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™ Vol. 13 Issue 22
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July 2-8, 2008 www.aframnews.com
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America’s Mixed Signals Should U.S. Congress legislate morality? BUD JOHNSON
African-American News&Issues
Born to be leaders! See page 6
Teen Lesbianism:
The Black community’s silent heartbreak DERIC MUHAMMAD
African-American News&Issues
There was a time when a father’s worst nightmare was the day when his daughter comes home and tells him “Daddy, I have a boyfriend”. His heart skips three beats, his throat gets dry and he immediately goes to the garage and starts cleaning that ‘ole rusty 38. Nowadays little girls’ parents are more relieved that rattled by the traditional boyfriend announcement. It sure beats the new nightmare that too many are having to endure when their daughters come home and boldly declare, “Daddy, I have a girlfriend”. Teen lesbianism in the Black community has become rabid and rampant. It is fast becoming the “elephant in the room” that nobody acknowledges is there. But, the elephant is getting bigger and bigger. Everywhere you go, you are likely to see school-aged girls sporting sagging jeans, wave caps, fade haircuts and mean-mug facial expressions. While the uniform does not necessitate lesbianism, the girl in the short skirt that she is holding hands with usually does. Recently, I saw a couple with their young child at Houston’s Hermann Park having what appeared to be a family outing. The child See LESBIANISM page 3
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Quote of the Week “People are entitled to their personal opinion and preferences but individuals should not be discriminated against based upon sexual orientation.” -Rep. Rob Andrews
TV personality Rosie, seals same-sex marriage with a kiss.
SACC says Clear Channel Communications clearly busted MARIO SALAS
African-American News&Issues
SAN ANTONIO- Clear Channel Communications and Matt Martin, Regional Vice President and Market Manager for Clear Channel Radio in San Antonio, recently made statements to the Federal Comm u n i cations Commission (FCC) Lowery Mays, CEO of Clear Chan- regarding a complaint nel Communicaby tions has come under filed commufire across the U.S. nity repreIndependence Day 2007 will forever be remembered with a tinge of sadness by a wide diversity of citizens that gathered to bid farewell to one of Houston, Texas’ most beloved educators on the eve of the July 5, 2007 celebration of his life at St. Francis Assisi Catholic Church, 5102 Dabney. Reverend Monsignor Patrick Wells and Deacon Ignatius Joseph officiated the Mass of Resurrection for their brother-inChrist, friend and faithful member Joseph Thiel Angle. Liz Hynes, Erika Angle, Nan Sterling, and his beloved grandchildren participated in the mass. Active pallbearers were: Joseph Angle Jr., Austin Angle, Philander Sterling, Al Rogue Jr., J. Michael Angle, Phillip Delphin, Gary Readore and Derrick Delphin. Randolph Fusilier was honorary pallbearer for Joe, who was born in Houston, Texas on August 25, 1930 to Thiel and Effie Angle, and raised by John and Josephine Chevalier, who planted the seeds in him that blossomed into a great educator, which was nurtured at
sentatives in San Antonio. As expected the Bush- dominated FCC ruled in the monopoly’s favor as it has consistently done ever since the FCC let Clear Channel Communications stomp the public in 1996, when Michael Powell, son of General Colin Powell, gave away the bank to Clear Channel greed by doing away with many of the rules that benefited the community. We are now left with a runaway, arrogant, greedy monopoly that refuses to stop ripping off the community and playing the racist rhetoric of Rush Limbaugh. Clear Channel Communications has even censored songs and Black recording artists that it does not like and many are calling for a boycott of WOAI Radio and Clear Channel Communications. In a letter datSee CLEAR CHANNEL page 3
Joseph Thiel Angle
August 25, 1930-June 29, 2007
St. Augustine Seminary at Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. The Seminary was founded by Fr. Matthew Christmann, in 1920 Greenville, Mississippi to train Black men for religious life and priesthood. “It must be clear to everyone that it is surely a grave injustice to exclude a whole race from the priesthood, principally because prejudice will greatly hamper them in their religious activities, or a cordial cooperation with White priests may meet with great obstacles,” Fr.
