Cry Me A River!!

As everyone I'm sure is well aware, Chris Brown is accused of beating the singer Rihanna. Now his little buddies want us to feel sorry for him.

Tyrese Gibson Says Scandal Taking Toll on Chris Brown

Chris Brown may not be the most popular guy right now, but friend Tyrese Gibson says everyone needs to take a step back and give him and Rihanna breathing room while they sort through a trying time.

"Although he appears to be really strong through all of this, it's really taking a toll on his spirit," Gibson said at Sunday's 2009 Ball Up Street Ball Tour. "People like me and Puff, we're just trying to show him love and keep his spirits up while he's going through all of the heat, and there are a lot people doing the same for Rihanna."

In February, Brown, 19, allegedly assaulted the Barbadian singer and his name has since appeared in countless negative articles and discussions of domestic abuse. Rihanna, too, has faced fallout, including criticism for taking Brown back. (According to one source, they have since decided to take a break.)

"It's really hard for him to focus right now on his music, even though he really wants to," said Gibson. "At the end of the day, I'm not trying to justify it because wrong is wrong, but unfortunately, us as entertainers, we have to grow up on stage with a lot of people looking at us. And a lot of people forget that he's 19, she's only 21."

First of all Mr. Gibson, Chris Brown wouldn't be feeling any "heat" if he hadn't beat Rihanna in the first place. He has only himself to blame for the situation he's in.

Second of all, cut the crap with this "we as entertainers have to grow up on stage with a lot of people looking at us" and this age bullshit. Nobody forced him into the spotlight. He CHOSE that life just like everyone else!!

Age has absolutely nothing to do with the present situation. I'm tired of hearing that he should somehow get a pass because he's only 19. And? I'm 29. Should I get a pass too? Or is it only those who are "young" and FAMOUS who are deserving of a pass?

Many things are obvious in this situation Mr. Gibson.

Rihanna was beaten. Pictures don't lie!! Chris Brown has been accused of the beating. He has been charged for the beating.

Chris Brown has failed to take responsibility for his actions. If the latest reports are true about the demand that felony charges be dropped and he receive no JAIL TIME, why would anyone have sympathy for him?

He is not a little boy. He is an adult. Actions have consequences!! He is not willing to face the consequences that he deserves. He deserves a jail sentence. You can't beat someone and expect not to be punished.

This is not a "man" who is young and immature. This is a "man" whose actions suggest that he feels he doesn't deserve to be punished for what he did. I, or anyone else, would have been tried, convicted, and punished already.

If music is his "priority" right now, he clearly hasn't learned anything from this!! Forgive me Mr. Gibson if I don't feel an ounce of sympathy for Chris Brown.

T-Shirts And The Israeli Army

Have you seen them? Members of the Israeli military have been wearing reprehensible t-shirts.

Check them out!!

Israel Military Condemns Violent Anti-Palestinian T-Shirts

JERUSALEM — Israel's military condemned on Monday T-shirts worn by soldiers that depict scenes of violence against Palestinians as the army faces increasing domestic criticism over its conduct during the recent Gaza war.

The T-shirts, ordered by troops to mark the end of basic training and other military courses, were worn by a number of enlisted men in different units, the daily Haaretz newspaper reported. They were not made or sanctioned by the military.

One depicts a child in the cross-hairs of a rifle with the slogan, "The smaller they are, the harder it is," said one of T-shirts shown in Haaretz. Another shows a pregnant woman in the cross-hairs and the words "1 Shot 2 Kills." Others depict a soldier blowing up a mosque and Palestinian women weeping over a gravestone.

The Tel Aviv factory that made many of the shirts, Adiv, refused to comment.

The shirts "are not in accordance with IDF values and are simply tasteless," the army said in a statement. "This type of humor is unbecoming and should be condemned."

The statement said disciplinary action would be taken against troops wearing the T-shirts.

The Israeli military has been facing increased criticism at home for its conduct in Gaza in the aftermath of published testimony from several unidentified soldiers released last week.

