terminated from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan on account of her refusal to take the shots.” READ
Catholics donate generously for hurricane victims
The Diocese of Raleigh has donated more than $489,000 to support relief efforts in the Diocese of Charlotte following the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene. Russell Elmayan, chief financial officer and chief administrative officer for the Diocese of Raleigh, explained that the response was fueled by the shared bonds of North Carolinians who have faced similar disasters. READ
Pennsylvania Education Department Rescinds “Woke” Curriculum Standards in Lawsuit Settlement
Settlement Agreement Marks Clear Victory for Pennsylvania Educators, Families, and School Districts
First
issued in November 2022, Pennsylvania’s CR-SE guidelines sought to mandate that
educators affirm and impose on their students highly ideological beliefs about
contentious social and political issues. This required educators
throughout Pennsylvania to make acknowledgments of the “biases [that] exist in
the education system,” “microagressions,” and “unconscious biases,” among other
ideologically tinted points. Examples of ideological standards in the CR-SE
guidelines include mandates that educators:
·
“Believe and acknowledge
that microaggressions are real and take steps to educate themselves about the
subtle and obvious ways in which they are used to harm and invalidate the
existence of others...”
·
“Disrupt harmful
institutional practices, policies, and norms by advocating and engaging in
efforts to rewrite policies, change practices, and raise awareness...”
·
“Engage in critical and
difficult conversations with others to deepen their awareness of their own
conscious/unconscious biases, stereotypes, and prejudices...”
·
“Design learning
experiences and spaces for learners to identify and question economic,
political, and social power structures in the school, community, nation, and
world.”
Thomas
More Society attorneys originally filed suit in April 2023 on behalf of three
public school districts and a group of parents and students, arguing that the
guidelines violated the First Amendment and were issued in violation of state
regulatory law.
Thomas
Breth, Thomas More Society Special Counsel, reacted: “We are incredibly pleased with this
settlement agreement, which forces the Pennsylvania Department of Education to
rescind the state’s ‘Culturally-Relevant and Sustaining Education’
guidelines—securing an important victory for Pennsylvania parents, students,
and teachers. Our agreement is a triumph against the Department’s blatantly
ideological and illegal attempt to inject ‘woke’ activism into school curricula
across Pennsylvania, which demanded educators affirm their belief in these
ideological tenets and then impose the same upon their students.”
Peter Breen, Thomas More Society Executive
Vice President & Head of Litigation, stated: “Educational standards should help
students learn how to think, not what they must believe. This victory against
Pennsylvania’s ‘woke’ curriculum mandate restores that opportunity for
Pennsylvania families and teachers. Pennsylvania’s CR-SE curriculum guidelines
commanded to students what they must believe and unconstitutionally compelled
teachers to pledge loyalty to an ideological program.”
Read the Mediated Settlement
Agreement, issued November 13, 2024, in Laurel School District, et al.
v. Pennsylvania Department of Education, et al., submitted
by Thomas More Society attorneys in the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, here.
About
Thomas More Society
Thomas More Society is a national
not-for-profit law firm dedicated to restoring respect in law for life, family,
and freedom. Headquartered in Chicago and with offices across the country,
Thomas More Society fosters support for these causes by providing high quality
pro bono legal services from local trial courts all the way up to the United
States Supreme Court. For more information, please visit thomasmoresociety.org.
Wednesday, November 13, 2024
Report from the Iowa Catholic Conference
Republicans will return next year to the Iowa Capitol with an increased number of seats. In the Senate, Republicans will have 35 members, an increase of one, compared to 15 for the Democrats. In the House, it’s looking like Republicans will have 67 seats, a gain of three, with 33 Democratic members.
The 91st
session of the General Assembly will begin on Jan. 13, 2025. You can click here
for a comprehensive resource about how the legislature functions.
State ballot
initiatives of interest
Ballot
measures extending the right to legal abortion passed in Arizona, Colorado,
Maryland, Missouri, Montana, New York, and Nevada. In Florida, a measure
extending legal abortion to 24 weeks failed to meet the state’s 60% threshold.
Pro-abortion rights measures were defeated in South Dakota and Nebraska.
On the issue
of school choice, it appears that Nebraskans voted to end its state-funded
private school student scholarship program, and school choice initiatives lost
in Kentucky and Colorado.
Arizona
voters approved a ballot measure that is similar to Iowa’s new “illegal
re-entry” immigration law. While the Iowa law is not currently in effect, a
federal circuit court considering its constitutionality is expected to render a
decision during the next few months.
