httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HpTBF6EfxY

I’m not Keith Olbermann’s biggest fan.  Honestly, even today I feel like his passion is sometimes misdirected, but his comments supporting same-sex-marriage [ no on Proposition 8 ] are spot-on, and he deserves accoldades for his passion, professionalism and journalism.  Take a minute to hear his word and try to explain how you could possibly justify voting to change the constitution to segregate a portion of the population based on their sexual preferences.

Ranter

Some things you just can’t make up…

The Jehovah’s Witnesses came to my door this morning and when my wife saw them through the screen door she started to head them off with a simple “we’re not interested, thank you,” but before she could get the whole sentence out the lady interrupted my wife to say, “we’re Jehovah’s Witnesses.  We have something we’d like to share with you.”

Not to be deterred my wife added, “I know who you are, we’re not interested.”

Without missing a beat the lady outside said, “oh, I didn’t want you to think we’re Mormons.”  And then she went on her way.

Shoring Up the Economy

Experts are predicting that there will be somewhere between 3 and 5 million foreclosures next year alone. These figures amount to somewhere between 8,000 and 14,000 people evicted from their home every day. This is obviously not a small problem and with the continued acceleration of foreclosures it is very unlikely that it’s going to get better any time soon.  Something has to be done; the situation has gone from bad to worse and the world economy is now free-falling into a global recession unlike anything imagined before.

I’ve already expressed that Henry Paulsen is not able to help the economy and I believe that time will show he prolonged and worsened the problems that he/Goldman Sachs helped create.  I’m hopeful about Barack Obama coming into office because I believe that the world needs change and hope to empower the average citizen to help with improving the economy – to help the consumer believe.  Unfortunately, I don’t think that Barack Obama will be enough and that’s where I believe the United States (and the world as an extension of the US) needs a bailout/stimulus plan that helps stabilize the markets while simultaneously improving consumer confidence.  Some components should include:

Deirdre Bourdet, left, and Leslie Caccamese spent Saturday with hundreds getting married in San Francisco, March 2004.

There are so many reasons that I’m proud to live in California, and a few that make my stomach turn.  I’ve used this blog to show my support for the rights of gay couples wanting to get married in California, and although I thought that I’d done my piece to help, seeing the press today brings tears of frustration to my eyes and renews the anger that I feel towards the majority of Californians that consider it acceptable to legislate discrimination.  Where is their conscience?

Right now my biggest hope is that I won’t have to explain to my daughters that we live in an environment that discriminates against people because of the color of their skin, where they go to church or their sexual orientation.  I hope that my daughters will know that all Americans share the same rights and privileges under law because we, as a country, have voted to maintain those rights.  Ultimately, I hope that our “don’t ask, don’t tell” military will continue to defend those rights so that someday it might be possible for all world citizens to share those same rights.  For now, I’ll tell them that how Connecticut does it is right and that California will catch up at some point in the future – hopefully sooner rather than later.

Special Thanks to Our Armed Services Personnel and Veterans.

Every time I write an article for this blog I am pushed to remember my freedoms and what it has taken to maintain those freedoms.  People have given their lives so that I can write my thougths – even those in disagreement with our government and president – and they have done so willingly, believing that price worth their sacrifices.  Today is the day that all of us should reach out to say thank you to everyone that has or is serving in the armed forces.  Thank you for all you’ve given – thank you for serving our country.  Thank you for our freedom, your sacrifices, and the future that you provide for our children.  You will never be forgotten.

Ranter

Proposition 8 passed in California, along with similar legislation in Arizona and Florida, preventing same-sex marriages in those states.  These propositions were supported and primarily funded by the Mormon and Catholic churches.  Unfortunately, it seems that the very people that succeeded getting Obama the presidency – African-Americans and Hispanic-Americans from lower/middle class families – are the ones that propped up this legislation.  Of course, these same families are predominantly Catholic and Christian likely to have voted Yes on Proposition 8.

One article I read quoted some idiot man saying, “God says marriage is supposed to be between a man and a woman.”  What?  Are you kidding?  Come on people – I don’t care what your religious convictions are, God didn’t write the bible and if he’s talking to you, I have a jacket I’d like you to put on.  Marriage, as we’re talking about it today, is a civil and judicial process, and accordingly it has nothing to do with church, God, or your beliefs.  Separation of Church and State, remember?

It sickens me that Californians can so easily accept additional rights for chickens and at the same time legislate discrimination of people based on their sexual preferences.  We elected an African-American into the White House and told everyday citizens that they aren’t important enough to enjoy the emotional and legal benefits of marriage because they’re wired to prefer the same sex.  This isn’t a choice folks – being homosexual isn’t like being hungry, it’s like being black.  If it’s a fact for you, you can’t simply decide one day to change and you shouldn’t have to.

It’s obvious from the polls and from the results that Californians don’t understand the ramifications to a large number of Californians.  They claim same sex marriage is a religious issue and I’m calling bullshit.  This is an issue of human rights and all you Catholics and Mormons out there that are supporting this belief that it’s okay to legislate discrimination need to start voting with your conscience, because your child-molesting, polygamyst lifestyles are next.  If you’re going to bring together church and state it’s only a matter of time before the state tries to make decisions about your lifestyles and right now I can’t wait to cast my vote on that issue.

This election is going to be historical for reasons beyond Obama being the first African-American Presidential candidate.  This election is going to be historical because of the passion that it has raised in America and how many people have returned to the battle cry “Vote!”  Unfortunately, for some large corporations, it’s also going to be a reminder that no good deed goes unpunished.

Starbucks, Krispy Kreme doughnuts, and Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, to name a few, have all offered incentives to voters just to vote – to do their patriotic duty.  Unfortunately, some state laws consider these incentives illegal.  Georgia, for example, has it written into their law:

“Any person who gives or receives, or offers to give or receive, or participates in the giving or receiving of money or gifts for the purpose of registering as a voter, voting, or voting for a particular candidate in any primary or election shall be guilty of a felony.”

I’m blown away how many people are oblivious to what Prop 8 really means.  Do these biggots realize that they’re talking about legislating discrimination?  And worse, they’re doing it under the guise of religion, suggesting that the diety responsible for making gays would choose to have them segregated out like some sort of lessor soul?  Come on folks, you can do better than that, right?  Lets here it.

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Ranter

I’m really not sure how I’ve missed any of the debate on Proposition K, but it came to light only recently when people started searching my Blog for information/rants on the legalization decriminalization of prostitution in the city of San Francisco.  Wow! All of a sudden Proposition 8 seems downright boring, although this does beg the question of how much sense Proposition 4 makes if this passes.

What it does:  Proposition K would decriminalize prostitution in San Francisco, deny funds for the First Offender Prostitution Program, commonly known as “John school,” and forbid the city from using state or federal funds that involve racial profiling to identify human trafficking victims.