Equality Now!

May 26th, 2009

Today The State of California upheld it’s ban on same-sex marriage making gay marriage illegal again in California. Until the issue is brought back to the courts and the decision has been changed there will be no future same-sex marriages in California. However, the 18,000 gay marriages that took place between May and November of 2008 will still be recognized as marriages. California does allow domestic partnerships (civil unions). While civil unions are a very progressive step forward, they are not equal to marriage.

Differences from Marriage

While domestic partners receive most of the benefits of marriage, several differences remain. These differences include, in part:

  • Couples seeking domestic partnership must already share a residence, married couples may be married without living together.
  • Couples seeking domestic partnership must be 18 or older, minors can be married before the age of 18 with the consent of their parents.
  • California permits married couples the option of confidential marriage, there is no equivalent institution for domestic partnerships. In confidential marriages, no witnesses are required and the marriage license is not a matter of public record.
  • Married partners of state employees are eligible for the CalPERS long-term care insurance plan, domestic partners are not.
  • There is, at least according to one appellate ruling, no equivalent of the Putative Spouse Doctrine for domestic partnerships. [3]

In addition to these differences specific to state law, should the Defense of Marriage Act be found unconstitutional or repealed, married persons in California might enjoy all the federal benefits of marriage, including Constitutionally-required recognition of their relationships as marriages in the rest of the United States under the Full Faith and Credit Clause. [4][dubious – discuss]

In addition to these differences specific to the United States, some countries that recognize same-sex marriages performed in California as valid in their own country, (e.g., Israel [5]), do not recognize same-sex domestic partnerships performed in California.

Many supporters of same-sex marriage also argue that the use of the word marriage itself constitutes a significant social difference,[citation needed] and in the majority opinion of In Re Marriage Cases, the California Supreme Court agreed, [4] suggesting an analogy with a hypothetical that branded interracial marriages “transracial unions”.

Domestic partnership in California > Differences from Marriage (Wikipedia)

I know it’s been a while since I have wrote here. A long time, actually. But I felt as though I needed to say something about this today. I cannot let today pass by without saying anything. Getting back into the saddle is quite difficult when you haven’t done it in over a year! I’ve struggled all afternoon with trying to figure out the angle for this article. Then it hit me! The slogan for your blog is: “Bringing The World Out Of Its Atrophied State.” Talk to those people who are in atrophy. Talk to those who don’t understand why this is such an important issue. Don’t preach to the choir (although the choir does need to sing louder, as usual). I want to present to you four reasons in which gay marriage needs to be recognized at the federal level. But first, I want you to watch this video. It has the wonderful Calpernia Addams in it! She’s the first female in the video, the veteran.

(1) Marriage in all 50 states: During the 2008 Presidential campaign (and many others) you heard this phrase quite often: “Marriage should be left to the states to decide.” In my opinion that is just a way for politicians to save themselves from losing votes. They don’t want to talk about it because they will lose votes. Clinton and Obama said that they favored civil unions but not gay marriage. While civil unions at the federal level would be a step forward it’s still not equal. There would still be a distinction between heterosexual couples and gay couples. Regardless of whether there are no differences in rights given to marriages and civil unions, they would not be equal. Even if it’s just the difference in the name. It’s not equal! Separate but equal doesn’t work!

If marriage is left up to the states, as it is now, there will be inequality from state to state, as there is now. Between the states that do allow civil unions or gay marriages, the rights given to those unions are not the same in every state. They may just be minor differences, but, they’re still not 100% equal across the board.

Speaking of across the board there is also the matter of marriages not being recognized from state to state. Why is this a big deal? Let me throw out a hypothetical example (although I am sure this has happened somewhere). Let’s say that you live in a state that allows same-sex couples to marry. You or your partner get a job offer in another state that doesn’t allow same-sex marriage. The position has a higher salary, advancement opportunities and better benefits. You’re forced to decide whether living in a state with equality is more important than your financial well-being. You shouldn’t have to make this decision.

Moving to another state that doesn’t allow same-sex marriage might possibly jeopardize the assets that you and your partner have accumulated if one of you die. Which brings me to another point. If you’re in a state that doesn’t recognize same-sex marriages from another state you might not even be allowed to be beside the bed of your dying partner. The assets of your deceased partner may go to the next of kin, not you.

