Tuesday, August 5, 2008
2008 Vote: Your vote counts!
I am very disturbed when I hear eligible voters saying that for one reason or another they are likely not to vote in the upcoming November elections. Voting is both a privelege and a responsibility and to not exercise it based on such a lame excuse is no excuse at all. Not voting as an informed citizen of the United States is totally irresponsible. There is a lot at stake and just because you are not drawn to either Presidential candidate shows your ignorance to the fact that there is so much more at stake, perhaps more so in this election than any other. While I could list any number of reasons why you should vote, the most compelling, I believe, because it has such far reaching implications, implications that will out last many of the individuals a live today can be sumed up in two words: "Supreme Court." Since John McCain has vowed to appoint more individuals like is most favorite Supreme Court Justice. Anton Scalia, it is easy to see what will happen should he be elected. More justices like Scalia will be devastating for all the gains in civil and human rights that have been made over the past few decades. Our country, we as citizens cannot afford to take this fact too lightly. On this one issue a John McCain presidency would be diasterous for the country and for me this is reason enough to cast my vote to insure that he is not the next president of the United States
Monday, August 4, 2008
NO on 8
It is extremely important that all the good citizens of the great Republic of California rise up and shout NO to those in our state who seek to make discrimination part of our State Constitution by amending the state consitution to define marriage and thus impose their own personal point of view on all of us. Every inividual who is eligible to vote should register and make sure to turn out on 4 November to vote NO on proposition 8. Whether or not you personally are in favor of same-sex marriage you should still vote NO on prop. 8. You are entitled to your own personal perspective and so is your church, but you should not be forcing everyone else to accept that point of view.
Show your support to Preserve Marriage for all in the great state of California:
kpflueger's" Preserve Marriage Sticker"
<http://www.zazzle.com/preserve_marriagevote_no_on_prop_8_bumpersticker-128073619754663279?gl=kpflueger>
Show your support to Preserve Marriage for all in the great state of California:
kpflueger's" Preserve Marriage Sticker"
<http://www.zazzle.com/preserve_marriagevote_no_on_prop_8_bumpersticker-128073619754663279?gl=kpflueger>
Gay Marriage an Informed Point of View
From my perspective the words of Spain's prime minister’s, Jose Zapatero, in his speech upon passing Spain's historic gay human rights legislation are the most enlightend I have ever read or heard and people in the US and elsewhere would do well to ponder his message:
"We are not legislating, honorable members, for people far away and not known by us. We are enlarging the opportunity for happiness to our neighbors, our coworkers, our friends, and our families: at the same time we are making a more decent society, because a decent society is one that does not humiliate its members.
"In the poem 'The Family,' our [gay] poet Luis Cernuda was sorry because, 'How does man live in denial in vain by giving rules that prohibit and condemn?'
"Today, the Spanish society answers to a group of people who, during many years have been humiliated, whose rights have been ignored, whose dignity has been offended, their identity denied, and their liberty oppressed. Today the Spanish society grants them the respect they deserve, recognizes their rights, restores their dignity, affirms their identity, and restores their liberty.
"It is true that they are only a minority, but their triumph is everyone's triumph. It is also the triumph of those who oppose this law, even though they do not know this yet: because it is the triumph of Liberty. Their victory makes all of us (even those who oppose the law) better people, it makes our society better. Honorable members, there is no damage to marriage or to the concept of family in allowing two people of the same sex to get married. To the contrary, what happens is this class of Spanish citizens gets the potential to organize their lives with the rights and privileges of marriage and family. There is no danger to the institution of marriage, but precisely the opposite: this law enhances and respects marriage.
"Today, conscious that some people and institutions are in a profound disagreement with this change in our civil law, I wish to express that, like other reforms to the marriage code that preceded this one, this law will generate no evil, that its only consequence will be the avoiding of senseless suffering of decent human beings. A society that avoids senseless suffering of decent human beings is a better society.
