Positive news about gay marriage

[gyrafoam]

O.k., then apologies to you as well,

looking back do you not see where I would get that from? After all, it was my "comments" that followed the "article".

 

[andrewinorlando]

Steve -

I re-read my post and what I meant in it were the comments that follow the article that Keven posted from the newspaper...if you take the time to read them, you'll understand what I mean. I was not referring to anything anyone here wrote in this forum.

 

[andrewinorlando]

Steve -

Yes, I absolutely do know what you mean. Again, I certainly would never say anything like that to or about anyone here based just on their opinion. Never. And I don't think anyone else would either. Again, my apologies for not writing more clearly what I meant. Didn't mean to upset you so much and cause an argument in the forum!!!

Peace.

 

[gyrafoam]

"disparaging comments about the mentally ill"????

I didn't say that about anyone---- although a number of folks seem to think that about you.
And,I haven't yet begun to swear at you fool, but it could happen real fast so you need to know when to shut up and let things drop---- especially when none of it was your business to begin with. "Hijacking a thread"---you need to get real.

 

[panthera]

Gyrafoam,

There is only one person on this site who has the right to tell me - or anyone else for that matter - to shut up. That's Robert.

Your threats and name-calling were of some use, however - I needed to choose a fairy-tale for my 101 English group this morning.

We'll read Rumpelstiltskin.

 

[panthera]

WSJ

The Wall Street Journal is not exactly what you would call "liberal media" so this article surprised me - I was expecting it to be much more negative.

Things are going to be interesting - I really am looking forward to the first weddings at the end of my day here in Europe. Our TV is broadcasting live - this is truly a landmark event.

Andrew, thanks for the honest character assessment. If I only had one flaw (we'd be here all day just for the top 1000) it is too much self-certainty.

I did overreact to your comments a while back and I do owe you an apology - I am sorry. We have different perspectives on the black and Hispanic communities but your writings show you're not racist and I overstepped.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121358399346176405.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

 

[gyrafoam]

Ha ha ha--- you ARE a fairy tale-------

and you still don't know when to just SHUT UP.
You obviously take yourself waaaaaay too seriously.
I see from the previous post you are already apologizing to someone else for sticking your foot in your mouth----because of your supposed "self-certainty" and "overrreaction".
Honeeeey puuhleeeez.

You just need to chill.

 

[andrewinorlando]

Steve - really, it's fine. I understand Keven very well, and quite honestly, nothing he said was rude, crude, mean or the like. He was just expressing an opinion based on what the thought he had read. Just a misinterpretation on his part, just like you and I had a misunderstanding based on what you thought you were reading. Like I said, when he is wrong, he apologizes, as you do, too.

Keven - I don't know if self-certainty is the word I would use. I think "authoritative" is a better description! I think we're all pretty certain about our opinions. You're passionate about what you feel, but sometimes you just have to chill out and give folks a chance to express themselves without them feeling that you're going to just trample over their feelings and opinions...which you sometimes do. It's probably unintentional, but still, can be off-putting and have a "stir the shit" effect on a group. As a teacher, you of all people know that you have to allow folks to think for themselves, and form their own views and opinions, not plant them in their heads for them.

 

[gyrafoam]

Televangelist Pat Robertson was just on the CBN news ranting about how any nation who embraces sodomites will end up "in the ash can of history". In referencing the ancient city of Sodom, he said the Sodomites "were so gross they actually "sodomozed" Angels!

They also reported that the county clerks at the S.F. courthouse don't want to have work the overtime to get everyone married-off-----they claim the clerks recognize they are working against G-D's will and "don't want anything to do with it". Robertson claims the clerks all want to do the right thing and recognize that mairrage is ONLY between a male and a female.

Same old story---------------
I guess we will see whether the voters are sick enough of it or not. You can be sure the voters have been well coached from the pulpit to "do the right thing".

 

[andrewinorlando]

Now, Pat Robertson does realize he was talking about San Francisco, doesn't he??? Those clerks are probably too busy applying for marriage licenses themselves to handle the avalanche of requests coming through the door!!

