OUR COLUMNISTS Rather Is Gone; Whining About Leftist Media Is Not Commentary by Matt Friedeman The media is biased to the waaaay left. And conservatives, with the obvious exception of talk radio, aren't flocking to the arena of journalism to replace or displace. What is our plan? Offended by Creation Commentary by Jane Jimenez With all the blatant sex available on television, you would think it nearly impossible to offend people about sex. Careful. As Jada Pinkett Smith found out recently, offense is easier than you think! Fading Aura Commentary by Brad Locke Coaching is a job saddled with increasing demands but decreasing gratitude. This imbalance has driven many a fine man to desperate measures, which in turn has stripped him of his dignity and uprightness in the eyes of players, owners, athletics directors, fans and the media. Movie Ratings: Public Service or Bankable Assets? Commentary by David Sisler The writer of Proverbs warned against moving or changing the ancient boundaries. When the standard keepers are the ones who callously change the boundaries, there is not much hope that the old ways will be restored. If there is any hope that change will come, it will be at the ticket window. Juvenile Murderers: They Couldn't Have Known Better Commentary by Mark Creech Tuesday, March 1, 2005, was not a good day for justice. Sally Satel, who is a medical doctor, a practicing psychiatrist, and a lecturer at Yale Medical School, said the decision by the Supreme Court to abolish the death penalty for juveniles was an assault on personal responsibility.

...The U.S. Congress has entered the fight to save the life of Terri Schiavo with the introduction of the Incapacitated Person's Legal Protection Act. The bill was introduced in the House by Dave Weldon and in the Senate by Mel Martinez, both of Florida, where Terri has been condemned by a judge. Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council believes this legislation could save the life of the brain-damaged woman. "We're hoping that this measure will quickly move its way through Congress," Perkins says. "It's an opportunity that Congress has before them to check the courts." The FRC president emphasizes that Terri is alive and not on life support. "Here you have the court ordering essentially the execution of a woman by removing her feeding tube. Congress can stop that." Perkins says it is time for Congress to say no to the courts and save Terri's life. Pamela Hennessey with the Terri Schindler-Schiavo Foundation agrees with Perkins that Congress needs to act on legislation that will save Terri's life. Hennessey says the woman's rights have been denied for 15 years -- and it is time someone did something about it. "Amongst those many, many rights that have been denied to her are legal representation, which she has never had [and] access to the courts, which she has never had," she points out. The Foundation spokeswoman adds that Terri has never been allowed the ability to have an independent guardian ad litem that has served for more than a few months at a time. "So Terri has never been represented throughout this entire proceeding,," she concludes. Hennessey says convicted murderers and child molesters are allowed adequate legal representation -- but a woman fighting for her very life has so far been denied that opportunity. Terri is scheduled to be starved to death beginning March 18. Her estranged husband won a court decision to have her feeding tubes removed. [Bill Fancher/Rusty Pugh]

...A chilling new study indicates that terminally-ill or severely deformed newborns are being killed, and the cases are rarely, if ever, prosecuted. The findings, based on research conducted in the Netherlands, indicates that at least five newborn "mercy killings" happen for each one reported. Doctors at one hospital reported euthanizing 22 newborns over a seven-year period which ended in 2004. The study's author, Dr. Eduard Verhagen, claims the babies were all born with incurable deformities, had limited life expectancies, and were "suffering unbearably." He explains that the euthanasia "was only done in extreme cases where children were suffering unbearably and very severely, and in cases where also there was no treatment option available." Mercy killing of infants were also reported in France, the United Kingdom, and other countries. Researchers says that in the U.S., doctors are more likely to withhold or stop intensive treatment to allow the baby to die. The findings are reported in this week's edition of the New England Journal of Medicine. [AP]

...The frontrunner in the race to be the next mayor of the "City of Angels" is no angel himself, says a California family advocacy group. In fact, says the group, Antonio Villaraigosa has one of the worst records on family values and religious freedom in the state's history. "Villaraigosa is against the Boy Scouts, against protecting marriage for a man and a woman, against religious freedom, and against parental rights," says Randy Thomasson, president of the Campaign for Children and Families. And there is more, Thomasson says. "If elected mayor, Villaraigosa would truly be 'the ACLU Mayor,'" he says. The CCF leader points out that in the early 1990s, the mayoral candidate was president of the Southern California chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, during which time he "relentlessly attacked" the Scouts, promoted homosexual "marriage," and persecuted religious values. And according to Thomasson, Villaraigosa -- as a member of the California State Assembly -- authored two "ultra-liberal" bills: one targeting religious businesses that prohibited the hiring of open homosexuals, and one requiting that high school student be taught to appreciate sexual orientation as a condition of graduation. Both bills were signed into law by then-Governor Gray Davis. Thomasson calls Villaraigosa a "deceptive" candidate who, if elected, will use his "unbridled power to undermine, attack, and destroy basic family values." [Jody Brown]

...A bill before the Maryland Senate would broaden elected officials' freedom to recite prayers before public meetings. The bill was introduced by Senator Larry Haines whose prayer in "Jesus' name" before a Senate session two years ago stirred an emotional debate on whether the Senate was blurring the lines between church and state. After several senators complained, the Senate president asked the body to be tolerant of clergy who did not follow the request to be ecumenical. He distributed guidelines that senators are to give clergy members invited to say the prayers that begin the daily sessions. The guidelines state prayer can become "unintentionally divisive" if the language excludes people of different faiths. Last year the issue seemed to be settled when there was a rules change allowing senators to sit out prayer and answer the role call afterward. But Haines argues that asking clergy to refrain from using the name of Jesus Christ is a violation of their First Amendment rights and offensive to Christians. [AP]

...Readers of a Christian magazine geared toward teens have chosen Jeremy Camp and Rebecca St. James as the best vocalists on the Christian music scene, Reliant K as their favorite band, and "Who Am I" by Casting Crowns as the best song this year. Campus Life announced the winners of its "Golden Ear Awards" on Wednesday (March 9), saying the winners were decided those who read their magazine and those who visit their website, CampusLife.net. In addition to being chosen as best band, Reliant K's "Mmhmm" was chosen as album of the year -- and like Reliant K, the group Switchfoot showed up in several award categories, including best live band and best song. The magazine and website readers felt BarlowGirl, a three-sister team from Illinois, was the best new artist over the past year. The group Casting Crowns came out on top as "Best Worship Leader" in the survey. The magazine Campus Life has a circulation of more than 100,000. [Jody Brown]

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