Dems Snatch Senate Seat

After using a flock of lawyers to disqualify hundreds of Republican votes, and "discovering" numerous Democrat absentee ballots, Al Franken snatches the Senate seat from Norm Coleman, who originally won by over 200 votes. It was an uphill battle for Coleman, because the final say was made by a liberal Minnesota Supreme Court, and US Congress and Senate are also dominated by Democrats. The U.S. Supreme court had already indicated it wasn't likely to get involved, since it was a state rights issue and not a national issue. Democrats were determined to get the 60th seat so they could prevent any Filibuster opposition in the Senate to controversial issues like Amnesty for Illegal aliens, Gays in the Military, and the Cap and Trade Bill. Franken was an acid tongued comedian who turned into a talk show and became famous for attacking Republicans, Conservative values, and fundamentalist Christians on "Air America". The silver lining, however, is that unlike Iran, there is no sign of violence as a result of the controversy. See Chick's THE FOOL.

Obama Promises To Put Gays In Military

President Obama and his wife commemorated the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall Rebellion in New York City, widely seen as the spark for the gay rights movement. As a candidate, the president collected millions for gays and promised to repeal the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy banning gays from serving openly in the military as well as the Defense Of Marriage Act. Gay rights advocates have grown increasingly impatient as his administration has yet to deliver all the benefits he promised. He earlier declared June to be LGBT month (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender month). He also gave the first ever Gay Pride event in the Whitehouse.

"I believe preventing patriotic Americans from serving their country weakens our national security," the president said in reference to "don't ask, don't tell." He said the administration is pushing the Pentagon and Congress to end the policy. He also insisted that doing so will require an act of Congress, though many believe the president could halt discharges of openly gay servicemembers through an executive order.

The president noted that he has signed a memorandum extending some federal benefits to gay, lesbian, and "transgendered" couples and is urging Congress to pass the Domestic Partners Benefits and Obligations Act, which would mean the extension of health care benefits to the partners of such people. The change will cost taxpayers hundreds of millions in new expenses.

He also said his administration is working to pass the Employment Non-Discrimination bill and a hate crimes bill named after Matthew Shepard. The hate crimes law punishes criminals who hurt minorities more than it does average Americans.

After setting out to close down the prison in Cuba because it is "a recruiting tool for the terrorists," Obama isn't addressing how putting openly gay soldiers in the military will help incite attacks against our occupational forces. (Homosexuality is one of the most offensive behaviors to the Muslim faith.) See Chick's DOOM TOWN.

"Miracle" Investigated for Pope

A panel appointed by the Archdiocese of Baltimore is about to take on a rare investigation -- whether prayers to a 19th-century priest miraculously cured an Annapolis, Md., woman of terminal cancer, The Baltimore Sun reported.

The case is just the fifth such investigation in the archdiocese's 200-year history. If the priest, Francis X. Seelos, is found to be behind the woman's cure, it could move him closer to being declared a Roman Catholic saint. The pope will have the final say.

Mary Ellen Heibel, 71, was diagnosed with esophageal cancer in 2003, The Sun said. She underwent surgery, but doctors later discovered the procedure had missed a cancerous lymph node. The disease spread to her lungs, liver, stomach and chest.

She began praying to Seelos, who had been a pastor at her church, St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church. Seelos died in 1867 while treating yellow fever victims in New Orleans. In the 1970s, a woman there beat terminal liver cancer after praying to Seelos. The Catholic Church investigated that case and deemed it a miracle, a finding that led to Seelos' beatification in 2000.

Heibel, her husband and their priest began a special series of prayers to Seelos in January 2005. At that point, her doctor believed she had six, maybe 12, months to live. The following month, a scan showed something stunning: All her tumors were gone. And, according to the results of her latest scan, in March 2008, she's still healthy.

See Chick's ROOM 310.

"God Hates Fags" Helps Gay Jews Raise Money

A gay oriented Manhattan synagogue turned a visit from anti-gay demonstrators into a lucrative fund-raiser Sunday.

Leaders of Congregation Beth Simchat Torah, a West Village synagogue that caters to gays and lesbians, didn't want to ignore a planned visit by members of the anti-gay Kansas-based Westboro Baptist Church.

