The following research is cited from an academic review paper published in 2007, "Statutory Rape Crime Relationships between Juveniles and Adults: A Review of Social Scientific Research," (Aggression and Violent Behavior, 2007)
In an analysis of the national Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS), data from 21 states from 1996 through 2000 indicated that of the 7,557 statutory rape incidents reported to law enforcement:
95% involved female victims with male offenders.
About 60% of the female adolescents were aged 14 or 15.
The median age difference between the female adolescent and the male was six years.
Approximately 45% of the male participants were age 21 or over, 25% were age 24 or older.
The paper went on to state, "The studies generally show that the relationships with adults and older partners comprise a large percentage of all sexual relationships for girls of a younger age. A number of factors may contribute to this: The younger a girl is when she begins engaging in sexual activity, the more likely she is to be a risk taker, have poorer judgment, or come to early initiation through a history of sexual abuse that would orient her toward older partners."
While I would not agree with all of the conclusions drawn in this scientific review paper, it does report research which elucidates the fact that a large percentage of sexually active teen girls have, at one time or another, been sexually involved with an adult male. The experiences cause and place girls and adolescent females at high-risk for negative psycho-social and health outcomes.
Witherspoon Fellowship Lecture: Michael Ward on Planet Narnia
If you're in D.C. tomorrow, you might find it worth your while to stop by FRC headquarters at noon tomorrow, Tuesday, April 29, for a lecture by Dr. Michael Ward on his new book, Planet Narnia: The Seven Heavens in the Imagination of C.S. Lewis.
Join Family Research Council as we welcome Dr. Michael Ward for a lecture on his new book, Planet Narnia: The Seven Heavens in the Imagination of C.S. Lewis (Oxford University Press, 2008). In Planet Narnia, Dr. Ward argues that Lewis secretly based The Chronicles of Narnia on the seven heavens of the medieval cosmos.
The publication of Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia befuddled the scholarly world. Those who best knew his academic works found the seven-volume work uncharacteristically disorganized. Even Lewis's close friend, J.R.R. Tolkien, dismissed the books as "carelessly assembled" and "jumbled". Convinced of Lewis's ordered intent behind The Chronicles, scholars have attempted to make sense of this apparent disparity, but until now, none of their proposed theories have proved tenable.
In an interview with Medill News Service that was posted on the Internet last week, I discussed FRC’s opposition to an immigration bill that would allow foreign nationals who are the same-sex partners of American citizens to immigrate to the United States on the same basis as foreign spouses of American citizens. FRC does not believe that homosexual relationships are the equivalent of marriage, and we therefore oppose any legislation that would treat such relationships as the equivalent of marriage.
In response to a question regarding bi-national same-sex couples who are separated by an international border, I used language that trivialized the seriousness of the issue and did not communicate respect for the essential dignity of every human being as a person created in the image of God. I apologize for speaking in a way that did not reflect the standards which the Family Research Council and I embrace.
At this defining moment in American history, values voters everywhere are wondering, "Where do we go from here?" Bishop Harry Jackson and Tony Perkins hope to answer that question with their new book, Personal Faith, Public Policy, available Tuesday, March 4. Jackson and Perkins focus on seven key issues that they believe can unite Christians from all walks of life, including: family, religious liberty, life, immigration, poverty and justice, racial reconciliation, and the environment.
The book is a must-read for people who want to promote social change through spiritual truth. It explains why and how Christians can successfully engage the culture with the values agenda. Click here to pre-order your copy.
William F. Buckley, Jr., was my first conservative—and I didn’t like him much. With his arched eyebrow and flickering tongue, with his $50 words, I thought he was the perfect picture of a snob. I thought his brand of politics would never attract a national following.
As a young college student, I watched him on TV. I wasn’t buying his labored defenses of constitutionalism that he said justified some in resisting integration. I was strong for civil rights and he was against civil rights. Or at least that’s what I thought at the time.
