Note: This archive version of the e-newsletter is in ASCII text. To view this in Rich Text Format/HTML (with pictures & links), use the Contact page to send an e-mail to request that edition. Dear Friend, Today's Early Edition of InfoQuest* brings you several alerts, comprising movies, national product recalls, gambling, and expanded compulsory school attendance. As always, just for you, IQ* Solutions follow every alert! Please note that You are the Solution. With assistance from the Holy Spirit, it is only through your actions that our nation and world will become a better place. Jesus and His disciples were activists. They finished their prayers, stood up, walked out the door, and traveled door to door, town to town, and country to country, spreading the Gospel. They were met with persecution, attacks, and murder. Through their blood and Action, we have freedom today that was unbelievable in their time, thanks to the Christian Founding Fathers who established a nation based on the Bible - Old Testament and New. Will you follow the Action steps today? CONTENTS: (1) Meg Ryan & Mainstream Movies Go Porn IQ* Solution! (2) Bush Supports Homosexual Unions! IQ* Solution! (3) Protect Yourself & Others! Product Recalls! (4) Gambling Alert (Pennsylvania) IQ* Solution Applies to All States & Countries! (5) Compulsory Education Alert (Pennsylvania) IQ* Solution Applies to All States & Countries! (6) National 2nd Amendment Annual Report & Forecast (7) GrinchList.com! ==================== ==================== (1) Meg Ryan & Mainstream Movies Go Porn IQ* Solution! Descent into Degeneracy http://www.thenewamerican.com/tna/2003/11-17-2003/insider/vo19no23_values.htm According to publisher Judith Regan, "The culture has become much more porn-ized." As examples she cites the increasingly smutty tone of television advertising and the October debut of Skin, a Fox-TV series in which a central character is a porn kingpin played by CFR member Ron Silver. And Regan's own publishing company, HarperCollins ReganBooks, will accelerate our slide into the sewer next spring by publishing How to Make Love Like a Porn Star, the memoir of porn star Jenna Jameson. The October 24 issue of Entertainment Weekly calls Jameson "the queen of a booming industry that pulls in a lowball estimate of $10 billion a year." The 29-year-old daughter of a sheriff and a now-deceased Las Vegas showgirl, Jameson rakes in an estimated $5-15 million through her personal merchandising company. She has appeared on NBC's prime-time program Mister Sterling - playing a porn star, of course. While mainstream Hollywood tries to distance itself from its porn subsidiary, Jameson reports: "Everybody that I've met who is famous is real intrigued by who I am and what I do. Arnold Schwarzenegger, he was so cool! Jackie Chan. Sylvester Stallone.... Elijah Wood [star of the Lord of the Rings trilogy] once bum-rushed me! I'm standing there, and all of a sudden Elijah Wood and the other hobbit come up to me and are like, 'Omigod, Jenna Jameson! Can we star in a movie with you?'" The distance between Hollywood and the smut industry is narrowing. Further evidence of this is found in an October 23 Salon story describing forthcoming mainstream films featuring pornographically explicit scenes. Those scenes include certifiable movie stars such as Meg Ryan and William H. Macy. Salon also noted the recent film Monster's Ball, which included a porn film-grade nude scene by Berry, who won a Best Actress Oscar for her performance. Jameson is currently married to Jay Grdina, her director and co-star. (She was briefly married to another porn film director.) According to Grdina, "Our job is like making donuts. You come in, punch the time clock, and leave." Their workplace does attract attention from VIPs: "People want to come down and watch. Politicians who you would not believe." Reference: The New American Magazine Vol. 19, No. 23 November 17, 2003 Table of Contents http://www.thenewamerican.com/tna/2003/10-06-2003/index.htm More on Traditional Values http://www.thenewamerican.com/focus/religion/index.htm Order This Issue http://www.aobs-store.com/tna/2003.htm#23 +++++++ IQ* Solution: (1) Subscribe to The New American Magazine to arm yourself with the hard Truth. www.TheNewAmerican.com (2) Forget systems like TV Guardian. If a show's storyline includes foul language, is this storyline worthy of being shoved into your head, heart, and soul? If you're going to watch TV, choose www.SkyAngel.com (3) If you're going to go to the movies, seek Christian movie reviews here first: http://www.pluggedinonline.com (Focus on the Family Website) http://www.christiananswers.net/spotlight/home.html (ChristianAnswers) ==================== ==================== (2) Bush Supports Homosexual Unions! CWA Warns: Presidential Embrace of Civil Unions Undermines Pro-Family Effort to Save Marriage 12/17/2003 http://www.cwfa.org/articledisplay.asp?id=5010&department=MEDIA&categoryid=family "Creating counterfeit marriage is immoral and destructive," CWA's Sandy Rios says. Washington, D.C. - President Bush last night drove a wedge into the pro-family effort to preserve the institution of marriage by signaling that his administration