Posts Tagged With: Outrage

Tolerance Is the Same in ANY Language

Posted on March 28, 2012 by tomASS

I am still so surprised to see how willing people are to wear their intolerance and hatred as a badge of honor in 2012. They say it is their first amendment right and its free speech! I agree! But I also know free speech has a price! That is right, I feel free speech is not always free. Just as anyone has the right to say whatever they want, someone else has the right to say just the opposite and they may be able to say it louder and even have more voices joining in support. The price that comes with the freedom of speech is to listen or to exercise the responsibility to know when it is just best to shut up! Each time I write a blog, I expect opposition. I am a realist and understand not everyone (maybe very few) will agree with me. I am a little late to the game to discuss Kirk Cameron’s insensitive comments about gays, Rush Limbaugh’s attack on Sandra Fluke and then Patricia Heaton insulting Ms Fluke even further. But what I have to say is timeless (and correct)!! lol

Kirk Cameron feels he speaks for ALL Christians when he berates gays saying homosexuality is “unnatural … I think it’s detrimental, and ultimately destructive to so many of the foundations of civilization.” But when gays and activist for gay causes were outraged, he defend himself by saying, “”I should be able to express moral views on social issues, especially those that have been the underpinning of Western civilization for 2,000 years—without being slandered, accused of hate speech, and told from those who preach ‘tolerance’ that I need to either bend my beliefs to their moral standards or be silent when I’m in the public square,” WHAT AN IDIOT!! No one said he did not have the RIGHT to say what he did, people just expressed their own “moral views on social views” that opposed his. He was not a victim… he just learned he did not speak for all Americans just the ones with his narrow opinions.

Now Rush Limbaugh on the other hand is used to controversy over things he says as a political commentator. But I think even he was surprised at the backlash after calling Sandra Fluke a “slut” and a “prostitute” after she testified before Congress in favor of drug coverage for contraception. Advertisers used their freedom of speech (money) to say we do not want our product associated with your program. But he also learned an apology is not always enough to make Americans forget. I support his right to say what he wants just as I support the advertisers right to distance themselves from his program. As he questions drug coverage paying for contraception for women, I question drug coverage paying for his Viagra. Being the crazy liberal I am, I think drug coverage should cover both.

Patrica Heaton is an Actress and tried to ignite her own role as a commentator by firing off at least five mean-spirited Tweets like, “If every Tweaton sent Georgetown Gal one condom, her parents wouldn’t have to cancel basic cable, & she would never reproduce – sound good?” Or this one,”G-Gal: you’ve given yer folks great gift for Mother’s/Father’s Day! Got up in front of whole world & said I’m having tons of sex- pay 4 it!” That is only two of the five I read. She later apologized. It was easy for me to remove her ABC show “The Middle” from my dvr because if she had tweeted one hateful thing, I would accept her apology as sincere, but since she Tweeted so many, I felt she was apologizing because of the PR mess not because she truly meant it.

I am happy we live in a nation where even these three small-minded people mentioned can share their thoughts. Just as I am happy that in America I have the freedom to write and comment on their actions from a more open-minded perspective. Sandra Fluke was not deterred in her attempt to share her opinion even after such brutal attacks as I continue to enlighten others of the rights of gays. I am not sure what Sandra Flukes view are regarding homosexuality, but I would sure welcome such a smart, strong, and fearless woman also defending my cause.

The fear I do have is that all of this intolerance and hatred is being understood by kids, youth, and even young adults as acceptable. Many Americans are concerned about bullying in schools and many parents say – they did not learn to act that way at home. I ask, or did they learn it at home? When you make insensitive comments about immigrant’s limited language, use terms like MY country instead of OUR country, or say things like “those people” when referring to gays, black people, or disabled people; you are teaching the universal language of intolerance! No one in the United States is even FORCED to learn and use English properly, so there should not be any fear of being FORCED to LEARN anything in America. Like learning proper English or a foreign language – LEARNING the language of tolerance is voluntary for individuals, but necessary for society!