 

[panthera]

You got that right, Andrew - and

Thank you for wording it so kindly. The line between self-assured and self-confident is, sadly, not always all that clear to me. I don't believe in astrology, but guess my sun sign...or just consider my pen-name.
I'm getting better at recognizing that I don't know it all...just not as fast as I'd like.

That said:

Bullies have to be stood up to. Beats me why someone like you, Gyrafoam, takes such pleasure in making threats and telling people to shut up, get out of their way, etc. I don't budge. I will not be bullied. You hijacked a thread to pour out your usual bitchy, whiny stream of filth. Then you had the effrontery to tell me what to do. The most you can succeed in doing is to start a flame war...but you can start that without me, I am a guest in Robert's house here and that's over the line.

Disparaging comments about the mentally ill or suggesting people here (like me) are deranged just don't cut it with me.

People like you have driven some very good folks off this site in the past with such comments, I will not lie down and let you get away with it unchallenged. What business is it of yours whether someone here is fighting mental illness or not? How dare you attack other members!

I'll see you in hell before I will back down. Hell, with really bad lighting, double-knit polyester and interior design by Walmart.

 

[panthera]

Why separation of church and state matters

If this woman were in a private capacity it wouldn't matter that she is prejudiced.
But she isn't - she has no right to take taxpayers' monies and then stop providing services simply because she doesn't want us to be treated as human beings.
Before the christianists took over government in the US, this would have been unthinkable. Today, she acts like she has done nothing wrong.
Has it occurred to these people that when the majority is permitted to abuse the minority, roles eventually get swapped? Sooner or later, the republicans and christianists are going to be out of office. Then, of course, they will be the biggest proponents of equal rights and separation of church and state.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/politics/cal/la-me-kern13-2008jun13,0,1393571.story?page=2

 

[gyrafoam]

Hey Panthera-------

Go phuck yourself on the courthouse steps with the band playing "Dixie" for all I care.
Oh, and don't forget your daily dose of Lithium. You seriously need it.

 

[gyrafoam]

Andrew-----

The CBN Network did everything they could do to make it seem like "mainstream" San Fransisco government workers were appalled with the idea of helping "sodomites" marry!

It might as well have been Fox News propaganda.

 

[panthera]

Gyrafoam

Your repeated insults to mentally ill people don't belong here, they are beneath contempt.

You can dish it out, but like all bullies, let someone stand up to you and all that's left is meanness and a small spirit.

It is good that you have given us all an opportunity to see your true nature, tho'.

There can be no further purpose to continuing this conversation. Don't hijack a thread again to spread your hate and abuse.

 

[andrewinorlando]

Well, I'm sure that when Jesus and Pat Robertson were last having coffee together, that He told Pat to go forth and speak out against this "abomination" to save all these innocent souls.

 

[panthera]

Ah,

As hate-mongers go, Pat Robertson is way up there on the list. Goodness, how on earth can anyone claim to be Christian and yet be so hateful?
I don't think we should change the tax-exempt status of churches, they do an enormous amount of good - just look at the Salvation Army - but I do think it is time to start enforcing the "no politics if you want to keep that status" rules.

 

[Unimatic1140]

*** Tick, Tick, Tick ***

3 hours until the first marriage in California, YAY!

 

[jeffg]

I'm going to beat the rush:

Hey Robert, will you marry me?

{ducking and running}

 

[lightedcontrols]

If I got married....

....would I have to pay pallimony?
....would cheating on my old man be more ''fun?''
....would I HAVE to take out the trash?
....would we have to alternate Christmas's with each other's inlaws?
....would we have to decide who is the HIM and whose the HER?
....would I have to put the boat and fishing tackle in his name too?
I'm telling ya, this makes me so nervus that I cain't hardlee hold my cigerete........

