Monday, August 6, 2012

In the aftermath of Wisconsin

I was reading my Facebook page today, and someone posted a question on the Sikh Temple shooting. One word.."Why?"  My answer was, "people will not like my answer." Well, here are my thoughts and answer.

According to the F.B.I. there have been 250 confirmed Domestic Terrorist attacks between 1980-2000. But before we continue, just what is a Domestic Terrorist attack?

UNITED STATES PATRIOT ACT defines it as:
   {A} involved acts dangerous to human life that are in violation of the criminal laws of the United States or any State.
   {B} appear to be intended
        {1} to intimidate or coerce a civilian population.
        {2} to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion.
        {3} to affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination, or kidnapping.
   {C} occur primarily within the territorial jurisdiction of the United States.
Examples are:
   Unabomber attacks - 1978 to 1995
   Oklahoma City - April 19,1995
   Centennial Olympic Park - July 27,1996
   2001 Anthrax attacks on the Government
   Fort Hood shooting - November 5, 2009
   Austin I.R.S. attack - February 18, 2010

Now here goes nothing. And believe me, thoughts and comments welcome.
 As of late there has been a lot of Anti-Muslim sentiment in America. It is possible that the shooter mistook the Sikh Temple for a Mosque. Since 9/11, anyone perceived to be of Middle Eastern origin have suffered attacks. And I fear there more may happen. what with the culture of Islamophobia, Arabophobia,etc. that has been allowed to enter into American society. It has even creeped into the American Government. A prime example of that is what has happened as of late. Recently, Michele Bachman, Trent Franks, Louie Gohmert, Thomas Rooney and Lynn Westmoreland, sent letters to Congress demanding an investigation of possible infiltration to Government by Muslim Brotherhood.

This is America. This is the melting pot. We are Muslim - We are Sikhs - We are Jews - We are Christians.
We are ALL Americans. We are ALL fellow Humans.We must face the fact that we are not living up to our ideals as a nation whenever a minority is demonised.

We may never know what made Wade Michael Page walk into a house of worship and murder innocents in cold blood.Whether he did this because they were dark-skinned, or he thought they were Muslims, or because they were immigrants - the awful result is the same.There was no mistaken identity. He targeted people because they were different from himself, and therefore beyond compassion. those who spread derisiveness and bigotry, need to seriously consider the effect they're having.Whatever form of bigotry they spread. Whether it is anti - Semitism, anti - Gay, anti - Black, anti - Muslim, anti - Arab, anti - Sikh or anti - immigrant, it doesn't matter. They are all equally wrong, and they poison the well of public discourse, and harm us all. It is corrosive and harms real human beings.



Thursday, August 2, 2012

Boycott? Sure! But riddle me this Batman...

First off, lets look at the definition of the word.....
1. to combine in abstaining from, or preventing dealings with, as a means of intimidation or coercion: to boycott a place of business.
2. to abstain from buying or using: to boycott foreign products.
                                                                                Dictionary.com
Y'all know me. I can rant and rave till the cows or the Christ Himself comes home. Now, with that being said, what the hell is wrong with this world? Why are we acting like children? "Not me Mommie!" "It was them,Mommie!" Huh? Whats up?

So, Chick-Fil-A {CFA from here on out} COO Dan Cathy says the company is based on Christian principles. Sent money to support Anti-Gay Marriage groups and the like. WOO HOO!! Have we all been in the closet {So to speak}? Since the 1980's I have known they were a Christian based business. Closed on Sundays so that workers can attend church. Now do we expect that a Christian based business WOULDN'T support a group that had their beliefs? Why has it taken the gay community so long to come out of its closet and realise this? We should have been protesting this long long ago, my friends.

But my argument isn't with my community. No. My argument is with the people in SUPPORT of CFA.
Groups like One Million Moms {OMM} and the like. OMM has decided to take on the boycott fight. From J.C.Penny's and Ellen DeGeneres to NBC television to what have you. All because the say we are pushing the "Gay Agenda". Yeah! Like were the mafia. OK,I Digress. Now where was I?...oh yeah. Well fair is fair,right? Not to them. It's all good to protest what you believe is happening but, DO NOT protest us and our beliefs! Christian groups all this country over are crying foul that CFA has had this protest turn up against them. How dare these gay groups protest CFA for their beliefs.

Well riddle me this...Why is it ok for them and not for others. Mike Hukabee claims we are protesting CFA's First Amendment right. No that's not it at all. You have every right in the world to say what you want, right? Well, no. the Supreme Court of the United States has said that you can not yell fire in a crowded theatre. That would cause harm to others that may run out. We have Slander laws. Liable laws. Hate speech laws.

