Conservapedia - User contributions [en]

Birth Control

2012-03-02T06:26:02Z

KermitDerFrosch: /* Religious Perspectives */

'''Contraception''' (Lat. ''against conception'') generally refers to methods of preventing pregnancy ('''birth control'''). There are many different methods, each having its own level of effectiveness and safety. The most conservative form of birth control is [[abstinence]], although studies have shown that teenagers who are taught abstinence-only sex education have the highest rates of [[teenage pregnancy]] and [[sexually transmitted disease]]s. The argument could be made that this is not actually "birth control" as there was never a risk for a pregnancy, but in common parlance, abstinence is the first line of protection.
Except for condoms, most methods offer little protection against [[STD|sexually transmitted disease]]s.<ref>http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/birth-control/BI99999</ref> Many conservatives are opposed to teaching minors about contraception in the sincere but misguided belief that it will encourage promiscuous behavior or sex before marriage. <ref>http://www.gospelhour.net/2134.html</ref>

== Barrier Methods ==

*Male condom: latex condoms are the most effective method of preventing STDs. 85% effective against pregnancy, increased to 95% if used with intravaginal spermicide - higher effectiveness (99%) when used as directed.
*Female Condom
*Sponge: 85% effectiveness
*Cervical cap: about 85% effectiveness
*Diaphragm: about 84% effectiveness
*Shield: 85% effectiveness

== Hormonal Methods ==

*Oral Contraceptive Pills (OCPs): 92-99% effective when used as directed
*Depoprogesterone (Depo-Provera): 97% effective
*Vaginal ring (Nuva Ring): 92% effective
*"Rhythm method" (also sometimes referred to as a method of "timed abstinence"): low effectiveness
*Patch: 99.7% effective

== Other ==

*Copper Intrauterine device (IUD): 99% effectiveness
*Hormonal Intrauterine device: over 99% effectiveness
*Withdrawal: low effectiveness
*Spermicide: about 70% effectiveness when used alone
*Male Sterilization
*Female Sterilization

== Religious Perspectives ==

In general, the [[Catholic Church]] is officially opposed to contraception, but the great majority of Catholics ignore the prohibition. Catholic pastoral practice on family limitation and birth control dates from 1875, the date of the earliest pastoral document dealing with family limitation, and 1919, when the American Catholic bishops issued their first public statement condemning contraception. Although Catholic priests spoke only reluctantly about birth control prior to the 1920s, they clearly condemned contraception. Catholic views on fertility control, marriage and marital sex, and the use of confession to deal with these matters, as well as mission preaching by Paulists and Redemptionists on the various methods of birth control, reveal that the clergy's silence diminished gradually rather than overnight. By increasing the frequency of confession, priests raised the consciousness of sin and gave greater deference to a clerically defined morality, which considered contraceptive marital intercourse a heinous sin.<ref>Leslie Woodcock Tentler, "The Abominable Crime Of Onan": Catholic Pastoral Practice And Family Limitation In The United States, 1875-1919. Church History 2002 71(2): 307-340. 0009-6407 </ref> However among the Catholic laity the prohibition on birth control is essentially dead.

Other [[Christian]] denominations vary. [[Islam]]ic and [[Jewish]] views are quite diverse.

==See also==
* [[Fertility]]
==Further reading==
* Marks, Lara V. ''Sexual Chemistry: A History of the Contraceptive Pill'' (2001)
* Reed, James. ''From Private Vice to Public Virtue: The Birth Control Movement and American Society Since 1830.'' 1978.
* Tobin, Kathleen A. ''The American Religious Debate over Birth Control, 1907-1937.'' (2001) 226 pp.
* Tone, Andrea. ''Devices and Desires: A History of Contraceptives in America'' (2001)
* Watkins, Elizabeth Siegel. ''On the Pill: A Social History of Oral Contraceptives, 1950-1970'' (1998)
==External links==
*[http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/birthcontrol.html NIH Information on Birth Control]

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Medicine]]
[[Category:Reproduction]]
[[Category:Demography]]

Birth Control

2012-03-02T06:24:43Z

KermitDerFrosch:

'''Contraception''' (Lat. ''against conception'') generally refers to methods of preventing pregnancy ('''birth control'''). There are many different methods, each having its own level of effectiveness and safety. The most conservative form of birth control is [[abstinence]], although studies have shown that teenagers who are taught abstinence-only sex education have the highest rates of [[teenage pregnancy]] and [[sexually transmitted disease]]s. The argument could be made that this is not actually "birth control" as there was never a risk for a pregnancy, but in common parlance, abstinence is the first line of protection.
Except for condoms, most methods offer little protection against [[STD|sexually transmitted disease]]s.<ref>http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/birth-control/BI99999</ref> Many conservatives are opposed to teaching minors about contraception in the sincere but misguided belief that it will encourage promiscuous behavior or sex before marriage. <ref>http://www.gospelhour.net/2134.html</ref>

== Barrier Methods ==

*Male condom: latex condoms are the most effective method of preventing STDs. 85% effective against pregnancy, increased to 95% if used with intravaginal spermicide - higher effectiveness (99%) when used as directed.
*Female Condom
*Sponge: 85% effectiveness
*Cervical cap: about 85% effectiveness
*Diaphragm: about 84% effectiveness
*Shield: 85% effectiveness

== Hormonal Methods ==

*Oral Contraceptive Pills (OCPs): 92-99% effective when used as directed
*Depoprogesterone (Depo-Provera): 97% effective
*Vaginal ring (Nuva Ring): 92% effective
*"Rhythm method" (also sometimes referred to as a method of "timed abstinence"): low effectiveness
*Patch: 99.7% effective

== Other ==

*Copper Intrauterine device (IUD): 99% effectiveness
*Hormonal Intrauterine device: over 99% effectiveness
*Withdrawal: low effectiveness
*Spermicide: about 70% effectiveness when used alone
*Male Sterilization
*Female Sterilization

== Religious Perspectives ==

In general, the [[Catholic Church]] is officially opposed to contraception, but the great majority of Catholics ignore the prohibition. Catholic pastoral practice on family limitation and birth control dates from 1875, the date of the earliest pastoral document dealing with family limitation, and 1919, when the American Catholic bishops issued their first public statement condemning contraception. Although Catholic priests spoke only reluctantly about birth control prior to the 1920s, they clearly condemned contraception. Catholic views on fertility control, marriage and marital sex, and the use of confession to deal with these matters, as well as mission preaching by Paulists and Redemptionists on the various methods of birth control, reveal that the clergy's silence diminished gradually rather than overnight. By increasing the frequency of confession, priests raised the consciousness of sin and gave greater deference to a clerically defined morality, which considered contraceptive marital intercourse a heinous sin.<ref>Leslie Woodcock Tentler, "The Abominable Crime Of Onan": Catholic Pastoral Practice And Family Limitation In The United States, 1875-1919. Church History 2002 71(2): 307-340. 0009-6407 </ref>

Other [[Christian]] denominations vary. [[Islam]]ic and [[Jewish]] views are quite diverse.
==See also==
* [[Fertility]]
==Further reading==
* Marks, Lara V. ''Sexual Chemistry: A History of the Contraceptive Pill'' (2001)
* Reed, James. ''From Private Vice to Public Virtue: The Birth Control Movement and American Society Since 1830.'' 1978.
* Tobin, Kathleen A. ''The American Religious Debate over Birth Control, 1907-1937.'' (2001) 226 pp.
* Tone, Andrea. ''Devices and Desires: A History of Contraceptives in America'' (2001)
* Watkins, Elizabeth Siegel. ''On the Pill: A Social History of Oral Contraceptives, 1950-1970'' (1998)
==External links==
*[http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/birthcontrol.html NIH Information on Birth Control]

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Medicine]]
[[Category:Reproduction]]
[[Category:Demography]]

Marie and Pierre Curie

2012-03-02T06:20:52Z

KermitDerFrosch:

[[Image:MarieCurie.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Marie Curie]]
'''Marie Curie''' was a [[Polish]]-born [[atheist]], [[physicist]] and [[chemist]] who lived most of her adult life in [[France]]. She was a pioneer in the field of radiation and [[radioactivity]]. Also, she was the first person to win [[Nobel Prize]]s in two different fields, physics (1903) and chemistry (1911). Her French husband, Pierre Curie, also studied radioactivity. In addition to that he also was a pioneer in the fields of [[crystallography]], [[magnetism]] and [[piezoelectricity]].

