Society's Child

AIDS-infected Alabama church pastor refuses to resign despite abusing church funds and frequent drug-fuelled trysts with members of congregation

Sasha Goldstein
New York Daily News
Wed, 15 Oct 2014 22:55 UTC

Pastor Juan McFarland admitted his sins during sermons in September, shocking members of the Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church who voted Oct. 5 to oust the preacher. But McFarland has refused to step down, even changing church locks, church bank accounts and showing up Sunday to give a sermon, the suit claims.

© Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church
Pastor Juan McFarland: sex predator, hard drug user... and preacher. He refuses to step down from his post.

This sinner thinks he's a saint.

An Alabama church board has filed a lawsuit seeking to remove the Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church pastor who refuses to leave, despite a vote to oust the man, who confessed to using drugs and having sex with church members while being HIV-positive.

Pastor Juan McFarland gave a sermon at the Montgomery church on divine healing Sunday, two days before the church's board of deacons and board of trustees filed suit alleging McFarland changed the locks at the house of worship and put church bank accounts in his name after "church members discovered his debauchery, sinfulness, hedonism, sexual misconduct, dishonesty, thievery and rejection of the Ten Commandments," the suit, obtained by AL.com, reads.

It's only freedom and democracy when we say it is: Mass arrests in St. Louis as protest movement grows

Al Jazeera
Wed, 15 Oct 2014 22:39 UTC

Demonstrators refused to move for four hours - the time it took for officers to remove Michael Brown's body in August

Cornel West among protestors arrested in Ferguson at a rally outside police headquarters

Hundreds of people demonstrated in the pouring rain in the St. Louis area Monday, with many refusing to move from outside Ferguson police headquarters for a period of four hours - the same amount of time that 18-year-old Michael Brown's body was left on the streets after being shot dead by an officer in August, sparking months of unrest.

The action was the latest in a "Weekend of Resistance" over the shooting of the Missouri teen. Activists have used demonstrations to renew calls for the prosecution of the white police officer who killed the black teenager. But protests have widened in their scope, taking how police departments across the country treat black Americans as a theme. Supporters of the Brown family have said race played a part in the teen's death - unarmed at the time, he reportedly had his hands in the air.

Numerous protests have been held in the two months since the Aug. 9 killing of Brown by officer Darren Wilson. But following weeks of relative calm, tensions escalated after another black teen, 18-year-old Vonderrit Myers Jr., was shot dead in the St Louis area last Wednesday by a white, off-duty - but still uniformed - police officer.

Why we should be seething with anger over income inequality

Paul Buchheit
Commondreams.org
Mon, 13 Oct 2014 22:38 UTC

It was recently reported that Americans greatly underestimate the degree of inequality in our country. If we were given proper media coverage of the endless takeaway of our country's wealth by the super-rich, we would be infuriated. And we would be taking it personally.

Each of nine individuals (Gates, Buffett, 2 Kochs, 4 Waltons, Zuckerberg) made, on average, so much from his/her investments since January, 2013 that a median American worker would need a quarter of a million years to catch up. For the most part it was passive income, new wealth derived from the continuing productivity of America's workers.

Why We Should Take It Personally

First, because our productivity is rewarding a relatively few people. In addition, many of the top money-makers are damaging other American lives. The top nine include four people (Waltons) who pay their employees so little that we taxpayers have to pay almost $6,000 a year to support each one of the employees. And it includes two people (Kochs) who have polluted our air and water to enrich themselves while quietly funding organizations that threaten to dismantle what's left of our democracy.

Another personal issue: While the Forbes 400 made almost enough in one year to fund the entire safety net, they don't even have to pay taxes on their half-trillion dollars of investment gain until they cash in, which may be never.

On Average, Most of Us Got One Dollar for Every Billion Dollars of New Wealth

A look at the numbers compiled by Us Against Greed shows how personal it really is. Out of that $5,350,000,000,000 ($5.35 trillion) made since the start of 2013, the bottom 80 percent of America took an average of less than $5,000 each. The richest 6 to 20 percent fared better, taking an average of about $65,000.

Comment: What the author is missing here is that psychopathic greed is at the heart of income inequality. Psychopaths are not capable of conducting business any other way. Until the people educate themselves and wake up to the true nature of what these creatures are, they won't take it personally.

