30 Days of Truth: Day 19 - What Do You Think of Religion? or What Do You Think of Politics?

Religion and Politics...the third rail.  These are two topics people often say NOT to talk about.  However these are also two topics that are on my mind on a daily basis.  Since this prompt asked...let me answer the questions.

Politics:
I'm a democrat and I support President Obama.  I've voted in every election since I was eighteen, and I voted democrat every time despite being raised by a republican mother.  I even worked for the Young Republicans when I was growing up in a DC suburb.  I opened President Reagan's mail!  I'm pretty sure it was my love affair with the environment and my genuine caring for those less fortunate than I that led me to lean left.  The more informed I become on issues, I find that I fall left of center. I'm pretty vocal about my convictions on my facebook site, so I'm pretty sure I don't need to explain much more here.  I even started my blog and facebook fan page so I would have a place to post things regarding politics and religion that I find interesting yet others may find offensive.  Whether we like it or not, whether we adhere to one of the two parties, one candidate and his or her party will win, and it affects our day to day lives.  So, I think politics is an important thing to talk about. I just try to be positive and support my candidate and the causes I care about and try to stay off the low road of insulting and criticizing the other candidate. 

Here are some of my favorite pictures of the candidates in this election.

www.danaellyn.com

Religion:

In my opinion, religion was made up by humans to answer big questions like, "where am I from?" "why am I here?" and "where do I go after I die?"  Different cultures think different things.  Different religions teach different versions of the story.  What do they all have in common?  LOVE  so, I'd say that LOVE is my religion!  We are all brothers and sisters of the human race, sharing this wonderful life on this beautiful planet.  I seek to find common ground with others and honor the place in others where we are the same person.
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I am agnostic.  That means I believe there might be a higher power, but I don't know what it is.  There is no evidence to support or deny God's existence. I was raised Christian and celebrate Christian holidays like Christmas and Easter.  My mom was a chuch organist and a devout Methodist, so as a child I was forced to attend church every Sunday for hours while she played three services. I'd attend Sunday School, a church service, then have an hour to kill during the third service. I would typically run around the church or sit in the car and listen to Casey Casem's top 40 countdown.  When I was in the services, I remember daydreaming and doodling.  I tried to listen. I really did.  But it was so boring, and none of it made any sense to me.  I remember sitting there doodling my imaginary married name and those of my future children and listening to an old man standing up telling me stories that didn't apply whatsoever to my life.  I didn't like going, but I was forced to go until I turned 18. 

When I went to college, I studied Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, and Chinese Philosophy.  It opened up my mind to other ways of thinking.  I realized Christianity wasn't the only religion in the world.  I liked much of what the eastern teachings said and how they respect nature and aim to go with the flow of the universe.  There is no external god in these religions.  God, or the divine nature, lives within each of us.  Heaven and Hell are experienced right here on earth.  Life is reincarnated, and each life is determined based on the karma of the past life. Spiritual enlightenment means achieving a purely spiritual state and freedom from the wheel of rebirth.  I like how the focus of eastern religions is on living life right here on Earth. It's the only life we are sure of, and indeed we all share the same divine spark. 

  When my first daughter was a few years old , I started going to Unitarian Universalist Church.  People recommended that to me, and I liked the open minded philosophy.  UUs believe we are part of an interconnected web of life and that no one religion holds the cornerstone on truth.  They welcome all people including atheists, lesbian/gay/transgender people, and people of all religions and everywhere in between.  They put emphasis on the spiritual search for truth, and honor everyone's individual path along that journey.  Emphasis is placed on being grateful for every breath and on how to live our lives in positive ways. 

 

I stopped going to the UU church in 2008 when a good friend died in a tragic accident, and the minister didn't have time to meet with me to help me with my grief.  It may have been the failing of one man instead of the religion, but I realized then that there is no comforting story about what happens after death.   I realized then that there really are no answers to what happens after death and that we just tell ourselves these things to make ourselves feel better. 

 

It's really just science.  Click here to see a video of what I mean by that.