The soldiers' testimony described troops killing Palestinian civilians, including children, by hastily opening fire under relaxed rules of engagement. The soldiers also reported the wanton destruction of civilian property.

The three-week Gaza offensive, launched to end years of rocket fire at Israeli towns, ended on Jan. 18. According to Palestinian officials, around 1,400 Palestinians were killed, most of them civilians. Thirteen Israelis died, three of them civilians.

Yeah right!! This is NOT CONDEMNATION!! The very fact that they would label this as "humor" shows exactly what they think about it.

The Guardian, Israel, And "No Opinion"

I often find myself browsing The Guardian website for discussions on various topics. Yesterday I came across an interesting discussion that I wanted to continue here.

The writer of the piece that generated the discussion was talking about Israel, and how she's tired of being asked for an opinion on everything Israel related because she's Jewish.

Basically the writer explains that she doesn't feel that simply because she's Jewish she must answer for or condemn Israel's actions. She doesn't feel that she should even have to comment on them. Yeah, I agree!! Just because she's Jewish doesn't mean that she has to say anything. However, being a HUMAN BEING and all religion aside, how can you not have an opinion? The reality is, she does have an opinion.

She doesn't want to have to "justify" Israel's actions because there is no justification. What Israel has done and continues to do is not SELF-DEFENSE. It's called MURDER!!

I get a vibe from the article that perhaps she doesn't feel that what Israel did should be condemned. How can one not condemn the blatant targeting and killing of innocent people? Everyone is quick to condemn Hamas, yet they say nothing about Israel.

She doesn't want to have to comment on such issues because then she would have to say what SHE really thinks, and she can't use her religion as an excuse. After all, her opinion has nothing to do with being Jewish.

She went on to say:

"The question is, would a teacher dare to confront a second-generation Pakistani boy at school to explain why the Mumbai attacks happened? Would members of the public ring a British-Pakistani imam to demand answers? Of course not, and rightly so. The idea is preposterous and offensive. British Pakistanis here have no more control over actions of individuals from Pakistan or the Pakistani government than British Jews have over the Israeli government."

Must I point out the obvious? She clearly has no idea what she's talking about, and hasn't been paying attention to the world around her.

After 9/11, Muslims were targeted. They continue to be targeted. Anyone who even "appears" to be Muslim or of Middle Eastern heritage is targeted.

Each time there is a "terrorist" attack, there is always a demand for Muslims to condemn such attacks. There's never a demand for EVERYONE to condemn such attacks. It's always specific to one group of people!!

Unfortunately by the time I came across this piece the comments section was closed. I would have loved to respond!! Feel free to comment here!!

Pro-Lifers Lose Another Round!!

I have no doubt that the panties of all the pro-lifers out there are in a gigantic wad tonight. Their favorite target of harassment, bombings, and attempted murder has been acquitted of all 19 charges against him.

Jury finds Kan. doctor not guilty in abortion case

WICHITA, Kan. – One of the nation's few late-term abortion providers was acquitted Friday of misdemeanor charges stemming from procedures he performed, but moments after the verdict the state's medical board announced it was investigating allegations against him that are nearly identical to those the jury had rejected.

Prosecutors had alleged that Dr. George Tiller had in 2003 gotten second opinions from a doctor who was essentially an employee of his, not independent as state law requires, but a jury took only about an hour to find him not guilty of all 19 counts.

Tiller, who could have faced a year in jail for even one conviction, stared straight ahead as the verdicts were read, with one of his attorneys patting his shoulder after the decision on the final count was declared. His wife, seated across the courtroom, fought back tears and nodded. The couple declined to speak to reporters afterward.

"You would hope it would be over," said Tiller attorney Dan Monnat, "but there is a group of people who want to suppress the constitutional rights of women."

Tiller, 67, has claimed that the prosecution was politically motivated. An attorney general who opposed abortion rights began the investigation into Tiller's clinic more than four years ago, but both his successor, who filed the criminal charges, and the current attorney general support abortion rights.

