American Muslim Write Letter to #fthood shooter [humor]

Great two part series on the logical problems with current opposition to Park51. Make sure you click through to the second part as well. LSAT Logic and “Ground Zero Mosque” Arguments, Part 1. As regular readers may agree, aside from a few simple dissections of logical fallacies on The Colbert Report, I’ve rarely revealed, let alone promoted, my personal opinions on this blog. However, the more I read and watch about Park51 (the so-called “Ground Zero Mosque”), the angrier I get.

Joseph Ward III: A Living Hell: LGBT Iranians and the Islamic State. Like many gay Iranians, Hamid was pressured by his parents to marry a woman based on prevailing traditions in Iran. But knowing he was a gay man, he and his wife divorced, and he was soon kidnapped by local authorities because of his appearance and beaten half to death in his home. “A man with long hair is not a man,” he was told by an officer of the basij, the Iranian security force. “…Of course [your wife] would divorce you.”

Brandon Mayfield has been released from custody. Although he remains a material witness, it does not appear that he will be charged with a crime at this point. (Original post.) US forces are pulling out of Karbala. I’ve only seen this article on the NY Times, and am surprised no one else is reporting on it. Relevant paragraphs: Colonel Bishop said the withdrawal was intended to “allow time for the political process to go forward.” He declined to give details on that process, and it was not immediately clear what negotiations were taking place. American officials have been pressuring the…