When my hero Hubert Humphrey took to the Senate floor to defend the great Civil Rights Act of 1964, I laughed when he said if any part of that great charter ever led to racial quotas or set-asides, he would eat the page of the Congressional Record on which the bill was printed. I hope Hubert liked Tabasco sauce.
Buckley had warned us. And he warned us of many other things, too. Like Communism.
Perhaps it was because Buckley was such a great man of faith himself that he understood instinctively that Communism was, in the words of Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, atheism with a knife to your children’s throats.
I laughed, too, when Buckley ran for Mayor of New York City in 1965. He ran against the liberal knight, John V. Lindsay. Buckley realized he never stood a chance, saying that if he won he’d demand a recount.
Later, when Lindsay switched parties and became a Democrat, his staffers asked me what the Mayor of New York could do for me in my own race for state Assembly. Knowing how my Long Island neighbors despised the limousine liberal Lindsay, I said: “Mayor Lindsay could denounce me by name.” The devil didn’t make me say that; William F. Buckley, Jr. did.
When Buckley debated Governor Ronald Reagan about giving away the Panama Canal, I invited my fellow Coast Guard officers to watch it on TV. As we gathered in the Officers Club, I assured them that Buckley “clean up the floor with Reagan.” At that time, I happened to agree with Buckley that the U.S. ought to give away the canal. I agreed with California Senator Hayakawa who said “we stole it fair and square.”
What we saw instead was Ronald Reagan at the height of his powers. I switched parties and positions on the spot. I became a Reagan man. And Bill Buckley—wrong as he was on the canal—became one of Reagan’s best boosters. My Coast Guard buddies never asked for my political advice again.
Perhaps my favorite Buckley quote is the one that summed up his political philosophy—and mine. It wasn’t just because he was a Yale man that he put down Harvard so memorably. He said: “I should sooner live in a society governed by the first two thousand names in the Boston telephone directory than in a society governed by the two thousand faculty members of Harvard University.” He was, after all, a good democrat.
He would have agreed with Edmund Burke: “Individuals are foolish, but the species is wise.” William F. Buckley, Jr. understood that ideas have consequences. And he did his best to advance the ideas of faith, family and freedom. He did it with wit and energy. God rest ye, Merry Gentleman!
There's an odd feeling in the office today. So much is at stake. It's overcast in Washington. Everything is anticipation. What will the voters do? I remember being here in 1984. We were pretty confident that President Reagan would be re-elected. He led in all the polls. Still, there was uneasiness.
I concluded then that in most countries, the people fear the capital city. In this country, the capital city has a healthy fear of the people. Keep it that way.
President Reagan, of course, respected the American people. And more, he loved them. They fully returned his affection. That day, they gave him their support. He carried forty-nine states.
Shortly afterward, I was asked to draft a letter for President Reagan to Congress. In my version, the President said "if we don't teach phonics, I fear the rising generation will lack the essential tool of literacy." I got that draft letter back within three hours. That line was circled in red. In the margin, someone in the President's office wrote: "This president has concerns. He has no fears." I was never so happy to be corrected in my life.
We're happy to congratulate Witherspoon alumnus David Crater (a Witherspoon Fellow in the Summer of 2001)on his success in Germany. We will always be gratified by the successes of the students whom we have had the privilege of knowing here at FRC.
LEEDS SCHOOL STUDENTS WIN INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS COMPETITION IN GERMANY WITH INNOVATIVE SOLAR ENERGY PLAN
A team of University of Colorado at Boulder MBA students beat 80 other teams to win an international competition that required participants to develop a business plan to distribute solar energy technology in Africa.
The winning team included CU-Boulder Leeds School of Business graduate students (left to right in photo) Tetyana Hinkson (MBA '08), David Crater (MBA '08), and Kristin Apple (MBA '08). The trio competed in the Business Masters 2007 International Case Studies Competition finals in Karlsruhe, Germany, on Nov. 21 through Nov. 23.
The team beat competitors from other leading business schools around the world with a plan that would provide an affordable, environmentally friendly solar energy system in East Africa to irrigate crops, increase food production and generate more income for the region's farmers and entrepreneurs.