Prosecutor Barry Disney said the case was one "that needed to be tried for the community, for everyone to have resolved."

Soon after the verdict was announced, the state's Board of Healing Arts made public a complaint against Tiller that alleges, as prosecutors did, that Tiller and Neuhaus had financial or legal ties that violated the law regarding abortions performed in 2003. The complaint was filed in December but not released until Friday.

The board, which regulates doctors, could revoke, suspend or limit Tiller's medical license, or fine him.

Board spokeswoman Kristi Pankratz said the criminal case and its outcome did not affect the administrative case, which will "proceed on its own merits." No hearings have been scheduled yet, she said.

Tiller has been a favored target of anti-abortion protesters, and he testified that he and his family have suffered years of harassment and threats. His clinic was the site of the 1991 "Summer of Mercy" protests marked by mass demonstrations and arrests. His clinic was bombed in 1985, and an abortion opponent shot him in both arms in 1993.

Kansas law allows abortions after a fetus can survive outside the womb only if two independent doctors agree that it is necessary to save a women's life or prevent "substantial and irreversible" harm to "a major bodily function," a phrase that has been interpreted to include mental health.

Dr. Ann Kristin Neuhaus provided second opinions on late-term abortions before Tiller performed them.

According to trial testimony, Tiller's patients paid Neuhaus $250 to $300 in cash for providing the consultation and the only way patients could see her was to make an appointment with Tiller's office.

Tiller testified that he used Neuhaus based on advice from his lawyers and from Larry Buening, who was then executive director of the Board of Healing Arts.

Prosecutors tried to show that Tiller ultimately relied on his lawyers' advice — an important distinction because the judge told attorneys before their opening statements that relying on the advice of an attorney cannot be used as a legal defense to criminal charges. They also questioned Tiller about the conversation with Buening, noting that Tiller had testified that Buening said he couldn't quote him.

Mary Kay Culp, executive director of Kansans for Life, said abortion opponents were never confident that Tiller would be prosecuted aggressively enough by Attorney General Steve Six.

"Even if Tiller had been found guilty, he would have appealed to the Supreme Court," Culp said, noting that four of the Kansas high court's seven justices were appointed by Democratic Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, who supports abortion rights.

Phill Kline, the former attorney general who started the investigation, expressed frustration at the prosecutors who tried the case, noting that their only witness was Neuhaus.

"You do not win cases nor achieve justice by calling one witness and ordering your staff not to initiate any additional effort to gather evidence," Kline said in a written statement.

Disney said his office had thoroughly investigated the case and "presented all the evidence that there was."

Tiller said he is one of three doctors in the U.S. who currently perform late-term abortions. The others are in Boulder, Colo., and Los Angeles, he said.

The decision to acquit was the correct decision. Whether you like him or not, the case was flimsy at best and completely asinine!! Seriously, he was charged for performing abortions "illegally" because he got a second opinion from someone who was "essentially an employee of his"? Give me a break!! What did they want him to do? Travel to Colorado or Los Angeles to get a second opinion from one of the other "late-term abortion providers"?

Pro-lifers have lost yet another round in their attempt to control the reproductive decisions of women. Forgive me if I don't shed a tear for them!!

JUST CURIOUS!!

Jailed for 10 years, the Muslim pilot who paused to pray before taking emergency action in plane crash that killed 16

A Muslim pilot and co-pilot who paused to pray before taking emergency measures as they ditched a passenger plane in the sea, killing 16 people, has been sentenced to 10 years in jail.

Pilot Chafik Gharby and co-pilot Ali Kebaier were convicted of taking inadequate emergency measures by an Italian court.

The 2005 crash at sea off Sicily left survivors swimming for their lives, some clinging to a piece of the fuselage that remained floating after the ATR turbo-prop aircraft splintered upon impact.

There were 34 holidaymakers and five crew on board the plane when it went down.

A fuel-gauge malfunction was partly to blame, with technicians putting the wrong type of gauge on the plane before it took off.