supports the creation of homosexual civil unions or domestic partnerships at the state level.. In answer to a question by ABC News' Diane Sawyer, Bush said: "If necessary, I will support a constitutional amendment which would honor marriage between a man and a woman, codify that, and will - the position of this administration is that whatever legal arrangements people want to make, they're allowed to make, so long as it's embraced by the state or start at the state level." Sandy Rios, president of CWA, had this response: "The president is right on marriage, but tragically wrong on civil unions. Whether it's done by a state, a court or the federal government, creating counterfeit marriage is immoral and destructive. It is not compassionate to create incentives for people to engage in homosexual behavior which leads to rampant disease and early death, especially among homosexual men." Robert Knight, director of CWA's Culture & Family Institute responded, "President Bush is rejecting Judeo-Christian moral teaching in order to please homosexual activists and some misguided advisors who think this will be politically advantageous. But this is not only immoral, it is bad politics. It will serve only to unite his enemies and demoralize his base." Jan LaRue, CWA's chief counsel, said: "Marriage is protected by law as the unique relationship and foundation of civilization. The President has courageously led the war on terrorism. We were counting on him to exhibit the same leadership in the war on marriage. His stated position on civil unions is greatly disappointing, and we hope he reconsiders what's at stake." Tune in tomorrow to Concerned Women Today to hear Sandy Rios and Robert Knight discuss the President's comments. The show reaches over 1 million listeners per week and can be heard in the Washington, D.C., area on WAVA 105.1 FM at 2:30 p.m. EDT. For Information Contact: Rebecca Riggs (202) 488-7000 media.cwfa.org Printer Friendly Version Concerned Women for America 1015 Fifteenth St. N.W., Suite 1100 Washington, D.C. 20005 Phone: (202) 488-7000 Fax: (202) 488-0806 +++++++ IQ* Solution: Dear Friend, the writing isn't just on the wall, it's right smack in our faces! What's the Only political party that is 100% pro-life and pro-Judeo-Christian values? It's the Constitution Party! http://www.constitutionparty.com Do the right thing! Switch to the Constitution Party today! Do it online here: https://ssl.capwiz.com/congressorg/nvra/ Remember to select "Other" and type/write in "Constitution Party" (do not select "Constitutional"). ==================== ==================== (3) Protect Yourself & Others! Product Recalls! Recall Update: California Firm Expands Recall Of Meat Dumplings Reason: May contain pieces of glass. Distribution: California. Florida Firm Has Recalled Chicken Salad Reason: May be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. Distribution: Georgia. First & Main Has Recalled Plush Toys Reason: The decorative gem stone on the toy’s wings could detach, posing a choking hazard to young children. Distribution: Nationwide. Schylling Associates Has Recalled More “Jack-In-the-Box” Type Toys Reason: The bead on the crank of the toy can detach, posing a choking hazard to young children. Distribution: Nationwide. Zutopia (a division of Wet Seal Inc.) Has Recalled Girl’s Loungewear Reason: The loungewear failed to meet federal flammability standards for children’s sleepwear posing a risk of serious burn injuries to children. Distribution: Nationwide. Arctic Cat Has Recalled Snowmobiles Reason: Red plastic skis used on these 2003 model year snowmobiles could be damaged by UV light exposure. Distribution: Worldwide. Reference: http://www.safetyalerts.com/ ==================== ==================== (4) Gambling Alert (Pennsylvania) IQ* Solution Applies to All States & Countries! Dear Friend, Governor Rendell hopes to push through slot machines while we are all out Christmas shopping! That's his plan, to deliver slots to big gambling by Christmas 2003! Contact your State Senator and Representative, ask him or her to vote NO on gambling expansion. Please call or fax both the district offices and Harrisburg offices AND e-mail. It is too late to respond via paper snail-mail. http://fp.users.fast.net/InfoQuest/government.htm#CONGRESS Visit the InfoQuest* Gambling Solution Page for more information: http://fp.users.fast.net/InfoQuest/government.htm#Gambling ==================== ==================== (5) Compulsory Education Alert (Pennsylvania) IQ* Solution Applies to All States & Countries! Dear Friend, What you should do: (1) Get your Pennsylvania State Rep's Contact Info Here: http://fp.users.fast.net/InfoQuest/government.htm#CONGRESS (2) Call your representative and let him/her that you are one of his/her constituents and would appreciate his continued opposition to increasing the compulsory attendance age. Ask him to oppose amendment A4524 to HB 2128. Make it clear that increasing the compulsory attendance would be an unreasonable and unjustified burden to home and private schoolers and would be an unfunded mandate for the school districts. References and background: Read the online IQ* Alert here: http://fp.users.fast.net/InfoQuest/education.htm#Stop_PA_HB1221 ==================== ==================== (6) National 2nd Amendment Annual Report & Forecast GOA's Gun Rights Report for 2003 Gun Owners of America E-Mail Alert 8001 Forbes Place, Suite 102, Springfield, VA 22151 Phone: 703-321-8585 / FAX: 703-321-8408 http://www.gunowners.org Over the past few months, six House lawmakers have formally pulled their support of Wicker's bill, and it is not expected to reach the House floor this year.... [which] shows the effect that one influential lobbying group [GOA] can have on legislation. -- The Hill newspaper, October 29, 2003 (Tuesday, December 9, 2003) -- As you read that quote above, you should pat yourself on the back. You are the reason the gun control education bill stalled in the Congress this year. The above quote comes from The Hill, which is a Washington, DC newspaper covering Congress and politics. A recent article was devoted to what seemed to The Hill as a surprising story: Gun Owners of America has stalled an education bill in the House that passed the Senate 90-0. To quote from The Hill: Before the group's lobbying effort, the bill was sailing through Congress. It has attracted more than 200 co-sponsors in the House and is supported by President Bush. But the bill hit a major bump in the road. That "bump" was the members of Gun Owners of America. The outpouring of opposition from folks like yourself was so overwhelming that aides on Capitol Hill now "blame" GOA for blocking Wicker's bill from moving forward this year. Rep. Wicker himself admitted that he was "shocked by the influence that Gun Owners of America has had on his bill" because it had faced such little opposition in the Senate. At GOA, we realize how easy it is to just focus on the bad news. Certainly we had our share of it this year. Both houses of Congress voted to reauthorize the plastic gun ban WITHOUT A RECORDED VOTE and to send the bill to President Bush in late November. The President announced he would sign a bill to reauthorize the semi-auto gun ban in April, and the Supreme Court has consistently refused to grant relief to individuals that are victimized by anti-gun laws. Yes, there has been bad news. But there has been a lot of good news as well, and you folks have been an instrumental reason. Please take a look at a brief review of some of the highlights that we have achieved together this year. GOA's Good News File * March GOA activists began asking the Congress to close the airplane pilot loophole and to authorize cargo pilots to carry firearms. Congress did pass legislation last year allowing commercial pilots to carry firearms in the cockpit, but the law contained a gaping loophole that future terrorists could fly through. By not allowing cargo pilots to arm themselves -- similar to commercial pilots -- future terrorists could easily commandeer a cargo plane and inflict just as much damage as we saw on 9-11. In a stunning victory, the GOA-backed legislation received final approval in the waning hours of Congress as part of an FAA Security package. * April President Bush surprised many gun owners when he announced his support for keeping the Clinton-Feinstein gun ban on the books. GOA immediately called its e-mail activists into action, resulting in thousands of gun owners contacting the President to protest his support for the ban. In the first 24 hours alone, Gun Owners generated more than 10,000 contacts to the White House, prompting Senior White House official Carl Rove to admit that he's received a "tremendous amount of e-mail" on this issue. Subsequent lobbying in the House of Representatives has met with positive results as Majority Leader Tom DeLay said that "the votes aren't there" to pass the gun ban and that a bill to reauthorize the ban will not come to the House floor. * May - June Perhaps the most significant victory this year occurred in Alaska, where the state enacted a statute allowing its citizens to carry concealed firearms -- without first getting permits. Gun Owners of America mobilized its members on two occasions during the bill's journey toward becoming law -- a law which is modeled somewhat after Vermont's. No fees. No waiting periods. No invasive background checks. No requirement to be screened or fingerprinted like common sex offenders. Citizens can now carry freely in most places in Alaska without first getting a state-issued permit. * August Gun Owners of America began to mobilize its e-mail activists against a dangerous education bill (H.R. 1078) that was on a "fast track" to George Bush's desk. The chief sponsor of the bill is Rep. Roger Wicker (R-MS). * September - October Six cosponsors pulled their names from Wicker's education bill after GOA alerted them to the dangers the bill poses for American gun rights. An aide to one of the cosponsors, Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-CO), told The Hill newspaper that "the concerns raised by Gun Owners of America played a major role in the lawmaker's decision to withdraw his name as a cosponsor" of the bill. At one time, the bill was being rushed to the President's desk, but e-mails and faxes from GOA activists have helped to stall the bill