each person can change the world

The Cycles of Abuse

2011-02-20T22:24:00.000-05:00

20th of February 2011

THE CYCLES OF ABUSE

I would like to say that my previous two posts (How Deeply Can A Mother Love and The Greatness of Being A Mother) have completely eradicated the attacks I’ve been enduring. While they have decreased significantly and with that I am truly grateful, these energetic attacks are still a painful reminder of the connection shared between a mother and this son.

In previous posts I’ve tried to explain how regardless of your ideology, theology or even personal beliefs; we are not just the experiences of a single life lived. When we die, there is an entire process that evolves and we are part of something far greater than most souls could ever imagine. I am both just like you in that I am part of this process called “The Living” and that I am different in that I know what that process consist of. Given that knowledge, I can see what many might not be able to as I help many walk their path that they agreed to walk or find their way back to the path that serves them. With that being said, we can chose to walk as we agreed to or we have the greatest gift that any soul has ever been granted – Free Will and with it we may choose to create our own journey.

There are things that happen to us in the “Living” that were planned and then there are those occurrences that are attributable to either our free will or that of another soul. Waunita find herself the end results of a lessons Herman Scott needed to learn, but his free will took him to such extremes that he is still effecting her and other souls in such visceral ways that people outside of this grouping of souls might not be able to understand.

His actions before passing this dimension were evil, dark and so filled with negative emotions that seem to be on steroids and without end. That was the free will he chose and the path he walked and continues to walk even from the other side. It takes a great deal of strength to continue to torment souls in the living from the other side and can only be accomplished when the souls being tormented have agreed and continue to allow such actions.

The energy from Waunita has subsided by about ninety percent and her attacks are minimal comparatively. However in her absence the attacks have persisted and increased from Herman to me in is zest to maintain control over Waunita. I have eliminated David Scott from being a soul that Herman can get to and/or control, which has had a freeing effect for David. Neither Waunita nor Herman can get to David any longer and that accomplished two things; it eliminated a portion of Herman’s base of control and power within this dimension while it weakened his ability to remain present in such hateful and evil ways. I cannot help Waunita do the same until she rejects Herman completely and that is how he is able to continue attacking me.

As I explained in the post, “The Greatness of Being a Mother,” Waunita imprinted on me as she was carried me within her womb. This imprinting is difficult to do and takes a great deal of energy and abilities in order to accomplish, but given the trauma and harsh emotions she felt during that pregnancy, it explains her ability to imprint upon me. With that being said, it also took me as a soul accepting that imprinting and given that part of the job I was tasked with accomplishing during this lifetime is to help break the repetitious cycle the soul that is Waunita find herself continuing. My acceptance of that imprinting open her to me through the greatest defenses much like a Trojan horse allowed to pass the gates of my soul unable to defend myself from the inside outwards.

Because Waunita still refuses to reject Herman Scott and his evil presence within her life, she remains the root of my problems and I can only hope that through the love in her heart and a mother’s instinct to protect her son she might find the strength and courage to deny her abuser and the villain that continues to taunt her and through her me to this day.

As a boy I knew my mother suffered horribly and I wasn’t aware until the past ten years just how ghastly her pain was. With that said, I am compassionate to what she endured, but I also know that until she rejects Herman and accepts herself for the soul that she is, she will never let go of that pain to be the woman she was meant to be in this lifetime. It is difficult to let go and here are some of the reason’s why:

I kept being drawn to her sixth year and I would have thought that eight years old would have been the worst year for young Waunita, but six continued to persist. The other night I am in a rant with a colleague who has been assisting my understanding as to why I must suffer through such horrible pains and blocks of my prosperity, jobs and my writing. In our conversation I suddenly got quiet and saw why Waunita suffered so indelibly at her sixth year. She was eight and Herman finally stopped toying with his prized possession – his daughter and outright fucked and raped her so savagely. The four year old little girl was told it was okay for her father to touch her, play with her privates and then for that little girl to touch, taste and suck on his privates. She could sense that this was wrong, but how does a four or five year old little girl stand up to the father that gave her life! Her feelings of this being wrong persisted and became more pervasive when her father started using his fat fingers to push inside of the tiny vagina of his daughter. At the age of six years old and consumed with thoughts and feelings that everything that would happen to her were beyond wrong when Herman pushed so forcefully inside of her that he broke this little girl’s hymen. His actions were as if he could sense that she was gaining strength and knowing that what her father was doing to her was wrong. He had already showed his viciousness and brutality when she innocently said how he touched her to other members of the family. Herman was very deliberate in his actions, he was building and it was as if his patience was wearing thin and he couldn’t wait to insert himself inside this little girl in a very sexual manner. I know that after this he broke Waunita’s hymen, she withdrew for months and wouldn’t talk, play or be the little girl any normal child should have been at six years old. This caused major arguments between Herman and his wife Margaret, but those eventually ended with Herman brutalizing his wife physically. Wauinta’s mother was learning the harsh lesson that Waunita herself had been enduring for several years, to go against Herman meant physical abuse and he knew how to use the rest of the family to isolate and control every member within it.

Eventually Herman continued his exploitation of Waunita as he reclaimed his prize and by the time this little girl made eight years among the living Herman savagely raped and brutalized her in ways no eight year old should ever endure. Herman’s evil thirst only seemed to intensify after he finally made Waunita his sacred prize and he looked for her daily. If she kept herself away or out of sight, he would go searching for her body with lust and it only seemed to make his exploits far more physically harmful, so the only thing this little girl could do was to succumb to this portion of her hellish life.

Herman was horribly malevolent with his treatment of this little girl as she aged. With her loss of innocence and his increasing drunkeness, everyone in the family learned to refrain from challenging his hideous actions that seemed to be bent on ruining every soul that was a possession to him. They weren’t a wife or his children; but rather belongings for him to do as he wished. How dark must a heart be not to see a soul for what it is, but to think and feel it came from him therefore it was his property? The problem is that Herman learned this behavior because as a young boy he was molested at the hands of a family member. He never admitted this fact to anyone due to the shame of his traumas, but he learned to treat others so savagely because like Waunita, he lost his innocence by the hands of someone who should have loved and cherished him, and yet took advantage.

Abusers of all kinds are mostly learn traits at the hands of others, but those who suffered can either see themselves as the victim or they can reclaim the life they should have. That is our choice. Every day Waunita opens her eyes and takes another breath it is a day she can continue seeing herself as the casualty of Herman Scott and continue to allow him to dehumanize her. Or she can find the courage as the grown woman she is today and stop permitting him to oppress her. I cannot stop Herman because he isn’t coming directly to me; he uses her to get to me and in turn makes her as guilty of his cruelty to yet another soul. His evil is to perpetuate the callousness he put her through to another set of souls in a continuation. Waunita can stop the cycles of abuse by preventing him from getting to her and beyond to any of her children. These are the choices she has and when she says enough is enough and she won’t let his exploitations continue forward, he loses and she wins her soul back. That is when she breaks the cycle of abuse and ceases the continuation of her lifetimes spent this way. When she gets there, she can let go of her pain and suffering and eventually get to a place of forgiveness by taking back her power from the man who stripped it from her when she was four years old.

Maliciousness like that of Herman Scott is around many of us and like the lesson being extended to Waunita, if you find yourself within similar circumstances, you may choose to keep giving your power to another soul or you may select to take it back. No one can help another soul heal without them agreeing to it; just like another person can never take the power away from without them agreeing to it. I agreed to the imprinting from Waunita and I cannot break her from getting to me until she lets go. But just as she can get to me like Voldamort can see, feel and know what Harry Potter thinks, says and does; so too can I get to her. It is how I can see the many things I’ve written and I know that much of what I’ve inscribed are not even memories Waunita holds. She has such stark blanks in her memories as a child because the subconscious protects the conscious mind from the traumas it cannot understand. It is a defense that keeps us living. As long as I keep being attacked by Waunita and Herman I will continue to write about the hellish brutality that he suffered through as a child and that he has done, that she underwent and that she has done as with my anguish; but I vow that this abuse ends with me. I refuse to allow it further than me and if I cannot help Waunita heal her soul, I refuse to let the cycle of abuse continue beyond me! I hope and pray that in time Waunita will gain the strength and the courage to take the same stance.

WE CHOSE OUR ROLE IN LIFE – WHAT WILL YOU BE:
VICTIM, MARTYR, SAVOR OR HEALER

Your humble servant – Rev. Todd M Dobson

How Deeply Can A Mother Love

2011-02-14T12:17:00.000-05:00

14th of February 2010

HOW DEEPLY CAN A MOTHER LOVE

Today is Valentine’s Day 2011 and such a pristine day to reflect upon the love in one’s life, which is why today is the perfect day to write this post. This is the follow-up from last week’s blog (The Greatness of Being a Mother) where I enlightened the world to abilities that are being used for such darkness as to block a child from prosperity while opposed to loving that child simply for who he is.

I am one of four children to Ken Dobson and Waunita Jacobs. My last post details how the love I receive has always been shrouded with control and in no way resembled a true unconditional and giving love from a mother to her son. I wrote my blog in hopes that by telling the world about the deeply hidden secrets that are coveted by Waunita and that keeps her from letting go of her pain or by truly sharing love with her children. Waunita has abilities such as clairvoyance, clairaudience, claircognizant and clairsentience. She can move energy simply by thinking intensely on the subject and in my case, because I refuse to bend to the will of the family or to allow her control over my every detail in life. She sends such horrendous and painful energy to me purposely to block me from working, from having money, from having a place to live or from being happy in life.

You might think that I’m blaming my life woes on my mother and poor Waunita for suffering so publicly from the hands of her son, but let me explain why she is the woman she is. Waunita was sexually and physically abused by her father – Herman Scott. I only met the man a couple of times and as a very small boy, so I have no conscious memories of him. However, I agreed to do something very special for Waunita and this family so to assist me in my healing work I’ve been shown many things and I have an extremely clear picture of the man and his despicable treatment of his daughter. Everyone believes that a father is supposed to be the one who protects his children, not the depravity that seduces, molests, rapes and when she tries to get away, attacks her forcing her to endure beatings, spankings and isolation all used to control a little girl for his evil indulgences.

He started first around Waunita’s fourth year in this lifetime. Herman began with innocently touching her in private areas and rubbing her where a father should never rub his own daughter. When she said something to her mother and with her siblings around, she suffered from a horrible spanking as she was told that if she ever told anyone what he does to his own property, he would kill her as she received the worst beating of her life. Wow, what a way to impact an innocent little girl’s life and how to start the series of controls he would use against her until she was in high school. By the age of eight years hold it had progressed from him touching, rubbing and fondling this little girl to making her kiss his penis and put her lips around it to sucking him and by the age of eight when he all out raped her. Herman Scott viciously raped his eight year old daughter and when her panties had blood stains in them, he spanked and beat her as if she could control a physical response to her tiny vagina being ripped open at such a tender age. Her own father abusing this little girl in such a demented way, but to him she was his possession, his property to do with as he pleased. In fact he used those very words to this little girl in arguing why he could do anything to her he wanted…because she is his property and his to do with as he wants.

As if raping an eight year old little girl doesn’t depict the horrors she suffered, Herman used that little girl’s mother and siblings against her in a greater effort to control not just her, but everyone in the family. If he wanted her bending to his depravity then he taunted the other child into verbally and physically demeaning her. They called her names…”sissy this…sissy that” and if she hurt on the inside of her tiny forming womb and reacted to his next raping incidents or just tried to fight her own father from inserting himself inside of her so harshly; then he beat her and used the other children to continue the physical harassment and ultimate control over this brutalized little girl.

Many souls would have ended their lives long before now, but Waunita went on suffering at the hands of the man who should have loved and protected her. She felt betrayed by him and by each of her family members because not one rescued her from the hell she endured and for that I understand and sympathize with her. The innocent woman didn’t know what to do when a teacher recognized the physical and mental signs of sexual abuse within Waunita as she was unprepared for people in authority to start asking questions. Yes, Wauinta had been dropping hints to people in the community and at church, but not one soul looked further into the matter until her high school years. Herman was imprisoned for nine years in an Oregon State penitentiary for molesting his own daughter. If you ask me, nine years was nothing compared to the innocence lost in a little girl that never grew beyond the battered and beaten and raped body left behind by a man who thought nothing more of her than the trash he set out to be collected! She was his property for him to do as he pleased. The disgust in his voice and the words uttered by him resonate still today with a woman who should be enjoying her children and their families, but she was taught so well how to control and call it love.

I don’t blame Waunita for how she has treated her four children or how she continues to treat me today; but with each day she has a choice: to continue giving in to the man that ravaged her as a little girl by doing the same to her own kids; or does she stop her conscious and sub-conscious actions by forgiving herself and seeking help. She can stop being the proliferator of his actions through her by learning what real love is all about. Set aside love through control the way she was taught and seek within her to find the love for her by her the way every child should have been taught by their parents. Waunita then needs to build her own self confidence and self-love up through her own actions and belief within herself. As she does this she will eventually get to a place where she must forgive the soul of the man that ravaged her physically and mentally and then forgive herself. Yes, forgive herself because in every situation, we must forgive the souls that harm us so that we can forgive us and be free from these events that shackle us to them beyond this lifetime and carry over to others.

To forgive means to let go of the pain, the anger, rage and in Waunita’s case even the means of doing the same to her children and yes, even to me! I want her as a soul to learn from this and stop repeating this pattern in this lifetime and not carry it forward to any others. If Waunita refuses to make the steps I’ve outlined, she will force her and the soul that is Herman Scott to live another lifetime together. Because of the balance in this world, if we suffer as viciously as Waunita has done in this lifetime, she must feel the opposite side of those actions. If she cannot find it within herself to let go of the pain, anger into forgiveness, she will have to repeat another lifetime with this soul and yes, she will be the aggressor next time. So when do you stop such a horrible cycle from occurring, you learn forgiveness and love.

I want this cycle to stop for personal reasons and for all that Waunita is. She is a woman still suffering as the eight year old little girl being ravaged by the vary man who should have protected her from such hideous acts. But every day she lives is another day where she is given an opportunity to stop the ways learned from Herman Scott and to truly learn what love is. Waunita – grow beyond the hateful man that was your father. Be better than he could ever have been by freeing yourself from him. Let go of his control and take back your own power. You were never allowed to be a little girl nor the young woman you deserved to be, so don’t give up all of your life because he couldn’t do what you can right now. Be better than Herman could ever be and show him, show yourself and all of your family what LOVE truly is by starting with yourself.

SELF LOVE, CONFIDENCE AND FORGIVENESS WILL START YOUR HEALING

Your humble servant – Rev. Todd M Dobson

The Greatness of Being a Mother

2011-02-08T21:42:00.001-05:00

7th of February 2011

THE GREATNESS OF BEING A MOTHER

This post is for Waunita Jacobs (Waunita Scott, Waunita Dobson) and you really do want to read the entire blog. It first begs the question: how much does a mother love her child with most responding instantly and with defiance, I’d give my life for my child or children. So how could a mother desire her child to fail, to not work and to be kicked out of his home? What is the definition of LOVE and how far will it take a mother and the fruit of her womb?

These are exceptional questions that will be explored and possibly in ways that the average person might think, “Oh My Gosh - - where is this guy from!” Trust me when I tell you I’ve been fighting the urges to write this post since last October 2010 when something I endured changed for the worst.

To fully understand what I’m referencing you must first think about yourself as a mass of energy. Even most scientist agree that once you break down the human anatomy form the substances your physical senses can touch, feel, taste and yes…smell; we are nothing more than energy. I know it is a strange way of seeing what you wear around the house daily as we dart from the tub into clothing. This physical suit we were given at birth covers the passage of energy pulses from and to our brains throughout the physical forms called our nervous system. This energy is the foundation this physical anatomy is made up of and some know about presence because they can see and feel how it extends beyond the physical form.

Those souls among us that are sensitive to energy are commonly referred to as “Sensitive’s” given that some of them can see while others may feel and even others can manipulate this energy. It is an odd thing to think about given that we only see concepts such as this on the Sci-Fi channel or within movies that have aliens coming down to seize control of the earth. However, there are many among us who have abilities (some refer to as “GIFTS”) that can and do use them for good things like helping others while there are souls among us that use these abilities for bad things like harming others.

If you’ve read much of my work you can probably recognize that I have such abilities. I inherited them from my mother’s side of the family and in fact she all of her abilities with each of my siblings. It is interesting because while growing up my mother would know things with such great details and yet, she was nowhere to be found when these tasks occurred. I joked as a child that she had to read our minds to know some of what she did. However, these like many other subjects within the family were hushed as we not to speak about them. Others untouchable and unspoken truths within our family were to reference the physical abuse we suffered, the mental cruelty we endured and then me and my younger sister’s molestation. The sexual abused I underwent for one year was never believed until such time that it was convenient for the family to do so…that was when they could use me to tell my story and ruin the relationship between my brother and me. It wasn’t considered loosing anything because I am the family black sheep and no one was to speak or deal with me, so there was no loss by me standing in a court of law recounting the painful details of how if I refused to succumb to his whims my brother would beat me.

But I digress and will get back on subject: energy is that substance that moves through us and can actually be measured, however I’ve never measured mine. When I grew up there were many people that would come to me asking, “Todd rub my shoulders or massage my neck” and what I figured out much later in life was that as I massaged their shoulders energy emanated from my hands soothing and relaxing them in a very healing way. I knew at times my hands would heat up or even cool down when I place them on someone, but I never thought anything about it until I knew of the effects of healing energy. Now I use those abilities to help others and it is called being a healer.

Energy moving through me is just one of many things I am capable of, but this isn’t about my abilities as much as it is the fact that I received all of my abilities from Waunita. She has all that I have and over the years she has quietly cultivated her use of those extra senses. She has cloaked her skills with the use of religion and explanations for years, but I know for a fact that she uses them and unfortunately for her, not for GOOD.

I feel my mother or anyone in my family for that matter when they speak despairingly about me. I feel it in my shoulders and upper back like a golf ball sized knot that is on fire as it entrenches itself within me. No it doesn’t feel very good and the left side for me (possibly everyone) is feminine and the right side is masculine. Each ball sized knot I feel has its own energy signature and like you and me having unique finger prints or the cornea of our eye being individual to us; so too is the energy of your soul. I can close my eyes and if I have felt your presence ever before, I will know when you step up to me without visually seeing you there. I know and read energy the way I read a familiar book, with enjoyment and splendor. So when the pain is burrowing into my shoulders and back, I know who it is or I can find them when it is someone different.

This has been a regular and painful endurance that I’ve worked with over the past several years. Given that I am estranged from my family and when they gather, I am a regular topic, albeit nasty topic they like to banter about (mostly Waunita, younger sister and eldest niece). There is a difference when someone thinks about you, the energy they emit is there and based upon their abilities to manipulate it. Waunita is so filled with rage, anger, hatred and the need to control that she is pretty strong when focusing on someone specific, but it has been teaching me to shield myself in greater ways than ever before.

Waunita has known and worked with her abilities by herself for many years, but has not to my knowledge intently set negative energy to a given subject until last October 2010 when she turned that rage towards me! Yes, the woman that gave birth to me has such a need to control me and all of her children, that when she doesn’t get her way, she uses the fact that she can manipulate energy and direct that negativity on a specific soul. Doesn’t that just typify the loving bonds between a mother and her child? Well, this story gets far more intriguing!

I was eight years old when I first heard how I was a mistake. It took her a little while longer before she inferred that if abortion had been more pervasive she would have ended me! I was reminded of that story when I was shown several events:
The first was my parents on the night I was conceived. My father came home forcing himself on Waunita in what seemed to be a regular occurrence. She could smell sex and another woman on him, so I’m not sure why he was so sex crazed, but he was vicious and not taking “No.” He smelled of another woman and the sex of another disgusted her with her facial features displaying that revulsion as he forced himself inside her until his climax. When he finished with is lovely wife, he rolled over to his side of the bed and barely pulled up his underwear as he fell asleep.

Waunita sat up in bed crying, it is like she knew they just conceived yet another child to shackle her to a life she never wanted. That wonderful experience brought me into this world. The next view I saw was while Waunita was pregnant with me, but not showing much, she was crying and angry as the personal hell she succumbed to continue to sink like an anchor searching for the darkest parts of the ocean floor. She cried while leaving my brother sitting in his crib bawling for her attention with my older sister taking more of the mommy role at the young age of four years old. I can understand why she was so distraught; she became pregnant with my older sister at seventeen years old and in high school. My father took her out on a date for homecoming as a bet with his football buddies that he could score with her on the first date. Talk about your touch downs!!! Nine months later the field goal was delivered as Waunita moved from the hell of being sexually molested by her father to being abused by a husband that didn’t want her. Waunita was sexually abused by her own father from the age of eight years old (that is when the sexual intercourse started, but the fondling began around four years of age) right into my father’s family and a different, but special brand of torture. Waunita’s father was very physical and when his anger spilled over he became even more so, just different. However, my father’s family was more mental cruelty with control, verbal abuse that demeaned as it stripped away your confidence, self-worth and any love you might feel in order to control everything about you.

Waunita learned well how to use physical and mental abuses to control her children and to her this was called love…it was the only aspect she knew of as LOVE. She had ever known anything other than control, so it’s no wonder that her only brand of love that she knows how to give is the one she learned…CONTROL! I watched as Waunita showed herself being many months pregnant and hitting her stomach in anger because she despised her life and to bring another child into this existence made everything worse.

I was told growing up and later in life that I wiggled loose from her grip when she had me perched within her arms while sitting on the washing machine that resided in the kitchen. However, as I watched a different set of circumstances unveil before me with my older sister talking or fussing about something, my older brother crying while Waunita was trying to get them moving or doing something. She was miserable and life wasn’t being lived with three kids that she hated having as she wanted to be somewhere other than where she was. Some might even say that had she sought help, she might have been diagnosed with postpartum depression due to the succession of kids and a life she didn’t want. She was turning with me on her hips and suddenly I fell, but with force against a linoleum floor and concrete. Wauntia just stood there and didn’t move. I wasn’t breathing with both siblings terrified and wailing as she stood frozen in time. Her thoughts betrayed her as for the briefest of times she assumed I was dead with part of her actually thinking it was for the best.

Obviously I didn’t pass from this earthly plane and it may have been best if I had; but the reasons for me sticking around have far more to do with how she and I are connected and why she is able to get through even the most advanced shields of protections that most advanced energy workers can’t penetrate. I’ve cut cords (even the energetic umbilical cord has been severed) and the woman still gets through to me like she is now as I write this post. My life with this woman has been interesting to say the very least. I’ve been forced to learn things that yes I agreed to learn, but simply to protect myself from a woman that should be sending her children Love, Peace and Forgiveness.

Waunita only knows how to control and in her mind, the awareness of a woman that refuses to get help for the sexual abuses, the physical cruelties, the mental brutality or the anger, rage and hatred that resonates within her daily. To this woman, LOVE is CONTROL and to control is to love. They are one in the same and she cannot tell the difference between them. I’m the child she cannot control and therefore she abhors that I won’t give myself to the family by allowing them to dictate what I do, where I live, who I date/love or any aspect of what is MY LIFE! So she attacks me psychically on a daily basis. I feel every day this pain from her as she thinks and sends hateful, hurtful very possessive energy to me. Colleagues who looked into this energy on my behalf can’t believe how strong she is, but the loathing and contempt for me is vulgar. If she cannot control me she wants me desolate, without work and without a place to live in the hopes that if all of this occurs I will come crawling back to the family and be forced to beg her/them for forgiveness. Wonderful thoughts for a mother to have of her child…can you image a better or more cherished view of motherhood than the one I’m living with today?

COMMENT TO WAUNITA:
I WILL NEVER…EVER ACCEDE TO A FAMILY THAT TREATS A PERSON SO DISRESPECTFULLY.

Nothing about control is LOVE. Just like rape is not about sex, it is about controlling the individual you abuse. To control another person for any reason has nothing to do with LOVE. Control is the antithesis of love and the act of truly loving another person is to remove your ego from the equation as you do everything within your power for them to be themself. As I started to say before, the energy changed last October 2010 when Wauntia became very consciously aware of precisely what she was doing. The energy intensity changed as it became one hundred times more painful. The difference was Waunita was no longer doing this sub-consciously, but rather very aware of exactly what she happened and why.

With all of this being said, I probably understand her better than any of her other children. She imprinted part of herself on me while pregnant. Throughout my childhood I always wondered why she focused her abuses on me more than the others. I asked why I received less at Christmas time than the others and yet why we always connected with each other in both good and negative ways. That imprinting I received as I swam in the womb connected us together in ways that for the average person to understand, you must think science fiction…something like Harry could connect with Voldamort in Harry Potter. If I focus my thoughts on her I can hear what she is thinking and I know she does the same to me. Whenever I start a new contract or job, she suddenly intensifies her anger and hostilities towards me knowing that I can feel her and I’ve been told many times; she wants to get me fired so I won’t have any money thinking I will eventually come back to the family. I would die on the streets before I did that! Please read that sentence again Mother of the Year…..I would die homeless and alone before I ever came back to a family that only knows how to love through control. I can shield most of her by now, but I still know just how often she intently sends her energy to me, which is why I’ve taken such drastic action as to tell the world about her abilities as with my own. Waunita Jacobs, if you have an ounce of decency within you, don’t think about me, don’t care about me….don’t even consider me alive. Leave me alone and don’t wish harm on me as I don’t wish harm on you. I don’t think about you unless you are attacking me with energy and I’ve had enough. I’m telling the world about your abilities as I tell them about my own. If you try to say that you didn’t know before reading this what was happening; then starting today make sure you are consciously aware of never thinking about me ever again. When you start to think like a real mother should, that is when even as estranged as we are I will stop feeling your negative energy; because a truly loving mother wishes even the child she doesn’t like LOVE, PEACE and PROSPERITY.

Right now Waunita you need to be thinking about several things…every time you send dark, negative energy to another soul, that energy intensifies as it stores and comes back to you. As a soul, we cause much of our own physical problems, like heart disease, cancer and other ailments that through a lifetime of anger, rage, hatred and negativity manifests itself within us. That negative energy we spent a lifetime sending to others builds within our physical forms like a cancer as in many cases it will turn into. Many of the diseases that plague our society have more to do with us and not with the elements surrounding us. When you live a full, long life filled with love and tranquility; then you pass as you should and when you should. As it stands and in my greatest fear, you are destined to dye a painful, horrible death for a lifetime spent with negativity as opposed to learning what true love is for yourself and those souls you call family.