You may not even be moving to another state. You may just be on a vacation. If something happens to you or your partner you may not even have the right to be with each other overnight in the hospital room. This is further complicated if you and your partner have children (adopted or biological). If the one in the hospital is not the biological parent, the children may not even be allowed to visit.

Of course this is a hypothetical situation and there are legal ways to keep many of the instances in which I have discussed here from happening. However, it’s always going to be a hassle. You may not have the time to get your legal representative on the phone or have documentation sent to your location. In some cases I’m sure you could show a million documents and it wouldn’t matter.

(2) Ending Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell: You may think that gay marriage and DADT are separate issues, they’re not. It’s all about equality and giving every citizen equal rights.

Don’t ask, don’t tell is the common term for the policy about homosexuality in the U.S. military mandated by federal law Pub.L. 103-160 (10 U.S.C. § 654). Unless one of the exceptions from 10 U.S.C. § 654(b) applies, the policy prohibits anyone who “demonstrate(s) a propensity or intent to engage in homosexual acts” from serving in the armed forces of the United States, because it “would create an unacceptable risk to the high standards of morale, good order and discipline, and unit cohesion that are the essence of military capability.” The act prohibits any homosexual or bisexual person from disclosing his or her sexual orientation or from speaking about any homosexual relationships, including marriages or other familial attributes, while serving in the United States armed forces. The “don’t ask” part of the policy indicates that superiors should not initiate investigation of a service member’s orientation in the absence of disallowed behaviors, though mere suspicion of homosexual behavior can cause an investigation.

Don’t ask, don’t tell (Wikipedia)

I hate war. I hate that we have to have a military. I can’t stand the thought of us occupying other countries. I tear up every time someone mentions that they are thinking about joining the military. It’s definitely not something that I could ever do myself. But I know that the military is a necessary evil and I do respect those women and men who do serve in our armed forces. However, gay soldiers are oppressed. They can die for their country but they can only do so from inside the closet. President Obama has said that he wants to overturn DADT but he doesn’t seem in hurry to do it anytime soon. So much for change!

Gay marriage, even if it’s just in California, would help with ending DADT. The more states that allow same-sex marriages will put pressure on those who can end DADT. It will help strengthen the cause and potentially show some of these politicians that if they continue to implement it they will not be re-elected.

If someone is willing to sacrifice their life to help protect me, I don’t care if they’re gay, straight, bisexual, transgender, black, blue, green, whatever! I will respect and honor them all just the same. Anyone who would not respect someone who is serving their country because of sexual orientation is not a true patriot.

(3) Progressing forward: Getting gay marriage in all fifty states is only one hurdle. There are so many more obstacles to overcome. We have a LONG way to go especially since our politicians seem to think that gay marriage should be left up to the states. Our transgendered brothers and sisters out there need equal rights as well. Every state that we can get to allow gay marriage is a step in the right direction. It will put us one step closer to equality.

I get so angry when I think about this because it’s 2009! We should be so much further along by now! There are kids all over this country who are being bullied and even murdered at school because of their sexual orientation. While gay marriage will not bring about world peace, it will help move us forward. It will make gay lifestyles more acceptable and less of an issue.

(4) Global image: Isn’t the United States of America suppose to be a superpower? Yet, we’re scared of allowing gay people to serve openly in the military? We’re scared of allowing gay people to get married and increase marriage revenue? Wow! We’re one big (I mean no offense, apologies in advance) sissified nation!

It’s just a hunch, but, wouldn’t allowing those two things mentioned above make our global image more appealing? As it stands right now we’re still trying to recover from Dick Cheney and water boarding being the face of our country.

If America wants to be the leader in this world, we’re going to have to step up. There are plenty of other countries who have beat us on both of these issues. We’re lagging behind. WAY behind!

“In the early 1970s, I was living with my boyfriend and our out-of wedlock arrangement was regarded as rather scandalous by both of our families. When I went to a wedding ceremony of a lesbian friend of mine, I was struck by the obvious irony. Here were two women who could not be legally wed, but who were happily celebrating their commitment to each other. They seemed to have a better understanding of the importance of ceremony, ritual, public declaration than people like me who tossed off the institution of marriage as unnecessary.” — Reagan daughter Patti Davis

I know writing this article won’t change some bigot’s mind. But I do hope it makes you understand why we need to discuss this issue more. I hope it helps you to understand that this is a political matter and that is why you need to pay attention to politics. If nothing else this article is a journal entry for the day. Thanks for reading!

