My Two Cents...

I am sick. I am sick of hearing, seeing, reading anything about Donald Trump, and it pains me to just have to type that name into this blog post, because it means both of us are being exposed to the toxicity that goes with the name.
In my world, Sarah Palin is Voldemort--just saying her name gives her far more power than she deserves.
I do not plan to give Donald Trump any more publicity, nor do I want to cause my readers any further distress, so for the rest of this election season (Lord, may it be short!), I will refer to him as "Mosquito". More accurately, ""Mosquito Larvae"--something that is born from a stagnant entity, that feeds on humans, and then infects them with disease. More recently, mosquitoes are being blamed for Zita virus; a virus that is particularly dangerous to those who are breeding children, causing those children to be born with abnormally small heads and unformed brains.
We don't like mosquitoes. We find them annoying, persistent, and fear they will infect us with something we do not want. We try our hardest to get rid of them. but they seem to multiply over night; one mosquito can give birth to thousands. We fear that if there's one, there's more, and fear they will come into our house, and hurt all those we love the most.
That just about sums up Mosquito Larvae, doesn't it? His annoying buzzing, his hateful speech--it's given rise and energy to so many others. The words and actions of those he's energized make us uncomfortable; we despise them, and fear for those they are targeting. We have not yet found a way to eradicate the hatred that Mosquito Larvae has spawned in our society, but someday--hopefully some day soon--WE, the people of the United States, will find a way to remove Mosquito Larvae from his current position of power.
Maybe we all are to blame for allowing Mr. Larvae to get such a hold on our country. But it's important to go back and identify the roots of this situation, and make sure it NEVER happens to us again. EVER.
I started this blog in September, 2008. I had just witnessed the crowning of Voldemort as the "woman for the people", and it sickened me. I started writing just to maintain a little of my sanity.
In October, 2008, Voldemort and her running mate, John McCain, were out on the campaign trail. Voldemort, in particular, was attracting huge, raucous crowds. She had her talking points, but often, she would rile up the crowds by talking about Barack Obama in ways that were, shall we say, less than gracious. People in her crowds loved that stuff, and would proceed to take things further. 
In case you didn't go to the link, people in Voldemort's crowds shouted, "Kill him!" (speaking of Barack Obama), and shockingly, Voldemort did NOTHING to stop this hate speech. NOTHING. As far as I can tell, NOBODY associated with the campaign did anything to quell this hate speech. It was ugly, it was vile, and the vice presidential nominee in 2008 was never once chastised for it. Hell, she became more popular than ever.
Up until 2008 (in my memory), presidential campaigns were about issues, not inciting hatred and violence against an opponent. Of course, I never witnessed a George Wallace rally. I actually wrote a Letter to the Editor about it in October 2008. Due to the silence of the majority of the GOP party, the accepted message that rang out, loud and clear, was "It's an Us vs. Them Country. We need to do all we can to divide, never to unite."
Fast-forward to 2009. As momentum for the Affordable Care Act was gaining steam, a group of GOP party officials and "hangers-on" created the Tea Party. Ah yes, those Tea Partiers. Dick Armey rented a bus, and the GOP spent untold millions on "getting the word out" to just the right people--the people they could frighten, and the people who didn't know they were being duped--those who believed whatever Voldemort and Faux News told them to believe. Faux News is the official mouthpiece of the Republican party (any of you reading this are welcome to argue that point with me), and they spew lies as fast as their commentators can make the false statement. The real men in charge of the GOP thought they could control those Tea Party members, but boy oh boy were they wrong.
In 2010, the Tea Party movement broke from their overlords, and a significant number were elected to Congress. It was a sad, horrible day in America, and yet I don't think any of us could have predicted what was to come. THAT was going to be too horrible, too ridiculous to even contemplate.
I have mourned for the Republican Party that I remember from my youth. By not standing up to the likes of Voldemort, for not speaking out about the lies being spread, not condemning hate speech when it happened, EVERY TIME it happened, they lost their party. The GOP is broken, fractured, and has been taken over by Mr. Mosquito Larvae--a spewer of hate, an inciter of violence, a man who has no plans, no policies, no vision. It's sad, and yet it could have been so preventable.
Let's learn from this. Let's stand up against the hatred and the vitriol that is claiming our country as its' own. Let's say, loudly, "NO" to anyone running for office without a vision, without a plan, for making our country better FOR ALL.
Let's put Mr. Mosquito Larvae in a box, in the dark, away from sources of nutrition and the oxygen needed to spread his disease.
Let's do it, together. Our children deserve far better than we are giving them right now.