Most people reading this post will think I am crazy and some will gasp because there will be things that make sense to them now. I only need one person to read and know what I am saying to be truthful…Waunita Jacobs. When I feel a month has gone by without a single day of painful energy from you, I will remove this post with glee. Until such time, it will remain and there will be more to follow as I tell more of your personal life. My hopes are that I can eliminate this post soon, but until you find a way to let me go, it will remain. This is a last resort because I can’t and won’t pick up the phone to call, because that gives you a direct in to me like some beetles that bore into their prey and consuming you from the inside outwards. I’m not exposing myself to more of your energy than I have too and I truly hope that this might get your attention. I know the last thing you want is other people knowing about your abilities, so hence this post. Leave me alone and I will gladly do the same to you. Don’t bully me via energy and family and I will go back to helping as many other souls that I can with love!

DO THE RIGHT THING OUT OF TRUE LOVE ~ LEAVE ME ALONE

Your humble servant – Todd M Dobson

Inspirational Story for the Holidays

2010-12-23T01:51:00.001-05:00

9th of December 2010

INSPIRATIONAL STORY FOR THE HOLIDAYS

I have written in the past how I feel it is incumbent upon all of us to help those who find themselves without. During this time of year, I think it is even more important that the souls with enough, must take the responsibility to provide for those doing with less or worse; without.

I have also extolled how every year I take what I would spend on myself for a gift and buy toys for needy children that might otherwise go without. This year I researched the Clark Howard and WSB Radio’s Christmas Kids 2010. The recipients of these donated goods are the Georgia Department of Family and Children’s Services (DFCS). While I am unable to find any statistics on the number of orphans managed by DFCS; just a single child is far too many.

It is torturous to wake every day as a young person caught within the DFCS system and not just think that you are a throw-away, but to know it by the system managing your daily needs as opposed to a caring parent or family. Being reminded daily that your mother, your father nor any other relative wanted to keep you, as well as the additional burden that when given a choice for adoption, other children were selected above you. We must take it upon ourselves to erase such stereo-types from the memories of these treasured children who just want to be loved. Every child deserves love and a chance at a life without the burdens and regrets that foster children are normally shackled by.

That is the precipitous in my choice of charities. As I’ve done for the past twenty-two years, I drove to the local WalMart store so that I can save as much money as possible and purchase the greatest number of toys possible. I requested the store manager at the Suwanee WalMart explaining my intentions and how much money I expected to spend with the simple request of a nominal discount. Over the many years I’ve shopped for children, every store manager has given me some type of discount and Sam, the Suwanee store manager, was gracious enough to offer a fifty dollar gift card in assisting my purchasing abilities. Ten percent of what I had reserved to spend was very generous, so I expressed my gratitude while moving towards the toy department.

I obtained several charts and started what most makes me feel like Santa Clause, shopping for children. Sam approached with the front-end manager and delivered introductions. She offered to assist in my selection of goodies, but I love the task and to know each item purchased with the imagination of those receiving it when nothing was expected. I’ve learned over the years to refrain from anything needing batteries and try to balance boy/girl toys while obtaining the greatest range of ages. I’ve done this so many years that I was ready and started on the first isle tracking my expenditures via my iPhone calculator. The front-end manager asked me again if I wanted her assistance but I was also expecting an interview call at any moment (what I call an interview screening call, not with a hiring manager and generally fifteen to twenty minutes long), so I graciously thanked her for her time, but I explained the expected interview call any moment and if she didn’t mind I loved the shopping experience for the children. She left me with instructions on what to do when I was done as she left me to my elf like behavior. As she walked away, she turned again to thank me for what I was doing, while I appreciated her heart-felt sentiments, the only appreciation that matters to me is knowing that each toy puts a smile on the face of a child that might not have received anything for the holidays.

I was in heaven as I filled the two shopping charts with treasures. I tallied right at six hundred and fifty dollars while the interview call seemed to be winding down towards the end of my shopping spree. In all, I spent over an hour hand selecting the toys while explaining my background and loving every moment I multitask-ed (my ego was absolutely being stroked by both actions). Once the call was completed I thought briefly that maybe the good interview was a “Thank You” for my good deed.

The front-end manager and I talked as a clerk rang up the goodies. I was floating on cloud nine as I felt these gifts would make a difference for so many kids this year as the total came in right on point. The funny thing was that the cashier didn’t take my credit card. She did give the receipt to the front-end manager and I was asked which door I would be exiting from. I motioned to my left as she and I walked towards the door. Halfway to the exit and by the time we were at the greeter; I had mentioned that the cashier had not run my card yet as I held it out for the manager to take. That is when the Grinch’s heart grew three times! She stopped me dead in my tracks with her words, “the store manager is donating these gifts today!”

I know my mouth was open and for once in my life I was speechless (and that is a difficult task to achieve). I was already on cloud nine, but wow, I flew even higher with his generosity. My gift to the children became amplified and made so much better than it ever could have been by Sam’s generosity. His kindness is exactly what this time of year is about as many people display acts of selflessly doing for others. I made haste as I drove across town to deliver these twice blessed bundles of joy. My attempt to do well was intensified by Sam’s gift and the only thing I knew to do was to say “Thank You!”

As I delivered the toys to another WalMart, I was able to tell my story to the Regional Manager in hopes that Sam might receive the credit he so rightfully deserved. I went back to Sam’s WalMart several days later and purchased another bundle of toys in hopes that his December numbers might earn him that extra bonus he so warranted. I know that every WalMart store has a budget for charitable donations, but this was my gift to the children of Georgia. Sam and WalMart soared above and beyond anything good I was doing and I must say I was impressed, grateful and have become an even more loyal customer.

I wish to encourage any others to make steps towards giving to those who need. If someone is asking for money, you can buy them food. If a person needs a shower, clothing or a place to lay their head; we don’t have to give money in order to help. We can give from our hearts and most of the time that is far better than cash alone. Find a way that doesn’t harm you and do so regularly. I set out to start a tradition twenty-two years ago. I promised myself that the greatest gift I could receive was that of giving and I always feel blessed within my actions. Teach your children and start a new tradition with your family. When the meaning comes from your heart, it doesn’t matter if it is one gift or hundreds of them; it just matters that you care enough to give.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS
&
HAPPY NEW YEARS

Your humble servant – Rev. Todd M Dobson

Topics From the News Desk

2010-11-01T21:37:00.000-05:00

7th of October 2010

TOPICS FROM THE NEWS DESK

I have remained quiet over the past six months when numerous topics hit the news desk that I eagerly wanted to share my thoughts about. Some have sent emails asking why I did not write; simply stated, my job had me too busy and focused to offer my opinion. I have taken much time on each of the follow subjects to read the news articles and the bloggers take on these subjects and while many have written on each matter, I still find my voice needing to be heard above the crowded corridors of diverse opinions as I see people unwilling to see the opposite side from their own perspective.

PROPOSITION 8 – CALIFORNIA’S INITIATIVE TO
ELIMINATE GAY/LESBIANS FROM MARRIAGE:
Before I say what is on my mind about the Judge’s ruling on Proposition 8, I must apologize to Judge Vaughn Walker for assuming that by his looks alone he would be a conservative Christian and that he carried with him a verdict already purchased by the fear mongering zealots within the Christian community. These are the same conservatives who have shoved DOMA Bills and Constitutional Amendments down the throats of the American people with fear as the main tool to coerce them into voting for hate over Love and Acceptance. After reading the ruling, I must say that I have not read anything more absolute advancing from the United States judiciary in a very long time.

After the United States Supreme Court allowed corporate America to bring the bribing and purchasing of the political landscape into the open as opposed to the dark corners it was confined to before, I was not hopeful that any Republican run agenda would be honestly rendered upon. The ruling District Chief Judge disseminated wasn’t judicial activism as the conservative Right wishes to portrait it, but it was a precise verdict that represents the sincerity that our founding fathers envisioned when they wrote our constitution. It still perplexes me how so many give into hate and ultimately fear from those who purposely divert and/or misguide their followers. Eventually I have great hope that the average person will start looking at their political and spiritual leaders with open eyes and an inquisitive mind as opposed to blindly following every word they dictate. To find true leaders, we will discover them to be void of pressure tactics such as playing on fear, worries and concerns. A true leader exposes such acts by others for what are: Rhetoric used to control the minds of truly good people.

While some may not like Judge Walker’s ruling, you cannot read it without seeing the symmetry between how he viewed each point and a sincere expression of the truth as mandated by the United States Constitution. I have no doubt that if our Republican guided United States Supreme Court is not bought and paid for a verdict already, that it will validate his ruling thereby destroying this farce of a battle by the Christian Right designed to segregate millions of innocent people for the purposes of money and faith. There is no true faith when it is sold and disseminated with fear for the simple goals of greed and power.

REPEAL OF DON’T ASK DON’T TELL:
Millions of people felt the uneasy hand of politics when then President Bill Clinton compromised on over-turning the ban on gays in the military at the birth of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. Before DADT, military personnel did not have a formalized process and had to use other means of victimizing those gay men and women who wanted nothing more than to serve their country. It is HONOR that men and women feel when they are led to serve their country in a non-political way such as a career in the military. While most people have forgotten what HONOR means, there are millions of service members who lead by example every day. For a small percentage of them, their dreams of serving their country is curtailed because of a homophobic boss who can’t stand a gay or lesbian service member to be in their unit showing them constantly how some people can live an honest, sincere life as a soul and not hiding any part of them.

Judge Virginia Phillips issued an extremely past due decision finding the current Don’t Ask Don’t Tell policy as unconstitutional to the American Citizens it serves. I was elated that finally a Judge found the balls to tell the United States Government that it was wrong and must stop its homophobic witch hunt. There is no irony that the first Judge to grow a set large enough to render such a decision is a woman. I’ve laughingly said for years that it won’t be the men in this world who deliver us from injustice and segregationism, but rather the women who have the nerve to buy their own balls and strap on a larger set than the men surrounding them. Congratulations and my heart felt “Thank You” go to Judge Virginia Phillips for having the audacity to wear a larger pair right now!

I have been angered by the current Obama administration for his lack of attention and willingness to sweep this issue under the rug. I know exactly what President Obama and the Democratic Party is doing; they don’t want Don’t Ask Don’t Tell to become a Republican battle cry, so they are fighting it to polarize as many conservative voters as possible, but that is cowardice and not true leadership. President Obama, a true leader (and I once thought that you were one and that is why I voted for Change) was the person who stood up to those educating them when they were wrong and fear led their biases into making deplorable decisions; however, your attempts to withdrawal from this issue when the flames are high and can combust taking all who are close with the blast. I understand that you and the Democratic Party are delaying this topic until after the November elections in an attempt to maintain a control over the House and Senate, but a true leader doesn’t play politics with the souls they should be honored to defend. You cheapen yourself and your administration when you play politics with the lives of such admirable people like those gay men and women who serve in our military today.

IMMIGRATION AND THE UNITED STATES:
I am sympathetic with those neighboring cities, towns and villages who are experiencing horrible immigration problems with deadly crimes increasing exponentially over drug wars. The bad souls who carry, sell and deal drugs even if they are immigrant people deserve to be dealt with swiftly and justly given the laws they break. Our government must do a better job at preventing nasty, horrible people from coming into any country in order to sell and distribute their illegal drugs. The problem is that the average illegal immigrant is the father, mother or children who just like our early families seek an opportunity for a better life, a job and the dream that one day their family won’t be living without.

If you have a heart that beats within your chest, you cannot find the efforts of those good people trying to survive and find a place where they can live with the promise of a better tomorrow. It is our compassion that separates us from the apes and while I am empathetic with those in Texas, Arizona, New Mexico and California who find innocent lives decimated by crime, drugs and those who don’t care any longer; however I challenge every American soul to stop giving into fear and judging every Hispanic person because of a small percentage who regardless of ethnicity care little about life. Separate the two issues and find a way to invite law abiding Hispanics seeking a better way of life at their shot of the American dream and push for legislation that deals with the drug dealers, Cartels and those souls killing for an ounce of drugs and the money that buys it.

NOVEMBER POLITICAL ELECTIONS:
I am so tired of Washington D.C. and politics as usual. I pushed to elect President Obama because of the promise of CHANGE, but we started his term off by selling Washington to pay off his debts that got him elected over Hillary Clinton. There were many promises that have yet to be delivered to the American people and while I have supported the bail outs in order to stem the flow of job losses, we have not revoked NAFTA and Corporate America is still shipping thousands of jobs to developing countries like India, Malaysia, Mexico and others. They continue to do so because of the tax credits that make it possible to employ someone and write off what their pay and the office that holds them. We still have record unemployment within the United States, but until our Federal government repeals those tax credits and give credits for companies who invest within this country; we won’t see changes in the loss of work or the enormously high unemployment with climbing poverty amounts. It is our job as a wealthy nation to invest in countries and assist in feeding, clothing and bringing clean drinking water to all around the world. We won’t have the personnel or the taxes to do so when we give tax credits for every job that is shipped over-seas and an increasing number of souls are unable to make a living within our country. We must take care of all of our citizens and then take care of those around the world; but if our country is in such disarray, then we are unable to give to any other. If we have a higher percentage of unemployment than those third world countries we give corporate America credits to hire people from, then we are failing the very souls who pay the taxes to hire in another location. We must change our priority so that building America is job number one in order to make ourselves strong again. Only when we are strong can we help others and we should help all others when our strength returns.

THE COMMON TREAD:
You may agree with my comments or you may not; that is what makes this country so great. I try to live my life by finding LOVE, HONOR & RESPECT for every soul in this world. I don’t have to agree with them in order to respect who they are and why they believe as they do. It can be difficult at times given that some of my writings may seem to slant one way or the other. Just because I believe in one subject as I do does not mean I cannot see the opposite point of view. I pride myself in searching until I can understand my opponent’s perspective. As difficult as it is I also live without judging others. God doesn’t judge me and I am a soul just as every other soul is; here to learn the lessons in this lifetime I agreed to learn. I believe with all of my heart that no one is better than anyone else and no one is less than anyone else; we are all here to learn our lessons and those differ from soul to soul. Given that philosophy on life, if you disagree with me on any subject that is exceptional and I challenge you to find it within your heart to feel the exact same way I do about me and everyone else in this world. I know it is difficult to set aside fear, anger, pain, hurt and ego; but they do not serve us as souls; only us as human beings.

LOVE CAN NEVER BE WRONG ~ LOVE EVERY SOUL

Your humble servant – Rev. Todd M Dobson

Verizon Wireless: The Joys of Lousy Customer Service

2010-07-23T20:57:00.001-05:00

21st of July 2010

VERIZON WIRELESS

THE JOYS OF LOUSY CUSTOMER SERVICE

I have been overwhelmed by the joys of the telecommunication industry and the superfluous customer service it provides the average soul. The gurgling sounds you hear are of me drowning within the quagmire the major players in the wireless industry refer to as good service, but most of the average people simply consider it hideous at best and deplorable easily.

Overjoyed in the glimmer of my job and glad to be putting in twelve hour days or longer when that luster waned because working from my office couldn't find a solid signal with search lights and only three inches to shine them in. The conference calls I organized were the same ones I kept dropping. AT&T had the worse service in my office location...well they seem to have poor service everywhere, but because I was sitting between a 3G and 2G antenna where the 3G could only penetrate a portion of the office; left every other call dropping like the pants off gentlemen callers in a whore house (yes that is considered levity). I worked with AT&T and they actually provided what I consider to be good customer facing, but to no avail; everything failed to provide decent coverage. I very begrudgingly purchased the AT&T Microcell. I should have been able to count on wireless coverage regardless of where I was; I mean it wasn't like I moved out to the sticks or onto a deserted beach, and I wasn't far from the mountains, but rather smack dab in the middle of a nice size metropolis. But the microcell couldn't actually do its job by converting all of my wireless traffic from the cell phone to my internet connection; because my ISP is AT&T and their internet service SUCKS beyond belief.

AT&T did right by me and let me out of my contract, even though I was looking forward to the iPhone 4 (that was before Apple...of all companies joined the ranks of the worse customer service nightmares). Can I just tell you how horrified I am by Apple and Steven Jobs! The man was a marketing genius and built the Apple Corporation from nothing...they were a joke in the industry and his brilliance steadily elevated them to a power-house corporation. He always pushed for exceptional customer service and was known to fire people on the spot for giving the antithesis. But when his comments, "We are not perfect," and "it is not that bad," along with the most atrocious being the sentiments of giving all iPhone 4 early adopters a phone case to help ease the problem. What an insult and prime example number one of how appalling this country has gotten with what it considers GOOD CUSTOMER SERVICE. I am actually glad AT&T was giving me such bad reception, otherwise I would be one of those foolish iPhone 4 early adopters that is now stuck with a phone that won't work....but looks sleek and stylish.

I left AT&T on my way to Verizon and a new Droid Incredible. Woops, no I'm not. The salesman I spoke with just two days before neglected to tell me they were out of the Droid Incredible and when the store manager offered me the Droid slider, she got nasty and loud because I said "No!" She became rude and belligerent and I wasn't the only one who thought so. The old me would have lit into her and told her where she could put her attitude, but I looked her in the eyes, winked and tipped my fingers above my head like I had a bowler hat on as I said, "Thank you but no thanks;" then I turned politely and left.

I figured she was having a rough day and I drove a little while to another Verizon store and walked in asking for the store manager. A very tall man stepped up to me shaking my hand and introducing himself. I thought, wow, what a contrast to the nasty woman I just experienced as I preceded to explain my predicament. He was compassionate while he explained there is nothing he can do and even his bosses are very frustrated with the situation. He went on to explain how the display manufacturer couldn't keep up with demand and placed their production so far behind and possibly they would never recover with the Droid Incredible.

Nothing worked to get him to help me attain a new phone, but he was willing to do what little he could. The corporate office has those store managers on such a short leash and they can't do anything. I did explain how nasty the manger at the other store was and he laughed as he proceeded to give the perfect description of her. He took some training classes with her and she had an attitude in the class with everyone. Some people are just never happy and always miserable...those are his words about her, not mine.

I visited another Verizon store a couple days later, but there was nothing anyone could or would do for me. I was handing them an easy and great account of over $125.00 per month and I've never been late with AT&T. I begged them to take my business, but they refused at every store. I ended up settling for MetroPCS...can you believe that MetroPCS has better reception at my office than AT&T. They are one of the lowest line companies with no frills and no real options, but I get better coverage with them than I had with AT&T. It didn't hurt that I went from spending over $120.00 per month at AT&T down to $50.00 per month at MetroPCS.

Verizon released the Droid X and I was revitalized again. I looked at the phone and features and while I was desperately missing my iPhone, I thought I could have fun with this phone. I stopped by the store with the very nice and extremely tall manager and he told me...."I can order you a phone, but your best bet to get one faster is through Verizon.com. Two nights later and after a thirteen hour day of managing software projects, I decided I had earned the new phone and I proceeded online to Verizon.com. I wish I knew then what I know now, I would have saved myself the grief and pain.

I was online and trying to figure out the various options and the insurance alone left more questions than answers when I thought, it would be nice to talk with someone or even a chat. I no more got the thought out of my cluttered head, when a popup window (and I have popup blocker turned on) came up asking if I wished to chat with a Verizon Representative. I gladly clicked on [Yes] and starting chatting with a wonder young lady named Leigh. She was informative, polite and already I was thinking, why didn't I ditch AT&T years ago....oh yes, I loved my iPhone that is why.

Leigh was courteous and charming with the help she delivered as each screen passed and I was closer to a new phone. Towards the later part of my time with her online, all total over an hour and a half and she offered me a discount on any accessories with a code. I was more than happy; I was thinking my past experiences with Verizon as the stone cold no customer service company have obviously been changed. That is when it happened...I got to the screen that said I had to put my social security number, driver's license number and date of birth. Leigh said the company line: it is a secure site and people do this all the time. I will never put that personal information online and I explained to the polite Leigh how and why her messages were not truthful, but that Verizon management would never tell her how many hack attempts and successes hacks they record daily. I will offer my services, if Verizon feels so safe and secure with their firewalls and intrusion detection, simply give me permission; and I will call on some friends who can show just how vulnerable their web site really is.

Ms. Leigh did not know what to do with me at this point because I refused to input this data online and I was asking for her or someone to call me to accept this information over the phone. Unfortunately, the online support was told they cannot call customers. Now, that did not make any sense at all. If you run into a situation during a customer's online experience, the appropriate thing to do would be able to retrieve their shopping information and continue a pleasant engagement in order to please the customer. Regardless of why or how the customer became dissatisfied with the online shopping occurrence; pick up the phone before you lose the customer. No, was the only response she could give, they are unable to do so and the not so nice manager – Darrell that took over 40 minutes to pick up the chat session and who was curt because how dare me, the customer, ask to speak with a manager. I must have interrupted his late night television watching, because he was nasty.

In the unbearable forty minutes I waited for Darrell. I became angered with this flagrant abuse that was precisely the type of atrocious customer service I remembered from years ago. My phone call was answered by another pleasant young lady who became confounded by my polite phraseology, however with a sharp demeanor. She tried questioning what this was about, but again the dichotomy between a soft and gentle response using very precise words that with a higher pitch or tone would have been received as hostility, leading to her eventual acquiescence thereby placing me on hold to get her manager.

I waited almost fifteen full minutes for Dustin (ID # 2597) to pick up the phone and when he did I could tell he was already unnerved at the perplexing reason I quoted Federal Guidelines mandating that no telecom company can refuse an escalation when it is requested. I explained to Dustin my dilemma and even though my tone was soft, he could sense my frustration. At this point I had been online and on the phone for over two hours and counting and I still had not received the online manager Darrell, he didn't come into the picture until after Dustin was coming up with responses. Darrell later ended the chat session because how dare I take up his time and not answer him immediately when he asked questions.

Dustin did apologize for the online debacle and explained that he would transfer me to the team that could take my order over the phone, but no, they could not access my online order and I had to simply respond to their questions going back through the entire order again. This is where things started going from bad to far below worse. I was then told by Dustin that the department that could take my order over the phone...and I quote, "REFUSED TO TAKE MY CALL DUE TO A PAST DUE UNPAID BALLANCE." Dustin told me the claim originated from 2005, almost seven years ago and yes, I had a Verizon phone early 2005. Verizon had not purchased all of the many companies they now encompassed and they had huge holes within their coverage map within the state of Georgia where I resided at the time.

I used my phone for business and couldn't get reception in a major area of work, so after some long arduous hours and finally yelling to everyone (I had not changed yet personally) I reached a Regional Manager from Verizon who after the third time dropped call during our single conversation he understood my frustrations. He agreed to let me out of the contract without penalties and I transferred my service that afternoon. I paid my final bill and haven't heard from Verizon since then. I have not received a bill, nor should I have, but almost seven years later Verizon is tell me I owe them money (I wouldn't even ask how much or for what, because there is no way I owed them anything) and the perfect example of caring was displayed within these words were delivered by Dustin, "THE DEPARTMENT WHO CAN HELP WITH YOUR ORDER REFUSES TO TAKE YOUR CALL DUE TO A PAST DUE UNPAID BALLANCE." My night was blaring out to me, why are you trying so hard to bring good business to a company who devalues their customers? I had been treated either hideously or perfectly, but more often than not, Verizon was displaying ghastly customer service to a potential customer.

Poor Dustin had no clue what he was getting himself into. While I was not yelling, as I have in the past, my tone and voice were raised as I recapitulated the night's adventures. I became amused after a while as I realized this is old telecom giant business as usual, we have too many customers and if we lose you or don't get you, who cares. After listening to my rants for a while, Dustin changed his request to give me the phone number of the department that could work out a payment arraignment, to let me placed a call on your behalf to them. Why would I pay a bill that should and never was presented to me? I was baffled because in Dustin's mind, he saw someone trying to evade paying a debt, but you cannot consider it a debt when it was never offered and how can you consider it past due when I never knew about it until tonight. All of this after such a long day working and I was beyond tired, so I let Dustin know, just read about it with the thousands of other people from my blog.

The problem isn't that Dustin did anything wrong. He did many things not right, but the company he works for cares so little about me the person much less their customer, so how can anyone expect a nice person like Dustin to actually do a good job at customer service when his bosses and senior management at Verizon do such a deplorable job with customer service.

The Droid X would have made a great phone and toy for the geek within to play with, but I've found my soul and it isn't for sell to corporations like Verizon. When companies such as Verizon start to learn to covet their customers, that is when they will see loyalty and people flock to them for more than the ego trip of the latest device, but rather to do business with a remarkable company.

CHERISH THAT WHICH YOU DESIRE THE MOST AND IT IS ALREADY YOURS

You're humble Servant – Rev. Todd M Dobson

When Politics Fail The Citizens

2010-05-29T19:39:00.001-05:00

29^th of May 2010

WHEN POLITICS FAIL THE CITIZENS IT SERVES

The United States as a whole is abuzz over the House of Representatives repealing the famed Don't Ask Don't Tell policies. This amendment was a back alley deal and one of the loathsome passages by the Clinton Administration where thousands of good men and woman were driven from their careers and life of service. Their service to this country was curtailed by the hate coursing through the veins of their military peers. One of the few things I despised from former President Clinton for allowing such a hideous policy to come about, but the existence of Don't Ask Don't Tell shows the harsh realities from the back side of Washington, D.C...

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates in making the rounds on Capitol Hill is doing his own bit of stirring while using language that may be called to question his loyalties of our current President Obama. He has come just short of what I fear he wants to do and probably does behind the President's back by speaking ill of a policy that should never have passed. Far too many good soldiers lost their careers, their livelihoods and in the process dignity with some being consumed by the hate and bigotry held by peers in positions of authorities. Worst yet, too many have been imprisoned for crimes of being true to themselves while they serve a country and a government that degrades and renounces them as their defenders and as their citizens.

Mr. Gates uses language such as, "a long, careful review process lay ahead." He uses these words in his sentiments to ease concerns among U.S. troops. That is where I get the most troubled, because our military is a top down do as you're told organization where the soldiers are commanded what to do, what to think and this is the training that our military leaders are so proud of. Our forces are "TRAINED to listen and respond." So why is Mr. Gates so apprehensive? If our forces are so well trained in the arts of listening and obeying, then a change in policy should be espoused by the upper ranks vibrating down cohesion throughout the lines of our glorious men and women now serving. Due to Mr. Gates distress, I think the ones with the greatest issues for policy change might be those leaders reluctant to change their own biases. The same arguments were used against black service members and then again in allowing women to serve in our military. Both segregated groups serve with distinction and honor now; so it begs the question if the old influences were untrue in two previous cases should we perceive the same urgings to be as similarly poor banter by racist leaders who need to leave or tow the policy lines.

What I find most distressing about Mr. Gates' own words: "Every man and woman in uniform is a vitally important part of this review. We need to hear from you and your families so that we can make these judgments in the most informed and effective manner, so please let us know how to do this right!" Were the service members and their families asked before they were sent to Afghanistan, Iraq or any other US military incursion? NO, they were not queried for their opinions or if they cared for the policy this nation or the President of the time deemed appropriate. To add insult to an already belabored point, had the military leadership when faced with accepting, requesting and using black soldiers during WWI and later WWII have used the same tactics of requesting the influences of the men who served then, they would have been regaled with negative responses, slurs, slander and a vehement degradation in such a policy. The service men of that time been given a vote in allowing blacks to serve along side of them could they have acquiesced? No they would not, so why are we asking the ranks suddenly when we know the answer comes on the backs of fear, hate and biases, which can only mean the response from our current military would be NO, we cannot serve with homosexuals!

