One of the truly annoying things about Minnesota Public Radio is that they will publish anything, even when they KNOW the folks they are quoting are lying to them.

Happens damn near every day on their new mid-morning show, but they slap each other on the back for being open-minded even as listeners – and donors – plead with them to be journalists first and foremost.

Such is the case with this story about the outfit known as ALEC, who go out of their way to write laws that conservatives pass, almost always without altering the “proposal” they are handed. Hell, I’m not even convinced they read more than the talking points.

Currently, ALEC is pushing “Voter ID”, which here in Minnesota is going to a ballot initiative because our governor is smart enough not to disenfranchise the elderly, poor, disabled, and college students to “solve” a problem that (I think) only affected .00002% of the last election. I may be plus or minus a zero there, but basically the solution will affect about 40% of disabled Minnesotans and stop a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of potential illegal votes.

Who is on the side of democracy here?

ALEC and the NRA and other odious cretins are also behind the “kill anyone you please” laws in the news of late. In Florida it is the original “Stand Your Ground” law, that allows folks to get out of their car, walk up to a teenage kid whose color you don’t care for, and kill him because you feel threatened by a bag of Skittles.

Here in Minnesota it is called the “Castle Law”, which allows you to declare a pup tent an extension of your house and to shoot anyone who comes near it. No, I’m actually not making that up.

This, too, is up for election here in Minnesota this fall. If it isn’t in your state, it probably will be soon.

For those keeping score at home, a current-to-today list of Romney gaffes.

I am sure there is more to come.

I really hope they post the video to this commentary but it is still worth a read.

How hateful do you have to be to slander the Girl Scouts? I mean, I have my problems with the leadership of the Boy Scouts being bigots but haven’t heard about the Girl Scouts denying rights to people.

And that is all this is, conservatives using a Bible to justify pure hatred of others who want to be inclusive. In this case it is a transgendered seven year old kid. Or some ties to Planned Parenthood. Or just the fact they hate women of all ages.

It does not matter. Using your church because you’re too chicken to say you hate and fear anyone or anything different than you just makes you a coward.

And cowards lose the fight. Always.

Personally, I find it both reprehensible and embarrassing that it is apparently legal to get out of your car, stalk a kid because you don’t like his skin color, and then shoot him dead.

You can open up all the grand juries and the FBI can come riding into town, but that is a legal act in the state of Florida, 2012 years after the Age of Christ.

Here is a very moving reflection on the state of black men – and the racism they face – that I heard earlier today.

And here is an observation from a white person trying to understand, and knowing they will never face the things so many people in this nation, and this world, know instinctively. People hate you solely for how you look.