- Is it worth it to argue down right wing myths?
- There’s piles of research that show that people don’t change their minds just because they lose arguments or are presented with overwhelming evidence. So, is there value in arguing with conservatives? I say yes, depending of course on the situation. Here are some examples of how you can get value out of arguing with conservatives: …
People repeat urban legends because it feels good to do so. If a particular urban legend, however, mostly reminds them of the time you made them look foolish, they’ll probably not repeat it. This reduces the chances they can, for lack of a better word, recruit with that particular story…
I never let [anti-choicers] get away with ["let's agree to disagree"]. I cannot agree to a ban on abortion. I already agree that someone who personally opposes it should have a right not to have one.
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- Anti-Muslim Protestor Throws Crosses At Feet Of Man Praying By White House (VIDEO) | TPMMuckraker
- A group of anti-Sharia protestors who planned to counter-protest the planned pro-Sharia rally by the radical provocateur Anjem Choudary in front of the White House on Thursday found themselves without an opponent to debate.
But just as the rally was dying out, a Muslim man who showed up to pray in front of the White House. He was quickly surrounded by a large group of protestors who shouted an array of insults at him: mocking him for drinking Starbucks coffee, telling him to go back to his country and even throwing tiny crosses at his feet as he prayed. I captured the scene in the video below.
- Jon Stewart Turns Over Show to Oft-Neglected Side of the Education Debate
- I don’t think this will have the same impact as, say, the 9-11 health care show that Stewart did. But it ought to. There’s no balance in the media to the debate over education. It’s all pushed by wealthy interests who either have no clue what teachers do and therefore try to run schools like a business, or just want the profits that could be gained by for-profit charter schools. And as Diane Ravitch says, it’s a bipartisan problem. But there’s another side to the debate, and Jon Stewart presented it last night.
- Ex-Officials Say They Were Paid To Attend Pro-MEK Events | TPMMuckraker
- Former Indiana Congressman Lee Hamilton (D) and former CENTCOM Commander Anthony Zinni told the Inter Press Service that they were paid to appear at recent events supporting the MEK, an Iranian opposition group …
Although it was put on the U.S. terror list in 1997, the MEK has a history of support in Congress. While it originally blended elements of Islam and Marxism, the group and its supporters say it has renounced violence and now advocates for a secular and democratic Iran.
- Video Apparently Shows Wisconsin Rep Getting Tackled By Officers (VIDEO) | TPMMuckraker
- WKOW in Madison, Wisc., posted some stunning video Thursday night, apparently showing state Representative Nick Milroy (D) being tackled by Capitol police as he tried to enter the building…
Late Update: Mary Lou Keleher, a staffer for Milroy, told TPM that the representative was not arrested last night.
"He was just restrained," Keleher said.
According to Keleher, Milroy will be issuing a statement about the incident shortly.
- Gaffney, Jones Fight For Soul Of Anti-Sharia Movement At Rally By White House (VIDEO) | TPMMuckraker
- So despite their common enemy, there is a ideological and tactical divide between the Gaffney and Jones camps.
"It's a difference of approach, and some of it is territorial," said one member of team Gaffney who requested anonymity. "One is more comprehensive and professional — he's got his whole group behind him — whereas Terry just has his biker crew. One is more intellectual, the other is more agitated. One is based on patriotism and constitutional law, the other is based on theology."
[Or, you know, they're both based on fear, ignorance, and bigotry. -L]
islamophobia religious_tolerance the_crusades_are_over_hint_hint
[In case it needs to be said: I don't agree with every word of everything I link to. Signal boosts are awesome! --L.]

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