It comes back Mr. Gates to leadership and a call to duty. During difficult times, the leadership will be entrusted with making dutiful decisions that benefit those currently serving as well as the ranks of our military for tomorrows yet to come. It means set your own personal fears and hatefulness aside for a better cohesion of tomorrow. Find a way to sell to your commanders and the troops at large how and why a change in policy is in evitable, not send the message, "current laws, policies and regulations remain in place, and we're obligated to abide by them as before." In other words, expunge all the fags you can find right now before the law changes so we don't have to deal with them infiltrating our ranks for an uncertain amount of time!

I find your words and call to arms for those in senior roles to be disgusting and harmful to the morale of the current armed forces far greater than a change in policy might ever do. I know men and women who are serving with honors in our military currently as homosexuals. Many who faced the harshness of defending this country in Afghanistan and Iraq who informed their closest friends either during their service or before they were deployed to combat situations. Many leaders know or knew before incursions who among their teams were gay/lesbians, but they needed every body they could hold on too. This point alone shows poor leadership in the face of adversity and this is not a combat situation. Therefore if I were in your unit Mr. Gates, I definitely would not want my life within your hands! Moreover, it shows your cowardice in the face of a change our military already knows how to adapt too. They have done so twice before and learned the second time from the mistakes of the first. The first was accepting men of color within the ranks of the military. The second was allowing women to serve with distinction and honor within our armed forces. There is precedent already in place and for you to disallow it shows you dishonoring those men and women who put on their uniforms every day serving you and me.

I was preparing to write this post as I called upon my representative and two senators asking how they might vote on the issue of repealing Don't Ask Don't Tell. I received some of the most hideous responses on Wednesday when I called upon my elected officials.

I reside in the ultra conservative state of Georgia. A state where local citizens remain steadfast not only in their bigoted and hate filled thoughts, but feel it is their duty to display their biases for all to know. Every third vehicle driving on the roads is a pickup truck and every fifth truck has a rebel flag displayed across the back window, back bumper or even their front tag. I once had a very dear friend try to explain how the rebel flag is a symbol of heritage, but I can only correct that with a heritage of hate and oppression! My elected House of Representative is Mr. John Linder (district R-7) and my two Senators are Mr. Saxby Chambliss (R) and Mr. Johnny Isakson (R). I called each in their Washington offices to query if a vote comes up to repeal Don't Ask Don't Tell, how would they vote?

During my phone conversation with Representative Linder's office I was told that he did not support the repeal in the past and the aid responding to my request did not expect him to now. When I pressed for more of a reason why, I was given a song and a dance that made no sense at all. Every statement that he felt was suitable I was either able to counter with a point of reason or ask an even more telling question that amounted to displaying Mr. Linder's following party lines. This weakness does not embody a leader for the constituents he was elected to serve. I was happy to say that my name and email address was taken and I did receive an email Friday from Representative Linder's office expressing their disproval of the passage of the amendment.

What I found to be telling was a statement within that email message to me, "You should know that I voted against the repeal of the Don't Ask Don't Tell Policy. Unfortunately, the amendment passed the House on May 27, 2010, by a 234-194 vote. For the record, gay Americans are already allowed to serve in the U.S. military. The U.S. military, however, was designed for one purpose – to defeat the enemies of the United States – and an environment exists within the military that reflects that mission. As such, certain policies, including "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," have been instituted to protect the lives of individuals whose sexual orientation may, in the eyes of many soldiers, conflict with that ultimate goal. I see no beneficial reason to institute a change that would, in the end, compromise the ability of the men and women in uniform to perform their jobs at the highest level possible. I hope that the Senate will strip this provision from the bill when they consider it in June." In other words, homosexuals may serve their armed forces, but only if they hide their sexual orientation.

Mr. Linder, not one soul can in good conscience serve proudly and with distinction or honor when they are forced to hide from the very men and women they are themselves! It is a dishonor that you say a person may serve their country without fear of reprisals and that was granted in the Don't Ask Don't Tell policies currently in place. However, thousands of service men and women were forced out of the jobs and careers not because they told a soul, but because someone else in a leadership role found what they were hiding and dishonorably discharged them. Many were proud service personnel who would never have given up their commissions, but were forced out by leadership. Other men and women have been sentenced to prison because military leadership investigated that which was unspoken, hidden and cast into the closet for the purpose to allow someone to serve their country with honor. When millions of dollars have been spent by military leaders for the single focus of cleansing the military ranks of sexual deviance identifies a failed policy in Don't Ask Don't Tell. Some of those very cases were prosecuted by presenting how the person being ousted knew of their sexual orientation prior to joining the armed forces and because they lied on their applications, they committed grave offenses to this country and either served time or is currently imprisoned due to the meager opposition to your beloved policy.

I called on Senator Saxby Chambliss' office to ask the same questions. I was informed by the aid in Mr. Chambliss' office that the senator was not inclined to vote for the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell. They were more acute to stand firm that the senator would be following the advice of the Secretary of Defense and upon such a time that Mr. Gates deemed it prudent that the current policy does not serve the interest of the military, and then he might follow recommendations from another source. When I pressed harder for a more solidified stance on the current policy, Mr. Chambliss' people said that he agreed with the current policy.

I called on Senator Johnny Isakson's office and was told without any regard that he opposed the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell and would not vote in favor. I raised many issues all of them painting a dismal picture of a politician who himself is racist, bigoted and only listens to those groups large enough to sway his election into office and thereby he would never stand on the laurels of Righteousness for all the citizens he swore an oath to represent.

Mr. Isakson is not the lone bastard of depraved indifference when it comes to standing for what is right and against the masses. He, like his two brother politicians (Mr. Chamliss and Mr. Linder) are either gutless in my opinion or they are just as racist, bigoted and hateful as the majority of those forming a preponderance among their constituents. None of the three elected officials have any real leadership abilities when it comes to difficult issues. A true leader understand that in the face of a majority that wishes to oppress any group of citizens within this country, you must stand against the tide by educating the masses of their mistakes or the dogma they hold within their individual hearts. Remembering that politics and religious views must be separated as per the constitution that each man swore to uphold and defend even if that means doing so against the very people who voted you into office. A leader who deserves the very honor that Don't Ask Don't Tell strips away from the men and women it has been used to club since it was passed in 1994.

It is shameful that not one of the three so called leaders in the State of Georgia would even defend the concept that repealing this flawed bill served. That tells me and should tell every citizen these three political pundits signifies they are in Washington not for the highest and greatest good for all the people they are elected to serve; but rather for the small majorities within their election areas as well as their own person gains. It is disgusting in my opinion that any elected official will not represent diligently all of the citizens they are elected to serve. None of these three men feel they are accountable to anyone other than their majority Christian voters who are the very people that a true leader needs to be educating with facts and not personal biases. While you are to serve the needs of your Christian constituency, you must also answer to the remainder of the citizens you represent. To me and the many gay men and women you owe more than lip service to why you continue to reek of hatred while refusing to support us as equal citizens.

While my words against these four men are harsh, it is more due to the lack of empathy or even that not one person in any of their offices felt the need to listen to a voice against their stance. The mind of each elected official had already been made up without regard for those constituents standing in opposition to their own official. It is shameful to be marginalized by those who you either voted for or must be represented by. Religion has spent vast sums of money on this last vestige of hate that they all hold dear to their hearts. I along with many others have argued successfully against the Literal Interpretations of the Bible and other religious books that are used like clubs against all who won't assimilate into the ranks of Christianity (or similar minded religions). However, I remain firm in my stance that I can respect a man who opposes me as long as he does so with acceptance of me. So when the United States Constitution grants me the same rights as a gay man as all other citizens of this nation, but yet I am subjugated to second class citizenship by those who wish to rewrite what does not serve the hatred flowing within them…no, that is when I stand and defend. Mr. Chambliss, Mr. Isakson and Mr. Linder all cow-tow to the majority of their voter base without regard for the citizens they segregate with laws such as Don't Ask Don't Tell. While I may have respect for the difficulties of being in political office, I do not have value for these three men. I will however grant them one of the many things they deny me; Love, Honor and Respect.

It is with that Love, Honor and Respect that in the time of their next election, I will become politically active in finding a leader who will represent all of the citizens they are elected to serve without bias. For the failures these four men cannot see that they commit, I request that you not judge them with dishonor, but understand and have compassion for the fact that they must still learn lessons on how to LOVE all of mankind. They have yet to discover how to release hate and therefore they must return to the process of learning until they can find it within themselves to accept and love all who surround them.

LOVE, HONOR & RESPECT ALL MANKIND,
FOR WE ARE ALL ONE

Your humble servant – Rev. Todd M Dobson

Love, Honor and Respect: True Love Does Exist (the book)

2010-05-13T08:47:00.001-05:00

LOVE, HONOR & RESPECT

TRUE LOVE DOES EXIST (the book)

13^th of May 2010

Hello Readers,

This is the first chapter in my upcoming book, Love, Honor & Respect: True Love does Exist. Please read it and let me know what you think. I am excited as I'm editing this novel and it reads so well, but I want your opinions and I want to know if you would like to read more. It is a labor of love and instead of a single book, there will be three.

Your humble servant – Todd M Dobson

- 2 - Prologue:

I looked forward to my drive home from work every evening, but on this night the traffic on Highway 95 (the loop encircling the city of Boston in Massachusetts) seemed to be worst than usual. I inched towards home engulfed in horrible standstill traffic. This was a normal drive after a long day in the office. Until this experience, my day was another grey and dreary winter's day threatening to snow as I made my way home. In late 2000 the drive became an extremely over crowded resemblance of a parking lot rather than a motor way. I realized in the dullness of my mundane travels that for some time now, I felt euphoric.

My heart overflowed with an immense joy that even the over cast wintery day with the blackest of nights seemed to shimmer with beauty amidst the gloom. I realized how I laughed and smiled more than the previous portions of my life. The weight I once knew to be a part of my life…well it disappeared leaving me feeling a peace had befallen me, the likes of which I had never experienced before. My dark green Ford Explorer seemed to guide itself home as I became lost in the haze of love.

In my state of oblivion, an epiphany struck with profound recognition: my life was grand! The exhilaration of the moment swept over me as if I lowered myself into an extremely hot Jacuzzi during a bitter cold snow storm. I took stock in the amazing attributes exemplifying life. I enjoyed my job that provided good money and I shared it all with wonderful friends. Most important, I lived the previous twenty-four months with something I never thought I would experience: the love of one special person.

The love we shared dripped from the lips of poets in sonnets and on the notes in lyrics with the sweetest of melodies. My feelings on this blustery, cold evening warmed my physical form and rose from the tips of my toes to the very ends of the hairs on my head. I felt electrified as the ecstasy traveled up my skin with a tingling sensation and a heat causing me to perspire. When the energy reached my groin, oh… my… Gosh! I became engorged with an overwhelming sense of excitement that was far more sensual with an immense love and passion deriving from the core of my being. Later in life, this recognition would haunt my dreams because of the sheer power and force moving me to tears as snow started to fall outside my Ford Explorer. This sensation enveloped over my entire body, with my face turning red as if burned. I glanced in the rearview mirror for a brief moment only to see my facial features appearing ruddier than ever experienced before.

I appeared to be covered with a penetrating sunburn, and I swear a thermometer would have exploded from the warmth emanating off my body. An uncontrollable giggle erupted from the pit of my stomach and moved to a robust laughter as I felt like a giddy schoolgirl unable to stop from bubbling over. This uncontrolled laughter brought tears to my eyes, and in a moment of sheer terror I pulled into an emergency lane as those tears prohibited my visibility through the wind thrown snow as it whipped against the windshield.

This realization during the drive home amazed me because it happened to me. The boy who came from a loveless home dreaming his entire life of finding one true love was actually experiencing the phenomenon. I don't remember how I got home that evening due to the intoxication from the haze of my own thoughts. In Boston, it is unusual to drive any distance on any major highway and not honk your horn, flash your bright lights or copiously yell at the drivers surrounding you. Boston driving is an art form and is something everyone should experience, if for no other reason than to appreciate the driving in one's home city. The peace is in knowing how you're drive in no way compares to the daily chaos on Boston roads. On this evening, I could not remember any honking of horns at any other drivers; no bright lights flashed nor did I see a single finger being saluted as I navigated this packed highway home. I don't think Ian ever understood why we celebrated over the weekend. I took him out for no other reason than to thank him for teaching me the true meaning of unconditional love.

I scheduled a car service and call on one of our favorite eateries in the South End of Boston. The South End is a wonderful neighborhood in downtown Boston. It is mixed with gay and straight residences, but seems to be a slightly higher concentration of gay populace living within the elegant brownstones. The neighborhoods are better for the diversity. The South End is a trendy place, but if you saw the dilapidated buildings falling apart and streets over flowing with crime during the sixties and early seventies, you might wonder with such stark contrast to today. Sections were unsafe as night fell, and some were even scary during the light of day. City officials tried attracting people to the area during the sixties in a revitalization effort, but the only citizens willing to buy were homosexuals. Over the years we moved in and cleaned up the neighborhoods. The renewal of the brownstones attracted thriving businesses in a gentrifying of this section of the city which stimulated growth at an enormous pace. If you are in the Financial District of Boston (which is up to the waterfront and Boston Harbor), Chinatown sits due south, with Bay Village (known as Gay Village by the locals) just steps away. The Financial District and China Town with Bay Village are all at the north eastern tip of the South End. The old Bay Village is where the transsexual prostitutes use to congregate and the location for some of the oldest gay bars in the city and in North America. Bay Village is the separation point or the tip of the triangle separating the South End, The Financial District, Back Bay and Beacon Hill from one another. Back Bay and Beacon Hill are where the extremely wealthy live in Boston. You may reside in a brownstone or condominium in Back Bay or on Beacon Hill and your next door neighbor may be worth millions. This section of the city is ritzy and beyond trendy, well manicured and elegantly maintained.

Back Bay and Beacon Hill have money, status, and prestige, but the fun in this somewhat stogy city is all across Columbus Avenue in the South End. Ian and I frequented a number of good restaurants, but a few remained special to us. This weekend I called to Le Betela and let the owners and chef know we intended to dine with them. While there was no special occasion for our evening, we desired a special menu. They had taken care of us in the past and I very generously showed our appreciation.

The chef had a table in the front window for us, and as usual, flowers from the gay florist next door waited at the table for Ian. The card simply read, "My world became complete the night you danced towards me. I wish to spend the rest of my life giving back to you all of the love shown to me since our amazing first night in New York City. The angels from heaven graced me with one of their very own. With all my love…I am yours!" Yes, I am a romantic and love doing things like this, since our weekend attempted to show Ian how vast my love was for him. The realization of the depths of our love made me display my gratitude for being so remarkable. I could only hope my heart might display in this one night how special he made me feel every day I woke with him in my arms.

The waiter seated us withholding the menus and proceeded to explain how we would enjoy a salad of hearts of romaine with mixed greens accompanied by pears, walnuts and gorgonzola cheese, sprinkled with an orange zest dressing. The entree for the evening would be stuffed chateaux briand with a port-wine reduction sauce, steamed mixed vegetables and garlic mash potatoes. I trusted as with all previous encounters the chef's special creations would be as amazing as the love I shared with this man sitting across from me. Knowing Ian's affinity for truly great deserts, our evening was topped off with two chocolate soufflés, one with white chocolate and the other with milk chocolate sauces. There is no better way to end an incredible meal than with a warm, light, fluffy cake melting in your mouth with each bite. Warm, almost hot; fluffy cake when placed in front of you fills the nostrils with aromas causing your senses to take flight. The fragrance seems familiar and may cause dizziness as in intoxication. The soufflé has a light, yet sweet bouquet with deep chocolate aromas you can taste by the scent alone. The waiter opens the center of the soufflés pouring warm chocolate sauce inside the pastry which will overload your nostrils with an over-powering scent of cocoa interpreted to be indulgent, as if a small piece of heaven lies on the plate before you. You're mouth is watering with anticipation waiting for the first bite. As you succumb by scooping a spoonful of this delicacy into your mouth only to find it is not too sweet, but sweetness rest on your tongue like the touch of chocolate flavored feather. The cake is not heavy to savor and surprisingly warm. You are in sensory overload because the sweetness is not overwhelming; however the sauce is adding a punch of sugar and chocolate driving your senses over the edge. There are contrasting textures with the warm bread-like consistency and the almost hot liquid sauce adding diversity for an extremely pleasurable dessert.

Ian held my hand between courses displaying the most beautiful smile across his handsome face. I couldn't hold back, I was about to burst, so I told him; "I love you and I don't know what I've ever done to warrant you in my life, but I am grateful for each morning you wake in my arms." I brushed a tear from his cheek as he responded, "I love you and I can't image living without you." I brought his open palm towards my face using his hand to caress my cheek, and then I placed a kiss inside his palm reaffirming the sentiments of the card.

We exchanged sparse conversation after such a tender moment with just glances, smiles and messages that didn't require words as the remainder of dinner delightfully unfolded. I'm not aware of anyone else who dined in the restaurant besides us as we shared in the blissfulness of our love.

After such a remarkable dinner, we walked the South End hand in hand, smiling and talking about nothing special, just us and the anticipation of our lives together. The smile on my face extended from end to end and I didn't think anything could interfere with the love, the passion and the amazing turn's life was taking as the promise for tomorrow shown to be bright.

We walked Tremont Street as Ian asked, "What did I do to deserve tonight?" I stopped us both and turned him in towards me, "You gave me love at a time when I gave up on ever finding it again. I told you how as a child I foretold how I would meet one special love meant to change my life forever - you are my love…and the love I feel for you is so powerful and never ending." He leaned in kissing me as people bustled around us. We started walking again when Ian asked, "How can you tell I'm the person? You might find someone younger than me several years from now or you may grow tired of me?" I responded without hesitation, "Oh babe - remove such thoughts from your mind because I adore you, just as you are and no one else will capture my soul as you've done - making love to me - kissing me - or being in my life the way I want you. From the bottom of my heart, I will remain dutifully yours until the day I leave this place."

In my mind I couldn't believe Ian would ever image us not being together. I perceived us remaining a couple until the end. A tear started to slide down his cheek and I kissed the tear away reassuring him, we belong together always and forever. I espoused, "You captured my love as we were getting acquainted and I will always be yours. My heart is no longer mine because I entrusted you with all portions precious to me, and I ask you to love me as we care for each other. I want to be a dirty old man making made passionate love to you – can you handle me then?" Ian gasped as another tear fell from his beautiful eye and a smile stretched across his face, so I kissed his gorgeous lips again and we continued walking hand and hand down Tremont Street. Ian asked, "Do you still want to adopt children?" I responded smiling, "Adopting a child with you could only add to the bliss you already give me, did you check into the mandatory parenting classes we need to attend?" "I found some information on the web along with a class schedule, but I need to call them with questions about the complete process". "Do it and we can talk with some of the couples in P-Town who have adopted children to discover how long the process takes? My only concern is if we receive a girl. How do we teach her about feminine issues such as menstruation, dating from the female perspective, other medical related issues we men won't understand? You recognize how I won't let her date until she's thirty because if a guy hurts her - I will break him in two!" Ian started laughing at me as he said "you will make a good father."

We both laughed as we walked back towards the car to be driven home. Our reserved hand holding on the drive into the city turned into a ravenous feast of each other's bodies on the return. We entered the front door of the house as we tore clothing off the other while our lust turned visceral. Neither dinner nor desert could compare with the love we shared this night. It wasn't just sex; music itself was not as melodic as our imploding passions or as our sweaty bodies surpassed even our first sexual encounter together. Ian's fingers and tongue lit my body on fire with the simplest touch and taste of every inch. I received the satisfaction of returning such delights. We devoured each other's rock solid members and we took turns making hot, sweaty, passionate love to one another. We shared an amazing sex life from the first moments, but this night of passion brought even us to new heights of adoration. We experimented with each other, sharing every enticing idea we might think about. Little by little our passion consumed the room like liquid filling a glass. We both entered one another multiples times and we came just as many, knowing the mutual pleasures we bestowed the other were displayed in our gasps for breath.

Whenever I was alone or on business trips, I would remember this night of passion by retracing Ian's movements over my body. My fingers were his lips, his fingers and his penis. The aromas from the candles, Ian's cologne, and the salty/sweet flavor of his smooth skin on my tongue could be recalled in an instant. The taste and the touch of his soft skin as I sampled every body part time and time again would bring me back to our night's climaxes in the years to follow. I can only hope Ian shared similarly in the moment, frozen in time with me, knowing our lives would never be the same again.

Knowledge for Humanity

2010-04-29T10:36:00.002-05:00

24^th of April 2010

KNOWLEDGE FOR HUMANITY

There are certain principles that I teach which remain legitimate whether you agree with them or not. Many might see these values as either spiritual versus Christian or any other theosophical beliefs; however they are not one in challenge of any other. These principles transcend all theosophical and ideological values. There are many different ideologies and theosophical viewpoints within this world. I support all of them, because in the life of the average person, faith brings about a means of consistency no matter what challenges that soul may face. I have always believed that no one religion is better than any other. They are all different and for that reason, they speak to the hearts and minds of those souls who believe in them.

There is certain wisdom about this world that others like me discern, we are not special, and we are souls on our journeys just as you are a sentient being traversing your path. It won’t matter if your ideology differs from what you read, because what is written here is factual for all of humanity. We can deny those essentials, but that won’t make that acumen any less true, it just means we disagree. If you doubt what you read; then I challenge you to seek your own answers or your truth by searching deep within your heart and your soul. Get to that place of centeredness and ask yourself if this information is true. You will receive your answers, in your own way and within your own time.

Religion is not without its place within our society, but we place too much trust contained by theosophical ideologies rather than assurances within ourselves. We are the temple; we individually are all that we ever need. It is “I” who moves the mountains, fishes from all of the waters and provides all that we will ever need. It was enlightening to hear, “I am Jesus, and we all are Jesus. I am Mohamed, we are all Mohamed. I am Buddha, we are all Buddha. I am the Mother Mary; we are all the Mother Mary. I am God, we are all God!” The point behind this message is that we each are all that we will ever need in this world. Learn to trust yourself. Have faith first within YOU, before you place it within another soul or belief! When we come from a place of self love, self respect and self awareness; there will never be any obstacle that we cannot overcome.

Precept #1:

There are certain constructs about this world that are true today and will remain true tomorrow as they were true yesterday. There are souls among us who have been here many times before. There are souls that have traversed this world several times and there are new souls among us for the first time. Regardless of the number of times we have experienced life, we will come back. Some religions won’t teach reincarnation while others have different viewpoints about it; but our soul comes here to live life and to learn lessons. This is the purpose of life and the reason we live is that our soul learns more while it interacts with other souls as opposed to just learning within the next dimension. On this point I disagree with The Dali Lama who said that the purpose of life (originally he responds that he does not know) but he went on to say that it is to exist. While I fully understand where the Dali Lama’s perceptions derives, it is our existence and original intent to come here to learn lessons that will elevate us to a higher consciousness or to teach those seeking that wisdom they must discover.

Before our soul is born within a physical form, we are shown the life we will live (a life preview). We see the lessons we must learn and those we must teach. We agree to the life we are to live and thereby agree in the form of a contract to learn and teach the lessons within it. We then choose the family we will be born into, thereby selecting in most cases those souls that we know and trust because we have experienced life with them before. When you wonder why you are in the family that you’re surrounded by, remember that you chose them!

Precept #2:

With this being understood, it will never detract from the greatest gift each sentient soul has been granted – FREE WILL! During the life we agree to live, we may choose to remain on the path laid before us. We may also choose to dawn our own journey. Free Will is a masterful concept that we select at any time during our passage. To that end, we may lose ourselves within a lesson, never finding our way back to the path we originally walked. This may be done as the villain, the champion, the martyr or even the victim. As amazing as Free Will is, it may also be the trap that ensnares a soul for the remainder of their lifetime never seemingly allowing that soul to return to the journey they once agreed to pass through.

Every soul steps through their own journey learning their own set of lessons that will differ from every other soul on this planet. I may be learning something you grasped many lifetimes before, whereas you may be introduced to something by me because I gleaned it prior to now. There is no mistake in the souls we encounter or that encounter us. The correct souls come before us when they are ready to learn what we are prepared teach and vice versa. The most important thing for us to understand about lessons is that what some of us may take great offense by, may actually be an important lesson another soul must learn. What I mean by this: EXAMPLE ONLY: that a woman may need to learn a lesson about grief, love or the consequences of choices made in haste. All of which are valuable teachings that must be cherished at some point during life. That training may need to be taught to this person via the decision about abortion. Many readers were just enraged with even the prospect of such a thought; however it is not for us to decide who will learn what lessons or how they must do so. Understanding the balance within life is a far greater task than trying to control what we wish to occur or not. I am always a proponent for life and the living; however, I know that the soul agrees to the lesson being taught, even if they are the means of teaching it. If a soul is to be lost to the ones having it, that soul knows and understands their role within the lesson being taught and thereby agrees to perform their responsibility. That may be in the role of aborted fetus, miscarriage, born and lost shortly thereafter or so on. It is important for us to understand that every soul knows and comprehend their role within the life they accept and agree too, regardless of how long, how short, how arduous, how easy or with regard to the lessons learned or taught.

Given that some lessons are taught through means of pain, loss, deception and even harm; those are the lessons that are the most impactful. There are many harsh lessons that we must learn and some come about in dubious ways. It is important to appreciate that no matter how good intentioned we are in life; we will also be the teacher in some of those harsh lessons. Always keep your head and your heart about you as you discover those teachings that hurt us the most.

Precept #3:

Each of us must recognize that this world has a perfect balance within it of good and bad, light and dark. During our daily rituals we face many decisions and our choices are influenced by light or darkness. Likewise, those lessons must be decided upon if we are going to learn them or are we choosing free will and thereby taking a different direction. The influences that surround us are many in a solitary existence; but in our times of instant gratification, the modern niceties that make our reality far more manageable come with a price and that may be what influences us the most. It is imperative that as this life marches forward you find some means of trusting yourself and identifying the influences that surround you. Some may meditate on important decisions while others think little about them. Either way, you are your greatest source of focus. Once you are confident, focused and loved by you; feeling the light or dark influences will be far easier. The key will always remain in your faith within YOU! There are other post that I’ve written that will tell you how to ground yourself and protect yourself from other influences and how to better identify the light and darkness within you. I will always tell every soul that grounding and protection is essential for you and your loved ones, but it must always be done from the perspective of YOU and not against darkness or negativity. I ground myself for me and I protect myself for me!