Yesterday, FRC was treated to a Witherspoon Fellowship Lecture by William J. Bennett. If you weren't able to come in person, or missed the webcast, you can now view the video of the lecture below:
If you're in downtown DC today, please join us at FRC headquarters at 11:00 AM for a Policy lecture on the film Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed. You can also view a webcast of the event by following this link. Here's the relevant info:
In the forthcoming major motion picture Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed, Ben Stein exposes the frightening efforts by the “Darwinian Machine” to suppress evidence of “intelligent design” in nature and discriminate against those who examine such evidence.
Join Todd Norquist and Dairek Morgan for a powerful presentation on this controversial documentary that chronicles Ben Stein's quest to bring back freedom in our institutions, laboratories and most importantly, in our classrooms.
See a SNEAK PEEK of exclusive clips from Ben’s “Expelled” movie with a special guest appearance by Caroline Crocker, a biology professor who lost her job after she questioned evolution.
I'm here in the ballroom of the Hilton Washington, as the Briefing began just over an hour ago. We've already heard from Sen. John McCain, Sen. Sam Brownback, and Rep. Tom Tancredo is speaking now.
With the FRC Action Washington Briefing 2007 just about to get underway, now would be as good a time as any to vote in the Brieifing's Straw Poll. You can vote here in person if you've registered for the Briefing, or you can become a member of FRC Action and vote online.
Voting will end soon, so what are you waiting for? Go ahead and vote...
UPDATE: I've confirmed the time, and voting will be closed at 1:00p.m. EDT on Saturday.
Yesterday, I had the privilege of participating in "Table Talk Luncheon" at American University's Kay Spiritual Life Center. The topic was "Religion & Politics in the US: Young Evangelicals in National Politics." My worthy counterpart on the panel was Tim Kumfer from Sojourners, with whom I even found a few points of agreement (you'll have to listen to the audio to find out exactly which points).
Before a packed room of American University students, we discussed "hot button" issues like same-sex marriage, embryonic stem cell research, abortion, and the nation's "right-left divide" and evangelicals' involvement in politics. Although most of the audience seemed to lean left, they were gracious hosts, and I had a great time. Thanks to all the students who attended, and to the chaplains who organized the event.
I'll post a link to the audio of the event here whenever it becomes available.
Familial, Funny, and Filthy: A Review of Knocked Up
A recent New York Times Magazine profile of writer-director-producer Judd Apatow contained this intriguing assertion:
Both of the films Apatow has directed offer up the kind of conservative morals the Family Research Council might embrace -- if the humor weren't so filthy.
As the (unofficial) movie critic for FRC I decided to put that claim to the test by screening Apatow's latest film. The verdict: Knocked Up offers up the kind of conservative morals the Family Research Council might embrace -- if the humor weren't so filthy.
The story centers around the relationship between Ben Stone, a schlubby unemployed stoner, who meets rising TV personality Alison Scott in a bar. After getting drunk the pair stumble into an awkward one night stand. Eight weeks later, Ben is shocked when Alison meets him and reveals that she is pregnant. Despite having little in common, the two decide that they have to at least try to make some kind of relationship work for the baby's sake.
It's that twist that makes Knocked Up one of the most pro-life, pro-family film I've seen in years -- and that’s including what passes for "Christian" films. Unfortunately, it is also the filthiest family-oriented film I've ever seen. This is a family movie that I can't recommend for families.
Still, while the ends can't justify the means, it is worthy wading through the crudity to examine the message being presented.
One of the most striking aspects of the film is the use of language. Throughout the film, the obscenities flow freely, yet there is one word too obscene even for these foul-mouthed characters: abortion. When Ben tells his roommates about the pregnancy his buddy Jonah suggests that Alison get a procedure that, he says, "rhymes with 'shmashmortion'." He's quickly condemned as a "monster" by another roommate for even suggesting such an inhuman action.