 

[jeffg]

Washington Post

You gotta laugh at this title:

"Dozens of gay couples prepare to wed in California"

And then we learn, almost halfway down the article, that 620 applications for same-sex marriages -- JUST IN SAN FRANCISCO -- would be processed in the next ten days. We also learn a UCLA study claims nearly 170,000 same-sex marriages would take place within the next few years.

That sure equates to "dozens" in all of California, doesn't it?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dy...06/16/AR2008061600288.html?hpid=moreheadlines

 

[panthera]

The hardest part,

I suspect, will be to not go rushing back to one's home state and make a big legal fuss. Extremely difficult, I know - having lived in Europe where homosexuals have full human status, it's very hard to put up with christianist's attacks on our rights.
But there will now be a period of about five months when everyone is going to be watching this very closely. If we don't threaten moderate Christians and Orthodox Jews, then I think we have a decent chance of winning in November. If, on the other hand, gays let themselves be baited by the christianists into lawsuits (which we will almost certainly win, tax-exempt organizations have very narrow limits on whom they may mistreat)then this will be blown out of all proportion and the people will get the impression that we are trying to destroy their religion, force our way of life on them (when we really only want the well-hung, furry, good looking men).

I'm not being hysterical here, right now there's an attempt to destroy an equal rights amendment in Colorado going on. The christianists are arguing that it would force an end to male/female bathrooms, to dorms segregated by gender, etc.
And they are making headway with their arguments!

 

[maytagbear]

Jeff-

It's the NEW, NEW, NEW and NEW "homosexual dozen".... a much more fabulous dozen than the plain old 12 to a group dozen.

Lawrence/Maytagbear

 

[~sudsshane]

This is the **First** couple to legally wed in California~

Warms the heart doesn't it?

Del Martin, 87, left, and Phyllis Lyon, 84, who have been a couple for 55 years, were among the first same-sex partners to legally exchange marriage vows in California Monday. Marriage licenses for gay couples were officially issued after the state supreme court overturned a ban on such unions

 

[Unimatic1140]

Yay for Del and Phyllis

Is that not that sweetest picture? Today was a good day.

 

[andrewinorlando]

Gee, just imagine that their are straight folks out there who believe that marriage must be "protected" against folks like these two lovely ladies. I'm sure the happy couple have plotted extensively just exactly what they are going to do to destroy marriage now that they have been allowed to have it after 55 years!! Hmmmmm....sounds a lot like them Christians selectively using the bible to prop up their own prejudices and hatred again....or did I miss something here?

Congratulations to them!!

 

[panthera]

Beautiful!

A great day for these women. That's a wonderful picture.

 

[jeffg]

So beautiful. I've been waiting 30+ years to see this.

Newsom's legacy as a visionary and courageous leader is now carved in granite.

 

[panthera]

June

Has been a bad month for weather, but a great month for civil rights in the US.
First, Americans got their habeas corpus rights back.
Now - homosexuals enjoy human status in California.

In a dark era, some light breaks through.

Those lovely old ladies really fought for all of us - whether you want to marry, would rather die than marry or regard it as the worst possible thing to happen to gay culture, their courage is worth regard.

Before the usual suspects flame me, try reading the US constitution first. Sure, we all want to shoot the terrorists with shit and hang them for stinking...but by giving them a fair trial first, we establish for all the world that we are not the bad guys they make us out to be. That was Eisenhower's position ('cept he was talking 'bout the Nazis) and applies just as well today.

 

[jaxsunst]

I agree with you. The constitution, no matter how inconvenient, needs to stand and be enforced. I'm glad it is being restored.

On gay marriage. I'm a Christian, and I have no problem with it. I believe we should love, not judge. If it is wrong (and I don't believe it is), let God judge, in the meantime, I'm not going to. I got into a rather spirited debate with a co-worker who is a "christianist" right-wing crazy. He couldn't argue with me when I pointed out that these marriages are civil, not religious, and has nothing to do with his little narrow church or life. These people just want rights, are not trying to force thier beliefs on anyone. They just want to live thier lives.

Also....I agree with what Dolly Parton said when asked about gay marriage. "I think it is a good idea, they should be as miserable as the rest of us".