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Contents © 2000
by Jim Holman.
All rights reserved.

OCTOBER 2000 LITTLE NOTES

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Lieberman, the Democratic vice presidential candidate who claims to practice Orthodox Judaism, supports abortion and recently voted against a ban on partial-birth abortion.

As Lieberman exited Children's Hospital, Operation Rescue's Troy Newman was able to call out to him in a strong, clear voice asking him to repent from the sin of child-killing. Lieberman appeared unmoved and later averted his eyes from pro-lifers who stood in silent testimony along the motorcade route.

An August 30 Catholic News Service story quoted one of the prolifers, "We're trying to connect the dots for him, from the Jewish Holocaust to the American holocaust."


GARY KENDRICK'S NAME first appeared in these pages when he ran for the Grossmont-Cuyamaca community college district's governing board in November 1998. Kendrick was successful in his bid, was unanimously elected by fellow trustees as board president in January 2000, and now seeks a seat on the El Cajon city council in the November election. Since entering public office Kendrick has consistently characterized his political philosophy as being pro-life and pro-family. "I'm not aware of any abortion clinic in El Cajon, and I would fight [the opening of an abortion clinic] very vigorously," he stated. To that end he has taken the local California Pro-Life Council's training for public speakers on abortion.

Kendrick was appointed to the El Cajon City Planning Commission in 1996 and has chaired it for two years. As a city councilman, Kendrick maintains that he would encourage churches to open in El Cajon. "The City ultimately has authority as to whether or not a church can open in El Cajon, by use of the conditional use permit," he explained. "That has been a continuous fight since I've been on the planning commission.... There are two opposing philosophies regarding churches in El Cajon. One philosophy is that they don't pay property taxes, so therefore they don't contribute to the community, so we don't need them. The other philosophy is that churches provide a lot of social benefits: they keep families together and they provide activities for children."

El Cajon City Councilman Bob McClellan, the president of the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College teachers' union, and Assemblyman Steve Baldwin have endorsed Kendrick's candidacy. Kendrick anticipates stiff opposition and is appealing for supporters to display his yard signs and assist him with literature drops prior to the election. For more information, call (619) 442-6563.


THE STORY OF GIDEON'S ARMY in Judges 7 was the inspiration for a Bible literature distribution campaign during the San Diego Gay Pride Parade on July 22. Members of San Diego Christian Men United passed out hundreds of pink tracts containing the headlines "Christians Refuse To Tell the Truth!" and "Jesus Was Very Intolerant!" Other members of the group on the sidewalk preached repentance as parade marchers passed by. Taking part in the parade: the San Diego Fire Department, City of San Diego Lifeguards, the U.S. Post Office, San Diego County Sheriff's Department, and the San Diego Police Department, led by Police Chief David Bejarano.

One difference from past parades was the increased number of same-sex couples with small children. One parade contingent consisted of about a dozen homosexual couples, both male and female, pushing babies in strollers.

Other entrants included four reporters from TV station KSWB Channel 5's "News at Ten" program, San Diego Youth and Community Services, People's Chevrolet, Schaefer Ambulance, Queer Youth, the Los Angeles Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, and the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), which advocates the homosexual lifestyle in public schools from grades K through 12.


BORDERS UNITED FOR HEALTH (Fronteras Unidas Pro Salud), the Tijuana affiliate of Mexfam (Mexico's version of Planned Parenthood), received $209,604 from Planned Parenthood of San Diego and Riverside Counties for the 1999 fiscal year, according to U.S. tax documents -- an average of $17,467 a month. Planned Parenthood and Mexfam have been partners since 1988 in an effort to reduce the birth rate in Baja California. Fronteras Unidas Pro Salud operates six clinics in Tijuana, where they distribute birth-control devices. The group hands out contraceptives in maquiladoras and operates a surgical center where vasectomies and tubal ligations are performed. According to a financial report posted on the internet by the group, 74 women were sterilized in Tijuana in 1998 and more than 17,000 patients were seen at their various clinics, including 1550 women for "gynecological services." Fronteras Unidas Pro Salud had a budget of $259,000 for 1998, of which $76,405 went toward paying doctors. The group received $186,568 from unnamed "funding agencies," as well as $27,042 from "fees for contraceptives" and $13,614 in "fees for patient services." Private donations accounted for less than 4 percent of the total budget -- just $8,776.