Marie Curie discovered two elements, previously unknown, both radioactive. One of them she named [[Polonium]] in honor of her native [[Poland]], the other, [[Radium]].

The ''[[Curie]],'' a unit of radioactivity, is named in her honour, as is the chemical element [[Curium]].

==External links==

*[http://womenshistory.about.com/od/mariecurie/p/marie_curie.htm short biography]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Curie, Marie and Pierre}}
[[Category:Chemists]]
[[Category:Physicists]]
[[Category:Polish People|Curie, Marie]]
[[Category:Polish mathematicians and scientists]]
[[Category:Nobel laureates in Chemistry]]
[[Category:Nobel laureates in Physics]]
[[Category:Women scientists]]

It Gets Better

2012-03-02T06:20:08Z

KermitDerFrosch:

The '''It Gets Better Project''' is a project founded in September 2010 in the wake of a number of suicides by gay teenagers who had been bullied for their sexual orientation. The idea behind the project is to tell gay teens to hold on to their homosexuality, promising them that adult homosexual life will provide them levels of happiness, potential, and positivity. It argues that a problem the gay community faces is homophobic bullying. If they can "just get through their teen years", they'll be able to enjoy the protection of adult power and camaraderie which will overcome the daily tormenting and bullying they face now in backwards societies.<ref>http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/09/22/showing-gay-teens-a-happy-future/ Showing Gay Teenagers a Happy Future</ref>

==History==
The project was founded by [[Dan Savage]] on September 21, 2010 after the suicide of a gay teenager named Billy Lucas. Savage expressed that "I wish I could have talked to this kid for five minutes. I wish I could have told Billy that ''it gets better''. I wish I could have told him that, however bad things were, however isolated and alone he was, ''it gets better''."(Author's emphasis)<ref>http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/SavageLove?oid=4940874 Give 'Em Hope</ref> Savage, in conjunction with several organizations founded the project as a [[501(c)(3)]] organization and set up a [[YouTube]] [http://www.youtube.com/itgetsbetterproject channel] to which videos could be uploaded.

While it started off with just a video from Savage and his then husband, within two weeks more than 200 videos were submitted to the project and soon after the project reached YouTube's video limit of 640 submissions. Due to the increasing submissions an [http://www.itgetsbetter.org/ It Gets Better Project website] was launched where more videos could be hosted. The site continues to accept submissions.<ref>http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/10/07/MNVJ1FP6E1.DTL
Dan Savage overwhelmed by gay outreach's response</ref>

==Criticism==
The project has seen its fair share of criticism from both sides of the spectrum.

Those on the [[right]] have argued that while it is noble to help troubled young people it's wrong to deceive them. They argue that Dan Savage's video message is wrong and that gay teens need help. Mentally and physically, it gets better by leaving homosexuality. At the least, they say, [[abstinence]] will prolong their lives, not shorten it.

Some on the [[left]] have argued that The It Gets Better Project doesn't go far enough and that the goal should be making things better now, not saying it will get better later.

== Christian faith vs. defeatism and acceptance of sexual sin ==

''See also:'' [[Ex-homosexuals]] and [[Overcoming homosexuality]]

A person doesn't move forward in their life by accepting and embracing their [[sin]], they move forward by repenting of it and establishing a relationship with [[God]] through [[Jesus Christ]]. The sin of homosexuality is no different than other besetting sins in terms of it [[Overcoming homosexuality|being able to be conquered through the assistance of Christ]] and the existence of Christian [[ex-homosexuals]] is testimony to this fact. Christian [[faith]] has been conquering the sin of homosexuality for over 2,000 years.

The [[Apostle Paul]] wrote:
{{cquote|Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor [a]effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God. - I Corinthians 6:9-11 (NASB)}}

[[Peter LaBarbera]] is the President of [[Americans for Truth]] which is a organization which counters the [[homosexual agenda]]. LaBarbera stated the following regarding Christian ex-homosexuals who reported being transformed by the power of God:
{{cquote|Another factor from my experience as a close observer of the “ex-gay” phenomenon is that many former homosexuals do not linger in “[[reparative therapy]]” programs, or participate in them at all. They attribute their dramatic and (relatively) rapid transformation to the power of God, and likely would not show up in a study of this kind. In fact, these “unstudied” overcomers would appear to be the most successful ex-homosexuals because they’ve moved on with their lives — as “reborn” Christians move on after overcoming any besetting sin.<ref>http://www.americansfortruth.com/news/landmark-study-change-for-homosexuals-is-possible.html</ref>}}

Peter LaBarbera's statement above concerning [[Overcoming Homosexuality|overcoming homosexuality]] certainly has some evidence supporting it. For example, in 1980 a study was published in the ''American Journal of Psychiatry'' and eleven men participated in this study. The study reported that eleven homosexual men became heterosexuals "without explicit treatment and/or long-term psychotherapy" through their participation in a [[Pentecostalism|Pentecostal]] church.<ref>E.M. Pattison and M.L. Pattison, "'Ex-Gays': Religiously Mediated Change in Homosexuals," American Journal of Psychiatry, Vol. 137, pp. 1553-1562, 1980</ref>

==Notable events==
In October of 2010 President [[Barack Obama]]<ref>http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2010/10/22/obama-joins-it-gets-better-campaign-dan-savage-says-make-it-better/ Obama Joins It Gets Better Campaign Dan Savage Says Make It Better</ref> and former [[First Lady]] [[Laura Bush]]<ref>http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/lady-laura-bush-lends-support-bullied-gay-teens/story?id=11982691#.T1BY9fG41M4 Laura Bush Lends Support to Bullied Gay Teens</ref> submitted videos to the project.

Inspired by Obama, the White House Staff created a video in support of ''It Gets Better'' project. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iL2Ed_iKiG4 White House Staff, YouTube]

In October of 2011 a number of Members of Parliament from the [[Conservative Party]] made a video in support of the project.<ref>http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2011/10/22/conservatives-it-gets-better-video-criticism_n_1026409.html Conservatives' 'It Gets Better' Video Draws Criticism</ref>

In January of 2012, homophobic bigot [[Vox Day]] claimed that two gay teens who had made videos It Gets Better Project died by suicide.(see also: [[Mental Health and Homosexuality]]).<ref>http://voxday.blogspot.com/2012/01/it-really-doesnt-get-better.html</ref>

==Partners==
Various benefactors are partnered with the project including: [[GLSEN]], [[ACLU]], and [[The Trevor Project]].