Instead, they asked supporters to pledge a dollar or more for every minute that six protesters stood near their synagogue hurling epithets and holding signs that read "God Hates Fags" and "Jews Stole the Land."

The final haul after 50 minutes: $10,000.

"Their very presence will actually raise money for the mission of this community," said Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum of the synagogue, which now holds services in rented space. "The synagogue wants a building so we're hoping this will help us get a building."

The Kansas church, known for picketing soldiers' funerals to say their deaths are God's punishment for Americans' tolerance of gays, has ramped up its demonstrations against homosexuals and their supporting organizations, saying homosexuality is a sin. The group visited several "progressive" synagogues and Jewish institutions in New York over the weekend and planned to hit a Central Park celebration marking the 100th anniversary of the founding of Tel Aviv.

When they arrived at Beth Simchat Torah, they found about 150 congregants from several synagogues and a nearby church as well as other supporters on the sidewalk singing Jewish songs and prayers.

City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, the city's first openly gay speaker, said she wasn't worried that the prayer vigil would lend credibility to the Kansas demonstrators.

"You give them credibility when you silence yourself," she said. "What they want is us to go away." They didn't, but neither did the Westboro Baptist Church. So in that respect, the two groups have something in common. They don't care if they offend others with their "in your face" beliefs. See Chick's SIN CITY.

Jewish Serial Killer "Born Again"

Andy Kahn is a victim advocate who has David Berkowitz, aka, the Son of Sam serial killer, as his pen pal. The once famous Jewish postal worker (and night time murderer) says he is now a born again Christian and deeply regrets his past.

"The past is such a painful memory ... It was all a terrible nightmare. I got into something so evil," one letter reads. "I would give my life if I could go back into the past to have prevented this from happening."

He signs off: "I will keep you in my prayers. Sincerely yours, David Berkowitz."
—
The pen pal relationship began with a simple form letter.

In Kahan's office, manila folders bulge with the stories of families ripped apart by murder. Files detail the sorrow of parents mourning slain children, the outrage of unrepentant killers set free.

Kahan says he is driven by the desire to wring some good from even the worst evil. He's a tireless crusader against serial killer memorabilia who has a drawer filled with items like a lock of Charles Manson's hair and a Jeffrey Dahmer doll. So when Kahan (pronounced 'Khan') wanted to ratchet up his campaign against the sellers of "murderabilia," he decided to go straight to the killers themselves.

Kahan sent out four-paragraph form letters to 20 serial killers, including Manson and Berkowitz: Did they know that their autographs, drawings, letters and other personal belongings were being sold through online auction sites? Did they approve of the practice? Were they making money from the sales?

Twelve responded to the Oct. 12, 2000, letter. Manson sent Kahan's letter to a murderabilia dealer who auctioned it off on eBay. But only Berkowitz seemed to embrace the cause.

"Dear Mr. Kahan," Berkowitz wrote in his Oct. 26 reply. "I am very bothered and troubled by what these auction sites are doing ... I am willing to help in any way I can."

Berkowitz included a notarized statement disavowing involvement in any sale of murderabilia — and swearing regret for the murder spree in which he killed six women and shot seven others.

"Most of these letters and other writings were written during a very dark and tormented part of my life, and how I wish with all my heart that those horrific and tragic 'Son of Sam' shootings never happened! It was a nightmare for me and for those whose lives were hurt and devastated by my actions." So began the unlikely collaboration.

"We're the ultimate odd couple," says Kahan.

Berkowitz knows that many people on the outside will be skeptical, suspicious of his motives. But he says his conversion is sincere. He takes no psychiatric medication. More than anything, it seems, he wants to clear up a misconception about the Son of Sam Law. Contrary to rumors at the time, Berkowitz insists he never planned a book, and never wanted to profit from his crimes.

"I'm always accused of something, but this time I'm actually innocent," he says with a smile — still that same Mona Lisa-type smile. See Chick's THE BULL.