OPERATION RESCUE WEST has launched a monthly radio program called "Operation Rescue Radio." The show calls churches to repentance and action for the sin of abortion. "My vision for this radio show is to see Christians' hearts broken over the tragedy of abortion and then see those broken hearts followed by repentance and action," says host Troy Newman, director of Operation Rescue West.

The next show will air Sunday, October 1, from 5-6 p.m. on KPRZ-1210 AM in the San Diego area, on K-Light 1390 AM in Los Angeles, and on 1240 AM also in the LA area.


FROM AN INTERNET MESSAGE sent on September 2: "I'd like to reflect on a personal situation, and I don't mind if you post this. I turned 50 this summer, and as my body is aging appropriately, my uterus is trying to have a retirement party. So, I have been plagued with bleeding for days or weeks at a time, and I finally called the doctor when it got so profuse that I could not leave the house for any extended period of time. (Don't mean to be gross, I just want to explain the situation.) The doctor said this can be remedied with a hormone, but first we needed to get a biopsy to be sure nothing was wrong.

So, I had to have a D & C on Wed., and I spent part of Monday and Tuesday getting preparations done for that. As I was on my way home from my last pre-op chore Tuesday, I had a local talk radio station on, and they were discussing the death of a 40 year old woman last week in our community, which coincidentally happened 2 days after she had an abortion at our local abortion mill. It hit me between the eyes like a ton of bricks. So of course I was obligated to call in to the radio show, and here's what I wanted to share:

1. The procedure I had Wednesday was essentially the same exact procedure that the lady had during her abortion.

2. I spent hours going around to have lab work, a chest x-ray, an ultrasound, and a pre-op interview to share my medical history with the anesthesia department at the hospital in preparation for my surgery, so I would have the safest, best possible outcome.

3. The lady who had the abortion did not have the advantage of any of that pre-op screening. I am feeling quite well 2 days later, and 2 days after her procedure, she died.

4. My surgery was at 12 noon. My doctor spoke to me in the recovery room, then he called me at 6 pm that night at home to see how I was doing, and he will call me today to let me know the results of the pathology report. The abortion doctor not only would NOT have checked up on his patient, he was not there for her when she began to have complications. He is not on call, his clinic is not open, and it was up to the local hospital emergency room to clean up the abortionist's mess.

5. I work in a hospital, so I had the assurance of knowing that the hospital where I had my surgery has stringent standards for staff preparation, for sterilization techniques, for all kinds of safety checks and emergency equipment available in case I had a serious problem. The abortionist has no one to answer to in terms of cleanliness, any specific procedural standards, a crash cart in case of emergency. I am required to go through Advance Cardiac Life Support Certification every 2 years as an ICU nurse, but I doubt if the abortionist's staff has any training for emergency procedures at all.

Any of you out there in the "pro choice" crowd believe that abortionists are advocates for women's rights. The abortionist is not an advocate for your right to life, however.

The abortionist is there to take your money if you "choose" to kill your baby, but rest assured, if you have a complication, he has no more concern for your life than he does the life of your baby. You are expendable tissue, and you have paid him in cash, so he has gotten his money. Another physician in town who takes calls at night, who cares about the Hippocratic oath he has taken to maintain life and do no harm, will be the one to try to save you from your complication.

Unfortunately, this 40 years old lady in my community was not saved, and she leaves behind 2 children. The medical examiner was on the news several times saying that her death was from "natural causes", so the abortionist will skate with no repercussions for the 2 lives which have ended at his hand, or the 2 lives of little children who will grow up without their mother.