Words, Words, Words--the Positive

On Thursday, Gov. Pence of Indiana signed SB 101: the "Religious Freedom Restoration Act" into law. This law goes into effect in July. According to those who support the law, the RFRA does not differ from the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act. Those people would be wrong.
If you read the Indiana law, it is glaringly apparent that it's not just a human person that can claim religious protection, but businesses as people can claim the same thing. Thank you, Citizens United.
There is now power, not previously given, to businesses, to discriminate on the basis of "religious beliefs". There is now more opportunity to twist and reinterpret the words in the Bible to fit one's own beliefs, no matter how discriminatory they might be. The words of Jesus will be misused, sadly, and his most important--from the Sermon on the Mount--will be conveniently forgotten.
By some.
But not by all.

Yes, there are some positives that will come from the implementation of the RFRA. Some positives already have come from it.
There has been a large, loud outcry against the law. Citizens of Indiana, celebrities, business owners--all have voiced their opinions, and have stated their belief in equality for all. If you're feeling depressed about the passage of RFRA, I suggest you spend some time on social media--the positive, uplifting comments will make you feel better. As you read the outrage, you will find you are not alone.
I firmly believe in keeping an open mind. I firmly believe in listening to both sides of an issue. And, I firmly believe I must treat others as I want to be treated. So, I have listened to the thoughts of people on both sides of this issue. I had a long conversation with a friend I completely disagree with--on this issue, and others. A conversation; not a shouting match, not a one-sided speech (it's so easy to follow the media lead, but will get us nowhere in the long run). We were able to have this honest, frank conversation because we trusted each other, and we knew the other would listen with openness. It was eye-opening for me, and I can only hope I was able to provide a good perspective from my side. I really hope he understands the impact of RFRA on my family and friends. And, I really hope he shares my perspective with others. I hope.
The passage of RFRA has prompted many discussions between parents and children; this will definitely be a teaching moment, and I do hope parents use this power for good. I fear they won't, but I hope they do.
Passage of RFRA has prompted discussions between co-workers, and acquaintances. People are sharing information on social media about businesses who will serve everyone. There are signs of support in shop windows. People will be spending more money at these businesses, I hope. People are taking the time to clarify their positions, and declare what is "not OK" with them. It might be my imagination, but in the past couple of days at my place of employment, people seem to be treating each other with a little more kindness. Maybe people are now hyper-aware of their actions and words? I hope.
I also hope that there are some, who initially thought the RFRA was a good idea, will take some time to reflect on what the real impact will be. If you only heard, over and over, "This will give us the freedom to live our religious beliefs", I hope you stop and consider. If you are a woman who uses birth control, I hope you realize this may impact your relationship with your employer. If you have family and friends who are LGBT, you might be discriminated against through your association with them. You have always had the freedom of religion; what's going to happen now is that some will not have the freedom to live their lives as they want to. I hope everyone will stop and think this through.
And the last positive that has come from the passage of the RFRA? It will motivate people to VOTE. For if you are outraged by this, angry at how this will impact your family and friends, I hope you remember this in 2016, and VOTE! Voting is the best way to tell your government how you feel, and how you want others to be treated. If you VOTE, you elect YOUR representatives.
The positives may not outweigh the negatives, but if people are talking to one another, if people are consciously treating one another as they want to be treated, and if people are VOTING, then maybe...just maybe...this world will become a little better than it is today.
I have hope.

Words, Words, Words--The Negative

On Thursday, Gov. Pence of Indiana signed SB 101: the "Religious Freedom Restoration Act" into law. This law goes into effect in July. According to those who support the law, the RFRA does not differ from the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act. Those people would be wrong.
If you read the Indiana law, it is glaringly apparent that it's not just a human person that can claim religious protection, but businesses as people can claim the same thing. Thank you, Citizens United.
We have already seen, at the national level, what happens when a "person" called Hobby Lobby, decides they "need" to weigh in on their female employee's health choices--i.e., need to tell those women what birth control they can and cannot use (because Dr. Hobby Lobby knows far more than your personal physician). You only need to look at the photo above to know who's going to be using that argument against women here in the state of Indiana.
I wrote the following as a Letter to the Editor--there is just so much to fear from this law:

"Your new freedom still brings questions for rest of us
Now that Senate Bill 101 has passed and religious "freedom" has been "restored," I have a few questions.
One: Where do I get my ID card? Or will I be issued an identifying patch? Should my friends and family — my supporters — get one, too? How far will this religious judgment extend? And, should a woman go to her doctor first, to verify her fertility status and choice of contraception, or will you actually take her word for it?
And what happens next? When you are only serving those customers you approve of, will that mean you have "won"? Judging by the comments attached to recent articles, you haven't won many converts by your new-found "freedom."
Will the state of Indiana, with your added layers of discrimination, be a better place? Will you have improved the lot of humankind by your actions, by your judgment? When the divisions in this state are insurmountable, when we are no longer providing good examples for our children because we have taught them to judge first, before getting to know the person, I will remember to ask you again if you've "won."
Jesus spoke of an important rule during his Sermon on the Mount. It's called the Golden Rule. I guess it doesn't have the same pizzazz as the "Religious Freedom Restoration Act." But it's a rule we all could live with. In peace. No signage or badges needed."