Jacky "O" Revealed as Former First Swinger

Presidents have been revealed as sexual predators long before Bill Clinton solicited oral sex from his intern. But Mrs. JFK may win the prize for being the first First Lady to have even more affairs than many of the the former presidents... including her notoriously famous womanizing husband, JFK.. A new book reveals Jacky seduced Marlon Brando and also had an affair with her then married brother-in-law Bobby, a new book claims.

Unsubstantiated claims about a relationship with Bobby Kennedy have surfaced several times over the last few years.

Marlon Brando gave a vivid account of being seduced by Jacqueline Kennedy. But author David Heymann says he has interviewed a number of people who witnessed it blossom after President John F Kennedy's assassination in 1963 left Jackie a widow.

His book, Bobby and Jackie: A Love Story, makes a series of claims about the woman who became known as Jackie O after marrying the Greek billionaire and playboy Aristotle Onassis in 1968. That marriage led some to suggest Jack O was also behaving like a high priced call woman, since it included a contract between the billionaire and the former first lady outlining how much money she would receive and how many times she would be expected to provide sexual relations.

Arguably the biggest revelation is a short-lived affair with Brando in 1964 which is described partly in the Oscar-winning actor's own words.

Brando, who had a reputation as a Hollywood bad boy, claims to have enjoyed two nights of passionate sex with Jackie and wanted to write about the encounter in his 1994 memoir Songs My Mother Taught Me.

But, according to Heymann, those passages were axed on the advice of an editor who was a friend of the former First Lady. Brando claimed they enjoyed a three-hour meal which, he said, 'involved a good deal of drinking'.

Heymann writes: 'Jackie and the actor danced and drank. During their dance Jackie, deeply attracted to Brando, "pressed her thighs" suggestively into his. They danced again, then sat down and began to make out.'

He then gives Brando's own account of their first night together.

'From all I'd read and heard about her, Jacqueline Kennedy seemed coquettish and sensual but not particularly sexual,' the actor wrote.

'If anything, I pictured her as more voyeur than player. But that wasn't the case. She kept waiting for me to try to get her into bed. 'When I failed to make a move she took matters into her own hands and popped the magic question, "Would you like to spend the night?" I said, "I thought you'd never ask".'

Heymann claims that Jackie ended the affair. He writes: 'Having twice consummated her relationship with Brando, Jackie showed no interest in pursuing him further.'

The author has claimed before that Jackie had an affair with Bobby Kennedy. But in his new book, to be published next month, he describes how they spent Christmas 1964 together in Palm Beach and then holidayed in Antigua without Bobby's wife Ethel.

See Chick's GOING TO THE DOGS.

S.C. Gov. Sex Scandal

South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford was with his family Thursday as legal and ethical questions swirled over his secret trip to see a woman in Argentina with whom he admitted an affair.

A top state Republican called for his resignation, and South Carolina's top senator questioned whether Sanford broke the law when he disappeared for several days on a trip to South America and didn't transfer power to the lieutenant governor.

Meanwhile, Argentina media identified the woman as Maria Belen Shapur, a 43-year-old who speaks English, Portuguese and Chinese. Her apartment building is near the Buenos Aires zoo, the Terra Argentina newspaper said.

Sanford's wife, Jenny, said in a statement Wednesday that she had kicked him out two weeks ago and asked him not to speak to her while she came to terms with his infidelity, but spokesman Joel Sawyer said they were together at the family's beach house Thursday. The Sanfords have four sons.

Sanford was raising his national political profile with his outspoken fight against using federal cash for anything but paying down debt. As chairman of the Republican Governors Association, he was raising money for candidates and deflecting talk he was planning to run for president in 2012. Unlike his Democrat counterparts (like admitted cheater Gov. Patterson in New York), Sanford will likely be hounded out of office by the media and more liberal members of his own party who didn't like his conservative fiscal policies and (what now appears hypocritical) social views. See Chick's BUSTED.

Black Church Casts Out Gay Demons

The video shows the 16-year-old boy lying on the floor, his body convulsing, as elders of a small Connecticut church cast a "homosexual demon" from his body.

"Rip it from his throat!" a woman yells. "Come on, you homosexual demon! You homosexual spirit, we call you out right now! Loose your grip, Lucifer!"