http://www.newser.com/story/141020/kirk-cameron-homosexuality-is-destructive.html

http://www.newser.com/story/141199/kirk-cameron-defends-his-anti-gay-comments.html

http://www.newser.com/story/141235/doc-are-we-paying-for-limbaughs-viagra.html

http://www.newser.com/story/141095/patricia-heaton-attacks-sandra-fluke-deletes-twitter.html

http://www.newser.com/story/141163/heaton-back-on-twitter-with-message-for-sandra-fluke.html

http://www.newser.com/story/141699/sandra-fluke-name-calling-wont-silence-us.html

Categories: Life | Tags: ABC, Americans, apology, badge of honor, birth control, black people, blacks, bully, bullying, Christians, contraception, disabled, English, First Amendment, foreign language, Freedom of Speech, Gay, Gay Rights, Gays, hate, Hatred, Intolerance, Kirk Cameron, language, language of tolerance, mean-spirited, MY country, open-minded, OUR country, Outrage, Parents, Patricia Heaton, prostitute, Rush Limbaugh, Sandra Fluke, slut, small-minded, The Middle, Tolerance, Tweets, twitter, United States, Viagra, Women's Rights | Leave a comment

The North Pike Pharisees

Posted on October 12, 2011 by tomASS

Why do so many Christians feel they are entitled to have prayer at public school functions? Don’t they have church and even Christian schools for those that find that important? Why do so many Christians STAND UP with outrage on an issue like being told to stop praying at ballgames, but so few Christians stand up for the poor, the hungry, the ones needing health care or for the civil liberties of others? Why can’t Christians understand that freedom of religion in the United States also means freedom FROM religion? Most churches offer Sunday School, youth programs, worship, and some even offer mission opportunities for school aged children, teenagers and young adults. Church provides a place to learn and exercise one’s religious beliefs and practices – not public schools – well not public school football games (or any school functions for that matter)!

North Pike Schools is one of the latest schools to be told by threat of lawsuits to stop praying at school functions. I graduated from North Pike Schools where I attended all 12 years of my compulsory education. On September 23, 2011, the North Pike School Board received a letter from the Freedom From Religion Foundation reminding them of current laws regarding prayer at school functions. This of course has enraged the local Christian community. So many Christians forget all opportunities where they can exercise their religion, but tell them there is something they can’t do…. then they become livid!

Superintendent of North Pike Schools, Dr. Ben Cox handled the situation administratively saying, “North Pike will suspend prayer at sporting events and other functions. The school board doesn’t agree. Students, patrons and parents will still have the individual right to prayer.” ⁽¹⁾ This would have been the best place to stop, but he went on to say, “It’s not a violation of federal law to have prayer at an event as long as the school does not initiate it. We encourage our patrons to express that right of religious freedom.” ⁽¹⁾ This is how I translate the last part: it is not a violation of federal law to push the issue by trying to find a little loophole to bypass the law and have students and parents pray anyway. So I hope students at North Pike read this as I remind them it is not a violation of federal law to try to find loopholes in the school’s handbook, guidelines, or rules. I encourage the students to exercise their rights to dress and behave how they want at school, and I challenge them to express this right. When your parents say be home at 11:00pm for curfew, come home, then go right back out because they only said be home at 11:00pm; they did not say you cannot go back out. This is what Dr. Cox is suggesting; just find a way to justify doing what you want regardless of the law or rules. Let us teach our students instead of following the rules and/or laws, let us just find a way around it.⁽²⁾

Christians’ arrogance is one of the main reasons I no longer self-identify as a “Christian”. I do not see many that act Christ-like, but this fact does not make me less a follower of Christ to say – this is not what Jesus would do. The Bible has often been used as a weapon against me because I understand its purpose differently, so let me turn the tables and use their “source” of how to behave against them. Matthew 6: 5-6 says, ““And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” Now, I also know the Bible also has passages that support praying out loud. So, like with most issues, we can all misuse and interpret the Bible to support just about any of our opinions. But I also know the Pharisees (Luke 18:9-14) were not looked upon fondly by Christ as they patted themselves on the back for how holy they were. I am sad to say, I see Pharisees in this issue and some will say they see the Devil in me. I feel God inspires me to stand up when I see injustice done in the name of religion or even freedom of religion; but other than God on my side, I also have the law on my side!

If more Christians stood up for “causes” other than those that only affect them, I would have more respect for their outrage. Where is their outrage for how the poor are treated in the U.S., where is their outrage for how healthcare coverage is not available for all, where is their outrage for how Wall Street wrecked our economy with no executives being arrested – only given bonuses, where is their outrage for working Americans losing their homes in foreclosure?