Precept #4:

The loss of a loved one will always be a difficult issue for us to witness. I have written before on the process of living and drying and what happens when we cross over. The process of grieving will always remains unique to the soul who is experiencing the loss. We must love and support that soul as they grieve. Others have informed me how accepting what happens with every soul that leaves this earthly realm has helped them through the grieving process. It has also changed their perspective about living as well as what to do once they themselves pass. The soul that has crossed over watches over those persons they loved while they were in physical shape; however they do so as an energetic form from the next dimension. I implore you to comprehend that the death of a person is not an ending, but rather a transition to an energetic beginning and while the existence changes, it remains constant.

I wrote earlier that our soul traverses this world many times. Because this is not a singular existence and our soul will return again, it seems to diminish the harshness we felt before about the passing of loved ones. I believe once you understand this constructs, that the next principle worried about is where our soul goes (heaven or hell). Our soul ascends to the next dimension when passing from this earthly realm. We go through a life review and as our soul adapts to the new existence without the requirements of a body. The next place is of pure energy and love, so the requirements of a body or physical form no longer is essential to existence. The body provides the energy that our soul needs while it lives on the earthly plane. It takes nine months for our soul to adjust from the energetic realm as our physical body grows around it within the womb of our mother. We decide or we agree when requested to return to a living form and therefore born into a lifetime. The nine months the soul spends inside the female uterus it is acclimating to a change from its energetic existence to the one we require on the earthly realm or inside our physical form. It takes that time for that new source of energy - our physical body to grow around the soul.

Precept #5:

Every soul in living form has abilities (Extra Sensory Perceptions (ESP), Intuition, Clairvoyance, Clairaudience, Clairsentience, Clairalience, Claircognizance, Clairgustance, Medium and/or Channel) that we come into the earthly realm with. Most of us lose some to all of our abilities as we grow from new born into infancy and then into childhood. The most interesting reading that I’ve ever done was on a baby who was five months old. With the permission of her parents, I was given the most amazing gift of seeing and understanding that every soul is placed within the womb at conception fully initialized with all knowledge of its past lives along with complete abilities that are used to correspond in place of our physical forms of communication.

It is not unusual for a parent to enter a nursery observing their infant while he or she stares into a corner of the room that has nothing that will attract the child’s eye, but they seem to be engaged when their parent steps up to the crib. Even a child of several years old may randomly say something like I saw this person or that person that you know to have already passed. The child isn’t lying; rather they probably have been visited by many ancestors that are watching over the child in a show of their continued love and support. Even if the person who has crossed over never met the baby in living form, it does not remove familiar or past life ties. Parents need to be more accepting and know what questions to ask when a child mentions an invisible playmate or fear of the dark. In many cases and depending on the age of the child, their friend might just be a soul that has crossed over who is watching over and protecting the child. Likewise a child’s invisible friend may also be a dark or negative energy and therefore parents need to ask questions to ascertain a description of the aberration, the feeling and what your child thinks their friend is about.

I must warn parents because many of my colleges and I recognize that countless of your children are not shutting down their abilities as they’re unintentionally taught. Even if you don’t believe in what I write, but find that your child has abilities, don’t try to shut them off. Help your children cultivate their abilities and let them mature as your child does. It will cause problems if you force or demean something that your child knows to be a natural part of their existence because a human person cannot completely turn off that which is meant to be a part of their life. We will find greater numbers of people living among us with abilities and we must adapt to this and many other changes within our world.

Precept #6:

Every sentient being that inhabits this earth is inter-connected with everything on and inside this planet. Our differences matter little to the energetic bonds that unite each of us with everything surrounding us. If you think for a second that you are not connected with your neighbor and looking after them is not as important as looking after yourself; then you are living within an egotistic life. We must start changing how we think about everything and everyone surrounding us. We must care as much about the people we dislike as we do for our needs and the necessities of those we love. When we harm the person next to us, we harm ourselves. It goes back to the statement that was given before: “I am Jesus, and we all are Jesus. I am Mohamed, we are all Mohamed. I am Buddha, we are all Buddha. I am the Mother Mary; we are all the Mother Mary. I am God, we are all God!” If we are the air that we breath, if we are the water that we drink and the food that we eat; why then are we not our neighbor, our friends and even the ones we dislike?

The world will only ever find PEACE and LOVE when we know and trust that we are all united as one. When how my fellow human beings feel and think is as important as how I feel and think…and no one is better than the other; that is when we start to find true balance among this world. Think about living in a place where you not only know your neighbors, but can trust and believe that they love you as much as you love them. When the knowing of another soul is secondary to loving them; that is when this world will see and feel true tranquility and share in a love that is unimaginable right now.

Precept #7:

There are many souls among us that have been touting the effects of EGO. There is much to be said about ego and how society as a whole is lost within the grip of it. It is only mentioned here for a couple of points that must be digested by the average person. As with everything in life, there is a balance on the earthly plane. Ego is the source that tells you that we are in a constant state of competition with everyone around you. Ego is that drive telling you to be better than all of your co-workers, better than your siblings, better than your friends and even better than your parents. Ego is what places the value of your REPUTATION above living life to the fullest. When what others think about you is more important than you living a fulfilled life that accomplishes your destiny; that is Ego driving you in the wrong direction. Ego is that push to have all of the latest and greatest toys. You buy the latest car that the neighbors and or work colleges enjoy or envy because of ego, not based on needs. Ego is our thirst to be better than our parents and siblings or at least appear to be better than they are. Ego is the source of our desires as well as our insatiable and unquenchable thirst. You should struggle to maintain a healthy balance with ego by not allowing life to be lived in a constant state of ME, ME, ME!!!

Ego is also our protector and that craving to survive and live. It is that part of the scared boy that struggles to maintain living in the midst of great oppression and abuse. Ego is that part propelling the physical body beyond its limits allowing its host to live another day. Anything that is strong enough to survive the greatest physical pain also has the ability to thrust you beyond your limits of rational behavior, desires and needs. Find your balance and maintain ego. Everything in life may be good in moderation. Wake each morning not thinking about what I have to accomplish, how do I out do my co-worker to shine and get that promotion, but rather asking the questions; how do I help this person, who needs my assistance, my talents and how may I affect a life for the better based on my talents? When your first thoughts are of others as opposed to yourself, that is a life lived with a balance of ego.

Your humbler servant – Todd M Dobson

Appreciation For The Love & Support

2010-04-23T17:53:00.001-05:00

23^rd April 2010

APPRECIATION FOR THE LOVE & SUPPORT

Since my last post "Treats of Lawsuits If I Don't Stop My Campaign of Terror", I have received a flood of responses. Over the last few weeks those messages have changed from support to concern due to my lack of posting more blogs. Many wish to ensure that I am not scared to post anything more and I must humorously and emphatically respond, No I am not frightened from posting any more blogs. Rather I've been spending much of my time reviewing Love, Honor & Respect in preparations for publishing my first novel.

I am warmed with the love and support by so many followers. I cannot express enough gratitude for the many email messages and comments. I am sure that my Aunt and for that matter, my family know that a law suit would be extremely arduous to prove and costly. They would have to show intent to do harm, which has never been my objective. On the contrary, I have always wished each of them unconditional love every day I take a breath. I write about my experiences. My focus over the past ten years has always been about LOVE, HONOR & RESPECT. I teach everyone who wishes to learn how we must find it within ourselves to love all souls surrounding us, even when you disagree with them. If you are unable to find love for them, find a way to see something within them that you can respect. It doesn't matter what it might be, but the more you search, the more open you become to that person. Worst case scenario, honor yourself by treating the ones you are unable Love or Respect better than they treat you.

More blogs and posts will come, but for the next month or two I will be working hot and heavy on Love, Honor & Respect letting you all know when it becomes available for purchase.

Thank you again for the love and support with the many comments and messages. I shall return to my blogs as soon as Love, Honor & Respect is in print.

Sending love to all who has expressed it for me.

Your humble servant – Todd M Dobson

Treats of Lawsuits If I Don’t Stop My Campaign of Terror

2010-03-31T16:01:00.001-05:00

31^st of March 2010

TREATS OF LAWSUITS IF I DON'T STOP MY CAMPAIGN OF TERROR

I was wondering why as I woke this morning things seemed to be still. I rose from bed and started stirring as I noticed that the energy surrounding me was odd; it wasn't peaceful as I have worked so hard to make it. I was cautiously aware as I started stepping through my morning practices. Due to the unusual energy, I took ninety minutes to meditate and connect with myself, but for the first time in almost five years, I could not reach that point of connection due to whatever this energy floating around me turned out to be.

At 12:20 PM (EST) I received a call from my Aunt Jeanne M. Melson (Wyatt). This was a number that I did not have for her, so I did not know who was calling, but once she said her name, I knew the voice. I now understood the energy that was swirling about that I was unable to identify. I know when my family speaks so disparaging of me and as of the last post (My Family Won't Let Me See My Ailing Grandmother) I have done everything that I can to block the energy from my family, which is why what I was sensing this morning was coming through as yet unidentifiable. Jeanne wouldn't listen to anything I tried to say in that first call as she kept going on in an aggravated tone. My attempts to interrupt her calmly only caused her to elevate her tone and voice. To get over my pleas for her to calm down and discuss whatever she was phoning about, she got louder and harsher. I hung up on her! She called back at 12:23 PM and was still angry, so I ended that call without a word. Her next call at 12:24PM was declined and a moment later I heard the ding that a voice message had been left. I listened to her threaten to sue me if I did not remove her names from all posts within my blogs. She said that the state was passing "Cyber Stalking and Cyber Bashing Laws" and the moment those laws were passed she would sue.

I thought this would be the end of her rants, but she called again at 12:42 PM (talk about stalking…I looked up the definition of stalking and it reads:
to pursue or approach prey, quarry, etc., to proceed in a steady, deliberate, or sinister manner: as defined by http://www.dictionary.com ). Under these circumstances the only one being stalked would be me! Upon this last call I asked if she wished to discuss this rationally and we ended up sharing individual hasty comments, but not once did I get the sense that she now or would ever listen to anything I had to say.

It is shameful because prior to moving back to Georgia, I considered my Aunt Jeanne to be one of the more level-headed women who I thought to be pretty cool. There were many years that separated her and me, but when I moved back here, one of the things I had hoped to resolve was getting to know her as the adult man…not the child from before. As I explained in previous posts (If You Think Your Family Is Bad – Read This and Let's Compare and How Does A Family Hate It's Own), I did not know why when I first moved here and kept calling to enlist her professional assistance she not return my calls or messages. For two years I left messages and the few conversations we did share, she seemed to be uncomfortable and rushed me off the phone. The only conclusion a man can make in the absence of her having the courage to actually say why she was avoiding me or what I felt was right at the time; had more to do with her preacher husband who I assumed did not want to have her gay nephew in their home. If that assumption was wrong, the only way to have known different would have been for her to actually speak with me then or now. Even until today (which was the longest conversation I've had with her since my grandfather's funeral) I was under the assumptions that my Aunt Jeanne was being manipulated by the lies and disinformation my siblings and parents are so famous for spewing. However, based on the facts that in the one conversation where she was not speaking in a raised tone and voice throughout all of it (I did not say she yelled, because she did not, but as I stated…RAISED TONE), she accused me of hacking into a computer and changing passwords.

I had to think about this for moment, my Aunt Jeanne did not say her computer, so I don't know if someone within her own household is claiming that I did something that I did not do and would never do, or if this is yet another lie by a member in my family spreading more disinformation designed to disassociate me from all of the family. The only member of my family that I ever want to speak with is my grandmother. But back to the "Hacking", while I am a gifted technology person with more than twenty-four years in the industry, I have never once practiced the art of HACKING. With most of the web sites that I manage the projects for, I hired hackers to test their vulnerabilities, but it was never something I wished to do. Just like I know how to code, but it isn't something I ever desired to practice and outside of school, and never have done so professionally. Unfortunately my Aunt Jeanne does know someone with these unique skills and a gifted genius who works in the technology security industry. I would hope that this gentleman would remain out of this discourse. I respect him as the person he has become and I wish no harm on him or anyone in whatever family he is building. I only wish him continued success and love in the most sincere manners. I would hope that as I've expected he has been reading my blogs lately (many of them might I add) that he would remain as far away from this family issue as possible and would never do anything upon requeste. Hacking I personally feel is an invasion of that person's privacy and in my years in the technology industry, I have never gone onto another person's computer without their expressed permissions or that of a superior.

My Aunt might know that and other qualities about me had she ever given me the ability to show her who I truly am as a person. While I can only guess why she refused me eight years ago, I again was under the assumption that she was simply being manipulated by others family members, but after today and with such audacious treats, I am getting the inference that she might have known all along the lies being told by others and that makes her complicit in their deception. My note to my Aunt Jeanne, you may only sue me for Libel and Defamation, but the issues with these two suites are that I only write about what I have experienced and in some cases the assumptions that a person must make when communications or lack of facts forces one to make such. However, the response to any suite against Libel
(defamation by written or printed words, pictures, or in any form other than by spoken words or gestures; the act or crime of publishing it; to misrepresent damagingly) and Defamation
(the act of defaming; false or unjustified injury of the good reputation of another, as by slander or libel; calumny) is to tell the truth. Might I go on to explain that if I experience something, such as your tirades today with me on the phone and by voice message, and I write about such actions of the good Christian woman threatening her nephew because I dare to write about what I perceive to be abhorrent behavior, it is not libel nor is it defaming the "Good Reputation you've Built." As I said to you in that conversation, I can never tarnish any person's credibility, but YOU can your own!

When we wear mask to the outward public at large, deceive those we work with, go to church with and call our friends and neighbors; those are the people who hate bloggers such as me. My family controlled and manipulated me for so many years through character assassinations. Controlling another soul is done by removing from them their self worth, their self respect and their self love. When you take these things away from any soul, you do so only to be able to control them…and no matter how or why, it is never LOVE! I'm no altar boy and I've made many mistakes in my life. I'm not ashamed of any of the things that I've done in this world. I have nothing in my life that anyone can ever use against me. It is why I tell all of these things within my blogs. Aunt Jeanne, I can never and would never try to cause what you've worked so arduously for so many years to build, tear it apart. I am as shocked as any of your friends might be if they ever read my blogs, but I doubt anyone in the circles you run would ever read my words. If they ever did, I would hope that your own actions might illicit their respect and admiration and when I say that, I hope that it does so by the heart of the woman I once knew to be my Aunt Jeanne. She was a wonderful, kind, sensitive woman who truly cared about others. The Aunt Jeanne I remembered and loved as a child would never have let even her husband change the way she felt about another soul. That is the woman I stayed with the remainder of the summer our house burnt down. She would always let the soul before her show their flaws and that Christian woman would forgive and love them; flaws and all. Deep within you that is the woman I know to still be present. There is no one who can harm the way others see you as long as you are honest, sincere and show all souls around you exactly who you are as a person always. I am sure that is the reputation you are so scared that I would tarnish, but I would not, it is the woman I remember and had hoped I would find again when I moved back here. As I indicated, I only write about my experiences, so how if the lady I remember is still there, how could she refuse to let me see my grandmother…even if you believe any of the rhetoric being spread about me. Your actions with me are all that I've ever written about, so if anyone tarnishes you, that would by you!

My Aunt Jeanne told me she would never let me see my grandmother because I told my grandmother to "Fuck Off." I have never written those words and would never and it is funny that when I asked my Aunt Jeanne today to tell me what in my last blog that I wrote about was a lie or a misrepresentation of any facts, which is when she hung up on me and stopped calling back. The world is not one sided, the side you see. This is a lesson for each and every soul to walks away learning, even with the exchange between my Aunt Jeanne and me, there is her side to this story and that comes with her conclusion and perceptions. She called me "EVIL" more than once and told me my "EVIL ACTS" are why my grandmother doesn't want to see me. The true loss in this situation is my Grandmother. I was told that she wanted to see me and that she needed to speak about her life and her passing. Obviously, she won't be able to see me, but worse, she won't be able to truly open her heart or speak of her fears. If she truly felt she could speak of them with my Aunt or any of the family that surrounds her now, she would have already. My fear and what I tried to convey to my Aunt Jeanne on the phone is to set me aside and do what is right for her mother. Grandma feels a presence around her and that terrifies her. Being a Christian all of her life, she was not taught about death and the process of dying. This is the victim that while my Aunt and I go back and forth with each other.

People like my Aunt who place so much on reputation and credibility do so without reverence for being sincere and honest with them about what is truly important, being true to their own soul. I see people all the time that come before me for help. They wear a certain mask to work and they take it off when they walk in the door to home. They put on a different mask for Sunday church or community events and it comes off at home. They wear different masks for the different occasions in their life and in some cases they even have an even different mask that they wear with their spouses. They have all of these different masks, because they cannot face what is deep within their own hearts and souls. They fear truly getting to know themselves and it shows in this world because so many of the people who come before me requesting assistance, must start at the beginning by tearing away all of the various masks they wear in life to hide what is truly at the core of their soul. Regardless of whom they find, remove the fear along with the mask and be honest and sincere with you. Build true self confidence, self respect and love without the presence of ego for who you are as a person and not what others may think of you. While my family's actions are disheartening, they don't hurt me as a soul. I've found who I am as a person and I don't care what anyone else may think about me!

I know who I am deep within. It is not a person who is trying to harm my Aunt Jeanne, her husband, my grandmother or anyone else within my family. On the contrary, every day twice a day I send UNCONDITIONAL LOVE to each of them. I want each of my family to find peace, joy and love and that isn't what I define as those, but more importantly what they know them to be. Those members of my family won't ever make me feel anything but LOVE for me. I spent too many years with self deprecating feelings tormenting myself and once I started walking my spiritual path it is what I do for me…no one else. It is discouraging that so many souls wear such masks and won't get to know themselves, but I've come to know them as NORMAL PEOPLE.

I still hold out that my Aunt might see the error of her ways by refusing to let me see my grandmother. If she allows me to see her and I am told by my grandmother she still does not wish to see me, I will respectfully leave without another word. I know the woman who called today was a hurt person, so let's rationally discuss (a back and forth conversation without any soapboxes for either to crutch). As I told my cousin the day I called asking for permission to see my grandmother, I will always respect the person before me. If I am met with an open heart and an open mind, I always give that much and more. I would hope that someday my Aunt would like to actually get to know her nephew for herself.

MAY WE ALL FIND PEACE AND LOVE WITH EACH OTHER!!

Your humbled servant – Todd M Dobson

My Family Won’t Let me See My Ailing Grandmother

2010-03-24T22:04:00.001-05:00

24^th of March 2010

MY FAMILY WON'T LET ME SEE MY AILING GRANDMOTHER

The process of grieving will often times begin long before a person actually passes. Regardless if the grieving process begins before the passing of the person or at the time they cross over, every person grieves differently. What is inexcusable is when an elderly person, who is closing in on their time, is not given the opportunity to say if she actually wants to see, address, speak with or have the company of any human being. I was told last week that my Grandmother wanted to see me. I voiced my concerns, but I had to promise that I would see my grandmother and help her to address her concerns. My fears that the family who is taking care of my grandmother would keep me from seeing her due to their own personal aversion to me…unfortunately that is exactly what has happened tonight!

The process of taking care of an aging parent, sibling or family member brings with it a host of great stress, heartache and time. It can be a very difficult burden on the best of days. Knowing where to draw the line, when to speak for them, when to ask them and what to ask of them is never clear. The most difficult part of taking care of family is swapping roles. The parent or sibling must allow their ego to move from the dependable person or the independent person they once were to the dependent that requires a loved one to take care of them. There are millions of children throughout this world who are taking care of an ailing family member. To those who take on such an arduous task; my respect, gratitude and love go out to you for the daily sacrifices.

My aunt who has taken the role as caregiver to my grandmother is the person who tonight denied me access to my grandmother. A Christian woman with a preacher husband (you may remember that she was disclosed in two previous posts: How Does A Family HATE It's Own and If You Think Your Family is Bad – Let's Compare). In both of those posts my perspective about my family is not peaceful or loving. I always give respect where it is due, even when the person has little to no reverence for me. Because my aunt and her husband have made it abundantly clear they want nothing to do with me, I still respect the fact that my grandmother resides within their home. Given their discomfort for me, I have always gone to visit my grandmother during the day when both my aunt and her husband were at their perspective jobs. I always tried to ensure that I was gone before they returned out of respect for being in their home. I don't have to agree with a person in order to show them respect with where they are in life. Regardless of my disagreement with them, I promised that I would visit with a woman in her nineties. I promised that I would help to comfort an ailing woman that has surpassed her time amongst us and needs to let go in peace.

Despite what my family thinks of me, keeping any person away from someone without their knowledge is wrong. It can never be justified and one might think that a psychologist and a devoted Christian would be able to remove their own ego from the equation to ask the question of that person they care for. I went by to see my grandmother during the day, as usual, and she did not answer the door. I am afraid that she is unable to do so and that my time to help her is passing due to familial loathing as opposed to rational thought or even the love and respect for what my grandmother wants. It takes a strong and selfless person who would set aside their own personal feelings in order to do what is wanted by another soul in their midst.

Once again I am disappointed by family. I've grown so much as a soul and I must remind myself that others may not choose to grow or mature. I must also allow them to do so in their own directions, in their own time and as they see fit; not to be measured against any other soul. I cannot get inside my aunt's head to determine why she decided to tell me "No, I don't think so" when I called and requested to see my grandmother. I know all of the family reads my blog with disgust for my postings about family. My family is not unlike many across the world where they've been hiding the familial skeletons for such a long time that they can no more agree when they come out than they could love the one who found the courage to champion it's time in the light. I have learned the difficult lesson that the only way to get beyond the pain of yesterday is by exposing it today. Not everyone will agree with me and I can admire that difference, I just wish they could respect mine too.

I called my aunt because I was unable to see my grandmother without her permission today. I expected that the call would not be well received and it was not. Friends have asked how I can write the details of my family as I do, but then defend them and speak respectful that they stand opposed to me. I always point to the facts that within my "About This Blog" and "About You" sections, I explain that our perspective may be different. I write in details that even with two people experiencing the exact same events; it is not a lie when they don't recall the same particulars. It is okay that they may retell different encounters to the same actions. With that being understood; my aunt's response, "and you can write all the lies on your blog that you want" typifies her anger and repugnance for me. What my aunt sees as lies, I see as showing how easy it is for the average person to be lost in the effects of ego.

I would hope that my aunt and her husband think about the decision that was made tonight. When they think about their personal feelings towards me, I trust they pose the question to my grandmother and ask if she wishes to speak with me. If she does, I wish that they set aside their own personal feelings for what my grandmother desires in what may well be the later parts of her life.

The Loss of a Great Friend and Loved One

2010-03-15T20:56:00.001-05:00

The 15^th of March 2010

THE LOSS OF A GREAT FRIEND AND LOVED ONE

MURPHY DOBSON-SMITH

04/23/1996 – 03/15/2010

Hind sight is always far more clear than it was during the moment and as the old saying goes, it is always 20/20 vision. Looking back on the day that Murphy joined my life seems to be crystal clear, except for knowing who chose whom.

The person I was dating during that point in my life brought up that he wanted a dog. I traveled for work, mostly regionally, but a dog was taking on a great deal of responsibility. I had entertained the thought numerous times prior to the request, but felt my time away would be unfair to the dog and I wasn't absolutely sure I could take care of another being. Hell, at times I wasn't sure I was taking such wonderful care of myself, so how was I be responsible for a dog?

I was in between both sides of this argument, but I had agreed to a dog. After playing the nagging mother over what taking care of a dog would mean, I acquiesced and we were in search of a companion. We had discussed a Chocolate Lab, Black Lab or something of that kind and he scoured the local papers every weekend until he found a female black lab at the Boston Animal Rescue Center on Tremont waiting for adoption. We rushed from Dorchester, (the southern and largest part of Boston City) to the Southend of Boston in hopes to find a beautiful black lady waiting to come home with us, but a family had just adopted her. We walked around looking inside the cages at the other dogs and cats that were posing, barking, giving their best "take me home" looks and then there was Murphy.

She sat in an oversized cage shivering as she looked up at me with those beautiful brown eyes. I was standing in front of her cage when I kept hearing my name excitedly from two gates up from me where a 350 pound Rottweiler sat. He was handsome and in a seated position he came up to almost my shoulders. He was a miniature horse and my boyfriend was all about the Rottie. I kept telling him "No……we can't!!!! He won't fit in the apartment! We would have to get rid of the sofa…..hell we'd have to get rid of all the furniture just for him to move around the apartment and my place was huge." I motioned for my boyfriend to come down the two gates and look at the beautiful rust colored lady that was quiet and just looking for someone to notice her as she shivered.

We stood in front of the cage that held Murphy and even though there were signs telling me, "Do Not Open the Cages without Supervision," I was compelled to sit with her. I didn't know if she would charge out like the little ball that shattered all the glass in the movie, The Men in Black, I opened the cage to let her come out to me. She very gently and with such grace stepped up to me as I sat with my legs crossed in the middle of the concrete floor. This tender lady stepped into my lap and circled it once as she lay on top of my legs right there on the floor. I was amazed by her and just as I was moving my gaze from her to Paul and back to her; she lifted her head and licked my left cheek and then curled into a tight ball and fell asleep on my lap. I could do little more than stroke her soft fur as I felt her heart beating against my leg.

I was hooked, but I still had my doubts about the youthfulness of my companion or my ability to care for her myself. I suggested that we walk around the corner on Tremont Street to a New York style pizza place and grab a couple slices while we discussed this further.

I couldn't get this sense out of my mind that somehow this dog already knew me and that we were supposed to be together…or something. We ate and we agreed to get her so we made our way back to the animal shelter. We brought her out of the cage, this time with supervisory assistance, and I was in the process of paying the fees while my partner played with her on the floor. I asked, "What do we call her?" With very little hesitation and with confidence, he said, "Murphy!" I turned from the lady behind the counter and watched the two of them playing and somehow it fit her. In this odd, Murphy Brown sort of way, I already knew this little girl had character to her and the name just fit. So Murphy became a part of the family that day.

We were told that she had been abandoned on the streets of Boston and that we would have to teach her that we were not abandoning her. The lady behind the counter was joined by a large man and a smaller framed man both with smiles across their faces. The lady proceeded to tell me that a little girl used to leave food for her in one of the small neighborhood parks and Murphy would come by every day, jump the fence to get into the park and eat the food. The larger guy said he tried to catch her several times by himself, but she was too fast and agile for one person. He tried nets and the bar, but she wouldn't let him get close to her, she was gone each and every time. That is how they knew she had been abandoned for two months, because they were trying to catch her for that long. I had to laugh at the imagining this big guy and several other similar sized dog catchers trying to corner this beautiful little girl and she would out maneuver them. They laughed as they told how it took three nets and five guys to finally trap her and bring her in. I would have paid money to watch them trying to corner her and not lay a finger on her.

