What follows is a transcript of a statement about the Aurora, Colorado tragedy by former Arizona state senator Russell Pearce (R-Mesa), who was recalled last year. You may recall that Mr. Pearce is the author of Senate Bill 1070. Mr. Pearce published this piece on his Facebook page at 10:21 PM on Friday, July 20 – the evening after the shootings.

This is certainly a time for prayers for the victims and the families of victims in this horrific crime in Colorado. I just had a call from a very good friend of mine in San Diego, California who’s neice Kim, Kim’s best friend Mikayla and Kevin were in the Theater in the front rows. Kim and Kevin got out and as he was trying to get Mikayla out she said she was shot. As the rush of the crowd exiting through the exit door pushed Kevin and Kim out they lost Mikayla. As of my phone conversation they were not aware of her status. What a heart breaking story. Had someone been prepared and armed they could have stopped this “bad” man from most of this tragedy. He was two and three feet away from folks, I understand he had to stop and reload. Where were the men of flight 93???? Someone should have stopped this man. Someone could have stopped this man. Lives were lost because of a bad man, not because he had a weapon, but because noone was prepared to stop it. Had they been prepared to save their lives or lives of others, lives would have been saved. All that was needed is one Courages/Brave man prepared mentally or otherwise to stop this it could have been done. When seconds count, police are ony minutes away. My prayers are with all of those suffering from this sensless act, may God be with them in this moment of pain and heartache.

Continue reading Wherein I Verbally Assault a Formerly Elected, Now Recalled Official →

If you have a Y chromosome and live in Arizona, pay attention:

(Aside to Ross: Having a Y chromosome means you’re a dude – FYI.)

The Arizona Senate is scheduling a re-vote on HB2625 – the bill that would allow any employer to opt out of covering contraception through their insurance plan for “moral or religious” reasons, requiring an employee (or their spouse) to approach the insurer directly with an affidavit showing the woman needs hormonal birth control for reasons other than pregnancy prevention, because the insurer of the morally objecting employer won’t have to cover contraception for pregnancy prevention.

Please note, Arizona already has a law on the books that allows religious institutions such as churches to opt out of contraception coverage when it is in direct opposition to their religious teachings. HB2625 would expand this exemption to any employer for any moral reason.

The bill was defeated 17-13 in the Senate on March 28 when seven Republicans joined Democrats in voting it down – but it’s not dead yet. Those seven Republicans need your help – and so do the ladies.

Continue reading Man Up for Your Lady Friends →

I married one of my best friends on Friday.

Actually, she married her fiancé, about 3 years and 3 months after I introduced them, set them up on their first date and then took them on their first date. On Friday, I just closed the deal – officiating their wedding ceremony in my new role as a licensed minister.

The Pastor of Disaster. The Sinister Minister. The Right Reverend of Wrong – I answer to them all, because I am – as of October 11, 2011 – a fully ordained, licensed minister, authorized under Title 25, Article 3, Section 125 of the Arizona Revised Statutes to perform a marriage ceremony in the Grand Canyon State.

Continue reading Love is Love →

I don’t hate Tim Tebow.

I hate the 43 percent of Americans that believe God helps Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos win.

I hate the 62 percent of sportswriters who have leapt onto that bandwagon. I also hate the 31 percent of non-sports media outlets that started flailing their arms and chasing after said bandwagon as it pulled out of the station when Tebow hit wide receiver Demaryius Thomas on an 80-yard touchdown pass to seal an overtime victory against the dreaded Pittsburgh Stealers last Sunday.

I also hate 100 percent of the CBS Sports broadcast team of Jim Nantz and Phil Simms who compromise Tebow’s virtue by shamelessly fellating him during their weekly two-hour gusher of  infinitely insightful color commentary.

And since I’m driving the bus on the highway to hell anyway: Any god that intervenes in a professional football game – in direct contradiction to his Ten Commandments – is not a God I want to worship.

Continue reading Tebow Wins. Sanity Loses. →

The National Football League has set the record for most meaningless records on a single Sunday afternoon.

Previously held by Major League Baseball, the NFL worked hard all season long to capture the record, bringing a fresh crop of Ivy League-trained statisticians off the bench in the fourth quarter of the AFC Wild Card playoff game on Sunday to clinch mark for monumentally meaningless marks.

Continue reading NFL Record for Most Meaningless Records on a Sunday Afternoon →