Pastors and Christian leaders may ask themselves, why is the number of Americans identifying as “non-religious” growing? ⁽³⁾ May I suggest behavior like this affects their Christian witness! Maybe fighting to keep prayer in schools, this behavior makes fewer people see Christ and only see people that are unjustly angry? Many Christians have forgotten to minister to people and only unite for self-serving purposes! And before arguing that people identifying as non religious is growing because prayer is being taken from school, look at it as people have seen these same Christians fighting to keep prayer in schools while NOT seeing them stand up for the poor, hungry, sick or lonely. They have seen them persecute, name call, and justify hatred while bullying groups of people in the name of God! But I can speak for myself: I identify as non-religious, but I do still believe in a God, the principles of Christ’s teaching; however religion has done more harm to my faith than help it grow!

Christians can always pray to themselves, and I am lost to understand why they feel everyone should be exposed to the practices of their faith. They are free to say a prayer to themselves any where, any time; no one wants to stop that, but praying to an audience gathered for a school function is not appropriate. This arrogance of feeling persecuted because they are told to follow the law reminds me of how spoiled some act…. I can do what I want… this is a Christian Nation! I fell to remember learning at North Pike that this is a Christian nation, I remember learning that the United States is a Nation founded on FREEDOM! As they have freedom OF religion, the rest of us have freedom FROM religion!

The founding fathers came to America to escape forced religion. King Henry VIII established The Church of England (the Anglican Church) as THE religion for England. So escaping from being forced to practice a certain religion is what inspired the founding fathers to start a new nation….. not establishing another Christian nation or they would not have felt religious persecution in England. Their intent was that religion would not be part of government. In the United States, public schools are funded by government funds and Christian practices should not be endorsed by the school, nor should Atheism, Muslim, Hinduism, Buddhism or ANY faith.

Schools and teachers have enough responsibility to teach, inspire and keep students safe in an academic environment; so, let’s not add religious education to the public schools responsibilities. Could schools even compete with all the various Christian faiths as to what is appropriate to teach about religion. I do not think many practitioners of the Pentecostal faith would want a Methodist or Baptist to teach Christian values to their children or vice versa… not to mention Catholics! The only thing I have found they all can agree on is hating gays! I have been told if someone does not like prayer at school functions, they can stay home – oh that is a great argument, the praying Christians get to decide who comes to PUBLIC school functions! My response is, if someone objects to following the law… they can send their kid to private school where Christianity is part of their curriculum. Christians could simply decide to meet before school functions in the parking lot, say a prayer, then go in to watch the game or better yet – just pray before they leave home for the game or function. A moment of silence – that is a joke! Spontaneously reciting something like the Lord’s Prayer out loud, in unison – WOW… group defiance and disrespect for the law 101!!! But heaven forbid they try finding a simple, legal solution that even satisfies the people that see things differently instead of trying to find ways to just circumvent the law.

I love the teachers, coaches and leaders at North Pike, I received a great education there, and know the dedication it takes to be a teacher, but let’s teach the students right – they are are school to learn, to be educated in academics. Children learn from the example set before them and North Pike’s leadership is encouraging anarchy, encouraging finding ways around the rules – so do not be surprised when this example is followed by the students in areas other than expressing their religious rights! I am a former youth minister and I dare say that less than 50% of these students are even actively involved in church. Many feel they are standing up for their Christian beliefs but how dare people that don’t agree with them stand up – even fellow Christians that see football games as a place to watch football… not a place to pray? What is your goal North Pike? Education or religion? Embrace the lifestyle of the Pharisee or hypocrite and enjoy its consequences!!