It meant the pilot and crew believed they had more fuel than they actually did. The plane's engines cut out simultaneously when the fuel ran out.

However prosecutors also said the pilot succumbed to panic, praying out loud instead of following emergency procedures.

They claimed he then opted to crash-land the plane instead trying to reach a nearby airport.

'This was an unprecedented sentence but we have always maintained that it was an unprecedented incident,' observed Niky Persico, a lawyer for one of the victims.

'Never before in the history of aviation disasters has there been such a chain of events and counter events,' he added.

Another five employees of Tuninter, a subsidiary of Tunisair, were sentenced to between eight and nine years in jail by the court, in a verdict handed down yesterday.

The seven accused, who were not in court, will not spend time in jail until the appeals process has been exhausted.

I'm just curious about something, and I'll throw it right out there. Aside from the panic, if this had been a CHRISTIAN PILOT that paused to pray, would we even be having this discussion right now? I seriously doubt that we would!!

Vermont May Allow Gay People To Marry

It's about damn time!! Vermont may finally allow gay people to marry.

Vermont Senate panel approves gay marriage bill

MONTPELIER, Vt. – A state Senate committee unanimously approved a gay marriage bill on Friday, moving Vermont one step closer to allowing same-sex couples to legally wed.

"It provides ... gay and lesbian couples the same rights that I have as a married heterosexual," said Sen. John Campbell, vice chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee and chief sponsor of the bill.

The measure would replace Vermont's first-in-the-nation civil unions law with one that allows marriage of same-sex partners beginning Sept. 1.

The committee's vote ended an intense week highlighted by a public hearing Wednesday night in which more than 500 people swarmed the Statehouse to speak for and against allowing same-sex marriages.

If approved, Vermont would join Massachusetts and Connecticut as the only U.S. states that allow gays and lesbians to marry.

Civil unions, which confer some rights similar to marriage, would still be recognized but no longer granted after Sept. 1.

Campbell said marriage is an improvement over civil unions both substantively and as a matter of wording.

On the first score, he said, marriage is more widely legally recognized than civil unions. If a couple from Vermont got into an accident in Kansas, a spouse likely would have a stronger claim to hospital visitation rights if they were married than if they were in a civil union, he said.

Semantically, Campbell argued that if there were no difference, opponents of same-sex marriage would not be so vehement that the term marriage should apply only to heterosexual unions. "Children should be able to say to their friends that their parents are married, and not have to explain what a civil union is," he added.

Both Houses, under Democratic control, are expected to pass the measure. The Senate is taking the lead and is expected to debate the bill next week.

Gov. Jim Douglas, a Republican, has said he opposes the bill but has declined to say whether he will veto it if it reaches his desk.

"I've made my position quite clear that I believe marriage is and ought to remain the union of a man and a woman, that our civil unions law affords equality of opportunities and rights under state law and that that should suffice," the governor said on the eve of the Senate committee vote.

The bill would exempt members of the clergy from performing same-sex marriages if their faiths forbid such unions, and would bar lawsuits prompted by such refusals.

The exemption would not extend to justices of the peace and other public officials who perform civil marriages but who might object to officiating at same-sex unions. Those people are agents of the government and are barred by law from discriminating based on sexual orientation, Campbell said.

Vermont in 2000 became the first state in the country to pass a civil unions law, which grants many of the rights and responsibilities of marriage to same-sex couples. But gay marriage advocates have argued since then that the law does not go far enough. California, New Jersey and New Hampshire also permit civil unions.

Friday's committee vote followed the panel's rejection of an amendment proposed by Sen. Kevin Mullin, R-Rutland, that would have put the gay marriage question to a statewide referendum next March. After the amendment was defeated, Mullin joined his colleagues in voting 5-0 for the bill.

The committee's action drew praise from a leader of the Vermont Freedom to Marry Task Force, one of the leading organizations supporting gay marriage in the state, and condemnation from a leader of the anti-gay-marriage Marriage Advisory Council.