Women might not be denied service here in Indiana, thanks to this new law, but they WILL be denied the basic right to protect their own health as employees of business "people" who most certainly will raise religious objections to methods of birth control. There most certainly will be women who have high-risk pregnancies because their employer has demanded they use something other than the most effective birth control suggested by their doctor.
The other group that will feel the impact of the RFRA will be the LGBT community. For while it's not cool to discriminate on the basis of skin color these days, it's definitely OK to deny service to someone who looks like someone who might possibly love a person of the same sex. It's definitely OK to throw someone out of your place of business because they "don't look right" i.e., they look like they might be trying to be a gender that you don't think they actually are. Keep in mind, these judgmental "calls" happen on the basis of visual "cues", not because the person is actually known to the business, but because of how they are perceived.
This--THIS--is the real gist of my objection to RFRA--that it is completely judgmental, and will hasten our demise as a civilized society. Do you think I'm being a little "over the top"?! How about you travel with me to Northern Ireland, and as we puzzle over who is Catholic and who is Protestant, and why they hate each other so, any citizen there will tell you, "Of course I know who's who. I can tell by the way they look." I've said it before, and I will say it again--the rapists, murderers, and child molesters--people who REALLY deserve to be shunned--will get a pass, because they are those fine, upstanding-looking white men. LOOKING.
Finally, there will come the day when a conservative "Christian" will deny service to a Muslim person, or a Jewish family. We all know that will happen; because those in power will tell you how discriminated against they are, when they've actually never once been discriminated against, and will feel the need to demonstrate this power by throwing out a person of another faith. The rest of us? We will continue to welcome everyone, because at one time or another, we've felt the sting of judgement. Or, we will continue to serve everyone because we really know what Jesus was doing and saying when he walked this earth.
Not all Christians are bad, not all LGBT people are going to Hell (at least not for the reason you think), not all Muslims are terrorists, women aren't less-than equal, and......I could go on. The reason this RFRA is bad for the real people of Indiana is that it will make it harder for us to really relate to one another; it will be harder for us to see another real human as a real being. Instead, first looks will determine who gets served, and those of us who know what that's like will avoid certain places, will feel like we have to bow our heads in shame when there is absolutely nothing we need to be shamed of. And, you can only imagine the anger and hatred that will bubble up from some of us because of the RFRA. Not love. Anger. Not caring. Hatred.
Worst of all, our children will learn this behavior; will know that to be different is bad, and will hightail it out of this state as quickly as possible. Which will be sad, because we need those people, whatever their differences are. We NEED diversity.
The RFRA will have a real negative impact on the state of Indiana; human relations will suffer. We are now seeing the fiscal impact of this law, as companies and other entities begin to withdraw their money, employees, and business from the state. While I am glad to know they are coming out against a discriminatory law, I worry about this loss of revenue. I work in a place that depends on tax dollars--how will this impact my job? How will the RFRA impact funding for education, for cities and towns? I can only hope our legislators realize the huge mistake they've made, and rectify it quickly, before Indiana falls further down the state-by-state list of quality of life.
There are so many negatives about the passage of this law. Are there any positives? Keep reading.

Discrimination is Easier Than YOU Think...Why, On Earth, Would you Discriminate Part 2

I've had a whirlwind of thoughts for the past couple of weeks. I have taken some time to write, re-write, and clarify, so that you--the reader--can understand. I hope you take some time to read, and then think, about what I'm trying to say here. Please.
"Here's the church, here's the steeple. Open the door, and see all the people."
I love to read stories about lives that are different from mine. Different cultures, different situations, different periods in history. When I read these stories, I often have an "ah ha!" moment; a moment when I have a new perspective on life. I like to learn about different religions and different spiritual practices; I choose to go to my church because we draw on many religious traditions, and I've learned so much. What I've mostly learned is that there is not ONE answer to life's questions, but many answers. To think that you have all the answers, or that your religion has the only answers is misguided indeed.
I've learned that your spiritual beliefs will have a major impact on how you occupy this world, and how you treat others.
As I've gotten older, I've come to realize our time on Earth is very limited, and we can choose to leave this Earth better than when we arrived, or we can make things worse--a whole lot worse, if we choose to.