"With the approval of this bill, our country takes another step in the path of liberty and tolerance that was begun by the democratic change of government. Our children will look at us incredulously if we tell them that many years ago, our mothers had less rights than our fathers, or if we tell them that people had to stay married against their will even though they were unable to share their lives. Today we can offer them a beautiful lesson: Every right gained, each access to liberty has been the result of the struggle and sacrifice of many people that deserve our recognition and praise."
"We are not legislating, honorable members, for people far away and not known by us. We are enlarging the opportunity for happiness to our neighbors, our coworkers, our friends, and our families: at the same time we are making a more decent society, because a decent society is one that does not humiliate its members.
"In the poem 'The Family,' our [gay] poet Luis Cernuda was sorry because, 'How does man live in denial in vain by giving rules that prohibit and condemn?'
"Today, the Spanish society answers to a group of people who, during many years have been humiliated, whose rights have been ignored, whose dignity has been offended, their identity denied, and their liberty oppressed. Today the Spanish society grants them the respect they deserve, recognizes their rights, restores their dignity, affirms their identity, and restores their liberty.
"It is true that they are only a minority, but their triumph is everyone's triumph. It is also the triumph of those who oppose this law, even though they do not know this yet: because it is the triumph of Liberty. Their victory makes all of us (even those who oppose the law) better people, it makes our society better. Honorable members, there is no damage to marriage or to the concept of family in allowing two people of the same sex to get married. To the contrary, what happens is this class of Spanish citizens gets the potential to organize their lives with the rights and privileges of marriage and family. There is no danger to the institution of marriage, but precisely the opposite: this law enhances and respects marriage.
"Today, conscious that some people and institutions are in a profound disagreement with this change in our civil law, I wish to express that, like other reforms to the marriage code that preceded this one, this law will generate no evil, that its only consequence will be the avoiding of senseless suffering of decent human beings. A society that avoids senseless suffering of decent human beings is a better society.
"With the approval of this bill, our country takes another step in the path of liberty and tolerance that was begun by the democratic change of government. Our children will look at us incredulously if we tell them that many years ago, our mothers had less rights than our fathers, or if we tell them that people had to stay married against their will even though they were unable to share their lives. Today we can offer them a beautiful lesson: Every right gained, each access to liberty has been the result of the struggle and sacrifice of many people that deserve our recognition and praise."
Same-Sex Marriage Legal in California
With the recent decision of the California Supreme Court regarding the legality of "same-sex" marriage, the topic is back in the limelight and the religious extremists are out in force to over turn the ruling with an amendment to the California State Constitution. While they are certainly entitle to their own opinion, I do not see where they have the right to force that opionion on everyone by trying to legislate their point of view. What motivates them? What are they afraid of? The arguments I read in their literature do not flow from any logic nor are they informed by the evidence of the impact of same-sex marriage as experienced in Massachuesetts, or Canada or Spain or South Africa. The argument that this flies in the face of a "traditional" deifnition of marriage sounds a lot like the arguments that were made not too long ago regarding the role of women, i.e. traditionally a woman's place is in the home taking care of the children, etc. etc. To argue that marriage is about procreation, seems to me to belittle the importance of marriage. In today's world marriage is all about establishing and nurturing an intimate relationship that provides support, caring environment so that one does not have to face the challenges of life, growing old, etc. all alone. Marriage is a privilege that is all about intimacy and relationship. If marriage is for procreation as the "norm," then even with same-sex marriage that will be the case given that there are significantly more heterosexual individuals that homosexual individuals.
Welcome!
Welcome! This is my first attempt at blogging and I intend it to be a collection of thoughts that I have about my reactions to things going on in the world. I see so much hatred and injustice in the USA as well as around the globe that I fell compelled to share my comments. Often I see very well intentioned individuals making odd choices, often deciding to opt out rather than look at the big picture and respond to events on that basis.
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