AND THEY MARCHED

There were mixed reviews and mixed comments on the gay rights march this weekend in Washington sponsored by the HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN.

The numbers of those who participated are arguable; some say there were as many as 200,000, others say there were only 40,000; so in the interest of being fair, let’s estimate the number of people who participated at 100,000 (split right down the middle)

But there were some dissenting voices. For example: Barney Frank was quoted as saying that “if these marchers think they are putting the pressure on President Obama, they are wrong, the only pressure they are putting is the grass they will walk on”. (something like that, I’m paraphrasing)

PHOTO SOURCE: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/12/us/politics/12protest.html

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1929747,00.html

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CHRISTIAN NATION? WHAT CHRISTIAN NATION?

{Posted in Deep Thought on May 27th, 2009 by Scott }

As much as the religionists and Talibangelicals would like us all to believe their clap-trap that America is a “Christian Nation” the truth is that we ain’t and we were never supposed to be.

This is from the Treaty of Tripoli, 1797:

“As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion; as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquility {sic}, of Mussulmen {Muslims}; and, as the said States never have entered into any war, or act of hostility against any Mahometan nation, it is declared by the parties, that no pretext arising from religious opinions, shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries.”

And here is John Tyler, tenth President of the United States:

“The United States have adventured upon a great and noble experiment, which is believed to have been hazarded in the absence of all previous precedent — that of total separation of Church and State. No religious establishment by law exists among us. The conscience is left free from all restraint and each is permitted to worship his Maker after his own judgment. The offices of the Government are open alike to all. No tithes are levied to support an established Hierarchy, nor is the fallible judgment of man set up as the sure and infallible creed of faith. The Mohammedan, if he will to come among us would have the privilege guaranteed to him by the constitution to worship according to the Koran; and the East Indian might erect a shrine to Brahma, if it so pleased him. Such is the spirit of toleration inculcated by our political Institutions.”

And here is George Washington, first President and Father of the Country:

“The citizens of the United States of America have a right to applaud themselves for having given to mankind examples of an enlarged and liberal policy — a policy worthy of imitation. All possess alike liberty of conscience and immunities of citizenship. It is now no more that toleration is spoken of as if it were the indulgence of one class of people that another enjoyed the exercise of their inherent natural rights, for, happily, the Government of the United States, which gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance, requires only that they who live under its protection should demean themselves as good citizens in giving it on all occasions their effectual support … May the children of the stock of Abraham who dwell in this land continue to merit and enjoy the good will of the other inhabitants — while every one shall sit in safety under his own vine and fig tree and there shall be none to make him afraid.”

Now don’t get me wrong; I luvz me some Christians, but the fact that a majority of people in America self-identify as Christian does not make the U.S a “Christian nation” in any way, shape or form and for any number of reasons. And any Christian who thinks that it does neither understands the founding principles of this nation nor appreciates the potential danger to his own religious freedom that such a condition — that of national religion, were it to exist — would represent.

And then, if we are a Christian nation as the Christianists would have us believe, why do these same so called “Christians” find themselves incapable of working up any enthusiasm to oppose illegal imprisonment and the torture and murder of others in the name of their nation and their security — all the while having as the most central image of their belief system and faith the image of a man being tortured and murdered?

Bob Herbert in the New York Times

PHOTO SOURCE: http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/politics/Without-Bush-media-lose-interest-in-war-caskets-8310113-62427012.html

All Men are Created Different

But they must be equal under the law. Let us celebrate diversity and rejoice that these differences exist. There is nothing more boring than conformity, everyone looking and acting the same. We often confuse Democracy for mediocrity. The need to conform is equated to the need to feel accepted and wanted.

The American voters elected (?) Bush as President; who is one of the most incompetent and inarticulate Presidents in their history. This is possibly a phenomenon caused by the idea that the President should be “one of them”; in other words, somebody without the attributes necessary to lead a nation. This big mistake has cost America dearly. And I don’t know about you, but I like to think my President is smarter than I am.

President Obama who followed Bush would find it an almost impossible task to reverse the setbacks and the mess Bush and his Republican cronies left behind. Yet there are still Americans who cling on to their idea of promoting mediocrity.

I think that the “trickle down” economic concept the Republicans so vehemently embrace doesn’t work. One good indicator is the STIMULUS PROGRAM that was started under President Bush and continued by President Obama. Here is a perfect example folks. Who did they give the bulk of this stimulus money to? Banks and Insurance companies.

The very wealthy got their bonuses and the American middle class got stuck holding the debt. Did any of that money trickled down on to the economy? Did anyone benefit in any significant way financially? Only the very rich, right?

Now they are talking about yet ANOTHER STIMULUS PACKAGE. What the Fuck? Are they talking about giving more money to banks and their pampered CEO’s?; or are they talking about giving Americans, regular Americans, poor and middle class Americans, some kind of stimulus check? because if that is not the case, they are barking up the wrong tree. I think the American public would be so outraged that the Teabagger protests would look like a kindergarten confrontation.

“They tried to say that being gay is a sin, and I said that adultery is a sin. Adultery is responsible for breaking up more marriages, but do we put that in the Constitution? It’s absurd."

And if we are to follow the erroneous interpretations of the scriptures on this, shouldn’t we stone to death those adulterers? .” -Charlie Rangel

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Get a life you mother fucking Evangelicals

“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” -Eleanor Roosevelt, 'This Is My Story,' 1937

On another note, cases involving the pledge of allegiance are springing up all over the country, many testing whether the words "under God" violate the constitutional rights of students who don’t believe in a god. A federal judge in New Hampshire last month ruled that federal law does not require anyone to recite the pledge and that a state law requiring school children to recite it was "a civic patriotic affirmation, not a religious exercise, and inclusion of the words ’under God’ constitutes, at most, a form of ceremonial or benign deism."

This reminds me of my experiences back when I was in school, (yes, they had schools in those pre-historic days) and everyone in our homeroom stood and joined in a Christian prayer, which included “In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen) Well, the reason it was so traumatic for me was that even at that age, I knew that religion was a farce and I refused to participate in such exercises in stupidity. There were two of us: a Jewish boy who would not pray if the prayer included “in the name of Jesus Christ” and me because I objected to be forced to do something I didn’t believe in. Not only was I sent to the Principal’s office but the looks both the Jewish boy and I received were incredible; like daggers, their eyes would puncture very souls, then the harassment during and after school never let up. Children can be very cruel and that is why we should avoid prayer in public places altogether, particularly schools.

PHOTO SOURCE: http://www.askmen.com/galleries/rev-al-sharpton/picture-4.html