This is about what they do, not what they say. Say your Christian. I do. Say you don't agree with another's way of life. I do. But don't support known hate groups that want others or wish others dead! Or want to do harm! That is the protest we should and shall do.

OMM protest a business that they claim is destroying the moral fiber of our nation. Their new one is against NBC Studios for their new show "The New Normal" A single mom becomes a surrogate for a gay couple.
Oh My!!! Whatever shall we do? Other shows have teen sex, pre-marital sex, murder, nudity...but this?!? This can not happen! In the immortal words of Chris Brown {singer} "NO HOMO". What would be their cry if we protested the 700 club? Protested Pat Robertson?

I used to like going to CFA once in a while. Now? Now that I know they want to supress me or the ones I love. Now that I have realised they are in support of hate groups? My business goes elsewhere. This week a Wendy's Burgers in North Carolina posted signs on 86 different franchises that read "we stand with chick-Fil-A". Well corporate headquarters made them remove them. "It is not our beleif." is their claim. Well they noe have MY support. Just wait...the Mike Hukabees of the world and the OMM's will probably cry foul!!

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Tyler Clementi gets justice.......

                                  ......Guilty verdict for video spying!
For those of you who don't know or remember, allow me to refresh. Tyler is the man who jumped off the George Washington Bridge because he was rudely outed by his roommate Dahrun Ravi. This case has many implications towards the future. For those of you that use the Internet to harass or tease or BULLY! Beware the rest of the world watches. This is a tragic lesson for young people about casual cruelties and unintended consequences in the Internet age.

Dahrun Ravi was found guilty of all 15 charges against him. This includes invasion of privacy and anti-gay intimidation. The jury concluded that he not only spied on Tyler as he kissed another man, but also singled him out because Tyler was gay. He could get up yo 10 years in prison and be deported back to his native India even though he has lived here legally since he was a boy.

The most serious of charges....two counts of bias intimidation based on sexual orientation....carry up to 10 years in jail. Ravi was also convicted of seven counts of covering up his actions by instructing a friend what to tell investigators and deleting tweets and text messages. How many of YOU out there cyber-bullying think that just by deleting things you do, you won't be caught? Hmm?

Some of the jurors said that Ravis tweets, especially the one where he "dared" friends to watch the webcast, were key evidence in convicting him of the anti-gay intimidation. "That post, what it said, struck a chord in all of us." said juror Ed Dolan.

In letting this case go to trial, Ravi lost big. He and his lawyers rejected a plea bargain that would have spared him jail time and the prosecutors would have helped him avoid deportation.

But more importantly, this case is stirring up a national conversation about anti-gay bullying and teen suicide. It illustrates the dangers of technology in the hands of those who have grown up with the likes of Twitter and Facebook. "They don't feel its spying. It's their own iPhone or laptop they are using. Hopefully parents will use this as an example to their children." said Fordham Law Professor Annamarie McAvoy.
Rutgers student Melvin Ways said, "The lesson here is that not everything is meant to be publicized to the entire world, especially private matters and things that are personal to people."

Tylers father said it best. "Your going to meet a lot of people in your life. Some of these people you may not like. Just because you don't like them doesn't mean you have to work against them."

Rest in peace Tyler, rest in peace.

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

YES ITS BEEN A WHILE.

Sorry it's been so long. Lots to catch you all up on. First, me. I recently had heart surgery. 4 stents. Then the blood pressure wouldn't stabilize. YUCK! Then my computer had a heart attack. Had to go in for surgery. Then as I was under, my Mom died of a coronary. Think she knew? I do. Its ok though. She was in a home. Had stroke and alzhiemers. She's in a better place.  I am doing so much better myself. No need to fret over me.
Fret instead for the elections. This is becoming a freaking circus. I want to be there when the clown car shows up at the Republican convention and they all pour out. They can't blame the economy as it's getting WAY better. Thank you Mr. Obama. So they are now picking on Gays and Women.  If Mittins or Frothy Santorum ever do win the election....Canada looks really good. Little cold, but I'll get used to it.
Think that it will be a brokered convention? Then we may have another Bushie in the house. Or maybe Chris Christie. GOD FORBID! We are just going backwards to the 1950's.
I urge all of you to get out and vote this oming election. Or get out and get the vote out. We need to turn this house around and get the Democrats back.
But enough of this rant for now. I'll get back to regular blogging soon. I promise. Love to you all.
MUWAHHHHH!