Oppositional Hypocrisy

I was half-asleep the other day when a thought occurred to me. 

All of us that keep up with the fight for LGBT rights have heard more times than we care to remember people who are against equality say things like "We should not be creating new classes of protected people" or "We should not be handing out special rights." What occurred to me was the fact that most people in this country live in a legal jurisdiction (whether local or state) that has some type of non-discrimination law or laws. These laws usually cover people based on national origin, race, gender, and many other things. They also often include religion. The very people who are against "special rights" have for themselves "special rights." The idea that "special rights" are okay if they are for you, but not if they are for someone else is pretentious beyond belief. Of course the phrase special rights is only used by the opposition. What we in the LGBT community are fighting for are not special rights, we are fighting for equal rights. These rights are (or should be) a function of being a decent person to your fellow human beings, which is supposed to be one of the main tenants of Christianity, the one that gets conveniently skipped over far too often.

"If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, 'Love your neighbor as yourself,' you are doing right."
-James 2:8

The Bachmann Saga: Dominatrix

Bryan Fischer: Criminalize Homosexuality

Actually what is standing in the way of criminalizing homosexuality is a little Supreme Court case called Lawrence vs. Texas (2003), not to mention the fact that most people aren't nearly as homophobic as Mr. Fischer here. It's really hard for me, since I try to use actual logic, to fathom how he can say thing like this and not expect people to call him hateful, a bigot, and so on. What does he expect, gay people to just sit and take the verbal abuse? Sorry to disappoint (not really).

Seriously, it's like he isn't even trying to come up with valid arguments anymore. This one was just too easy.

Michele Bachmann: Heartlessness From The Heartland

I really wish someone from her district that would mount a serious challenge against this woman for her congressional seat. She is far to dangerous to hold public office. With everything she has said and done (and not said and not done) as a public official, I feel as though her seat is ripe for the picking.

Tool Time Award: Rabbi Yehuda Levin

An Open Letter to Rick Santorum

Dear Mr. Santorum,

Recently, I came across this video of you speaking with some of your reporters:

I have to point out some factual inaccuracies you have made, as well as other problems with these statements.

-Comparing anyone's relationship - whether you agree with it or not - to a napkin, a paper towel, a car, or any other inanimate object is not just incredibly insulting (though it seems that this is the point), it just sounds incredibly ignorant and foolish. It is not what most people want to hear for someone who is seeking to lead more than 300,000,000 people, especially given that fact that this nation faces far more pressing issues than the differences between a napkin and a paper towel.

-Yes marriage existed before there was the English language or a state, but it also existed before Christianity.

-Your contempt for the Lawrence vs. Texas decision shows that you are not for small non-intrusive government, but rather you are for a government that reaches into every aspect of people's lives, not matter how private or intimate. That is not conservative at all.

-Lastly, the fact that you actually think how people, the vast majority of whom you will never come into contact with, is your business is incredibly pretentious, not to mention it goes against one of the primary pillars of society: self-determination. How one lives their life is not for you to dictate any more than it is anyone else's business to tell you how to live your life. You have proven time and again how little you know about a nation and a people that you intend to govern. Let me tell you in very clear terms that anyone can understand: My life and how I live it IS NOT YOUR BUSINESS!!!

-Rob from VA

Marriage News Watch: August 29, 2011

Rick Santorum's Marriage Problem

Rick Santorum, who is running for the Republican Presidential nomination has a substantial marriage problem. No I'm not talking about between he and his wife. He, being the very staunch social conservative that he is, is against marriage equality. I have heard that stance explained in many different ways by many different people. While I disagree with all of the explanations, I have to say that Santorum's have been particularly bad. Why? His problem is that he repeatedly has compared marriage and marriage equality to random objects. Let's roll through the list; napkins and paper towels, water and beer, tea and basketball, and the latest was cars and trees (did I miss anything?). It sounds more like a game of "I Spy" than a serious presidential contest. This man is campaigning ultimately to become the leader of the free world and these are the best talking points that he can come up with? It is particularly bad that these are the issues he is harping on when the unemployment rate is over 9%. People are looking for what candidates will do about the jobs situation and Rick Santorum is looking around to see what he will compare marriage to next.

It's little wonder that his poll numbers are so anemic.

Rep. Paul Ryan: Bought & Paid For

I'm sure Paul Ryan isn't the only politician who is in the hands of business instead of the people. He, however, is one of the primary reason that corporate personhood needs to be utterly abolished. It leads to this type of corruption and it is the people who get the raw end of the deal.

Politician Stumped in Town Hall

This just goes to show that you cannot defend the indefensible.