ON AVERAGE, Brian Bilbray is pro-abortion -- Planned Parenthood of San Diego & Riverside Counties has posted its "Federal Legislative Scorecard" on the internet noting that, the higher the rating, the more pro-abortion an elected leader is. As of mid-summer, 2000, every Republican congressman among the San Diego delegation received a '0' rating -- except Brian Bilbray. Bilbray was rated 55 percent, which means he voted for the Planned Parenthood position more often than not.The only Democrat -- Bob Filner -- received a 100 percent rating.


THE SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE ran a puff piece on Alpine's La Providencia Retreat Center in its September 1 Religion and Ethics section. The recently relocated retreat center is staffed by Sisters Patricia Hanson, and Millicent Peaslee and listed as a Catholic retreat facility in the current San Diego diocesan directory. In her description of the newl labyrinth, U-T reporter Anne Krueger wrote, "Many believe that labyrinths have intense spiritual powers."

Krueger reports that Sister Nancy Kane, director of women religious for the San Diego diocese, said that she once walked on a portable canvas labyrinth at one of the sisters' workshops and quotes her as saying, "I found it a profound experience. A lot depends on what you bring to it. It's just another prayer form." Krueger noted that labyrinths have also been installed in two San Diego churches: St. Paul's Episcopal Cathedral and the Pacific Church of Religious Science.

"Some might consider Hanson, 69, and Peaslee, 79, to be unconventional Catholics, but to them, walking the labyrinth or the celebrations of the seasonal equinoxes that they hold are just another aspect of spirituality," Krueger stated. "A prayer room in the retreat home features crosses and images of the Virgin Mary collected from around the world. Hanson said she sees the worth of all religions. 'I believe that every religion has their own path to God and their own special saints,' she said. 'We should try to find what connects us rather than divides us'.... Hanson said she and Peaslee expect to stay about five years at the house now being rented for the retreat."


ST. EPHREM MARONITE CATHOLIC ACADEMY, the parish school for grades K-10 of St. Ephrem Maronite Catholic Church, opened on September 5 in El Cajon. The church, which is located at 750 Medford Street, is under the Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles and pastored by Father Nabil Mouannes. The academy, in its first year of operation, has 20 students from 10 families. It is staffed by two full-time teachers, one part-time science teacher, and volunteer part-time aides.

According to principal Michael Horvath, "Each school day begins with Holy Mass. The Academy is loyal to the Holy Father and the traditions of the Church. The curriculum is as Catholic as possible, utilizing solidly Catholic texts from the past and present.

"The philosophy of the school is the salvation of souls through excellence in education. St. Ephrem Academy is an extension of the Gospel witness in the home, whereby parents are the primary educators of their children.

"St. Ephrem Academy is grateful to the El Cajon planning commission for granting it the proper conditional use permit for a school, the neighbors for their support, the Eparchy for their approval, and the benefactors who have come forward with their financial help. It is most especially grateful to Father Nabil Mouannes for his vision in the founding of the first Maronite Catholic School in the United States."

St. Ephrem Academy has room for more students this year. To inquire about enrollment, please call the school at (619) 462-2487.


ONLY FOUR PROTESTERS showed up at the Boy Scouts of America office in Balboa Park on August 21 to demonstrate against the scouts' policy of excluding homosexuals. The San Diego protest was one of several planned throughout the nation by Scouting for All, a homosexual rights organization. The San Diego group, who identified themselves as members of Parents and Families of Lesbians and Gays, were led by former scoutmaster Howard Mezner. When freelance reporter James Daugherty asked if scout troops should have homosexual scoutmasters, Mezner said, "I say, why not? He [the homosexual] is a man of the community who's working as part of family. It can be two men. It can be two women. Society is changing. Times are changing. Boy Scouts need to keep up with times."

Since reporting the protest, Daugherty has been threatened with legal action by Scouting for All for creating an opposition website.

Scouting for All is a national campaign formed by Scott and Steven Cozza, a father and son team, whose goal is to stop the Boy Scouts' policy of excluding homosexuals. The group's website address is www.scoutingforall.org.

Two days before the protest, on August 19, Daugherty formed an opposition website with the address www.scoutingforall.com. The website contains a story about a performance by homosexual rock star Elton John at London's Albert Hall which included a striptease by young men dressed in Cub Scout uniforms.


