The moral majority apparently have a dislike for New York City, but manage to light up a pulpit and cross with more lights than they have in all of Times Square(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2279/2137369712_0bb9fc28b8.jpg)(http://www.taintedcanvas.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/lakewoodmegachurch.png). They have multiple infomercials and used car salesmen (I mean televangelists and reverends) that are almost as believable as the "ShamWow" and "Slap Chop" guy, Vince. I could hear it now, "you will love my nuts". No shortage of nuts out there, and they love their fellow nuts.
It seems a very greedy few prey on the simple, honest, and hard working people from rural America, brainwashing them into giving a percentage of their income (like taxes) for their own personal gain, and advertising to further their wealth(http://www.inplainsite.org/html/tele-evangelist_lifestyles.html). How can people be so gullible to fall for these scam artists? Some people believe they have no other choice, they genuinely need help, and need guidance, but do not know where to go, or have anywhere to go. I believe part of that smokescreen is being blown by the politicians who get elected with the money and support of these religious entertainers.
It also comes as no surprise that when doing my research, politicians names are speckled throughout the articles and searches (IE: Gingrich, Palin, etc.). If there really was an all knowing God, some of these truly self serving people would have been aborted or never born, which is probably why they fight abortion so fervently, and preach against birth control. Notice I said preach and not practice, there seems to be no limit to their blatant disregard for the average person's intuitiveness and plain common sense. I seem to come across many articles involving sex scandals of the "moral right" politicians and also the religious leaders that support them. Why do their followers continue to support them? How stupid do they think the rest of us are? Do as I say, not as I do.
And as much as I hate to admit it, stupidity runs rampant everywhere. I can't excuse Al Sharpton in New York. He intimidates his audience into believing whatever crap comes out of his mouth through the use of race, when race is not even the issue. Stupid is not prejudiced, but people are afraid to oppose him, for fear they are labeled racist. To make matters worse, he is a Reverend as well as a politician. So much for separation of Church and State. Not only are you a racist for questioning him, but blasphemous as well. I do have to say that he did figure out two ways to raise tax free money, and he manages to get it from both ends. I just do not think I should be taking it from the wrong end. Someone should figure out how to separate his church from his state. The left is just as bad as the right, that's why I am stuck in the middle.
What do these politicians and self proclaimed religious leaders have in common (other than the obvious sales pitches)? They manage to find enough people dumb enough to listen and donate, and when there aren't enough people, they support each other to gain more supporters: An inbreeding of supporters. Fortunately for them, stupidity has no racial or gender bias, there are plenty of stupid people in all walks of life. Unfortunate for the rest of us who have to sit quietly and take it, and in some cases even forced to suffer the political consequences. They take advantage of their own kind, and then believe that you should fall for it as well.
The BIG FU goes to the abusers of power within church and state, preying on the weak (of mind), instead of using their abilities for the actual good their organizations originally stood for. Donations are meant to help the hungry, the homeless, the sick, and the poor...Not fuel their private jets, furnish their mansions, go straight to their paychecks, and pay for another advertisement to get more votes or donations. If they want all of those material things, they should get a REAL job, work hard, and buy those things with their own damned money(blasphemy intentional). Do unto others as you would have done unto you.[Matthew 7:12]
Next week......I believe in god, with a lowercase g.
I do donate to my local church, I can see where they put in their time and our donations and the good that they do with them. I see how they help people who need help, and not abuse their positions of influence for their own personal gain.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Monday, October 11, 2010
Ignorance and Tolerance: The difference between Hate and Respect
Years ago I was chosen to be best man at a wedding in Hawaii. I was honored to be chosen, and excited about the location. This was the second time I was chosen to be a best man, and both times the weddings took place in Hawaii! Both took place on the beach, with the pacific ocean in the background. The couples were nervous, excited and happy at both occasions. Both occasions sound very similar, don't they? Well, they are not. At the first wedding, my male friend married his girlfriend, at the second wedding, my female friend married her girlfriend.
I remember when I first asked my friend (the female one) to go out to have a drink after work, after working together for a few months, how defensive and nervous she was talking about "her roommate." If you didn't pay close attention to the conversation, you would think her roommate was just another friend and they moved across the country together. While we were out, she mentioned that her roommate was much more than her roommate, she was actually her girlfriend and she thought from all the times speaking to me at work that I "figured it out". I didn't completely figure it out, until she actually told me.
She asked, "does this bother you?" to which I replied "No". She didn't expect that answer, so I guess she believed me to be ignorant and closed minded. The next thing she said was, I guess I shouldn't assume that most people are like back home (out west, conservative country). From that day forward, we began a friendship we still have today. I consider her one of my closest friends.