The 20-minute video posted on YouTube by Manifested Glory Ministries is being called abuse by gay and youth advocates, who are demanding an investigation. But a church official this week denied that the teenager was injured or that the church is prejudiced.

"We believe a man should be with a woman and a woman should be with a man," the Rev. Patricia McKinney told The Associated Press. "We have nothing against homosexuals. I just don't agree with their lifestyle."

The church posted the video on YouTube but has since removed it; it is still available on some Web sites that copied it. The church declined to make the video available for distribution by the Press.

It shows church members standing the youth on his feet by holding him under his arms, and people shouting as organ music plays. "Come out of his belly," someone commands. "It's in the belly — push."

Later, the teenager is back on the floor, breathing heavily. Then he's coughing and apparently vomiting into a bag.
"Get another bag," a participant says. "Make sure you have your gloves."

As the youth lay back on the ground, limp, church members put a white sheet over him. It's nearly impossible to say how often similar exercises occur in churches nationwide. But Kamora Herrington, who runs a mentoring program at True Colors and has worked with the youth, said she believes it's fairly common. "This happens all the time," she said. "This is not isolated."

Robin McHaelin, executive director of True Colors, an advocacy group for gay youths, said her organization is aware of five cases in recent years in which youths in her program were threatened with exorcism. In one case, she said, a child called to report that his caregiver had called a priest who was throwing holy water on his bedroom door.

McHaelin said she planned to report the situation to the Connecticut Department of Children and Families. An agency spokesman said the agency does not comment on complaints or investigations.

McKinney said the youth was 18. The boy confirmed he is 16 but otherwise declined to comment, citing the advice of his pastor.
McHaelin said the boy told her staff that the church performed the ritual three times at his request.

McKinney denied the ritual was an exorcism, describing it instead as a casting out of spirits. She said the church took care of the youth, providing him clothes. "He was dressing like a woman and everything. And he didn't want to be like that," McKinney said.

The teen had been in reform school for stealing but was eager to get out and go to the church to have what he thought were his demons driven out, Herrington said.

Exodus International, a Christian group that believes gays can become straight through prayer and counseling, does not advocate the church's approach, said Jeff Buchanan, director of church equipping.

McKinney also has a weekly radio program. She talked on Wednesday's program about being "persecuted" in recent days but did not mention the video specifically. "It's been a hard time for me, but I'm looking good and I'm standing strong because when you have a mandate like mine you're not going to say what you want without the adversary coming after you," she said. "If you are a true prophet you're not going to be popular with the people."

See Chick's WOUNDED CHILDREN

Coulter Offends Dead Abortionist

Media personality Ann Coulter appeared on Bill O'Reilly's television program this week to discuss the murder of late-term abortion provider Dr. George Tiller. Never one to shy away from controversy, Coulter offered the following ethical assessment of the crime:

"I don't really like to think of it as a murder. It was terminating Tiller in the 203rd trimester."

When pressed by O'Reilly on this statement, Coulter replied,

"I am personally opposed to shooting abortionists, but I don't want to impose my moral values on others."

See Chick's WHO MURDERED CLARICE?

South Africa Still Leads World In Rape

One in four South African men questioned in a survey said they had raped someone, and nearly half of them admitted more than one attack. The study, by the country's Medical Research Council, also found three out of four who admitted rape had attacked for the first time during their teens. It said practices such as gang rape were common because they were considered a form of male bonding.

Using an electronic device to keep the results anonymous, the study found that 73% of those who admitted rape said they had carried out their first assault before the age of 20. Almost half who said they had carried out a rape admitted they had done so more than once. One in 20 men surveyed said they had raped a woman or girl in the last year. The study found that one in 10 men said they had been raped by other men. Some 3% of the men interviewed said they had coerced a man or a boy into sex.

South Africa's government has been repeatedly criticised for failing to address the country's rape epidemic, and is considered to be the rape capital of the world. In the past, many blamed high levels of rape on white apartheid. However, when Nelson Mandela and the African National Congress (ANC) won control of the government, rape and crime in general dramatically increased. A recent trade union report said a child was being raped in South Africa every three minutes with the vast majority of those cases going unreported. See Chick's THE OUTCAST.

