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Category Archives: Freedom

Freedom Walk Brings Thousands To Hart Plaza

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Thousands attend the Freedom March rally in Hart Plaza. (WWJ/Beth Fisher)

DETROIT (WWJ) Thousands gathered on Hart Plaza after the Freedom Walk on Woodward. President of the Detroit branch of the NAACP, the Reverend Wendell Anthony, says theyre here to continue Dr. Kings work.

If you dont take the march to Lansing, if you dont take the march to D.C., if you dont take the march to your own neighborhood then marching dont mean nothing, said Anthony.

UAW President Bob King said this rally is a call to action:

Are you willing to accept in Michigan or anywhere else, the governor coming in and replacing your elected officials when you accept emergency managers. No, we will not, King told the crowd.

Our fight is going to be long, its going to be hard, but because of people like you we are going to win this fight, said Detroit Mayor Dave Bing. Referring to the fact that Detroit now has an emergency manager.

Thousands walked and attended the rally. Some people who marched 50 years ago were also at the event.

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Freedom Walk Brings Thousands To Hart Plaza

RedBlue America: Will gay marriage hurt freedom of religion

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The U.S. Supreme Court's ruling is expected this week on the Defense of Marriage Act and California's Proposition 8, which limited marriage to a man and a woman. Will gay marriage undermine the freedom of religious people to recognize only traditional marriage?

Religious rights to suffer

No, the First Amendment and same-sex marriage cannot coexist harmoniously. Something will have to give -- and it will start with the freedom of conscience.

Here's why: If the law says there can be no "rational basis" for treating the union between a man and a woman as something unique -- if a union between any two (or, perhaps someday, more) consenting adults is a "marriage" -- then it really doesn't matter what your conscience tells you.

We don't prosecute people for holding unpopular beliefs -- yet -- but the authorities do look askance at discrimination. That's why we hear so much lately about caterers, photographers and florists running afoul of several states' civil rights laws for refusing to do business with gay couples.

True, those aren't churches. But states such as New Jersey and Vermont have already sanctioned church-affiliated organizations for refusing to host same-sex weddings or receptions at their facilities.

Freedom of association is also in jeopardy. California's state Senate last month voted to strip the Boy

California's Democrats don't care about the Boy Scouts' First Amendment right to define their membership. And they don't have particularly high regard for the role the organization plays in shaping boys into responsible adults and good citizens. The Scouts simply don't conform to the Democrats' way of thinking, and so they must be punished. Does anyone seriously think churches won't be punished, too?

It's only a matter of time before what we understand as "freedom of religion" is whittled down to little more than the freedom to worship whatever deity you choose in a special building one day out of the week.

But to actually apply your religious beliefs to the way you live or do business the other six days? Expect no sympathy from the law when it comes to same-sex unions. Such is the price of "equality."

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RedBlue America: Will gay marriage hurt freedom of religion

Freedom feted for Juneteenth

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SAN ANGELO, Texas The Rev. Terressa Holcumb threw down her walking stick and linked arms with a large circle of people to pray at Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park in north San Angelo.

Freedom is the ability to see my children realize the sky is the limit, they can educate themselves, said Holcumb, with the Sims Chapel at the House of Restoration. Its going to the grocery store to pick up what I want to eat, not what I have to eat. Being able to celebrate who God is to me if not for him, we would have none of this.

Several hundred people gathered Saturday for a parade and picnic to celebrate Juneteenth, which commemorates Emancipation Day and the announcement of the abolition of slavery in Texas on June 19, 1865.

Juneteenth is about those who finally got the message, said Theodore Boone, of the Ministerial Alliance of San Angelo. Its important because sometimes people dont get the message and miss out on opportunities, so they continue in bondage.

To Boone, the delayed receipt of the message on Juneteenth is symbolic of those who have not heard the Christian gospel.

Were celebrating information that brings change. If you never get the truth, you stay in bondage, he said. We got the message. We got the message.

With a cool breeze whipping past, the parade procession made up of cars, motorcycles, a firetruck and a tandem bicycle caused a joyful clamor in the neighborhoods along MLK Drive.

Waving at Fort Concho Buffalo Soldier re-enactors and parade floats from the sidewalk, 62-year-old Billie Jean Lacy called out to them and gleefully collected the candy they threw to onlookers.

Lacy, originally from San Angelo, drove from Austin to celebrate Juneteenth with her family. She is thrilled that other cultural groups join in the celebration, too.

Now we have lots of different ethnic and cultural groups, she said. Thats the goal not to have segregation. Its for all culture to come to enjoy.

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Freedom feted for Juneteenth

Freedom Celebration set for Sunday

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FILE - Foggy Hollow performs during North Glencoe Baptist Church's fifth annual Freedom Celebration in Glencoe, Alabama Sunday, June 26, 2011.

North Glencoe Baptist Churchs annual Freedom Celebration takes place from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday in the churchs park, and the community is invited to take part.

Vision Pastor Adam Ragsdale said this years event is designed to be more community- and veteran-oriented.

The focus on the community starts well before the celebration does.

We are having an abbreviated service on Sunday morning, Ragsdale wrote in an email. Our church has partnered with McGuffey Health Care to take gift baskets to residents and employees. Were calling the event The Church Has Left The Building. Well also be asking our people to spread the word about Freedom Celebration that morning as well. Were trying to get our people to stop coming to church and to start being the church. We hope this event will be a great way to do that.

As time for the celebration nears, church members will return to the building, but Media Minister Brian Goble said he hopes no one has to go in the building.

As of right now, we are going forward with outdoors, Goble wrote in an email. Our immediate rain plan will more than likely move things inside the main building at North Glencoe. We are closely monitoring the weather and will post more details about the game plan this weekend on Facebook (Facebook.com/northglencoe) and our website (northglencoe.org).

As the festivities get started, visitors can enjoy free hot dogs, snacks and bottled water. As in the past, there will be inflatables, dunking booths and face-painting for children, all free of charge.

We have some really cool things going on that we havent (had) in the past, Ragsdale wrote.

This includes a salute to those who have served the cause of freedom.

The rest is here:

Freedom Celebration set for Sunday


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