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The American Death Cuisine

February 14th, 2008

I guess tonight was my political night. I watched Real Time with Bill Maher for an hour in video thanks to the fact that you can now subscribe to the video of “Real Time” through iTunes (it’s the same feed, just has videos in it now). I then watched yesterday’s broadcast of Democracy Now which was an extremely good broadcast about how the diet in America is essentially quickly leading to our demise. I then listened to an hour of Bicycle Mark and Madge Weinstein talk about more political issues as well (YR758 Bicylemark on the FISA Bill, Gold, and More. Also Auntie Vera is abused). They also discussed yesterday’s broadcast of Democracy Now. I guess this will be an echo chamber of sorts but I think I will try to put my own spin on it and talk about how it effects me.

One thing that I’ve been thinking a lot about since I finished the 3 hours of political talk is during the broadcast of Democracy Now, Michael Pollan author of “In Defense of Food” stated that when you go grocery shopping you should only shop around the perimeter of the store because that is where the produce and the non-modified foods are. I agree with this 100% and wish that it was possible to do this. Unfortunately, when you’re broke you are not able to. A big question I have is in regards to breads. Michael and Amy were talking about how the ingredients that are used to make our breads are broken down so small that the good part, the germ of the wheat is taken out. This makes breads taste much sweeter because when they touch your tongue they have been broken down already and your body doesn’t have to do a lot of work to break them down. So, you get an instant rush of glucose. Again, I agree with this but my question is how do we combat this? I would venture to guess that 90% of the breads in this country, even breads that are whole grain and massively produced have been produced by the same methods. You can’t get around it buy buying boxed breads because it’s essentially the same thing. You are simply supplying the final ingredients. Even fresh breads that come from a baker are susceptible to this problem. What do we do?

So much of our food is modified in this country. Even our water isn’t simply water anymore. If you drink your water from the tap it generally has fluoride in it. I do have to point out that the water that comes from my tap does not have fluoride in it because we do not get our water from the utility district. We have our own well. I prefer to not drink the water that comes from it because it has a lot of iron in it and filters get expensive to replace. Right now in Blount County, Tennnessee there is a protest against the utility district’s plan add fluoride to the drinking water. I’m not going to say I’m for or against this because I really don’t know. In the news report there were talks about the health concerns of ingesting fluoride. I remember in my early years of elementary school we would swish fluoride around in our mouths and spit it into a paper cup. Everyone generally participated and it was accepted as being a healthy thing to do, no one questioned it. Most public water supplies have chlorine and other chemicals to help keep the water clean. Just like the food we eat in America our water isn’t simply water anymore.

Turn on the TV right now and I will guarantee you that you will see some sort of commercial for fast food, snack food or frozen dinner that proclaims to be healthy for you. Of course you’ll also see all the reality TV shows that poke fun at the obesity epidemic. Why are we not taking the time to educate about these things in our country? Why is it that when anyone says they are vegan, vegetarian or only eat foods grown locally they are automatically considered an outcast? It’s so accepted to eat junk. It’s what our country eats. If the saying “You are what you eat” is true, then America is junk.

Getting back to an earlier thought. I would love to eat a lot healthier than I do. I am so sick and tired of eating frozen Banquet Salisbury Steak dinners, Banquet Chicken Pot Pies, Banquet Turkey Slices in Gravy with a side of mashed potatoes and something boring from a can. Why do I eat like that? It’s cheap. Healthy foods are UNREACHABLE because of their price tag. If you want to put food on the table on an extremely tight budget you will be going down the middle aisles of the grocery store. I would really love to have a salad every evening but the good salad greens cost a lot more money than the $1 box of frozen salisbury steak with gravy that feeds 6 people.

The local vocational school grows fruits and vegetables during the summer and sales them in the local grocery stores. While I think this is a great idea I question the growing method. I’m sure they are not 100% organic. At some point they HAVE to use some sort of non-organic fertilizer to make a profit which is what it generally boils down to, profit. Last summer we had our own garden here at home. I loved it! It was so nice to be able to go and get a cucumber, a tomato, tommy toes and lettuce out of the garden and make a salad. But still, the garden was not 100% organic. We used fertilizer on the garden. We could have used chicken or cow manure but the question still remains how organic is the manure coming out of the cow? Remember the circle of life they sang about in the Lion King?

