REMEMBERING THE GAYS IN THE MILITARY

Last night the congress voted to repeal the DADT. Congratulations to the democrats and a couple of republicans. As for the rest of the republicans, I want to ask you a question. Are you voting your own personal opinion, what your voters want or are you just sheep being herded by John McCain? I'm not trying to be smart here but you are acting in a very STUPID manner and it is being seen, every day on the news.

President Obama was elected as our president and whether you voted for him or not, he is our president and that alone commands a certain amount of respect. I believe that he is trying EVERY thing he knows how to do to bring this country together and improve life for ALL Americans and that we as Americans need to stand behind him and try to understand what he inherited from the previous administration along with disasters such as the spilling of oil in the Gulf of Mexico, again a gift from the previous administration, those DRILL BABY DRILL people. So think about what republicans are doing to the quality of your life, or what they aren't doing to improve it and vote with your conscience. Republicans let this be your warning to shape up or be ready to ship out.

THANK YOU ANITA BRYANT, REST WELL

Yes, I am a gay man and yes I do thank Anita Bryant. Why you ask? She did more to unite the gay community and create activism for our cause than anyone else I know. Recently HBO started airing the movie "MILK" and I have watched it several times. I was under the impression that Sean Penn was homophobic and that may be true but he played the part of Harvey Milk well. It brought back memories of that time and yes I too would have loved to place a dagger in her heart at the time. But hindsight is a powerful thing and I can see that it would have taken a lot longer for us to come to the point that we are today without her. It was because of the hatred that she spewed in the name of her religion that brought us together and caused us to fight back and fight harder. Harvey Milk was not a saint by any means but he had the courage to follow his heart and mind and make first steps toward the future.
Now we have the Matthew Shepard hate crimes bill and that is a start. It doesn't insure peace yet but it is a start. Lawsuits will soon begin to follow so that the real strength of this bill will be seen. Perhaps the day will come when parents will learn to accept their gay children and not throw them out to the streets and real families can then thrive. Churches may come to understand that being Christian and gay is a possibility as many of us already know. No longer will bosses be able to fire people based on their sexual orientation. And soldiers will be able to serve no matter what their sexual identity is. I was one of those soldiers caught up in a witch hunt back in 1966. Not because I couldn't do my job and do it well, but because I was caught making love with my commanding officer.
So today I say, Thank You, Anita Bryant for all that you did to help up out.
Mike

FELONS AND VOTING RIGHTS, NOT WHAT YOU THINK

I know that I'm not the only one asking myself why a United States Senator can be convicted of seven (7), yes count them 7, felonies and can keep his seat on the US Senate and run for re-election to keep his seat and other felons can't even vote. What's wrong with this country? It is hard enough for a felon to get a job at a lot of restaurants never mind the US Senate? Mind you, he is not just charged, he has been convicted of the crimes. I have never understood why a felon has to lose the right to vote in the first place, is that person's one vote going to get the sheriff or judge out of office with his/her one vote? I don't know but would love to have someone explain it to me.

There are a lot of things out there that are getting on my nerves because I don't understand of them these days. This country was founded on a set of rights that are supposed to be for all citizens not just the ones who agree with you and to hell with others you don't like or don't understand. And wasn't the whole thing supposed to have started because of religious oppression and now we are heading right back to our roots again. There is more that one religion in this country and there are some people that don't even believe in God, but that's okay because he believes in them. There are many so called "Christians" out there who will not stop until everyone believes exactly the same way as they do and are trying to rule this country. Their place is in their churches and in their communities. Gay marriage is a very hot issue these days and they will not rest until it goes away. This author knows of many couples who have been together a lot longer than many of the non-gay ones. Many of them have adopted the children that no one else wants but were brought into this world by heterosexuals. Divorce rates are higher than ever and many that don't divorce right away but cheat on their spouses, John McCain is one of them. So why is it so hard for people to let two people who love each other marry with love being the only pre-requisite. Heterosexuals can get married at the justice of the peace or even go to Las Vegas and be married by an Elvis impersonator. Is that religious? It is time for those Christians, and they are a small but powerful group of the Christian religion, to learn to open their bibles and read them. Jesus said, "Love one another as I have loved you." There is no mention of Him leaving out gays or any others. And what about "Judge not lest you shall be judged"? I remember that one. Yes, I am a christian but not a basher.

Your comments are welcome and would be appreciated.
Mike

WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON WITH THE ELECTIONS?

No matter which candidate you are voting for this election, it seems to me that the news shows are just going way too far in their commentary. If you don't vote for Obama you are a racist and if you don't vote for Hillary you are sexist. They feel that they have the power to tell you not only this but also that if you are a hillbilly you are a racist while city folk know better and want to keep a man in the Oval Office, black or white. I don't know about you but it is sicking to me and a lot of people that I talk to. One minute after the closing time for the ballots they are ready to predict the winner of the race because of their exit polls. I love to lie to people who take polls because I don't think that they accomplish a lot. And if they are doing one at the mall I make sure that I go to two or three of them and give each one different answers.

Is it not possible that each of us is voting for the person that we think will do the best job of running the country without bringing all of the baggage of race or gender into the picture? Maybe some would like to have a woman or a black person in the top position. I would love to see a gay person male or female, black white or Hispanic in the Oval Office, BUT ONLY IF THAT PERSON IS THE MOST qualified person to do the job. Isn't that what it is supposed to be about? And not just person for the party but the best person for the job. JMHO, what is yours?
Mike

GAY MARRIAGE IN CALIFORNIA

A few days ago the California Supreme Court, by a close vote of 3-2, decided that Gays and Lesbians had the right to marry and then the Christians got their asses on their collective backs again and decided to try for a referendum on the November ballot. When does this stop?

