4 posts tagged “family”

Face it folks, in churches, synagogues and temples across the country, gay people are marrying each other in same sex marriages.  Whether you live in a state that has passed a law banning it or laws that allow it - gay people are marrying each other.   The question of whether or not they can be married is irrelevant because it is happening whether you like it or not.  The real issue is whether or not the federal and state governments will equally recognize all marriages of two, consenting adults or continue to show prejudiced, preferential favoritism to a select group of religious groups.

Iowa and Vermont are the two latest states to allow gay marriage and for that I applaud them!  They understand that the right of two consenting adult - heterosexual or homosexual - should be recognized equally.   They understand that the recognition of same sex marriages at a legal level offers same sex couples more that 1500 rights and privileges offered to man-woman couples. So while some states push to reinstate prejudicial laws and treatment of homosexuals, some states fight for equality.

California now looks to its Supreme Court to decide if their recent voter-approved ban on gay marriage is constitutional.  Their recent ballot measure cost 170 million dollars of money that could have been put to good use actually HELPING families rather than trying to hurt them. 

California Supreme Court Associate Justice Joyce Kennard seems to support the new law because she doesn't want to override the will of the people. "What I am picking up from the oral arguments is that this court should willy-nilly disregard the will of the people."  Clearly Justice Kennard fails to realize the the USA and all of its states are NOT democracies - they are Republics.  As republics, mob rule does not apply.   The courts have the right to override prejudicial and unfair laws - even if 90% of the populace votes for them. 

 Thank god Justice Kennard wasn't around when they decided Brown vs Board of Education.  After all, the mob (aka the majority) supported and voted on the laws that segregated black people from white people.  In Kennard's world, voters approved those laws, so they should have been allowed to stand.

Recently the little sleepy little Michigan town of Bay City made national news.  It wasn't because its infamous daughter, Madonna, had broken the rules or done something outrageous.   It was for the freezing death of a 93-year-old WWII veteran.

Sadly, the man's power was turned off for non-payment of his utility bill.  On first glance, people screamed for the blood of power company.  Users commented on newspapers websites calling the electric companies "murderers" and other vicious attacks like this one:

Posted by john31600000 on 01/27/09 at 9:35AM

This FOCKEN city manager & the head of the utility should be arrested for murder! Someone should kidnap them and set them in a snow bank. This is the worst picture of greed that I have ever seen. Let a person die because of a $1000 unpaid bill. You bunch of FOCKEN killers. If I were his son/daughter or whatever you could be assured I would find a way to "do away" with these greedy FOCKERS. A*&HOLE KILLERS. It's not the neighbors responsibility to (check on) the neighbors. YOU A&^HOLE for even saying that. Yeah it's the neighbors right to put a HOT ONE in your FOCKEN ear A&%HOLE. IT"S CALLED MURDER, 1st DEGREE MURDER and it's your fault you fat pig greedy bastard.

People screamed for the blood of the power companies but failed to find out the true facts of the case.   Yes, the power company limited power consumption to the man's home.   Yes, he froze to death.   Yes, its a horrible situation - but it was ENTIRELY PREVENTABLE.

Marvin Schur was NOT some poor victim.   He was not unable to pay his bill - he simply failed to send in the payment for SEVERAL months.  He had STACKS of money sitting in his home - they were sitting next to the bills.  He had over a half-million dollars saved that he has left to the Bay City Medical Center.   So HE HAD THE MONEY TO PAY!!!

Marvin Schur lived alone but he had family who never bothered to check up on him.  He also had neighbors that never checked up on him.  Where were these people to make sure that good old Marvin was paying his bills?  Why weren't they checking on dear old Dad/Grandpa/uncle?  Why are people screaming for the blood of utility executives yet feeling bad for a family that obviously didn't provide the care their he needed????  They knew enough about the man to know that he had damned nearly a half-million dollars in bank but they didn't know enough to know that he hadn't paid his bills in months.

Now there are rumors that the man had alzheimers.  Again I ask - where was the family?  Let me tell you my grandparents have health problems and we check on them constantly.  If there was ever an issue that I thought they have alzheimers disease - I would be over there several times a day.  I would NEVER expect a utility company to do my job.   This goes for my granparents, my parents, my aunts and my uncles.  It goes for EVERYONE.

This is not the case of a poor senior that couldn't pay their bill because they had no money.  This is not the case of Executives gone wild in their power and randomly hurting people.   This is not the case of the evil corporation hurting a defenseless consumer.

This is a case of a family that failed their father and uncle.  They need to accept responsibility and stop shifting the blame onto a company who was not responsible for caring for a man.  This society is really going to hell when we expect a corporation to care for a man more than his own family does. 

The 10 Couples Site is a very nice and very simple site that shares the stories of 10 different same sex couples.   They are heartwarming stories that show that these couples can and should be considered just as 'normal' as any same sex couple in this country.   They talk about the trivial issues that are common to every couple and they talk about the complexity of being a same sex couple.  

I would hope that everybody go to this site and at least, give it a chance.   I don't care if you are against the recognition of same sex marriages or against of homosexuality - you should at least be willing to educate yourself about the people or the state of being that you dislike.  I am willing to read news from every source because it helps to better understand issues and where my opponents are coming from.   I also allows me to empathize with your positions.   Perhaps - you should do the same.

When people watch this - remember, there are more than 1000 federal rights, priveleges, responsibilities and protections that come with being married.  There are another 400-600 at the state level. We need to help make sure that all people are equally protected under the law. 

Just as an FYI - I understand that some of your churches tell you that homosexuality is wrong.  Thats fine.  Nobody is asking you to change your views or your church.  Nobody is asking you to engage in a homosexual relationship or to marry a gay couple in your church.  What we want is an understanding that your church is not the only one in this nation.  Your church should not be allowed to infringe on the rights of other churches or taxpaying citizens.

Halloween-2006-057

OK.  I have to say it.  That was one of the best Halloweens ever.   I never thought that just being the Mom who made the costume would be so great...but it was!!!

I tried to make the costume from a pattern using crushed velvet - I failed miserably.  I felt like an absolute failure because I could not do the "mom" stuff.  My mom perked me up and we took a different approach to making it!

 Instead, I did it with polar fleece and no pattern whatsoever.   I relied on the LIMITED knowledge of 18th century clothing construction to make the cloak.  It seems the "T" shape we used for bed gowns works!!!  I admit it.  I was proud of the costume when I saw what he looked like in it!!!

Then my boy told me it was the bestest Halloween costume ever!  Holy crap, that made my heart melt.  I think being told the costume was awesome was the coolest thing that ever happened to me on HAlloween.  

Halloween-2006-All-Kids

Now the kids had a grand time Trick Or Treating but they wimped out early.   I swear we went longer as kids.  They still came away with a massive amount of candy.   Poor little Skye Baby was dragged by her big sis from door to door.   At one point she proclaimed,  "Stop Dwagging me Samantha!"

After Trick or Treating it was on to Auntie Brenda's and Sue's for the traditional Halloween sloppy joes.  Yummy!  We had a blast there, visiting with family and friends.   rampa even came with us this year - it was so good to see everybody laughing after all of the heartache and strife this year.  Heck, we didn't get home until it was almost 10:30!!!

Getting home was wonderful but I then faced the challenge of removing the boy's makeup and hair wax.   WHAT A PAIN IN THE ARSE!!!!  Soap didn't work and we had to get out the baby oil.  His hair took two good washings.   Then it was off to bed for the

boy.

Halloween-2006-071

This morning Xander asked,"What should I be next year Mommy?"  Sheesh, I might need an entire year of planning!