Much Ado About Nothing

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As are most things these days, Obama's evolutionary thinking ("I think same sex couples should be able to get married", just in case you weren't paying attention ... to ANYTHING) has been beaten to death by social media. So? Why not join the crowd?

For some, the Obama Hope & Change alters have been brought out again. Others see this as little more than the media machine flinging glitter at Obama's performance record.

Look!! Shiny objects!! What unemployment rates?

Does it really matter what Obama's opinion is on gay marriage? Does it really matter what my opinion is on Jell-O? That's what I thought.

When all of the fake outrage and moral judgement is set aside, it seems that all most gay marriage advocates seem to want is the same rights, privileges and protections that their heterosexual counterparts enjoy once they jump the broomstick.

Yet the sticking point for many appears the be the use of that word "marriage" - a religious based ceremony that gives special governmental preference.

Wait a minute ... I hadn't thought of it that way. Why in the hell does the government give preferential treatment to ANY citizen based on their marital status?

And then?

And then I stumbled on Lauren Taylor's No celebration for this lesbian in the Washington Post OpEd section and she said EXACTLY what I was thinking:

Here’s the thing: I don’t think we (the country, the society) should be giving rights, privileges and protections to anyone — gay, straight, bisexual or other — based on their sexual or romantic relationships. I think most of the rights and privileges gay men and lesbians are seeking by pursuing marriage rights should be granted to human beings because they are human beings, whether or not they find one person they want to spend the rest of their lives with.

A few examples:

• Everyone should be able to designate who they want to be able to visit them in the hospital. Everyone should be able to take leave to care for a sick loved one.
• Everyone should have access to health insurance. If you’re self-employed, unemployed or work for a place that doesn’t provide health insurance, you shouldn’t need to have a romantic partner who has a job that provides health benefits to get coverage.
• If a couple with a child splits, married or not, all parents should be eligible for visitation and responsible for child support.
• Everyone who pays into Social Security should be able to list who is financially dependent on them and who should get benefits when they die. Our current system shortchanges any dependent who isn’t married to a wage earner.

Can I get an AMEN??

See? These rights, privileges and protections are not available to all citizens, or even all adult citizens. They are ONLY available to heterosexual couples who are married.

Being that marriage is archaic and irrelevant, why does its practice give anyone preferential treatment?

This really isn't about the sanctity of marriage being "compromised" by same-sex couples.

This is about our government treating all humans (single people, people in long-term relationships that choose not to get married, same-sex couples, etc.) with consistency - allowing us all the same rights, privileges and protections.

Isn't it??

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(4/365)

Friday Wrap-Up

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Ahhhh ... it's Friday! It's been somewhat of a hectic week, but a productive one! Taxes are done and paid (ouch!), Cam finished up his 3rd quarter of the year (and it looks like we'll see a HUGE improvement in his report card) and the trees are beginning to bud! In fact, I actually saw some Scotch Broom in bloom yesterday. Spring might finally be here.

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I've been getting a handful of requests from businesses/organizations asking if I'll publicize their products/activities. Normally I decline - I don't want to feel an obligation to any outside source for my blog content - but I received one this week that I thought was worth passing on. I did do some research to insure this organization was legitimate, and was quite touched by many of the stories I read.

The Fresh Air Fund matches up boys and girls, 6 to 18 years old, who live in New York City with host families throughout the northeast United States. The majority of Fresh Air children are from low-income communities - often families without the resources to send their children on summer vacations. It's a great opportunity for kids to just be kids and for host families to make a difference.

If you are interested in learning more about the Fresh Air Fund, clicking on their graphic will take you to their news release.

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There was a lot of political talk on many of the blogs I read this week. The tea parties seemed to be something that irritated the left leaning folks. It was interesting that most of the posts I read on this, no matter what their political leaning, stayed away from the name calling (thank you Jay and Hammer), but their commentors? Not so much. I saw this phenomena more on the left leaning blogs, but I have no doubt it occurred on both sides.

Look people, it is wonderful that we disagree. Really! But can you disagree without the name calling? Sure, there are some far right conservatives with their heads up their collective asses, but there are just as many far left liberals in the same predicament. Insisting that the only type of person who could possibly disagree with Obama is one who is racist - who is upset that a BLACK Democrat in office - does nothing more than make you look like someone who cannot form a logical argument.

There are many of us out here who disagree with the POLICIES, not the man. It isn't about who is making the decisions, but rather about the decisions they are making. It's not that we don't want to pay taxes, it's that we don't agree with how our taxes are being spent (and this is not new to the Obama administration). Let's have a discussion - not a name calling fest.

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Read [THIS] article in the Washington Post the other day. Just to give you a little inkling as to the content, the article is titled, "When You're Flush, But Acting Flat Broke." Seems the media now wants to blame those of us who still have jobs, but are more aware of our discretionary spending for the continuing economic woes. This paragraph sums it up:

The frugality of the Kimberlins and Scanlons and millions of other Americans who still have their good jobs feed back on the economy, holding down growth and encouraging other worried workers to trim their spending -- causing the whole vicious cycle to run another lap.

Ummm ... hello? Had EVERYONE been doing this from the start, rather than over-extending themselves with credit cards and outlandish mortgages, we likely wouldn't be where we are now!

Will someone please stop blaming those who are doing what they should have been doing all along for causing the problems? It wasn't - and isn't - us. If acting financially responsible is hurting the economy, then let the damn thing fail!

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