Our country has been going downhill for the last 50 years and we’re starting to take other countries down with us. The planet is going to hell in a hand-basket. Let me re-phrase, the country has gone to hell in a hand-basket. I’m afraid that no matter who we elect as our President in Novemember these things WILL NOT change. I hope they do but I’m afraid they won’t. I don’t want out of this country, I want off this planet. Then, where would I find food?

One last thought of the evening and then I’m going to bed. I use to ask how in the world people in foreign countries can be going hungry? How can they go hungry when we in America have all this cheap food. I use to think that we should send a few boat loads of ramen noodles to foreign countries so they can have something to eat! While that would give people food to eat it would be setting them on the same path of destruction America is on. Goodnight.

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Politics ARE personal!

February 7th, 2008

Unless you are living under a rock then you know that Tuesday, February 5 was “Super Tuesday.” The day in which 24 states held primaries or caucuses (I need to learn more about caucuses). Of course being a citizen of the United States I proudly went and cast my ballot. I cast my ballot for Barack Obama. I’m saying that now so just in case people who don’t want to read anymore can leave now.

The night of the election I set up in my bedroom with computers and the TV and watched as the returns came in. I had instant messages on my main computer. On the same computer I had the BBC streaming to my television. I really enjoyed hearing outsider perspectives on our election. I had the social networking website Twitter on my secondary computer and I had Politico on a third computer which I was repairing for a family member. I was connected, I was tuned in. It really helped boost my desire to tune in and see what was happening with the election. Up until the point of “Super Tuesday” I hadn’t been as caring about it. I had been going through the winter blues. It really felt great to have the rush of finding out which candidates won each state. More importantly, I really enjoyed hearing the candidates give their speeches. Even the Republican candidates because it gave me more insight into their campaigns which I had not even been looking into because I was trying to make the decision between Obama or Clinton so I was only tuned into their websites.

There have been a couple of things that have bothered me since “Super Tuesday.” The first of those is as I was watching Twitter after Barack Obama gave his speech the night of the election people were saying that his speech was “vile”, made them want to puke, “disgusting”, etc. The people who made these statements are open Clinton supporters (which is fine, nothing wrong with that). I do realize that almost all speeches given on that night did not have anymore substance than what they have been saying up until this point. However, I feel as though if you watched or listened to Barack Obama’s speech on that night and you thought it was disgusting or vile then I really feel as though you don’t understand what America is SUPPOSE to be. Everything in Obama’s speech that night states what America is suppose to be! This is one of my favorite excerpts:

You see, the challenges we face will not be solved with one meeting in one night. It will not be resolved on even a Super Duper Tuesday. Change will not come if we wait for some other person or if we wait for some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. (Cheers, applause.) We are the change that we seek. We are the hope of those boys who have so little, who’ve been told that they cannot have what they dream, that they cannot be what they imagine. Yes, they can. (Cheers, applause.)

- The Turner Report: Transcript provided for Obama Super Tuesday speech

The above quote makes me feel as though Obama wants to make a change in this country. Of course there will be a major change since we will be getting out from under the Bush regime. But, I just feel when I read through Obama’s plan for his presidency on his website. When I hear him speak. I really feel that he wants to make a change. Some people will say that he just knows how to make a good speech. When I read the above quote again though I see much more, I feel much more, it makes me think that he realizes that change is not going to come overnight. Change is going to take years. Our country so desperately needs change. But it’s not going to come easy and it can’t end with him. We as Americans have to learn how to change and become more progressive or nothing will ever change. WE are the change. WE (Americans) are the change that we want. WE are the ones who will make things better.

The second thing that has been bothering me came today when I saw another friend say on Twitter that if you are gay and you didn’t vote for Hillary Clinton then you voted against yourself. I’ll be frank. That really pissed me off. It really bothered me. As someone who is gay I looked to my friends this election time to see who they were supporting. I read through both Obama and Hillary’s website and I came to the conclusion that Obama would get my vote based on many statements, especially this one:

Expand Hate Crimes Statutes: Barack Obama cosponsored legislation that would expand federal jurisdiction to reach violent hate crimes perpetrated because of race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, or physical disability. As a state senator, Obama passed tough legislation that made conspiracy to commit hate crimes against the law. As president, he will ensure that the Criminal Section of the Civil Rights Division makes hate crime a priority.

