Good News!!! 4/24

[Dob Bole]

There's a lot of whining, infighting, and negativity on DU sometimes. We strive against each other, arguing over religion, etc, when we really hold common beliefs, or we wouldn't be here. So I've decided to post this thread and list a lot of the good things that have been going on in the progressive community in the last two months. Here goes...

1. Homosexual marriage/equal rights:

Majority in New York state support marriage rights for same sex couples. Global Strategy group reports 51% approval, 42% disapproval:
http://www.365gay.com/newscon05/04/040605nyPoll.htm

Though the House amended the bill to exclude marriage, Connecticut passed its first Civil Unions bill by majority vote. GOP governor Jodi Rell agreed to sign the bill:
http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/04/20/conn.unions.ap/index.html

Scottish Episcopal church backs gay couples and priests:
http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/europe/03/23/scotland.anglicans.ap/index.html

Not to mention that same-sex marriage may soon be legalized in California...

2. War in Iraq:

While the new Pope seems to be very conservative on most counts, he is firmly against Bush's invasion in Iraq. Here is a previous statement on Iraq:

"There were not sufficient reasons to unleash a war against Iraq. To say nothing of the fact that, given the new weapons that make possible destructions that go beyond the combatant groups, today we should be asking ourselves if it is still licit to admit the very existence of a 'just war.'

Bolton (Bush UN nominee) is on the ropes:
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/042405B.shtml

3. The environment:

New ally: evangelicals
http://www.alternet.org/envirohealth/21847/

Energy Bill likely to face filibuster and fail in the Senate:
http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/nation/ny-usmtbe244231786apr24,0,3479291.story?coll=ny-nationalnews-headlines

4. Civil Rights:

Supreme Court eliminates the death penalty for minors:
http://www.deathpenalty.org/

Opposition to "Nuclear Option" to end filibuster broadens:
http://www.civilrights.org/issues/nominations/details.cfm?id=30469

NYC to pay $230,000 in contempt of court charges for arresting and holding RNC protesters. Over 400 arrestees exonerated:
http://nyc.indymedia.org/newswire/display/148131/index.php

5. Labor Relations:

John Edwards joins APWU picket line in Iowa:
http://www.apwu.org/news/webart/webart-0514-edwards-050401.htm

Democracy for America erects billboards all over Texas with the following inscription: "Corporations spent millions to send Tom Delay golfing, and all you got was this billboard."

6. Good news abroad:

Mother of 9/11 victim see school for girls in Afghanistan that she funded:
http://www.sacunion.com/pages/nation/articles/4275/

Spain's lower house approves same-sex marriage, despite protest from Pope:
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/22/international/europe/22spain.html

Attempt to derail Canadian gay marriage bill fails:
http://www.advocate.com/news_detail.asp?id=15574

Liberal Democrats in UK benefit from opposition to Iraq war; Blair informed that war could be an illegal breach of International Law:
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/042405E.shtml

Bono admonishes Canadian PM to honor commitments to 3rd world:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4478237.stm


This only scratches the surface. Hope to do this regularly...

Dob Bole

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

1. Please do.

I need it bad.

[Eloriel]

16. Ditto that

I need some sliver of hope that all is not lost and that the side of truth and justice, etc., CAN triumph again someday -- right now and for the last several months I've lost all hope except "after the crash" (of all of civilization).

So, yeah. PLEASE do.

[merh]

2. Nominated & kicked!

:toast: Thank you for all of the links and the good news!

[Gyre]

3. Keep up the good work!

We really need more of this kind of thing. Thanks. :woohoo:

Gyre

[paineinthearse]

4. Yes, please consolidate the good news regularly.

Maybe more freeper heads will explode from the overload.

p.s. 3 "greatest" votes in <5 minutes - that must be a record!

[Biology]

5. Thank you!

I live in Kansas and I've been getting so depressed lately with the theocracy movement. Thanks for cheering me up a bit.

[dave502d]

6. Thank you. n/t

[Inland]

7. Spain legalizes gay marriage. That was big. Bulls in playoffs. nt

[Dob Bole]

21. and that's GOOD news?

Just kidding. :)

I do miss the old Bulls...Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen..there's never been a basketball team that good.

[Inland]

22. Well, it's NEWS, anyway....

It's been about seven years.

[understandinglife]

8. Thank you. And, many DUers are supporting MNA, May 2 2005...

....for which all of humanity has every reason to be grateful (and, someday, will realize that fact).

Peace.


www.missionnotaccomplished.us (The.Day.WE.BEGIN.............)

[FreedomAngel82]

9. Lots of good news!

Thank you for this. I didn't know the story about Edwards. Pretty neat! I would've loved to be at that picket! ;) My question about Blair and Iraq. If he's saying the war could be illegal on international law (he knows it is) what would that mean for Bush? He's up for re-election isn't he? So he doesn't want to lose his seat because of how unpopular (and for good reason) the war is in the UK so maybe that's why he's speaking out to save his own ass. I guess I'm just wondering what that would mean for Bush.

[alfredo]

10. The news is getting better. It does appear that sanity is

returning.

[Disturbed]

12. Thanks.

Yeah please do this once a week. ;0)

[silverlib]

11. Another recommendation for greatest

we really need to do this more often.

Thanks!

[NNN0LHI]

13. Scratch the pope against the Iraq war stuff.He changed his position on that

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0422pope-secretary22.html

<snip>As the health of John Paul II declined, Sodano was part of an inner circle, including Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who governed the Vatican. On occasion, Sodano issued important policy statements.

Last October, for example, he unveiled a new Vatican stance on Iraq that replaced its unbending opposition to the U.S.-led war, saying that governments must help stabilize and rebuild the country.

"The child has been born," Sodano said then. "It may be illegitimate, but it's here, and it must be reared and educated."

[Tux]

14. DUers

Have differences but when we stand for the right thing, we're united.

[Ian David]

15. Keep it kicked

[shifting_sands]

17. This is great.

What a lift your post provides. It made me realize how much negative I've been focused on, this post made me feel hopeful again. Who ever you are Dob, thank you.

[newyawker99]

24. Hi shifting_sands!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[donheld]

18. Great post

:kick:

[Dob Bole]

19. kick for morning crowd

Thanks for all the encouragement. :)

[mmonk]

20. Yes, many are putting up the good fight

[Dob Bole]

25. I like the quote

in your sig. It made me happy. And there are a lot of good people at work, many of them here on DU.

[mmonk]

26. Glad you like the quote

[EFerrari]

23. What a great idea! I can't take it!

Thanks.

:hi:

[Dob Bole]

27. Religious Kick

No really..I just counted 7 religion arguments on the front page. Oh no!

[CitySky]

28. thanks!

I've bookmarked this so I can go back and follow the link about Evangelicals and the environment, later. Maybe it will help me in some conversations down here. Appreciate your work in pulling together a compendium!

[BrklynLiberal]

29. kick Nominating for greatest

[Quixote1818]

30. YOU ROCK DOB BOLE!!!! WAY TO KEEP IT POSITIVE!!! THANKS!

NT

[DearAbby]

31. Kickin the good stuff!

[Dob Bole]

32. Tuesday Kick

For Great Justice!