The only other person to hint that Alison should kill the child is her horrible mother who tells her to wait till she's ready to have a "real baby." As Ross Douthat observes, "Knocked Up is almost naively pro-life: Of course Alison decided to 'keep' the baby, the script suggests, because killing it would be terribly and obviously wrong, and she's not a bad person."
Another old-fashioned value supported by the film is marriage. Allison's sister Debbie (Apatow's own remarkable wife Leslie Mann) and brother-in-law Pete (the understated Paul Rudd) got married because they got "knocked up" and…well, that's just what people do, so the movie implies, when they find themselves with child.
As Allison and Ben attempt to reconcile their imperfections (well, Ben's imperfections) with that ideal, Debbie and Pete reveal how the ideal isn't always so ideal. (Apatow, Mann, and Rudd deserve praise for making this sub-plot compelling enough to be its own movie.) In fact, the character of Pete reveals the key to understanding the movie.
When Ben and Allison drunkenly stumble into bed together, he blurts an epiphanic understatement: "You’re prettier than I am." Indeed, Allison is not only prettier, she's smarter, and nicer, and cleaner, and…so far out of Ben's league that it makes it nearly impossible to suspend disbelief when she confesses her love. Sure, women like losers. But unless Allison has been drained of self-respect and self-esteem, there is no way she could fall in love with such an absolute and total loser.
But a scene later in the second half of the film puts the bizarre romance in perspective. After tiffs with their women, Ben and Paul flee to Las Vegas where they binge on hallucinogenic mushrooms and watch Cirque de Soleil. In his drug-induced stupor Paul has a moment of clarity, admitting that his wife's desire to always be in his presence scares him to death: "I don't think I can accept pure love."
Pure love, Apatow seems to be saying, is what comes with having a family. And we men don't deserve it. While we may not be flat-busted, overweight, unemployed stoners, when it comes to pure love we aren't any more worthy than Ben. We don’t deserve anything so wonderful as a wife much less the miracle of a baby. So if by some stroke of fate/luck/providence we find these blessings in our life we must to do whatever it takes to keep them. We may be losers but we don't have to be fools.
Knocked Up definitely isn't a film I can embrace. The humor is indeed too filthy. But any film that has such a powerful pro-family message deserves at least a pat on the back.
Apparently Hillary Clinton is trying to find a new campaign song and she has asked people to vote on her web site for which song she should use (after my run in with her staffer I looked for John Michael Montgomery’s “I Swear” but it wasn’t there.) I thought it might be fun to start a contest for the other candidates. This is not the place to give your opinions on the candidate (the IRS would love that!) but give a song and a brief explanation of why. Such as “I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Out of My Hair” for Senator John Edwards of the $400 coiffure; or Lit’s “My Own Worst Enemy” for Newt Gingrich; or “Who Are You” by The Who for Mike Gravel (or a number of others.) Self described environmentalist Al Gore can have “It Ain’t Easy Bein’ Green” by Kermit the Frog and Rudy Giuliani (who seems to dress up a lot in dresses) can campaign to “Dude (Looks Like a Lady)” by Aerosmith. Here is list of the candidates – sing away:
Joe Biden
Sam Brownback
Hillary Clinton
Chris Dodd
John Edwards
Jim Gilmore
Newt Gingrich
Rudy Giuliani
Al Gore
Mike Gravel
Chuck Hagel
Mike Huckabee
Duncan Hunter
Dennis Kucinich
John McCain
Barak Obama
Ron Paul
Bill Richardson
Mitt Romney
Tom Tancredo
Fred Thompson
Tommy Thompson
*The earliest known American election campaign song was God Save George Washington, issued in 1780 and sung to the tune of God Save The King.
A Lesson in Web Etiquette for the Huffington Post (Part II)
Like a dog that returns to his vomit is a fool who repeats his folly. -- Proverbs 26:11
(UPDATE: Scroll down to the bottom to see Max's hilarious response.)
