< PreviousPrevent More Lawlessness www.TerryLowry.com October 201810By Terry Lowry, Editor/Publisher The LINK Letter As the Democrat par ty continues to be controlled by radical leftists who advance socialism and a full-scale assault on the very institutions that protect and promote the social fabric of society, it is becoming extremely clear that there is a general theme that unites this nefarious agenda: lawlessness. Open Borders. Abolish Ice. Sanctuary Cities This lawlessness is reflected in the calls by Democrats for open borders; demands by Democrats to abolish ICE; Democrat magistrates who are consistently soft on crime; and Democrat judges who too often make up the law rather than apply the law, which they were sworn to uphold. Sexual Assault of a Child # 1 Crime Let’s start with ICE. ICE, is the US Immigrations & Customs Enforcement, is charged with the duty of inves-tigating criminal activities committed by foreign nationals. According to statistics compiled by the Texas Tribune in 2016, the most common crime for inmates with ICE detainers is sexual assault of a child. Thousands of children and families have been protected from child predators as a result of the efforts of ICE. In an effort to elevate political correctness over common sense and security, Democrats are, in effect, inviting sexual predators to pour across our borders and victimize our children and our families. Lawlessness! “Good Job”, Republicans Next, let’s take a look at the court system. Since 1997, shortly after Harris County swept out all of its Democrat District and County Judges and replaced them with Republicans, Texas has made dramatic strides in reversing crime. Since then, the Texas incarceration rate has dropped nearly ten percent. Recidivism has been signifi-cantly declining, and our overall crime rate dropped to historic lows. It is reasonable to assume that a return to Democrat Judges who are soft on crime is likely to bring a return to the lawlessness and the high crime rates we saw in the early 1990’s – when Democrats largely controlled the judiciary. Democrats Reversal 83% Higher Also, statistics compiled by an analysis of decisions from the 1st and 14th Court of Appeals show that over the most recent four years, Democrat Judges in Harris County alone have reversal rates that are 83% higher than Republican Judges! That is a staggering statistic! The bottom line is that the statistics demonstrate that Republican Judges understand that their role is to apply the law and not to make up the law. Conversely, Democrat Judges in general are more inclined to ignore the law and to legislate from the bench. What other explanation can there be for such a massive disparity between Democrat and Republican reversals? Terry Lowry11October 2018 www.TerryLowry.comWeekdays 2:00 to 3:00 PM on FM 100.7 The Word. Visit www.TerryLowry.comThe Fight Against Flooding is a Local & State BattleBy State Representative Gary Elkins The task is great and the time is short to prevent continued levels of unprecedented flooding in Harris County. It’s been a little over a year since Hurricane Har vey rocked our world with anywhere from 30 to 50 inches. Harvey was considered a 750-year flood event. Less than two years prior to Harvey, we also had the Tax Day Flood and then about 6 weeks later had the Memorial Day flood. All historically unprecedented floods. Now Go To Work The bad news is we are now in an uncharted and almost certain era of future flooding. Action is needed and our first step was bold and decisive as we overwhelmingly passed the 2.5 billion dollar flood bonds this past August for the Harris County Flood Control District. The County has indeed done its part, now it’s up to the State to help to match our commitment to recovery and safety. Use Rainy Day Fund To this end, when the Legislature convenes in January 2019, I plan to file a bill to allow us to tap some of the State’s Rainy Day Emergency Reserve Fund to match our local commitment to flood relief and control needs. I’ll be working closely with Governor Greg Abbott, Lt. Governor Patrick, and County Judge Emmett to see how we can use our State’s Emergency Reserve funds to leverage other flood related issues that were not addressed with the Harris County flood bonds. To fight flooding and win— we must all work together in local and state government. Our families and businesses of Harris County and the surrounding Southeast Texas area are counting on our stewardship and the odds of inaction being an option are now historically against us. Gary Elkins www.TerryLowry.com October 201812After Forty Years of Open Borders… Now A Good BeginningBy Orlando Sanchez Harris County Treasurer Press Release, September 12, 2018 For almost forty years our borders have been tacitly “open” for both legal and illegal immigration. Harris County is one of the fastest-growing coun-ties in the nation, largely due to the number of immigrants from across the world who wish to call Houston home. But, this problem isn’t just focused on Houston, or even Texas. It is a nationwide issue that must be remedied sooner rather than later. Orlando Sanchez has drafted a framework for legislation entitled: “The Family Stabilization Act” to help immigrant families, which, in