I was brought up in the Catholic religion and spent some time in the Baptist church but I’m still not able to quote chapter and verse like some others can. But I do know one thing that Jesus is quoted as saying, “Let the one who is without sin cast the first stone.” Maybe it is just an oversight on the part of those who would oppose what the state has approved or maybe it is just once again a small portion of the Christian community who reads thru their bibles with blinders on. There is plenty that I have read that some of my best Christian friends have overlooked or chose to ignore about what the bible tells them to do or not to do and while I note in in my mind, I say nothing. It isn’t my place to judge them. Again, I don’t know chapter or verse but I do seem to remember something about, “Judge not or yea shall be judged.”

It seems that the only thing that they have to worry about is gay marriage. Would it be okay if we got married but by a Justice of the Peace? And if we use non-religious vows would that be alright you? How many people have been married with the phrase,”...till death do us part” as part of their vow and then divorce later when something different comes along or things don‘t work out? And the bible does tell us that if you break up your marriage that you are not to have sex so long as the other one is still alive. Ask your pastor about that one. I am not here to judge anyone I just want you to remember some of the other things that are in the bible and hope for the sake of your soul that you are not casting that stone unless you are without sin. And if this is the case, please get in touch with me an let me know because it has been more than 2000 years since the last one who is without sin walked this earth.

WHO'S ELECTION IS THIS ANYWAY?

I'm getting sick and tired of all of these people saying that Hillary Clinton should step down and let Obama have a clear shot at ruining my home. Each and every candidate has the right to decide if and when they will throw in the towel, not other elected officials or the press. This is America and we have the right to free speech but who says that it is okay to trample on the lives of others?

Yes, I am a Hillary Clinton person and my reasons are as vast as the freckles on my body. But mostly because as a mother, wife and daughter, she knows how to keep a house in order, balance the budget, ensure that the family has enough food and the proper medical attention. Also as a wife and mother, she would make war a last resort, enough body bags have come home from a senseless war. A wife and mother knows how to entertain guests, stop quarrels and make friends with her neighbors. She has been the First Lady for the state of Arkansas as well as for the nation. And when her husband made mistakes she didn't cut and run, she forgave him and pulled the family closer than ever. Now she is a second term Senator from the state of New York winning her second race by a landslide.

Has she made mistakes? Hell yes, we all have and she will admit them and go on. That shows courage and wisdom to me. How many of us would prefer not to even acknowledge out mistakes? I see that when she is on the campaign trail that she doesn't just court the college kids who will be voting for the first time ever, but instead talks to ALL of the people. Already she has begun laying out plans for what she wants to do for us and the way that she wants to lead this great nation of ours. I'm not hearing that from Obama. If he holds off and learns more and then runs, I'm sure I would like to see him as a president. But as a gay person I can tell you right now that it would take more than admitted sexuality for me to vote for a gay person. I want the most experienced person on all of the issues to lead this country so that I can sleep better at night. That's my opinion, what's yours?

Mikey

NOT JUST FOR GAY PEOPLE

There is no law that allows gay people who are partners/lovers to make decisions for them when they are ill or that they are their legal guardians, on the books. But guess what, if you are living with someone, no matter how long and you are heterosexual, you may be in the same boat as us. During a recent visit to a nursing home (Jacaranda Manor in St. Petersburg) where my lover of nine years is currently staying, I was told that in order to make decisions for him I would have to go to court and be declared as his legal guardian. The decision? Which hospital he was to be sent to. He is being treated for HIV/AIDS and uses that doctor as his primary care as well and that doctor has privileges at one hospital (Morton Plant, in Clearwater) while the nursing home wanted to send him to a hospital where their doctor (who doesn't treat my lover but only writes prescriptions based on information in his chart) has privileges (St. Petersburg General, St. Petersburg). Both he and I insisted that he be taken to one hospital and yet they did as they wished. And I am not talking about a life threatening emergency, I could understand their reluctance if it were, but it was to get x-rays on his nose to see if there was anything broken in there when he fell in an over medicated stupor.

I was NOT told that if I were hetero that I could insist on where he would get the best care so I am left to believe that it would work the same to an unmarried straight couple as well. Meanwhile, I can't bring him home and I fear for his life where he is. So if you hear anything about gay marriage I urge you to think about what I have said here before you make your decision as to what place you would like to find yourself. Your comments are welcome.

LET'S TALK ABOUT GOD

There are a lot of people out there who call themselves Christians but I'm not sure that we're reading from the same book. Where in the bible does it say that God hates anyone? Not in the book that I read. And where in your bibles does it tell you to push your opinions of what your God said to people who wrote the book for Him. No where. You are to spread the word of the lord and it is up to those individuals to make their decision themselves. It could be scary for you and me alike if we die and find out that God was Jewish or Islamic. It's time for everyone to start to letting individuals make up their own minds and stop dictating what you think everyone should do, feel, think or act. I would challenge anyone who call themselves a Christian and yet would deny marriages between any two people who love each other, treating others who believe differently then we do and would protest at a funeral because a person is somehow connected to gays, to open up your books and minds. WWJD, indeed. Would he be the type of person who would force his word upon others who believed differently as did their parents and their parents before them? Jesus preached love not hate and if you follow him, perhaps you should too.

KEEP THE ELECTIONS CLEAN

Okay the races have begun and so has the hate mongering. Can't we just for once have a fair fight/election? Already I am getting sick to death of the candidates accusing each other of lying, cheating and stealing. Just for once I would love to hear the candidates stand up and tell us their views, their promises and what they have done this far without slinging mud at the other candidates. Is this too much to ask? Does anyone know who we need to talk to/email/write if necessary to keep the elections clean? Let me know and I promise to get mail forwarded to them to let them know what WE THE PEOPLE want.