Around the World and Around the Nation
“One would think that Rudy would understand the importance of having the chance, or in his case, the chances, to marry the one you love.”
- Joe Solmonese, president, Human Rights Campaign, Politico.com, Apr. 20, 2009. Solomonese, the leader of one of the most powerful gay rights organizations, commented on Giuliani’s new anti-gay marriage stance, simultaneously jabbing at Giuliani’s marriage history.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0409/21451.html
“What makes the United States special and what makes you special is precisely the fact that we are willing to uphold our values and ideals even when it’s hard.”
- President Barack Obama, Politico.com, Apr. 20, 2009. Obama responded to criticism on his decision to allow the legal memos describing interrogation techniques to be published.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0409/21462.html
“When we lose contact with teams we can’t give much information because it can give problems afterwards. I hope you can understand that this is too delicate, too problematic at this stage.”
- Michel Peremans, spokesman for Medecins Sans Frontieres, BBC, Apr. 20, 2009. Peremans discussed the capture of two Doctors without Borders Somali aid workers from MSF’s Belguim office.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8007039.stm
“There is a third rail [in American politics], and that is the UFO question. It is many magnitudes more radioactive than Social Security ever dreamed to be.”
- Stephen Bassett, head of the Paradigm Research Group, CNN.com, Apr. 20, 2009. Bassett attempted to compare the political issues of today with UFO existence/sightings. http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/04/20/ufo.conference/index.html
“I smell burning flesh, and I hope to God it’s human. This smell of burning animals is making me sick.”
- Morrissey, British singer/songwriter, PETA Blog, April 20, 2009. Morrissey commented during his performance at Coachella in response to the presence of meat vendors at the expansive music festival.
http://blog.peta.org/archives/2009/04/morrisseys_beef.php
“We wouldn’t allow the sale of videos of child abuse or murder staged for the express purpose of selling videos … and the same legal principles apply to despicable acts of animal cruelty.”
- Wayne Pacelle, Humane Society president, Yahoo! News, Apr. 20, 2009. Pacelle responded to the debate surrounding the Depiction of Animal Cruelty law.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090420/pl_afp/uscourtanimals
“Our destiny, in my opinion, and we might as well get started with it, is [to] become a part of the planetary community. … We should be ready to reach out beyond our planet and beyond our solar system to find out what is really going on out there.”
Edgar Mitchell, Former astronaut, CNN.com, Apr. 20, 2009. Mitchell said there is no doubt that man is not alone in the universe and that we are being visited. He is from Roswell, NM, and says that resident who were told to not talk about their experience in 1947 felt brave enough to tell him so the story would not die.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/04/20/ufo.conference/index.html?iref=mpstoryview
“There’s some data out there that shows 47 percent of Americans have smoked marijuana at some point in their life.”
- Keith Stroup, founder of the marijuana legalization organization NORML, CBS News, Apr. 20, 2009. Stroup discussed the rationale for legalizing the drug on the annual celebration of April 20th and the launch of the first national advertising campaign for marijuana legalization. Stroup cited a 2002 Time/CNN poll and suggested the current number of users is much, much higher.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/04/20/national/main4957497.shtml
“If this record is allowed, it could encourage other animal abusers to attempt silly feats that make a mockery of animal protection,”
-Tracy Reiman, Executive Vice President of PETA, News Release, Apr. 20, 2009. PETA urged the Guiness World Records editor in chief to not accept KFC’s bid to set a world record for the largest group chicken dance. Guiness has previously refused to certify records that involve animal cruelty.
http://www.peta.org/mc/NewsItem.asp?id=12929
“It’s just so sad. I mean, you have to understand the sport of polo. These horses are wonderful athletes. Some of the owners of these horses - these young polo players - have owned these horses since they were embryos, and bred them as embryos. And they’ve raised them and rode them every day.”
- Dr. Scott Swerdlin, veterinarian, KMBG News, Apr. 20, 2009. Swerdlin discussed the death of 21 horses on a Florida polo field.
http://kgmb9.com/main/content/view/16464/42/
“We live in a land where you can choose same-sex marriage or opposite. And you know what, I think in my country, in my family, I think that I believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman. No offense to anybody out there, but that’s how I was raised.”
- Carrie Prejean, Miss California and first runner-up Miss USA, ABC News, Apr. 20, 2009. Prejean was booed at her response to celebrity-blogger Perez Hilton’s question regarding her beliefs on the issue. http://www.abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/Television/story?id=7381893&page=1
“As co-director of the Miss California USA, I am personally saddened and hurt that Miss California believes marriage rights belong only to a man and a woman.”
- Keith Lewis, Director of Miss California competition, FOX News, Apr. 19, 2009. Lewis referenced Carrie Prejea, the winner of Miss California, who spoke against same-sex marriages in a pageant interview/
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,517137,00.html
“It feels really natural. I’ve worked so be here and this has been my lifelong dream and it’s finally here. And whoever knew you could win in a turquoise gown?”