- Civil Rights Plan PDF (Direct link)

You can correct me if I am wrong on this but I have not found any statement like the one above on Hillary Clinton’s website. Yes, I realize that Hillary has came out and made a statement about how she wants the GLBT vote. Personally, I feel it’s too little too late. Especially considering her past with saying she feels as though children are better with a man and woman as parents. I also do not like the fact that Clinton said she wants the GLBT vote the night before Super Tuesday. That’s why I say it’s too late. Why couldn’t she have made this statement months ago? Is she going to update her website to reflect this new information?

When I say that I looked to my friends to see who they were endorsing and find out that they support Obama. I of course still done my research to see who I would support and endorse. The one person who is on my mind is Marti Abernathey who openly supports Barack Obama. Coming from her that honestly means a lot to me. Then when someone says that if I didn’t vote for Clinton then I voted against myself, it really triggers an emotion. I don’t know how to describe it otherwise so I will leave it at that.

This post is not about bashing Clinton. This post is really not about supporting Obama. This post is about the division among friends when it comes to politics. I think it’s great that we are voicing our opinions now. I just want to say that I think we should voice our opinions. However, I hope that we can all still be friends regardless of the fact that we have different view points. It really bothers me when someone says “If you vote for this person, then I won’t do this for you.” “I can’t be your friend because you support this person.” Many times those two statements are made in a passive aggressive way. Unfortunately, I don’t think that will change but I think we can learn to live with it. In other words, I hope I can learn to live with it. It’s really hard not to take things personally.

There is so much more that I could say in this post. There is so much more that I want to say. I think if I were to continue on much longer I might as well publish a book! If you are the two people in which I refer to in this entry then again, I really hope that we can still be friends and continue to grow as friends. I am almost hesitant to post this but I think it needs to be said otherwise it will be locked away eating at me. You are more than welcome to leave a comment telling me how stupid I am, which quite a few people already think based on my vote. Anyways, thanks for reading.

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Democrats, Do Not Harass Me

January 22nd, 2008

For the past few nights this week at the same time there has been a call to the house asking for me. I have not been available to take their call so they just keep calling back. Tonight, I had just finished doing the dishes and the phone rang. Of course it said “Unavailable” again on the caller ID. I answer and they ask for me and five minutes later the man is still going on and on about how I need to vote Democratically. That they need my support. That he hopes that I will not let them down.

He then says “Sir, can I count on you to donate some money which will be doubled. Whatever you can give will be matched.” Or something like that. I said, “Look, I don’t have very much money right now. I will definitely be voting Democratically when the election comes up.” He then cocks an attitude and says “BUT SIR, I appreciate that you will be voting Democratically but they need support and money. Can I count on you to give $20.” I said “I’m sorry, but I don’t have a job. I don’t have $20 to give you right now.” Then he said “What about $10, $5, anything you can give will be appreciated.” I said, “LOOK, I’m sorry, I do not have any money to give you right now. We can’t even afford to pay the electric bill right now.” THEN he kept going on asking me if he could send me a pledge card. I said “I won’t have money when it gets here.” He says “You don’t have to send it now, send it in a few weeks.” He just kept going on and on!

Finally I told him that I did not appreciate him harassing me. I told him again that I did not have any money. I told him that I appreciated what he was trying to do for our country as in getting support for the Democratic party. I told him I would be voting Democratically as I always do. He then said that he was sorry that I thought he was harassing me. The call was finally over after a couple more minutes of him trying to get me to accept a pledge card.

First of all. I’m really tired of these “Unavailable” number call centers calling and harassing. Calling and not answering. I don’t owe anyone any money so they’re not harassing me for a bill I owe money on. They are calling and begging money or they are calling and not even saying a word, just breathing. Seriously.

Second, don’t call me up and talk for 5 minutes, wasting my time without giving me the opportunity to tell you I am not interested. That is extremely rude. About two minutes in I’m not even paying attention to you. I’m asking myself “Will this person ever shut up?” “Is this a machine?” “If I hang up will the machine just call me back tomorrow night?”

Third, when I tell you I do not have any money to give you. I tell you that I don’t appreciate that you are harassing me for money. You should immediately end the call.

Lastly, this is the one that really bothers me. If you were to call a home where the residents are un-decided, do you really think that they will be voting for a Democrat after harassing them for money? Don’t you think they are more likely to say “Those Democrats will just harass you for money every chance they get. I’m voting Republican.” Or something like that.

I am always nice to telemarketers when they call. If you hang up, they’ll call back. It’s much easier to just listen to what they have to say and tell them you’re not interested. Some of them are nice and say “Well thank you for your time” and that’s the end of it. That’s how it should be. I’m not going to be rude to someone because that’s their job. They’re just trying to make a living like the rest of us. But it really makes me angry when a (and I’m guessing) college aged kid (someone my age, actually) calls up and starts asking for money and won’t let up.