Several days later we were able to bring Murphy home. I had purchased a crate (which my roommate affectionately named the HOUSIE). I had food, dishes, collar, leash; treats, toys and everything else we would need to spoil her rotten. We got her home and I had the bright ideal to start teaching her we would always come back and to start eliminating any separation anxieties she might have. I had a large fence enclosed back yard that was about four foot tall so we closed her into the back yard and was walking up the side of the house when I hear a clag from the gate. As I turn expecting to see Murphy standing against the gate but inside the fence, there she was walking beside me looking up while I was looking down. Hhuummm….I thought I was smarter than she was and kidded myself into thinking I was Alpha-Dog, so I attached the leash to the collar and we went to the opposite side of the yard from the gate and I tied her to the pole of the fence. I was walking back to the gate with a smile on my face thinking, let's see her get out of that and before I knew it; the clag of the gate was her swooshing over it like a gazelle as she again was looking up at me with wonderment. Damn dog bit through an expensive rope leash in a blink of an eye and she barely even touched the top of the gate as she jumped over it with grace like it was nothing! This should have been the point I knew she was the right dog for me, because only a smartass dog could train the master as she so affectionately did over the next several years.

It didn't take long before we figured out that Murphy had been abused as a puppy. We didn't really know how old she was, but they estimated her age between twelve and eighteen months. We would wrestle on the ground and I would be on my hands and knees as she would go around me and over me and wiggle out from under me like Houdini. The best was the first time we were playing and she was behind me and suddenly I felt front two paws and instantly two back paws while she jumped over me and then whip around and crouch down just like me as she faced me waging that tail. She was so fast and agile that I could see why it took three nets and five dog catchers to trap little girl…she was an escape artist. She had been with us several months and we were playing when suddenly my hands were in a position that must have been like another man striking her and she just cowered, shivered and curled into a tight little ball and then inside her crate she remained.

I was struck by what had just happened and it went by so quickly that it took me a few minutes to figure out what was happening with her. It took me over an hour to get her back out of her crate and from then on she and I had something big in common with each other. I understood something about her that few people can truly acknowledge and it broke my heart to think that some guy beat this precious little dog. She was so affectionate and loving and the one who fell the hardest was my roommate. Jamie said in advance of us getting a dog that he would have nothing to do with her. I understood his concerns, but she had him wrapped around her little paws within two months. She would sleep that first six months or close to a year in the kitchen in her crate and when my roommate got home from work or the clubs, he would let her out. Before long a routine immerged where Jamie would let her out and make himself a little snack (in his words….a little snackie). He would fall asleep in his bedroom or on the sofa with leftover food and Murphy would clean up his messes…along with the dishes. Later when she would sleep in a bed in my bedroom, my roommate would come get her out and she would scamper out behind him knowing this was the 2 AM feeding time. My roommate was the only person who Murphy would allow to bear hug her and he would fall asleep doing it. I would get up in the morning only to find Murphy under the covers in his bed with him, but in this tight bear hug that he would have her in all night long. I would stand at the door and try not to laugh as I watched her wiggle her way out of his grip without waking him.

I've seen this dog do some of the most amazing things that I've ever seen any dog do. She pivoted herself and a puppy around her keeping herself between the puppy and a larger dog that she obviously felt was not good for the puppy. I watched as she protected an infant baby from a man that she absolutely did not like as he started getting to what she thought was too close. I watched her jump between me and someone who was bent on doing me harm. And most moving of all were the years that I drowned myself in depression and sorrow, she would come over to me and lay with her head on my lap as I cried myself too many lost days and nights after the loss of a relationship. Murphy wasn't just a pet; she was an extension of who I am as a person. Friends use to tell me that they knew my mood based on how Murphy. There was never a friend as great as Murphy was too me. She knew everything there was to know about me. She covered up the skeletons when I didn't want them displayed…and when it was time to write my troubles away, she drug the damn things out of the closet too. She was the greatest joy always to be around and it was funny, but when I would be working non-stop, she would come over and curl her paw around my arm or hands as she would somehow pull m from the keyboard and the computer….I mean literally dragging me away. As fast as squirrels are, she caught two, not to mention that when we lived in Boston, she killed at least one skunk every fall. The most she killed was three, but the worst was at my going away party in Boston with about a hundred guests still in the house. She was my joy for so many years, my confidant when I didn't have any others, my friend and my heartbeat.

The highest praise I can lay at her paws is that she was diagnosed with a very pronounced heart murmur and congestive heart failure in November of 2007. The veterinarian wanted me to put her down right then, but she was always like the energizer bunny and filled with energy and still kicking Jake's (the other dog in our family) butt when he got out of line….which is often. I couldn't put her down then and am so glad I didn't listen to him. She would play with Jake every day and run all over the yard and yes, when it rained or she wasn't feeling her bouncy self, she would cough from the fluids that were building in her lungs. I've struggled since her prognoses, would I know when the right time would be. She kept giving Jakie hell, so I kept figuring it wasn't now. I only hope and pray I didn't wait too long and equally that I didn't take her from this world too soon. She personified UNCONDITIONAL LOVE and gave it to me every day. I took her for her last car ride today and while her tail was not wagging as usual, it wasn't curled under her like it has been the many months close by.

Murphy, I was graced with such beauty in your company and I can only thank God for you in my life! When the tears dry, I'm sure I will long for your embrace in another time and place. With all my heart, I LOVE YOU!

Your humbled servant – Todd M Dobson

Free Yourself with Forgiveness

2010-03-11T14:07:00.001-05:00

10^th of March 2010

FREE YOURSELF WITH FORGIVENESS

I have two completely different scenarios with similar endings that press the exact same points about FORGIVENESS. Most souls among us do not understand how freeing it is to let go of the pain giving way to forgiveness. We have never learned how to properly forgive others when they have transgressed against us. The saddest part of that lesson we refute is that once we understand how to truly forgive others, we may even have the compassion to forgive ourselves!

SCENARIO 1:

My last boyfriend and I were recently pushed back in contact with one another. It has been eight years since we last saw the other and I was floored when a respected friend and college told me, "You're Ex is the key to you going back to work!" I was told that I needed to call him and that while he was over our relationship and devoid of any resentments, he still harbored guilt over something that she did not understand.

I told none of our mutual friends out of respect not to tarnish his name to them that in the last eighteen months of our relationship, I purchased a condominium for the two of us in Montreal, Québec, Canada. It was originally supposed to be a getaway place, but with the downturn of the economy in 2001, we had to look for alternatives in hopes of remaining a couple. He was more aware of the economic slides and saw the effects it would have on his working in the United States with a visa while I remained lost in the love that was once us. I never saw us apart nor did I expect that we would ever separate until the end of our perspective lives. However, my boyfriend was already working on his exit strategy from our relationship and gleaning what trinkets he might carry with him during the process. That included the condominium that I paid for that he placed within his name, but also in the name of his brother to keep me from taking it back. Before I could realize what was happening, he absconded as much that he could get me to pay for.

I was deceived and manipulated by the one I loved with all my heart. That, more than the loss of the money, took me years to resolve. The deception wasn't something slight, but very methodically done to give him a home for himself in Canada that I paid to put him in. To make matters worse, he brought his brother into his dishonesty to ensure I couldn't or wouldn't go after it. He did the same for the car he drove in Canada and we're not speaking about the car in Boston, the trips I paid for, the clothing I bought or even the watch so prevalently displayed in his FaceBook picture (LOL). In total, I calculated more than $86,000 reasons for him to feel guilty.

I was not exactly thrilled to hear the news that stopped me mid breath. It took me a couple of days to wrap my head around what I was being instructed to do and to understand why I would be told to contact a man that made it abundantly clear he could never speak with me again (selfish of him to neglect communications because he can't face what he has done). Originally, I was told that he would get me a professional job (technology project manager) and my response was; if he assist in me going back to work, that won't have anything to do with the money he owes me. I was swiftly corrected – that is exactly what it means! It took me a day or two longer to digest the latest information and be able to truly understand that this was a means for him to forgive himself once in for all.

I try to help so many other souls open themselves spiritually that when a situation faced me that wasn't logical, but rather spiritual, I was annoyed at how slow I was to recognize the signs. I've explained to those who believe and those who don't; the wheel of Karma ceases to spin at the end of this lifetime. That means that no soul can carry forward any existing or past contracts or debts and everything must be paid in full before leaving this world. The fraud perpetrated upon me by someone I loved was him signing an energetic contract between him and me. This was the perfect opportunity for him to erase that contract without paying for anything while it was putting me back to work professionally. I'm good at what I do professionally and I love working, so I picked up the phone and called my Ex.

For weeks I've tried to communicate with him and explain what is expected of him and how it sets him free from me forever, but he still refuses to actually have a conversation. I've sent emails and voice messages only to be ignored through his fear to accept the actions he so diabolically deployed against me. The point I hate the most, is that he is not failing me, but rather he is failing himself. The good that is happening to him is deserved and he has worked hard over the past eight years to build a better life for himself. He is in a position to hire me or refer me for a job, and yet he would tempt fate because of his own inability to forgive himself. I forgave him years ago and while forgiveness does not excuse the debt he owes; I let go of the pain and sorrow. His inability to let go of his own actions expresses exactly how methodical he planned his deception. If he were truly able to forgive himself, it would be easy for him to have accepted the terms drawn up by outside sources that neither ties him to me or me to him.

SCENARIO 2:

I have many friends throughout MySpace and FaceBook and I speak with most of them. There are several that over the years I have gotten to know closely. This friend is one that I've become very familiar with. In the process of getting closer, we have shared many intimate details of ourselves with the other. He is straight or maybe bi-sexual, but comes from a large family with a father who is a preacher. The children of religious leaders can find it particularly difficult to create their own sense of self. It is too arduous to walk so perfectly the path laid out by their parents and live the example of a life that in most cases their parents can't even maintain. They are either so perfect that outwardly the only environment they fit in is the church itself, but inwardly they are ripped apart with the thoughts rambling about in their own heads. Duality in living becomes a constant companion to the children of religious leaders and their parents can't fathom the damages caused with expectations of perfection without any forgiveness.

This friend I fear will not find peace within his own life because he can't ever let himself be fully free from the binds of his family, the church, God or even from himself. He lives in fear that his very presence degrades the perfect family image or the sanctity of the church. Living any life with duality takes a toll on a person. When you fear discovery from your own existence and who you really are as an individual, it adds such difficulties to the life that you end up living cloistered away from it all. It feels like you live a lie and yet, you would do anything to ensure the image of the family is never tarnished…even at the risk to your own life.

My friend has thoughts he can't express, not even to himself. The fear that an ailing mom or preacher dad or any of the numerous siblings might actually find out what he hides within his own mind is worse than death. That is why during the last holiday season after I left a comment that could be construed as suggestive; his response was hyper sensitive by him deleting my profile and friendship. When some of his siblings questioned the comment and my homosexuality, the fear that they might know anything secretive about him moved him expeditiously to separate me from them in hopes to keep his narrow minded family from looking any deeper than the surface.

His dissociative behavior is almost textbook and his life seems aimless, like he can't put anything together. He has low to no self esteem. These are the life patterns of someone who was raised by abusive parents, and yet his are loving and caring Christians. I was called eventually and kept hearing how sorry he was and how he regretted his hasty actions. Upon explaining how he needed to accept responsibility for his own actions, we continued our online friendship. It has not found its way back to the way that it was before and I am constantly barraged with apathy from someone who just wishes to be understood.

I've tried to tell him that he need not apologize and he does not require my forgiveness; neither are necessary for his actions did not warrant them. He is so confused and turned around inside out that he cannot even begin to allow himself to be just exactly who he is. He cannot forgive himself for what he feels may be the toxins within him when the only thing that is toxic is the self judgments and those family members who would dare to judge. I can only hope and pray that some day he might be honest and sincere with himself regardless of family or church. Anyone that truly and unconditionally loves another soul should want them to be exactly who they were born to be and nothing less.

In both scenarios neither man can grant forgiveness to themselves because neither of them will take the time to see the skeletons within their closets for what they truly are. Before we forgive ourselves, we must acknowledge our role and accept what we've done to another soul. That within itself will open many doors allowing the stale air of injustice to move out so that a fresh perspective may usher forward true, unbinding forgiveness. We will do things that hurt other souls while we traverse our lives on earth. It is inevitable that our actions will not always be in the best interest of others. When these events occur, we owe it to ourselves as well as those souls we harmed to forgive ourselves and then request forgiveness from them. The prior acts will give confidence and self acceptance for the latter to occur.

When we honor ourselves in the process of forgiving, we find it within our own hearts to LOVE, HONOR & RESPECT who we are as people and who we are evolving to be. We also identify those we harmed as we learned the lessons we agreed to learn upon our birth. It takes courage to set yourself free from the shackles and bindings of our past actions. Courage that will add self confidence as it starts stripping away at the darkness surrounding you. The lack of forgiveness is to enshroud one's self within darkness as you defile who you are meant to be. Learn forgiveness and learn to set yourself free!

Your humbled servant – Todd M Dobson

Proposition 8 Must Remain

2010-01-29T00:05:00.001-05:00

28^th of January 2010

PROPOSITION 8 MUST REMAIN

MARRIAGE WILL ALWAYS BE ONE MAN WITH ONE WOMAN

I have followed the Federal court battle that claims the unconstitutionality of Proposition 8 by seeking the rights for gay men and lesbian women to wed those they love. Regardless of the initial outcome, the courage it took for Kristin Perry and Sandra Stier along with Jeffrey Zarrillo and Paul Katami to know within their hearts that the millions of Californians who voted in Proposition 8 were wrong, is staggering. Both couples have publicized a part of their personal relationships for the civil liberties of all United State's citizens.

The power-house defense team at first glance seems like an unlikely coupling with a staunch liberal Democrat alongside a life-long conservative Republican in Theodore Olson and David Boies (Fairy Dream Team). Not exactly what you might think as a match made in heaven, or even one summoned by the wand of the couples Fairy Godmother. However, the gay and lesbian community owes a great debt to the brilliance and cunning strategy that seemed to be a partnership in perfect synch.

The Fairy Dream Team goes up against the attorney for the California Protect Marriage group in Mr. Andrew Pugno. I always wondered what HATE looked like, here it is: I don't state that easily, because I'm the one who professes LOVE, HONOR & RESPECT, but a person must give what they expect to receive. Mr. Pugno was outmatched by the Fairy Dream Team and it showed every day in court. It also makes a difference when a team has RIGHT on their side.

What I don't understand is the HATE portion within a person. As far as we know, Mr. Pugno is a closeted homosexual who drives to cruise areas during the cover of night seeking anonymous sexual encounters with other married men who are hiding this portion of their lives from their families. The colloquialism that says those who shout the loudest are generally the ones who have the most to hide comes to the forefront of my thoughts. Regardless of Mr. Pugno's reasoning for loathing gay men and lesbian women; the fight trivializing any one person's life because they don't measure up to the way you think they ought too, can never be right.

The sponsors of Proposition 8 used fear, anger, hostilities and the ignorance of the unknown to drive people to polling stations voting to save their children and all Californian families from the gay elements that lurk in the dark. They promised like a comic book superhero that if the citizens of California voted in Proposition 8, that they would save "FAMILY VALUES" along with it the children that are served with their biological father and mother always together. The fear that homosexuals will adopt innocent children and molest them or even worse than molestation – convert them to homosexuality is preposterous to say the least. According to statistical data, more than seventy percent of all molesters self identify themselves as heterosexuals. Of the remaining, only seventeen percent of all molesters self identify themselves as homosexual with the remaining either not identifying or identifying themselves as A-Sexual.

These numbers were never disclosed by Christian led groups such as the California's Yes on Proposition 8. The funny point behind the FAMILY VALUE angle with Proposition 8 is that millions of contribution dollars and hands and feet that were both used to sway Californian voters into voting for FAMILY VALUES came from Utah, the home of the Mormon Polygamist. Yes, millions of dollars came from the focal point of FAMILY VALUES where fathers molest their teen daughters while they treat their multiple wives like chattel. While Mormons don't publicize their polygamist backgrounds just like they don't publicize the molestation of their daughters and teenage girls or boys. I know true quality of the Mormon values, my grandfather with family lines dating back for generations have their roots within the Latter Day Saints and then Reorganized Latter Day Saints Churches. Our family and the Mormon's go all the way back to the split in the Mormon Church with the Reorganized Latter Day Saints going to Missouri while the Mormons changed their Northward direction and ended up in Utah. This truly shows the FAMILY VALUES of the leadership for Yes on Proposition 8. They would rather sleep in the same bed with the devil (the Mormon Faith) as they fight against what they tell the citizen's of California is the real nemesis of the FAMILY – gay men and women.

The Yes on Proposition 8 team included one Mr. David Blankenhorn, the founder of the Institute for American Values. Mr. Blankenhorn is HATE MONGERER # 1 to the gay and lesbian community. I don't truly believe a person can be repulsed by unknown people like Mr. Blankenhorn loaths gay men unless you are hiding those same traits from the inside of himself. The testimony by Mr. Blankenhorn details the disdain he has for gay people, and my only question is this is the example of FAMILY VALUES they wish to present as people worthy of marriage? How can such hate spewing forth from a person constantly be an example FAMILY or AMERICAN VALUES? He doesn't reflect any of my values, but I'm a gay man, so I guess according to Mr. Blankenhorn and Mr. Pugno my values don't count!

Not one person called to testify on the behalf of Yes on Proposition 8 was a person of laudable character. Each and every person was so driven by odium and knew they were misleading and lying to the citizens of California. They knew they were using FEAR to prey on the IGNORANCE of those Californians who voted just like scared little children. Politicians and religions have been using FEAR based on IGNORANCE to propel their audiences into actions for centuries, so you might think the average person would see their actions for what they truly are – deception and lies. But a person only sees what they want to see. People want to see themselves as the superhero triumphantly winning over evil…so when do Christians and the average person within the United States stop seeing homosexuals as evil?

The Fairy Dream Team performed exceptionally and the gay community needs to show our gratitude. It should be almost impossible for Chief Judge Walker to hand down a decision that does not vindicate our two couples and the California Gay Community; but don't bet on assurances. I can't find anything in the case presented by Mr. Olson and Mr. Boies that did anything but prove systematically that the theological beliefs of those who managed and supported Yes on Proposition 8 did in fact oppress an entire people. They proved flawlessly how Yes on Proposition 8 denied rights of those people they oppressed and how the ramifications of their bigoted acts demeaned and caused harm to those same persons. I thought it was majestic how The Fairy Dream Team also used the higher court's own words to prove to Chief Judge Walker and the American people that marriage is a fundamental right and to deny any persons their rights is a breach of civil liberties.

What I found repulsive as well as ironic is how the Christian Right, Yes on Proposition 8 and all those who have placed themselves against the homosexual community continue to claim (without any proof might I add) that if gays are allowed to wed, that they will destroy the sanctity of marriage. They go on to claim they are fighting against a direct attack on FAMILY and how if we extend the same benefits to the homosexual community how children will suffer and the family unit will automatically be disbanded! Wow, how much more crap can we load against the gay people. Why don't you just paint all gay men and lesbian women with a likeness of Satan or the likeness of Hitler? The problem with caricatures is this… as horrible as Hitler was and the atrocities committed by him alone were abysmal, but pale in comparison to the number of people killed by Christians in the name of GOD!

Gay men and woman are absolutely not the Devil or Hitler and neither are Christians. However, gay men and women are not attacking Christians and scaring everyone with falseness or with claims that are such outright lies…no that is being done by Christians against gays with groups like Yes on Proposition 8. Let us take this argument to the statistics: there are over 307 million people who live in the United States (2009 census about 2008 population as recorded by the US Census Web Site). There were approximately 2.2 million marriages in 2008 (as reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) with 40% of all marriages in 2005 ending in divorce (According to FastStats and the most current marriage and divorce numbers available online at such short notice). In the United States in 2010 one in five marriages ends in divorce in less than ten years. Many say that the percentage is more like 60% of all new marriages end in divorce within ten years, however, I will be more considerate to the Christian and married groups that are saying gays will destroy the sanctity of marriage. We cannot destroy anything that is being eliminated by its own accord and without our help. There are fewer marriages being performed when there is greater population and out of the number of marriages, more and more are ending in divorce in a shorter period of time. According to the numbers, the heterosexual populace in the United States should be begging gays to marry, because the numbers show that only one in five families remain together outside of ten years. How the hell can anyone point their finger at homosexuals and say we are destroying the sanctity of marriage?

The second and even more atrocious point made my Christians and groups like Yes on Proposition 8 is how our children will suffer because gays will be able to marry. I don't get the correlation and not one straight person has been able to connect the dots for me, but let me see if I can clear up the mess they've made. If one out of five marriages last beyond ten years, but more than 65 % of all marriages produce children, do we have a huge number of divorced parents living together? I don't think so! What we have is a huge number of children who are shuffled between two or more households to the point that in the school systems of today, it is unusual for a child to actually have both of their paternal parents by the time they enter high school. It is more likely that by the time a child starts their high school education; their parents have already divorced and have remarried into their second or third marriages with two or three different sets of children from each. But according to Christians gays being able to marry will destroy THE FAMILY!

With the divorce rates so high and children being pushed and pulled between one or more families, how do Christians have the audacity to say we will destroy the Family Unit? Add to this point the facts that I mentioned earlier how 70% of all molesters self identify as heterosexual. According to the average Christian and groups like Yes on Proposition 8, I am an unfit parent because I'm a gay man, but it is okay for a molester to stalk and destroy the innocence of a child because he's straight? Parenting is no more about having biological mother and father in the family unit and that is pervasive by the incessantly high number of single parents (of either sex). According to most Christians and groups like Yes on Proposition 8, it is absolutely okay for two fourteen year olds, fifteen year olds and so on to climb into their parent's bed or the back seat of a car and nine months later bring an innocent soul into this world. So is this the family Christians and groups like Yes on Proposition 8 are trying to protect from the homosexuals. Now let us discuss the fact that I was sexually molested by a self identified straight man that has two children. I am an unfit parent to children because I'm a gay man, but yet a molester is a fit parent because he's straight?

Here we are on the precipice of what may be a truly great day for gay men and lesbian women. We are no different from our heterosexual counterparts. We want the exact same things in life. We want to love and some of us even wish to show that love by marrying the one we love. We want to start our own family and we wish to do so in PEACE. I know that either this case will open the gates by allowing Lady Liberty to weight her scales of justice blindly in favor of those who are oppressed because some cannot see people as equals, or Chief Judge Walker won't have the veracity to free a people being enslaved by Christianity.

I know one thing to be self evident; no one can be oppressed forever! Liberty always shines one day for those being denied their freedoms and it will shine for the gay and lesbian community.

LOVE CAN NEVER BE WRONG ~ HATE CAN NEVER BE RIGHT

Your humble servant – Todd M Dobson

California Fight: To Allow or Deny Same Sex Marriages

2010-01-11T16:00:00.001-05:00

11^th of January 2010

CALIFORNIA FIGHT:

TO ALLOW OR DENY SAME SEX MARRIAGES

A person might think that Californians have already chosen the outcome of Gay Marriage by changing their states constitution in defining marriage as a union between one man and one woman (Proposition 8 ). That is why the people of California have the right to confront any state law that is believed to be unconstitutional. I knew when individual states started passing DOMA Bills and Marriage Protection Laws that it would take brave souls that love one another to challenge these laws that were passed by people stirred with fear and ignorance as they voted in HATE LEGISLATION.

As I read multiple news stories compelling a line to be drawn in the sand across the State of California with Gay Rights activist on one side and Christian groups that are charged by HATE on the other side. Those who voted in Proposition 8 are led by one Andrew Pugno, the lawyer for the Protect Marriage group. This group led over seven million voters into the ballot boxes voting in Proposition 8. Mr. Pugno must defend their stance to a Federal Court Judge (Chief Judge Vaughn R Walker) in San Francisco. Media outlets are expecting this to be the fight of our century as it will be as critical for our generation as Brown v. Board of Education and Roe v. Wade was for past generations. Mr. Pugno however does not have the support of California State Government as Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Attorney General Jerry Brown have removed themselves from this fight.

Across the line, we find two courageous couples who are tired of Christians using their personal ideologies to segregate them as white citizens did their black brothers and sisters in the 40's, 50's and 60's. The similarities are so staggering where those who oppressed our black citizens in earlier times used theology and ideology to suppress them via FEAR and IGNORANCE. When will we, in this great nation learn the lessons from our past…we cannot deny the rights of any one group because it does not sit well with my personal ideology or theology.

The two couples (Kristin Perry and Sandra Stier with Jeffrey Zarrillo and Paul Katami) who have been denied the right to marry via Proposition 8 have hired representation in claiming that the new law is unconstitutional. This blogger agrees that Proposition 8, as well as all DOMA Bills and Marriage Definition Laws are Unconstitutional to our gay and lesbian citizens. Our two super hero couples will be represented by Theodore Olson and David Boies as this case is set to rocket directly to the United States Supreme Court.

I am sure that Mr. Pugno along with the Protect Marriage group will bring in (as they did in the fight to pass Proposition 8) as much outside help that they can find. If it was left to just California citizens to think and decide this issue by themselves, I believe that they might have voted in a very different manner. However groups like Protect Marriage must have help from out of state Christian organizations drawing from resources and funds well beyond the state of California to properly scare, threaten, and demean voters into believing that if they don't vote to define marriage between one man and one woman that the sky will fall. Just as white people used fear and threats to propel their white counterparts into continued oppression of our black brethren years before. The same tactics are being used now and I am here to say, the same results will be victorious. It will be shown that Christians and all who oppose Gay Marriage will learn that they cannot deny any part of society their just and equal rights simply because they feel it goes against their way of life. It is not revoking their rights; it is simply ensuring that all citizens may share in the same privileges.

There should never have been any state adopted DOMA Bills or Defense against Marriage Laws. Gay men and lesbian women never demoralized marriage; they only wish to share in its bounty as they bask in the love they share with another soul. I have written before on the history of marriage and it is not what Christians claim it to be. According to Christian groups like Protect Marriage, the populace is led to believe the sanctity of marriage started as a religious offering between two parishioners and was always blessed by a Christian leader. That is an outright lie! Marriages were being performed by tribal elder's centuries before Jesus Christ walked this earth. Two couples were uniting in marriages that were presided over by any leader of a village, town or group of like minded citizens thousands of years before it was adopted by the Council of Nicaea as a Christian ordination. Between the birth of Christ and the formation of the Council of Nicaea in 325 A.D. only those wealthy families who could pay for the blessings of a Christian or Jewish leader to preside over the union of two souls would warrant such a blessing. However, the Protect Marriage group does not want you to know this. They want you to remain ignorant that Christian doctrine did not bless marriage as a sacrament until the Council of Nicaea deemed it worthy and that was never established as a priority as set forth by Emperor Constantine the Great. No Christian groups want you to dumbly believe that from the beginning of time, God created Adam and then Eve and in some ceremony that we've never heard about until this became an issue that God presided over the marriage of them. It was never established by God, because to him, two people only need to look each other in the eyes and promise their heart to the person before them; and that is what God established as marriage. But Christian's can't fight against God; however they can be called to arms against homosexuality by the same men who lead them astray on issues such as marriage.