 

To me, the universe is God, and the fact we have life at all on this planet is amazing and incomprehensible.   The scientific revolution occurred thousands of years after the bible was written, so it's no surprise there is no science in the bible.  Science has gone against much of what was taken as fact in the bible such as the creation/evoultion debate and the fossil record.  The bible is a series of book written by many authors, and then only some of the books were published while others were left out.  There is scientific evidence for much of the phenomena in our lives, so that's what I choose to believe.  The rest of it is a mystery, and I bow down in humility to the higher forces of the universe that make life possible.  I don't know where I was before I was born, and I dont' know where I will go after I die, but I do know that I am focused on living every day to its fullest and with love, kindness, and compassion in my heart.  Life does go on, so I surrender to the ongoing force that was in place millions of years before my life and that hopefully continues on into infinity. I don't know what happens next, but I am certainly grateful for the life I've been given.

 

 

 

 

30 Days of Truth: Day 18-Your Views on Gay Marriage

I wrote about this topic in August when Chik-fil-a was in the news about their donations to anti-gay groups.   I think gay people should be able to get married. I just think it should be called something different.  Click here to read the whole blog entry.

30 Days Of Truth: Day 17-A Book You Read that Changed the Way You ViewSomething

I am not a huge fan of reading novels, so it's a hobby I've had to work at developing over the years. I do read, but I gravitate toward non-fiction. Several non-fiction books have changed the way I viewed something, particularly when I studied Buddhism and other eastern religions in college. There is an upcoming entry about religion, so I will write about that separately.

Journey Into Darkness by John Douglas is a book that made an impact and changed how I viewed things. Three chapters of the book are devoted to one of my childhood and high school friends, Sue Collins, a marine was brutally raped and murdered. I wanted to read it to learn more about Sue and her killer from the FBI agent who investigated her case. Apparently, he was "haunted by the details of her case. He paid tribute to her life and got into the mind of the man who took it away from her. She was jogging at night when the crime occurred, and because of what happened to her, I don't feel safe outside alone at night. Reading all the details from his experiences changed how I view society at large. It made me more aware of dangers present in public places and ways to protect my children. It proves there are very sick people out there looking to kill people.



It's not an easy read, but a very important one in my opinion.

 

 










Here are descriptions of the book from amazon.com:

"Some authors are worth reading because of their area of expertise, even when their objectivity may be questionable. This is true of John Douglas, who follows up his Mindhunter with another assortment of his observations and opinions from his ex-job as the FBI's top expert on constructing behavioral profiles of criminals. This book contains several passages of interest: a detailed discussion of the modus operandi versus the "signature" of a murder, and how each relates to motive; thoughts on how the press and the public can be used to flush out a killer; a taxonomy of pedophiles, with a chapter on how to protect children from them; a detailed analysis of the savage sex-murder of a female Marine; a profile of the Nicole Simpson/Ron Goldman killer; and a report on how the courts are handling behavioral testimony. Always biased, often egotistical, but uniquely experienced--that's Douglas.

Product Description

In the #1 New York Times bestseller Mindhunter, John Douglas, who headed the FBI's elite Investigative Support Unit, told the story of his brilliant and terrifying career tracking down some of the most heinous criminals in history. Using behavioral profiling and criminal investigative analysis to get into the head and psyche of both the criminal and victim -- to feel what they felt at the critical moment -- Douglas helped crack many high profile cases, including the Trailside Killer, the Atlanta child murders, and the Tylenol murders. Now, working again with his co-author Mark Olshaker, Douglas delves further into the criminal mind with a series of chilling new cases in Journey into Darkness: Follow the FBI's premier investigative profiler as he penetrates the minds and motives of the most terrifying serial killers.  In Journey into Darkness, Douglas profiles vicious serial killers, rapists, and child molesters. He is straightforward, blunt, often irreverent, and outspoken, but takes pains not to glorify any of these murderers. Some of the unique cases Douglas discusses include:

The Clairemont killer -- Six women were found stabbed to death in San Diego, three in the same apartment complex. In each case, the killer entered through an unlocked door or window in the late morning to early afternoon. A suspect was in custody, tied to one of the murders through a DNA match. Douglas was called upon to use his profiling techniques to link the other five murders to the suspect. Douglas looked at the "signature" of the killer, and found that all the murders were committed by the same man. The prosecution used the profile to force the jury to find the defendant guilty of all six murders, if they felt he was guilty of the one murder. Celophus Prince was found guilty on all counts.

The schoolgirl murders -- What became Canada's "trial of the century." Several schoolgirls disappeared in 1992; their bodies were dumped several weeks later, beaten and sexually attacked. Canadian police agencies contacted the FBI for help on the case and to get a profile on the killer and, according to witnesses, his accomplice. Following the advice of the Investigative Support Unit in Quantico, Canada aired a television special entitled "The Abduction of Kristin French," allowing agent Gregg McCrary to describe the killer's profile on air. Knowing that the murderer and his accomplice would be watching, he planned to confront the unknown killer, assuring him he would be caught. Paul Bernardo was arrested on February 17, 1993, turned in by his wife and partner in crime, Karla Leanne Homolka.. The profile was dead on the money.

