Happy July 4th..... Land of the Cruel and Unequal

Let me say, first of all, that I love the United States of America. There is no greater country in the entire world. I am so proud to be an American. I will never take for granted that freedoms that we have and the price that has been paid for our freedoms.

My friend lost a son in Afghanistan, my own father was a World War II veteran. I have always been the most patriotic person. I love America. It breaks my heart and I feel betrayed by my country and my family, that they cannot accept us for who we are; for whom we love.

Governor Scott Walker (Wisconsin) believes a new law that gives gay couples hospital visitation rights violates the state constitution and has asked a judge to allow the state to stop defending it.

What is the point of this cruelty. Who cares if people who love each other visit each other in the hospital. This is nothing but power hungry, power mongering political play and a case of cruelty. I don't know what the point would be to prevent people seeing each other. For those of you who have experienced this type of discrimination and homophobia, I am sorry. I work in a hospital and I have never seen this type of discrimination and cruelty. I wrote a blog entry on how to avoid this type of evil cruelty. How to Bypass Hospital Homophobia/Discrimination

Matthew Shephard Memorial Site states the following.

On October 6, 1998, Matthew was beaten and tied to a fence just outside of Laramie, Wyoming. Yet, this one tragic event shook the nation. It may have been due to the fact that this murder took place in small town America, as well as a college town. Matthew was a student at the University of Wyoming in Laramie. Even now, it is not fully clear what went on that night of October 6, 1998, but it appears to be a combination robbery and gay-bashing. Even though it has been over five years since Matthew's death, violence against gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender as well as toward minorities continues unabated. This being the case, it is important that as many sites such as this be made available to keep the awareness of this serious problem before the public. In election years, it is all the more important that these issues are addressed by our future leaders. Even though Matthew's murder appears to have been motivated in part due to his being gay, this site exists as a resource for all human rights issues, not just those of the LGBT people.

It is my belief that people like Governor Walker probably did not find the torture and death of Matthew Shepherd disturbing, hateful and sad.

A Republican Representative Eric Turner (R-Marion)in the State of Indiana made the comment as he co-sponsored a bill to further discriminate against EQUAL RIGHTS for all Hoosiers, "...it's nothing personal...it's not like this is hurting anyone..."

I beg to differ. Anytime that discrimination is written into the Constitution of any state, there is hurt being done. Our elected leaders cannot be so oblivious to this fact. They truly cannot believe that they are doing no harm to anyone by separating loved ones...please tell me they don't believe that people who are being told that they are second class citizens...please tell me that they don't believe that no harm is being done. Well, maybe they do believe that because they believe that the people being discriminated against are not deserving of a second thought. Maybe they believe that this group of people is undeserving because of who they love.

A lovely website is Top 10 Anti-Gay Activists Caught Being Gay

Just a quick thought on "He who lives in glass house should not throw stones..." and also the wonderful quote from William Shakespeare, " the lady doeth protest too much..."

My own Independent Fundamental Baptist family has now chosen to not have my wife, our boys and I be part of family functions. Upon announcing to my family that my love of 12 years and I were going to travel to the wonderful state of Iowa and get married, I received a type written letter from my two older sisters, their husbands (one of whom is an evangelist who goes around the United States preaching as to why Christians should memorize the Bible), and their adult children. It said that they had many family meetings (Of which I, my wife, or our other adult nephew were not part)and that:

"We have painfully decided as a family that if you follow through on this immoral act, we would be forced to break a lot of family relationships with you. We would have no desire to have you present at our usual family gatherings...This hurts to say this, but you would no longer be welcome in our homes."

They go on to say that the decision is mine. Yeah right. The sad thing is this, they really think that they are showing me "tough love". They really think that before God they are doing the right thing. They have been sadly disillusioned by power hungry, obsessive compulsive, and tyrannic church leadership. I don't know what they want me to do. Do they want me to give up my wife, my sons, my life, my family...that is exactly what they are asking me to do. Amazingly unbelievable isn't it. It is not their job to tell me how to live my life. I have done major research on what he Bible says about Homosexuality and have posted many entries as to my beliefs on what the Bible says. For those of you who are doubting my ability to understand the Bible I wish to tell you that from the 5th grade to graduating from the Independent Fundamental Baptist School and College, I have been in Bible School.

The Bible Says - Homosexuality

Ruth and Naomi

What Other "Abominations" Should We Condemn?

Then there is the Immigration Discrimination Issue

The vast majority of Americans have no clue as to what it takes to immigrate to the United States. Sadly, President Barak Obama made the statement that there are those who have stood inline for legal immigration..." If it were that easy, to just get in a line and get legal immigration, there would be few illegal immigrants....there would be no undocumented. However, for bi-national same sex couples, there is no line in which to stand. Unless our loved ones are rich, or extremely talented (like Sammy Sosa, Celine Dion), can get a job that no American can do, or are oppressed in their country by their government there is no line for binational same sex couples. Please consider my blog entry on how uneducated the regular American person is about immigration.

This fourth of July, let us hope and pray that this is the last one that we will say that there is a group of people in the United States that does not have equal rights. This is after all, the land of the free where all are created equal.