"The committee was attentive throughout the week. They heard a wide range of witnesses on a wide range of issues, and I think, ultimately, they did the right thing," said Beth Robinson, a Middlebury lawyer and chairwoman of the Freedom to Marry Task Force.

Stephen Cable, president of the group Vermont Renewal, an organization that opposes same-sex marriage, said the civil unions law and the possible passage of gay marriage bill shows the state "no longer seeks to promote that each child have a mother and a father. And I think that's shameful and very sad."

No, what is shameful is that people like Mr. Cable feel that they have the right to deny other people their rights. Where does it say in the Constitution that heterosexuals have more rights than homosexuals? I apparently missed the part where it lays out the rights of heterosexuals versus the rights of homosexuals. Or is it just one of those things that we're making up as we go along? Remember, the Constitution was just a "goddamn piece of paper"!!

Every child has a mother and a father. That will never change. However, what people choose to consider a family is THEIR business. It is their right, and people like Mr. Cable don't have a right to deny them that.

And while we're on the subject of marriage, WHO THE HELL DECLARED THAT IF YOU MARRY YOU MUST PROCREATE? Seriously, I want to know!! He says that if the marriage bill is passed, it "shows that the state no longer seeks to promote that each child have a mother and a father." What about the people that choose not to have children? Or those that can't have children? Are they not married? By Mr. Cable's definition it would appear that they're not.

Again I say that it's about damn time Vermont cut the bullshit with civil unions and gave all people, regardless of sexual orientation, the right to marry.

Pawlenty Of Bullshit Strikes Again!!

I'd like to send a special THANK YOU to Baylee for bringing this story to my attention.

People wonder why we don't like Governor Tim Pawlenty!! THIS IS WHY!! I love to refer to him as Pawlenty of Bullshit!! My mom refers to him as Pawlenty of Nothing!! Either he does nothing for the state of Minnesota, or he takes everything from the people of Minnesota.

Pawlenty's budget: 2.2 percent spending cut
by Tim Pugmire, Minnesota Public Radio
January 27, 2009

Governor Tim Pawlenty has unveiled a budget plan that slashes or delays state spending, borrows against tobacco revenue and relies heavily on a federal stimulus check to solve a nearly $5 billion deficit.

St. Paul, Minn. — Despite tough economic times, the Republican governor is also proposing increased spending for public schools and a package of tax breaks for businesses. DFL leaders say they want to work with Pawlenty, but they're concerned about the potential impact of some of his proposed cuts.

Under Governor Pawlenty's $33.6 billion budget, state spending would drop more than 2 percent, or $750 million. The hardest hit spending areas include aid to cities and counties, higher education and health and welfare programs. An estimated 84,000 people would lose eligibility for state-subsidized health care over the next two years, but the governor says his plan would protect eligibility for children. Pawlenty said he built the spending plan based on what he views as state government's priorities.

"We identified those things that we thought were most important to the strategic future of the state of Minnesota and made sure that our commitments to them were either maintained or improved," Pawlenty said. "And then [we] moved down the list into things that we thought were less strategically important or out of alignment or benefited from significant increases in the not too distant past."

Budget spending Pawlenty is also proposing a package of tax breaks for businesses, including a cut in the corporate tax rate, to try to jumpstart the state economy and grow jobs. His budget preserves funding for veterans programs and public safety and increases spending for K-12 education. While House Democrats are pushing for an overall increase in the state's school funding formula, Pawlenty ties his increase to school districts that raise student achievement.

"That would be the real miracle in Minnesota, to actually have a system that's accountable, that's transparent and puts kids first and student learning first instead of worrying about the vagaries of a formula that almost nobody can understand," Pawlenty said.

Pawlenty also proposes a wage freeze for all public sector employees. Pawlenty said he does not favor layoffs of state employees as a way to cut costs, saying layoffs would only make the unemployment picture worse.

