Supreme Court says I'm a Bigot!

The Supreme Court of the United States has just ruled that I’m a bigot. You see, I believe in God. In God’s Word he says that man shall not lie with a man as with a woman. He calls it an abomination. But the Supreme Court says men can marry men and women can marry women.

It’s been stated here before that what people do behind closed doors is their business between them and God. I don’t need, nor do I want to see it though. If you want to be gay, have at it. But keep it private. Do not ask me to sanction something that I don’t believe in. Marriage is not a right. It’s a privilege.

If we follow the Supreme Court ruling are we to believe that when we die, we don’t stand before God but instead we stand before the Supreme Court? When people say “he has gone to meet his maker” do they mean he’s gone to the Supreme Court?

Churches are going to be in trouble in this country eventually. If they follow the Bible, they will not be able to perform marriages between same sex couples without defying God. I think I’d prefer to defy the Supreme Court rather than to defy God.

Some businesses will be in trouble. If a caterer refuses to cater a wedding between a gay couple because they choose to follow God rather than the Supreme Court, they will be sued and lose. They will be labeled a bigot and their businesses ruined.

Two days ago the head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said that Climate Change Deniers are not normal. Now, I’m not a climate change denier. I know it changes. In March or April it begins to warm up here. We call that spring. In June or July it gets warmer still and is called summer around here. Then in October or November it starts getting cooler and that’s called Autumn. Around Christmas and especially in January and February it gets really cold and it’s called Winter. So I’m not a climate change denier. It does change. With the seasons. But is there man made global warming? I don’t believe so. The science is not conclusive as they’d have us believe. It stretches credibility to believe that we can destroy the earth by burning our leaves in the fall. So according to the head of the EPA, Gina McCarthy, I'm not normal. 

If they pass gun control to restrict sales to those with a mental disorder, and the government is now saying I'm not normal and a bigot, I'll not be able to buy a gun. But someone else has to buy my health care if I lower my income down. 

I have never looked down at anyone that is gay. I have had friends in the past that claimed to be gay. I didn’t need to know that. They only needed to know that I’m not IF they were expecting more from me than being a friend or acquaintance. Luckily, I’ve never had anyone believe that I was gay.

Since 2004, the people in 32 states have voted that marriage is between a man and a woman. The PEOPLE chose! The courts have overturned the people's vote and now the Supreme Court. Only two states, Maryland and Maine in 2012 have voted for same sex marriage. Following all of those elections where gay marriage lost, the news pundits said little. When two states chose to make same sex legal, the pundits declared it that it reflected a nationwide change of opinion. The act passed in Maryland with 51.9% of the vote. In the 32 states that banned gay marriage by a vote of the people, you see votes in the 60% range, 70% range and a few in the 80% range...all overturned by the courts and now by the Supreme Court. The people spoke and the government said, "shut up". 

If someone asks our opinion about gay marriage and if we give it, they will consider us a bigot. It’s already started on some of the talking head programs.

So I guess I should just come right out and admit now that I’m a bigot. I’ve never had anything against blacks, Asians, Mexicans or any other race. I’ve never even had anything against gays other than I wouldn’t approve of that lifestyle but I don’t remember anyone ever asking my approval. But now, thanks to the Supreme Court, I am labeled a bigot for even having the belief that it’s wrong. But to say it out loud, I guess puts me in the same boat with the KKK.

I remember the good old days when I didn't have the thought police monitoring my thoughts and labeling me as something because I have some different beliefs than others. Now, it appears we are all to be cut from the same cookie cutter or else. Remember when America used to be free?

You’re welcome to comment.

Brett

Confederate Flag: Should it Stay or Go?

With that picture above, I’m sure I’m setting myself up to be called a racist for daring to put a picture of the Confederate flag on the top. My answer? Get over yourself. If you continue to read, and believe, you may understand my position on this. If you just accept the picture as my position and don’t bother with my words, my thoughts, my beliefs, the problem is yours, not mine.

The confederate flag is a part of our history. Not just Northern States history and not just Southern States history but American history. The Civil War was not just about slavery although slavery was the largest part of the reason for the Civil War. It was also about freedom of speech, clearly defined  and separate rights of the states, mandates on runaway slaves and expansion into Cuba. As a good friend of mine in the south says, the Civil War was really the war of Northern Aggression.

This came about again because of a shooting where nine people were killed in South Carolina by a 21 year old shooter who had pictures of himself with the Confederate Flag and another with the American flag but the American Flag he set on fire, held it up and took his picture. Now South Carolina is under fire for still flying the Confederate Flag on the grounds at the State Capitol.

Now we have national monuments being desecrated. Including Thomas Jefferson, and calling for the elimination of monuments of Confederate soldiers and leaders, such as Robert E. Lee and Jefferson Davis.

This nation was fought for by farmers, shopkeepers, and even teenagers. They fought the strongest empire in the world at the time. It took over six years but eventually, they defeated that empire and won their freedom. They won our freedom! To create this country, even to declare its’ independence, it took some compromises. One of the most hypocritical compromises was about slaves. The Declaration of Independence says “We hold these truths to be self evident. That all men are created equal”. Yet, to get that declaration voted on unanimously, they had to agree not to rid itself of slavery.