"THE RADISSON SOCIAL has become THE place to meet new and interesting people in the scene in San Diego. We regularly get over 100+ kinky people of all sexual and SM persuasions," announced an August 9 e-mail message. The announcement, like those of previous months, was an invitation for people involved in BDSM (bondage-domination-sadomasochism) to attend a gathering at the Radisson Hotel in Mission Valley, held the third Wednesday of each month, for the purpose of getting to know others of like persuasion.

The Radisson S&M Social is an example of venues that are opening doors to sexual perversion groups. Enabled by the internet and online communications, people who share sexual interests are finding each other through social gatherings and workshops held at major hotels and restaurant chains. In San Diego, similar gatherings have taken place at Quality Inn Hotels and at Denny's and Carrow's restaurant locations in North County.

On July 19, I attended the Radisson Social as an observer. Prior to attending, on July 14, I called the Radisson Hotel to confirm the event. Sal, a hotel worker, answered the telephone. I asked, "Is it true that you hold an S&M social there every third Wednesday of the month?"

He answered, "Yes, I believe so. They actually don't have an established contract. It just brings business in and it doesn't cause any ruckus."

I asked, "Where in the hotel does it take place?" He answered, "In the Intermezzo Bar." He said that people start arriving around 7:00 p.m. "They just show up and use our facilities and we just let them. They just dance."

"How long have the socials been taking place?" "It's been since before I started here, and I've been here about eight months."

I asked to speak to a manager. Sal handed the phone to Nathan. I identified myself and asked him if it were true that the Radisson hosts an S&M social. "I probably shouldn't comment on anything of that nature," he replied. "They're usually pretty discreet. They have an AOL chat room."

"Do they wear any kind of fetish gear; is there anything sexual that goes on?" I asked. The phone line clicked as Nathan hung up on me.

On July 19, accompanied by two friends, I went to the Radisson's Intermezzo bar at approximately 6:00 p.m. At 7:00 p.m., the bar began filling up with people. Early arrivals did not wear nametags, but many wore clothing that provided clues -- black apparel, leather jackets, miniskirts, and fishnet hosiery. One woman wore a black-and-blue striped tunic top. (Black and blue are common background colors on SM websites.

Later on, the group's coordinator arrived and set up a check-in table outside the bar, where he handed out red and blue nametags, the colors indicating whether a person was a "dominant" or a "submissive."

The attendees ranged in age from young adults to senior citizens and appeared equally divided between men and women. By the time I left the Intermezzo at 9:30, there were at least 100 people in the bar.

I asked the cocktail waitress, "Is there some kind of special event going on tonight? Everyone seems to be so dressed up." She said, "It's an AOL chat group."

I turned to a couple seated at the next table and began talking to them. They identified themselves as "Vince and Marlene" and said they had recently moved to San Diego from Louisiana. I asked Marlene the same question I had asked the cocktail waitress, "Why is everyone so dressed up?" Marlene hesitated at first, saying it was a gathering for "alternative lifestyles." She then said, "Come out in the lobby and I'll tell you what it's about." We walked outside the bar, where she explained that it was a gathering of people who like to get "beat up." Another woman standing nearby, who was privy to our conversation, said to me, "If you're a good Christian woman, then you really ought to leave; you don't belong here."

Two men, "Cliff" and "Doug," approached our table, introduced themselves and began discussing the purpose of the gathering. Cliff's nametag said "OTK" and he explained that it stood for his particular BDSM fetish, "over-the-knee" spanking. He also discussed asphyxiation and "age play" (role-playing of different ages, such as baby- or childhood.)

Doug admitted that he was there "to recruit" others to the BDSM scene and discussed aspects of the BDSM "lifestyle" such as "knife play" and "golden showers." When I asked him why he participates in such activities, he answered, "I think I was born this way." He also admitted that the internet has enabled people with similar interests to find each other more easily.

As of August, the Radisson no longer hosts the S&M social due to plans to convert the Intermezzo bar into conference space. A September 11 e-mail message announced "SD SM Social -- NEW LOCATION -- Jason's Point Loma.

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