A bigger help, Pawlenty says, would be to freeze the wages of all public sector workers, including those who work in state and local levels of government, and in public education. That toals about 390,000 people. Pawlenty says freezing teacher salaries, for example, would help school districts cope with budget problems.

"Most school distrcts will tell you that if they could get a wage freeze for their staff and a benefit freeze for their staff, even with a modest increase or no increase, they could still do pretty well in the coming year or two," said Pawlenty. "The thing that drives the spending train for most local units of government, particularly school districts, is staff costs."

The governor's proposal includes relatively small cuts to agencies that oversee the environment and natural resources. The Department of Natural Resources would take a 5 percent reduction in general fund money, or about $5 million.

The DNR says it will look for $2 million in savings in facilities around the state, possibly by closing some offices, and it will charge more for crossing state land for power lines, roads, etc.

Pawlenty decided to make extra investments in forestry, because of the depressed timber economy. The agency's enforcement division will not see cuts.

Conservation advocates and hunting and fishing groups will be watching to see whether the DNR will try to reduce funding for some conservation or habitat programs because of the anticipated income from the new sales tax increase, approved by voters last fall.

DNR Commissioner Mark Holsten said the agency may reduce some grants to local governments, such as for shoreland restoration. But he said those reductions from the general fund could be replaced with money from the Game and Fish fund or the Natural Resources fund -- money that comes from licenses and user fees, not state taxes.

Pawlenty is recommending that the state invest $118 million from the new sales tax revenues for clean water, and $53 million for parks and trails.

In addition to spending cuts, Pawlenty's budget-balancing plan uses more than $1 billion in accounting shifts. He's also counting on at least $920 million in federal aid and he also wants to raise nearly $1 billion from selling half of Minnesota's ongoing tobacco payments.

DFL leaders in the House and Senate have said they want a structurally-balanced budget that avoids one-time money, shifts and gimmicks. House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher of Minneapolis says the governor's plan looks to be full of gimmicks.

"It's not to say that at the end of the day some of those things, they might work in this situation because of how bad it is," Kelliher said. "But it is a concern that if you build a budget completely out of those things, the long term stability of the financial health of the state could be at risk."

Legislative committees begin dissecting the governor's budget proposal this week. DFL leaders also plan to hold meetings throughout the state in the coming weeks to get additional public reaction to the plan.

Senate Majority Leader Larry Pogemiller of Minneapolis was still digesting some of the governor's proposed spending cuts, but he already had concerns about the potential impacts.

"I think we're concerned that perhaps people are being cut off of health care, that's not a smart or necessary thing to do," Pogemiller said. "And we believe that pushing the problem down to local governments to force up property taxes is probably not the wisest thing to do."

Republican legislative leaders had generally positive reviews of the budget plan. House Minority Leader Marty Seifert of Marshall says there aren't a lot of options to solve the deficit.

"If not this, what? That's what our statement is," Seifert said. "If not this, there's little details that we can change around. I'm largely supportive because I think it's a solution that focuses on the priorities of job growth, education and veterans. We have to make some tough decisions here."

The budget debate is just beginning, and Governor Pawlenty said his proposal will need some adjustments in the coming weeks to reflect new financial information.

One change will come when Minnesota learns the amount of its share of the federal economic stimulus bill. Another will come next month, when finance officials update the state economic forecast, which is expected to project an even larger budget deficit.

(MPR reporter Stephanie Hemphill contributed to this report)

I had to laugh at the notion that Pawlenty of Bullshit wants to increase spending on Education. I don't know where you live Baylee, but where I live they have constantly cut funding for Education.

It all started when they decided to open a charter school here. They took money from the public schools and used that to fund the charter school. The public school system here is dead. Between the major lack of funding from the state and the charter schools, public schools are just dead. Each year the School Board threatens to close another school. In a year or two they're cutting down to two high schools, which threatens to further increase the already tense divide between RICH & POOR and EAST & WEST. They're closing several elementary schools. But we're supposed to believe that Pawlenty of Bullshit really gives a shit, and is going to fund Education.