Second infected Ebola healthcare worker traveled on commercial airline day before symptoms appeared

Tyler Durden
Zerohedge.com
Wed, 15 Oct 2014 22:19 UTC

But, but, but they said it wasn't contagious unless you came into contact with bodily fluids. According to the CDC, the 2nd health-care worker infected with Ebola traveled on Frontier Flight 1143 from Cleveland to Dallas on October 13th and are asking all 132 passengers on the flight to get tested. One question... what about the thousands of people that those 132 passengers came in contact with in the last 2 days?

NEW TEXAS EBOLA PATIENT FLEW DOMESTICALLY NIGHT BEFORE FEVER APPEARED -- CDC

Via Bloomberg,

Second health-care worker with Ebola traveled on Frontier flight 1143 from Cleveland to Dallas on Oct. 13, CDC says in e-mailed statement.

CDC asking 132 passengers on flight to call 1-800-CDC-INFO, plan to begin interviewing passengers about flight, monitoring those who need it.

Health-care worker exhibited no signs, symptoms of illness while on flight, according to crew.

Comment: No contact with body fluids? It looks like the CDC is growing more concerned about how Ebola is transmitted.

The latest U.S. government lies: Risk of Ebola airborne contagion

Ebola - What you're not being told

Poll shows Russian public thinks USA is country's number one enemy

RT
Wed, 15 Oct 2014 22:02 UTC

The overwhelming majority of Russians think the US is their main enemy, and more than half name China as Russia's main friend, a recent poll shows.

According to the research conducted by the influential Russian VTSIOM center, the number of Russians who think that USA is their country's main foe grew from 25 percent in 2008 to 73 percent currently. Ukraine ranked second with 32 percent, compared to 21 percent in 2008.

Other countries Russians perceive as hostile are Germany and European Union in general, 10percent, Great Britain 9 percent, Poland 6 percent, Canada 3 percent and France 3 percent.

Sociologists said that Russian people's opinion on the subject had become firmer, the share of undecided fell from 44 percent in 2008 to just 15 percent today.

As for friendly countries, 51 percent of Russians see China as their main geopolitical ally, double the 23 percent in 2008. Belarus was second with 32 percent and Kazakhstan third with 20 percent.

India, Argentina and Brazil were also put in the "friends" list. Researchers saw a sharp change in Russians' attitude to Germany, only 1 percent of those responding see it as Russia's friend and ally, compared to 17 percent in 2008.

The poll was conducted in late September in 130 cities and villages in 42 Russian regions.

US government spends more at elite private universities than at public universities

Robert Reich
robertreich.org
Mon, 13 Oct 2014 20:54 UTC

Imagine a system of college education supported by high and growing government spending on elite private universities that mainly educate children of the wealthy and upper-middle class, and low and declining government spending on public universities that educate large numbers of children from the working class and the poor.

You can stop imagining. That's the American system right now.

Government subsidies to elite private universities take the form of tax deductions for people who make charitable contributions to them. In economic terms a tax deduction is the same as government spending. It has to be made up by other taxpayers.

These tax subsidies are on the rise because in recent years a relatively few very rich people have had far more money than they can possibly spend or even give away to their children. So they're donating it to causes they believe in, such as the elite private universities that educated them or that they want their children to attend.

Private university endowments are now around $550 billion, centered in a handful of prestigious institutions. Harvard's endowment is over $32 billion, followed by Yale at $20.8 billion, Stanford at $18.6 billion, and Princeton at $18.2 billion.

Each of these endowments increased last year by more than $1 billion, and these universities are actively seeking additional support. Last year Harvard launched a capital campaign for another $6.5 billion.

Because of the charitable tax deduction, the amount of government subsidy to these institutions in the form of tax deductions is about one out of every three dollars contributed.

Five teens charged after pranking autistic teen with ice bucket challenge using urine and tobacco spit

Travis Gettys
Raw Story
Wed, 15 Oct 2014 19:44 UTC

Five teens have been charged in connection with a disgusting prank pulled on an autistic classmate who thought he was participating in the "ice bucket challenge."

The teen's mother found video on her son's cell phone that showed classmates dumping a bucket of urine, tobacco spit, and water onto the 15-year-old boy's head.

The Bay Village, Ohio, boy believed he was taking part in a viral stunt intended to raise money and awareness for the ALS Foundation.

Three of the teens were charged with two counts of delinquency, assault, and disorderly conduct, and they were ordered to turn themselves in to police.

Two other teens were charged with one count each of disorderly conduct. All of the teens, who are between 14 and 16 years old, were charged as juveniles.

The incident took place Aug. 18, and the boy's mother reported it to police Sept. 3 after finding the video evidence.

