I think tomorrow will be a success. We are going to the new gay watering hole tonight to round up more people and to encourage networking.
Did I mention that we are also hoping to organize a march in March, a march for diversity. We will absolutely have to make a float or a banner for the MFA. Off to see the gay dudes. Ya'll behave. On Fri, Nov 28, 2008 at 11:05 AM, Clogtowner <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Hi y'all - wasn't meant as sarcasm. It was an exagerration to > emphasize the emotion I felt while reading your column. I do wish > you'd add we few to the oppressed minority. See y'all tomorrow. I'm in > Memphis today and with limited computer time, so I'm sorry to miss > your radio show. > > On Nov 27, 2:57 pm, "Angelia Stinnett" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > wrote: > > Thanks for being the beautiful and smart people that you are with MFA. > The > > issue of gay rights is at my heart because my gay friends have told me > > horror stories of their experience with "good" Christians. The 26 > year-old > > that will be on the radio program (101.5 Jackson at 11:30AM, available on > > the Internet) with me tomorrow, told me about his experience of being > > "out-ed" during his senior year in high school. Just about the whole > school > > hazed him and within two hours of being "out-ed" he was called into the > > "guidance" counselor's office and giving a stern talking with statements > > that he needed to change his ways. He said that was a defining moment in > his > > life and very, very painful and humiliating. He also said that he was on > the > > school annual committee and it was his responsibility to go to all the > > school functions to take photos and that the people were horrible to him > and > > that it lasted his entire senior year. It's stories like those that make > me > > ready to stand before a closed Federal Building and scream "freedom for > > all". > > > > Clogtowner, > > Were you being sarcastic about the tears? I poured my heart into that > > column, though I am truly open to humor and sarcasm. I wanted to do right > by > > the gay community and offer them a voice for who they are in their > hearts. I > > also tried to write something at least a little poetic and to leave > > something meaningful said. > > > > I beg that some of the MFA will come Saturday and support the gay > community > > and show that it's not just Angelia standing up for freedom and diversity > in > > West Tennessee. We are planning a celebration afterward and there will be > > hopefully be a few of us to discuss the "buck the establishment" feelings > we > > hold. > > > > Please consider making the trip. If you do, I will by your first round of > > drinks! > > > > Me > > > > > > > > On Thu, Nov 27, 2008 at 1:58 PM, ~JP~ <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > Here is my response to a comment from a blog: > > > > > The blog - Irony, fromhttp://reputo-quod-sentio.blogspot.com/ > > > (Feel free to comment on his, but please don't bombard him with > > > insults and say you found his blog because of me). > > > > > I cannot help but find some amusement at the reaction among liberals > > > at California's ban on gay marriage. They are collectively outraged! I > > > find it ironic that a group that champions democracy - majority (mob) > > > rule - suddenly doesn't like it very much when the majority disagrees > > > with them. > > > > > This is the danger our Founding Fathers saw in democracy - in a > > > democracy the rights of a minority can be 'legally' denied with no > > > limit on how far those restrictions can go. > > > > > What is sad is that, rather than realize that the only legitimate > > > function of government is to protect rights that already exist and not > > > to grant rights at its discretion and begin to demand such a > > > government, these people will seek to subvert the very form of > > > government they champion using the courts. They must do this because > > > if they acknowledge that their rights do not come from the government > > > but are, in fact, inherent in being a rational, volitional human > > > being, it undermines their belief that a government has the authority > > > to create unnatural rights such as housing, health care, education, > > > etc. > > > > > ============================================================ > > > My response - > > > I'm not sure how you define "Liberals", but I consider myself one. I > > > highly doubt many people of a progressive or liberal nature would ever > > > champion mob rule!! That is completely contradictory to the nature of > > > progressive issues as I understand them. If anything, Libertarians > > > tend to be of the "51%" mindset, wherein the majority speaks and the > > > majority rules, which silences or marginalizes the minority. This is > > > the view espoused by columnists such as Jacob Sullum of Reason > > > magazine and Steve Chapman, both of whom are reliably libertarian > > > leaning. > > > > > I agree that the Founding Fathers did not intend for a true democracy > > > to flourish and that's why we have a democratic republic. Of course, > > > most folks use 'democracy' as the colloquial shorthand to describe the > > > American system of gov't. > > > > > Using the courts is not 'subverting' our form of gov't; the courts > > > exist partly for this reason. That's why we have 3 branches, the > > > legislative & executive are not the end-all-be-all. Do you think we > > > should have put civil rights for Blacks, Native Americans, Asians, > > > women, etc. up to a majority vote in the day & age when those > > > struggles were going on? > > > > > Lastly, I don't find anything unnatural about the rights you describe > > > - a roof over one's head (housing), education, health care, the > > > pursuit of happiness - that was enumerated in the Declaration of > > > Independence - and a form of happiness is certainly MARRIAGE. How to > > > obtain those rights and to what degree they should be provided is up > > > for debate. Those are all at the bottom of Maslow's hierarchy of needs > > > and are quite necessary for a rational, volitional human being to > > > function. Our road-building, police protection, and fire protection > > > are already socialized, extending it to health care is not much of a > > > stretch. The entire postal service would be a better candidate for > > > complete privatization instead of healthcare. Equating profits with > > > lack of treatment as the insurance companies have done is one of the > > > most immoral things about capitalist healthcare, and you don't have to > > > watch "Sicko" to realize that! > > > > > But let me get back to my point, which was prop. 8 and gay marriage. > > > It's immoral and unethical - and eventually will be illegal - to deny > > > rights for homosexuals given (or inherent) for heterosexual people. To > > > deny those rights for a person's quality that he/she is born with, > > > much like skin color, race, gender, etc - all of which are protected > > > against federal discrimination is immoral and unethical. Calling them > > > 'civil unions' instead of marriage just creates a Separate But Equal > > > position, and we all know how well that turned out in the early 20th > > > century! > > > > > I'm not sure if you're coming from a religious background as I'm > > > definitely not, but what flabbergasts & bewilders me about the whole > > > opposition to gay rights is confusing what is legal & moral vs. > > > whether religions will be "forced" to accept homosexuals and conduct > > > gay marriages. Of course churches/mosques/temples won't be coerced to > > > do that; it wouldn't hold up to a legal challenge. All homosexuals > > > want is equal protection and equal rights under the law, the same that > > > heteros have. And I'm very fortunate for those rights & protections, > > > but it's despicable that my gay friends don't share in them. > > > ~JP- Hide quoted text - > > > > - Show quoted text - > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Memphis Freethought Alliance" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/memphisfreethoughtalliance?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
