Friend,
Here are five things that caught my attention!:
Love is Love: This was a big week for the Marriage Equality community, as Congress passed landmark legislation this past Tuesday to formalize federal recognition for same-sex and interracial marriage. This legislation repeals the Defense of Marriage Act, which denied government benefits to same-sex couples, and prohibits states from not recognizing an out-of-state marriage based on sex, race or ethnicity. This was made necessary by the threats of the conservative Supreme Court which has specifically targeted same-sex marriage in the Dobbs decision. With the passage of this bill, the issue is taken out of the Supreme Court’s hands. Love is love!
Navy “Ugly” Upset: As a proud Marine Corps veteran, you have to root for Navy Football. You’ve probably seen the service academies pull upsets against ranked opponents before, but not like this. The Navy Midshipman upset #17 UCF the old fashioned way -- ground and pound, in fact, they won despite not completing a single pass. It’s certainly not everyone’s cup of tea but there’s something you have to appreciate about a football team that wins playing their unique brand of football.
Amicus Briefs from the Onion: I don’t usually make amicus brief recommendations but this is a great one. It started when a man in Ohio started a Facebook page to parody his city’s police department. When the police department got wind of the parody page they arrested him and threw him in jail for four days. For real. He filed suit saying his civil rights were violated but a federal judge threw out the case saying the police had qualified immunity. The Supreme Court is now considering taking up his case and The Onion has come to his defense. Read the hilarious and well-reasoned friend-of-the court brief here.
Christianty and Right-Wing Politics: As a Christian, I’ve written about the unholy marriage between the modern Church and right-wing political forces a lot in this space because it's one of the most troubling things happening today. The New York Times’ Daily podcast did an episode exploring just how completely White evangelical churches are being co-opted by Trumpism and national Republican politicians through one pastor’s story. I recommend giving it a listen. We need more pastors and church leaders to speak out like Pastor Raymond Chang:
Best wishes and deepest appreciation: This week, Mary Salas brings her public service career to a graceful end. More than a decade ago, I had the privilege of serving with Mary in the State Assembly. She earned my respect and I was grateful to always be able to count on her support. Mary has been a trailblazer for Latinas in our state and, after finishing two terms as Mayor of Chula Vista, is going to enjoy time with her family and grandkids. Our entire region will miss her in public office! I found an old photo from our time in the Assembly—on the left is me, then the youngest member of the State Assembly (when my hair was still brown), Zach is on the floor and in diapers (he is now in high school) and on the right is Mary (who looks exactly the same)! Best wishes Mary and THANK YOU!
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Have a great weekend!
Best,
Nathan
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