==External Links==
*[http://www.itgetsbetter.org/pages/about-it-gets-better-project/ official website:about it gets better project]
*[http://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/civil-rights/it-gets-better White House website, Obama "It Gets Better"]

{{homosexualityb}}
[[Category:Activists]]
[[Category:Homosexuality]]
[[Category:Obama Presidency]]
[[Category:Barack Hussein Obama]]
[[Category:Charity]]
==References==
{{reflist|2}}

Don Garber

2012-03-02T06:17:44Z

KermitDerFrosch:

'''Don Garber''', born 1957<ref>http://www.daylife.com/topic/Don_Garber</ref>, is the current commissioner of [[Major League Soccer]].

==References==
<references/>

{{DEFAULTSORT: Garber, Don}}

[[Category:Soccer]]
[[Category:Sports]]
[[Category:Major League Soccer]]

Cargo cult science

2012-03-02T06:15:23Z

KermitDerFrosch: There is no Big Bang Hypothesis.

'''Cargo cult science''' is a name invented by [[Richard Feynman]] to name an apparent "scientific activity" that many scientists are engaged in that only looks like scientific activity because of use of language proper for this particular branch of science but not containing any substance beyond similarity to [[science]].

The name came from natives of New Guinea and other Pacific islands who build in jungle something that looks like controll towers in hope that gods seeing them will send them cargo planes with all those goods that other people enjoy receiving from gods, as those natives imagine the reasons for gods sending cargo planes to the earth.

One example of a cargo cult science is [[Complementary and Alternative Medicine]].
[[Category:Science]]
[[Category:Pseudoscience]]

Barry Goldwater

2012-03-02T06:07:27Z

KermitDerFrosch: /* Quotes */

[[Image:BarryGoldwater.jpg|right]]

'''Barry Morris Goldwater''' (1909-1998) was a United States [[Senator]] (1953-65 and 1969-87) and the [[Republican]] nominee for [[President]] in 1964. He reinvented the Republican Party after the defeat of [[Richard M. Nixon]] in 1960, benefiting from a national grass roots conservative effort that overcame the Eastern liberal Republicans and [[Nelson Rockefeller]] in 1964. Goldwater was strongly anti-[[communist]] and called for a rollback of its influence around the world, asking, ''Why Not Victory.'' He called for an end to liberal domestic policies as supported by the [[New Deal Coalition]]. Goldwater was defeated in a sweeping landslide in 1964 by incumbent Democrat [[Lyndon B. Johnson]]. Goldwater lost the leadership of the conservative movment to [[Ronald Reagan]], but returned to the Senate where he continued to support a strong defense. In recent years [[libertarianism|libertarian]]s have tried to claim that he was one of them, but Goldwater's view of the role of government, and his positions on foreign policy were the opposite of [[libertarian]] views, and Goldwater exhibited none of the anti-marriage sentiments common to the libertarian movement.

==Early Life==
Goldwater was born into an Episcopalian family with Jewish heritage on his father's side. He was born in Phoenix, Arizona on January 2, 1909. He attended the Phoenix public schools, Staunton Military Academy, and University of Arizona for one year. He began his business career in 1929 at his family's department store. He served in the the Second World War and later in the National Guard.

==1964 Presidential campaign==
Barry Goldwater entered the United States Senate in 1953. During the 1960 Presidential election there was a campaign among [[conservative]]s to draft Goldwater for President, a race in which [[Richard Nixon]] ultimately won the Republican nomination and [[John F. Kennedy]] narrowly defeated him for President. The campaign to draft Goldwater to run for President continued in the next election cycle. In 1964 Goldwater seriously sought the nomination, not running for re-election to the Senate that year, and was successful, defeating New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller. He was defeated in the general election by incumbent [[Lyndon Johnson]]. After the election he ran successfully again for the Senate in 1968.

Lyndon Johnson was successful in part because of continued public sympathy over the [[John F. Kennedy assassination]], the use of [[negative advertising]] such as the notorious "daisy" TV ad which raised fears of [[nuclear war]] if Goldwater were elected, and negative media coverage of some of the conservative groups supporting Goldwater, such as the [[John Birch Society]]. Johnson ironically ran as a "peace candidate" but shortly after the election drastically escalated U.S. involvement in the [[Vietnam War]].

The 1964 Goldwater campaign helped usher in the modern conservative movement in the United States. The political careers of both [[Phyllis Schlafly]] and [[Ronald Reagan]] got a big boost during the campaign. Schlafly wrote a book, ''[[A Choice, Not An Echo]]'' during the campaign which was widely distributed and launched her career as a conservative political activist. ''A Choice, Not An Echo'' detailed the machinations of the [[moderate]] to [[liberal]] East Coast wing of the Republican Party to hand-pick Presidential candidates (Nixon, [[Wendell Willkie]], [[Dwight Eisenhower]], etc.) and called for conservatives in the party to organize to counter this wing of the party and their "kingmaker" approach to nominating candidates. The book was a rallying call for conservatives in the party and helped Goldwater win the nomination. Reagan gave a speech as part of a "TV for Goldwater-Miller" television ad campaign which made him an up and coming star among conservatives, eventually leading to his own series of Presidential campaigns in 1968, 1976. and 1980, the last of which successfully landed him in the [[White House]]. The 1964 Goldwater campaign was also followed by the rise of a growing conservative campus movement during the 1960s led by [[Young Americans for Freedom]], the rise of a small [[libertarian]] movement which also supported Goldwater but would later split with conservatism over the [[draft]] and [[drug]] policy, and modern conservative movement approaches such as [[direct mail]] organizing.

The 1964 Goldwater campaign also marked the first time since before the [[Civil War]] that the states of the Deep South, angered by the liberal Johnson's support for civil rights, broke from the [[Democratic Party]] and gave their electoral votes to the Republican nominee. Goldwater broke with most GOP senators when he opposed the Civil Rights Act of 1964.<ref>Taylor Branch, ''Pillar of Fire'' 356-357 </ref> In the Senate, he strongly supported both the 1957 and 1960 Civil Rights Acts.<ref>Barry Goldwater, Where I Stand (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1964)</ref>. Although he eventually regretted his vote, his opposition to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was based strictly on political ideological grounds. As a strong ''conservative'', he believed that two of its sections, Title II and Title VII, unlawfully overextended the role of the federal government.

==Quotes==
In his acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention of 1964 Goldwater called out:
:I would remind you that extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice! And let me remind you also that moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue!<ref> Thomas Paine wrote in 1795, "Those words, 'temperate and moderate,' are words either of political cowardice, or of cunning, or seduction. A thing, moderately good is not so good as it ought to be. Moderation in temper, is always a virtue; but moderation in principle, is a species of vice." Paine, "Letter to the addressers on the late proclamation against seditious writings." in ''The Writings of Thomas Paine,'' ed. Moncure D. Conway, (1895) vol. 3, pp. 94–95 </ref>

:"Those who seek absolute power, even though they seek it to do what they regard as good, are simply demanding the right to enforce their own version of heaven on earth. And let me remind you, they are the very ones who always create the most hellish tyrannies. Absolute power does corrupt, and those who seek it must be suspect and must be opposed. Their mistaken course stems from false notions of equality, ladies and gentlemen. Equality, rightly understood, as our founding fathers understood it, leads to liberty and to the emancipation of creative differences. Wrongly understood, as it has been so tragically in our time, it leads first to conformity and then to despotism." (Acceptance speech)

:"You don't have to ''be'' straight to be in the military; you just have to be able to ''shoot'' straight."