Anyways, I am going to go get some food, calm my nerves and get over it. At least I got a blog entry out of it, right? Thanks for reading.

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The Healthy Consumer

August 26th, 2007

This morning I get up around 7:15 AM, like I normally do. I finally roll out of the bed around 7:30 AM. I go to the bathroom and get into the shower and stand there for a few minutes trying to get woke up. I wash my hair and then as I grab my bar of soap I notice a bottle of Axe body wash (It’s not mine, I don’t live on my own). I got to reading the back of it as I lathered up my washcloth. The back of the bottle basically says “If you buy and use Axe soap, you’ll get girls.” The first thought that came to my mind was that these people are being offensive to the GLBT community. Secondly, it bothered me because there are actually idiots who will buy that soap and actually think they are going to “get some ladies.” I then remembered that I’ve been wanting to write a post about consumerism, so here I am.

I’ve been wanting to buy a new computer for a while now. I haven’t been able to because at the moment I don’t have a fulltime job. The computer I want is a MacBook Pro. The problem with me is that I feel I need a lot of things. I feel as though I need a MacBook Pro, then I want a couple of PC desktops. One desktop to act as a file server, local network test web server, virtual machine server, etc. The other desktop would be the one that I use for running Windows and Linux in a dual boot environment (at least I didn’t say 3 PC’s so I could have Windows and Linux on their own). Oh wait, maybe I need 4 so I can have one to tinker with. Then at the same time I feel as though I need a new camera. A dSLR to upgrade the Sony Cybershot that I have outgrown. At the same time I want a good video camera so my videos will look better. But you see, it doesn’t stop there. I also need software. Software to work on photos, videos, web design, etc.

Yesterday I got to looking at a website that showed some of the most world changing photos. There were some photos of young men in Africa that really bothered me. They were so tiny. They were young boys who couldn’t find food. There was even a photo of a young boy who was being stalked by a vulture because he was so tiny. The vulture could have attacked him and the boy would not have had a chance. A child of that age in this country would not have been stalked by a vulture because children of that age in this country are much larger than the vulture.

I go into the kitchen and I see food that we don’t really like but we have it on hand because it’s cheap. Ramen noodles for instance. They’re extremely cheap. Most people don’t like them, I actually kind of like them. The thing that bothers me is that if food like ramen noodles is so cheap, why aren’t we taking ships full of it to places where people’s bodies are so frail and they are just wasting away? I know it’s not the healthiest food on the planet but at least it would put some meat onto their bones.

I think about those things a lot. It really bothers me a great deal. It makes me wonder if people really care. Do people really care in this country? Or are people in this country only concerned with the latest celebrity gossip and the latest and greatest gadget, currently the Apple iPhone.

All of that makes me realize that I need to think and question myself before I buy anything. As a healthy consumer I should be asking myself, constantly, Do I really, need this? It makes me realize that I need to look at an object and ask myself if I really need it or if the people who market the product are just trying to convince me that I do, when I really don’t.

As Americans we are born consumers. Everything we do involves consumerism. However, we very seriously need to think about the things we are consuming. Question every single thing about it. Question the reasons why we need something. Question, Question, Question. That’s what we as citizens of Earth need to be doing! Question everything! Don’t just go through life blindly. If we don’t start asking more questions, things are only going to get worse.

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Just Keep Grazing

August 9th, 2007

I’ve been sitting here this morning watching Democracy Now. I usually listen to the broadcast in podcast format while I’m working but for some reason I didn’t get yesterdays and am having to stream it from their website in video format. None of that matters. I just needed an entry. What does matter is that I am so sick of watching the news. Every time I sit down to listen or watch the news I cry. Everytime you turn around there is something else bad happening on this planet. A lot of the bad is happening here at home in the United States. Freedoms are being taken away left and right. Citizens are being spied on warrantlessly. The list goes on and on. It’s just so difficult to listen to it. I do listen to it everyday because if I don’t know about it, then I’m just a dumb, ignorant sheep. I want to write more on this blog and I hopefully will be able to soon. I’ve just gotten busy with working on client projects. The biggest problem with writing on this blog is that there is so much happening. Most of it bad. It’s so hard to keep track of everything.