turn, helps everyone. The purpose of The Family Stabilization Act is to keep families together. “The American people want a common-sense solution to the immigration problem,” Sanchez says. “Every day we see families ripped apart. At the end of the day, that really bothers the American conscience.” How It Helps Families who arrived prior to January 20, 2017, will be permitted to apply for a legal status, provided that there are no serious penal code violations. The permits and application process are paid for in full by the applicant (NOT the tax payers) and would be valid for five years. The permits will be renew-able every five years IF the applicant does not violate the penal code in a serious manner. This process aids law enforce-ment by culling out criminal aliens and eliminates the dark economy by ensuring a legitimate labor force. Key Feature: The Family Stabilization Act will NOT, under any circumstance, provide a pathway to citizenship; applicants will only qualify for legal status for purposes of employment and residency with the aid of a permit. Chris Daniel, Harris County District Clerk, adds: “Our office will be a key point to help facilitate whatever future plans occur in regards to immigration reform.” This includes, but is not limited to, aiding in background checks, providing certified documents, and other judicial related services. Prominent Houston immigration attorneys have praised The Family Stabilization Act, saying: “What he (Sanchez) has proposed has a lot of common sense and it would make a huge difference in people’s lives.” It’s Time For Congress To Act Families shouldn’t need to live in fear, children shouldn’t need to worry if their parents will be gone when they get home from school. The power to stabilize families lays in the hands of Congress. Orlando Sanchez’s plan should be a keystone in any serious immigration legislation that will once and for all secure our borders. EDITOR’S NOTE: As editor of the LINK Letter, this should be the second step in the process of fixing our broken immigration system. The first step is: Build the Wall. Orlando Sanchez 13October 2018 www.TerryLowry.comAfter Forty Years of Open Borders… Now A Good BeginningBy Orlando Sánchez Tesorero del Condado Harris Comunicado de prensa, 12 de septiembre de 2018 Durante casi cuarenta años, nuestras fronteras han sido tácitamente "abiertas" tanto para la inmigración legal como ilegal. El condado Harris es uno de los condados de más rápido crecimiento en el país, en gran parte debido a la cantidad de inmigrantes de todo el mundo que desean llamar a Houston su hogar. Pero este problema no solo se enfoca en Houston o incluso en Texas. Es un problema a nivel nacional que debe remediarse más temprano que tarde. Orlando Sánchez ha elaborado una propuesta con el objetivo que sirva de marco de referencia para la legislación federal titulado: "Acta de Estabilización Familiar" para ayudar a las familias inmigrantes, que a su vez vez estaría ayudando a toda la comunidad en general. El propósito del Acta de Estabilización Familiar es mantener a las f amilias unidas. "El pueblo esta dounidense quiere una solución de sentido común para el problema de la inmigración", dice Sánchez. "Todos los días vemos familias destruidas y separadas, situación que ha perturbado y va en contra de las bases morales y la conciencia estadounidense ". Qué Se Propone A las familias que llegaron antes del 20 de Enero de 2017, se les otorgará el beneficio de solicitar un permiso que les dará el derecho de vivir legalmente en los Estados Unidos, siempre y cuando no hayan incurrido en viola-ciones graves al código penal. Cabe recalcar que estos permisos serán solamente eso “permisos” y no tarjetas de residencia o mejor conocidas como (Green Cards) y el proceso de solicitud deberá ser pagado en su totalidad por el solicitante (NO saldría del bolsillo de los con-tribuyentes) y serían válidos por cinco años. Los permisos serán renovables cada cinco años si el solicitante no comete ninguna violación seria al código penal. Este proceso ayudaría a implementar la ley excluyendo a los extranjeros delincuentes y eliminando la economía oscura garantizando una fuerza de trabajo legítima. Punto Clave: El Acta de Estabilización Familiar NO y NO bajo ninguna circunstancia, proporcionará un camino hacia la ciu-dadanía; los solicitantes solo serán elegibles para un estatus legal con el propósito de obtener un permiso de trabajo y eventualmente un permiso para vivir legalmente en los Estados Unidos. Chris Daniel, Secretario del Distrito del Condado de Harris, agrega: "Nuestra oficina será un punto clave para ayudar a facilitar los planes futuros en cuanto a una posible reforma migratoria." Esto incluye, sin límite alguno, ayudar en las verificaciones de antecedentes penales, proporcionar documentos certif icados, y otros servicios judiciales relacionados. Prominentes abogados de inmigración de Houston elo giaron y apoyaron la propuesta de Le y de Estabilización Familiar y dijeron: "Lo que Sánchez ha propuesto tiene mucho sentido común y marcaría una gran diferencia en las vidas de las familias y todas las comunidades en general". Hora Que El Congreso Actúe Las familias no deberían tener que vivir atemorizadas, los