In writing the Constitution following the war, there was more compromise in Article 1 Section 9, protecting the slave trade for twenty years. That twenty year period was completed on January 1, 1808. In December 1806 President Jefferson (that would be Thomas Jefferson who’s monument was desecrated) called for the criminalization on the first day that the Constitution allowed. In March 1807 the Congress passed and President Jefferson signed that law and it took effect on January 1, 1808, the very first day that it was constitutionally permitted.

Eleven states seceded from the United States and created their own flag to rally behind. They wanted the same thing that the Union wanted. Freedom. But this time, the Union states were fighting for freedom of slavery, while the rebel states were fighting for freedom to choose their own way of life which had been in place all of their lives. Americans fought against Americans. Approximately, 620,000 died during that war, all believing they died for freedom. That’s more than died in all of our other wars combined until the Vietnam war. Now it’s estimated that 640,000 have died in all of the other wars yet the American civil war claimed 620,000 souls alone. 

Slavery was wrong and is still wrong. It was wrong for us to declare all men are created equal but not live up to that belief for the first 80 years of our nations existence. But it is part of our history and should be out there for us and for others to remember. Not to look back on as the ‘good old days’ but to learn from our mistakes so they aren’t repeated in the future.

We beat the British in the Revolution. The British failed to retake us in the War of 1812. We won the Mexican-American War. We fought in several wars including two world wars ,the Indian wars, Korea, Vietnam and the war on terror. We do not fly the flags of other countries on the Capitol grounds of any state in this country. So Governor Nikki Haley coming out and calling for the removal of the Confederate Flag in South Carolina was I believe, a good move. That doesn’t mean to ban it for private citizens that may fly it as a memory of their ancestors or for any other reason they may want to fly that flag. As far as the States and Federal Government, the flag should be in museums as part of our history. By the way, the Civil War ended 150 years ago. 

We have a history in this nation that we should be proud of. Unfortunately, there are some things in our history that we should be ashamed of. Slavery is one that we should be ashamed of.

The shooter of the nine Americans at the church in South Carolina apparently confessed to hating people and shooting them because of their race. However, the family of those nine and the parishioners of that church came out publicly and forgave the shooter. He shot those nine people because of skin pigmentation and they forgive him.

I believe that this incident is exactly what this nation is all about. It’s not about gun control. It’s not about racism. It’s not about hatred. There were nine that died. Their family and parishioners forgave the shooter. That’s maybe 100 people that forgave the one. I’ll take the 100 forgiving Americans over the 1 hate filled American each and every day and tell you that this is what this country is really about. We have some bad apples but we have many more that are the embodiment of what this country is all about and the people of South Carolina showed the best of America against one that is the worst of America.

You’re welcome to comment.

Brett

Questions for Hillary that won't be asked

Hillary Clinton announced she was running for President in April 2015. For several weeks the press was up in arms because she refused to entertain questions from the press.

Just prior to her announcement as a candidate for President, it was discovered that she had not been using her State Department E-mail but rather her own personal E-mail from her own private server. She went through her E-mail records and claimed that she sent on her E-mails that were State Department business, then said the rest were personal E-mails about preparation for her mothers funeral and her granddaughter.

Just prior to that, by about a week, it was disclosed that the Clinton Foundation had been accepting foreign donations.

So what questions would the press ask if they were allowed to ask questions of Hillary? They say that they’d like to ask about the E-mails, the foreign donations and her campaign. But those questions were never asked because she wouldn’t hold press sessions. Instead, she would gather at a table with a few people in Iowa to listen to concerns of everyday Iowans. Then it was discovered that the everyday Iowans were hand picked supporters of hers.

There are some very serious and straightforward questions that I and many others would like answered that it’s unlikely the press would ask, and even less likely that she’d answer.

I believe a series of questions should be asked if someone would sit down with her and ask her without worry of intimidation by Clinton or fear that their credentials to be at her events would be revoked.

1.    Mrs. Clinton, while your husband was Attorney General and later Governor of Arkansas and then as President of the United States, you were always identified as Hillary Clinton. Once his presidency was over, you ran as Hillary Clinton for the Senate and once elected you began identifying yourself as Hillary Rodham Clinton. Later as Secretary of State, you started off with just Hillary Clinton and then again changed and began using the Rodham. And in your recent release of E-mails your address was listed as HRod. Now you’re running as Hillary while everyone identifies you as Hillary Clinton or Mrs.Clinton, Secretary Clinton or Senator Clinton. If you’re elected President, will you begin using the Rodham again? And why do you use the Rodham after elected or appointed but not when running or lobbying for a position?