-Kristen Dalton, Miss USA, FOX News, Apr. 19, 2009. Dalton (from North Carolina) was crowned Miss USA after controversy surrounding her win over first runner-up Miss California. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,517137,00.html
“Common sense informs us that directing a 13-year-old girl to remove her clothes, partially revealing her breasts and pelvic area, for allegedly possessing ibuprofen … was excessively intrusive.”
- U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, CNN.com, Apr. 19, 2009. The U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of a 13-year old who was strip searched because the school believed that she had prescription strength ibuprofen. The case will be heard by the Supreme Court.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/04/19/scotus.strip.search/index.html
“I didn’t buy the horse for business or to make a profit. You do not sell dreams…This horse has a mission here in Hungary.”
- Zoltan Mikoczy, owner of Overdose, New York Times, Apr. 19, 2009. Melkoczy discussed the comparison of his Hungarian racehorse Overdose to Seabiscuit, a small racehorse that raise American spirits during the Great Depression, because of Overdose’s unlikely success and the difficult economic times in Hungary. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/20/world/europe/20hungary.html?em
“I won’t let Simon Cowell take her to his dentist, and I certainly won’t let her near his hairdresser. The minute we turn her into a glamourpuss is when it’s spoilt.”
- Amanda Holden, the third judge on “Britain’s Got Talent,” New York Times, Apr. 17, 2009. Holden referred to Susan Boyle, an unlikely star on “Britain’s Got Talent” and subsequently on YouTube. Her success has made her an instant celebrity. It has also provoked some discussion of the prevalence of societal prejudice against older, less attractive people.
“I’d wager that most of our joyful tears were fueled by the moral implicit in Susan’s fairy-tale performance: ‘You can’t tell a book by its cover.’”
- Letty Cottin Pogrebin, a feminist writer, blogging for The Huffington Post, The New York Times, Apr. 17, 2009. Susan Boyle’s appearance on “Britain’s Got Talent” has made her an instant celebrity. It has also provoked some discussion of the prevalence of societal prejudice against older, less attractive people.
“I could have turned everything into a crime scene like O.J., cutting everybody’s throat.”
Hulk Hogan, American pro-wrestling legend, CNN.com, Apr. 16, 2009. Hogan commented on how he understands OJ Simpson’s actions due to Hogan’s dirty divorce.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/TV/04/15/hulk.hogan.oj/index.html
“Get out of here, you whores!”
- Afghan men in a mob that formed against a women’s protest, New York Times, Apr. 15, 2009. About 300 Afghan women marched to Parliament in Afghanistan to protest a new law that introduces restrictions on women like allowing marital rape. A huge mob of three times more men formed an angry counterprotest and were held off by police. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/16/world/asia/16afghan.html?hp
“Octomom is clearly a nickname for only one person.”
-Jeff Czech, attorney for Nadya Suleman, Los Angeles Times, Apr. 15, 2009. Czech commented on the Octuplet mother’s request for a trademark on her nickname so it can be used for commercial purposes.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/04/octomom-seeks-trademark-.html
“Teaching kids about the benefits of vegetarian foods like PB&J and orange juice is as important as teaching them their ABCs.”
-Tracy Reiman, Executive Vice President, News Release, Apr. 15, 2009. PETA offered to help children in Massachusetts stay healthy by teaching them about vegetarian diets.
http://www.peta.org/mc/NewsItem.asp?id=12912
“It is, in a sense, the discovery of a new organ.”
-Sven Enerback, University of Goteborg researcher (Sweden), The Washington Post, Apr. 9,
2009. Enerback discussed the discovery of “brown fat” in adults.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/08/AR2009040804290.html?hpid=topnews
“Contrary to the claims made by the opponents of equality, it’s not just judges, it’s not just the coasts, and it’s not just going away.”
- Evan Wolfson, executive director of Freedom to Marry, Apr. 7, 2009, The New York Times. Wolfson commented after victories for same-sex marriage in Vermont and Iowa state legislatures, hoping that momentum from these events will cause other states to follow.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/08/us/08vermont.html?_r=1&hp
“He doesn’t have to worry about the global economic crisis. He doesn’t have to worry about the war in Afghanistan or building down in Iraq. He doesn’t have to worry about health care for his country. He only has worry about one thing, and that’s keeping his power.”
-Wendy Sherman, former President Bill Clinton’s policy advisor on North Korea, Political Ticker blog, Apr. 5, 2009. Sherman, one of the few American diplomats who have directly spoke with Kim Jong-Il, talked about the North Korean leader and what he is really like.
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/04/05/talking-to-kim-jong-il/
“You don’t…go to Buckingham Palace in a sweater.”
- Oscar de la Renta, fashion designer, Political Ticker blog, Apr. 3, 2009. Oscar de la Renta told Women’s Wear Daily regarding Michelle. Obama’s decision to wear a cardigan over an Isabel Toledo-designed dress for the private meeting.