niños no deberían tener que preocuparse si sus padres no están o nunca regresan, cuando ellos llegan a casa de la escuela. El poder para estabilizar a las familias está en manos del Congreso de los Estados Unidos. El plan de Orlando Sánchez debería ser la base de cualquier legislación que el Congreso de los Estados Unidos considere en cuanto a una posible reforma migratoria, lo cual aseguraría nuestras fronteras de una vez por todas. NOTA DEL EDITOR: Como editor de esta carta, este debería ser el segundo paso en el proceso de arreglar nuestro disfuncional sistema de inmigración. El primer paso es: Construir el Muro. Orlando Sanchez www.TerryLowry.com October 201814Know Your Bill of RightsWeekdays 2:00 to 3:00 PM on FM 100.7 The Word. Visit www.TerryLowry.comBy Eric Dick In 1787, American delegates gathered to draft a ne w Constitution. Many were worried about giving the Federal government too much power. The solution was adopting our Bill of Rights protecting basic civil rights. The First Amendment: “Congress shall make no law respecting an estab-lishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” The First Amendment protects freedom of speech and press - which gives Americans the right to free expression without concern of government interference. It guarantees us freedom of religion, secures our liberty to peacefully assemble, and safeguards our right to protest the govern-ment. The Second Amendment: “A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” The Second Amendment protects our access to arms. Guns provide protection from others – including a tyran-nical government. Some people quickly dismiss our right to access automatic weapons. These people forget that this Amendment was designed to protect us from government by dispersing its coercive power among the people. The Seventh Amendment: “In Suits at common law, where the value in contro-versy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise re-examined in any Court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law.” The Seventh Amendment provides accountability. It allows Americans the right to have common people decide whether he or she has been wronged. Originally, King George deprived his subjects of a jury trial because he didn’t want to be liable for his actions. Big Business vs. the Everyday Citizen Today, like King George Big Business does not want to be liable for their actions. There are three groups that work to deprive us of our right to a jury: tyrants, dictators, and big business (i.e.: Texans for Lawsuit Reform). Big business doesn’t want you to be able to access justice though a jury because it can navigate itself through our political system by bribery. Our freedom of speech ensures that our American voice is heard in due form so that we can debate our grievances, pursue the demand for aid, or even feed the poor and the needy. The line in the sand is drawn f iercely as we bear arms saying “no” to tyranny, and “never’ to tyrannical support. And if we are to be judged, our rights to a trial carry us before a group of our own peers where we shall receive fair treatment. These rights remain extremely vital to our growth as a society and a nation, as they continually protect the daily freedoms we all enjoy. So when you vote, don’t forget to support those that support our Bill of Rights. Eric Dick15October 2018 www.TerryLowry.comThe Tragic Link Between Transgender Teens and Suicide www.TerryLowry.com October 201716By Kelsey Harkness The Stream reprinted with permission One in every two adoles-cents who are born female but identify as male has attempted suicide in the past year, according to a new study. The study, “Transgender Adolescent Suicide Behavior,” was published in Pediatrics, the off icial peer-reviewed journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics. It raises serious questions about how families, schools, doctors, government, and the media should grapple with the increasing number of children and teens who self-identify as transgender. 40% Attempt Suicide In addition to the alarmingly high rate of suicide attempts among transgender boys, the study reported an attempted-suicide rate of over 40 percent for adolescents who identify as gender nonconforming (neither exclusively male or female) and nearly 30 percent for transgender girls (children and teens who were born male but identify as female). Researchers said they did not f ind any evidence that transgender youth of color were at a higher risk compared with white transgender adolescents. Higher levels of education among parents and geographical location —urban or rural—did not have a significant effect on suicide attempts. To arrive at the results, three researchers from the University of Arizona analyzed a survey filled out by more than 120,000 young Americans between the ages of 11 and 19. One in Two Girls… One in two biological girls who identify as boys tried to kill themselves in the past year. Two in five gender-non-conforming adolescents tried to kill themselves. And three in 10 biological boys who identify as girls tried to kill themselves. But only 14% of Teenagers By comparison, they found that 14 percent of all teenagers had attempted suicide at least once. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suicide is the second-leading cause of death among adolescents and young adults ages 10 to 34 in the U.S. The study’s leading author, Russell B. Toomey, focuses his work on youth who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or what they call queer — meaning that any attempts to discredit the research as “anti-LGBTQ” will likely fall flat. Toomey describes his research in his bio: Largely, my research has examined these relationships with explicit attention to the minority-specific stressors of prejudice, stereotyping, and discrimination that contribute to the disparate rates of negative outcomes experienced by sexual and gender diverse adolescents and Latinx youth, and the protective factors (e.g., family support, acceptance) that buffer these associations. “Latinx” is a gender-neutral term that some use instead of Latino or Latina. Rapid-onset Gender Dysphoria The new study comes on the heels of another alarming and controversial one examining the contagious nature of transgender ideology. That study, published Tuesday in the journal PLOS One Kelsey Harkness 17October 2018 www.TerryLowry.comWeekdays 2:00 to 3:00 PM on FM 100.7 The Word. Visit www.TerryLowry.comby Brown University’s Lisa Littman, looked at “rapid-onset gender dysphoria” — that is, gender dysphoria not present in early youth but that manifested within days or weeks in teens and young adults. Does Exposure Contribute to Gender-Bending Littman found that exposure to peers who identified as transgender and transgender-positive content online, may contribute to development of this rapid-onset gender dysphoria. Within days, Brown University pulled down an article promoting Littman’s study. The university said it removed the article in order to conduct an academic review, but it’s clear the decision had more to do with political correctness and uncomfortable results. Unlike “Transgender Adolescent Suicide Behavior,” Littman’s study wasn’t peer-reviewed. Littman herself concluded that her study “raises questions for more research.” “One of the main conclusions is that more research needs to be done,” she said. The study by Toomey and fellow University of Arizona researchers Amy K. Syvertsen and Maura Shramko provides further evidence that research institutions should encourage more studies in this area — not shut them down. At this point, we don’t just know that lives are at stake — we know how many lives are at stake. Too Many Are Attempting Suicide. Why? And those numbers deserve repeating: One in two biological girls who identify as boys tried to kill them-selves in the past year. Two in five gender-nonconforming adolescents tried to kill themselves. And three in 10 biological boys who identify as girls tried to kill themselves. In discussing these results, Toomey described an “urgent need to understand why transgender, female to male, and nonbinary adolescents report engaging in suicide behavior at higher levels than other adolescent transgender popula-tions.” He’s right. But that’s just the first of many questions this study begs to be answered. There’s no excuse. You can’t be an ally of the transgender movement and reject this research. You can challenge it. You can debate it. You can encourage more of it. But you can’t suppress it. Doing so is harmful to the cause you claim to defend. Why Are More Identifying as Transgender? Every day, more and more children and teens are identifying as transgender. That’s a fact that The Atlantic captured well: In June 2016, the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law estimated that 1.4 million adults in the U.S. identify as transgender, a near-doubling of an estimate from about a decade earlier. As of 2017, according to the institute, about 150,000 teenagers ages 13 to 17 identified as trans. The number of young people seeking clinical services appears to be growing as well. A major clinic in the United Kingdom saw a more than 300 percent increase in new referrals over the past three years. With more teens identifying as transgender, and attempted -suicide rates for this group between 30 and 51 percent, this has become a national epidemic. The time for political correctness has passed. Families, schools, doctors, government, and the media have an obligation to f igure out how to differentiate between celebrating differences and encouraging dangerous behavior. Because, if being transgender poses such a grave risk to adolescent lives, it’s hard to understand why any sane society would embrace the trend. Copyright 2018 The Daily Signal used with permission Will Your Library Be A Recruiting Arm for the LGBTQ CommunityGuest Editorial By Rev. Dave Welch Executive Director, Houston Area Pastor Council President, Texas Pastor Council Houston KHOU TV news story on July 15 detailed the “special visit” of Drag Queen “Blackberri” for the children’s reading hour at the Heights library for children ages 2 to 10. This is appar-ently neither a new nor one time appearance. Houston Area Pastor Council reviewed the City Charter and submitted a letter to Mayor Sylvester Turner requesting that Mayor Turner “establish a policy requiring age appropriate standards and prohibiting individuals connected to