Center for Arizona Policy: Behind the Controversy
By Cathi Herrod, PresidentCenter for Arizona PolicyIn the last year and in recent days, there have been several news stories sensationalized by the press. But behind the controversies, there are some very important insights into how our opponents are working to silence our voice:When Planned Parenthood Attacks: When the Susan G. Komen Foundation announced they would be redirecting $680,000 of grants away from Planned Parenthood and directly to clinics that provide mammograms, abortion supporters called for an all out war on the charity. Former Susan G. Komen Executive Karen Handel exposes the whole story behind the decision to no longer give Planned Parenthood grants, and the eventual reversal of that decision due to pressure from the abortion giant in her new book "Planned Bullyhood." She sat down with Christianity Today to discuss her experience at Komen through the controversy.Chick-Fil-A Clears the Air: Many in the mainstream media jumped on reports from liberal blogs that Chick-Fil-A and their CEO Dan Cathy would no longer donate to groups that oppose "same-sex marriage." The story sparked from a claim by a Chicago Alderman who was attempting to deny the restaurant chain construction permits because of Cathy's biblical view of marriage. Yet Mr. Cathy and his organization made no such promise, as CitizenLink reported yesterday.Scare Tactics Americans United for Separation of Church and State have sent more than 60,000 letters to churches across the country to deter pastors from speaking on moral issues this election season.As Alliance Defending Freedom explains, these threats are predicated upon an unconstitutional law which unjustly attempts to stifle the church.Yet furthermore, despite this unjust law, churches and pastors can counsel their congregations on how to be wise stewards of their vote. Read about what Churches and Pastors Can and Cannot Do on AZPolicyPages.com.Gambling Gains GroundThe Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that the Tohono O'odham Nation can build a casino in Glendale. This fight is not over, as an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court is likely. Under the ruling the tribe would be allowed to take 54 acres into trust as reservation land.The harms of gambling cannot go overlooked: Within a new casino's 35-mile and 50-mile "feeder market" radius, gambling has been directly linked to an increase of eight to 10 percent in the crime rate within three years of opening. Crime rates continue to climb with each subsequent year. A 2009 study shows that the presence of a casino in a county increases the bankruptcy rate by nine percent within the first year of operation. Read more about the Harms of Gambling at AZPolicyPages.com.Extraordinary Life Conference Don't miss the upcoming Extraordinary Life Conference with Dr. Randy Carlson at Palmcroft Baptist Church on Saturday, October 13. Dr. Carlson will share how you can begin to build margin in your life and what it means to live on purpose and with intention.CAP is Hiring! CAP is seeking to fill the legislative coordinator position on our policy team. Click here for details on the position and how to apply.