What made me think of her was the story in the news about the "Rutger's suicide" that resulted from an illegally taken gay sex video of the victim by another student who happened to be his roommate. What if this had happened to her? What if this had happened to any of my friends (straight or gay)? What if it was one of my children? I think back to when I first met her, and what if I was just an ignorant jerk?
My friend would have kicked my ass(verbally), and whoever else stood in her way(physically). Turns out that I am more tolerant than I even thought, more through rationalization than anything else. She was a nice person, that's all, why wouldn't we be friends? Seems so simple and yet so difficult for a vast majority. Normally bible thumpers, major religions, and the self proclaimed "moral majority" think that gay and lesbian people are going to bring humanity to a standstill.
Did you know that in the places where people fear the gay community, in some cases going as far as outlawing certain types of gay sex(all repealed in 2002), it is still legal to marry your first cousin? I believe it is also still legal to have sex with an animal(http://www.animallaw.info/articles/ovuszoophilia.htm)? Every religion makes note of it (great writing and imagination), yet it is frowned upon. I thought religion was supposed to be about loving all of "god's" creatures; do not hurt anyone, do not murder, cheat or steal, etc. I guess gays are not "god's" creatures?
Pedophile priests get protected by the church, but gays and lesbians having consensual sex is just plain against the rules? Inbreeding is OK, but two adults having consensual sex is a sin? Everyone should just grow up. I am a straight man but I can't remember ever being attacked by "straight" bashers, or a band of rogue gays out to convert me. Gays didn't lobby to block opposite sex marriages. They do not fight to prevent me from providing health insurance to my wife and kids. Why do conservatives fight against them?
I can tell you that my friends after getting married moved back west, to Arizona, from where they were originally from. The biggest misconception is people thinking everyone from "the middle" are ignorant and intolerant. My friend's partner comes from a conservative republican family, and they were one of the most supportive and caring families I have ever met. They were even nice to the "rude" New Yorker who came to visit (I met them all at the wedding as well) for the second reception. Unfortunately, they are the minority in our country, otherwise, same sex marriages would be legal across the country, and eighteen year olds wouldn't be jumping off of the George Washington Bridge to avoid facing public humiliation.
The Big FU goes to the ignorant self proclaimed "moral conservatives" who have no problem protecting pedophilic clergy, inbreeding amongst their constituents, and hate mongering groups, all in the name of fighting against a group they fear will infiltrate our society. Not to say they are a little slow, but gays and lesbians have been around since societies were formed.
I remember when I first asked my friend (the female one) to go out to have a drink after work, after working together for a few months, how defensive and nervous she was talking about "her roommate." If you didn't pay close attention to the conversation, you would think her roommate was just another friend and they moved across the country together. While we were out, she mentioned that her roommate was much more than her roommate, she was actually her girlfriend and she thought from all the times speaking to me at work that I "figured it out". I didn't completely figure it out, until she actually told me.
She asked, "does this bother you?" to which I replied "No". She didn't expect that answer, so I guess she believed me to be ignorant and closed minded. The next thing she said was, I guess I shouldn't assume that most people are like back home (out west, conservative country). From that day forward, we began a friendship we still have today. I consider her one of my closest friends.
What made me think of her was the story in the news about the "Rutger's suicide" that resulted from an illegally taken gay sex video of the victim by another student who happened to be his roommate. What if this had happened to her? What if this had happened to any of my friends (straight or gay)? What if it was one of my children? I think back to when I first met her, and what if I was just an ignorant jerk?
My friend would have kicked my ass(verbally), and whoever else stood in her way(physically). Turns out that I am more tolerant than I even thought, more through rationalization than anything else. She was a nice person, that's all, why wouldn't we be friends? Seems so simple and yet so difficult for a vast majority. Normally bible thumpers, major religions, and the self proclaimed "moral majority" think that gay and lesbian people are going to bring humanity to a standstill.
Did you know that in the places where people fear the gay community, in some cases going as far as outlawing certain types of gay sex(all repealed in 2002), it is still legal to marry your first cousin? I believe it is also still legal to have sex with an animal(http://www.animallaw.info/articles/ovuszoophilia.htm)? Every religion makes note of it (great writing and imagination), yet it is frowned upon. I thought religion was supposed to be about loving all of "god's" creatures; do not hurt anyone, do not murder, cheat or steal, etc. I guess gays are not "god's" creatures?