You don't need someone like me telling you how to think, but I hope you listen to me when I advise you to open your heart and your mind. Ask yourself if it is right to deny any person the right to love any other person? Without thinking about it, what does your heart tell you is right? Many of you will fall to the teachings and doctrine that you follow and for that I ask you to think about this? If a God is all about LOVE, why is this LOVE so wrong? How do two men or two women loving each other deteriorate that which you share with your husband or wife? If you listen to your heart, I'm sure it will tell you that it never has! If that is the case, again I must ask, why are you fighting against LOVE?

LOVE CAN NEVER BE WRONG ~ HATE IS NEVER RIGHT

Your humble servant – Todd M Dobson

Martin Luther King, Jr – Freedom From Oppression

2010-01-10T12:16:00.001-05:00

10th of January 2010

MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR

Freedom from Oppression

The nation celebrates the life of a truly inspirational man…Martin Luther King, Jr taught the United States that oppressing people is always wrong. He wasn't just the co-Pastor of the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta Georgia, to many he became the conscience of the United States until his death on April 4^th 1968.

We have shared in the presences of some truly great people. These men and women left their mark on Americans as well as the world: Martin Luther King, Jr, Malcolm X, Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, Rosa Parks, Jefferson Davis, Benjamin Franklin, Emma Willard, Harriet Elizabeth Beecher Stowe and far too many to list in this blog. Each added to the colorful landscape that makes the United States so dangerous and yet so wonderful. These American heroes stood against the establishment of their times as they face oppression. They stand shoulder-to-shoulder with some of the worlds most famous leaders who fought against ternary with little to offer but their words that shielded many from the armies they faced. Their determination was consummate. The world needs to heed the lessons from our past. When equality is denied to a people by an oppressive monster that would rather beat, kill and control instead of to LOVE, HONOR & RESPECT; the world looses for all. We must learn that our fellow citizens should not be judged by their differences, but rather to seek out our commonalities.

Nelson Mandela, Desmond Tutu, Mahatma Gandhi, Hafsat Abiola, Dalai Lama, Alice Paul, Boutros Boutros Ghail, Mother Teresa and many others, took up the struggle to end oppression and injustice while leading their supporters away from violence – just as one of our favorite sons in Martin Luther King, Jr. They were truly better people than those stripping them of their freedoms, because, while justified in the use of weapons against their oppressors, they showed a mighty side to the human face – the shield of peace will always be mightier than the sword of injustice. It is amazing how many times the world has written the same story in the blood of those being shackled and chained with injustice, oppression and tyranny from our earliest forms of writings. If we learned anything, it should be that oppressing humans can only garner you desired outcomes for a temporary period of time. Those who are oppressed will eventually rise up beyond their shackles and on the wings of doves; turn those monsters that chained them into regretful people.

Martin Luther King, Jr was just such a man. I stumbled many times trying to write this post, because there is nothing I can add to the accolades written by far greater people than me. He was a gift from heaven, as many people referenced him as the conscience of America, who brought about change in a time of great instability. His call to action came only with a message of peace, because he understood that showing the world how the few would take bats, mallets, guns and ropes to a group shouting the words of freedom with each step they took, garnered more support to their cause than if they met with due force. They could have chosen to use violence equal too or greater than the brutality that met them in the shadows of darkness, but true greatness is never brought about by force. If you read every speech the man gave, you can see that he stood for equality for all people. He never once segregated or denounced any one group for any cause. He sought to enable everyone to be exactly what they were already – a human being who deserved the twice granted freedoms by this great nation. He only wanted equality for all and liberty to be blind to everything but the injustices affronted citizens of this country. Read some of the words by the great man who gave so much to free those denied their rights to be equals:

"as a great beacon light of hope to millions who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice"

"still languish in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land, So we've come here today to dramatize a shameful condition"

"In a sense we've come to our Nation's Capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men would be guaranteed the inalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness"

"But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. So we have come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice."

"We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of Now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism.

Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy.

Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of justice.

Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood.

Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children."

"The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges."

"Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force."

"No, no we are not satisfied and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream."

"Let us not wallow in the valley of despair. I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow. I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream."

"With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood."

"This will be the day; this will be the day when all of God's children are able to sing with new meaning "My country' tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the Pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring! And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true.

So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire.

Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York."

"And when this happens, and when we allow freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, "Free at last, free at last. Thank God Almighty, we are free at last".

When do the inhabitants of this great nation learn from the lessons of our past? When do we learn from our ancestors and grant all citizens the same rights that were granted upon the foundations of this country? When do we see love for that which it is….and not something of filth to be oppressed, because it doesn't match your vision of love? Homosexuality is on a collision course with mainstream America because of the intolerance affronted gay men and lesbian women. Shall the congregations of this great nation not learn the lessons from Martin Luther King, Jr?

When you tell me I can't love the person with whom I've fallen in love, simply because it is not as you see love. You are committing the same crimes against humanity that oppressed the black persons, women, the Jewish people in Nazi Germany and in Egypt and so many other atrocities.

When you tell me I can't love the person I've fallen in love, you are committing the same heinous crimes fought against by Nelson Mandela in Africa.

When you try to dictate my life by denying me the same rights our fore fathers granted each and every one of us; it is you who stands on the side of wrong. Sooner rather than later, justice will prevail leading to your disaster.

This does not have to be about right and wrong, because you can make it about what is right; by simply acknowledging the civil liberties that you deny me with DOMA Bills and passing state constitutions defining marriage between a single man and a single woman. This does not have to be about right and wrong, because liberty has always been victorious in the end!

Each person who cleaves to a holy book claiming homosexuality is wrong, should leave the judgments to God, and let me live my life in peace, with honor just as you wish to live your life. If my life is so wrong and against God, then let me be judged when my days comes to an end by the only soul truly capable of judgment - God. Until then; grant me the same privileges to live my life peacefully as you claim for yourselves. Equality does not come with choices for whom and when; equality is for all. When you deny my egalitarianism, you deny yourself the peace you rightfully deserve.

I have a dream today

I have a dream that one day all men, women and children are treated equally!

GAY RIGHTS = HUMAN RIGHTS

Your Humble Servant – Todd M. Dobson

Church and Government: Where is the Separation?

2009-12-18T21:25:00.001-05:00

16^th of December 2009

CHURCH AND GOVERNMENT

WHERE IS THE SEPARATION?

I was dreadfully enlightened by a fellow blogger about the travesty presented by the Rwandan government with the introduction and today's vote of Article 217. The bill presented to the Rwandan legislature was tabled as citizens and gay countrymen challenged the unconstitutionality of it. It is even more tragic that a fledgling government is not focused on stabilizing their country after the evil genocide left it in tatters. This bill is tantamount to the exact same type of genocide that was perpetuated by fear, hatred and ignorance against those who were not wanted.

Curiously this bill would make it illegal for you to be openly gay/lesbian with penalties starting at life in prison with the abilities to extend to execution by the government (does the government of Rwanda consider its actions genocide yet…or just the beginning of the extermination of an entire socio group within its country???). It goes on to criminalize the knowledge of anyone who is gay/lesbian if you do not turn them in to the authorities. So if you have a son who turns out to be gay and you don't turn your son into the powers that be, you can go to prison. This is supposed to be a government for its people and by its people; yet hate pervades at its top most levels seeping down to the people through fear and ignorance just as it did when millions were murdered in a cleansing of the populace. The people of Rwanda need to fight such oppression, fear and hatred that are delivered with violence and shame.

In the investigation by numerous sources, one religious group continues to surface as the proponent for such HATE LEGISLATION…an American Christian organization called THE FAMILY
(Fellowship or The Foundation)! This self professed "invisible association" has many United States politicians that are members as well as in association with the organization. There are supposed ties to all areas of our government: Senators, Legislators, CIA, DOD, FBI and aerospace industries. The fellowship and friends of The Family are collecting people around the world who are in positions of power in order to push through what The Family deems as its Christian beliefs. They have assembled many world leaders, dictators and politicians. For a Christian organization to be wielding so much power; it goes far beyond dangerous; it is stripping away our democracy and replacing it with a King who forces everyone world-wide into practicing one religion one way – THEIR WAY – THEIR BELIEFS.

The bill introduced to the government is sponsored by men with strong and deliberate ties to The Family. If Rwanda does not have a law dividing religion and government, then it is past time for them to enact one. If they have such a law, as we do in the United States, then they need to follow what I am recommending for the citizens of my country…KICK RELIGION OUT OF THE POLITICAL PROCESS!!!

This idea has been formulating over the past few years. In the United States we've seen constant attacks by the religious agenda to force all citizens into living "THEIR WAY." Morality is subjective, but all of the Christian and Muslim religions that refuse to LOVE, HONOR and RESPECT all who don't believe as they do are perpetuating the reasons so many souls are leaving religion all together. When warring religions target the same group of gay and lesbian souls who live in this country and never targeted those religions, something is truly wrong with those who go out of their way to hate. We pay taxes and we deserve to live with all of the exact same rights and privileges that every other citizen retains. None of the gay people in this world chose to be gay, but religion has focused its hatred on us based on the literal interpretations of the Bible and Koran. I can and have argued these points many times and religious people have stopped arguing against my blogs because they have no basis to do so. I use the history of Christianity and Muslim faiths against its own battle to oppress hate and demoralize a group of their own. Hate is perpetuated by fear and ignorance and that is why Christianity and Muslim faiths focus on them.

The First Amendment of the United States Constitution states that neither the federal or state governments shall give preference to one religion over any other, or non-religion over religion (or vice versa). In the United States, as with many other countries, religious organizations are not required to pay taxes. They receive tax exempt status based on the good they are supposed to be doing (feeding, clothing and housing those who cannot). This is where we the people of this nation need to force our government into taking action against religious organizations such as "The Family."

When a religion of any kind uses its pulpit or facilities (that are all tax exempt) to speak about politics or political subject matter; they need to lose their tax free status. When an organization such as The Family or the Catholic Church can lobby politicians in many different countries, including the United States; they need to start being taxed on those funds that are being used to buy favor in any political process. When a religious organization pushes for laws that are designed to hurt and disenfranchise other citizens that do not believe as they do; that is when that organization need to start paying local and federal taxes for every state they lobby as they force through HATE LEGISLATION (like DOMA Bills, Definition of Marriage Bills, Sodomy Laws and laws such as Rwandan Article 217). No religion should have the rights or power to influence laws in any way, much less to cross state lines and coerce the passage of laws in other states or countries (like Rwanda and Uganda).

I will be seeking a means to push the United States Government into taking action up to and including a class action lawsuit against dogmatic religious organizations bent on assimilating all the world's citizens to believe as they do…especially without regard for FREE WILL. We need to start doing what is right for all citizens of this nation and of the world and stop focusing on the beliefs of any segregated groups like Christians or Muslims. If a Muslim temple funnels money to any political group anywhere in the world for any reason, that temple needs to lose its privileges just as any Christian church should as well. If it is good for one, it is good for all and we can no longer use the treat of national security to watch one religion when many pose serious risks for the survival of the world. All religions who cannot LOVE, HONOR and RESPECT all souls among this world; then they threaten the safety, security and freedom of every citizen within it. When any one group passes laws subjugating others to its way of thinking while they pass it off as morality; it begs the question who is negating any moral certitude. We are all in danger from those religions that see their way as the ONLY WAY!

LOVE IS NEVER WRONG ~ HATE IS NEVER LOVE

Your humble servant – Todd M Dobson

Church and Government: Where is the Separation?

2009-12-16T22:31:00.001-05:00

16^th of December 2009

CHURCH AND GOVERNMENT

WHERE IS THE SEPARATION?

I was dreadfully enlightened by a fellow blogger about the travesty presented by the Rwandan government with the introduction and today's vote of Article 217. The bill presented to the Rwandan legislature was tabled as citizens and gay countrymen challenged the unconstitutionality of this bill. It is even more tragic that a fledgling government is not focused on stabilizing their country after the evil genocide. This bill is tantamount to the same genocide that was perpetuated by fear, hatred and ignorance against those who were not wanted.

Curiously this bill would make it illegal for you to be openly gay/lesbian with penalties being life in prison and could be extended to execution by the government (does the government of Rwanda consider its actions genocide yet…or just the beginning of a new one???). It goes on to also make it against the law to know someone who is gay/lesbian and you do not turn them into the authorities. So if you have a son who turns out to be gay and you don't turn your son into the powers that be, you can go to prison yourself. This is supposed to be a government for its people and by its people; yet hate pervades at its top most levels seeping down to the people through fear and ignorance just as it did when millions were murdered. The people of Rwanda need to fight such oppression, fear and hatred that are delivered with violence and shame.

In the investigation by numerous sources there became a face to those propagating such HATE…an American Christian organization called THE FAMILY
(Fellowship or The Foundation)! This self professed "invisible association" has many United States politicians that are members as well as in association with the organization. There are supposed ties to all areas of our government: Senators, Legislators, CIA, DOD, FBI and aerospace industries. The fellowship and friends of The Family are mounting around the world and include many world leaders, dictators and politicians. For a Christian organization to be wielding so much power; it goes far beyond dangerous; it is stripping away our democracy and replacing it with a King who forces us all to practice our faith just one way – THEIR WAY – THEIR BELIEFS.

The bill introduced to the government is sponsored by men with strong and deliberate ties to The Family. If Rwanda does not have a law dividing religion and government, then it is past time for them to enact one. If they have such a law, as we do in the United States, then they need to follow what I am recommending for the citizens of the United States to do…KICK RELIGION OUT OF THE POLITICAL PROCESS!!!

This idea has been formulating over the past few years. In the United States we've seen the attack by the religious agenda to force all citizens of the United States to live "THEIR WAY." Morality is subjective, but all of the Christian and Muslim religions that have mounted a war against gay and lesbian souls who live in this country too. We pay taxes and we deserve to live with all the exact same rights and privileges that every other citizen retains. None of the gay people in this world chose to be gay, but religion has focused its hatred on us based on the literal interpretations of the Bible and Koran. I can and have argued these points many times and religious people have stopped arguing against my blogs because they have no basis to do so. I use the history of Christianity and Muslim faiths against its own battle to oppress hate and demoralize a group of their own. Hate is perpetuated by fear and ignorance and that is why Christianity and Muslim faiths focus on them.

When a religion of any kind uses its pulpit or facilities (that are all tax exempt) to speak about politics or political subject matter; they need to lose their tax free status. When an organization such as The Family or the Catholic Church can lobby politicians in many different countries, including the United States; they need to start being taxed on those funds that are being used to buy our politicians. When a religious organization pushes for laws that are designed to hurt and disenfranchise other citizens that do not believe as they do; that is when that organization need to start paying local and federal taxes for every state they lobby and force through HATE LEGISLATION (like DOMA Bills, Definition of Marriage Bills, Sodomy Laws and laws such as Rwandan Article 217). No religion should have the rights or power to influence laws in any way, much less to cross state lines and support the passage of laws in other states or countries. This is a blatant affront to the First Amendment for those who don't believe as Christians or Muslim do. However, this country was founded on the protection and beliefs for all her citizens and not just those claiming a religious affiliation.

I will be seeking a means to push the United States Government into taking action up to and including a class action lawsuit to the US Supreme Court that takes religion out of making our laws. We need to start doing what is right for all citizens of this nation and the world and stop focusing on the beliefs of a segregated group like Christianity. If a Muslim temple funnels money to any political group anywhere in the world for any reason, that temple needs to lose its privileges just as any Christian church should as well. If it is good for one, it is good for all and we can no longer use the treat of national security to watch one religion, because all threaten the safety, security and freedom of every citizen within this world. When any one group passes laws subjugating others to its way of thinking while they try to pass it off as morality; then we are all in danger!

LOVE IS NEVER WRONG ~ HATE IS NEVER LOVE

Your humble servant – Todd M Dobson

When All Else Fails – What’s Next

2009-12-08T11:33:00.001-05:00

07^th of December 2009

WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS – WHAT's NEXT

The first and second weekends of every month I volunteer by helping those who find themselves in any number of situations. Rarely do people come seeking a voice when they are happy, centered and filled positively with life (even though when those people do, it is amazing to talk with them and feel their energy). Most people come with immense needs, worries, concerns and heavy hearts. Their issues range from the fear or actual loss of a job, relationship problems, a spouse they believe is cheating on them or just not sure what may be wrong, however they know there is a dark cloud that follows their every move.

Regardless of the reasons they come to speak with one who will listen, I've been seeing growing numbers of people who seek assistance of all kinds. In most cases, they can't even see that regardless of the cause(s) of their pain, they exhibit no self confidence, no self esteem and no concept of how to turn their circumstances around. It doesn't matter if they've lost a job, lost a loved one or never had someone there to love them; it is mute why they feel isolated and alone, the point is that so many among us do!

I recognize that in our society, much of the populace has not fully developed a proper sense of one's self. Many souls feel that all they require love to find the right person and how it is the job of that person to bring love to them. The famous line from the movie Jerry McGuire proves my point perfectly, "You complete me," yet how can another person truly bring love to you? I've heard it said so many times and in so many ways, "if I can just find the right job, all my problems will go away." This ideology is indicative for how so many people feel within our world.

The problem with any scenario is that immediate issues or the vacancy of love or anything else can be acquired by others. The right job will not correct your financial or social problems. The right person won't suddenly envelope you with an earth shattering love that you've never experienced before. It is indicative that in our society over the past several generations where the average family is so dysfunctional that the few families that love, share and support all within it have become abnormality. The person who considers themselves average, tells of families riddled with abuse of one kind or another. The children of today are spoiled in so many ways, but they are latch-key kids left to the television, computer and video game units instead of actually interacting with Mom, Dad or even one another. This degradation in the family community has taken with it a single place where mothers and fathers would normally teach their children how to respect and what confidence truly is.

The results of which are detrimental to so many whom when they find that the world does not deliver what they expect, they become depressed or feel lost. Many of the people I see sitting before me are devoid of any self confidence. Their self worth is depleted and some are depressed while others have a cloud of darkness following them like Pigpen in Charley Brown. I find that before anyone can help with whatever malady has them so wrought with pain, they must first learn to believe in themselves. There are a number of ways to heed this lesson and no way is better than any other. I find that it is best to step into a regular practice building yourself from the foundation. While that may change for each individual person, here are some suggestions that may work for you:

Find a source of daily affirmations. Louise L Hay and others produce books, cards and a variety of means that cost very little. Read several daily affirmations that speak to you. When we lack confidence, self awareness and belief in one's self; we hear subconsciously a million times a day negative messages designed to tear us apart and keep us oppressed by our own actions. Those messages speak to our fears and our self loathing. We must tell ourselves positive messages or affirmations more times per day than we hear those harmful ones.
You should start to feel better after one to two weeks of messages designed to rebuild your soul. For some people it may take longer than others, but once you start to feel good about yourself, you must increase your work to constructively rebuild who you will become as a person. Regardless of your physical form, you must work yourself into the point where you can stand naked in front of a mirror and see yourself as beautiful just as you are. It does not matter if you are imperfect in any way, but continue to tell yourself, "I am perfect in every way," "My body grows stronger with each passing day as I am perfect just the way that I am." As you exorcise the darkness surrounding you and within you, you will find that issues of weight loss or physical imperfections will diminish as your confidence and self adulation grow.
At the point where you have confidence, it will be time to seek the help of another who can remove the darkness that has descended you before now. This darkness will be around you even though you are feeling better about yourself. Find a spiritual person or religious leader who will understand and with whom can remove the darkness plaguing your soul. Follow their guidance, but understand no one can expel anything from you without your belief and approval to do so. If they can rid you of the darkness that follows, it will return unless you set your intention that it is gone and shall never return. Most people will read this third point and gloss over it because giving voice to darkness is not what many believe, but if you believe in light (such as angels), you must also know that within this universe there is a perfect balance. For the light that surrounds us there is also darkness. We as a soul, as a person, have both light and darkness within us. It is our choices where we decide to respond with either light or darkness that determines what is within us. If you cannot believe in that, than you will never fully rid yourself of the darkness that is within and around you always.
Set your intention that the spiritualist who is helping you rid yourself of this darkness will be successful and once it is removed from you that it has no place within you. That you are a vessel of Light and there are no contracts of darkness that give it place within you ever again. Know this to be true and don't question it and you will feel as if the weight of the world is removed from your shoulders and you are freed from the shackles that once held you prisoner within yourself.

When you are free from self oppression, lack of confidence and a self effacing consciousness; you will see the obstacles that once blocked your way removed. Finding the right job, the right spouse and the right path will be easy as you step through life. Remember as a parting thought, that the energy we expel is what we attract. Ensure that confidence, self assurance and positive sources of energy are what you send to yourself and all others. When you do, it is what will come back to you always.

Your humble servant – Todd M Dobson

Is It The End – Or a New Beginning

2009-11-15T11:22:00.001-05:00

12^th of November 2009

IS IT THE END - OR A NEW BEGINNING

My post "Why So Many Oppose Health Care Reform" and the bantering shared between a reader and I rendered me deep in thought as I meditated. I tend to forget that not everyone in this world understands the changes underway now. In my responses with this reader, I alluded to these modifications, so what are they and what do they mean for you and for me?

Most people have heard of December 21^st, 2012. For many, it is just another day. Understandably, they feel we have heard enough propaganda in reference to it. Just as many felt Y2K turned out to be no real threat. I however know that the end of the millennia was more than just ushering in another New Years. Regardless if there was human hype made about the failure of computers, the treats that we would be plunged into darkness with no electricity and even greater arguments that the world would come to an end. We stepped into the Age of Aquarius, which has been predicted by every major ideology thousands of years before this time as a time where the world would END AS WE KNOW IT. The question on the minds of many is…what will end or more pointedly, what types of changes are we destined to endure.

As with every major celestial, theosophical or ideological change, there will always be those who immediately claim Armageddon. They may even pull out religious text quoting chapter and verse to exemplify what they deem as proof that the Apocalypse is here. To disarm "The End of Days" means to truly understand what these predictions discern.

First we must grant that most divine books (The Bible, The Koran, The Torah, etc.) are written in parables on purpose. The parable is to deliver duality in its meaning and in doing so we must accept that there are multiple meanings for each passage. The duality is not to confuse, but rather to make clear for those minds worthy enough to actually understand. To understand dictates that one must read with an open mind and with an open heart. We are warned both inside the bible and outside of it from taking any theological text too literally. Unfortunately, there are too many who use the literal interpretation of these passages to enshrine would be followers into believing God's intention without really knowing what he truly proposed. To know God means to know you ("The kingdom of God is within you" – Jesus Chris"). To have faith in God means that we must first have faith in whom we are as beings. We are told this directly and indirection many times from many sources: "as above, so below," "Know ye not that ye are Gods" and "Ye are Gods."

It is the divine will to know ourselves and by doing so, we also identify God, if in fact we are believers. This is a pivotal foundation for us to accept regardless of our theology or even the negation of any; as beings made in his image, we must first learn ourselves before we go extolling his virtues to others. I know far too many souls that even in their struggle referred to as life; they reached out for faith in an omnipotent being without getting to know themselves. The problem in placing the cart before the horse is that we then must pull the cart and the horse by ourselves. What I mean by this; to know God is to know the divine spark within us all, so if we learn only what we are led to know by others, we have yet to know the greatest part of spirituality. We are conferred in many texts and in numerous passages in each of those texts, that WE ARE MADE IN HIS IMAGE; do you not recognize the light within us that is of him? Can you not witness that which is within your heart that beats of him? If you cannot; I challenge that you are not as connected in your faith or your praise of him and therefore your knowledge is shallow and without dept.

As I make such a claim, I do not judge. We all walk this earth on different journeys. Our path will differ from that of our neighbor, as it should. Our lessons during this lifetime will differ and it is incumbent upon our soul to learn those lessons we agreed to heed prior to our birth. There is no soul greater nor is there any soul that is diminished, we are just on different journeys learning that which we must, digest and teach that which we already know. To see a soul that does not recognize the light of God within is a simple statement that accounts for where they are on their path. No one other than they can know if they are where they're supposed to be, learning what is presented for them to know or for them to teach.

We are a world of people lost from their own reflections. Society has taught many lessons that were not necessary to learn as we walk our path. To that end, the majority of us have lost that sense of knowing ourselves, and with it, we reach as a blind man does not knowing what direction is true. The heart that beats within our chest is seen as a mere organ that pumps and pulls the elixir of life through our physical forms, but when we address the soul, that ball of energy that truly defines us beyond the limits of this lifetime, it is as if looking into a mirror with no reflection staring back upon us.

We are a lost and disconnected world where individualism has become the true religion that we all regale, and yet we still do not have faith within ourselves. Our actions show this in many ways: we don't care if we cut the person off next to us as we speed passed in our automobiles, because had we cared we would have set the cell phone down long enough to actually look, ensuring no one was there. We rush based on the need to run our children from one class to another team event, but we are not present to watch and support our kids in their efforts. We continue to live our life through the children that kindle an extension of who we are, as opposed to seeing them for the soul they truly were born to be. Everything is about us in our own minds with little thought of our fellow man. This was exemplified many times over by the reader who kept challenging my beliefs that as a society we must care for our neighbor as much as we care for us. The only retort given was, "I will give of my money and time when I chose too and I will not be forced into paying for anything else." It did not matter that as a society we must learn to take care of those who are unable too; to love them and cherish who they are while we assist them in striving to become productive again. Our debate was over Health Care for All, which one might think would have been automatic a long time ago, but yet the shallowness of this person refuted any means of caring unless they decided it behooved them to care.

The changes that are being made within this world are based on those discussions from yesterday. The world has been beseeched with darkness as is the reason that most souls are lost, knowing only themselves in a superficial manner. The changes that are referenced in every major theosophical, philosophical, celestial and prophesized means will have already been set long before the 21^st of December 2012. Those changes can spark a worldwide revolution or the Armageddon that many fear. Or the changes could be innocuous if the majority of the souls within this world believe that goodness and light will prevail. What the extent of the change will be is based on you and upon me. We are being forced to become part of the collective of this world; that means we are one of many. In adapting to these changes, we will learn to be both of ourselves as well as for the betterment of all. Our first instincts will change from being "ME FIRST" to "US." We will learn that it is natural to covet our neighbor as we only coveted us before.

