Washington, U.S.A. – The U.S. ambassador in Libya, Christopher Stevens, and three other employees of the diplomatic mission of the United States have died after being attacked on Tuesday, in the city of Benghazi as reported on Wednesday the Interior Ministry from Libya.

Hillary Rodham Clinton made an statement condemning the violent act:

It is with profound sadness that I share the news of the death of four American personnel in Benghazi, Libya yesterday. Among them were United States Ambassador to Libya Chris Stevens and Foreign Service Information Management Officer, Sean Smith. We are still making next of kin notifications for the other two individuals. Our hearts go out to all their families and colleagues.

A 21 year veteran of the Foreign Service, Ambassador Stevens died last night from injuries he sustained in the attack on our office in Benghazi.

I had the privilege of swearing in Chris for his post in Libya only a few months ago. He spoke eloquently about his passion for service, for diplomacy and for the Libyan people. This assignment was only the latest in his more than two decades of dedication to advancing closer ties with the people of the Middle East and North Africa which began as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Morocco. As the conflict in Libya unfolded, Chris was one of the first Americans on the ground in Benghazi. He risked his own life to lend the Libyan people a helping hand to build the foundation for a new, free nation. He spent every day since helping to finish the work that he started. Chris was committed to advancing America’s values and interests, even when that meant putting himself in danger.

Sean Smith was a husband and a father of two, who joined the Department ten years ago. Like Chris, Sean was one of our best. Prior to arriving in Benghazi, he served in Baghdad, Pretoria, Montreal, and most recently The Hague.

All the Americans we lost in yesterday’s attacks made the ultimate sacrifice. We condemn this vicious and violent attack that took their lives, which they had committed to helping the Libyan people reach for a better future.

Image Courtesy of   Foreign and Commonwealth Office

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Clinton, U.S.A. – The following is a statement by Rev. Delman Coates, Ph.D., Senior Pastor, Mt. Ennon Baptist Church:

As an African-American pastor and clergy leader, I am frequently asked how I have been able to support civil marriage protection for gay and lesbian couples. After listening to Christians debate their support of or their opposition to homosexuality, I came to the conclusion that one’s personal religious beliefs should have no bearing in determining whether other American citizens deserve equal treatment under the law.

For too long the question of equal rights for gays and lesbians has been mired in a theological debate that in my opinion is not suitable in a public policy discussion. The issue of civil marriage rights for gay and lesbian couples is an issue of public policy, not theology. The role of the State in a free democratic society is fundamentally different than the role of the Church, or any religious institution for that matter.

The role of the State in a pluralistic society is to provide for the common good and to protect the civil liberties of all its citizens. As a Christian in this country, I value my religious freedom, but I also recognize that I cannot impose my religious beliefs on others in matters of public policy.

It is completely legitimate for people of faith to debate the moral legitimacy of same sex marriage as a religious rite, but that question is more appropriate for a different arena; the theological seminary, the pulpit, or the Bible study group, for example. In the public policy arena, the issue is simply whether gay and lesbian couples deserve the same rights and civil liberties as other American citizens. For me, the answer to that question is a resounding “yes.”

As a nation, we have always held that the ideals of our Constitution supersede subjective religious beliefs and views. One’s personal religious beliefs about homosexuality should not be the basis for determining whether same gender loving couples deserve equal treatment under the law.

To do so establishes a discriminatory and dangerous public policy precedent that potentially threatens the civil liberties of all people. As a Christian minister, I believe my role is to live in my faith, not to legislate it, and as long as the State does not seek to regulate the Church, the Church should not seek to regulate the State.

Civil marriage protection for gay and lesbian couples in no way infringes upon the right of religious bodies to define religious marriage as they see fit based upon their traditions, doctrine, and scriptural interpretations. Religious institutions have always acknowledged the role of the State to provide civil marriage for all citizens regardless of their belief system or religious background. Every union acknowledged by the State, whether heterosexual or homosexual, is a civil marriage, and is not synonymous with religious marriage.

Civil marriages, therefore, do not have the power to determine, delimit, or define how religious institutions treat marriage based upon their own values, beliefs, and scriptural interpretations. Religious marriage is solely province of a community of faith, and there is no legislative act that can be imposed upon faith communities to acknowledge, sanction, or perform.

Just as the State has no jurisdiction over the theological beliefs, practices, and ordinances of any house of worship, religious institutions should not seek to restrict equal opportunity to others in matters of public policy.

While there are a range of theological views about same sex marriage, all Americans can stand united under the banner of extending civil liberties and justice to all citizens. People of faith will not allow their theological diversity on this or other issues to be exploited for political gain. The welfare of our nation rests upon growing our economy, preserving the social safety nets for the poor and the elderly, and creating a civil society of mutuality, tolerance, and respect.

The Rev. Delman Coates, Ph.D. is the Senior Pastor of the Mt. Ennon Baptist Church in Clinton, MD, click here

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President Obama unveiled his deficit reduction plan on Monday and his tone was widely different. Gone were the days of Obama holding out an olive branch to the Republicans. Obama, finally, took aim and fired.

In his plan, Obama clearly stated that millionaires and billionaires would have to begin to pay their fair share of taxes. He promised to veto any legislation proposed by the super congress that cut Medicare and did not include raising taxes for the wealthy. “This is not class warfare.

It’s math,” Obama declared, anticipating Republican criticism. He also called out Speaker John Boehner for his approach in earlier Bush tax cut debate. Boehner had stated that Obama would have to make some concessions. After concession after concession, Boehner and his party refused to budge, taking the same approach that they criticized Obama for taking.

The president’s proposal would focus on upper-income taxpayers, called the “Buffet Rule” after billionaire Warren Buffet has vocalized his low tax rate. The plan would also target tax loopholes and subsidies. Most of the cuts in Medicare would hit health care providers and not beneficiaries.

Although some benefit programs, including Medicare and Medicaid, however far less cuts that the GOP proposes. His cuts also include $1 trillion over ten years from the troop withdrawal in the Middle East.

The deficit-reduction plan represents Obama’s longer-term follow-up to the $447 billion in tax cuts and new public works spending that he has proposed as a short-term measure to stimulate the economy. The new proposal also inserts the president’s voice into the legislative discussions of a joint congressional “supercommittee” charged with recommending deficit reductions of up to $1.5 trillion.

Defending his emphasis on new taxes rather than only spending reductions, Obama said: “We can’t just cut our way out of this hole.” Republicans reacted exactly as expected. They used talking points about tax increases destroying jobs, but did not provide any real substance. Boehner said exactly as Obama thought so, calling it “class warfare.”

“Veto threats, a massive tax hike, phantom savings and punting on entitlement reform is not a recipe for economic or job growth or even meaningful deficit reduction,” said Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell. “The good news is that the Joint Committee is taking this issue far more seriously than the White House.”

Sounds nice from the right, but it is wrong. There are easy charts and facts that show when we had a higher tax rate; we had a hell of a lot more jobs. So, I am not sure why Republicans keep up with this myth, but so many people believe it. Trust me—in the words of George Bush—read my lips—taxing the rich will NOT cause any job loss.

The rich have had this awesome tax cuts for 10 years, and we have just lost jobs. So, this rationale is illogical.

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