Once again dear readers. I totally
apologize for the long absence.
It has been about a year since I lost
my job at the hospital. And there have been lots of ups and downs. I
do finally have a job, and have since the end of March. I am not
totally proud to be working for minimum wage. But to hell with it,
its a job and I can almost support myself again.
And now, on to the real reason I have
decided to post.
(Steps up on a soap box and clears
throat)
Recently America has shown itself to be
fairly progressive as far as marriage equality is concerned. It took
a case going all the way to the supreme court before it became
nationally legal for same sex marriages to be nationally recognized.
And the far left Christiam extremists are having puppies about it.
Claiming that the supreme court is violating their religious rights.
America has also shown how far it still needs to go.
Now if there are any Christians that
do happen to read my blog, first Thank you, and secondly how is it
that your religious liberty has been violated? No one is saying that
your churches have to perform the marriage ceremonies, or even that
you have to welcome them into your church. All this decision means is
that as far as the government is concerned the concept of a marriage,
2 people becoming a single entity as far as tax benefits, and income
calculation is concerned. If you want to claim that “marriage” is
a religious thing, then lets get rid of the tax benefits and state
issued marriage licenses and let churches and religious institutions
issue them. In which case you haven't stopped gay marriages because
there are plenty of other religions that have no issue with same sex
unions.
To the Christians I also have this to
say, your God, in all of his infinite wisdom made gay people. Even if
you believe it is a choice and not something you are born as, even
then he gave them the ability to be who and what they are. You don't
have to agree with, or like it, but God made them. And aren't you as
a follower of Christ commanded to love thy neighbor as you love
thyself? Are you not also called to not cast judgment, because that
is God's job? So seriously just let it go. Or as Jesus himself is
susposed to have said in Matthew, “Render that which is Caesar's
unto Caesar, and that which is God's unto God.”
In other words, live your life
according to your bible. Let other people live they way they desire
and let god sort it out in the end....
On to the other issue. I try my hardest
not let myself become just another angry black man. Because for all
of its flaws America is still pretty good for the most part. But as
many of you have come to see of the past couple years with the advent
of camera phones that systemic violence against people of color is
not a new thing. And recently with the #BlackLivesMatter movement it
is gaining national attention.
It is a sad but true fact of existence
that I as a black man will, and have been considered a criminal first
and anything else secondly. Growing up I was taught that if I were to
be stopped by an officer to not have my hands in my pockets and to
not make any sudden movements. Even as a youth I could be seen as an
adult even being only 12 or 13. And that I couldn't play with toy
guns because as a black male, the cops would shoot me without asking
questions if they thought I was armed and dangerous, which would be
the assumption anyway.
I have seen the difference with which
cops have treated me, versus my white friends. Coming home from work
one night I had an officer slam me into the hood of his car, cuff,
and tell me I was just some worthless scum bag. And when I reported
said officer that report just disappeared. I could tell you countless
other stories. I am made aware of my race every moment of every day.
And to have people, who don't have my life experiences tell me that I
should get over it, because discussions about inequality make them
uncomfortable. We have, for too long, made it a point to not make
people uncomfortable. So we don't teach or talk about the
uncomfortable parts of history. We stop letting kids read great books
about history because it has language that is hard to talk about and
explain.
Recently, due to one guy with racist
ideology, the Rebel flag has become an issue and people want it to
be taken off of public, and government buildings. And there are
people who say the flag is more about Heritage then hate, which can
be true. But you are ignoring a big section of what the Confederacy
stood for, and why the rebel flag become popular in the 1940's at the
beginning of civil rights movement. Do I think the flag should be
taken down? I don't know. Does the flag offend me? No, not really. Do
I understand why some people are offended? Yeah.
If anything, I think we as a society
need to worry less about offending people, especially if it involves
telling the uncomfortable truth, so that we can all grow, and become
better as a nation. And not burying our heads in the sand and telling
ourselves the pretty lie.
(Steps down and walks away shaking my
head)