Yesterday we had a bit of fun at the expense of professional gadfly Max Blumenthal. We enjoyed providing a lesson in web etiquette by showing what can happen when you hotlink images without permission. Although it took almost four hours, Max caught on and pulled the image from the Huffington Post. Thinking our prank had run its course, we returned the original image.
Not only did he hotlink the same image to the Huffington Post, he included it on The Smirking Chimp, Talk2Action, and on his own website, MaxBlumenthal.com. We've decided to provide a remedial lesson by exposing some of Max's favorite blogs and websites. Listed below are srceenshots of the various sites (click on the link to view the image):
Thanks, Max. You've provided us with hours of amusement here at FRC.
UPDATE: After about six hours, Max finally caught on and posted this amusingly angry response:
KKK paypal and friend of the white supremacist Council of Conservative Citizens, Tony Perkins, has orchestrated the hacking of this post. In doing so, he has drawn greater attention to his links to and ideological support for white supremacists. The photo of Christopher Hitchens posing with the Family Research Council's Witherspoon Fellows was scrubbed from FRC's site today out of fear that I would link to it again. The Family Research Council is a paper tiger that fears me and employs juvenile pranks to attempt to silence me. Father forgive them for not knowing that I won't stop bringing the pain.
Max has a gift for packing a lot of nonsense into a short space so let's separate it out and take it a little at a time:
First, for almost three years Max has been trying to peddle his nonsense about Tony Perkins being associated with David Duke and other white supremacists. In fact, he gets hopping mad that no one seems to pay attention when he repeats such scurrilous charges. The fact is that FRC has responded to that first claim about Duke back in 2005 and yet Max still repeats this lie. He also makes much ado about a speech before the CCC. It is true that when Perkins was a state legislator he spoke at lunch that was sponsored by that group. At the time he did not know of the groups racist agenda (be honest, have you ever heard of the "Council of Conservative Citizens?"). After he found out, he forcefully denounced the group. One question that Max never seems to ask is that if Tony Perkins is a racist, why do so many African-American churches and pastors support him?
Second, he claims that "Tony Perkins, has orchestrated the hacking of this post." Actually, my web editor Jared Bridges and I are the one who orchestrated this prank. We did it mostly because it would be fun and because we suspected you wouldn't have a sense of humor (boy, were we right about that!). Also, "hacking" implies that we broke into your website rather than just changed a picture that you stole from our site.
Third, he says "In doing so, he has drawn greater attention to his links to and ideological support for white supremacists." Stop and think about that for a second, Max. If your claims had any truth to them wouldn’t we try to avoid bringing attention to your article? Besides, since no one seems to have noticed what was going on it appears no one is reading your site anyway.
Fourth, he says, "The photo of Christopher Hitchens posing with the Family Research Council's Witherspoon Fellows was scrubbed from FRC's site today out of fear that I would link to it again." It wasn't "scrubbed" from our site. In fact, you are welcome to download a copy and post it on your site…if you ask nicely. All you had to do is ask, Max.
Fifth, he goes nuts when he says, "The Family Research Council is a paper tiger that fears me and employs juvenile pranks to attempt to silence me." Was it a juvenile prank? Absolutely. And a pretty funny one, if I may say so myself. Also, how is linking to your posts (all four of them) an attempt to "silence" you?
The absolute best part of the post, though, is when he says, "Father forgive them for not knowing that I won't stop bringing the pain."
Hotlinking images, defined as using the graphic image of an external site in your own code, is an violation of internet etiquette. As Kevin Aylward from Wizbang! says, "It's all fine and good to give a hotlinker a break, but the best way to turn newbie hotlinkers into respectable Interweb citizens is a dose of public embarrassment."
Unfortunately, The Huffington Post hasn't learned its lesson so when they hotlinked to this:
We decided to replace it with another image:
(Note: No kittens were actually harmed in the making of this prank. The kitty is only sleeping. Here is a closeup of that image.)
Here's the direct link to that page. Eventually they should be smart enough to take it down...or not.
(UPDATE: After 3 1/2 hours, Max finally caught on and removed the image.)