On another note, it's not surprising that he would cut health care or welfare programs. Allow me to share a little story with you all. I'm not ashamed to talk about it either.

I couldn't afford private health insurance. I was no longer in college so my parents couldn't keep me on their insurance. My job didn't offer insurance. So, I chose to apply for health insurance through the county. My application was approved. But as always, there was a catch. For those who haven't had the "pleasure" of dealing with something like that, it's not a joke!!

If a person gets insurance through the county and has a job, they're only allowed to make a certain amount of money per month. If they exceed that amount, they lose their insurance. At the time, I was not allowed to exceed $500 a month. I was forced to make a choice. Do I have health insurance or do I work? For a little while, I chose the health insurance. I had to be careful only to work a few hours a day so that my paychecks weren't large. I finally got tired of having to do that, and ended up losing my insurance because I "worked too much". Today I have health insurance because I have a different job. But I had to "buy" that insurance. It wasn't provided to me as a benefit of my employment.

The point is, this is how people have to live and it's pathetic!! They shouldn't be forced to choose between working "too much" or having health insurance. Now even more people will be without health care coverage because Pawlenty of Bullshit clearly doesn't see it as worthy of funding.

Thanks again to Baylee for bringing this to my attention. And to think, this piece of trash actually wanted to be Vice President!! Trust me people!! You don't want him as your Vice President or President, EVER!! Having him for a Governor is bad enough!!

The Heinous Catholic Church Won't Excommunicate A Child Rapist

I blogged last week about a 9 year old child who had an abortion after being raped by her stepfather. The Catholic Church has since excommunicated her mother and the doctors who performed the abortion. However, they will NOT excommunicate the rapist!!

Vatican defends excommunication for 'raped' nine-year-old girl's abortion

A senior Vatican cleric has defended the excommunication of the mother and doctors of a nine-year-old girl who had an abortion in Brazil after allegedly being raped by her stepfather.

Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, head of the Catholic church's Congregation for Bishops, told the daily La Stampa on Saturday that the twins the girl had been carrying had a right to live.

"It is a sad case but the real problem is that the twins conceived were two innocent persons, who had the right to live and could not be eliminated," he said.

Re, who also heads the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, added: "Life must always be protected, the attack on the Brazilian church is unjustified."

The row was triggered by the termination on Wednesday of twin fetuses carried by a nine-year-old allegedly raped by her stepfather in the Brazilian state of Pernambuco.

The regional archbishop, Jose Cardoso Sobrinho, pronounced excommunication for the mother for authorising the operation and doctors who carried it out for fear that the slim girl would not survive carrying the fetuses to term.

"God's law is above any human law. So when a human law ... is contrary to God's law, this human law has no value," Cardoso had said.

He also said the accused stepfather would not be expelled from the church. Although the man allegedly committed "a heinous crime ... the abortion - the elimination of an innocent life - was more serious".

Battista Re agreed, saying: "Excommunication for those who carried out the abortion is just" as a pregnancy termination always meant ending an innocent life.

The case has sparked fierce debate in Brazil, where abortion is illegal except in cases of rape or if the woman's health is in danger.

On Friday, President Luiz Ignacio Lula da Silva hit out at Sobrinho's decision, saying: "As a Christian and a Catholic, I deeply regret that a bishop of the Catholic church has such a conservative attitude."

"The doctors did what had to be done: save the life of a girl of nine years old," he said, adding that "in this case, the medical profession was more right than the church."

One of the doctors involved in the abortion, Rivaldo Albuquerque, told Globo television that he would keep going to mass, regardless of the archbishop's order.

"The people want a church full of forgiveness, love and mercy," he said.

Health Minister Jose Gomes Temporao also slammed the archbishop.

"Two things strike me: the assault on the girl and the position of this bishop, which is truly lamentable," he said.

The girl, who was not identified because she is a minor, was last week found to be four months' pregnant after being taken to hospital suffering stomach pains.

Officials said she told them she had suffered sexual abuse by her stepfather since the age of six.