There are times that I want to leave this country so badly. I feel as though things are only going to get worse. Last November we voted and we felt as though we were going to get people into our government that would make things better. No. We were wrong. They’re no better than the Bush administration. They’re passing the laws that he wants in place and I’m scared to think what else they’ll pass and allow him to do.

I have came to the conclusion that we cannot trust someone based on party. I’ve decided that in the coming elections I refuse to vote for someone just because they have a better chance of winning because they are in the Democratic party. That does not make a difference anymore. Democrats are just as bad anymore. All they care about is money and it’s extremely disgusting.

The problem is there are no candidates to vote for. I’ll be completely honest, I don’t know everything about all of them. I plan on changing that as soon as possible. I want to write posts about every one of them. I need to know what each and every one of them is about when I go to the polls for the primaries next year.

The other thing that I keep thinking about is I have heard from people who voted for Bush in recent days that they think it’s so horrible that all anyone in this country is concerned with is money. Also I had one to tell me that they think that the government is just trying to keep everyone down (reminds me of Power of Nightmares). Although these people are correct, the problem is that they do not understand that the person they voted for is causing these problems. The scariest part is that they would vote for him again or the person he recommends.

I’m trying to control my rage. There is a lot of rage in me at the moment. I’m just so sick of people not being able to see what is happening. I mean, really happening in this country. Not some bullshit that is happening on the television. I have a mini rant: I’m sick of podcasters who continually just re-iterate what the TV is spitting out to them. Do what I did. Turn the TV off. I turned the television off in November of 2005 and I seriously think I’m a lot better off now than ever. I see things. I know what is happening.

I guess I should shut up. I just really needed to get some of this out. Honestly, I don’t feel any better after writing this because I know it’s not going to matter, no one is going to care. No one is going to do anything about anything. The government is just going to continue to take our freedoms away and the cows in the pasture are just going to keep grazing.

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Chilling Execution Tapes

July 17th, 2007

I am sitting here with chills going up and down my spine listening to Democracy Now. On today’s broadcast they play never before heard recordings of executions. They are extremely chilling and extremely frightening, extremely difficult to listen to. Just the simple fact that they are carrying out a murder an execution, something that people would go to jail for and possibly even sentenced to death for, they are doing it legally.

Ending a life has never before sounded so chilling and sterile. It’s more gruesome than seeing or hearing a very bloody movie. The precision, the required witnesses and of course the one who’s life is ending strapped to a chair staring out at onlookers who are simply staring back.

5 minutes pass and the condemmed (as they call the man) is murdered. “Very smooth operation, get us another one.” Last words of the first tape. They also talk about a problem with the execution, something popping, the primary eyewitness making the recording believed it to be a bolt of lightning (this was an electric chair execution).

These tapes are extremely chilling and very upsetting to me. It’s disgusting to think that our government can play God and choose to end a person’s life and by such barbaric methods at that. However, no matter how you murder a person at the end of the day it’s still murder.

Earlier this evening I was watching Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. “A dead man can’t learn from his mistakes”, a quote from Captain Sisko. I’ve been saying that exact same phrase my entire life and to this day and into the future I will continue to say it.

I am extremely thankful that Troy Anthony Davis was given another 90 days to live. I hope and pray that they will commute his execution. If our President of the United States can commute the prison sentence of Lewis Libby because the President thinks that 30 months in prison is too harsh, then Troy Anthony Davis and every single person on death row should have their execution sentences commuted. Murder, and that is what I am going to continue to call it, no more strikethroughs to be politically correct. Murder is very permanent.

There was another tape played on today’s broadcast of Democracy Now. I don’t know that I can recommend anyone to listen to these because they are extremely chilling, but, you should listen to them if nothing more than to help set a fire. Things need to change. Abolish the death penalty, now!

Democracy Now for Tuesday, July 17, 2007

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We’re All Immigrants

July 15th, 2007

I’ve been holding back on this subject. I don’t know why. It’s a subject that definitely needs to be discussed. It’s an issue that affects every single person on the planet. That topic is immigration.

Last weekend I was at a family gathering and was sitting with a group of people who got to talking about work. One of the individuals started talking about a Mexican coworker. He made an extremely disgusting comment “When it comes to the hard work, I make them do it, that’s what they’re there for.” I didn’t say anything of course, I bit my tongue. I didn’t want there to be a huge debate at a family get together.