At FRC headquarters last night, we formally welcomed Ken Blackwell to the staff as Senior Fellow for Family Empowerment at an evening reception attended by many of our allies and friends in the nation's capital. To a standing-room-only crowd, Ken delivered remarks on the current political landscape and the lessons learned from the 2006 elections. We look forward to showcasing his insight and expertise on issues such as family economics, tax reform, and education.
While a new hero is entering Washington, we honor another who is departing. Jan LaRue, a former FRC colleague, is retiring from her position as Chief Counsel and Legal Studies Director at Concerned Women for America and moving to Texas. Jan has taken a lead role nationwide on issues like pornography, abortion, and judicial activism. Although she will be greatly missed, her efforts in the nation's capital live on through the many people her work and testimony have touched. Please join us in thanking Jan for her dedication to the cause!
In the race for the future occupancy of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue (it's one house at least whose market price is up), the media is atwitter about the amount of campaign cash the candidates have raked in to date. Several pundits have predicted that this will be "the most expensive campaign in history." Yet few analysts seem to understand that money is not the ultimate measure of success. If it were, then Ross Perot and Steve Forbes would be counted among the former Commanders-in-Chief.
While these hopefuls seem adept at raising dollars, they have yet to raise the interest of voters to the point of congealing around their candidacy. Wayne Berman, a Washington lobbyist, argues in The Washington Post that large fundraising "is hugely important if you have to prove you are a credible candidate." While money is no doubt extremely important, without a message you're nothing more than an ATM for political consultants. Proving that you are a credible candidate with a sound vision for America should come first and fundraising will naturally follow. As pollster Kellyanne Conway suggests, "Excitement begets money."
As it stands, values voters have yet to get excited. Obviously, the candidates have several months to develop their platforms, but we await the second quarter results in which the frontrunners are defined not by cash--but by conviction.
Monday at the National Press Club, pro-family leaders from the U.S. and Canada gathered for a press conference. The topic was the upcoming meeting of the World Congress of Families (WCF), which is being held in Warsaw, Poland on May 11-13. In an exciting development, the Polish president, Lech Kaczynski, has agreed to serve as honorary patron and to give the opening address. Speakers at the press conference, including FRC's Senior Fellow Bill Saunders, noted the importance of the family to the health of societies, as well as the pressures families face from bad governmental policies.
The meeting in Warsaw will feature speakers from around the world who will diagnose family ills and offer practical solutions. FRC will be there, and we urge pro-family activists in the U.S. to come as well. What happens in Europe affects the U.S., as European nations exhibit the characteristics of nations that follow policies of radical secularism and social pessimism. This Warsaw meeting promises to be a true springtime for a united, worldwide effort to promote the family.
For the first issue of their new redesign, Time magazine has a cover photo of Ronald Reagan with a tear streaming down his face. Here's how the table of contents describes the image: "Photograph by David Hume Kennerly. Tear by Tim O'Brien."
How many people will believe that the tear is real, rather than a fabricated image? Is this a dishonest use of the image by Time?
More importantly, shouldn't the magazine acknowledge that it ripped off the idea from Iron Eyes Cody, the "crying Indian" from those 70's era PSAs on pollution?
During yesterday's FRC blogger briefing conference call, Joe mentioned that registration is now open for FRC Action's Washington Briefing. We're especially excited about some special events related to bloggers and blogging which are in the works. Watch this spot for updates. In the meantime, here's the relevant information for registration:
As we face powerful attacks on our values, there is no better time to stand with FRC Action and our friends at Focus on the Family Action, American Values, and the Alliance Defense Fund for a fall event guaranteed to change the public debate. Registration is now open for the second annual Washington Briefing 2007: Values Voter Summit from October 19-21 at the Hilton Washington in downtown D.C. Last year's event attracted 1,800 attendees from 47 states and nationwide coverage from more than 200 major media outlets. Join us for special sessions featuring the 2008 presidential hopefuls, a who's who of the pro-family movement, a presidential straw poll, book signings, a gala dinner, and much more! For more information or to register, log on to www.frcactionwashingtonbriefing.org or call 888-372-2284. Book your reservations by May 15 and receive a $25 Early Bird discount!