sexually oriented businesses, or content reflecting adult sexual topics within the Houston Public Library children’s programs.” NO STANDARDS EXIST A group of the HAPC Executive Council pastors (Pastor Garrett Booth, Pastor Hernan Castano, Pastor Willie Davis and Dave Welch) met on September 5 with Houston Mayor Turner to determine if there are any content standards for materials or programs in the Houston Public Library(HPL). Drag Queen Reading Hour Shockingly, we found out that the answer is that there are NO STANDARDS. In addition, we confirmed that this came about as part of a national prog ram called “Drag Queen Reading Hour”, designed to promote: “…the imagination and play of the gender fluidity of childhood and gives kids glamorous, positive, and unabashedly queer role models…” In summary, in response to specific questions, Mayor Turner explained the “approval and review process” for the Houston Public Libraries programs: n A parent or citizen requests a program. n A Program Committee made entirely up of HPL staff reviews and either approves or disapproves each request. n A Youth Services Committee also made up only of HPL staff reviews requests specifically for children’s programs and approves. NO ESTABLISHED GUIDELINES EXIST In short, there ARE NO ESTABLISHED GUIDELINES regarding age appropriateness, adult content, etc., because as the mayor said repeatedly, “We are a diverse city.” While he also repeatedly asserted that it was all private and foundation monies supporting the reading hour, he also could not deny our point that HPL is a taxpayer funded, city-chartered entity using public dollars for buildings, staff, overhead, etc. Stop the Recruitment of our Children The bottom line is that the Mayor is deeply vested in the “LGBTQIAP+ community” which has as a central mission to destroy any God-designed distinctions between male and female as well as any sexual morality, so has no objections to introducing bearded men dressed up as gaudy women and leading two to ten year old children to “shake your butts”. Houston. We have a problem. www.TerryLowry.com October 201818Dave WelchPublic Schools are Ditching the ABC’s for the LGBTQIA’S 19October 2018 www.TerryLowry.comBy Mary Rice Hasson and Theresa Farnan Why Parents Should Get Their Children Out of Public School NOW—Before It’s Too Late Conservatives are commit-ting political suicide, funding their own demise by continuing to send their money and their kids to public schools, which are successful at one thing and one thing only—turning out millions of new, young, gender-confused, radical progressives. In the explosive new book, Get Out Now: Why You Should Pull Your Children from Public School Before It’s Too Late, authors Mary Rice Hasson and Theresa Farnan expose the radical shift that has taken place in public schools in the past two years—and explain what parents can and must do to stop it. Almost Toxic Overnight Almost overnight, America’s public schools have become toxic—morally, intellectually, and politically. With the most recent outrage—the imposition of gender ideology from kindergarten through high school—we’re left with a system designed to turn hearts and minds of children away from faith in God, love of country, and plain old common sense—before they even get to college! Though we should be able to rely on public education to teach our children the basic skills they need for life—addition and subtraction, reading comprehension, and the process of photosynthesis—government-run K-12 schools have ditched the basics and adopted lesson plans written and backed by left-wing tech money, radical academics, and now deep-seated LGBTQ activists. Is it really that bad? Consider the facts: n The lunacy of pretending that you can choose your “gender identity” is ruthlessly enforced at every level of the education system. n Decades of court-imposed atheism in public schools have produced the most godless generation in American history. n Relentless indoctrination in moral relativism has left more than two-thirds of young people without a belief in truth or objective right and wrong. n Though the U.S. spends more per pupil than almost every other country in the world, our public schools are a swamp of academic mediocrity. n The one thing public schools succeed at is churning out politically correct “snowflakes” prepped for left-wing activism in college. No Do-Overs with our kids Public education is beyond repair, and there are no do-overs on childhood. The evidence shows that government-run schools are a threat to your children, your family, and our nation’s future. Don’t let conven-ience, cost, fear, or wishful thinking trap your children in public schools; GET OUT NOW! Mary Rice Hasson is the Kate O’Beirne Fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington, D.C. She earned her undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Notre Dame. Mary speaks and writes frequently on women, sexuality, culture, family, and faith. Theresa Farnan earned her undergraduate degree and doctoral degrees at the University of Notre Dame. She is a philosopher specializing in virtue ethics, moral education, philosophy of the person, and ethical issues facing the family. Mary Rice HassonTheresa Farnan Next >