Richmond's First Serial Murderer -- In 1987, Richmodd, Virginia, was struck by a serial rapist/murderer. The Richmond police called upon the Investigative Support Unit in Quantico to make up a profile of the perpetrator. The crimes and profile beared a remarkable resemblance to a string of burglaries, rapes and murders in Alexandria, Virginia, several years before. Agent Steve Mardigian then formulated a complex strategy that caught the killer who fit the profile to a tee. In the process he helped free a wrongly convicted man, who due to his low intelligence level, had become confused and confessed to the crime.

The brutal and sadistic murder of Suzanne Marie Collins, a beautiful young Marine on the verge of a brilliant career. The culprit was caught and confessed to her killing, but his story was very different than what really happened. By delving into Sedley Alley's mind, Douglas helped bring the murderer to justice, recreating the evening from the perspective of a sadistic and angry man. Suzanne Collins' horrifying end haunts Douglas to this day.

Douglas delves into other cases, including Polly Klaas' abduction and murder by Richard Allen Davis, the tragedy that lead to the creation of Megan's Law; the abduction and murder of six-year-old Cassandra Lynn Hansen, who was snatched from an evening church service; and the vicious murder and sexual assault of Nancy Newman and her two daughters, eight-year-old Melissa and three-year-old Angie in Anchorage, Alaska. He also explores the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman, focusing on the double homicide purely from a behavioral perspective. Douglas examines what the facts at and surrounding the crime scene told about the killer from a behavioral point of view. From Douglas's profile, the only viable suspect to date is O.J. Simpson.

With Journey into Darkness, Douglas provides more than a glimpse into the minds of serial killers; he demonstrates what a powerful weapon behavioral science has become. Profiling criminals helps not only to capture them, but also helps society understand how these predators work and what can be done to prevent them from striking again. Douglas focuses especially on pedophiles and child abductors, fully explaining what drives them, and how to keep children away from them. As he points out, "The best way to protect your children is to know your enemy." He includes eight rules for safety, a list of steps parents can take to prevent child abduction and exploitation, tips on how to detect sexual exploitation, basic rules of safety for children, and a chart, based on age, which details the safety skills children should have to protect themselves.

In his review for Mindhunter in The New York Times Book Review, Dean Koontz said, "Because of his insights and the power of the material, he leaves us shaken, gripped by a quiet grief for the innocent victims and anguished by the human condition." Journey into Darkness continues this perilous trip into the psyche of the serial killer, but also offers a glimmer of hope that profiling may enable law enforcement to see the indicators of a serial killer's mind and intervene before he kills, or kills again.

From the Publisher

There is only one John Douglas.

We first met Douglas in Mindhunter, which told the story of his brilliant and terrifying with the FBI until his retirement in 1995. And now, again with coauthor Mark Olshaker, he goes even further. We accompany him on the Journey Into Darkness that marks every case he examines; every instance in which he helps police identify the unknown perpetrator of a violent series of rapes, kidnappings, or murders through his remarkable criminal personality profiling.

In this fascinating audio experience, we journey with some of the brilliant and sensitive agents John has trained, who have carried on his work. We take a startlingly fresh look at the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman as if John had been asked by the LAPD to identify the killer through behavioral profiling. And we hear how a lifetime around killers and their victims has shaped his views on justice and punishment.

The Journey Into Darkness is a perilous one, but ultimately a hopeful one as well. For not only do we see from the men and women who track the most sadistic of criminals what a powerful weapon profiling has become, we also get advice on how we might better keep our children, our families and ourselves safe from harm. By making the Journey Into Darkness with John Douglas and his colleagues, we come away with an insight into the human condition that no one else can offer.

About the Author

JOHN DOUGLAS, during his twenty-five-year career with the FBI, has become the leading expert on criminal personality profiling and the pioneer of modern criminal investigative analysis. He conducted the first organized study into the methods and motivations of serial criminals and has aided police departments and prosecutors throughout the world. A veteran of the Air Force, he is the author of numerous articles and presentations on criminology and the coauthor of the landmark books Sexual Homicide: Patterns and Motives and Crime Classification Manual. John Douglas and Mark Olshaker coauthored Mindhunter: Inside the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit and Unabomber: On the Trail of America's Most-Wanted Serial Killer. Douglas lives in the Washington, D.C., area.