for now. According to The Hill, the sense in Washington is that before the legislation is voted on in the House, it must be "amended to address the Gun Owners of America's concerns." * November - December GOA alerted activists this fall to the Schumer-McCarthy legislation -- two bills that would sacrifice more of our privacy and deny even more good Americans their right to keep and bear arms. GOA warned that this legislation had the potential to dupe many pro-gunners into cosponsoring the bill. One NRA Director (and one former Director) signed onto this legislation early on, and a few other "moderately" pro-gun Congressmen had cosponsored the bill as well. The good news is that GOA e-mail activists have been able to keep many good congressmen from jumping on board, and this is a testament to your hard work and activism. Of the 75 plus congressmen who have cosponsored this legislation as of today, only seven have GOA ratings between an "A" and "C." And this bill, which was introduced with much fanfare and media acclaim, now seems to have taken a back seat and is just gathering dust. Looking Ahead to 2004 All these pro-gun victories are, of course, just the tip of the iceberg. There has been an unprecedented movement in recent months and years towards more gun ownership and more freedom to carry firearms. To be sure, many of these "advances" are not pure victories. For example, while several states joined the concealed carry club this year, none of them passed laws that were as good as Alaska's. But the arrival of Colorado, Minnesota, Missouri and New Mexico into this world of concealed carry this year brings the total number of CCW states to 45. Much still needs to be done to move these states towards fewer restrictions. However, one can rejoice in the fact that the Brady Bunch is groaning now that "more guns are on the street." We will be very busy this upcoming year. We hope you will support Gun Owners of America and work with us in 2004. GOA Only Succeeds Because of YOU As a grassroots lobbying organization, the ability of GOA to continue putting pressure on politicians depends on loyal activists like yourself. Each year, GOA becomes stronger as more activists join the fight. And that growth is only possible when those who have come before continue their support. If you haven't already joined GOA, isn't it time you did? If you are already a member, have you renewed for 2004 yet? The battle to repeal the semi-auto ban will be arduous and expensive in the coming months even though prospects look quite good for winning it. Our e-mail alerts and Legislative Action Center, which are provided free in the interest of adding as many voices as possible to the pro-gun movement, cost tens of thousands of dollars every year. Please consider adding your financial support in the form of a new membership, renewal, or donation today. To join or renew online, please visit http://www.gunowners.org/ordergoamem.htm for secure credit card transactions. Donation options on that page also include repealing the semi-auto ban and funding e-mail alerts. Or, print out and mail the following form. Thank you for your activism and support of GOA. *** To: Gun Owners of America 8001 Forbes Place Suite 102 Springfield VA 22151 __ I would like to join GOA to start getting full membership benefits including the GOA newsletter, voter's guides, legislative updates, and more. Please sign me up as a member with a donation of: ____$20 ____$35 ____$50 ____$100 ____$250 __ Although not joining today, here's my contribution of $_______ to help finance GOA's excellent: ____E-mail Alert Network ____Legislative Action Center _________________________________________________________________ (name -- please print clearly) _________________________________________________________________ (address) _________________________________________________________________ (city / state / zip) _________________________________________________________________ (phone number) ____ MC ____ Visa ____ AmEx ____ Discover ____ Check enclosed _________________________________________________________________ (credit card number) Expires: _____________________ Total amount: ____________________ Signature: ______________________________________________________ (required on credit card purchases) ==================== ==================== (7) GrinchList.com! http://grinchlist.com/ GrinchList.com combats Christmas 'censorship' Virginia couple fight companies using politically correct term 'holiday' By Ron Strom WorldNetDaily.com http://wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=36071 A new website has been launched to combat what the creators see as a growing intolerance for the term "Christmas" in American culture. "Christmas is an endangered holiday in public spaces," said GrinchList.com co-founder Kirk McElwain. "The site lists companies and organizations that engage in egregious revisionism and promotes awareness of this growing phenomenon known as Christmas intolerance." GrinchList.com's mission statement says it hopes to "expose [offending organizations] to the millions of consumers whose heritage is being expunged from the public cultural arena." http://grinchlist.com/