==Social Views==
Social issues were low in priority for both Goldwater and the conservative movement in the 1960s, and no one supported him for (or even knew) his stance on social issues. After 1980, with his first wife waning in health and long after Goldwater was a conservative leader, he began to express liberal opinions on some social issues. Bill Buckley said of Goldwater:
:''Conspicuous here was his defense of Supreme Court decisions involving abortion, gay rights, and the separation of church and state. Most followers of the senator were surprised, and abashed, especially at his defense of abortion.''[http://www.nationalreview.com/buckley/wfb200412101327.asp from ''National Review,'' Dec. 10, 2004]

After his wife of nearly 50 years died, and when Goldwater was nearly 80 years old, he became more vocal in his liberal social opinions. After his retirement in 1987, Goldwater described the conservative Arizona Governor [[Evan Mecham]] as "hardheaded" and called on him to resign, and two years later stated that the Republican party had been taken over by a "bunch of kooks". In a 1994 interview with the ''[[Washington Post]]'' the retired senator said, {{cquote|When you say "radical right" today, I think of these moneymaking ventures by fellows like [[Pat Robertson]] and others who are trying to take the Republican party and make a religious organization out of it. If that ever happens, kiss politics goodbye.}}

In response to [[Moral Majority]] founder [[Jerry Falwell]]'s opposition to the nomination of [[Sandra Day O'Connor]] to the Supreme Court, of which Falwell had said, "Every good Christian should be concerned", Goldwater retorted: "Every good Christian ought to kick Falwell right in the ass."<ref>Ed Magnuson, [[Time Magazine]], [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,954833-2,00.html ''The Brethren's First Sister''], July 20, 1981. Retrieved 1/1/07.</ref>

Goldwater was long an outspoken critic of presidents of both parties, harshly criticizing [[Richard Nixon]] at a pivotal time during [[Watergate]]. Goldwater criticized the arms to Iran that became public in 1986 as part of the [[Iran-Contra Affair]] as "the god-damned stupidest foreign policy blunder this country's ever made!'",<ref>[http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-374469737793037291&q=Robert+MacNeil "Archive of American Television Interview with Robert MacNeil Part 5 of 14" (video)]</ref>. Otherwise, Goldwater thought that Reagan was a good president.<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLATQAU-Hw0&feature=related YouTube - Charlie Rose - Goldwater tribute/]</ref>

In 1992, Goldwater remarried a much younger divorcee. He then disagreed further with [[conservatives]] on social issues. He criticized the military's ban on [[homosexuality|homosexuals]]: "Everyone knows that gays have served honorably in the military since at least the time of [[Julius Caesar]]."<ref>"Ban On Gays Is Senseless Attempt To Stall The Inevitable", ''Los Angeles Times'', ''Washington Post''. Online at [http://www.cs.cmu.edu/afs/cs.cmu.edu/user/scotts/bulgarians/barry-goldwater.html ]</ref> He also said, "You don't have to ''be'' straight to be in the military; you just have to be able to ''shoot'' straight." A few years before his death he went so far as to address the right wing, "Do not associate my name with anything you do. You are extremists, and you've hurt the Republican party much more than the Democrats have."<ref>[[The Betrayal of America]] by [[Vincent Bugliosi]], 2001</ref>

In 1996, Goldwater told Republican presidential candidate [[Bob Dole]], whose own positions lacked real support from conservatives: "We're the new liberals of the Republican party. Can you imagine that?" In that same year, with Senator [[Dennis DeConcini]], Goldwater endorsed an Arizona initiative to legalize [[medical marijuana]].<ref> [http://www.reason.com/news/show/30148.html Prescription: Drugs] Reason Magazine</ref>

==Family==
Goldwater was married twice. He was married to [[Margaret Goldwater|Margaret Johnson]] from 1934 until her death in 1985. They had four children: Joanne, Barry, Michael, and Peggy. In 1992 Goldwater, age 83, married Susan Shaffer Lechers, age 51.<ref>http://www.azcentral.com/specials/special25/articles/0602GoldwaterFacts01-ON.html</ref> They remained married until his death in 1998.

==Bibliography==
*Mary C. Brennan, ''Turning Right in the Sixties: The Conservative Capture of the G.O.P.'' (1995)
*Edwards, Lee. ''Goldwater'' (1995). biography
*Goldberg, Robert Alan. ''Barry Goldwater'' (1995), the standard scholarly biography
*Hodgson, Godfrey. ''The World Turned Right Side Up: A History of the Conservative Ascendancy in America'' (1996).
*Matthews, Jeffrey J. "To Defeat a Maverick: The Goldwater Candidacy Revisited, 1963–1964." ''Presidential Studies Quarterly.'' 27#1 1997. pp 662+.
*Perlstein, Rick. ''Before the Storm: Barry Goldwater and the Unmaking of the American Consensus'' (2001) Very well researched and written narrative of the 1964 campaign.
*White, Theodore, ''The Making of the President: 1964'' (1965)
==Primary sources==
*Goldwater, Barry. ''Conscience of a Conservative'' (1963) highly influential manifesto ISBN 0-89526-540-0
*Goldwater, Barry. ''Why Not Victory? A fresh look at American policy'' (1963)
*Goldwater, Barry. ''Conscience of a Majority'' (1971) ISBN 0-671-78096-4
*Goldwater, Barry. ''Arizona'' (1977) ISBN 0-938379-04-6
*Goldwater, Barry. ''With No Apologies: The Outspoken Political Memoirs of America's Conservative Conscience'' (1979) ISBN 0-425-04663-X
*Goldwater, Barry. ''Goldwater'' (1988) ISBN 0-385-23947-5, autobiography
*Gallup, George H. ed. ''The Gallup Poll: Public Opinion, 1935–1971,'' vol. 3. (1972)
*Hess, Karl. ''In A Cause That Will Triumph: The Goldwater Campaign and the Future of Conservatism'' (1967), memoir by BG's speechwriter

==References==
<references/>
== Also See ==
*[[Conservative links]]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Goldwater, Barry}}

[[Category:Conservatives]]
[[Category:Former United States Senators]]
[[Category:Cold War]]
[[Category:United States History]]
[[Category:Republican Party]]
[[Category:1960s]]
[[Category:Fiscal Conservatives]]
[[Category:United States Veterans]]
[[Category:Arizona]]
[[Category:Reagan Era]]

{{conservatism}}

Lyndon B. Johnson

2012-03-02T06:05:56Z

KermitDerFrosch:

{{Officeholder
|name=Lyndon B. Johnson
|image=Lyndon johnson.jpg
|party=[[Democratic]]
|spouse=[[Lady Bird Johnson]]
|religion=[[Disciple of Christ]]
|offices=
{{Officeholder/president
|country=the United States
|number=36th
|terms=November 22, 1963 – January 20, 1969
|vp=[[Hubert Humphrey]]
|preceded=[[John F. Kennedy]]
|former=y
|succeeded=[[Richard Nixon]]
}}
{{Officeholder/vice president
|country=the United States
|number=37th
|terms=January 20, 1961 – November 22, 1963
|president=[[John F. Kennedy]]
|preceded=[[Richard Nixon]]
|former=y
|succeeded=[[Hubert Humphrey]]
}}
{{Officeholder/senator
|state=Texas
|terms=January 3, 1949 – January 3, 1961
|preceded=W. Lee O'Daniel
|former=y
|succeeded=[[William Blakley]]
}}
{{Officeholder/representative
|state=Texas
|district=10th
|terms=April 10, 1937 – January 3, 1949
|preceded=[[James P. Buchanan]]
|former=y
|succeeded=[[Homer Thornberry]]
}}
}}
'''Lyndon Baines Johnson''' (1908–1973), often referred to as '''LBJ''', was the 36th [[President of the United States of America]] (1963–1969). After serving in the House and Senate since 1937, Johnson was elected Vice President in 1960, and in November, 1963, he succeeded to the presidency following President [[John F. Kennedy]]'s assassination. Johnson's political persuasion was hard to gauge. In his early years as a Congressman he was considered a liberal [[New Deal|New Dealer]], although when he became a senator he initially aligned himself with the conservative [[Southern Democrats]], although by the time he ascended to Senate Leadership he espoused moderate politics, perhaps in an attempt to bridge both wings of the fractious [[Democratic Party]]. As President however, he seized the leadership of liberalism, moved the [[Democratic Party]] to the left, and pushed through Congress the [[Great Society]], comprising liberal legislation including civil rights laws, Medicare (free health care for the elderly), Medicaid (free health care for the poor), aid to education, and a major "War on Poverty". Simultaneously, he escalated the American involvement in the [[Vietnam War]], from 16,000 American soldiers in 1963 to 550,000 in early 1968.

Johnson won reelection in a landslide in 1964 over secular conservative leader [[Barry Goldwater]], and in 1965 succeeded in obtaining new liberal legislation, in particular the Voting Rights Act of 1965, over a Southern Filibuster. Johnson's popularity steadily declined after 1966 and his reelection bid in 1968 collapsed as a result of turmoil in his Democratic party over Vietnam, race, and widespread crime and rioting. He withdrew from the race to concentrate on peacemaking. Johnson was renowned for his domineering personality and arm twisting of powerful politicians.

==Early years==
Johnson was maternally descended from a pioneer Baptist clergyman, George Washington Baines, who pastored numerous small rural churches in Texas, Arkansas, and Louisiana. Baines was also the president of [[Baylor University]] during the [[American Civil War]]. George Baines was the grandfather of Johnson's mother, Rebekah Baines Johnson.

Johnson was born in Stonewall, Texas, in a small farmhouse in a poor farming area along the Pedernales River. His parents, Samuel Ealy Johnson, Jr. and the former Rebekah Baines, had three girls and two boys. The nearby village of Johnson City, Texas, was named after a relative who came from Georgia. In school, Johnson was an awkward, talkative youth and was elected president of his eleventh-grade class.<ref>www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/presidents/36_l_johnson/tguide/l_johnson_dk.html</ref> He graduated from Johnson City High School in 1924.<ref>http://www.lbjlib.utexas.edu/johnson/archives.hom/biographys.hom/lbj_bio.asp</ref>

In 1926, Johnson enrolled in Southwest Texas State Teachers' College (now called Texas State University-San Marcos). He worked his way through school, participated in debate and campus politics, edited the school newspaper, and graduated in 1931. Biographer Robert Caro asserts he was known as "the biggest liar on campus." <ref>Caro, Robert A. The Years of Lyndon Johnson: The Path to Power. New York: Alfred A Knopf, Inc. 1982. p. xx</ref> The college years refined his remarkable skills of persuasion and political organization. One year Johnson taught mostly Mexican American children at the Welhausen School in Cotulla, Texas. When he returned to San Marcos in 1965, after having signed the [[Higher Education Act]], Johnson looked back:
:"''I shall never forget the faces of the boys and the girls in that little Welhausen Mexican School, and I remember even yet the pain of realizing and knowing then that college was closed to practically every one of those children because they were too poor. And I think it was then that I made up my mind that this Nation could never rest while the door to knowledge remained closed to any American''."<ref> see [http://www.lbjlib.utexas.edu/johnson/lbjforkids/edu_whca370-text.shtm "Remarks at Southwest Texas State College Upon Signing the Higher Education Act of 1965"]</ref>

==Early political career==
After graduation, Johnson briefly taught public speaking at Genesee Community College and debate in a Houston high school, then entered politics. Johnson's father had served five terms in the Texas legislature and was a close friend to one of Texas's rising political figures, Congressman [[Sam Rayburn]]. In 1930, Johnson campaigned for Texas state Senator Welly Hopkins in his run for Congress. Hopkins recommended him to Congressman [[Richard M. Kleberg]], who appointed Johnson as Kleberg's legislative secretary. LBJ was elected speaker of the "Little Congress," a group of Congressional aides, where he cultivated Congressmen, newspapermen and lobbyists. Johnson's friends soon included aides to President [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]], as well as fellow Texans such as Vice President [[John Nance Garner]]. He became a surrogate son to Sam Rayburn.

Johnson married Claudia Alta Taylor (already nicknamed "Lady Bird") of Karnack, Texas on November 17, 1934 after she had attended Georgetown University Law School for several months. They had two daughters, Lynda Bird Johnson, born in 1944, and Luci Baines Johnson, born in 1947. Johnson enjoyed giving people and animals his own LBJ initials; his daughters' given names are examples, as was his dog Little Beagle Johnson.

In 1935, he was appointed head of the Texas [[National Youth Administration]] (NYA), which enabled him to use the government to create educational and job opportunities for young people. He resigned two years later to run for Congress. Johnson was a notoriously tough boss throughout his career, often demanding long workdays and work on weekends; he worked as hard as any of them.<ref> Woods, (2006), p. 131 </ref>

==House years==
Johnson resigned from his NYA job in 1937 to run successfully in a special election for a seat in the [[House of Representatives]] representing [[Austin, Texas|Austin]] and the surrounding Hill Country. He ran on a [[New Deal]] platform and was effectively aided by his wife, Lady Bird Johnson.

President Roosevelt found Johnson to be a welcome ally and conduit for information, particularly with regards to issues concerning internal politics in Texas (informally dubbed "Operation Texas") and the machinations of Vice President Garner and House Speaker Sam Rayburn. Johnson was immediately appointed to the powerful Naval Affairs Committee. He worked for rural electrification and other improvements for his district. Johnson steered the projects towards contractors which he personally knew, such as the Brown Brothers, Herman and George, who would finance much of Johnson's future career.<ref>Caro, (1982) is full of details.</ref> In 1941, he ran for the U.S. Senate (while not giving up his House seat) in a special election against the sitting governor, radio personality W. Lee "Pappy" O'Daniel. Johnson was not expected to win against the popular governor, but he ran a strong race and was declared the winner in unofficial returns. He ultimately was defeated by controversial official returns in an election marked by massive fraud on the part of both campaigns.