*(1) –http://www.enterprise-journal.com/news/article_4215d664-f103-11e0-bb58-001cc4c002e0.html

*(2) – http://www.enterprise-journal.com/news/article_4f643ef2-f282-11e0-82f2-001cc4c03286.html

*(3) – http://www.christianpost.com/news/survey-non-religious-americans-on-the-rise-in-every-state-37380/

Categories: Life | Tags: arrogance, arrogant, Bible as a Weapon, Christ, Christian Entitlement, Christian Nation, Christianity, Christians, Devil, Dr. Ben Cox, forcing beliefs on others, Founding Fathers, Founding Fathers & Christianity, freedom, freedom from religion, Freedom From Religion Foundation, freedom of religion, hate, Hatred, hypocrite, hypocrites, Jesus, Jon Stewart, Lack of outrage, Luke 18:9-14, Matthew 6: 5-6, Nation of Freedom, Non-Religious, North Pike, North Pike Football, North Pike High School, North Pike Jaguars, North Pike School Board, North Pike Schools, Outrage, Pharisee, Pharisees, prayer at ballgames, prayer at football games, prayer at high school football games, prayer at high schools, Prayer at North Pike functions, prayer at school, praying in public, praying out loud, public prayers, public praying, Satan, school prayer, Superintendent Of North Pike Schools, The Bible, Westboro Baptist Church | 1 Comment

I Enjoy My Rage: Am I the Only One?

Posted on April 15, 2011 by tomASS

Republicans continue to attack the poor and seek to further benefit the rich! Where is Americans outrage over what the Republicans are allowing the tea baggers to do? I once considered myself a fiscal conservative with liberal social leanings. Now the Republicans are trying to pass their CRAZY “budget blueprint”, I am seeing that I cannot even call myself a fiscal conservative anymore by this far, far right fiscal thinking. I am beginning to have RAGE against the Republican Party for allowing the tea baggers to be the tail wagging the dog. Republicans are proving crazy is infectious!

The Republicans are alienating independents like me by catering to these nut bag tea baggers. Even Donald Trump is gaining momentum with the “birther” theory as part of this “Tea Party” movement (I agree with Bill Maher – I will stop calling them tea bagger when they stop calling it Obamacare). Showing this is a movement of nonintellectuals.

The “budget blueprint” that passed the House of Representatives today (Friday, April 15, 2011)¹ calls for changing Medicare to a voucher system, cutting Medicaid and food stamps, all while not only keeping the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest but also reducing the top corporate and individual income tax rates from 35% to 25%. Where is the rage against this?

The Democrats by default come across as less fanatical and more level-headed. “Democrats dismiss this strategy, saying that although some spending cuts are needed to rein in deficits, wholesale reductions in education, public works, research and other core government programs leave Americans unable to compete globally.” says Pat Dollard². While programs like Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security and the defense make up the majority of the budget, these programs can be improved, made more efficient or even reformed without throwing the baby out with the wash! Where is the rage from the poor?

GE made $14.2 billion profit and paid no taxes and in fact received a $3.2 billion tax benefit. ³ GE also employs a 975-employee tax department⁴ to insure they find as many loopholes as possible. Why are the Republicans leading their fight by attacking programs that assist the poor and elderly instead of attacking the corporations they are trying to help even more with an even lower tax rate? Why are they not trying to get the U.S. out of 2 very expensive wars? My thoughts are the Republicans are influenced by the self-serving interests of the Tea Baggers. The tea baggers are self-indulgent and have the idea, if it does not benefit me – cut it. Where is the rage against Corporate America?

Wall Street bonuses increased 17%⁵ from an already astronomical amount, after the government bailout. Why have the Republicans not besieged Wall Street in this “budget blueprint”? Again, does it have something to do with protecting big money? The poor are an easy target that find it difficult to have access to defend itself in a government that money = access! The poor do not have access as demonstrated by my unsuccessful attempts to have an elected official listen to my concerns about E.R.I.S.A. and inspiring a blog Mr. Smith Still Needs to go to Washington⁶. Where is the rage against Wall Street?

There was a time when it was political suicide to even mention cutting, changing Medicare or Social Security! The idea of such caused outrage! Where are these groups now? Are they allowing the Republicans to hang themselves? Why aren’t the old school Republicans curtailing the Tea Baggers? Where is the call to reform for Corporate America & Wall Street? Where is the rage against the Tea Baggers? In the past I would hear tea baggers say they wanted to “take America back” and I would ask, who are they taking it from? Now I know, they want to take it from the poor and helpless so they have more for themselves. I am glad my tax money does something to help the poor, sick and elderly because I do not have the money the tea baggers are trying to protect from the government. I wish I could do more to help the poor, sick and elderly! Why don’t the Democrats harness this rage and take America back – from the crazy tea baggers (note: I am not using rhetoric, I am saying who I want America taken back from)! Am I the only one outraged?