A perfect illustration of such a narrow, tangential view of religion is in today’s local Gannett newspaper. In the cartoon “Mutt” the dogs have climbed a lighthouse, a LONG climb, and they look down and all around them for miles, and of all the things to see, one dog, says, “Look! There’s my chewy toy.”

The assumption of these fanatics is that America is great only because of their religion and the rules from their religious book, the Bible, or Koran, etc. Now the facts are clear that these people are wrong, just as most people’s understanding, or lack of understanding of the Bible and the Constitution are wrong. If America were to “live” by the assumed words of the most used translation of the original words of the Bible and the “original intent’ Constitution, as opposed to the Declaration of Independence and Bill of Rights and Amendments, we would still have slavery, and women, blacks, and even white men who don’t own property would not vote, etc. So we really are a smarter people than these religious fanatics. So it is probable that their ’cause” would be lost if we really believed that we had to honor their version of Christianity.

In fact, that is the irony they don’t see. Their ’cause” will be lost, the war will be lost, even if they win some battles-such as getting a meaningless slogan on our money (In god We Trust), etc. As another saying heard in more than one movie goes, “they can’t handle the truth.” They insult their god when they claim that how we started was the way that god would want a nation or people to live. With slaves. With women as property, etc.

And what churches need to learn fast is that if they insist on pushing tangential issues of their particular religion/beliefs, forcing all citizens to abide by their ideas, not by choice or conviction but by force of laws, such unethical and incompetent rules will be ignored and that will result in people ignoring the other parts of a church’s teaching, and will in a sense kill that church.

Glance at our history. Christians bought and sold slaves, using their Bible to show that that was their god’s will and had been approved. Mostly non-religious people forced the end of slavery. The churches divided to form churches whose only difference was that they promoted racial segregation-not by choice but by law, which was only ended by mostly non-religious people opposing those laws and the preachers and churches that promoted them. That is why Mormons, after once having a sudden revelation that their views of marriage were “wrong’ and ended polygamy (in order to become a state), had a sudden revelation that they needed to accept blacks as full members, and the Southern Baptists had to apologize to black Americans for having been so wrong in their understanding of the Bible.

And how do we explain that the most immoral people, the ones who are destroying “family values” are the ones preaching about those values and claiming/projecting their “sins” on others, by accusing other political party members and unreligious people of what they are guilty of? Read the nespapers and see what political party has leaders who seek prostitutes (Senator Vitter of LA) and support mistresses (Senator Ensign of NV and the governor of South Carolina-who left his sons on Father’s Day to fly off for a sexual encounter in another country).

Yet these hypocrites say it is homosexual marriage that will destroy our families. Either these politicians should shut up or change their ways, or they may kill their political party and values of that party that are good.

I have one important thing to say to the Author of the above mentioned article Jackson, of Fairlawn, who is retired from the U.S. Navy. Thank you for the 27 years of duty you gave our country.
As a defender of the USA you are certainly entitled to your opinion as well as I am. I write this not to blast you only to debate as we have the freedom to do so thanks to people like you who serve the USA
for democracy and freedom. While I may not have 27 year of experience in the Navy I do have plenty experience being a lesbian and fighter for gay rights.
I think we all understand on a navy ship of almost any kind there is no way to escape confinement.
So, I did try to picture the drunken sailor coming in drunk at 2 am trying to overcome their natural urges. I would have to say that the largest majority of gays in the military would not come to the barracks or ship drunk looking to expose their sexuality or put them in the position of being a victim of a hate crime or being kicked out of the service.
Why sailors or soldiers facing real danger and death feel threatened that a drunk homosexual
may accidently brush up against them sounds like 100% homophobic. This doesn’t make you gay and it could accidently be a straight person bumping into the gay man or woman. That in itself is outrageous.
I would also like to think that anybody gay or straight coming on board or base drunk and causing issues would be disciplined by a senior and held in confinement until they can act like a soldier. Now, regarding same sex couples having sex on the ship and how the tax payers may feel about that.

I would have to say again only a small fraction of gays in the military would be that brazen. Again this would only lead to persecution and dismissal from service. And as a tax payer I am sure plenty goes on in the military we should not be paying for. But, because you defend us and our way of life I could really care less who any service member sleeps with. As long as it is consensual and your ready for your duties or battle when called.
We will not forget about gays in the military even though shallow people think of us as a tiny percentage of our population who want to live an alternative lifestyle. We are not second class citizens. We are your neighbors, your soldiers, and your family members. We are citizens of the USA and tax payers who are denied rights every day. Don’t ask don’t tell is a pour representation of America.

I would like to invite you and/or your organization to make a sign/banner and join us In our walk downtown Roanoke in Elmwood Park @ 1 p.m. on September 20, 2009.

Peace
Teresa M. Hoback

Brenda Hale, NAACP

Virginia Senator John Edwards

Roanoke Equality Rally
40th Anniversary of the Stonewall riots
Downtown Roanoke
June 28, 2009

The GLBTQ community all over the world including the United States celebrated the 40 th anniversary of the Stonewall riots this weekend.

History of the Stone Wall Riots

The Stonewall Riots were an outbreak of violent protest against a police raid that took place in the early morning hours of June 28, 1969. The riots broke out at a popular gay bar in Greenwich Village, New York. This is often known as the first time in American history gay and lesbians fought back in response to homosexual persecution. The Stonewall riots marked the start of the modern gay rights movement in the United States and around the world.

Celebration in Downtown Roanoke Virginia

There was gathering In Elmwood Park that included several speakers. The event had a small to medium crowd. Yet, the enthusiasm and energy generated from the speakers and attendees made this nothing less than a powerful event.

Speakers included:
Frank House
John Edwards, Virginia Senator
Rev.Joe Cobb, MCC
Brenda Hale, NAACP
Rev. Stephen Stanley, Christ Episcopal Church

Favorite Quotes from the speakers:

Frank House:
I feel betrayed by my own country
wrong to read the bible incompletely
Love, equality, and diversity woven
into my own bible
questions the morality of the government
DOMA should be appealed now

Virginia Senator John Edwards:
calls for equality
Obama election proved our image around the world cannot be under estimated
Virginia is changing and Virginia is diverse
I feel Don’t ask Don’t tell will soon fall by the wayside
the commonwealth has to live up to the standards of Thomas Jefferson
society excepts all of humanity

Brenda Hale, NAACP
no citizen should ever be considered inferior