OUR COLUMNISTS Applause in the Airport? Beyond the Beer Commercial ... Commentary by Matt Friedeman A U.S. Marine shares his true-to-life experience about returning from overseas and the reaction he and his comrades received in JFK Airport. All the Condoms in the World Commentary by Jane Jimenez This past week's New York Times printed two major stories on an aggressive HIV virus resistent to current drug regimens. This news prompts an important question. How many condoms would it take to end the AIDS crisis? Super Bowl Ponderings Commentary by Brad Locke The Big Game wasn't merely a game, of course. It was, as usual, a spectacle. At least it was for non-football fans who sat through commercials and got up during game action to refill the dip bowl. But to the real fans, the content of the game is what mattered. 'There is a Lad Here' Commentary by Mark Creech Because of some of their moral practices, the Boy Scouts have been attacked by local governmental bodies, school systems, the United Way and radical groups like the American Civil Liberties Union. Yet in the feeding of the 5,000, Jesus demonstrated that some of the highest hopes of a nation are predicated on the presence of its boys.

...Recently confirmed U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales says "selling or distributing obscene materials" does not fall within the protections of the First Amendment -- and that's why the Department of Justice is appealing last month's ruling in Pennsylvania dismissing nine counts of violating the federal obscenity statutes and one count of conspiracy against a hard-core pornographer. On January 20, 2005, U.S. District Judge Gary Lancaster handed down a 45-page opinion dismissing the federal obscenity charges against Robert Zicari and his company, Extreme Associates of Los Angeles, distributors of violent hard-core porn. In his ruling, Lancaster stated that "the government can no longer rely on the advancement of a moral code ... as a legitimate, let alone a compelling, state interest," and that "the federal obscenity statutes violate the constitutional guarantees of personal liberty and privacy of consenting adults who wish to view [the Extreme Associates] films in private." But the DOJ says if Lancaster's ruling is upheld, it would "undermine" not just the federal obscenity statutes, but also "all laws based on shared views of public morality, such as laws against prostitution, bestiality, and bigamy." Notice of the DOJ's appeal in U.S. v. Extreme Associates was filed today (February 16) in U.S. district court. [Jody Brown]

...The Center for the Study of American Values believes that religious involvement in the political process is essential if America is to survive. Center director Don Devine recently pointed out that it takes 2.1 children per married couple in order to maintain the population of this country at current levels; however, he contends that this idea goes against the selfish nature of men. "This is an irrational decision if you're trying to maximize your comfort, your income or whatever," Devine says. But, according to the Center spokesman, that is exactly where religion comes in and why he contends it is integral to national survival. "You need something else that says no, that you've got some kind of obligation to go and multiply," he asserts. Devine contends that if religion declines in the U.S., so will the nation's population; and eventually Americans will find themselves like many other countries today that are so materialistic they cannot even produce enough children to replenish their populations. [Bill Fancher]

...The Family Research Council has invited newly elected Democratic Party Chairman Howard Dean, along with Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman, to address the the pro-family organization's Washington Briefing in March. FRC president Tony Perkins notes that Dean appears to be living up to the commitments he made during his chairmanship campaign to meet with all constituencies in an effort to build a more inclusive Democratic Party. Perkins notes that Dean's schedule last Friday had him appearing before the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Caucus, the Seniors Coordination Council, the Women's Caucus, and groups of Native Americans, African Americans, Hispanics and Asian Pacific Islanders, all in a day. The head of the FRC observes that Dean told the GLBT Democrats they were "among the most persecuted people in the history of mankind," but could not confirm whether the ultra-liberal leader said the same to the Native American or African American audiences that might have a clearer claim to the "most persecuted" title. Perkins says Dean was invited to address the FRC in the name of inclusiveness, as well as to give the values voters who attend the group's DC briefing a chance to hear from both major political parties on the important issues. It remains to be seen whether the Democratic Party Chairman will accept the pro-family group's invitation. [Jenni Parker]

