Controversial post... Stop reading...

... if you're not in the mood.

Okay, You're still here. Thanks.

Abortion. Oh... Crap... Maybe you're going to stop reading now. You are welcome to do it, and some of the stuff I may say might just really cheese you off... But I just have to do a rant today, sorry. It's been saving for about two weeks.

Gay Marriage. Crap... Now maybe you're going to leave...

Why two really deep topics all in one blog? 'Cause I never get to do this anymore, and I've been just seething for a month to get some of MY views out there. I WELCOME debate, so... If, once you're done reading this, you want to make a comment... I will actually welcome anything you have to say... With THIS caveat:

If you write stuff that I find remotely threatening to me... To another blogger... Or to anyone in general, then I'll take your post off here so fast, you're head'll spin. Why? 'Cause saying crap like: "I'm going to fucking kill you." is not a debate, that's a terroristic-type threat. And I hate that crap.

Okay... Enough Caveats? Good... Let's begin. In any order... No... I'll stick with the above order...

Abortion debate:

Why is it that perfectly normal, liberal-type smart people choose to vote for the Republican's and not the Dem's just because of one fucking issue? Why???? The 'cause of my consternation, is a wonderful lady I met at work... Her name is Janet. I'd guess she's in her mid-to upper 70's, and she's Catholic. In many ways, this lady is a liberal... She's very well educated, she's for social-justice, she complains about the Republicans all the time... Complaining about their platform of tax-cuts/education cuts/arts cuts/immigration attacks/war-mongering/social cuts... Etc... Etc... She goes on and on about Republicans... And yet, get this... SHE VOTES REPUBLICAN! Why? Why, you ask? Because she's Catholic, and thus must morally be Pro-life. Since the Dems are "Pro-Choice" that means that she has to vote against them.

Gah. Okay... So, here's my thing... And my rant... And to be honest... Just an opinion. However... There's reasons that I left the Catholic Church, and this is one of them.

Moral standpoints, like "Pro-Life" ideals are very, very good. In all "moral" ways, I'm anti-abortion. I don't like the idea of it. Now... I'll say right now, that I'm also a firm believer in the fact that a bundle of cells, in a uterus is NOT a "Life" yet. Once this bundle of cells becomes a BABY, then it's different... But just 'cause science has progressed to the point that a foetus only has to be five months old, and they can actually keep the bugger alive, does NOT mean that I believe that a foetus is a BABY in very early stages. I have a thing here, if a baby comes out of the womb, and breathes on it's own, and all it has to do is grab a mouthful of mommies teat, and get to work to survive... THEN it's a baby. If a foetus comes out, and every modern-scientific-miracle has to be used to keep the poor thing alive, whilst it finishes MATURING enough to become a BABY, then it's NOT a life! Life is really simplistic in my view... Bacteria is a life... It's able to move about and feed and shit and make NEW bacteria... That's a LIFE... Worms... Born, and eating, and shitting and eventually making NEW worms... LIFE. As we move up the "food-chain" as it were... Little babies take longer to begin the "sex" thing... But all life comes OUT of a womb, and grabs onto mommy's teat, or begins eating stuff choked up from mommy's throat, or what have you... But...

If it comes out HUNGRY, and is ABLE to eat something... Then, and ONLY then is it a LIFE. The fact that modern medicine is able to create something of an artificial WOMB does NOT mean that the foetus in that crèche is a baby. It's a foetus. It's unable to LIVE...

This is why I'm firmly against LATE-Term abortion, if that foetus is old enough to survive outside the womb, without a heck of a lot of help from doctors, then, you know what? That foetus has BECOME a baby... And yet... And yet...

I'm Pro-Choice. Why? Because I'm able to separate a religious and morally ambiguous belief from my more prosaic and liberal viewpoints of a Woman's right to have control over HER OWN BODY. I don't like the idea of the government bending it's knee to the religious-right and legislating control over a human being's decision-making.

If you're Pro-Life... Stop trying to get the government to do YOUR WORK FOR YOU! Get out on the streets, and get these kids to stop having pre-marital sex... Do NOT try to control their bodies using the law! God DAMN you! Keep your religious and personal decisions in the church pews, and NOT on the Capitol-building STEPS!

GAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

Anyhoo... Here's what REALLY cheeses me off about the "One-issue voter" thing... Morally, and Socially... Republicans do MORE damage to everything around us, than the ONE bloody issue of Pro-Choice Democrats... Just in the Twin-Cities alone there are fathers, mothers, and CHILDREN (whoo... Are you listening one-issue voter) CHILDREN that are starving and dying due to the Republicans GUTTING of our social-safety-net! For that matter... People are dying all over the world, due to America's current gutting of social-programmes. Dying... People... Not a bundle of still-unliving cells... But actual human-beings that live and breathe and have dreams and goals... They are DYING due to the Republicans.

I hope you realise that you are doing MORE damage to humans by voting for a Republican. I'm sure that whatever god you pray to... You are going against his/her/it's will. Ignoring actual suffering due to your strange and annoying attempt to save a "potential" life is not only wrong... It's abominably stupid and evil.

Tuckmac... Give us an example, will you, you self-righteous bastard? Okay... I will.... Darfur. America bombed the living hell out of Bosnia due to the genocide going on there... Genocide used to be a serious issue with the DEMOCRATIC president of the United States. He went to war in BOSNIA to save lives... Bush? Is he doing ANYTHING about Africa? No. Why? 'Cause there's not enough FUCKING OIL THERE! It's NOT in his interest to do anything about African suffering... No... He's too busy destroying Iraq, and threatening Iran (due to THEIR oil) to give a rat's ASS about Africa.

Take THAT fucking pill and swallow it.

Okay... That rant is FAR from over... But I'll stop there for today.

Next... Gay Marriage:

Several churches have begun fighting back against the "religious-right" for which I am very thankful... However... Again... The issue that's facing Minnesota and several other states in the U.S., is this "Constitutional Ban on Gay Marriage" thing.

The idea, is that although it's "Illegal in Minnesota, and against already existing STATE LAW" for two people of the same sex to get married in this state... The crazy religious-right is STILL fighting to get a constitutional amendment against "Same-sex Marriage and its LEGAL equivalents" See... It's that SECOND part that cheeses me off.

Marriage is between a man and a woman. That's what they keep saying. Now... I've heard lots of "It's in the Bible from Genesis, saying that Marriage is between a man and a woman." Now... Unlike a LOT of Christians... I've actually READ the Bible... And it says LOTS of stuff about "Begetting" in Genesis, but it actually doesn't say a whole hell of a lot (if anything) about MARRIAGE. But I'll let that go for now... I'll even STIPULATE that since most folks here, in this country are very religious... I'll GIVE them marriage. Okay... YOU GOT IT.... You "men and women only club" get marriage. It's yours.

The problem is the "and its legal equivalent" clause in the words of the amendment.

Okay, I get the idea that you think homosexuality is a sin. You quote the Bible about it all the time. The fact that the only place that speaks of "homosexuality" is in the OLD-testament and is actually JEWISH is interesting, as Christ (you know... That guy that you name your religion after) was very supportive off ALL people... The poor, the leper, the whore and the TAX-man! I'm pretty sure I didn't read anywhere in any of the gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke OR John about Christ doing the sermon on the mount saying, "The poor shall inherit the Earth, oh... And Gays are evil."

Yeah... I missed that one... Perhaps you'll be kind enough to show me the spot that Christ raises Lazarus from the dead, and steps out of the room saying, "I've raised this man up... By the way, Gays are evil."

Hmm... Don't know where that one is either? Okay... Well... If you find anything, let me know.

Anyhoo... If you get marriage... Can you LEAVE THE OTHER STUFF ALONE?

Please?

Look... Gays have a hard enough time, and trying to put language in the Constitution of Minnesota that may remove any rights they actually DO already have, is just plain sick.

Yeah... I think that we should have "Civil Unions" for gays. I think they should get to file their taxes together, and raise children together, and visit each other in the Emergency Room at the hospital. Okay? I think that's only fair. There are SO many people that keep crowing about "Gay marriage ruining marriage for everyone else." And frankly, I don't get it. How does two men getting "hitched" ruin MY marriage? Seriously? I'm married... And if Jack and Jane want to get married, GREAT! If Jack and Jonathan want to get married too? Great? Where's the problem? Unless you're a wacko nut-job Christian (supposedly) that thinks it's a sin... Then it's a problem.

Fine... Make it a CIVIL Union (you know, Civil, meaning having to do with LAWS and STATE as opposed to religion) and give Gays the rights to be a COUPLE in the eyes of the LAW instead of a couple in the eyes of GOD. I'm sure most of them would go for that. I know I would.

[pant, pant, pant]

Okay... I'm done for today. I just had to get that off my chest. Thanks.

See ya later..

Tuckmac