While many in Congress apparently don't have the stomach to battle the Islamic terrorists in Iraq, they don't hesitate to take up a fight with the head of the U.S. military over his opposition to a proposed law that would allow homosexuals to openly serve in the U.S. military. In an interview in which Gen. Peter Pace, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, was asked about a bill introduced by Rep. Marty Meehan (D-Mass.), Pace said that homosexuality, like adultery (both of which violate military law), is immoral. Sen. John Warner (R-Va.) was quick to fire off a response saying he strongly disagreed with the General's statement that "homosexuality is immoral." House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) joined the anti-Pace volley, saying, "We don't need moral judgment from the chairman of the Joint Chiefs." Even administration officials, like Defense Secretary Robert Gates, signaled retreat from the General when he said "personal opinion really doesn't have a place here." The Washington Postaccused Gen. Pace of "bigotry."
Many Americans do not know that military personnel have a separate set of laws that govern their conduct; it is called the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ). Under the UCMJ homosexual behavior, like adultery, is criminal. It is immoral. The outrage should not be focused at Gen. Pace for defending the law, it should be directed at Rep. Meehan and others who in the midst of a war want to make political correctness a priority and try and turn the military into a laboratory for their liberal social ideas. As Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Pace should not have to apologize for defending the law; rather, he should be applauded for upholding it. We urge his colleagues and the administration to resist the urge to retreat and instead follow his brave leadership.
We are pleased to announce that Ken Blackwell, former undersecretary at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Human Rights Commission and mayor of Cincinnati, will join FRC as Senior Fellow for Family Empowerment. In this new role, Blackwell will lead our efforts in addressing education, tax reform, and family economics.
As one of the nation's leading conservative voices, Mr. Blackwell has a distinguished record of service in Ohio as both treasurer of state and secretary of state. The Wall Street Journal has compared his policies and principles to those of Ronald Reagan. In the battle for family, faith, and freedom, we can think of no better teammate than Ken Blackwell whose unwavering commitment to conservative policies has advanced both family enterprise and family strength.
FRC Action is joining with some of the most influential faith-and-family groups, to host an event guaranteed to change the debate in 2008. Focus on the Family Action, American Values and other invited cosponsors are teaming up with us to host The Washington Briefing 2007: Values Voter Summit October 19-21 at the Hilton Washington in downtown D.C. Last year's event attracted more than 1,800 attendees from 47 states, and coverage from every major media outlet in the country. With a stellar line-up that featured speakers such as Dr. James Dobson, Sean Hannity, Tony Snow, Bill Bennett, Ann Coulter, Newt Gingrich, House and Senate leaders, and dozens more, The Washington Briefing 2006 exceeded all expectations. This year's event promises to be even bigger. Registration for 2007 opens March 15. Book your registration before May 15 and receive a $25 Early Bird discount.
A new poll from the Associated Press and AOL News asked respondents to name the past year’s biggest villain. The results:
#1 -- George W. Bush (25%)
#2 -- Osama Bin Laden (8%)
#3 -- Saddam Hussein (6%)
#4 -- President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran (5%)
#5 -- North Korean leader Kim Jong II (2%)
#6 -- Donald Rumsfeld (2%)
#7 – Tie: Satan, Hugo Chavez, Tom Cruise, Dick Cheney, Hillary Clinton, John Kerry and Rosie O’Donnell (1%).
The same poll asked Americans to name the year’s biggest hero:
#1 – George W. Bush (13%)
#2 -- The troops in Iraq (6%)
#3 – Tie: Jesus Christ, Barack Obama, Oprah Winfrey (3%)
#4 -- Bono (2%)
#5 – Tie: Warren Buffett, George Clooney, Bill Gates, Al Gore, Billy Graham, Angelina Jolie, Colin Powell, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Condoleeza Rice (1%)
When a poll shows our President is considered more villainous than three dictators, the world's most infamous terrorist, and the Prince of Darkness, and that Barack and Oprah are on par with Jesus then either (a) we don't take polls seriously anymore or (b) Americans are boneheads.