Chick Fan Club Prez distributes tracts in Argentina crusades

Fan Club President and evangelist Richard Lee held a series of crusades in churches in the Buenos Aires, Argentina area with successful distribution of Chick tracts in the meetings. Spanish tracts were given away to church goers by the dozens on a nightly basis. Through an interpreter, the congregations were asked if they had known about the tracts, to which enthusiastic congregants raised their hands. The tracts were thrown out in front of the platforms, and the crowds rushed to the front to grab every last one! Many in the Argentina churches have either been converted through the use of Chick tracts, while others have been ministered to through the use of Chick tracts over the years.
The crusades in Argentina lasted from June 2, 2009 through June 7, 2009 with hundreds in total attendance.

Cher's Daughter Changes Sex

Marking the first public statement since her child Chastity Bono -- now Chaz Bono -- announced that he was undergoing a sex change, Cher is coming out to lend words of support.

Cher says that Chaz is going through "a difficult journey, but one that I will support," and says that she respects "the courage it takes to go through this transition in the glare of public scrutiny, and although I may not understand, I will strive to be understanding," in a statement to the media.

Chaz Bono is undergoing a sex change from female to male. "Yes, it's true -- Chaz, after many years of consideration, has made the courageous decision to honor his true identity," Bono's publicist Howard Bragman said. "It is Chaz's hope that his choice to transition will open the hearts and minds of the public regarding this issue, just as his 'coming out' did nearly 20 years ago," Bragman continued.

See Chick's SIN CITY.

Obama Provides Gay Payback

Obama signed a presidential memorandum that extends certain benefits to same-sex partners of federal employees.

The president said the move "paves the way for long-overdue progress in our nation's pursuit of equality," though he acknowledged "this is only one step."

He also reaffirmed his opposition to the federal Defense of Marriage Act and vowed to work with Congress to repeal it.

Conservative groups see Obama's move as an attempt to appease faithful voters and gay campaign donors.

"President Obama's ... Executive Order uses taxpayer money to placate an angry portion of his base at the expense of the rule of law," commented Family Research Council President Tony Perkins in a statement. "Ironically, Mr. Obama has pursued an aggressive pro-homosexual agenda – but his actions to date are, apparently, insufficient for the radical homosexuals pushing their extreme demands."

Obama is probably remembering how Bill Clinton encountered his first public backlash when he tried to force the military to accept openly gay soldiers. To make the Army pro-gay now would likely be used as a recruiting tool by those fighting "the decadent" West, e.g. various Islamic terrorist groups.

See Chick's THE GAY BLADE

Five Found Guilty in Deadly Exorcism

A New Zealand jury has found five New Zealanders guilty of the manslaughter of a family member during an exorcism ceremony to drive a "makutu" or Maori curse from the woman. Nine family members of the victim, Janet Moses, 22, performed an exorcism on her in October 2007, forcing water into her mouth and eyes to flush out demons and lift the makutu.

Moses drowned and a 14-year-old girl the group also believed was possessed suffered serious eye injuries as people picked at the demons they saw in them, the High Court hearing was told.

As the verdicts were read out in the courtroom in the capital, Wellington, late Friday, family and supporters openly wept. Three of the nine defendants were found not guilty and a fourth was discharged for lack of evidence. See Chick's THE THING.

Iran Sticks with Anti-US Islamic Leadership

Opponents of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad clashed with police in the heart of Iran's capital Saturday, pelting them with rocks and setting fires in the worst unrest in Tehran in a decade. They accused the Nationalist president of using fraud to steal the election victory from his reformist rival who modeled his campaign after Obama's. The mainstream media-- and Obama himself-- suggested earlier in the week that the reformer could win, because of Obama's speech in Egypt. However, that seems to have been wishful thinking. Ahmadinejad won by a 2 to 1 margin. Now Iran seems determined to pursue nuclear weapons in full defiance of the White House and other Western governments (especially Israel). See Chick's MEN OF PEACE?

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"De-baptism" Grows

More than 100,000 former Christians have downloaded "certificates of de-baptism" in a bid to publicly renounce the faith, according to the London-based National Secular Society (NSS).