"Here's the church, here's the steeple. Open the door, and see all the people."

Because I truly want to listen, to learn the perspective of others, I recently went to church--not my church, but another church. A church so vastly different from my own that my heart was pounding (sort of a "fight or flight" mentality automatically kicked in--some of you might not understand this, but going in as a minority of any kind puts one on edge) through most of the first part of the service. I admit I went with some prejudices of my own, but by going, I was able to "call myself" on some of them. No, not every license plate was an "In God We Trust" plate. No, not every woman had to wear a dress to the service; as a matter of fact, I would have fit right in in my usual jeans that I wear to my own church services. What did surprise me--more than I expected--was how HUGE the place was! Enormous!! They have 3 services, and the place was packed at 11. According to the Order of Service, on a Sunday when the weather was snowy and driving treacherous. they still managed to have attendance of 1,000. THAT'S amazing.
I listened to the minister. I know him, have read some things he has written. I've had conversations with him, but had never heard him address his congregation. I was intrigued by the topic of his sermon: "Did Jesus Ever Discriminate?" I wanted to know what he thought, so I sat, listened, and took notes. 
The short answer to the question was:  "Yes. Jesus did discriminate." He went on to speak about Indiana's Religious Freedom Restoration Bill, and how important it was that this Bill be passed. And, he spoke about being true to your religious convictions.
I left feeling not uplifted, but sad. Sad for the world.
Jesus taught a message of love. "Love one another." That message was not delivered at the church on the Sunday I visited. Instead, the message was, "Yes, Jesus DID discriminate."
And that's why we need to have the Religious Freedom Restoration Bill. So you, as the owner of any business in any town in Indiana, can discriminate against those you think you can't abide.
AND LET ME BE CLEAR:  WE ARE ONLY TALKING ABOUT HOMOSEXUALS AND WOMEN.
Because to discriminate against the darker skinned? That's just not done anymore.
To discriminate against the Jew, the Muslim, the Buddhist? We don't do that as much either.

Here's the thing, You are free to open a business, provide a service, sell a product. You open your doors and welcome customers. According to some, who believe we should have a Religious Freedom Restoration Bill embedded into state law, you are also free to follow your "moral compass" and discriminate against women, if they want to control their own reproductive health; and anyone under the LGBT "umbrella" because they are perverse.
Here's the problem. Although some differences are plain to the naked eye, and therefore easy to detect and discriminate against, the ones that are actually more foul and heinous are buried under the skin--they reside in the soul.
We don't all wear shirts with our "attributes" listed for all to see:
"Hello, my name is ___________________. I have never murdered anyone, I am not a child molester, and I have never beaten anyone. I do use birth control, I am for gun safety, and I have vaccinated my children. I release spiders outside and I recycle."
Can you imagine the length of that shirt that we would have to wear??

Because we don't all wear that attribute shirt, we have to rely on the visual. For most of us, we take one look at someone, and judge them. One look.
If the person looks just like me and acts just like me, I assume they believe the exact same things I do.
If their skin is a different shade, I hesitate. I'm not sure.
If they are with someone of the same sex, I need more information before judging.
If they open their mouths to speak, and they have an accent or if I cannot understand them, I am uncomfortable.
If they appear to be more poorly dressed or smell in a certain way, I judge them.
But if they are like me, I gladly will serve them.
I gladly serve them, because I have judged them, and I've decided they must believe the same things I do.
I do not know, nor do I care, what they are really like, because they look just like me.
They could have murdered their parents, but they look like me. I will sell them a CD.
They could have raped 3 women in the past year, but they have a nice haircut, so I will welcome them into my restaurant.
They could have molested 100 kids, and sold child pornography for years, but because they appear with their fiance and ask me to bake their wedding cake, and they are a heterosexual couple, I will happily do it, just let me get them a sample of the cake......

