ARIZONA VETO

The recent attempt by Arizona to pass a law allowing citizens and businesses to refuse public services to gay Americans on religious grounds was vetoed by the Governor. 

All should realize that this was not a policy of Republicans in general, but was wholly driven by the Fundamentalist Christian Religions.   Politicians have parroted this bigoted rhetoric to garner support from Christian Fundamentalist – including the Catholic Church.  

Had this law gone into effect it could have yielded resulted beyond effecting just the Gay community: it would have  return the state of  Arizona to the days of Jim Crow where people with  religious objections could refuse service to a mixed race couples, women who have had abortions, doctors that have performed abortions, atheist, non-Christians etc.    It would have been possible for an Arizona hotel to refuse President Obama and his children accommodation on the religious grounds that they are the products of miscegenation.  

We have a glimpse of a future under a Christian theocracy: Abortion would be criminalized, birth control would be banned, homosexuality would be criminalized, books, movies and music would be censored and racial taboos would be enforced.   You would not find a great difference between a Christian theocracy and the Muslim Taliban.  

Our only protection against the religious right’s drive to establish America as a Christian Nation is Article One of the Constitution. 

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof: or abridge the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. 

To paraphrase George Carlin: The Christians are coming and they are not very nice people.  

Our separation of church and state is meant to protect us from the fanaticism of religions; but systematically the Christian religion in America has been chipping away at our guaranteed freedom from religious domination.   We have In God We Trust on our money; prayers open most public meetings; there is a Congressional Chaplin; zealots post the Ten Commandments in public buildings; public officials constantly reference God’s Law over Civil Law; and let’s not forget that most bigotry and hatred grows from the roots of religion.

 It is a form of bigotry to speak out against religions; and I have stated before that individuals have a right to their personal beliefs.  

The insidious way that religion (Christian religion) functions in our country endangers our individual freedom, and as such should be confronted and condemned at each attempt to impose Christian doctrine as the law of the land.   

We should not rail against Republican bias on social issues; but address the fact that Republicans are only the spokesmen for the Christian Religious Right; and that it is the Christian religion, not a political party, that is attempting to enforce draconian rule.  

  the Ol'Buzzard

2 CELLOS

I have posted this duo once before but I can never get enough of them.  I hope you have stereo - turn up the volume and enjoy.
the Ol'Buzzard

and what a fantastic venue!
O'B 

PLEASE SPREAD THIS POST ON YOUR BLOG!!!!

PLEASE SPREAD THIS POST ON YOUR BLOG!!!!

Blog Fodder is a Canadian living in the Ukraine.   He has not posted for a number of months but today with the breakout of Civil War in the Ukraine he has posted an update on what is actually occurring on the ground - first hand - along with a background explaining the politics of the government and Russia's involvement.  

The link to his post follows:


BLOG FODDER

the actual link:

http://dablogfodder.blogspot.com/2014/02/ukraine-i-break-radio-silence.html?showComment=1392939402105#c8655039905705496306

Please offer his link on you blogs.
the Ol'Buzzard

WHO'S THE OUTLAW?

North Carolina is presently in the news for coal ash pollution of major watersheds.   It is one thing to watch the story evolve from afar and marvel at the what seems like an obvious connection between the state government and the coal industry; but for the people of the rural Appalachians this is just business as usual. 

Being an old Kentucky boy, I understand the connection between coal and the people.   Coal has been a major part of life for the people of Appalachia and for the economy of the state.   Those not familiar should understand that a young man can graduate (or drop out) from high school and step into a fifty-thousand dollar a year job in the mines.  Miners understand that companies like Peabody Cole provide their standard of living and without the mines they (the miners) are not trained or qualified for comparable salaried jobs – jobs that do not even exist in the rural areas where they live.

Appalachian miners are proud people and their roots run deep in the mountain culture.   Most miners have followed the tradition of their fathers, grand-fathers and great grand-fathers in the mines; and as distasteful and dangerous as coal mining may be, to the people of Appalachian West Virginia, Kentucky and North Carolina it is their culture and they are willing to overlook ecological dangers and safety shortcomings – and by protecting the mines they are protecting their culture and way of life. 

Some of these rural communities can appear rough to outsiders and the law often turns a blind eye to minor law-breaking; but when you are speaking of a coal mining community you’ve got to ask yourself ‘Who's the outlaw?’

the Ol’Buzzard

THINKING AND BELIEVING

There is often a difference in what we believe and what is factual.   That component is logical thinking.    We often choose to believe a premise without consciously employing our though processes.   In religion it is known as Faith.   Faith is to accept something because others believe it and the premise is comforting.

Faith based initiative for instance, by definition, require no connection to fact.   They are intended to be accepted on the desire that they are true.   Faith based initiatives in government are a step toward religious theocracy.  There are those who believe that their personal theology should be accepted as the one true belief, and made the law of the land.

Christian fundamentalist in our country never reason that had they been born in Saudi Arabia they would be praying to Ali; had they been born in India they would pray to one-hundred gods; had they been born in Tibet they would be Buddhist; had they been born in Israel they would be Jews; had they been born in China they would be Taoist…   We can truly say that religion is a matter of birth – nurture over nature.  And, to claim that one personal belief system is superior to another is simply a matter of faith and has no foundation in fact.

It would be hard to argue that these people lack belief

There are people in my family that are exceedingly religious.   That they have consolation and contentment from their belief is all that matters.   But, it should stop there.  

I only protest against Christianity because Christianity is in my face every where I turn.    I chose to think rather than believe.

the Ol’Buzzard 

SAVING GRACE

Everything about religion seems ridiculous to me because it can't stand up to the light of scrutiny.  

But

The music that comes out of the black churches makes it almost worth while.  I love good gospel music.

From the movie Lady Killers

Enjoy

the Ol'Buzzard

WARNING: THIS POST IS R-RATED

WARNING: THIS POST IS R-RATED: CONTAINS SEXUAL REFERENCES AND LANGUAGE NOT APPROPRIATE FOR THE IMMATURE.

On my last post I wrote that I was not concerned with any snow fall I could measure with my dick.   I went back to edit the post and almost change the analogy – and then didn't. 

I have little patience with people that get incensed over a word.   How words are used – when words injure - can be objectionable; but the words dick is just a scribbles on a page or uttered sound that has some identity in our language but means absolutely nothing throughout the rest of the non- English speaking world.

A TREATISE ON PENIS:

Since I brought it up lets consider the penis.   Men have numerous words to describe what hangs between their legs: There is Willy, John Thomas, Dick, Johnson, Cock, Wing-Wang, Junk, Pee Pee, Ding Dong, Trouser Snake, Man Meat, Prick, Little Soldier… and the list goes on.

It is unfair: we have these innocuous names for our junk but the names men attach to the female’s vagina are mostly insulting and crude.   For some reason women don’t return the insult in kind.  This is probably because men are rude vile pigs by nature and women aren't.

Women don’t have the same relationship with their nether parts as us men.   A young boy discovers his penis is fun about age seven; and if you don’t think you little son or grandson is yanking off like a rabbit every chance he gets you are naive.   Of course, he can’t ejaculate until about early teens – this is when mamma starts finding the stiff socks - but the gratification is there.   Most young boys and a lot of men name their penis – and we all talk to it: ‘looks like you’re going to get lucky tonight’ or after three of four beers when you have to piss like a race horse and you whip it out but nothing happens – then you cajole it: ‘Come on.  You can do this…’   

Regardless of what you call it - to us our appendage is a little person – a mini-me – a friend with a life and mind of its own. 

No apologies. 

the Ol'Buzzard