Pedophile priests get protected by the church, but gays and lesbians having consensual sex is just plain against the rules? Inbreeding is OK, but two adults having consensual sex is a sin? Everyone should just grow up. I am a straight man but I can't remember ever being attacked by "straight" bashers, or a band of rogue gays out to convert me. Gays didn't lobby to block opposite sex marriages. They do not fight to prevent me from providing health insurance to my wife and kids. Why do conservatives fight against them?
I can tell you that my friends after getting married moved back west, to Arizona, from where they were originally from. The biggest misconception is people thinking everyone from "the middle" are ignorant and intolerant. My friend's partner comes from a conservative republican family, and they were one of the most supportive and caring families I have ever met. They were even nice to the "rude" New Yorker who came to visit (I met them all at the wedding as well) for the second reception. Unfortunately, they are the minority in our country, otherwise, same sex marriages would be legal across the country, and eighteen year olds wouldn't be jumping off of the George Washington Bridge to avoid facing public humiliation.
The Big FU goes to the ignorant self proclaimed "moral conservatives" who have no problem protecting pedophilic clergy, inbreeding amongst their constituents, and hate mongering groups, all in the name of fighting against a group they fear will infiltrate our society. Not to say they are a little slow, but gays and lesbians have been around since societies were formed.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
JOIN THE TEA PARTY MOVEMENT? I LIKE COFFEE BETTER.
I do not like Tea. I do not like the Tea Party. The only gathering I will attend is my daughter's pretend Tea Party. Pat the teddy bear is her featured guest. He does not keep notes in the palm of his hand. He is confident he can handle the conversation, and can remember his own agenda.
Pat most likely will not be attending a Tea Party rally or protest any time soon. You see, he is a brown teddy bear, and he does not pay taxes. The "real" Tea Party does not like brown bears, and does not like tax breaks for the poor. I say, join the coffee party.
The coffee party does not stand still. We move and think at the same time! We don't wait to vote on a "top10" of agenda items, or put those items in a "Contract from America". America already has a contract, it is called the Constitution, and it keeps getting misinterpreted by both Republicans and Democrats. We do not need an extreme right "tea party" to misinterpret it further.
Contract is the wrong name or word to be used for this. All parties have to agree to a contract, and right now, a limited "few" wrote this contract, and are pushing the majority (a whole country) to accept it. If you have any common sense, or business sense, you would just say no and refuse the contract. Where's my attorney review?
The coffee party has no hidden agenda. We believe and do what is right. All it takes is a little common sense, and we can make a decision in less time than it takes to drink a cup of coffee. Everyone should get taxed equally, a flat (percentage) tax. Do not over tax the rich, do not over tax the poor, do not over tax the middle class. There is a reason for using a percentage calculation for taxes: the dollar amount changes incrementally when you multiply a larger number (like a larger income) by the same percentage. Of course if you make more money, you are going to pay more taxes. Put a cap on total taxes at the top, and a floor for taxes at the bottom. This means everyone has to pay something, always, and it hurts (helps) everyone equally.
Why are politicians lawmakers? Shouldn't they be required to have a law degree? Or an economics degree to head finance committees? An MBA or business degree, or even a management degree? Did you ever try to apply for a job that you were not qualified for? Usually common sense told you NO, but politicians are being voted into (applying for) well paying jobs, by us, and most are not qualified for them. Fair taxation makes sense, but shouldn't we have a group of politicians (lawmakers) with the ability to actually calculate a percentage, balance a budget, and decide what is fair?
I read the "contract from America", it does not sound bad, and some points even make sense. One that does not, however, is creating a committee to audit federal agencies for constitutionality, primarily to avoid duplication and waste. This is pointless because we have three branches of the government and a system of checks and balances supposedly in place, thus the committee itself is duplication and waste.
Unfortunately "the contract" is designed to get normal educated people to donate their money and their time to try and get seemingly ignorant (or insert a nice word for stupid here) politicians (like Palin, O'Donnell, etc.)elected who will push an underlying narrow minded agenda normally associated with staunch republicans. Repealing the recovery act, repealing abortion, repealing gay rights: Republicans and tea party supporters have been unsuccessful at all of these. What have they been successful at? Creating the need for a recovery act, creating a justification for abortion (i.e. inbreeding), and never balancing a budget, ever.
The word extremist is not generally used in a positive way. For example: Religious extremist, political extremist, left wing extremist, and right wing extremist (or tea party activist). All of the examples are used to describe a small group within a group that interprets (actually misinterprets) the larger group's general principles to an unhealthy extreme. How do you fight against a woman's right to choose and condone the death penalty? or vice versa? There is a common sense reason for both sides of every issue, but it is drowned out by the extremists.