Discriminate against the very people Jesus DID call out? The adulterers and the fornicators? Well, it's just not that easy to figure those people out...But two people, of the same sex, buying groceries together? Well, now THAT we can see, and THAT we can feel righteous about. THOSE people need to go (even though Jesus said nothing about the lesbians, or the gays). Those are the people I don't want to serve, because I am following the "teachings of my religion." Here's another crazy thing. If I walk into any place of business, I will be served, because I'm just a funny-looking older woman. I would have to walk in with my WIFE in order for you to feel you need to discriminate against me. You will look love in the face and you will throw us out, but will gladly serve the guy over there, even though I know he's been married three times, and has recently impregnated a college cheerleader. But he LOOKS like a fine citizen.
To truly discriminate, to follow your religiously-ordained set of prejudices, you actually have to get to know someone a little bit. You have to form a relationship with them. And then? You have to turn your back on them--you have to condemn them for who they are.
Think about how that feels to that person.
If you're not a sociopath, it hurts.
It hurts a lot.
And why do you do it? Discriminate against....? Do you think the person you're ushering out of your place of business with suddenly fall to their knees and thank you for showing them the error of their ways??? Really? You think they will suddenly agree with everything you believe as you refuse them service in your restaurant? Because that's not going to happen. What IS going to happen is that person will harden their heart against you, and against everything you purport to believe. They are going to feel hatred maybe...certainly will feel anger as you have basically called them a bad person, and have shunned them. Perhaps they will internalize their anger, but far more likely, they will communicate their feelings to friends and family, who will in turn feel anger toward you and your beliefs.
This! This is how wars get started.
Because in the world where we allow discrimination to legally take place, most rapists, murderers, and child molesters will be welcomed with open arms. Because they look like us.
We will gladly serve the fornicators and the adulterers. Because they are us, and are easier to understand.
But the gays? We MUST shun them.
Because the Bible says so.
Even though Jesus said...not...one...word...about homosexuality.
But he said a whole lot of words about love.
"Here's the church. Here's the steeple. Open the doors.....but don't see ALL the people."

 

Can You Divide this Country Much More, McCain?

The Republican Party has divisiveness down to a fine art, and that has been particularly evident the past few months. Their basic premise is that, if you keep people distracted by fighting against each other, you can pretty much do as you please. Mention abortion or "gay rights" and you will have people so distracted that they don't notice you've been torturing our enemies and making massive profits on those wars as well.
John McCain may have been alienating folks for a much longer time prior to this summer, but he probably didn't have nearly as large an audience as he did during the Republican National Convention, when he announced he was a maverick. Yup, he basically said he wasn't like all those Washington insiders, who believe in politics as usual. You know, those other senators he's been working with for over 30 years now. I guess to say "working with" is misleading, because he's been the maverick who has been doing all the right stuff while they've been a bunch of screw-ups. Did any of the members of Congress at the Convention that night stop to think, "Hey! He's talking about us!" I've asked it before and I'll ask it again; how does McCain expect to work in any productive way with our legislative branch after spending all this time dissing them? Talk about gridlock!
I've already talked about an early John McCain ad, one that said Obama had been "disrespectful" to Sarah Palin (i.e. that white woman). Oh yeah, starting to stoke the fires of racism, right John? Doesn't take much to get a few folks muttering at your rallies. Then came the financial crisis. McCain's poll numbers started to dip, and were not helped by the presidential debate. He really had nothing to counter Obama's economic plan, and instead of even trying, McCain took the easy way out and got down and dirty. Releasing his lap dog and the shadowy knights of the underParty, the smears began. It wasn't enough just to say, "Those nasty Democrats. They pinch babies and make them cry." Portraying Obama as a terrorist-by-association, they sought to play on the fear that some people have--that Barack Obama has a very weird name; sounds foreign, doesn't it? Just who ARE Obama's friends anyway? Sarah Palin is the goddess of smear; she just never backs down, no matter what. Years of work on race relations go quickly out the window in an effort to land a few more bottom feeders into the McCain vote net. Sarah Palin has yet to take even one person to task at her rallies, even when they are going so far as to yell out that Obama should be killed. This has spilled out into the streets of America; cars parked at Obama rallies in the past few days have had the tires slashed. People going to vote early have been harassed (guess the local Planned Parenthood was closed that day, and those protesters had to find someone else to harangue).
So far, McCain/Palin have divided our country into Democrat/Republican, gay/straight, white/black, terrorist-lover/Republican voter. What's next? Well, according to Rep. Michelle Bachmann, pro-American vs. anti-American. And guess where the Republican thinks Barack Obama is in this latest attempt at division in America? It's a sad day in the US when one major party has to harken back to the dark days of the 1950s in an effort to get a few more votes for their side.
I thought I had heard it all, but no---in the past two days, John McCain senior staffers and some other right wing voices have been squawking about leftwing feminists vs. .... I guess... "real feminists" (like Sarah Palin). Wait!!! I thought "feminist" was the "F" word for the right. I am so confused.
However, I do know three things for certain:
1) This divisiveness will get worse before it gets better. I certainly hope there is no physical violence.
2) The pain caused by the Republican party in the past six weeks will take years to heal.
3) We Americans are so much better than that. Please, get this message out to everyone you know.
And vote.