Keep on keepin' on

Well here we are once again.  There's been a few things that have happened.  I'm still working, and have secured benefits for myself.  So now I have a true grown up job.  Ergo, no worries there.

So the senate of the US voted against a law that would move toward repealing DADT in the last couple of days.  Which, I personally, don't know what to think of, except for the fact that it is not in the best interests of the nation for the purposes of what the armed forces are charged with.

In other news, Lady Gaga at a rally in Maine gave a speech calling for equality in the armed forces.  The purpose of the rally was to push senators from Maine, and others to vote for the legislation that would move toward the repeal of DADT.  I watched her give the speech.  It's below.





So I think that her argument is rather well crafted from a rhetorical standpoint.  First she rambles off the oath that members of the armed forces take.  Then she equates equality to the finest cut of meat that one can receive, which is a comparison that everyone (meat eater or not) can relate to.  Then she begins to describe a policy which appears to be the inverse of DADT.  It has the same overall purpose of DADT which is to dismiss soldiers which have an affect on military morale and unit cohesion.  But she goes on to say that the policy should be sending home those who have a problem with gay soldiers, because, according to her, *they* are the ones with the most affect on military morale and unit cohesion, because they're letting their hate get in the way military morale and unit cohesion.  In all truth it's not the best rhetoric ever crafted, but there is a little bit of creativity and brainpower behind all the glam that is GaGa.  Which is good to know.

After the Republican Primary, I was rather distressed to see that Christine O'Donnell had won in Delaware.  I was distressed because her whole campaign slogan seemed to be this:

*points at opponent* "He's gay!  Vote for me."

And that I don't think is a basis on which anyone should be voting for anything.  And then this article comes out wherein she says that homosexuality is an identity disorder.  Her reasoning for deciding to spout something that has generally been accepted as false in the Psychiatric and Psychology communities since the late 70s, is that people are made in Gods image.  Now the article goes on to say that this isn't a verbatim quote, but a paraphrased version of her beliefs.

Now my issue with that is twofold.  1) She has no place using religion as her platform to run for any sort of political seat.  2) If you want to get into a religious debate, technically we are all made in gods image, so by that argument everything from smoking, to fornication, to lying, to cheating, to swearing is an identity disorder, because it's all based on societal factors.  Because we're all made in God's image.

Well it seems that pastors and young boys is not simply a Catholic thing anymore and has moved into the realm of the Protestants.  This article is just another one in a long list of ones where allegations have been made regarding the impropriety of those in power.  Also, it's a little extra stinging because the New Birth Missionary Baptist Church supports Ex-gay therapy and those leading it have support legislation banning gay marriage and now the pastor has allegations of homosexual relations with minors.  I think there's something funny in the republican party and the evangelical christian movement.

Remember way back in the last presidential election, when a bunch of pastors decided to take time out of their sermon on a sunday morning to tell their congregations why they should vote against Obama.  Following that there was a short, but intense debate on whether or not churches that that participated in that action should lose their tax exempt status.  If you recall, I was all for that, because political posturing has no place behind the pulpit.  Well this story out of Hawaii details a church that finally got the book thrown at it for leading the fight against civil unions.  I think this is an appropriate penalty for any church who throws itself into the political arena for things like this.  Most notably the Mormon Church (LDS) in the US for it's massive politicking with Prop 8 in California.

So there ya go.  More of my opinions and what not.  So as always, I really appreciate you, my readers and I welcome comments and whatnot.  I'm always up for constructive discourse, so have at it.  =)