From AudioFile

Douglas presents more observations about murderers and the profiling of serial killers in this follow-up to Mindhunter. Pointers on how parents can protect their children are worked into a section about murders of children. Douglas reads clearly, with variety of tone and emotional coloring. Although he often sounds as if he's reading, the riveting narrative itself helps to overcome this weakness. While not as compelling as it could have been with a more experienced narrator, this is still a good choice for anyone fascinated by the subject matter. M.A.M. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine"

30 Days of Truth: Day 10-Someone You Need to Let Go, or Wish You Didn't Know.

Over the past several years, I've weeded out people from my life that I needed to let go.  I've let go of some toxic and fake relationships.  I've let go of male friendships that weren't healthy for my marriage.  I've let go of family members who are impossible to deal with.

I've been thinking about this question for days and feel that I don't have anyone I need to let go or wish I didn't know.  I'm a pretty real person.  If you like me great, if not, no problem.  I don't keep people in my life for no reason. 

The people I need to let go are the dearly departed.  I probably think too often of my friends and loved ones who have already passed away.  It makes me sad to think of each loss, and it makes me worried about when it will be my turn.  I worry about losing my husband or kids, and I worry about something happening to me.  I'm not sure where we were before we were born, and I'm not sure where we go after we die, so it's quite a conundrum for me to think about.  This life on this Earth is the only thing I am sure of, and too often it is cut short by tragedy.  Accidents and illnesses take our loved ones away before their time.  We are left here to cherish memories and hope to be reunited with our them sometime in the future.  Spending too much time thinking about people who are gone is probably not the healthiest thing for me. I could probably stand to let go of those haunting thoughts and unpleasant memories of saying goodbye forever.



30 Days of Truth: Day 5-Something You Hope to Do In Your Life

"Heaven is finding happiness right where you are."

I hope to reach enlightenment if there is such a thing. At least that's what I strive for. I read this quote and although I'm not sure who wrote it, I love it. It fits the Buddhist ideas of releasing attachments, karma, and accepting impermanence on the path to spiritual enlightenment. Attachments cause suffering, and to be truly happy we have to learn to let go and go with the flow. I'm not a Buddhist, but I like these ideas for living. I'm practicing and learning these lessons every day. I count the many blessings in my life and aim to let go of negative experiences and work through obstacles. Most of all I hope to live a long healthy life with my family, and I hope to be the best person I can be.

Chick Fil A, Same Sex Marriage, and My Position

Today is August 1, 2012.  It's support Chick Fil A day.  They have recently been featured in the news because they have donated millions of dollars to anti-gay groups.  When the CEO was asked to comment on his donations to anti-gay charities, he said they operate on biblical principles (closed on Sundays) and support the traditional definition of marriage as it's stated in the bible.  In the bible, marriage is defined as between a man and a woman, and it is a sin to be homosexual.

We are all entitled to our opinions and free speech regarding same-sex marriage and everything else under the sun.  People who are eating at Chick Fil A are doing so to make a statement that they support the corporation's position against same sex marriage, and whether they realize it or not, they are financially supporting the corporation and all the charities they donate to when they purchase from Chick Fil A.  Some people are making it a freedom of speech issue, but what it really boils down to is do you support where they spend their dollars, not freedom of speech.

Chick Fil A is not alone in supporting controversial causes.  For example, KFC supports tiger habitat destruction.  McDonald's gets beef from the rainforest (where rainforests are cut down to provide land for the cattle to graze).  Tuna fisheries used to kill dolphins in their fishing nets.  If consumers are informed about where the corporations spend their money, they can make informed decisions about whom to support.  When the public became aware of the dolphin kill problem, they along with watchdog groups like Greenpeace put enough pressure on the industry to change their fishing practices and label cans of "dolphin-safe" tuna. 

Is it possible to be pro traditional marriage and pro same-sex marriage at the same time?  I say yes it is.  This is where religion and science have some crossover.  I am heterosexual and married to a man.  I support traditional marriage.  But it's not because of the bible.  It's because of science.  A species is defined as a group of organisms capable of producing fertile offspring.  It's not judgemental.  It doesn't say sex has to be between a man and a woman, but men and women make up the human species because the males and females are capable of breeding and producing viable offspring.  Traditional marriage is scientific marriage.  Men and women make babies and get married to share the workload in raising those babies.  That's the evolutionary reason for mating for life. 