This isn’t the only xenophobic comment I’ve been hearing lately. A couple of weeks ago I heard another individual talking about a work situation. They said that they were talking to their coworker about their boss and said “He’s working us like damned Mexicans.”

The two comments above aren’t the only ones I’ve been hearing but I could probably write an entire book on the xenophobia surrounding me. I am so sick of hearing it. I am so sick of people thinking that just because someone is an immigrant that they have a right to treat them as if they are slaves.

People in this country seem to have forgotten that at some point in history our ancestors were immigrants, too. Granted, some of us around here have Indian ancestors but for the most part we are all descendents of people who were of another country.

Many of the people who try to cross the borders illegally die. The reason they are crossing the borders illegally is because our government is doing an extremely terrible job at processing immigrants. The people crossing illegally need jobs to be able to help their families, escape bad living conditions, terrible laws, etc. It takes too long or they deny people for some petty, stupid reason. I realize we need to have border control because we need to know who is in our country. I personally don’t want drug lords in our country, well, more than there already are. At the same time I think our government needs to start doing a lot more to help people enter into our country because that’s how our country was started, by immigrants. I also don’t think our government should be murdering people who cross the border.

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Holsinger Is Bad News

July 12th, 2007

After posting the last entry and heading over to Pam’s House Blend I remembered what I was going to talk about this morning. Dr. James Holsinger. I wonder if he’s any relation to the mother in the previous entry I wrote, the one about the mother who wanted the gay, abortion and atheism instructional manuals removed from her child’s school library. (OK, they weren’t instruction manuals but that’s probably what she thinks they are!).

The not so good Dr. Holsinger wrote a paper on the homosexuals. It’s available in PDF format, if your attention span is small don’t worry it’s only 8 pages long, double spaced of course. In the paper Dr. Holsinger goes on and on about how bad the homosexual lifestyle is bad for your rectum. Stating that the rectum is a device only to be used for defecation. He even talks a little about fisting!

The problem with the paper is not that he talked about the problems with homosexual sexual activities but the fact that his paper has a Christian agenda to it. He states that “I believe that it is possible to argue succinctly from an anatomical (structure) and physiological (function) point of view that the human sexes are indeed complementary.” Meaning that he thinks only men and women should be having sexual intercourse.

The extremely scary part of his nomination to became our surgeon general is that he would become the chief medical officer and have say over what is right and what is wrong when it comes to health matters. With such a Christian view of life the not so good Dr. Holsinger would jeopardize the health of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and even heterosexual people of this country. Also, Dr. Holsinger is the founder of the Hope Springs Community Church which is a church that tries to “help” people by converting them from a homosexual lifestyle to a heterosexual one.

On a brief sidenote the not so good Dr. Holsinger fails to realize that even in the animal and plant (oh yes!) there are homosexual couples.

I do not want this country’s top doctor to have a political agenda. I want a doctor who will take care of the needs of the people. I do not want a doctor who will put religious foolishness over proven scientific facts.

Everyone needs to get in touch with our senator’s and express our concern over this nomination for surgeon general. Pam’s House Blend has a list of senators and a number to the switchboard. Please don’t let this bigoted, pro-life, anti gay idiot become our surgeon general. Please don’t let our dumbass President put another idiot into a position of power!

The Peter’s hoppin’ mad about Holsinger (via Pam’s House Blend)

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Nut Job Mother Wants Books Removed

July 12th, 2007

I know I could probably be writing about more important things this morning, however, this story struck a nerve with me because it hits home so closely (as in I know people like this, too many in fact). In this article a mother who is concerned with the books that are in her child’s school library goes to the school and uses the computerized card catalog system (wow, she knows how to use a computer!) and types keywords that are offensive to her and she is shocked to see books on the subjects she enters into the search.

The main reason I am even talking about this is because it makes me so disgusted, mainly because I know people who would do this sort of thing! I have heard of mothers in this area of the country, the Bible belt, who will rip pages about homosexuality, abortion and atheism out of brand new encyclopedia and dictionaries that they purchased for their children. These same type of people homeschool their children because they are so scared to death the kid is going to hear a curse word on the playground. I have news for you mothers out there, the kids already heard you screaming and moaning in bed. If it came out the natural way it’s already came into contact with your vagina! GET OVER IT! Life is full of sex! We’re sexual beings!

In actuality what I think people are afraid of is the fact that they know they can no longer keep their children brainwashed. It’s either that or they are scared to death to re-think life since they were probably brainwashed as a child.

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