Salem-News.com Culture articles Page 17

A Brief Comment on the Supreme Court`s DOMA Decision

The DOMA decision is a step in the right direction, but leaves same-sex couples in 43 states without a right to marry and ineligible for federal benefits.

(SAN FRANCISCO) - The Supreme Court in United States v. Windsor ruled that Section 3 of the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), the law barring the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages legalized by the states, is unconstitutional.

Adding California after the Hollingsworth v. Perry decision, twelve states now allow same-sex marriages and these couples are now eligible for federal benefits.

California`s Marriage Ban is Over

Millions of us have been fighting for years – first to stop Prop. 8 from passing, and then to reverse it. Today's victory, while joyous, is a reminder of the long road to win marriage equality nationwide.

(SACRAMENTO, CA) - History was made today as the U.S. Supreme Court held that Proposition 8 is unconstitutional, returning marriage equality to California.

In addition to holding Prop. 8 unconstitutional, the Court also invalidated the discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) – so finally couples in the growing number of marriage equality states will also get the federal rights and benefits they deserve.

Southern Illinois Has Its First Hindu Temple

Before this Temple, area Hindus reportedly travelled to St. Louis or Nashville for worship services and gathered at homes.

(CARBONDALE, IL) - Hindu Temple of Southern Illinois (HTSI), reportedly the first one in this part of the state, has opened after three-days of elaborate ceremonies and rituals in Carbondale (Illinois, USA).

Grand-opening ceremony of 4,000 square-foot HTSI; a project of non-profit Hindu Temple and Cultural Society of Southern Illinois founded in 2009; included kumbaabhishekam, araadhana, and various pujas and homams, etc.

Warm Reflections On The Cold War

I strove with none, for none was worth the strife...
-Walter Savage Landor

(DAYTONA BEACH, FL) - In the aftermath of World War II, there followed a strange period known as “the cold war.”

It may have been called "cold" because most threats and counter threats took place in the Canadian Arctic... a logical place to duel with nuclear ICBMs.

Intactivists Contingent in San Francisco Pride Parade

This year's event will feature the song, "Leave Those Babies Alone" by Ace, from the Salem-News.com Newsic Revolution album.

(SAN FRANCISCO) - Members of Bay Area Intactivists will march in the San Francisco Pride parade to raise awareness of the human right to genital integrity.

Bay Area Intactivist Jonathon Conte said, "We welcome all who wish to put an end to infant circumcision and other forms of forced genital cutting to join us as we carry signs and hand out goodies. More details about this event will be posted here in the future."

Why do People Lie? And Why do other People Believe them?

The purpose of fear is to suppress awareness of the truth.

(TASMANIA, Aust.) - People always lie for the same reason: fear. But the precise fear that makes a person lie in one circumstance might be different from the fear that makes them lie in another.

When a child is young, it will naturally tell the truth...

Father`s Day with Bill Cosby, an American Original

In 2002, scholar Molefi Kete Asante included Bill Cosby in the book, "The 100 Greatest African Americans."

(WASHINGTON DC) - This Father's Day, I was invited by my son Burke and his fiancé Amelia to attend a performance by Bill Cosby at Wolftrap National Park for the Performing Arts in Northern Virginia.

Cosby proclaimed himself "old"---soon to celebrate his 76th birthday---but he sat on stage for nearly three hours, without a break, and there was never s lull in the laughter.

Oregon Schools Tighten Anti-Bullying Policies

Other research shows that one in five lesbian, gay, bisexual or queer youth in Oregon have attempted suicide in the last year; more than half were harassed at school in the last 30 days.

(SALEM) - One in three school district anti-bullying policies still do not comply with state law.

Over 70 Oregon school districts changed their anti-bullying policies last year to better protect students who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender, but nearly one in three school districts still does not comply with state law, a new report has found.

Wall St. Journal Publishes Circumcision Debate

Ronald Goldman, Ph.D. says some circumcised men and clinicians report psychological harm, including "anger toward parents and others, sexual anxieties, reduced emotional expression and empathy, low self-esteem and avoidance of intimacy."

(BOSTON) - The Wall St. Journal today published a debate on male infant circumcision between Ronald Goldman, Ph.D., executive director of the Circumcision Resource Center in Boston, and Ronald Gray, a circumcision advocate and researcher.

Goldman, the author of Circumcision: The Hidden Trauma, noted that most of the world rejects circumcision "as harmful genital surgery, like removing other natural, healthy, functioning body parts."

`Who are my People` Film Premieres

EMMY® Award winning filmmaker Robert Lundahl takes a hard look at U.S. energy policy and its effects on desert ecosystems and communities across the West.

(SAN DIEGO) - The Bureau of Land Management scoping meeting for the Rio Mesa Solar Plant outside Blythe, California likely caused heartburn for the BLM, applicant Brightsource, and related subcontractors and agencies last Fall.

Time and time again Native elders stood up to declare concerns and articulate potentially unresolvable conflicts of values, goals and process.