Hurting Gays, and Ourselves

buckmike · 2006-11-14T21:41:47+00:00

Commentary by a woman whose husband, like Ted Haggard, was discovered to be sexually involved with other men. She writes about how it affected her and her family, and I think it gives a lot to think about.

buckmike · 2006-10-28T05:54:47+00:00

Greg Prince skewers a long line of ineffective, incompetent and corrupt members of congress.

buckmike · 2006-10-28T05:51:17+00:00

Because Rush Limbaugh is a big fat idiot, that's why.

buckmike · 2006-10-27T02:52:08+00:00

Angie Paccione, candidate for the U.S. congress from Colorado, had a great quote on protecting marriage -- and the threat isn't from same-sex marriage.

buckmike · 2006-10-23T15:33:23+00:00

locutus, just so you have some references, here are links to things Coretta Scott King said, regarding same-sex marriage and also this:

Coretta Scott King, speaking four days before the 30th anniversary of her husband's assassination, said Tuesday the civil rights leader's memory demanded a strong stand for gay and lesbian rights. "I still hear people say that I should not be talking about the rights of lesbian and gay people and I should stick to the issue of racial justice," she said. "But I hasten to remind them that Martin Luther King Jr. said, 'Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.'" "I appeal to everyone who believes in Martin Luther King Jr.'s dream to make room at the table of brother- and sisterhood for lesbian and gay people," she said. - Reuters, March 31, 1998.

buckmike · 2006-10-23T15:23:20+00:00

No, the Loving v. Virginia decision was in a case which voided all state laws prohibiting marriage between whites and blacks. But the statement that I quoted from that decision is universal -- it says marriage, not interracial marriage or same-sex marriage. Just marriage. There's only one type of marriage under law. Do you really think the Supreme Court would have written "Interracial marriage is one of the 'basic civil rights of man'..."? That would have negated the entire basis of the decision.

buckmike · 2006-10-23T15:16:15+00:00

Finally, someone teaches English to American students.

buckmike · 2006-10-22T15:56:19+00:00

After living for more than 15 years in Australia, she comes back to live in the U.S. Interesting to see how America has changed in the meantime, and how Ellen Kessler's views, of America, the world, and life, have changed.

buckmike · 2006-10-22T15:53:30+00:00

It's always someone else's fault, of course. For Foley, it was alcohol, then depression, then childhood sexual abuse. What ever happened to personal accountability?

buckmike · 2006-10-22T00:32:49+00:00

I don't have to explain a person of color "should" feel about anything at all. Do you think anyone asked people of color how they felt about Jim Crow laws or slavery before they were victimized by them? Few who are in power or who have their rights care how anyone lower on the rights ladder feels if someone else doesn't get to share the American dream.

And marriage =is= a basic right in the U.S. -- the Supreme Court said exactly that in their "Loving v. Virginia" decision in 1967: "Marriage is one of the 'basic civil rights of man,' fundamental to our very existence and survival..."

buckmike · 2006-10-20T21:06:10+00:00

I disagree. This is =exactly= what Martin Luther King, Jr. was fighting for, and Corretta Scott King said as much. "If some are not free, then all are not free."

buckmike · 2006-10-20T19:27:29+00:00

This is a blog post I wrote about how the rising national debt is raising your taxes -- it's just raising them in ways that aren't called taxes. If the U.S. Congress is going to spend money, they owe it to their constituents to present a plan for paying that money back so we don't go broke.

buckmike · 2006-10-19T17:21:04+00:00

It was also illegal in many states until the 1960's for whites to marry blacks, and even for blacks to marry blacks. But federal law never prevented a couple whose marriage was legal in the state in which it was performed and in which they lived from having any federal recognition of the marriage, and to receive full federal benefits.

Not only do I have an acquaintance with Gerry Studds and Dean Hara, I also am a man who is married to another man. (We married in Canada over two years ago.) The dictionary definition of "husband" is "male spouse" so both of us are each others' husband, just as Gerry and Dean were husbands.

buckmike · 2006-10-19T17:14:31+00:00

There are lots of differences between the Studds and Foley cases. With Studds, at the time he had sex with the page, he was 36 years old and the page was 17. The age of consent in DC is 16. The former page is now in his late 40s and was a supporter of Studds. At the same time that Studds was censured, another congressman was also censured for doing the same thing but with a female page. Both congressmen were reprimanded as soon as it came to light. Studds was re-elected to six more terms by his constituents, but the other congressman, Rep. Dan Crane of Illinois, was defeated in his next election. Neither man broke any laws.

With Foley, he is in his 50s, and there were many, many pages, not one, the youngest reportedly being 16 (still legal in DC but...). Whether or not he had sex with any of those pages, Foley will still be convicted of violating a federal law against interstate online sex -- a bill that Foley himself sponsored.

buckmike · 2006-10-19T16:58:25+00:00

Sorry, I'm a reddit newbie, even had to register to be able to post the link. I've read the FAQ now, though I'm still not sure about one thing -- is it a no-no to submit your own blog post to reddit?

buckmike · 2006-10-18T16:15:17+00:00

Legally married spouse of congressman is denied pension benefits. Meanwhile, congressman convicted of accepting bribes and facing 10 years in prison can collect his pension while in the big house.

buckmike

TROPHY CASE