Terry Sanderson, the society's president, says the group started the online de-baptism initiative five years ago to mock the practice of baptizing infants too young to consent to religious rites. Their web site invites visitors to "Liberate yourself from the Original Mumbo-Jumbo that liberated you from the Original Sin you never had" and allows them to print out a paper certificate that uses quasi-formal language to "reject baptism's creeds and other such superstitions." But in recent months, as tens of thousands began to download the certificate, organizers realized that they had struck a chord with atheists and once-devout church members who are leaving churches they see as increasingly out-of-tune with modern life. "Churches have become so reactionary, so politically active that people actually want to make a protest against them now," Sanderson says. "They're not just indifferent anymore. They're actively hostile."

See Chick's WHY NO REVIVAL?

Church Invites Guns for July 4

A Kentucky pastor is inviting his flock to bring guns to church to celebrate the Fourth of July and the Second Amendment.

New Bethel Church is welcoming "responsible handgun owners" to wear their firearms inside the church June 27, a Saturday. An ad says there will be a handgun raffle, patriotic music and information on gun safety.

"We're just going to celebrate the upcoming theme of the birth of our nation," said pastor Ken Pagano. "And we're not ashamed to say that there was a strong belief in God and firearms — without that this country wouldn't be here."
The guns must be unloaded and private security will check visitors at the door, Pagano said.

He said recent church shootings, including the killing Sunday of a late-term abortion provider in Kansas, which he condemned, highlight the need to promote safe gun ownership. The New Bethel Church event was planned months before Dr. George Tiller was shot to death in a Wichita church.

Kentucky allows residents to openly carry guns in public with some restrictions. Gun owners carrying concealed weapons must have state-issued permits and can't take them to schools, jails or bars, among other exceptions. See Chick's THE LAST GENERATION.

Obama Describes USA as "Largest Muslim Country"

President Obama gave a speech in Egypt today, where he said "if you actually took the number of Muslim Americans, we’d be one of the largest Muslim countries in the world." He also stated that Israel has the right to exist, but so does the nation of Palestine. One critic was concerned about what he did NOT say: "With women being stoned, raped, abused, battered, mutilated, and slaughtered on a daily basis across the globe, violence that is so often perpetrated in the name of religion, the most our president can speak about is protecting their right to wear the hijab" said Peter Daou, former Internet advisor to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. See Chick's THE PILGRIMAGE.

Chick Flick Goes Nationwide Monday (June 8)

“God’s Cartoonist: The Comic Crusade of Jack Chick” makes its exclusive U.S. television premiere on DOC (the Documentary Channel) on Monday, June 8 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. Directed by Kurt Kuersteiner and produced by Dan Wester, the filmmakers gained unprecedented access to Ontario, Calif.-based Chick Publications to explore the controversial company that has published nearly one billion religious tracts (palm sized comics) that are now distributed in more than 100 languages around the world.

Obama Declares June: Gay, Lesbian, Transexual Month

In a presidential proclamation on the White House website, Barack Obama has lauded what he calls "the determination and dedication" of the LGBT movement by proclaiming June as "Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month."

"The LGBT rights movement has achieved great progress," Obama states in the official proclamation, "but there is more to be done. LGBT youth should feel safe to learn without the fear of harassment, and LGBT families and seniors should be allowed to live their lives with dignity and respect."

The proclamation, released on Monday, credits the LGBT movement with being a factor in more Americans who ascribe to those groups "living their lives openly today than ever before."

The president also takes pride in being the first U.S. chief executive to appoint "openly LGBT" candidates to Senate-confirmed positions in the first 100 days of an administration.

He uses the proclamation to emphasize LGBT-related initiatives that he intends to pursue in the future -- both domestically and internationally.

"I have joined efforts at the United Nations to decriminalize homosexual around the world," he states. "Here at home, I continue to support measures to bring the full spectrum of equal rights to LGBT Americans."

Among those measures he lists "hate crimes" laws, civil unions, discrimination in the workplace, adoption rights, and ending the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy "in a way that strengthens our Armed Forces and our national security."

See Chick's WOUNDED CHILDREN.