Can we, do we, and should we legislate morality is a question that rings in the ears of many Americans. It seems that there are more factors, conditions and answers to this frequently asked question than the common person is willing to consider. In order to answer the question presented, one must fully understand the idea of morality and what it means to legislate it. What is morality? According to Webster, morality is “A doctrine or system of moral conduct: or particular moral principles or rules of conduct: or conformity to ideals of human conduct.” This definition leaves much to be answered, such as: Who sets up this system? Is it relative to ones’ personal preferences? And can morality be forced on an individual? To further understand morality let us discuss it in more detail. Is morality relative? What laws would be considered laws of morality? Can a democratic country consider morality while writing laws? At the outset it should be noted that there is no longstanding history in this country of laws directed at homosexual conduct as a distinct matter. The preceding text culled from term papers at a prestigious School of Divinity is apropos for African-American News &Issues’ query into the (real, or imagined) moral decay of an ideally Judeo-Christian nation. History, indeed, records: “Beginning in colonial times there were prohibitions of sodomy derived from the English criminal laws passed in the first instance by the Reformation Parliament of 1533. The English prohibition was understood to include relations between men and women as well as relations between men and men. “Early American sodomy laws were not directed at homosexuals as such but instead sought to prohibit nonprocreative sexual activity more generally. This does not Christmann later explained. Pope Puis Xl, in a letter to the Superior General of the Society of the Divine Word in 1923, congratulated the Society for beginning the first Seminary in America to train Black men for the priesthood. However, although Joe completed four years of philosophical and novitiate studies, he eventually became an educator instead of a priest. He received his undergraduate and masters degrees from Xavier University in New Orleans, Louisiana. Joseph pursued his Ph.D. at both, Texas A&M University and the University of Nebraska. He began his 30-year career with the Houston Independent School District as an English and French teacher at Kashmere Gardens Jr. / Sr. High School. He held the positions of Assistant Principal, Principal, and Deputy Superintendent for Instruction, then ended his career as Superintendent for Area Administration. Joe, an educator with the humility of a priest, was dedicated to educating and shaping young minds. He retired in
suggest approval of homosexual conduct. Instead the colonists disproved of all premarital sex. However, the institution of marriage has been in a state of flux for centuries. In the U.S., it has continually been redefined. Lest we forget, prior to and during 1967, at least sixteen states prohibited mixed race couples from marrying. Interracial marriage became legal throughout the U.S. after a U.S. Supreme Court decision in that year. But, until recently, same-sex couples could not marry anywhere in the world. Denial notwithstanding, although it falls into the signs of the times category, for some odd reason the recent ruling in ‘La La Land’ struck a nerve.” California’s May 15th Supreme Court ruling on same-sex marriage reverberated throughout Christendom like a spiritual Weapon of Mass Destruction (WMD), as Rosie O’Donnell and other openly gay celebrities brazenly celebrated their marriages. Yet, political naïve citizens of good consciences truly believe that America (a godly nation, that’s governed by mostly godly people) will eventually adhere to God’s divine will. Conversely, the constitution’s purists, reconcile what the Holy Bible calls an abomination against God to be Democracy manifesting itself. Have the people, indeed, spoken? Meanwhile, Black America had cause to pause and ponder why the Black church hasn’t sufficiently discussed the issue religiously? Accordingly, as Black America’s strongest, uncompromised editorial voice we must objectively address the nettlesome issue. Surely, AAN&I’s widely diverse 2.2. million readers and millions more accessing our Web site at www.aframnews.com will be edified by the Washington Post’s Darryl Fears’ Nov. 2, 2004 article (Gay Blacks Feeling Strained Church Ties: Same-Sex Marriage Debate Has Put ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ Relationship Under Scrutiny), that
See MIXED SIGNALS page 3
1986 and focused his free time on his family and international travel. He was the patriarch of the Angle Family and served as a role model to his students, co-workers, and friends. Anyone who knew himknew his priorities: faith, family, education, strength of character and personal responsibility. On June 29, 2007, Joseph Thiel Angle, age 76, loving and devoted husband, father and grandfather was summoned home by our Heavenly Father on Friday, June 29th, 2007 while surrounded by his family at home. He is survived by his wife of 51 years, Mary Sue Angle; son Joseph Thiel Angle, Jr. and his wife, Susan Angle; son J. Michael Angle and his wife, Karla Angle; and daughter Ava Angle. He is grandfather to six beautiful grandchildren: Erika, Austin, Marissa, Travis, Cameron and Alden. He is also survived by his mother-in-law, Rosalie Sterling, his first cousin, Randolph Fusilier and his wife, Theresa Fusilier, as well as many close family members and friends. TX-1