==Senate years==

In 1948, Johnson ran in another controversial Senate race, this time against former governor Coke Stevenson. After no candidate won a majority of the votes in the election, Johnson defeated Stevenson in a run-off election. The result of this election was highly controversial, most historians, even those sympathetic to Johnson consider Johnson's 87 vote victory over Stevenson to be fraudulent <ref>See eg Robert A Caro Master of the ''Senate Means of Assent''</ref> . After joining the Senate, Johnson established relationships with several senior senators, including [[Richard Russell]]. Johnson was appointed to the powerful [[Armed Services Committee]] in 1950, and became chairman of the Preparedness Subcommittee which brought him into the public spotlight much like [[Harry Truman]] used the "Truman Committee" during the Second World War. He was named minority whip in 1951 under Democratic leader Bob McFarland, and he became the leader of the [[Democratic Party]] in the Senate in 1953. His first major policy, with the support of Russell, was to bypass the Seniority rule in committee assignments, which meant that Senators became reliant on his favour in order to obtain positions on important committees. This move, in combination with his strong personality gave him power of senators that had not been seen before (or since) in Senate History. He is often referred to as the only true "Master of the Senate". Suprisingly, after he bacame majority leader in 1955 he supported many of Eisenhower's proposals despite the partisan resistance of the liberal wing of the Democratic party. This allowed him to bask in the reflected glow of Eisenhower's immense popularity and gain a reputation for working across the aisle and getting things done.

In his capacity as Majority leader of the senate, Johnson was able to ensure the passage of the 1957 Civil Rights Act, the first passed since Reconstruction, by carefully balancing the powerful southern wing of the Democratic party with the liberal northern and Eastern Wing. Johnson sought the Democratic nomination for president prior to the [[United States presidential election, 1960|1960 election]], but accepted the nomination for vice-president following Kennedy's nomination.

==Presidency==
Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn into the [[President of the United States of America|Office of the President]] just hours after John F. Kennedy was assassinated. The [[Oath of Office]] took place aboard [[Air Force One]] (en route to [[Washington DC]] from [[Dallas]]), was administered by [[Sarah T. Hughes]] (one of the first justices to hear and write the decision for [[Roe v. Wade]] in favor of [[abortion]]). <ref>University of North Texas Libraries, Sarah T. Hughes Collection, http://www.library.unt.edu/archives/historical-manuscripts/historical-manuscripts-exhibits/hughes/</ref> Also, since no Bible could be found aboard Air Force One, Johnson recited the oath with his hand on a [[Roman Catholic]] [[missal]] instead.<ref>New York Times, "After a Time of Tragedy, a Beginning Toward the 'Great Society,'" January 1973. Online at http://www.nytimes.com/books/98/04/12/specials/johnson-tragedy.html</ref>

As President, Johnson greatly expanded the federal government with his [[Great Society]] programs. He played a key role in helping the [[civil rights movement]] win legislative victories, pushing for the adoption of the Civil Rights Act (1964), which outlawed segregation, and the Voting Rights Act (1965), which guaranteed African-Americans' right to vote. He also greatly expanded American involvement in [[Vietnam]] (see [[Vietnam War]]). Although Johnson won the 1964 presidential election in a landslide over Republican [[Barry Goldwater]], his popularity plunged as the death toll from the conflict in Vietnam steadily increased. In early 1968, faced with plummeting poll numbers and mounting public opposition to his foreign policy, Johnson announced that he would neither seek nor accept his party's nomination for the presidency in 1968. This decision may have been brought about by his supprisingly narrow victory in the New Hampshire primary over Eugene McCarthy, a liberal anti-war Democrat. It is widely thought that had he run, he would have been trounced in the primaries or in the subsequent general election - eventually won by Republican [[Richard M. Nixon]].

==References==
<references/>

==Bibliography==
===Biographies===
* Caro, Robert A. ''The Years of Lyndon Johnson'' (3 volumes as of 2006): ''The Path to Power'' (1982); ''Means of Ascent'' (1990); ''Master of the Senate: The Years of Lyndon Johnson'' (2002). The most detailed biography, extends to 1960; generally hostile to LBJ; See Dallek and Woods for balanced biographies; [http://www.amazon.com/Path-Power-Years-Lyndon-Johnson/dp/0679729453/ref=sr_1_2/103-4827826-5463040?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1189836030&sr=1-2 vol 1 excerpt and online search from Amazon.com]; [http://www.amazon.com/Means-Ascent-Years-Lyndon-Johnson/dp/067973371X/ref=sr_1_3/103-4827826-5463040?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1189836030&sr=1-3 vol 2 excerpt and online search from Amazon.com]; [http://www.amazon.com/Master-Senate-Lyndon-Johnson-Vintage/dp/0394720954/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-4827826-5463040?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1189836030&sr=1-1 vol 3 excerpt and online search from Amazon.com]
* Dallek, Robert. ''Lone Star Rising: Lyndon Johnson and His Times, 1908–1960'' (1991), [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=59394514 online edition vol 1]; ''Flawed Giant: Lyndon Johnson and His Times, 1961–1973'' (1998) [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=65196503 online edition vol 2]; also: '' Lyndon B. Johnson: Portrait of a President'' (2004). A 400-page abridged version of his 2 volume scholarly biography, [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=103184871 online edition of short version].
* Goodwin, Doris Kearns. ''Lyndon Johnson & the American Dream'' (1977). A character study.
* Schulman, Bruce J. ''Lyndon B. Johnson and American Liberalism: A Brief Biography with Documents'' (1995)
* Woods, Randall. ''LBJ: Architect of American Ambition'' (2006). A highly detailed scholarly biography (1000 pages). [http://www.amazon.com/LBJ-Architect-American-Randall-Woods/dp/0684834588/ref=sr_1_1/103-4827826-5463040?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1189835998&sr=1-1 excerpt and online search from Amazon.com]

===Presidential years===
* Altschuler, Bruce E.; ''LBJ and the Polls'' (1990) [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=37809550 online edition]
* Andrew, John A. ''Lyndon Johnson and the Great Society'' (1999) 224 pp. [http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/1566631858/ref=sib_dp_pt/103-4827826-5463040#reader-link excerpt and online search from Amazon.com]
* Bernstein, Irving. ''Guns or Butter: The Presidency of Lyndon Johnson'' 1994.
* Bornet, Vaughn Davis. ''The Presidency of Lyndon B. Johnson''. 1983
* Branch, Taylor. ''Parting the Waters: America in the King Years 1954-63'' (1989) [http://www.amazon.com/Parting-Waters-America-Years-1954-63/dp/0671687425/ref=sr_1_31?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1208722057&sr=1-31 excerpt and text search]
* Branch, Taylor. ''Pillar of Fire: America in the King Years 1963-65'' (1999) [http://www.amazon.com/Pillar-Fire-America-Years-1963-65/dp/0684848090/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1208722178&sr=1-5 excerpt and text search]
* Branch, Taylor. ''At Canaan's Edge: America in the King Years, 1965-68'' (2007)
* Divine, Robert A., ed. ''The Johnson Years. Vol. 1: Foreign Policy, the Great Society and the White House.'' 1981; essays by scholars
* Divine, Robert A., ed. ''The Johnson Years. Vol. 2: Vietnam, the Environment, and Science.'' 1987; essays by scholars
* Divine, Robert A., ed. ''The Johnson Years. Vol. 3: LBJ at Home and Abroad''. 1994; essays by scholars [http://www.amazon.com/Johnson-Years-Three-Home-Abroad/dp/0700606556/ref=sr_1_5/103-4827826-5463040?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1189836030&sr=1-5 excerpt and online search from Amazon.com]
* Firestone, Bernard J., and Robert C. Vogt, eds. ''Lyndon Baines Johnson and the Uses of Power.'' (1988); essays by scholars [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=23324778 online edition]
* Graham, Hugh Davis. ''The Civil Rights Era: Origins and Development of National Policy, 1960-1972'' (1990)
* Gould, Lewis L. ''Lady Bird Johnson and the Environment.'' 1988.
* Lichtenstein, Nelson, ed. ''Political Profiles: The Johnson Years''. 1976. short biographies of 400+ key politicians
* Mann, Robert. ''The Walls of Jericho: Lyndon Johnson, Hubert Humphrey, Richard Russell, and the Struggle for Civil Rights.'' 1996.
* Milkis, Sidney M. and Jerome M. Mileur, eds. ''The Great Society And The High Tide Of Liberalism'' (2005) 490pp of essays by scholars; [http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/1558494936/ref=sib_dp_pt/103-4827826-5463040#reader-link excerpt and online search from Amazon.com]
* Redford, Emmette S., and Marlan Blissett. ''Organizing the Executive Branch: The Johnson Presidency.'' 1981.
* Shesol, Jeff. ''Mutual Contempt: Lyndon Johnson, Robert Kennedy, and the Feud That Shaped a Decade'' 1997.
* White, Theodore H. ''The Making of the President, 1964'' 1965. [http://www.historyebook.org/ online at ACLS e-books]
* Zarefsky, David. ''President Johnson's War on Poverty'' 1986.