I support homosexuals' rights to same-sex marriage and I also support traditional, scientific, offspring producing marriage.  Since much of the debate revolves around redefining the word, marriage, perhaps it could be solved by calling same-sex marriage just that, or maybe call it gay marriage, or some other verbage that sets it aside from male-female-offspring-producing marriage.  There is a win-win solution.  I don't see anything wrong with homosexual people who are committed for life to each other having the same rights as heterosexual couples.  Love is love is love.

Will I support Chick Fil A today? No thanks. Now that I know they funnel millions of dollars to anti-gay groups, I don't think I will give them any more of my dollars.  But should you eat there? If you support that cause, go for it.  It's not a free speech issue. It's an issue about the power of the consumer dollar.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/02/chick-fil-a-anti-gay-group-donations-_n_1644609.html
http://www.snopes.com/politics/sexuality/chickfila.asp

Genesis 4-10

On the heels of Genesis 1-3, it felt like one of those movies you watch where every other scene you say to yourself (or maybe outloud) "yea right."  When I find myself saying that during a movie, I remind myself I have to get past that point and just realize that the movie is not realistic and that if it was, it wouldn't be that same movie. The same is true with the bible, so far in my experience.  Genesis 1-3 was nothing but a compilation of 'yea rights' and it took serious effort to continue reading a book that is written like a tall tale yet millions of people live their lives by.  Genesis 4-10 was more of the same.  Yea right.  Let me start with the ages of the characters.  Noah was 900 years old, really?  hmm.  God was so mad at Cain and Abel that he cast them aside and sent Noah out to build an ark and put two of everything in it and start mankind over again?  Let me get this straight.  Here we are in the year 2011.  Scientists have not discovered all the species in the world yet (last time I checked we were at about 70%, is that right?)  yet somehow Noah got two of EVERYTHING onto his boat?  What did they eat? how did they go to the bathroom?  How did he load undiscovered species onto his boat?  What happened to the food chain while they were on the boat? Didn't the snakes eat the rabbits? Didn't the wolves eat the deer?  Do people really believe this stuff or is there some kind of story they tell themselves to make it makes sense?  There is no way that this really happened.  It's not possible especially of a 900 year old man. If you can make it make sense to me, I invite you to... please...somebody....

Genesis 1-3

     The other day, I downloaded a bible app for my iPhone. Mainly I wanted to use it as a reference for looking up verses, but I noticed it also came with a reading plan to read the entire bible in one year. The first day's assignment wasn't very long, Genesis 1-3.  I was raised Christian (Methodist), and grew up with a single mother who played organ at churches for her second job, so I've been to many a church service, a Sunday School class, and vacation bible school.  I've studied the bible before, but I never completely committed myself to the church because of my skepticism.  When I went to college, I became interested in Philosophy and Religion classes and took several courses on eastern religions.  The farther I expanded my horizons, the greater my world view became, and even though I was raised as a Christian, I believe there is a lot of wisdom in other world religions as well. In fact, I believe there are common threads among all religions, specifically people trying to answer the big questions like why are we here and where do we go after we die?  Early humans tried to answer scientific questions like why there was day and night etc. Each culture has its own myths and prophets and sets of rules to live by.  Yet I don't believe that any one religion has the cornerstone on truth.  How can one be right when all the others are wrong (Christians make up only about a third of the world population)?  How does any mortal know the mysteries of the universe? 
     Back to Genesis.  If this was a novel that I had just begun, I would have to put it down.  It's really too far fetched and hokey for me.  God made the world in six days and then rested?  He just said let there be light and there was and it was good?  Really?  He made man from dust and gave him dominion over every living thing?  And to add insult to injury, he took a rib from Adam when he was sleeping and fashioned a woman to be Adam's helper?  Woman comes from man?  Created just to be man's helpmate?  Really?  Then of course it's all her fault that the serpent can persuade her to eat an apple (after God already told Adam they could eat anything in the garden of eden, just not of that one tree) which then allows Adam and Eve to have the knowledge they are naked and should cover up their privates with loin cloths?  Because God is so mad at Eve for eating the apple, she and all women are cursed to painful childbirth?  This is clearly my opinion and is not meant to cause offense to any readers, but I seriously can't get past the beginning of this story.  It's really far fetched, and I have a hard time understanding how so many people can adhere to these words like they are the truth and throw out all the scientific understanding that has taken place since the bible was written.  Can't people see that there is day and night because of the workings of the sun and moon?  Can't people see that the fossil record clearly shows us that species developed over time and not every species was created in the first six days of existence?  Can't women see they are equal human beings to men?  Women aren't here just to help men. That is ridiculous and demeaning to women everywhere!  I can see how humans are blessed with big brains and have the power to single-handedly wipe out the rest of the species on the planet, but this kind of 'dominion' over all other living things is a very destructive mindset.  We may have more brain power than the other beings, but that doesn't give us the right to destroy animal/plant species and wild habitats. 
    