Mother furious after store manager demands disabled son stay in hot car

Scott Kaufman
Raw Story
Wed, 15 Oct 2014 19:35 UTC

A women from Lafitte, Louisiana is furious with the manager of a dollar store after he told her to leave her disabled son in a hot car, WDSU reports.

Jessica Margiotta claims that she was at the Family Dollar in Marrero, Louisiana buying diapers over the weekend with her infant daughter and disabled three-year-old son. She was carrying her daughter and wheeling her son, who has a muscle deficiency that renders it difficult for him to walk, in a stroller.

A store employee allegedly approached her and told her that strollers are "against store policy." When she complained, the manager told her she could leave the stroller at the front of the store and carry her two children, or she could put her disabled son in the car and shop without him.

The high temperature in Marrero over the weekend was 90 °F, meaning that after only ten minutes, the temperature in the car could have reached 109 °F.

High school football player out on bail on rape charges still allowed to remain on team

David Ferguson
Raw Story
Wed, 15 Oct 2014 19:26 UTC

Tyler Smith

An 18-year-old high school senior in Hoquiam, Washington has been charged with the rape of two female students, but the school has refused to suspend him from the football team while he is out on bail.

According to KOMO News, Tyler Smith has been charged by prosecutors in two separate rape investigations. Now, parents of students at Hoquiam High School are angry that school officials are allowing Smith to continue to play defensive tackle for the Hoquiam Grizzlies in his senior season.

Officials like Hoquiam School District Superintendent Mike Parker say they are "sickened" by the allegations against Smith, but until he is convicted, he should have the benefit of playing for his school.

"We felt that he's innocent until proven guilty," Parker told KOMO. "As bad as the crime might be, as repulsive as the crime might be, we're trusting that the court system will sort that out for us."

Police brutality U.S.: LA cops at it again, snatch and shake baby, beat, taze and arrest father

Alissa Kokkins
TheAntiMedia
Tue, 14 Oct 2014 13:11 UTC

Around the block from where Ezell Ford was killed by LAPD, officers from the Newton Division stopped, Brandon Dawson, 26, on Sunday evening. Dawson had just finished his shift as a dental assistant and was picking up his seven-month-old daughter from his grandmother's house. He was strapping the baby's carrier into the car when officers stopped Brandon asking why Brandon had parked in the private driveway. Brandon explained that there were no other spaces available and he had just pulled up to pick up his daughter. The police asked for no papers, and told Brandon to put his hands up as they snatched the father's baby. Soon after, Brandon would be tazered, beaten, and arrested by police on suspicion of assaulting a gang officer from the LAPD's Newton Division, according to Officer Lilliana Preciado. However, Officer Preciado claims not to have any details regarding what led to the arrest.

An eyewitness on the scene that asked not to be identified or recorded due to police terrorizing members of low income communities that call for police accountability, watches the confrontation between Dawson and LAPD. A witness who says that after LAPD snatched the baby from Brandon's arms, an officer began violently shaking the seven-month-old back and forth as if they were intentionally trying to make the baby fly out of the carrier.

Comment: Where are the successful and rich members of the black community (if one can call it that)? Why don't they speak out?

What our young people are also upset about is that they understand that too many of our black middle class brothers and sisters have been 'reniggerised'. All you've got to do is give big positions, give them some status, give them a little money, but walking around they're still intimidated, they don't want to tell the truth about the situation.

For some levity in this sad time, a very funny series of text messages from and to some idiot snowflake who can't figure out how to make Ramen...

Rowan Cocoan

We should be taking inspiration from these heroes rather than deleting our past. Those who tried to erase the past always started to erase...

codis

Only the remaining 10% of The Great Jab lottery are supposed to go through the "cold, dark winter".

codis

A Redacted Tonight take on 'Squid Game' [Link]

parzival

High School Allows Kids to Perform Lap Dances For Teachers [Link]

parzival

Society's Child

AIDS-infected Alabama church pastor refuses to resign despite abusing church funds and frequent drug-fuelled trysts with members of congregation

It's only freedom and democracy when we say it is: Mass arrests in St. Louis as protest movement grows

Why we should be seething with anger over income inequality

Second infected Ebola healthcare worker traveled on commercial airline day before symptoms appeared

Poll shows Russian public thinks USA is country's number one enemy

US government spends more at elite private universities than at public universities

Five teens charged after pranking autistic teen with ice bucket challenge using urine and tobacco spit

Mother furious after store manager demands disabled son stay in hot car

High school football player out on bail on rape charges still allowed to remain on team

Police brutality U.S.: LA cops at it again, snatch and shake baby, beat, taze and arrest father

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