Obama's Open Letter to the LGBT Community

[panthera]

I teach

students from Israel, Palestinians, Iran and various Arabian countries.
I have had good and bad students from each group, friendly and unfriendly students.
But never, ever, has an Israeli threatened to kill me or another student.
No doubt there has been injustice and unfairness in dealing with the Palestinians.
But we need to be very clear about the history, the post WWII United Nations decisions and, finally, the question of who attacked whom. It is very easy to be critical of Israel - a democracy and an open state.
But speaking as a gay man, speaking as someone who is routinely considered to be an 'American' by foreign students (I have an American English accent), the violence and hatred shown towards me and towards all open homosexuals by the Islamic world makes me doubt their peaceful intentions.
I don't want to start a flame war here, but I suspect there is a strong anti-Jewish sentiment behind the knee-jerk sympathy so many people express for the Palestinians. When they start treating gays and women as human beings, start holding democratic elections and stop attacking, resp. cease their terrorist activities, then I will be more than happy to change my opinion of them.
Sure, Israel has made some serious mistakes. For me, it's personal. I was in Frankfurt in 1987, at the airport. I have had Palestinians try to kill me, the worst I have suffered at the hands of the Jews was being beaten at Chess by Danny Kelmann in seventh grade. Come live in Europe for awhile and you will find out just exactly how 'oppressed' and 'noble' the Islamic world really is...not.

 

[gyrafoam]

Panthera-------

it is called the "new anti-semitism" and it is growing rampantly around the world-----fed by the Islamic Petro-Dollar Funded Propaganda Machine.

When walking the mall in Washington,D.C. a year ago, I was acosted by a group of plain-clothed Palestinian "lobbyists" who thought I must have been in D.C. for political business. They went on a rant trying to convince me what a
"Satan" the state of Israel is! Who knew? I was just enjoying a walk sightseeing around town!
Imagine what is going on in the halls of Congress with this stuff! It is a very evil game, and every time we fill our gas tanks with fuel we are helping to pay for this kind of sinister stuff.

Oh yes, the "Nation of Islam" is very good at being the "great decievers".

 

[Brent-Aucoin]

Did you guys see this on ONN???

I thought you might get a laugh out of this....
Brent

http://www.brasschecktv.com/page/283.html

 

[panthera]

Brent,

That is soooo good! Gosh, the sad part is that the manipulation is not only a humorous fantasy, but a reality.
Do the ends really justify the means? Is that what democracy in the US really means to conservatives?
I find myself more and more missing Richard Nixon...by today's standards, Eisenhower would be considered a leftist, knee-jerk, anti-Christ-commie-pinko-fag and Goldwater a raving socialist.
It's troubling, very troubling.

 

[petek]

Oxy; as for "not married" couples the same standard applies to all couples regardless in that they fall into the "common-law" relationship which I think means having lived together representing themselves as a couple for at least one year. It is close to a marriage but still there are a few pitfalls I believe. I have to re-do my homework on those. It doesn't affect my company pension or govt SS benefits going to my partner upon my demise though and vice versa. The partner is still entitled to them.

 

[bajaespuma]

Anyone but a GOP

I still say ANY Democrat in the White House is a win as far as I'm concerned, but I'm loving reading the information from this thread.

Slightly off topic, does anyone (in the world, apparently) besides myself get "Manchurian Candidate" jitters when they think of John McCain in the White House. What's with the mother all over the place? Does anyone know if he plays solitaire alot?

 

[gyrafoam]

Oxy------

Compared to what the Palestinian terrorists have done to the Israeli's FOR YEARS it actually DOES make the Israeli's look pure as the freshy fallen snow.

But, hey we are both entitled to our opinions.
Now,if someone wants to start a thread on the Middle East ------I'm ready to go!

 

[neptunebob]

Oxy, here is another one....

One of the radio hosts around here, Fred Honsberger on KDKA, says that Hillary sounds like Laughing Sal at Kennywood. He is no fan of Hillary, but I have to admit, they do sound a lot alike.

Still, I cannot bring myself to vote for Mr. Snory and Stinky. Oh, these are tough choices!

As for domestic partner benefits, why does no one here want a national single payer health program that would make this issue disappear (oh, cvynr I know you will be mad!)?

I may end up voting for - oh no, - McCain, at least he might use a cologne.

 

[oxydolfan1]

Ironic, since Gaza is now the world's largest concentration camp.

How many died in Sderot in the last twenty-four hours?

And did the residents of Sderot not beg for defense systems first, then finally relocation assistance from Olmert and Company, only to be denied?

This sort of savagery from within and media manipulation was made all too clear when Amir Peretz, Israeli minister and Sderot, went on television to declare that Sderot was completely safe, when his own next-door neighbor's house was leveled by a Kassam rocket the night before...

It would seem the Israeli government NEEDS Sderot to justify the impending slaughter of Palestinian civilians, but perhaps America is just a bit too politically correct to admit this to themselves.