Science Saved My Soul

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6w2M50_Xdk

I am not an atheist, more of an agnostic, but this is an amazing summary of how I feel about religion.

Messing with Texas

August marked four years since we moved to Texas from Virginia.  We moved here to take advantage of the housing market, and Joe was able to transfer with his law firm to their Dallas office.  We love our house, and the weather is nice and sunny most of the time.  Spring and Fall last a long time, summer is wicked hot, and winter is mild and short.  Southern hospitality is another perk.  Boys and men hold doors open for me, and when I say thank you, they answer, "Yes ma'am." Wow that's something you don't hear too often on the east coast.  Beyond those nice things, however, I have found a few reasons to mess with Texas:

1.  Gov. Rick Perry and his assertion that we should secede from the USA. No thanks. That's crazy talk!

2.  Joe Barton's apology to BP when they are the people who should be apologizing to the American people for ruining the Gulf.  He certainly doesn't speak for me, and it's embarassing.

3.  TX leads the nation in teen pregnancies.  Enough said.

4.  TX is last in the nation for organ donation.  Now that's sad.  I know somebody has to come in last place, but with as large a land mass and population we have, you would think more people would be aware of the need for viable organs and be selfless enough to register. 

Be a Hero, register at:  http://www.taylorsgift.org/      or    http://www.facebook.com/?ref=hp#!/TaylorsGift


5.  There are no state standards for supervision of students in schools. Instead it's left up to each principal of each school.  At my daughter's elementary school, they save money by letting parent volunteers watch classes instead of hiring substitutes when they have staff meetings on site.  I guess they think being a parent qualifies you to be a teacher.  At my son's preschool, they believe that 4 year olds are old enough to walk the hallways by themselves to prepare them for kindergarten where the same leniency is permitted.  Please.  They are 4 years old! They aren't old enough to supervise themselves!

6.  Christian hypocrites.  Christianity is in fashion here.  Even the teenagers think it's cool.  Too bad they aren't walking the walk the way they talk the talk.  They backstab their neighbors and are intolerant of diversity.  They wear purity rings and then turn around and lose their virginity in high school, hence the teen pregnancy problem.  Get real!

7. The state legislature recently approved a measure to rewrite the history books to reflect the conservative agenda.  How is that ok?  History is history and should be taught accurately.

8. No homework in the elementary school because homework is not good for kids.  WHAT??

9.  George Bush as President 2000-2004

10.  George Bush as President 2004-2008.  It's insanity to try the same things over and over and expect a different result.

11. Texas leads the nation in alcohol related deaths.

 http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40868244/ns/local_news-dallasfort_worth_tx/

12.  Texas leads the nation in emissions of greenhouse gases.

13.  Texas is also the only state in the union that refuses to have greenhouse gas emissions regulated by the EPA.  In fact, Gov. Rick Perry is suing the EPA over its finding that carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas. Please.

http://www.npr.org/2010/12/30/132469407/texas-epa-escalate-battle-over-pollution-rules?sc=17&f=

14.  Texas lawmakers propose Christian language in funerals for non-Christian soldiers?

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/08/26/1010854/-Texas-lawmakers-fighting-to-insert-Christian-language-in-funerals-for-non-Christian-soldiers?via=blog_1

15.  Texas is ranked #44 out of 50 states in per pupil spending in public schools.

http://www.politifact.com/texas/statements/2011/jan/31/wendy-davis/state-sen-wendy-davis-says-texas-ranks-44th-educat/

16.  Texas is ranked #50 out of #50, that's right LAST or HIGHEST in the nation depending on which way you look at it, on the number of elderly and children who go without health insurance....and 50th in the nation for per capita spending for mental health.

17.  No cap on teacher/student ratio for middle and high schools.  The ratio for elementary schools is 22 students for every 1 teacher.