Police said the 23-year-old stepfather also allegedly sexually abused the girl's physically handicapped 14-year-old sister.

He was arrested a week ago and is being kept in protective custody. If convicted, he faces up to 15 years in prison.

The website of the news group Globo reported that another girl, aged 11, had been found to be seven months pregnant following alleged sexual abuse at the hands of her adoptive father.

The girl has said she does not intend to seek an abortion, according to reports.

So let me get this straight!! The mother and the doctors have been excommunicated, but the rapist will not be. The rapist will not be excommunicated because "although his crime was heinous, the abortion was a more serious crime."

I can't say that I'm surprised by the response of the Catholic Church. These are, after all, the same people that have no problem with child rape. They have no problem with pedophile priests and nuns, and they still refuse to accept responsibility for all the years that they allowed the pedophiles to rape children. So, it's no surprise that they wouldn't excommunicate a child rapist and instead declare the mother, doctors, and the CHILD to be the real criminals!!

To quote a great man, "If you're pre-born, you're fine. If you're preschool, you're fucked!!" This is totally true about the Catholic Church. They don't give a damn that the life of this CHILD could have ended if she continued to carry her rapist's spawn. They weren't interested in saving her life because you see, she was already BORN.

They didn't care that the truly HEINOUS crime of rape by her stepfather caused the situation in the first place. They don't care about his crimes. They have no shame!! They should be criticized each and every single day. Brazil and every country should toss the HEINOUS Catholic Church out on their asses!!

Here We Go Again!!

Can someone please tell why the Catholic Church is even allowed to exist when they are beyond completely asinine, and are downright FUCKING EVIL?

9-Year-Old Girl Carrying Twins Has Abortion Despite Objections From Catholic Church

RIO DE JANEIRO — A 9-year-old girl who was carrying twins, allegedly after being raped by her stepfather, underwent an abortion Wednesday despite complaints from Brazil's Roman Catholic church.

Police said the stepfather has been jailed since last week.

Abortion is illegal in Brazil, but judges can make exceptions if the mother's life is in danger or the fetus has no chance of survival.

Fatima Maia, director of the public university hospital where the abortion was performed, said the 15-week-old pregnancy posed a serious risk to the 80-pound (36-kilogram) girl.

"She is very small. Her uterus doesn't have the ability to hold one, let alone two children," Maia told the Jornal do Brasil newspaper.

But Marcio Miranda, a lawyer for the Archdiocese of Olinda and Recife in northeastern Brazil, said the girl should have carried the twins to term and had a Caesarean section.

"It's the law of God: Do not kill. We consider this murder," Miranda said in comments reported by O Globo.

Calls to Miranda were not immediately returned.

Brazil is home to more Catholics than any other nation.

Here we go again!! First they bitched about an 11 year old rape victim who had an abortion after her stepfather had raped her since she was 7. Anyone involved in that abortion was excommunicated from the Church. They said nothing about the stepfather who had raped the girl.

Now they're bitching about a 9 year old rape victim who had an abortion after her stepfather raped her.

Despite the fact that it has been said that the CHILD couldn't carry one fetus let alone two because her uterus isn't developed enough, this motherfucker has the audacity to say that she SHOULD HAVE CARRIED THE PREGNANCY TO TERM.

All I want to do is scream, SHE COULDN'T YOU STUPID PIECE OF SHIT!! Did they want her to die because of a crime that her stepfather committed against her? Oh yeah, because that's God's will right? Yeah, well if their damn God is so great, why did he allow this child to be raped in the first place?

And yet again, there is no condemnation of the rape by the Catholic Church. There's only condemnation for the abortion that was performed to save this CHILD'S life!!

The Catholic Church is fucked up, and they feel no shame when they demand that rape victims have their rapist's child. They feel no shame in labeling a CHILD a KILLER because she, being a crime victim, had her life saved by having an abortion. They feel no shame in not speaking out against child rape. They have no shame, PERIOD!!