Any normal person with common sense knows the difference between right and wrong, good and bad, and even when someone is trying to shovel a load of crap down his or her throat. It is why I am not a democrat or a republican. I do not believe any one side is completely right on every issue. I believe in a woman's right to choose, but do not condone the use of abortion as another form of birth control. I believe in the death penalty, but only in extreme and definite cases.
This is why I am a part of the coffee party movement. I can think for myself, do for myself, and I just generally like coffee better. Three great reasons, none written from notes on the palms of my hands.
The Big FU goes to the Tea Party Movement and the politicians they elect, which seem to be more of a Bowel Movement than anything else. Same shit, different extremist delivery. And if you want to move bowels, everyone knows that coffee just works better.
Come back next week, I have not decided what has annoyed me the most yet, so the topic is to be determined...
Pat most likely will not be attending a Tea Party rally or protest any time soon. You see, he is a brown teddy bear, and he does not pay taxes. The "real" Tea Party does not like brown bears, and does not like tax breaks for the poor. I say, join the coffee party.
The coffee party does not stand still. We move and think at the same time! We don't wait to vote on a "top10" of agenda items, or put those items in a "Contract from America". America already has a contract, it is called the Constitution, and it keeps getting misinterpreted by both Republicans and Democrats. We do not need an extreme right "tea party" to misinterpret it further.
Contract is the wrong name or word to be used for this. All parties have to agree to a contract, and right now, a limited "few" wrote this contract, and are pushing the majority (a whole country) to accept it. If you have any common sense, or business sense, you would just say no and refuse the contract. Where's my attorney review?
The coffee party has no hidden agenda. We believe and do what is right. All it takes is a little common sense, and we can make a decision in less time than it takes to drink a cup of coffee. Everyone should get taxed equally, a flat (percentage) tax. Do not over tax the rich, do not over tax the poor, do not over tax the middle class. There is a reason for using a percentage calculation for taxes: the dollar amount changes incrementally when you multiply a larger number (like a larger income) by the same percentage. Of course if you make more money, you are going to pay more taxes. Put a cap on total taxes at the top, and a floor for taxes at the bottom. This means everyone has to pay something, always, and it hurts (helps) everyone equally.
Why are politicians lawmakers? Shouldn't they be required to have a law degree? Or an economics degree to head finance committees? An MBA or business degree, or even a management degree? Did you ever try to apply for a job that you were not qualified for? Usually common sense told you NO, but politicians are being voted into (applying for) well paying jobs, by us, and most are not qualified for them. Fair taxation makes sense, but shouldn't we have a group of politicians (lawmakers) with the ability to actually calculate a percentage, balance a budget, and decide what is fair?
I read the "contract from America", it does not sound bad, and some points even make sense. One that does not, however, is creating a committee to audit federal agencies for constitutionality, primarily to avoid duplication and waste. This is pointless because we have three branches of the government and a system of checks and balances supposedly in place, thus the committee itself is duplication and waste.
Unfortunately "the contract" is designed to get normal educated people to donate their money and their time to try and get seemingly ignorant (or insert a nice word for stupid here) politicians (like Palin, O'Donnell, etc.)elected who will push an underlying narrow minded agenda normally associated with staunch republicans. Repealing the recovery act, repealing abortion, repealing gay rights: Republicans and tea party supporters have been unsuccessful at all of these. What have they been successful at? Creating the need for a recovery act, creating a justification for abortion (i.e. inbreeding), and never balancing a budget, ever.
The word extremist is not generally used in a positive way. For example: Religious extremist, political extremist, left wing extremist, and right wing extremist (or tea party activist). All of the examples are used to describe a small group within a group that interprets (actually misinterprets) the larger group's general principles to an unhealthy extreme. How do you fight against a woman's right to choose and condone the death penalty? or vice versa? There is a common sense reason for both sides of every issue, but it is drowned out by the extremists.
Any normal person with common sense knows the difference between right and wrong, good and bad, and even when someone is trying to shovel a load of crap down his or her throat. It is why I am not a democrat or a republican. I do not believe any one side is completely right on every issue. I believe in a woman's right to choose, but do not condone the use of abortion as another form of birth control. I believe in the death penalty, but only in extreme and definite cases.
This is why I am a part of the coffee party movement. I can think for myself, do for myself, and I just generally like coffee better. Three great reasons, none written from notes on the palms of my hands.
The Big FU goes to the Tea Party Movement and the politicians they elect, which seem to be more of a Bowel Movement than anything else. Same shit, different extremist delivery. And if you want to move bowels, everyone knows that coffee just works better.
Come back next week, I have not decided what has annoyed me the most yet, so the topic is to be determined...
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