I’ll say this for Rep. Leo Berman, R-Tyler — the man is persistent. Like a weed is persistent.
His one-man crusade to pass a law “protecting” Texas from Sharia law — a threat that apparently exists only in his mind, and possibly on talk radio — has officially become a zombie tale. This is the bill that just won’t die. First, he passed HB 911 out of a House committee, only to see it die in the House Calendars Committee without a hearing on the House floor. Then he amended it onto the governor’s emergency tort reform legislation (with the help of Rep. Harvey Hilderbran, R-Kerrville) last week. But that bill (HB 274) was given an overhaul in the Senate State Affairs Committee over the weekend, and Berman’s amendment was stripped out of the bill.
Undeterred, Berman was back on the House floor last night, pushing to add his anti-foreign law language as an amendment to yet another bill (SB 1717). And as with his previous attempt, the words “Sharia law” or “Islam” were never mentioned during the brief discussion in the House. The amendment passed without a word of dissent — or even a record vote.
Since Berman’s amendment was one of several significant changes the House made to this bill, it will likely be assigned to a conference committee to resolve the differences. We’ll be watching to see if this language finally passes into law, or if this is strike three for Berman.
On a similarly depressing note, with the GOP candidates for President of the United States filtering out right and left (leaving only dubious, unelectable chaff like Newt Gingrich), some GOP insiders are now saying that Rick Perry is being viewed more and more as one of a small group of possible “savior candidates.” It is my understanding that Perry has decided not to run, but the GOP insider is predicting that he will switch that soon.
However (oo-eevez), I would find it hard to believe that the nationally recognized “Der Fuhrer” of Texas Fruitcakes, Inc. would stand any real chance of being elected. Among most Americans, I would think that Don McLeroy and the Texas State Board of Education would hang over his candidacy by a hair like the sword of Damocles. I may not know many things, but I do know this. If he does decide to run, it is absolutely ESSENTIAL that he reform the Texas SBOE before making his announcement to run. On the campaign trail, he needs to be able to say, “Yes, the Texas SBOE was out of control, but I reformed them.”
Ah!!!! Why Not!!!!! This song is dedicated to Kathy Miller:
Sharia
Sharia
Sharia baby
Sharia baby
Sharia baby
Sharia baby
(Sharia bay, bay)
Sharia can you come out tonight
(Come come, come, out tonight)
Sharia baby
(Sharia bay, bay)
(Why don’t you come out?)
To my twist party (come out) where the bright moon shines (come out) we’ll dance the night away I’m gonna make you mine (why don’t you come out)
Sharia (Sharia baby)
Sharia can you come out tonight
(come come, come out tonight)
You better ask your momma
(Sharia baby)
Tell her everything
Is alright
(why don’t you come out)
With your red dress on
(come out) move it nice and easy
Girl you make me loose my mind
Sharia
Sharia baby
(Sharia baby)
Sharia can you come out tonight
(come come, come out tonight)
(come come, come out tonight)
Sharia, Sharia baby, Sharia, Sharia baby
—
Lyrics submitted by juliy.
I don’t know this proposed law (plus I live in Ohio and we have enough problems of our own), but is it badly written enough to exclude both the Ten Commandments and Common Law since both are “foreign” ?
The chances of Texas being ruled by Sharia at some point in the foreseeable future are about the same as those of Rastafarians taking over the Rebublican Party.
Does this mean that the Roman Catholic marriage annulment racket will now be shut down? Canon law does originate in Vatican City, does it not?
My first thought is to leave Rep. Berman alone. His work on this bill might keep him busy enough that he won’t be able to propose even more inane bills. My second thought is that inasmuch as the anti-groping bill has been pretty much destroyed by the U.S.Attorney, this one might meet a similar fate in the future. Surely there are more important things for the legislature to consider before adjournment.
As a Catholic, I can assure you Canon Law does not supersede the Constitution. Canon Law does not decide custody of the children nor does it condone honor killing or circumcision of young women 12 and even younger. A Fort Worth Muslim has already attempted to bypass Texas law with Sharia law for a divorce and was soundly denied the request. Sharia law does not even consider custody by the mother. Sharia law only recognizes the husbands rights to all of the “property.” Those were the good old days, right?
The Ten Commandments are freely chosen, not mandated by the constitution or even a religion. If the commandments were written on the entrance, say to a school, would “Thou shall not kill” maybe resonate?
A little education on the subject matter would be helpful before writing a comment folks.