Just about any media source you check right now, with the exception of Arutz Sheva, the New York Sun, and World Nut Daily is forced to acknowledge the continuing and escalating genocide of the Palestinian people on their own land, including sizable numbers of Coptic and Orthodox Christians caught in the crossfire, but treated nonetheless to the same air raids, bulldozers, electric and gas cuts, and food blockades as the Palestinian Arabs are....and for this we thank you, John Hagee.

And, yes, Gyrafoam, this is my final salvo and my last reference to this subject, lest I provoke uncomfortable questions for comfortable Americans.

Remember, folks, this carnage is supported by your tax dollars.

America has no allies in the Middle East. And never will.

 

[oxydolfan1]

"As for domestic partner benefits, why does no one here want a national single payer health program that would make this issue disappear (oh, cvynr I know you will be mad!)?"

I do...in fact, it is the only sort of healthcare plan that will work in this country (as it has in many other lands).

I just recognize the stranglehold that the corporatists still have on our economy and our legislators, even though conservatism has fallen out of favor.

The insurance industry and giant pharmaceutical concerns have not yet been sufficiently weakened in influence, and too many Americans consider them integral to the our economy.

So we have to be satisfied with baby steps for now, and hope the situation deterioriates to a point where it is universally agreed that a drastic solution (and for them, single-payer seems drastic) is required.

Baby steps.

 

[gyrafoam]

Oxy------

Like I said, you certainly are entitled to your OPINIONS.

 

[gyrafoam]

Oh, and Oxy------

The Palestinians had a choice of what government they wanted---------- and they voted Hamas. Stupid choice.
So as long as they are lobbing those hundreds of rockets into Israel I don't blame the Israeli's one bit for retaliating.

 

[oxydolfan1]

Thank you, G, and even though it may not seem like it, I DO respect yours...I'm simply in a different position.

But, thank you, it means a lot.

 

[oxydolfan1]

But if hawkish Israelis consider Hamas and Fatah are the same animal, what is the point of killing Palestinians and reoccupying Gaza simply to "liberate" it from Hamas, only to hand it over to Fatah again?

I still continue to support the Palestinians' right to self-determination and right to return, by any means deemed necessary.

 

[gyrafoam]

Return to what? Over 22 Arab fifedoms rejected the Palestinians years before the State of Israel existed. And in any event, it is the land in the southwest of what was the Trans-Jordan that the Palestinians last occupied----until the late King Hussein of modern day Jordan massacred them by the thousands and threw them all out.

The British offered the Palestinians a very large and fertile chunk of property at the same time they offered the Jewish people a small and arid piece of desert.The Jews accepted and this land became the State of Israel. But the Palestinians rejected the offer because the surrounding Arab countries convinced them that they would eventually "drive the Jews into the sea" and then all the Arabs could partake in the spoils. Well, as history has proven the Palestinians "bet on the wrong horse".

Since that time the Arabs have used the Palestinians as a wedge to use against Israel. By keeping the Palestinians in a state of abject poverty, they have an endless supply of young males willing to give their lives to end up in that paradise in the sky. In the meantime, the Arab powers that be continue to lavish themselves in unspeakable wealth, building huge palaces and breathtaking new cities. Yet none of them are willing to take the Palestinians in. None of them are willing to spend some of that immense wealth to eliminate the poverty and provide education and a future to the Palestinians.

It is a very sad situation indeed.

 

[oxydolfan1]

"It is a very sad situation indeed."

Yep, and there's no reason to believe it'll be sorted out any time soon.

Trying to figure out political machinations can get addictive.

I just polished off half a container of Haagen-Dazs Chocolate, trying to figure out if a veto-proof majority in the Senate is possible.

Oh, and the matter of those court appointments...

Mind you, this is only March!

I wonder if Hillary will bow out quietly if Texas and Ohio don't prove to be her salvation, or if she'll choose to petition the court for Florida's and votes, try to weather the distance. She doesn't exactly seem to have a bountiful war chest....

 

[neptunebob]

But Oxy, we can't let her drop out! Think of how the White House is going to smell and sound if she is not elected!

 

[oxydolfan1]

Bob, you've lost it! You're experiencing Ku-withdrawals!

 

[peterh770]

While McCain definitely seems line Bush III, I certainly prefer that to Clinton II. Honestly, McCain's laugh and voice reminds me too much like Bush. In and of itself, that could ruin his chance. Hillary's faux tears and her baggage that is her husband should handily take care of her.

Maybe Obama will be the clear winner, but maybe he will be hamstrung by Republicans that win the House and the Senate. I can hope.

With all the problems we have now, we have to worry about gay "marriage"? The States will take care of partnerships one step at a time, just as Greg has stated. Until then, the Federal Govt needs to worry about the bigger fishes -- not the fish that Pelosi's grand (failure) achievement of revamping the menu in the Capital.

 

[oxydolfan1]

"In and of itself, that could ruin his chance."

Who knows? McCain MIGHT be able to woo reluctant conservatives back if he chooses his running mate wisely.