Father, Help Your Daughter!

Ok...the communion wafer thing I'll get to later, but I'm already feeling the need to rant. Namely because last night was the State of the Union address and I have such issues with George W. Here is the section of the address regarding gay marriage:

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"A strong America must also value the institution of marriage. I believe we should respect individuals as we take a principled stand for one of the most fundamental, enduring institutions of our civilization. Congress has already taken a stand on this issue by passing the Defense of Marriage Act, signed in 1996 by President Clinton. That statute protects marriage under Federal law as the union of a man and a woman, and declares that one state may not redefine marriage for other states. Activist judges, however, have begun redefining marriage by court order, without regard for the will of the people and their elected representatives. On an issue of such great consequence, the people's voice must be heard. If judges insist on forcing their arbitrary will upon the people, the only alternative left to the people would be the constitutional process. Our nation must defend the sanctity of marriage.

The outcome of this debate is important -- and so is the way we conduct it. The same moral tradition that defines marriage also teaches that each individual has dignity and value in God's sight.
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He keeps referring to "the people".... "Without regard for the will of the people"?????????????? Well, I am the people too! We are the people too! I wish I could say to him and all the other bigots that nothing will be taken AWAY from you by giving rights to us. You don't LOSE anything. What is your major fucking problem with understanding that? Just because we gain rights, doesn't mean we're taking yours. Don't be so damn selfish! "Judges insisting on forcing their 'arbitrary' will on people"???????? Um yeah....they arbitrarily just decided one day to pass a court order. I don't think so. Gay and lesbian people all over the country have been petitioning and bringing these cases to the courts and legislative bodies for years and it finally culminated in a case where blind homophobia did not rule out the judge's ability to see the inherent discrimination that has been written into laws all over the country which ban tax paying citizens from gaining hundreds of benefits that are freely available to their heterosexual neighbors.

Someone finally noticed that, yet again, America is discriminating against a large group of people based on religious bias (wasn't America founded to get away from that?).....and so-called "tradition". That's right Mr. President "the people's voice must be heard." My voice must be heard 'cause guess what....I'm a "people" too! I pay your salary too! Just because the only "people" you listen to are the ones that fall on your every word without questioning your fly-by-the-seat-of-your pants policy making doesn't mean the rest of us will stand by and let you permanantly trample our rights by writing discrimination into the Constitution. Haven't we already been over this in our country? We denied people rights and made purposfully discriminatory laws based on the color of people's skin. Didn't we learn our lesson about the moral evil of that? That's our "moral tradition", and it's one that shouldn't be repeated. Don't patronize me with that "dignity and value in God's sight" bull shit. I already KNOW that God values me...just the way I am as a matter of fact. Aaaaarrrggghhhh *Frustration*

The rest of the speech reminded me much of Michael Moore's documentary "Bowling for Columbine." People must be kept "afraid." We are under attack. There is no safety. The danger is still imminent. We have enemies. We must seek and destroy them. Violence. War. Fear....just keep it going and the people will blindly follow a leader who promises to "protect" them.....Meanwhile....our country continues to perpetuate that violence by not breaking free from the cycle of responding to violence and hatred with violence
and hatred. George Bush could care less about "the people." For some sick reason, he's in this for himself and if he can keep us afraid and unquestioning then he can continue to make his money and build his little empire. I just hope enough people are wise enough to see through the crap coming out of Washington and elect a new President later this year. Anyone but Bush.

And finally, on a humorous note. My page-a-day calendar had a funny quote on it today.

"Newsweek magazine says that President Bush is determined not to make the same mistakes as his father did, you know, like letting his kids get involved in politics." --Jay Leno