...The White House is rejecting charges that President Bush gained politically from his faith-based initiative without bothering to press hard for its passage. White House spokesman Scott McClellan insists that Bush's faith-based initiative "was at the top of his list when he came into office and it remains at the top of the list" today. The accusations are from David Kuo, former deputy director of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives. His article is on the religious website beliefnet.com. Kuo called the faith-based initiative "the cross around the White House's neck" -- winning Bush the support he wanted from Christians, who faulted Democrats for its failure to pass Congress. [AP]

...Maya Marcel-Keyes, the 19-year-old daughter of conservative pundit and recent U.S. Senatorial candidate Alan Keyes, publicly acknowledged her lesbianism at a Monday homosexual rights rally in Annapolis, Maryland. A February 15 Chicago Tribune article reports that Marcel-Keyes alluded indirectly to her sexual orientation in a brief address to a crowd of several hundred people gathered outside the Maryland State House on St. Valentine's Day. In talking about the troubles of homeless homosexual youth, she commented on the difficulties she faced growing up as the daughter of a man who is one of America's most vocal opponents of homosexuality and same-sex marriage, at one point noting, "Liberal queer plus conservative Republican just don't mesh too well." Keyes, who became the focus of national attention during the 2004 Republican National Convention when he called homosexuality an act of "selfish hedonism," was quoted as responding tersely to his daughter's "coming out" by observing that she "is an adult, and she is responsible for her own actions." He also added that her choices have nothing to do with his work or political activities. According to the Chicago Tribune report, Marcel-Keyes was forced to move out of her father's Chicago apartment last week because of her sexual orientation and left-wing political activism. [Jenni Parker]

...Public schools in Staunton, Virginia, will continue to allow outside Bible classes during class time while the school board conducts a one-year review. Several hundred people attended this week's school board meeting, with many standing and applauding the decision to continue the religious classes while the review is conducted. In the long-standing Weekday Religious Education program, first-, second-, and third-graders go to nearby churches for Bible classes during school hours. Some parents wanted the board to eliminate or modify the program, saying children who do not go are stigmatized and lose valuable class time. The Supreme Court ruled decades ago that the classes are constitutional because they are held away from school premises. [AP]

...Manhattan Institute scholars Jay Greene and Marcus Winters have recently released a new study on U.S. high school student graduation rates, which found that the national graduation rate for all public high school students remained virtually flat over the past decade. The percentage of young people graduating with a regular high school diploma went from 72 percent in 1991 to 71 percent in 2002. On the other hand, the percentage of these students who left secondary school with the skills and qualifications necessary to attend college increased from 25 percent in 1991 to 34 percent in 2002. The authors of the study contend that the flat graduation rate and increasing college preparedness rate result from the introduction of accountability programs and raised standards in public education over the last decade. It is suggested that, because of these changes, students have been compelled to take more challenging courses required for college admission but without being pushed to drop out of school. The research by Greene and Winters also showed great disparity in the graduation rates of white (78 percent), black (56 percent), and Hispanic (52 percent) students. The study also revealed major differences among racial and ethnic groups in the percentage of students who leave high school academically prepared to enter college. In 2002, about 40 percent of white students, 23 percent of black students, and 20 percent of Hispanic students were found to graduate college-ready from public high schools. [Jenni Parker]

...A retired U.S. Army officer who once worked at the Pentagon says he agrees with other pundits who believe the communist regime in North Korea is on life support and could expire at any time. Recently the South Korean Foreign Minister met with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and the two agreed on a diplomatic course to deal with North Korea's nuclear program; however, Dana Dillon of the Heritage Foundation suspects the government of Kim Jong Il is on the verge of collapse. "I've been predicting it's going to fall in six months for the last ten years," Dillon says, "so everyone assumes it will go away. The problem is when. But I think when it does go, it will disappear fast -- it will go very quickly, hopefully without nukes." Meanwhile, he points out that the South Koreans have been visiting a formerly divided land to learn what they can about reunification. "The last number I heard was that they sent 15 teams to watch the progress of German re-absorption of East Germany," the Heritage Foundation scholar says, "and it cost the Germans billions -- in fact, I think, trillions of dollars -- and re-absorption isn't complete there." Dillon notes that East Germany, per capita, was far more wealthy than North Korea. He believes the South Koreans are somewhat intimidated by the anticipated process of reunification for the Korean Peninsula but are nevertheless preparing for that very possible eventuality. [Chad Groening]

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