2.    Mrs. Clinton, in the run up to the Iraq war there was intelligence not just from our own intelligence agencies but other intelligence from around the world that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. They had in fact, used it in their war with Iran prior to that. You were given the same intelligence that President Bush had and you voted for the resolution to authorize military action against Iraq. Later when General Petraeus put together the plan for the surge you were against that plan going so far as to say “The reports that you provide to us really require the willing suspension of disbelief,”  Recently, you said that vote was a mistake seeming to blame the Bush administration for fabricating the intelligence. I haven’t heard you say that you made a mistake about the Surge being a mistake. You have admitted being wrong about the run  up to the Iraq war. You have not to my knowledge admitted that you were wrong about the surge. If we go further onto the attack in Benghazi, you advocated and even stated that it was due to an obscure video that was proven wrong within days of the attack that cost four Americans their lives. During your campaign for President in 2008, you asked the question regarding then Senator Barack Obama, who would you rather have answering that phone call at 3:00 in the morning?  You received that 3:00 a.m. phone call during Benghazi. So my question is, if you’re wrong about the run up to the Iraq war, you’re wrong about the surge, and you were involved in the 3:00 a.m. phone call regarding Benghazi, how many mistakes are permitted for you to make as President of the United States if you can’t avoid mistakes that you’re involved in when not President of the United States?

3.    Mrs. Clinton, it was recently discovered that you were using personal E-mail on your personal server. You made it sound as though you personally went through and submitted all E-mails to the State Dept after it was discovered you were using your own E-mail. However, nobody else was given access to your mail. It was solely you that chose the mail that went to the State Dept. Nobody else knows if you were completely honest about that. You even said that nobody would have access to your server and it’s since been reported that you wiped the server clean. That makes it appear you had something to hide since nobody else could see that mail. No independent group or person to verify that you have told the truth regarding government business. However, you said that the State Dept would have copies of it all anyway because you sent it to State Dept E-mail addresses. If that’s true, then why was it necessary for you to turn over 30,000 E-mails to the State Dept if they already had them?

4.    Sticking to the E-mail topic, transparency, safety, and privacy are the reasons for government E-mail to be run through government E-mail addresses. By you choosing to use your own personal E-mail, it’s as though you’re saying that you should be trusted without any question while everyone else should be using the government E-mail system so that the government can prove their honesty and transparency. Why is it that you think you deserve an exception to the rules all others must follow and do you understand why the American citizens can wonder about your integrity when you seem to have that attitude?

5.    There has been many investigations by news organizations regarding foreign donations to the Clinton Foundation and the increased activity with country’s that make those donations by the State Dept. Countries and companies have made donations to the Clinton foundation and received favorable treatment or increased benefits from the State Dept. Norway, Sweden, Afghanistan, Ireland, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Jamaica, just to name a few. Some have donated to the Clinton Foundation and/or paid speaking fees to you and your husband. In some cases there have been increased aid to some countries after they donated to the Clinton Foundation and some that donated to the foundation and then received increased aid. The first time I read it, it appeared as though countries received favorable treatment because they donated to the foundation, then at one point, I noticed how close the numbers seem to be in some cases and I wondered if maybe a country might donate to the foundation after receiving an increase from the State Dept making it appear as though the State Dept is making the donations to the Clinton foundation using other countries as their conduit. Either way, both ways, it appears as though someone is getting their back rubbed for rubbing another’s back. This doesn’t even address Israel’s concern about arms dealing in the middle east that appears to have happened due to the link between the Clinton foundation and the State Dept. The only visible, at this point, common denominator seems to be you. How do you explain this?

6.    The E-mail and the Foreign donations give an appearance of impropriety, but the only real answer from you seems to be that the Foundation does some very good work for needy people all over the world. I think if I was to rob a bank of $1 million dollars and then donate that money to the Prevention of Child Abuse, that there wouldn’t be anyone that would accept my answer about the robbery if my answer was “that money was put to some very good use. There are children that won’t be beaten tonight because of that money.”  You are running for the highest office in the land. Shouldn’t you be required to justify asking the people of this country to give you the trust to work in their best interests rather than your own?

7.    I have heard you say several times about how important it is for this country to have a female president. I believe that most Americans would like to have the best person available to be the President whether that person is male/female/black or white. Is having a female president more important to you than having the best person for the job?

8.    Following the shooting in South Carolina where the nine Americans were shot and killed by the 21 year old American, you tried to blame it on Donald Trump’s announcement for President because his message that day was divisive regarding the criminals coming across from Mexico. Isn’t that using tragedy for political gain?

9.    You said that guns were too easily available and that you sided with the President on gun control  following the shooting in South Carolina. Isn’t that using tragedy for political gain?

10. Recent polls have said that more than half have no trust in you. In view of the topics we’ve talked about, do you think, that any or all of those topics could have something to do with it or do you intend to blame the Republicans or some ubiquitous Right Wing Conspiracy again for people not trusting you? Do you take responsibility for the lack of trust when you’ve put yourself above the American people when in fact you’re running to represent and lead the all of the American people?

The press rails about Hillary not answering questions, but when given the chance, they don’t ask the tough questions. It’s as though they want to get in Hillary’s good graces for their own benefit. Seems like the last time someone made it about himself, he lost an anchor’s chair. Can you say Brian Williams?

You’re welcome to comment.

Brett