===Vietnam===
* Barrett, David Marshall. ''Advice and Dissent: An Organizational Analysis of the Evolution of Lyndon Johnson's Vietnam Advisory System, 1965–1968.'' (University of Notre Dame, 1990)
* Berman, Larry. ''Lyndon Johnson's War: The Road to Stalemate in Vietnam'' (1991)
* Brands, H. W. ''The Wages of Globalism: Lyndon Johnson and the Limits of American Power '' (1997)
* Casey, Francis Michael. ''The Vietnam Policy of President Lyndon Baines Johnson in Response to the Theory of the Protracted Conflict as Applied in the Politics of Indochina: A Case Study of Threat Perception and Assessment in the Crisis Management Process of a Pluralistic Society.'' (Claremont Graduate School, 1976)
* Cherwitz, Richard Arnold. ''The Rhetoric of the Gulf of Tonkin: A Study of the Crisis Speaking of President Lyndon B. Johnson.'' (University of Iowa, 1978)
* Goodnight, Lisa Jo. ''The Conservative Voice of a Liberal President: An Analysis of Lyndon B. Johnson's Vietnam Rhetoric.'' (Purdue University, 1993)
* Kaiser, David E. ''American tragedy: Kennedy, Johnson, and the origins of the Vietnam War.'' (Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 2000) ISBN 0-674-00225-3
* Logevall, Fredrik Bengt Johan. ''Fear to Negotiate: Lyndon Johnson and the Vietnam War, 1963–1965.'' (Yale University, 1993)
* Turner, Kathleen Jane. ''The Effect of Presidential-Press Interaction on Lyndon B. Johnson's Vietnam War Rhetoric.'' (Purdue University, 1978)
* Vandiver, Frank E. ''Shadows of Vietnam: Lyndon Johnson's Wars'' (1997) [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=53311933 online edition]
* Woods, Randall B. "The Politics of Idealism: Lyndon Johnson, Civil Rights, and Vietnam," ''Diplomatic History'' (2007) 31 (1), 1–18. [http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/J.1467-7709.2007.00599.X online at Blackwell-Synergy]]

==Primary sources==
* Barrett David M. ed. "Lyndon B. Johnson's Vietnam Papers: A Documentary Collection" (1997). Documents from LBJ Library and other archives.
* Beschloss Michael R. ed. ''Taking Charge: The Johnson White House Tapes, 1963–1964'' (1997). Transcribed recordings of LBJ's phone calls.
* Beschloss, Michael R. ed. ''Reaching for Glory: Lyndon Johnson's Secret White House Tapes, 1964-1965'' (2002) [http://www.amazon.com/Reaching-Glory-Lyndon-Johnsons-1964-1965/dp/074322714X/ref=sr_1_7/103-4827826-5463040?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1189836030&sr=1-7 excerpt and online search from Amazon.com]
* Califano Joseph A., Jr. ''The Triumph & Tragedy of Lyndon Johnson'' (1991). By a cabinet member.
* [http://fraser.stlouisfed.org/publications/ERP/ Council of Economic Advisors, ''Economic Report of the President'' (annual 1947- )], complete series online; important analysis of current trends and policies, plus statistcial tables
* Gallup, George H. ed. ''The Gallup Poll: Public Opinion, 1935–1971, volume 3: 1959–1971'' (1972). Summary of poll data.
* Johnson Lyndon B. ''The Vantage Point: Perspectives on the Presidency, 1963–1969'' (1971). LBJ's memoirs.
* ''Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: Lyndon B. Johnson'' (10 volumes, GPO, 1965-70). All speeches and official statements.
* Reedy, George ''Lyndon B. Johnson: A Memoir'' (1982), ISBN 0-8362-6610-2. A memoir by the press secretary.

{{USPresidents}}
{{USVicePresidents}}
{{DEFAULTSORT: Johnson, Lyndon B.}}

[[Category:Democratic Party]]

Holy innocents

2012-03-02T06:02:29Z

KermitDerFrosch:

'''Holy innocents''' is a term that refers to the children talked about in [[Gospel of Matthew|Matthew]], Chapter 2, verses 16-18.
<blockquote>When [[Herod the Great|Herod]] realized that he had been outwitted by the [[Magi]], he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in [[Bethlehem]] and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled.</blockquote>
<blockquote>''"A voice is heard in [[Ramah]], weeping and great mourning, [[Rachel]] weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more."'' (Quoted from [[Book of Jeremiah|Jeremiah]] 31:15)</blockquote>

These are all the male children aged 2 and under that were murdered because [[Herod]] sought the life of the Infant [[Jesus]].

The massacre of the innocents is not recorded in any of the other Gospels or in contemporary secular accounts. However, that does not mean that it did not happen. As explained by Gordon Franz on the site of the Associates for Biblical Research:<ref>[http://www.biblearchaeology.org/post/2009/12/09/the-slaughter-of-the-innocents-historical-fact-or-legendary-fiction.aspx#Article The Slaughter of the Innocents: Historical Fact or Legendary Fiction?]</ref><blockquote>The slaughter of the innocents is unattested in secular records, but the historical plausibility of this event happening is consistent with the character and actions of Herod the Great. Besides killing his enemies, he had no qualms in killing family members and friends as well.</blockquote>However [[Flavius Josephus]], who documented all the instances of Herod killing people, failed to mention this alleged massacre, which Herod's Roman masters would never have allowed him to conduct anyway. After all the babies he killed would have been future Roman [[taxpayer]]s.
==References==
<references/>

[[category:Bible Study]]

Fail Deadly

2012-03-02T06:00:15Z

KermitDerFrosch: Created page with "'''Fail Deadly''' is a term used to describe a weapon safety system that, in the absence of an abort code input by a human, will launch the weapon."

'''Fail Deadly''' is a term used to describe a weapon safety system that, in the absence of an abort code input by a human, will launch the weapon.

Doctor Strangelove, Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb

2012-03-02T05:59:08Z

KermitDerFrosch: /* Plot */

'''''Doctor Strangelove, Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb''''' (1964) is a parody on the hawkish advocates of use of the [[atomic bomb]] against the United States' military enemies. It was a successful comedy that continues to have a cult following to this day.

