Gay activist murdered in New Orleans

A New Orleans community activist and former grand marshal of Southern Decadence was found beaten to death in his home Monday, police reported.

Robin Malta, 43, was found by his sister Monica Thurmond, who had gone to his Marigny district home to check on him. He had apparently been dead for some time, a coroner's spokesman told the New Orleans Times-Picayune.
On Tuesday morning, Malta's 1997 Nissan was found dumped in a Central City neighbourhood, burned and its windows shattered.

Among those questioned by police is Shawn Curry, 36, an ex-roommate of Malta's, WWL-TV reported. Authorities said Tuesday that Curry is not a suspect, but they hope he can shed light on the killing, the fourth reported in New Orleans in as many days.
Malta and Thurmond, both third-generation NOLA residents, owned Salon d'Malta, a popular hair salon in the French Quarter. Famed for his generosity and good spirits, Malta raised tens of thousands of dollars for gay and other causes, including Food for Friends, the pantry of New Orleans' AIDS Task Force.

In 1998, he was named grand marshal of Southern Decadence, the massive gay event held every Labor Day weekend. After Hurricane Katrina, he gave National Guard members free haircuts in gratitude for their service.

"He loved everyone," Thurmond told WWL. "He didn't have an enemy anywhere."

Especially after Katrina, Malta spoke and agitated often against the rise of crime in his city and particularly in his neighborhood.

"Drive-by muggings -- I mean, there's guys riding around in vehicles just mugging people, jumping in their vehicles, going around the corner, mugging somebody else," he told WDSU-TV in October.
"I'd like to see the mayor actually walk Marigny Street, from Charters to Rampart Street, by himself at 3 o'clock in the morning. I guarantee you he'd get mugged."

Friends plan to organise a march on Malta's behalf. They ask that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the city's Crimestoppers program.

Justice MH's Final Thoughts: I grew up in New Orleans, so i know the violence in the neighborhoods was very high. I want to send my prays to Malta's family for their loss. A person of kindess, gentleness, and love will be miss by his New Orleans community.

Georgia cautious with Bible classess

I know where i stand on these classes here in Georgia. I personally do not support it! This to me is sending the message that America is a one religion country, which is not true!

The state school board approved curriculum in March for teaching the Bible in Georgia's high schools, but there hasn't been a rush of schools to start up the classes. Only a handful of the state's 180 school districts have agreed to offer the elective classes so far.

Jusitice MH says: The lawmakers here in Georgia are showing their bias toward other religions here in Amrerica, and not every child is a Jew or Christian.

It's important to understand religion; it's something we've gotten too far away from," said Jan Pease, whose 15-year-old daughter attends Northside High School in Columbus.

Justice MH says: Yes it is important to understand these religions with their fallible books! However, not one religion, but the religions that all students represent. Yes we have gotten to far away from relgion, it just depend on how close and cozy you want to get with this religion or any other religion!

Georgia has set teachers up for failure," said Charles Haynes, of the First Amendment Center, a Washington D.C.-based civil liberties group. "The chances of it being unconstitutional are pretty big and the pitfalls are huge."

His group supports religious discussions and study of the Bible in public schools, but Haynes says Georgia's law fails to give enough guidance to teachers on the difference between academic study and spiritual teaching.

"People are going to sue," he said. "That's why the Legislature should have been more responsible about putting school boards in situations where they might have to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars, split their communities and end up in a courtroom."

The First Amendment Center and Georgia's branch of the American Civil Liberties Union both say they plan to monitor how the classes are taught.

Concern about violating the separation of church and state is a reason why some of Georgia's largest districts have steered clear of the classes so far.

Pease, a Christian, said she'd support schools teaching comparative religion classes, including those that studied the holy books of other major faiths like Islam's Quran.

Justice MH says: I agree with Pease, that all religions should be represented! Now to me is special status for religion now. I'm not really for this, but i will be keeping an eye on this closely here in Georgia!