Ruth and Naomi

Ruth 1:16 and 17 (King James Version)

16 And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:
17 Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me.

These are the words of a woman, Ruth. She is speaking to another woman, Naomi. These words are used a lot in heterosexual weddings because there is no mistaking their meaning. In verse 16 we learn the following:

1. Don’t ask me to leave you.
2. Where ever you go, that is where I am going
3. Where you live is where I am going to live
4. Your people are now my family
5. Your deepest beliefs on God and religion are now mine

But in verse 17 she even goes further. Ruth has already said beautiful words to Naomi, but now she wants to cement what she means and here is where she tells Naomi that where ever you are is “home”.

6. Where you die I am going to die
7. And there will I be buried.

Why is this so important? Ruth was telling Naomi we are together now in life and they would be buried together in the family graveyard. Without a doubt, this is a love story.

Eleven years ago, I got down on my knees and pledged my heart to my Sweet Love with the words of Ruth. She spoke the same back to me. There was no big band, there was no ceremony. We pledged out love to each other before each other and before God Almighty.

As a same sex couple we are in a huge fight to try and get the Defense of Marriage Act repealed. We are trying as a bi-national couple to get the Uniting American Families Act passed in Congress.

We don’t want to challenge anyone's beliefs. We don’t want special treatment. All my love and I want is to be able to live together as wife and wife.

Those who choose to stand in our way; I ask you am I a threat to your way of life? Am I a threat to your marriage? Do you even know me or my name? Exactly! Me marrying the person of my dreams will have zero effect on your “traditional” marriage.

A friend of mine posted this on face book and I told her I was going to use it in my blog:

So let me get this straight...Kelsey Grammer can end a 15 yr marriage by phone, Larry King can be on divorce #9, Britney Spears had a 55 hour marriage, Jesse James and Tiger Woods (while married) were having sex with EVERYONE, 53% of Americans get divorced and 30-60% cheat on their spouses. Yet, same-sex marriage is going to destroy the institution of marriage? Really

We just want the right to be able to be free in the land of the free. We want the right to pursue our happiness in America where this is an unalienable right.
This is the story of Naomi and Ruth. This is undeniably a love story between two women.

Why Passing the Uniting American Families Act Should be Important to Congress

The Uniting American Families Act would give Homosexual United States Citizens the right to sponsor their partners(for lack of a better legal word) for Green Card status. The heterosexual community has been enjoying this right since people have been falling in love with people from different countries. I believe that it is high time that the lesbian and gay community be afforded this simple right; the right to live with whom we love.

One argument is that passing the Uniting American Families Act would promote fraud. I read that people opposed to the UAFA feel that proving that a person is really in love with another person and wanting to spend the rest of their lives with that person is difficult without the bond of marriage. To that ludicrous and quite ignorant protest I answer: Allow us to get married then. There are ways, just as there are with heterosexual people, of proving a relationship. This really is a poor excuse for not passing the Uniting American Families Act.

Another argument is that allowing homosexual people to sponsor their partner is an affront and an attack on the family. US News and World Report reported way back in 2004 on the rise of the gay family. http://www.usnews.com/usnews/culture/articles/040524/24family.htm
Like heterosexual couples in a committed relationship, some want children and some don't want children. In no way is allowing people to have families an attack on the family.

I have heard that people do not think that homosexuals should be allowed to have children. Aside from the obvious grievous attack on the personal rights of human beings there are several studies saying that children of same sex couple do as well or better than their counterparts.
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn19014-children-of-lesbian-parents-do-better-than-their-peers.html

So the fact that people think that the United American Families Act is an attack on the family is also not accurate. All most of us want to do is to live in peace with our family without fear and hate.

Probably the most outspoken arguement from the opposition of the Uniting American Families Act is that God is against homosexuality. It seems that Congress has taken ahold of this and is using it for all bills that have to do with homosexuality. Sadly, a lot of the people making these statments have not picked up a Bible in years and are ignoring advice from all parents everywhere, "Learn to think for yourself and come to your own conclusions".
If God hates homosexuals, why is John 3:16 in the Bible? "For God so loved heterosexual people..." No, it says "For God so loved the world..."

If God hates homosexuals, why did Jesus heal the Centurion's beloved servant?

For those who still think that God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah because of homosexuality...that is so not right. Read your Bible:

Ezekiel 16:49
49 " 'Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy.

http://hubpages.com/hub/Why-God-Destroyed-Sodom-and-Gomorrah

The verses used at a lot of heterosexual weddings to pledge their lives to each other forever are words that were spoken between two women. Ruth 1:16 & 17

God does not hate homosexuals. It is simply not Biblical for anyone (even the Pope) to say that God does not love homosexuals. Shame on the Church for straying so far away from the Word of God and allowing centuries of prejudice to influence their thinking and not do their own research.

Congress should pass the Uniting American Families Act on principle. Are we less of American Citizens because we are homosexual? Do we not have the right to be in love with whom we have fallen in love? Are we not entitled to the same rights as Americans because of sexual preference. While the government encourages businesses to not discriminate on the basis of color, sex, age, or sexual orientation, they are GUILTY of these very discriminatory acts.

I am an American and as an American I am guarenteed rights by our Constitution. I ask that the Uniting American Families Act be passed so that I and thousands like me can have the right to live in our country with the person we love, with the families we love. We need to be allowed this right as Americans.

PASS the UNITING AMERICAN FAMILIES ACT. It is the right thing to do, it is the Christian thing to do, it is the American thing to do.