The film was directed by [[Stanley Kubrick]], and starred the [[British]] [[actor]] Peter Sellers, who played three different roles: President Merkin Muffley, Group Captain Mandrake, and the tittle character Dr Strangelove. Sellers was originally hired to play the role of Commander Kong as well, but because of an injury sustained during filming was unable to perform that role, so Slim Pickens was hried to fill in. James Earl Jones' first role in a film was as the B-52 bombardier, Lieutenant Lothar Zogg.
==Plot==
The storyline is about a mentally ill Strategic Air Command General (Jack Ripper) who decides to launch an unauthorized attack on the Soviet Union, and the efforts of the Government to recall the bombers. Unfortunately the radios on Major Kong's B-52 have been destroyed by Russian air defences and it does not receive the recall order. Dr Strangelove then explains that the Russians have a [[Fail Deadly]] doomsday device which will destroy the planet if a nuclear weapon explodes inside the USSR.

==Links==
*[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0057012/ Dr. Strangelove] at the Internet Movie Database

[[category:movies]]
[[category:Cold War]]
[[Category:Movies About Nuclear War]]

It Gets Better

2012-03-02T05:56:14Z

KermitDerFrosch: /* Notable events */

The '''It Gets Better Project''' is a [[liberal]] project founded in September 2010 in the wake of a number of suicides by gay teenagers who had been bullied for their perceived sexual orientation. The idea behind the project is to tell gay teens to hold on to their homosexuality, promising them that adult homosexual life will provide them "levels of happiness, potential, and positivity". It argues that a problem the gay community faces is lack of acceptance and toleration from "straight" people. If they can "just get through their teen years", they'll be able to enjoy the protection of adult power and camaraderie which will overcome the "daily tormenting and bullying" they face now.<ref>http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/09/22/showing-gay-teens-a-happy-future/ Showing Gay Teenagers a Happy Future</ref>

==History==
The project was founded by [[Dan Savage]] on September 21, 2010 after the suicide of a gay teenager named Billy Lucas. Savage expressed that "I wish I could have talked to this kid for five minutes. I wish I could have told Billy that ''it gets better''. I wish I could have told him that, however bad things were, however isolated and alone he was, ''it gets better''."(Author's emphasis)<ref>http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/SavageLove?oid=4940874 Give 'Em Hope</ref> Savage, in conjunction with several organizations founded the project as a [[501(c)(3)]] organization and set up a [[YouTube]] [http://www.youtube.com/itgetsbetterproject channel] to which videos could be uploaded.

While it started off with just a video from Savage and his then husband, within two weeks more than 200 videos were submitted to the project and soon after the project reached YouTube's video limit of 640 submissions. Due to the increasing submissions an [http://www.itgetsbetter.org/ It Gets Better Project website] was launched where more videos could be hosted. The site continues to accept submissions.<ref>http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/10/07/MNVJ1FP6E1.DTL
Dan Savage overwhelmed by gay outreach's response</ref>

==Criticism==
The project has seen its fair share of criticism from both sides of the spectrum.

Those on the [[right]] have argued that while it is noble to help troubled young people it's wrong to deceive them. They argue that Dan Savage's video message is wrong and that gay teens need help. Mentally and physically, it gets better by leaving homosexuality. At the least, they say, [[abstinence]] will prolong their lives, not shorten it.

Some on the [[left]] have argued that The It Gets Better Project doesn't go far enough and that the goal should be making things better now, not saying it will get better later.

== Christian faith vs. defeatism and acceptance of sexual sin ==

''See also:'' [[Ex-homosexuals]] and [[Overcoming homosexuality]]

A person doesn't move forward in their life by accepting and embracing their [[sin]], they move forward by repenting of it and establishing a relationship with [[God]] through [[Jesus Christ]]. The sin of homosexuality is no different than other besetting sins in terms of it [[Overcoming homosexuality|being able to be conquered through the assistance of Christ]] and the existence of Christian [[ex-homosexuals]] is testimony to this fact. Christian [[faith]] has been conquering the sin of homosexuality for over 2,000 years.

The [[Apostle Paul]] wrote:
{{cquote|Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor [a]effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God. - I Corinthians 6:9-11 (NASB)}}

[[Peter LaBarbera]] is the President of [[Americans for Truth]] which is a organization which counters the [[homosexual agenda]]. LaBarbera stated the following regarding Christian ex-homosexuals who reported being transformed by the power of God:
{{cquote|Another factor from my experience as a close observer of the “ex-gay” phenomenon is that many former homosexuals do not linger in “[[reparative therapy]]” programs, or participate in them at all. They attribute their dramatic and (relatively) rapid transformation to the power of God, and likely would not show up in a study of this kind. In fact, these “unstudied” overcomers would appear to be the most successful ex-homosexuals because they’ve moved on with their lives — as “reborn” Christians move on after overcoming any besetting sin.<ref>http://www.americansfortruth.com/news/landmark-study-change-for-homosexuals-is-possible.html</ref>}}

Peter LaBarbera's statement above concerning [[Overcoming Homosexuality|overcoming homosexuality]] certainly has some evidence supporting it. For example, in 1980 a study was published in the ''American Journal of Psychiatry'' and eleven men participated in this study. The study reported that eleven homosexual men became heterosexuals "without explicit treatment and/or long-term psychotherapy" through their participation in a [[Pentecostalism|Pentecostal]] church.<ref>E.M. Pattison and M.L. Pattison, "'Ex-Gays': Religiously Mediated Change in Homosexuals," American Journal of Psychiatry, Vol. 137, pp. 1553-1562, 1980</ref>

==Notable events==
In October of 2010 President [[Barack Obama]]<ref>http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2010/10/22/obama-joins-it-gets-better-campaign-dan-savage-says-make-it-better/ Obama Joins It Gets Better Campaign Dan Savage Says Make It Better</ref> and former [[First Lady]] [[Laura Bush]]<ref>http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/lady-laura-bush-lends-support-bullied-gay-teens/story?id=11982691#.T1BY9fG41M4 Laura Bush Lends Support to Bullied Gay Teens</ref> submitted videos to the project.

Inspired by Obama, the White House Staff created a video in support of ''It Gets Better'' project. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iL2Ed_iKiG4 White House Staff, YouTube]

In October of 2011 a number of Members of Parliament from the [[Conservative Party]] made a video in support of the project.<ref>http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2011/10/22/conservatives-it-gets-better-video-criticism_n_1026409.html Conservatives' 'It Gets Better' Video Draws Criticism</ref>

In January of 2012, homophobic bigot [[Vox Day]] claimed that two gay teens who had made videos It Gets Better Project died by suicide.(see also: [[Mental Health and Homosexuality]]).<ref>http://voxday.blogspot.com/2012/01/it-really-doesnt-get-better.html</ref>

==Partners==
Various benefactors are partnered with the project including: [[GLSEN]], [[ACLU]], and [[The Trevor Project]].

==External Links==
*[http://www.itgetsbetter.org/pages/about-it-gets-better-project/ official website:about it gets better project]
*[http://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/civil-rights/it-gets-better White House website, Obama "It Gets Better"]

{{homosexualityb}}
[[Category:Activists]]
[[Category:Homosexuality]]
[[Category:Obama Presidency]]
[[Category:Barack Hussein Obama]]
[[Category:Charity]]
==References==
{{reflist|2}}