These are vast and to some, very arduous transformations. Many do not adapt to change easily, while others will not wish to think outside of THEM. They like the isolation and loneliness of being closed, because darkness and shadows pervade where the light cannot shine. However, these adaptations in our world are for all to share in as we move towards a unified populace. The Rosicrucian Manifestos stated it best in the early 1600's, "The whole world shall become as one book and al the contradictions of science and theology shall be reconciled." While I am energized at our world changing from a place dominated more by darkness (today) and that we will be migrating towards a time where light shines upon all as we connect with every soul among us. There are things that I have yet to understand in a collective consciousness that even concern me, however, I have faith in any direction that offers solace within the light as opposed to walking in the unknown darkness alone.

To bring these alterations full circle with where we are today; those transformations are underway currently. If they had already been completed, there might not be a need for my blogs chastising those who are against Medical Coverage for all citizens within this country. As a collective, we would need all of our population to be healthy, which is why we would take care of our neighbor as we would take care of ourselves. There would be no segregation based on race, color, nationality, religious affiliations or no affiliations, sex, sexual orientation or any other means that people use today to disassociate with others that they do not see as they perceive themselves. To cast aside hate, fear, oppression and any means that we use to segregate others away from us or in a means to make ourselves feel in some way better or above others; I am ready to sign up. Society is not meant to live in fear, judgment or raising one above any others…no, we are meant to be equals and to live enshrouded with LOVE, HOPE and PEACE!

This post will take some time and understanding, but it is delivered from my heart to all who will read it. May we face the challenges that are underway with ACCEPTANCE and TRANQUILITY!

Your humble servant – Todd M Dobson

Why So Many Oppose Health Care Reform

2009-11-11T09:07:00.001-05:00

10^th of November 2009

WHY SO MANY ARE AGAINST US HEALTH CARE REFORM

I have received a number of comments, complaints and outright harsh responses to the multiple posts I've made encouraging Health Care Reform within the United States. It is amazing what rhetoric is being disseminated via political party lines. The Republican Party vehemently opposes providing medical coverage to all US citizens and vicariously sits back while millions of us suffer without the ability to see a doctor for our ailments.

The Republican Party does not want a government run health care option. So my question is who the hell do they think will provide medical coverage for those without benefits? They seem to believe that the Insurance companies will suddenly develop a conscience as they provide insurance for those who go without? I doubt even they believe that Insurance providers would suddenly offer to cover those who can't afford normal coverage. Not when those same insurance companies have policies in place that automatically deny a certain percentage of claims in an effort to retain more revenues. I know what I'm talking about because I worked for several insurance companies in the medical and automotive areas. They have teams of staffers who figure how much they can save by denying claims when they know only twenty-two percent of those claims will be appealed or challenged. They know exactly how much money they save, so how could we ever think that the companies who hire people just to find new ways to screw over their paying customers would actually find it within their hearts to provide coverage for the unemployed, the homeless or the under-employed.

My roommate is a Republican and is diametrically opposed to the socialist medical coverage (as he calls it). Even though he knows that I was very sick just a couple months ago with the H1N1 Flu and after almost a week of running a fever, I had to find a doctor that would see me given that I am not currently working. I completed all of the proper paper work as an unemployed person and was told how my office visit would be $25 dollars. I thought, wow, this may actually be okay. I was to come back eight days later for some test and due to my limited funds, I called to find out how much the test would cost. The tests were going to cost between $250 and 350 dollars and I would be responsible for 70% of that costs. So my unemployment medical coverage cost me $25 dollars for the office visit, $286.18 dollars for prescriptions and then four weeks later I found out just how little my doctor's visit was going to be when I received a bill for $280.00 dollars in the mail. The bill was everything I didn't pay when I paid the $25.00 dollar. It didn't matter that during that visit no test were run and nothing but a doctor consultation happened, but this is what a program that is supposed to be funded by the State of Georgia, the US Government and other donations by organizations like United Way are supposed to cost people with no funds like me.

I was only suffering from the H1N1 virus, but what about an elderly couple who is rushed to the hospital because one of them has a heart attack. The bills wiped out their retirement savings. Or a mother who has two children and she works two or three jobs just to provide a roof over their heads and food on the table, but cannot afford insurance or regular doctor visits. However, the Republican Party doesn't want the government to run health care for all. I ask again, who do they think will provide medical coverage for those of us who cannot afford such needs!

So would someone in the Republican Party please tell me who they think should run a program that provides insurance and/or medical coverage to those who cannot afford it? If the government cannot provide such coverage for those citizens, who will…and when will they begin? I only ask, because while I work out at the gym five times a week and am healthy most of the time, I need to know where I can go the next time I get sick. Not to mention I would like to spread the word to others that are in need. My roommate was telling me how lots of people are against a government run medical program and he couldn't answer when I asked why not. But you see, neither he nor any other Republicans have the balls to tell me directly or tell that mother and her two children or that elderly couple who we can we turn to for help.

Not one of these Republicans who opposes Health Care Reform has the courage to face these people directly and tell them their lives are not worth the money this country would spend on medical coverage for them. I'm not talking about Rush Limbaugh; he would tell anyone the worst news they could possibly hear just to see their face as he remains perched from his ivory tower. I mean it…stand in front of that woman with her two children and tell her how the sixty or seventy hours she works in the two or three jobs just isn't enough and you won't help her by providing medical coverage for her or her family.

When I hear an honest and sincere response that can show exactly why this bill is not worthy, then I will change my support of it. Until then, I will continue to see those who oppose basic human decency - like medical coverage for all, to be those who have never suffered without. And while I will be happy for you that you have not had to go without, maybe…just maybe your perfect world won't remain that way for ever. Think about how some day you may be the elderly couple, or that woman with her children or worst, maybe even unemployed or homeless…and maybe if you have the need you might just see how basic human dignity should be provided to all souls, not just those with means!

Your humble servant – Todd M Dobson

Health Care for All

2009-11-10T12:12:00.001-05:00

10^th of November 2009

HEALTH CARE FOR ALL

POLITICS AND RELIGION SHOULD NEVER MIX

It should be very telling when the Insurance Companies in the United States have spent over $10 BILLION dollars lobbying against HEALTH CARE REFORM this year alone. They are not the only ones with Physician lobbyists also spending more than $4 BILLION dollars lobbying against this nations quest to provide HEALTH CARE for everybody. Their ardent opposition to providing medical coverage to all citizens of this nation is GREED, when both should care about providing the best care for every soul in this nation.

Fourteen BILLION dollars would provide a huge amount of medical care for those who are unemployed and cannot provide such. It would also save lives for those who are homeless or even those families where both parents are working multiple jobs and still do not earn enough to provide proper medical coverage for their families. Yet those who have sworn an oath to provide medical coverage to all fear the loss of their million dollar incomes, so they fight what has shamefully not already been provided in this nation – MEDICAL COVERAGE FOR ALL! The Insurance Industry needs to be over-hauled in totality because it has not served us the people in many years. When insurance industry executives do whatever it takes to make their million dollar salaries and billion dollar profit margins it is disgusting. They do so at the expense of the lives of people who trusted they would be covered for whatever medical needs they have, and yet the Insurance industry plays games with denying their customers claims.

To complicate an already arduous battle, the Roman Catholic Church (as if they have not done enough damage this year alone) decides to enter this political battle. It doesn't matter that even Jesus Christ stated that religion is corrupt, politics is corrupt and the intermingling of the two is ABSOLUTE CORRUPTION. Catholicism only regales those sections of the Bible that serve its needs. The Catholic Church is after a very old fight, Abortion Rights and this is a tiresome fight with no winning side, but who cares; because the Catholic Church will do whatever they want in order to obtain what they want and how they want it.

I've written before about the fight over abortion. I do understand both sides and they are both RIGHT. A woman should always have the ability to choose and I do agree with saving every soul that comes into this world. I just disagree with legislating choice. I feel education; REAL SEX EDUCATION that works (not the Abstinence ONLY education that the Christian Right demands because they cannot have difficult discussions with their children) is the best means to combat abortion. Education before someone gets pregnant and after the pregnancy and before the abortion. If you want to truly impact the number of abortions, you cannot legislate change, you can however change them and that becomes change in a positive way, not a forced change or negative one like what the Roman Catholic Church is trying to do. No religion should insert itself into this battle over medical coverage for all US citizens.

The Roman Catholic Church needs to withdrawal from this battle for the betterment of all people living within this country. I know it doesn't care about ensuring that all living souls have health care, but as with all other issues facing the Catholic Church, remove your ego from the equation and show the goodness within your organization by showing compassion for the millions of people living in this country who need medical coverage.

As for the politicians who have been bought and paid for by the Insurance and Medical communities; SHAME ON YOU!!! Do what is right for the people of this nation by dropping the political games and deliver medical coverage for all. Find the means to be honorable as opposed to hiding the ill-gotten money paid by those who fear the revenues they may lose.

EVERY PERSON IN THIS NATION DESERVES MEDICAL COVERAGE

Your humble servant – Todd M Dobson

FEAR and HATE PREVAIL in MAINE

2009-11-04T11:40:00.001-05:00

4th of November 2009

FEAR and HATE PREVAIL IN MAINE

Another shameful night in North America where Christianity planted fear and hatred in the souls of so many…driving a stake into the hearts of LOVE, but unlike what that stake will do to a vampire, it will not vaporize our fight for equality!

The hypocrisy that continues being displayed by religious organizations over their beliefs is astounding. Religion chooses which verses from their good books they wish to cleave while deciding what they deem as evil. Right now LOVE and the civil rights of all people to share in that love equally is what Christianity has chosen as the evil shaking the foundations of North America. It is funny and equally not so funny in that Jesus Christ said in a number of his teachings that what you do to others you also do unto yourself. By squashing the LOVE that two people share, any two consenting adults share, you are the only ones who disintegrate the love that two heterosexual couples also share. Not to mention that Corinthians reminds us that the greatest of these is CHARITY.

Unfortunately, religion has not chosen charity as a means to share in LOVE, they have been led by leaders into fear and loathing for reasons that the people themselves are not paying attention too. The church (all churches, synagogues and temples) make huge sums of money fighting the greatest attackers against the church. Homosexuality was once as common place across the lands as was marriages that were performed not by religious leaders, but in civil ceremonies led by village, town and city leaders. This fight for the sanctity of MARRIAGE is ludicrous when unions were performed for thousands of years before religious leaders oversaw them. Once religion had a large enough world-wide congregations did the people start asking those hallowed men to bless the LOVE of the couple that was just married by a village elder. The religious leaders that continue to stir congregations against their perceived foe – HOMOSEXUALITY will do anything to perpetuate a fight where none existed before. Every Sunday sermon where those same fallible men extol the horrors faced by the hideous ranks of homosexuality and how we villainous FAGS can destroy all that God set in motion; their coffers grow exponentially. It is a common known fact that fear drives more butts into the pews and greater funds out of the wallets of the ones with apprehensions.

In none of this do I find the Charity spoken about in the Bible. Nor do I understand where such fear derives, given that in the Gay Community, our numbers match closely to those in the remainder of the world. If ninety-five percent of the world is religiously focused, they must know that our community follows in like numbers. If that is the case, the majority of us believe in God just as you do. We are no different than any person within this world. We are made of flesh and blood with a heart and a soul just like every human sharing this earth. Using any religious book against another soul does not disseminate the values taught by Jesus Christ, so why are so many religious leaders using homosexuality as the great divide?
The fights in California and in Maine should be teaching the Religious Right that your numbers are diminishing. The more you try to divide homosexuals from heterosexuals, the more you divide your own congregations. It speaks far greater of the person (or organization) that preaches LOVE, HONOR and RESPECT as apposed to FEAR and HATRED. The time is coming when the eyes of all will be open to truth and that legitimacy is that all people upon this planet deserve exactly the same as all other souls. Attempts to oppress any other group of souls will reflect the darkness within your own hearts for all the world to see. Regardless of how blessed you feel the world must perceive you, HATE is HATE and LOVE is LOVE; and the world is starting to see truth for what it is and not what you claim it to be!

LOVE IS ALWAYS RIGHT ~ HATE IS ALWAYS WRONG

Your humble servant – Todd M Dobson

AT&T - SCREWING OVER CUSTOMERS

2009-10-29T23:15:00.001-05:00

29th October 2009

AT&T IS OUT FOR THEMSELVES - AGAIN
WHO CARES ABOUT THE CUSTOMER

I live in Lawrenceville, Georgia and it seems this city is a hot bed for the AT&T Corporation. Fifteen to twenty years ago this city was a burgeoning one that was growing by leaps and bound and Bell South decided this was going to be one of their examples of the new age. They laid fiber optic from every corner of this city and for the time, it was one of the greatest examples of technology advancements in North America. The problem became known that as the rest of the world leaped frog Lawrenceville, neither Bell South nor AT&T has updated the equipment to match the expansive data needs of the average household with the residence of this very well established city dragging, just like the AT&T DSL speeds lug.

I have many problems with AT&T, but I will focus on this single issue. I force my roommate to call for AT&T support, because the customer service is so lousy that I will end up yelling at the poor people on the other end of the phone. I promised myself that I won’t get angry like that any longer, so I force him to call for lousy support and given his normally calm nature, I laugh when he gets frustrated and starts to get angry. He always use to tell me that no one can be that bad to invoke someone to start yelling at them; however he has a better understanding of why and how their insipid responses may annoy a person.

Everyone in Lawrenceville, Georgia is experiencing slowness with their DSL service, especially in the evening and night times when the largest number of people are surfing the internet. That makes since, but when we pay for a T-1 or 1.5mbps rate for our DSL service and AT&T delivers 138kbps starting around 6:00 PM every evening, there becomes a problem. For more than six months we’ve been calling AT&T Support requesting our issues to be addressed, only to hear that the problem is on our side. Well my twenty-three years of technology background knew that it wasn’t, but you still have to jump through their hoops before they will escalate the call to a level two support person or even a supervisor.

We’ve had countless people come out to the house and none of them would tell us what we heard today. Finally we received an answer that makes since…AT&T has been receiving for the past year, hordes of complaints and loosing customers due to this very DSL issue, but they won’t resolve the problem until first or second quarter of 2010. The way AT&T is correcting the issues felt by so many over this year, is to push all of these customers that are experiencing such horrible slowness in their DSL lines, by forcing them to migrate onto their new U-VERSE platform. The problem is that if they won’t resolve problems that they’ve known about for years, why would any of us want to remain with them and pay more for a new platform? On top of migrating everyone over to this new more costly platform, they expect us to pay for more services by them by offering bundled services like Cable Television, DSL and Phone services all through a single connection. Are we supposed to believe that if we receive the same type of issues with U-Verse that we have with DSL that we then loose all of our modern functionality as apposed to right now just loosing a single function? Not to mention, to bundle more services with the same company that has been screwing us for the past year and expecting to get away with it because they are so large? Why would any company think that this type of service would result in customers that want to remain with them?

The reason AT&T continues to think that this type of behavior is okay, is because they’ve been doing this to customers for years. They not only expect that they can continue to charge us for top rated speeds with our DSL Service and not provide what we’re paying for; or that they can screw thousands of households in an entire city and tell them they have to deal with subordinate services until next year because they keep doing it time and time again. But I have instructions for every household in Lawrenceville, Georgia and around North America; if AT&T is pulling the same type of disrespect on you, go to http://www.fcc.gov and file a complaint against the Telecom Giant and stand before Goliath with your sling with confidence that you do have a chance against a MONSTER who cares little about you (a simple number).

The problem is when companies like AT&T get to be as large as they are, they loose sight of the reasons they are in business…and it’s not because of shareholders and profits margins…its about the people we call CUSTOMERS! All of the large corporations in North America need us, the customers, but they have staffs filled with number crunchers who tell them they can loose X number of customers every day and every month because they will receive X number in exchange. That may very well be true, but I would rather work at a company that isn’t the largest, but makes a decent profit every year and CARES ABOUT THEIR CUSTOMERS while they provide their services or products. Greed isn’t about wanting to make money, it’s when a board of directors and shareholder expectations go beyond what is in the best interest of the ones you serve.

If you think you are experiencing issues with your DSL speed or want to find out what your internet speeds is, you may use any of the following links:
http://speakeasy.net
http://speedtest.net
http://helpme.att.net
http://www.digitallanding.com/high-speed-internet/
When you run any of these test sites, you will have two speeds listed: a download speed (this is everything that you do on the internet, surfing any site like facebook.com or myspace.com, downloading files, video, streaming music or playing internet games) and then there is an upload speed (this is the speed for when you up load any file or data to the internet, computer or network). The download speed will be the faster of the two numbers, or should be. We’ve had cases where we measured a download speed and it shows to be lower than the upload speed and that is just atrocious, but par for the course for the service with AT&T. The upload speed will vary based on what you’re paying for, but in our case we pay for a direct fiber optic line from the CO (green box with all of the phone and DSL connections in your neighborhood) and we are guaranteed at least 1.5kbps or 1500kbps. Your service may be less than that, so it is prudent that you call and ask your provider for what speed ratings you should be receiving.

The upload speed will only be in the 300kbps range and we normally see our average around 250kbps. There are times when we measure spike upwards of the high 3XXkbps. Again it would be prudent for you to question your service provider to ascertain what speed you should see on a regular basis. It is common to see some fluxation in these speed test based on times of higher usage. Think about it with common sense and when everybody in your neighborhood, town or city is home and surfing the Internet; then lines may be slower during those times as apposed to when everyone is away and few people are surfing the web.

Companies like AT&T will continue to abuse us, the customers until we stand up as a collective and tell them, “We won’t take it any longer.” You do that by filing a grievance against AT&T with the FCC or by taking your business elsewhere.

Your humble servant – Todd M Dobson

Passage of the Matthew Shepard Act

2009-10-22T21:15:00.002-05:00

22nd of October 2009

MATTHEW SHEPARD ACT

THE PASSAGE OF NEW HATE CRIMES LEGISLATION

Today is a truly monumental day for all Homosexuals within the United States. The United States Senate ratified the Matthew Shepard Act (Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007) and is sending it to President Obama for his consideration.

This has been a long battle and with the passage of this legislation, we are able to take one step closer to being free individuals graced with the exact same rights, privileges and protections as every other US citizen. I am ecstatic to report that within the past two weeks, President Obama has said that he will sign this important legislation when it is passed by the Senate. For those of you who see this as unnecessary, frivolous or wish to perceive this as a special law by a group seeking special inclusion; I would challenge that discernment.

I was a victim of a hate crime, and while I was not physically beaten, the scars are very close to the surface. What happened to me placed me in a truly unique position in that I was asked to address the Committee on Small Business House of Representatives (104th Congress Second Session on the 17th of July 1996) for the ENDA Bill (Employment Non-Discrimination Act). In doing so I met others who had been beaten, some were presumed to be gay and harassed due to those opinions and others like me who had been harassed and then fired simply because we were gay.

All of the witnesses that shared the podium with me in addressing both Congressional and Representative Leaders share a troubling commonality; other citizens of this country loathed us to the degree of taking action against us. There is nothing more troubling than to know you are hated by others for something you have no control over. If you think this law is asking for special rights, then read what Mr. Ernest Dillon, a US Postal Employee from Detroit, Michigan endured!

Mr. Dillon had no overt signs of being gay. In fact, he stands approximately 6’ 2” with broad shoulders and a strong demeanor. He carries himself like every other masculine man with no outwardly visible effeminate traits. He was a notably good employee who received commendations and awards for exceptional service. Unfortunately, four of his team members did not know, but assumed that Mr. Dillon was a gay man. They taunted and harassed him for over a year. Mr. Dillon reported their behavior to supervisors who did nothing to disarm the situation. By not taking action against the men, they inevitably gave their consent for it to persist. One evening after work, the four men cornered Mr. Dillon inside a fenced in area protecting the postal vehicles and they beat him. As they beat him, they continuously yell racial slurs like faggot, queer, girl and many others taunts to ensure Mr. Dillon knew why he was being beaten. They pounded him so severely that he almost died.

The four men were so smug with their audacious actions that they actually bragged to police and Federal Authorities about kicking the ass of a faggot. The problem wasn’t that the authorities didn’t want to prosecute the four men; they were arrested and brought up on as many charges that could legally be hoisted upon them. The problem is that there was no Federal Law that these men broke in thrashing one of their own on Federal property. Had they taken action off of Postal property, the local police could have prosecuted them, however the brutality of their actions was done on Federal land and therefore it was a Federal matter, to be prosecuted by Federal Laws. The quandary was, that there are no Federal Laws that protected Mr. Dillon, or the countless people like him or me from the actions of those who must HATE instead let live.

The Federal Judge sequestered himself for the better part of a day searching for anything that he could use against these four men who so shamelessly beat another life due to their own perceptions. In his degust and on the record, the Judge stated that in an effort to find any law in which to imprison the four men before him, but to his surprise he was unable to find anything with which he could use against those men. They walked out of the Federal Courthouse free of any charges and were able to even keep their jobs as postal workers.

Mr. Dillon received no justice for the crimes committed against him and neither did I. My situation was no where close to that suffered by Mr. Dillon, and if you consider there to be solace in that The Thomson Corporation was forced to spend over one million dollars fighting my law suit against them for illegally firing me because I was gay; then you might be happy. I can tell you that there is no amount of money that can remove the pain and harm caused by those individuals who harassed me for months trying to get me to leave that job. When I would no leave, they eventually trumped up ridiculous charges and fired me. I only found out after I lost the law suit that the law firm hired to fight me cost Thomson over seven hundred thousand dollars. The second chair counsel person was vicious against me during depositions, because as a lesbian she thought I was frivolously suing a good company. However, when she found proof that I was right and Thompson was covering up their sad ineptness, she became extremely sick and vigorously tried to get off my case. She didn’t want to pursue the second chair against me, but was forced to continue as originally selected to do. I later was told by a woman who would know the following facts, that she received weekly reports for a team of private investigators who followed me 24 x 7 for over five years to dig up any dirt on me that could be used to smear me during my law suit against them.

This law will make the acts from those four men who beat and nearly killed another man because they perceived him to be gay, against the law. Their actions were brought about because he was a soft spoken man who didn’t act like a thug from the streets. This law may not protect me against companies like the Thomson Corporation (Thomson Financial, Thomson Publishing, Information Access Company, Lord Thomson’s Publishing Empire and Thomson Media…) from their outright rape of an employee due to that person’s sexual orientation, but it is a great step forward in protecting the innocent against those who hate us simply because we are gay.

Stand with me in applauding the tireless efforts of Mr. and Mrs. Shepard, who have fought for this bill after the loss of their son, Matthew who was brutally beat and left for dead with the lights of Laramie, Wyoming off in the distance. The two men who planned to rob the defenseless fag might have stopped their actions at theft if this law had been enacted before Matthew lost his life in such a heinous way.

Stand with me in applauding the work of all the men and women who have suffered at the hands of such insufferable people. Stand with me in applauding the men and women who have been fighting for the passage of this bill since before the Stonewall Riots.

LOVE IS NEVER WRONG ~ HATE IS NEVER RIGHT

You humble servant – Todd M Dobson

The Respect for Marriage Act

2009-10-19T13:07:00.001-05:00

19th of October 2009

THE RESPECT FOR MARRIAGE ACT

The Respect for Marriage Act is a great step forward, but it is not the answer that it is being tallied by Gay Right’s Activist. This bill would only repeal the Federal DOMA and would give the ability for people living in states that voted for changes to their State Constitutions a right to file for unconstitutionality of any state DOMA that was enacted.

Please be aware this is the step that we need to get behind and support. If Respect for Marriage is passed, it would be the wedge that could be used to turn every state that approved by a majority, the changes in that state’s constitution by defining Marriage as “the union between one man and one woman” as unlawful. This is a great step in the right direction, but it will not be the instant gratification that gays and lesbians around the United States are hoping it will be.

Once The Respect for Marriage bill is passed, then residence within each state that defined marriage in some way excluding the rights of all gay citizens from wedding would then be able to challenge the constitutionality of those changes. It will not be an the all important answer and there will remain a battle at which many gay men and women will continue to be denied our civil rights to unite with the soul of our choosing.

David Mixner has a very good blog: “Democrats: If You are NOT on This List Then Not One Penny!” that everyone should read. This is a good organizational effort and not a bad start, but our managerial push must go beyond what Mr. Mixner is requesting. We do need to garner the support of our friends, family and colleges by writing letters, sending emails and placing phone calls to all of our Representatives and Senators. We need to make them aware that this bill and their voting on it will be scrutinized and used against them in all upcoming campaigns. Regardless of party affiliations, we must spread the word, in an organized manner telling all politicians we mean business. But the numbers are the only thing that will make a difference.

All independent polls show that the majority of US citizen supports the rights of all other citizens and individually do not wish to oppress any other people. So talk with your neighbors, friends, colleges and branch out in normal conversations to those surrounding you including the continued oppression of the homosexual base as a group overtly being oppressed. There is a direct stigma associated when another person who is made aware that they are in fact oppressing another soul from experiencing the very rights they think little of.

But our efforts can only begin there. The power base for the Republican Party is the Religious Right, so we must engage religious leaders speaking directly with them. Our goal with religious leaders is either to sway them into supporting our cause and not preaching against it, or at the very least to abstain from igniting their followers against us. Our approach is that the Bible or their religious texts was written to unite their parishioners under the focus of LOVE and not HATE. By abstaining, they will let their individual followers decide for themselves without in sighting their parishioners against any group of souls. It is one thing to believe in the words within their religious text, and yet another to propel other souls to do harm against another living soul. The Bible was never meant to be the bat of God wielded by non-judging souls; but rather a guide by which those who believe should live their individual lives…not used to judge others.

To remain exactly where Mr. Mixner says too, by telling any Democrat that you will not donate to them if they do not support this bill is a baseless treat that carries no weight. It has been used for years without effect and the reason for that is when you call your Congressperson or Senator, they have databases that tell them your party affiliations and your donation history. It will mean nothing to them if they see that you don’t regularly donate or that your donations are of small amounts. They will call your bluff if you are not a political party broker, meaning that you get involved in elections, throw fund raisers or wield some base of power within their party. So while I applaud Mr. Mixner for spreading the word, his call to arms will not move the people we need to be moving.

As for why Mrs Nancy Pelosi is not listed in Mr. Mixner’s list is because she was taught how to play hard ball politics. Mrs. Pelosi has tied herself very tightly with the Democratic Party line and to our President. The President and thereby Mrs. Pelosi are using all Gay Rights Bills as their bat to garner support for the bills that they decide matter to them. We watched President Bill Clinton use the gay community as his bat to in order to garner the support he needed for other bills. He used us and we paid with Don’t Ask Don’t Tell instead of getting any of what we truly needed from him. Now President Obama has found that there is no better scare tactic for the other bills that he deems more essential than the threat that he will pass the Repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell or bills such as the Respect for Marriage Act. You will not receive either President Obama direct support on this issue and neither will we receive Mrs. Pelosi’s. We need to change how the homosexual vote is tallied, pushing our issues beyond the status of ball bat and up to the status of deliver or we use our organization efforts against you and your political friends. Until we cause the loss of an elected position, will we never change our perceived threat!