West
Virginia passed a constitutional amendment banning assisted suicide.
The
Constitution of Iowa does not provide for citizen ballot initiatives.
U.S.
bishops’ president calls for prayers and unity following the presidential
election
Most Reverend Timothy P. Broglio of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, and president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has issued a statement following the results of the presidential election.
Archbishop
Broglio’s statement follows:
“In the
United States, we are fortunate to live in a democracy and yesterday Americans
went to the polls to choose who should lead our country as the next President
of the United States. I congratulate President-elect Trump, as well as the
national, state and local officials who campaigned to represent the people.
Now, we move from campaigning to governing. We rejoice in our ability to
transition peacefully from one government to the next.
“The
Catholic Church is not aligned with any political party, and neither is the
bishops’ conference. No matter who occupies the White House or holds the
majority on Capitol Hill, the Church’s teachings remain unchanged, and we
bishops look forward to working with the people’s elected representatives to
advance the common good of all. As Christians, and as Americans, we have the
duty to treat each other with charity, respect, and civility, even if we may
disagree on how to carry out matters of public policy. As a Nation blessed with
many gifts we must also be concerned for those outside our borders and eager to
offer assistance to all.
“Let us pray
for President-elect Trump, as well as all leaders in public life, that they may
rise to meet the responsibilities entrusted to them as they serve our country
and those whom they represent. Let us ask for the intercession of our Blessed
Mother, the patroness of our nation, that she guide to uphold the common good
of all and promote the dignity of the human person, especially the most
vulnerable among us, including the unborn, the poor, the stranger, the elderly
and infirm, and migrants.”
COP 29
convenes
Consider the
impact of climate change policies on the poor and vulnerable, said bishop
chairmen who lead committees of the USCCB that address climate policy. The two
bishops were joined by the president and CEO of Catholic Relief Services (CRS).
In advance of the gathering of world leaders in Azerbaijan for the United
Nations’ annual meeting on climate, COP29, Archbishop Borys Gudziak, Bishop A.
Elias Zaidan, and Mr. Sean Callahan released a statement calling on delegates
and policymakers attending the meeting to remember the poor and vulnerable in
their deliberations.
The
statement said, in part, “The poor and vulnerable suffer the brunt of
intensifying disasters, which is why adopting effective adaptation investment
strategies is a matter of justice. While resources and proven technologies to
withstand many natural and man-made disasters already exist, sadly these are
often a privilege for the wealthy.”
And finally,
Today we
observe Veteran’s Day – thanks to all those who served!
Fired FEMA employee says higher-ups responsible
After being fired from FEMA for directing relief workers to avoid homes with Trump signs on them, former supervisor Marn’i Washington told an interviewer that higher-ups at FEMA were the source of that policy. Washington also suggested that the practice took place not only in Florida – as was widely reported – but also in the Carolinas. READ
Left-leaning networks see ratings ‘nosedive’ after election
In the week since Trump won the election, CNN and MSNBC have seen their ratings plummet as both left-leaning cable news channels brace for possible future changes. On Tuesday, The Daily Mail reported that MSNBC’s post-election “nosedive” in ratings “comes as commentators and analysts continue to discuss the result - often with rants laced with ire toward the conservative.” READ
Trump announces plan to reform public education
President-elect Trump
has vowed to shepherd sweeping changes to public education during his second
term, announcing an education policy plan that includes supporting school
choice for all parents, allowing school prayer, and abolishing the
controversial U.S. Department of Education. READ
Friday, November 8, 2024
Saturday, November 2, 2024
Media scrutinized over coverage of Trump’s Cheney remarks
A chorus of observers on Friday called out corporate media sources for attempting to construe as a threat of violence Trump’s criticism of former Rep. Liz Cheney’s, R-WY, interventionist foreign policy stance. Trump had suggested – and repeated later when asked to clarify – that “warhawks” like Cheney should be given a rifle and made to face the same battles into which they send young Americans. READ
Trump promises tax breaks for homeschooling parents
Former President Donald Trump has promised homeschooling parents tax relief on their education costs, up to $10,000 per year per child. In a video posted on X, Trump stated, “When I am reelected, I will do everything I can to support parents who make the courageous choice of homeschool.” READ
Martin Scorsese series on Catholic saints coming to TV
The first four episodes of a docudrama series detailing the lives of eight saints will be released in partnership with Fox Nation on November 17, providing a way to celebrate the month that begins with the Feast of All Saints. Titled “Martin Scorsese Presents: The Saints,” the docuseries is hosted, narrated, and produced by the filmmaker himself. READ
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