Democrats Pass Gay Marriage Again, w/out Public Vote

New Hampshire became the sixth state to legalize gay marriage after the Senate and House passed key language on religious rights and Gov. John Lynch — a Democrat who (like Obama) claimed he opposes gay marriage — signed the legislation Wednesday afternoon.

Cheers from the gallery greeted the key vote in the House, which went mostly along party lines, with Democrats supporting it by 198-176. Surrounded by gay marriage activists, Lynch signed the bill about an hour later.

"Today, we are standing up for the liberties of same-sex couples by making clear that they will receive the same rights, responsibilities — and respect — under New Hampshire law," Lynch said.

Lynch, a Democrat, had promised a veto if the law didn't clearly spell out that churches and religious groups would not be forced to officiate at gay marriages or provide other services. Legislators made the changes. However, those protections can (and probably will) be resended at a later time when they have the votes to do so.

Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maine, Vermont and Iowa already allow gay marriage, -- none of them via democratic vote. Opponents hope to overturn Maine's law with a public vote.

California briefly allowed gay marriage before a public vote banned it; a court ruling grandfathered in couples who were already married. See Chick's THE GAY BLADE.

Robber Escapes Arrest by Becoming Muslim

A Muslim convenience store owner said he decided to show mercy on a would-be robber after seeing the man collapse into tears and claim he was only committing the crime to support his starving family. The Long Island store owner caught the robber off guard by pulling a rifle on the the bat-wielding thief. The robber started crying and the owner ended up giving the man $40 and a loaf of bread and made him promise never to rob again. The robber (a black male) then promised to become a Muslim. The owner said he led the man in a profession of Muslim faith and the two ended up shaking hands. When the owner went to the back of the store to get some milk to give to the man, the thief had fled. See Chick's THE UNFORGIVEN.

Muslim Convert Shoots Soldiers in Arkansas

A Muslim convert who said he was against the U.S. military pleaded not guilty Tuesday to capital murder in connection with the shooting of two soldiers outside an Arkansas recruiting center. One soldier died in the attack Monday, police said.

Abdul Hakim Mujahid Muhammad, 23, was ordered held without bail at a hearing Tuesday in Little Rock. He is charged in the death of Pvt. William Long, 23, of Conway, outside the Army Navy Career Center in Little Rock. Though claiming not to be guilty, he did say he shot the victims.

"This individual appears to have been upset with the military, the Army in particular, and that's why he did what he did," Little Rock Police Lt. Terry Hastings said.

"He has converted to (Islam) here in the past few years," Hastings said. "We're not completely clear on what he was upset about. He had never been in the military.

"He saw them standing there and drove up and shot them. That's what he said."

Pvt. Quinton Ezeagwula, 18, of Jacksonville was wounded in the shooting and in stable condition, Police Chief Stuart Thomas said.

The suspect, who is from Little Rock, was previously known as Carlos Bledsoe, Thomas said. Although his name sounds Spanish, Carlos is, in fact, African American. See Chick's UNFORGIVEN?

Thrash Rocker Dies Age 24

Thrash-prone hardcore outfit Cobra Clutch is mourning the loss of guitarist Pat O'Brien, who, according to police in Maryland, died in his sleep Friday (May 29) night. While a cause of death has yet to be determined, the results from toxicology tests conducted by local medical examiners are expected back in the coming weeks, and may shed some light on what led to O'Brien's unexpected passing.

According to O'Brien's MySpace, the guitarist was 24-years-old at the time of his death, and is survived by an infant daughter named Violet. He was a fan of ultra-violent horror films and a number of goregrind bands, like XXX Maniak and Pig Destroyer.

O'Brien's death is the second suffered by the heavy metal community in two weeks. Last week, German Viking metallers StrydegoR announced that 20-year-old guitarist Slava Giebel had been killed in a fatal car wreck on May 23, two week before the release of the band's debut disc, 'Back On Ancient Traces.'

An outpouring of sorrow and support flooded Cobra Clutch's MySpace page over the weekend, with fans and friends offering their words of condolence. "I'm gonna miss you so much man, I love you brother," wrote one fan. "Tell Satan I said 'What's up!'"" wrote another.

See Chick's ANGELS?