Maybe we should take a poll to find out the answer...
Each week, FRC Blog sponsor’s the FRC Blogger’s Briefing in which we host a conference call that provides bloggers an opportunity to communicate with politicians, policy makers, religious leaders, and others who set the agenda within our nation's Capital. Listed below are a few of the bloggers have written about previous briefings:
Dec. 14 -- Ramesh Ponnuru, Senior Editor of National Review; Author of the Party of Death
600,000 prostitutes, 5.7 million with AIDS and Richard Gere sees the answer in condoms- which are not completely effective in stopping the spread of the disease and doesn’t stop other STDs?
Hollywood star Richard Gere cheered on thousands of Indian prostitutes dancing to raunchy Bollywood songs on Wednesday and urged them to refuse sex without condoms to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS.
"No condom, no sex. No condom, no sex. No condom, no sex," Gere hollered into a microphone as about 10,000 prostitutes gathered at a dusty Mumbai fairground joined him in chorus.
The actor, dressed in a brown jacket and black trousers, presented awards to sex workers in recognition of their work on various HIV/AIDS intervention programmes.
"You're unique. This is amazing, an unbelievable experience," said the star of the hit movie "Pretty Woman", also known for his support to the people of Tibet.
"This is unfathomable. This will not happen in the U.S. or Europe, or even in Asia."
The United Nations says 5.7 million Indians are living with HIV/AIDS, the world's largest caseload. Many of those infected are prostitutes.
Mumbai has an estimated 600,000 prostitutes, but a sizeable number of them are not in brothels which makes implementation of HIV/AIDS intervention programmes difficult.
A killer elephant named Osama bin Laden that is thought to be responsible for the deaths of at least fourteen people in India has been shot dead. 'Osama' had reportedly trampled 14 people to death in the past six months in the north-eastern state, the BBC reported.
He was given his name by villagers in Assam's eastern district of Sonitpur. Reuters is reporting that a forestry official said on Sunday "Osama" had been shot dead on Saturday in a tea plantation on the outskirts of Behali town, about 140 km (90 miles) north of Guwahati, Assam's main city.
"The elephant was killed after villagers identified him," a senior forestry official said, adding the animal could be identified because it had no tusks.
At this defining moment in American history, values voters everywhere are wondering, "Where do we go from here?" Bishop Harry Jackson and Tony Perkins hope to answer that question with their new book, Personal Faith, Public Policy, available Tuesday, March 4. Jackson and Perkins focus on seven key issues that they believe can unite Christians from all walks of life, including: family, religious liberty, life, immigration, poverty and justice, racial reconciliation, and the environment.
For the first issue of their new redesign, Time magazine has a cover photo of Ronald Reagan with a tear streaming down his face. Here's how the table of contents describes the image: "Photograph by David Hume Kennerly. Tear by Tim O'Brien." 
More importantly, shouldn't the magazine acknowledge that it ripped off the idea from Iron Eyes Cody, the "crying Indian" from those 
FRC Action is joining with some of the most influential faith-and-family groups, to host an event guaranteed to change the debate in 2008. Focus on the Family Action, American Values and other invited cosponsors are teaming up with us to host The Washington Briefing 2007: Values Voter Summit October 19-21 at the Hilton Washington in downtown D.C. Last year's event attracted more than 1,800 attendees from 47 states, and coverage from every major media outlet in the country. With a stellar line-up that featured speakers such as Dr. James Dobson, Sean Hannity, Tony Snow, Bill Bennett, Ann Coulter, Newt Gingrich, House and Senate leaders, and dozens more, The Washington Briefing 2006 exceeded all expectations. This year's event promises to be even bigger. Registration for 2007 opens March 15. Book your registration before May 15 and receive a $25 Early Bird discount.