As for Mr. Franks; what a loathsome hypocrite of a man he is. I know Mr. Franks and was once a constituent of his. He uses the Gay Agenda for his betterment and in doing so against our interest. It should be far easier to nail his butt down on the issues, even as scummy as his tongue may be. The best way to do that is to have something, like pictures of the closest place he frequents. He used to love the steam room in the Metropolitan Gym in Boston. During its hay day Mr. Franks would frequent it as the closest thing to a legal Bathhouse that he could find. He is motivated by dirty sex and you can find him at any of the Washington seedy dive places where sex trade is on the menu. It shouldn’t be that difficult to corner Mr. Franks in a way that forces him to bring about a sincere reflection of this bill…..and why he has neither supported it nor come out against it. I would garner a guess that he too is being used as a Washington Power Broker by the White House in gaining support for other initiatives the White House needs to push through.

There is much work that needs to be done and thanks to people in the forefront like Mr. Mixner for spreading the word. Every gay and lesbian American needs to get involved like we did in the 70’s and 80’s. If we want to be including at the table of equality, we must stand up against those who wish to oppress us and be counted. No closet doors and no hiding behind a veil. We must galvanize our own group and branch out very systematically to all people surrounding us in order to expand their support. We must be smart about what we do, but we must start by getting involved. We need to get beyond a fight for our own rights so that we can help to defend the rights for those around the world who are being killed, hanged, castrated and hunted like dogs because those who wish to oppress others, chose the gay and lesbian group as the weaker one as an outlet for their crimes. We have been at the end of their sword for far too long and the only way out is through organization and follow through.

GAY RIGHTS = CIVIL RIGHTS

LOVE CAN NEVER BE WRONG – HATE IS NEVER RIGHT

Your humble servant – Todd M Dobson

Would you like to read this book?

2009-10-18T20:18:00.001-05:00

Short Synopsis:
The protagonist in our story is your average every day man who grew up under extraordinary circumstances. He was raised in an abusive household where verbal, physical and later sexual molestation was a daily means of living. In the face of great oppression by the very souls who were supposed to love and support him, our protagonist made a life for himself away from those he called family. Our story starts with an earth shattering realization by him during a drive home after a long day at work. This realization shakes him to his core as it brings with it an awakening of his soul when the one thing he had always longed for, was surrounding him - Love. He had found the one thing he searched his entire life for and had been enjoying the previous two years upon his realization of the love that was flowing through him.

Love was an illusion that just two years before he had given up on ever finding. That is why, when he met a soul mate, the earth stood still, the stars did align and the heavens opened him up with an experience that proved to be immensely moving. Our story tells how he falls in love and how beyond all recognition, it wasn’t just another love, but a true unconditional love shared by a soul mate. The readers follow the story of our two lovers as they fight against odds to share as a couple and it tells of what they shared. The story also dives into the boyhood of our protagonist, identifying the atrocious acts perpetrated by those loved ones and why they were the people they were. The readers walk through horrifying moment after hideous moment seeing what living in hell is all about, only to recognize how special it was to find him loving so freely given the restraints of his childhood. The readers feel the love that is shared as it grows as well as the mistakes made by both lovers. And then when that love was withering away, our readers find themselves drawn to our protagonist as he attempts to put his life back together after such tragic loss. This is a roller coaster ride and you will feel each turn, each free fall and every loop as it was lived. You ride through the darkness, feeling only the cold, damp chill; but then you are able to feel the warmth, the love and the hope that light brings with it. Jump on board and ride this wild ride as we must all do when we fall in love.

November March on Washington

2009-10-02T16:27:00.001-05:00

WORDS OF WISDOM DON’T COME FROM YOUR HEAD…THEY DERIVE FROM YOUR HEART
LOVE, HONOR & RESPECT
http://www.tmdobson.com

2nd of October 2009

NOVEMBER MARCH ON WASHINGTON
HOMOSEXUALS SHOWING THEIR SOLIDARITY FOR EQUAL RIGHTS

I think as a nation we need to solidify the constantly segregating gay population. Homosexuals around this nation are as diverse as the population itself. That poses real problems when we try to unify our voice on issues that face our community. We find that some of our numbers are jaded in that they never seeing themselves falling in love with a single person, considering marriage or the benefits that are granted by it. Some are on such polar opposites in that they can’t see their lives going on without uniting with that one special love.

We have gay republicans, gay democrats, gay independents and gay neutrals. We have liberal party members and we have conservative party members. We have some who never get off of their knees and we have those who would never dare to get on their knees. We have lesbians that wear cut off flannel shirts and we have skinny model, perfect body, hair and makeup girly girls. Our ranks rise to the extremely wealthy and down to the poverty stricken, back woods Georgia Mountains. The only thing that we can agree on is that if we are out of the closet, we are gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered.

We have some of the very issues that started to separate the black freedom fighters before us as they fought for equality. As any cause garners more support and attention; so does the obvious divides that the group must face. In an effort to bring about a synergy to our fight for equal rights, we must unite all gay citizens; we must define and focus on those issues that are the most important to our community.

We must acknowledge with that being said, that some might not agree with the agendas being set by rally organizers, while other may silently champion our cause from just outside their closet doors. We need to push our agenda forward in an organized manner that solidifies our numbers not just with the gay people of all ages, but with our heterosexual counterparts. Because a March on Washington is that flexing of gay muscle to the rest of the nation and to the world, we must ensure that we present the best possible outcome with the largest numbers in support. Therefore I stand against Mr. David Mixner and those who are spending countless hours rushing to organize a November March on Washington.

Yes, I said that correctly! I think a Spring March would give those warriors who are giving so boldly of themselves the time and ability to truly put together a showing that not only stuns the nation, but forces the world to stand and take notice. We need to be strong on those issues and weight them in the order that represent our collective needs based on political clout. We need a victory for the side of homosexuality that propels our remaining issues forward without allowing those who oppose our efforts to organize around us. In boxing terms, it is absolutely necessary to not just win the fight on points; we must knock out our opponent with a momentum that propels our other causes on to victory.

We need to stabilize corporate sponsors, however, we must garner sponsorship that says something to the rest of the world. We should want companies that will support our events while they stand behind our fight for equality. We need to give the masses the time to plan their schedules and to get out in numbers that has all of Washington busting at the seams. Our presence should be in such enormity that we cannot be push aside as a half-hearted or pitiful attempt. To do all of this, we must first decide on our agendas and what are the compromises we can live with.

There is such diversity in all of our issues that we must find the common ground before a march misses in gaining the support we will need. If we cannot galvanize our ranks we will not gain the support of our political representatives that will be necessary to fight at our side. We do not have a clear agenda that leaves few questioning what we are marching for, leaving the following questions: What is our number one priority? Some might say the Repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, while others might say the Freedom to Marry and yet others might just say Equality. Which one stands the greater chance of winning and which one will carry the others through behind it?

In the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell there will need to be a sizable effort to educate and train not just the men and women among our ranks; but to also train those higher ranking officers. Many times it is not the enlisted men and women who have the problem with their gay comrades, but rather those who manage them. How much time will be a suitable amount to change the mentality: one year, five years, ten years, twenty years or never? If we successfully repeal Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, there will be a back lash and that indicates we must be prepared for it. With any action there will always be an adverse reaction to it, so those men and women that are quietly known by their fellow personnel to be gay might be in danger as the narrow minded people wanting to show their disproval take their vengeance. Are we prepared to loose some of our fellow citizens due to gay bashing by fellow armed forces personnel? Is this the issue that we can WIN and should it be our number one rallying point?

GAY MARRIAGE, some are so defensively oppose to the concept of granting two men or two women the ability to wed. We all know that my stance is and will always remain in favor of LOVE, because it is what this world needs to set as its foundation for everything. However, my very words may ignite the loathing and darkness within the souls cleaving their religious ideologies that so stanchly appose the granting of these rights. Can we galvanize all gay men and women on this one concept that we all deserve the same rights and privileges that all other Americans seem to be taking for granted? I question if we can solidify our own ranks on this issue when large percentages of our own feel ambivalent at best. Others want us to make concessions and feel we will never garner enough support to over-turn all domestic DOMA Bills and launch a large enough offensive to over come the bigotry of the Christian Right. One such concession is that as a nation we pass a law that says only those unions officiated over by an ordained religious personnel will be considered marriage while all other unions that are presided over by Judges, Magistrates and anyone other than a religious leader to be considered a domestic partnership. Both will have exactly the same rights. They see this as a means to absolve any politician from negatively answering to either side of their constituency. While this does not sound egregiously horrible; there is a part of me that stills says anything that is separate can never be truly equal.

Others want the homosexual people to accept Domestic Partnerships only in those states that wish to grant them or acknowledge them. I vehemently appose such a stance. Just because you throw the dog a bone, does not mean you’ve granted that dog the same rights and privileges that all deserve to share equally. We should not be stupid enough to accept unjust laws that grant any state the ability to then vote in similar DOMA fashion by accepting any marriage, but not acknowledging those Domestic Partnerships. Separate is not equal and civil rights can never be denied to any segregated portion of the population for ever.

Regardless of the final decision for what is or is not acceptable with GAY MARRIAGE, we need to unify our issues and step towards Washington with a solidified message. This is our number one stance. We therefore must collectively agree what will be our secondary issue(s) and our order of importance with the conclusions that we desire. If we push to March on Washington without this level of organization, we will show those who oppose us just what they need to defeat us on each and every issue we raise. That would be the worst possible results and one we cannot accept. For this reason I feel it would be prudent to hold our March on Washington until next spring when we have more organization, a more collective voice and when we have identified those issues that speak to our masses with one voice. I do not believe the three to four months is enough time to organize a true March on Washington in the manner that we need to present ourselves.

I humbly request that Mr. Mixner and those brave men and women who have been working so diligently pause for a moment to consider my words. I feel prudence must be taken when showing Washington what the Gay and Lesbian Community can and will do. We must have a unified voice showing our solidarity to our issues and impervious to the challenges that will surely come after a March on Washington has ended.

Your humbled servant – Todd M Dobson
http://www.tmdobson.com

The United Nations Deserves Better Thank Mr. Treki

2009-09-23T22:41:00.001-05:00

23rd of September 2009

THE UNITED NATIONS DESERVES BETTER THAN
H.E. Dr. ALI ABDUSSALAM TREKI

Today at the opening of the 64th session of the General Assembly at the United Nations, Mr. Treki responded to questions from reporters. I agreed with the placement of Mr. Treki as the President of the United Nations based on past records on Human Rights issues and for his ability to find common ground with International Affairs.

There were many around the world who questioned his sincerity or his ability to focus and persuade the General Assembly. I felt that sometimes a job as large as the President of the United Nations can be done by someone with passion as apposed to the perfect politician. Due to Mr. Treki’s human rights background, I was hoping he would be the right man for the job.

The purpose of the United Nations is listed on their website (http://www.un.org/en/documents/charter/chapter1.shtml), and I was reminded to read this Charter again after such a disappointment with the responses made in today’s interview. If you see the first four purposes under Article 1:
1. To maintain international peace and security, and to that end: to take effective collective measures for the prevention and removal of threats to the peace, and for the suppression of acts of aggression or other breaches of the peace, and to bring about by peaceful means, and in conformity with the principles of justice and international law, adjustment or settlement of international disputes or situations which might lead to a breach of the peace;
2. To develop friendly relations among nations based on respect for the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples, and to take other appropriate measures to strengthen universal peace;
3. To achieve international co-operation in solving international problems of an economic, social, cultural, or humanitarian character, and in promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and for fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language, or religion; and
4. To be a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations in the attainment of these common ends.

I was greatly saddened and angered based on the hateful, insensitive responses Mr. Treki made when asked about the passage of a resolution for universal decriminalization of homosexuality. Mr. Treki replied to the questions with, “As a Muslim, I am not in favor of it…it is not accepted by the majority of countries. My opinion is not in favor of this matter at all. I think it’s not really acceptable by our religion, our traditions.” He went on to explain “It is not acceptable in the majority of the world. And there are some countries that allow that, thinking it is kind of democracy…I think it is not.”

The first purpose listed in the Charter for the United Nations was violated by its own President when he deliberately broke the peace that was voted in with the passage of this resolution. The resolution was passed and the President of the organization should set his own personal ideology aside in favor of setting and maintaining peace among rivaling nations, but he disrupted the peace, which violates this first purpose.

The second purpose is to develop friendly relations among nations based on respect for the principle of equal rights and self determination of peoples; however, Mr. Treki did not respect the more than one billion homosexuals in this world or those countries that have passed laws disabling those hate mongers such as Mr. Treki from violating our civil rights.

The third purpose in the Charter for the United Nations is to achieve the international co-operation in solving international problems of an economic, social, cultural, or humanitarian character, and in promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and for fundamental freedoms. Mr.Treki completely obliterated this purpose and pushed his own agenda of HATE and DISCRIMINATION because this segment of the world’s population does not meet with his approval. This is not who the world needs running the organization that is supposed to be looking out for those being oppressed. We don’t need to put HITLER in charge of the organization responsible for HUMAN RIGHTS for billions of souls.

I am one that intends to push for the resignation or removal of Mr. Ali Abdussalam Treki from the position as President of the United Nations. The world deserves someone who will fight for all of our souls and not a segregated portion that meets his needs.

LOVE IS NEVER WRONG ~ HATE IS NEVER RIGHT

Your humble servant – Todd M Dobson

Daily Thoughts

2009-09-20T21:29:00.001-05:00

20th of September 2009

~ DAILY THOUGHTS ~

I love it when a normal day is underway and I’m surprised by learning unexpected lessons. I spidered my way to a Facebook friends (Pierre Le Roux) blog to read what promised to be an interesting post (Warfare: The Delightful and Dreary Sides to Gay Life). The article Mr. Le Roux delicately wrote, details the tribulations of world known athletic runner Mokgadi Caster Semenya, who finds herself in the midst of an embroiled controversy questioning her sex.

I state that correctly, those who stand opposite Ms. Semenya are challenging whether she is a woman or a man. Mr. Le Roux expresses very poignantly his opinion that in this case he believes Ms. Semenya is placed in the between category of Intersexed, formally known by many as Hermaphrodite. To be an intersex person, one must either have some of both sexual genitalia or in even fewer cases neither (androgynous). However, it is so much more complicated than having a hoohoo and/or a winkie, because there is much that makes either function. This doesn’t even mention all that goes behind the physical parts into the psychological aspects of a person’s sex.

This is a more commonly known issue than people think, but it is one that very few wish to discuss, therefore as a society we don’t even think about it. It is only thought about when parents find that they are faced with having a baby being born this way. Those parents have no clue what to do other than what their immediate doctor recommends. Most physicians try to separate themselves from their work; but human beings can no longer leave their personal ideologies at the door than you can the physical aspects of this issue. However, it is far more than just the presence of extra parts. Some doctors will try to force the new parents into making a decisions right then upon the birth of their child as to its sex. They feel that corrective surgery must be performed immediately to make the child the chosen sex of the parents. This is truly demonstrative, because you have a fifty-fifty chance at making the right decision. But what does a parent do when they make the wrong decision?

Most psychiatric doctors would tell the family to treat the child only as the sex that was chosen for the child, but what of natural selection. This brings the conversation square with one that I have been arguing with Christians over for years, I was born male, and yet I was also born gay. Most Christians are taught by the organized religion that sexuality is a choice, but this might prove them wrong. When a soul is born into this world with both genitalia, why then do parents, doctors (mental or physical) believe anyone but that soul can define what or who they truly are?

With that being said, times have changed many things and for now, half of the physical doctors coach parents to hold off on corrective surgery until such time as the child starts to show masculine or feminine tendencies. The surgery should be done before they enter their hormonal years, so that means before teen years. The truly horrible aspects are; most children are developing both masculine and feminine propensities during these formative years. Some even continue nurturing them through puberty and some even beyond into their twenties.

All of this to point out my primary ideology from the very onset: why can’t we just accept someone like Ms. Semenya for who she is…as she is? If she chooses to be defined as one sex over the other, then it might be the right time for surgical action. If she accepts herself physically as she was born, who are any of us to tell her she’s wrong. Our position should be to LOVE, HONOR & RESPECT the living soul that she is. Nothing less than that will do. She is no greater than we are, nor is she less than we are! She is a living, breathing human who deserves everything that we expect for ourselves.

As for the next time parents are faced with such a decision at the birth of their child…LOVE that being you were graced with as they enter this world. HONOR that they are a part of each of you and perfect exactly as they come to you. Above all, RESPECT that this soul will endure enough from such cruel, hateful people that cannot see them as anything other than the unique and beautiful soul they are.

I wish Mokgadi Caster Semenya love as she traverses this treacherous world of ours. I also hope that the governing body that has brought such attention to a graceful woman, that you see the soul before you as she is, treating her with LOVE, HONOR & RESPECT as you would have all others regard you. Allow her to continue her athletic pursuits without fail.

COURAGE IS A SIGN OF A TRULY GREAT ATHLETE!!

Your humble servant – Todd M Dobson

Response To: The Unjustifiable Resentment of Black Americans

2009-09-09T13:22:00.002-05:00

9th of September 2009

RESPONSE TO:
THE UNJUSTIFIABLE RESENTMENT OF BLACK AMERICANS

By: Michael Dean Shelton

I found your blog and was looking forward to some exceptional subject matter based on the post titles. I so fervently disagreed with this post, that instead of letting it go, I wanted to give you a different perspective that you might not have reflected upon.

While I read the statistics and some of the comments that angered you, we cannot segregate those we wish to challenge into supporting us. We as Gay Americans must follow the teachings from such iconic black freedom fighters in attracting our opposition to the table for discussions; not to insult, belittle and push them into a corner of defensiveness. We will never gain a place at the table of equality if among our ranks we ridicule those we wish to garner support from.

Looking at the numbers of voters and delineating those numbers, it shows that we carried white voters with more than fifty percent voting against Proposition 8. We must identify in the campaign strategy how we reached out to the White California voter ascertaining why our efforts were successful. Upon identifying that information, did we reach out to the Black California voter in the same manner? If we did, that will classify why our campaign efforts were unsuccessful and more market research must be done to ensure that our message can be delivered to our black brothers and sisters effectively.

One of the things you neglected to look at in your article was to identify that in the Western United States, the black populace only accounts for 9.1 % of the total population. Across the United States it is approximately 12.5% of the makeup of this country. It is therefore easy to understand why Black Americans may still identify themselves as a minority. Other statistics indicate that 94% of the world’s population is an active participant in religious ideologies. In the black community that number is higher to approximately 97%. While many of the black parishioners of the same faiths that our white practitioners are, more than 50% of them attend a house of worship that cater to predominately black patrons. That intensifies the fact that our struggle for freedom from oppression has more to do against religions than it has to do with individual citizens.

That tells me that in our fight against Proposition 8, we did not do a reasonable job reaching out to black churches, synagogues, temples and ashrams. Therefore between now and the next election, it would behoove us to engage (not denigrate) our fellow black citizens in their houses of worship and not on the streets. We will not reach the black masses in the same manner we touched white voters. We must engage with black religious leaders and politicians that will sway the Black California voters in places where they congregate and not expect them to come to us. We must bring our message of equality to them where they congregate and worship, which means we must win over black religious and political leaders. That is how we spread our message. That is how we show the similarities within their struggle for freedom as within ours. That is where we educate the average black person on religious dogma such as the belief that a gay person chooses to be that way and we show them that just like they are, we had no choice with being gay. It is more difficult for the average black person to identify with Gay America when more of our ranks live above poverty and the greater percentage of their numbers remains below poverty. As I’ve been saying for years, we must remove our differences and identify our similarities as we offer a helping hand to keep their continued struggle in the forefront so that as we receive their blessings we might also help them. We will never win the battle of equality while we struggle amongst ourselves…we must strive to be better, accepting and yes, walk in the path paved by so many slain black leaders who taught America to step aside from hatred and fear.

I feel your anger got the better of you within the text of your post. While I can identify with that anger, because I too feel our black brothers and sisters should be easier to persuade than their white, religious counter parts; however, I implore you to set aside your anger and remember that a few comments (ok many comments) does not speak for the entire Black California population. We must not stereotype the masses by the voice of the few…isn’t that what we are trying to get them to agree too also?

If you wish to have a greater understanding of how difficult reaching out to the black community will be; talk with black men who have sex on the “Down Low.” An entire population cannot stand proud or tall against its own, which forces them deeper into a closet. They feel rejection by the black community with a harshness that speaks of betrayal. It is deeply disturbing how as apposed to love and support, they feel even greater discrimination, which pushes them in larger numbers to live dual lives. Any time humanity is forced to live with duality, there will be greater suffering. Those who are black and gay, but closeted have a greater propensity to discriminate against all homosexuality. We see that exemplified by all of the religious leaders who are caught in sexual acts outside of their marriages. Some are found with gay sexual exploitations while others are found with parishioners or even prostitutes; yet most were the ones shouting the loudest against homosexuality, adultery or prostitution. Our struggle for freedom must also include liberating the black gay men and women who feel they are not accepted by their own.

Please consider my words and look at how you may voice your opinion with the might of your words, not in opposition to the black community, but rather including the black community.

LOVE CAN NEVER BE WRONG

Your humble servant – Todd M Dobson

Daily Thoughts

2009-09-07T22:05:00.001-05:00

7th of September 2009

~ DAILY THOUGHTS ~

Today was such an amazing day with temperatures in the low eighties (Fahrenheit about twenty-two degrees Celsius), just a touch of a breeze with sunny, blue skies. I took off and spent a couple hours riding my mountain bike and enjoying the splendor that Mother Nature provides.

After a weekend of volunteer work, answering questions from one person after the next. My job is to help them find solutions to all sorts of issues: marital, financial, employment, relationships, physical problems and/or emotional ones. Cavorting with nature is such a great way to release all of the energy from those who need assistance. Spending a couple of hours surrounded by the beauty and serenity that nature provides always centers me. It is as if I spent a full day meditating in an ashram, but completely recharged in a fraction of the time. I enjoy helping people and I love what I do for those who sit before me. It is rewarding in so many ways with some people walking away relieved while others may take some time before they realize the gift they’ve received.

There are so many changes in our planet that are already occurring and many have no clue that they are a foot. It behooves each of us to find time to enjoy the outdoors with any tasks that you can. Get in touch with the person you are by reaching out side your doors and windows and allowing nature to lead the way.

We have the ability to make the coming changes great ones while we set fear aside. Most people are seeing and hearing about December 21st, 2012. What most won’t tell you is that the changes we are experiencing will be completed before that date. The secret that most won’t tell you….each of us can make these changes great ones or horrific ones.

What I mean, is that our intent makes the difference for the entire world. If we fear the coming of 2012, thinking that it will bring the infamous Armageddon, then that is what we will experience. If we, as the world, believe and think that 2012 brings the world Peace, Love and Hope; then that is what we will receive. It is up to our collective conscience to determine if we will bring about heaven on earth or deliver us into hell (that is a metaphor that is extremely descriptive of what we can do).

I cannot think of a world where I can’t spend time on my bike, kayak, swimming or hiking my way through the wonders we have on this planet. Join me in knowing every day between now and December 21st, 2012 that I breathe in the air of this world that is filled with Love, Honor & Respect, because that is what I send to every soul breathing with me!

LOVE WHO YOU ARE & LOVE EVERYONE

Your humble servant – Todd M Dobson

The President to Address Our Children

2009-09-04T22:47:00.001-05:00

04th of September 2009

THE PRESIDENT TO ADDRESS OUR CHILDREN

This country has witnessed a media storm apposing the planned speech by President Obama to our educational system and the children of the United States. I liken the response we’ve witnessed to that of a child flaunting a temper tantrum because Mom or Dad won’t let them harvest a basket full of sweets at the checkout counter of the local store.

I find the hypocrisy from those conservative families to be laughable. Educating our children should be one of this nation’s highest priorities. Education has been an agenda item for the past fifty years, but not one president has given it more than lip service. We have a man residing in the White House who is actually trying to deliver on his campaign promises. It should not matter, if you voted for him, if you are a Democrat or a Republican; this nation should be anxious to hear the message he has for our children.

I am disgusted by the politics as usual that is being played out by citizens instead of politicians. Partisan politics is raging throughout conservative states like Texas and Florida. It doesn’t matter what this president does or does not do, these people are angry because their president was not elected. There is no true measure to the man who holds office or what he does for this nation, because they can’t get beyond the loss of the presidency. They exemplify poor losers and fight this presidency at every decision.

What I noticed very predominately is the ubiquity of the message each person that has been interviewed extolled. The same messages declaring their rage over President Obama addressing our children. “He is trying to convert our children to Socialism!” Some explained how they wouldn’t let anyone speak with their child without them present, but that is the most ridiculous statement I’ve heard, because they can’t tell you who their child chats with online, on their phones, at school or away from school. Children are raising themselves and most Conservative Families are no different. I live in the Bible Belt South that is ultra conservative tempered with religious ideologies; yet the children of the South are no better off then their more liberal counterparts from the Northeast or West Coast.

Not one of the parents or religious leaders protesting against President Obama addressing our children said what is the most obvious to me. Instead of showing their children how adults throw temper tantrums; stand first and voice your opinion against the speech without a preview in advance. Offer to sit with your children and listen to the president’s address simultaneously teaching them how to properly listen with an open mind to opinions you may not agree with. It is good to voice an opinion that differs from that of the President of the United States. Teach your child how that is a cherished right that not all citizens in other countries share. Explain that in some nations, if a citizen stands against the ruling individual or party how they may lose their freedom and even their life. Sit in the same classroom with your children and after the speech, discuss it as you listen to them and other parents.

The parents that are angry were obviously well trained with what to say and how to say it. That is more infuriating than anything, because this good step by a president was used as a blatant stab at the Healthcare Reform Bill. I have more disgust for those who appose granting medical benefits to all citizens than I do for any who might not agree with me. Those who appose insuring all American citizens don’t care about any one other than themselves. This is simply an issue of decency and not one of socialism. If it means that we take a single step away from democracy, then maybe we as a nation need to make in order to better care for our own. I don’t see it as cut and dry democracy verses socialism debate, but if that is how you need to view finding a way to provide medical coverage for all citizens, then do so. As long as you do what is right for all citizens of this great nation. There is more than enough to take care of us all and the only people who don’t think so are the Doctors and Insurance Companies who place a higher value on revenues as apposed to human life.

Your humble servant – Todd M Dobson

Changes to the World Change Us All

2009-08-23T17:52:00.001-05:00

23 of August 2009

CHANGES IN THE WORLD WILL CHANGE US

I sat down today to write Part II of: HOW DOES A FAMILY HATE IT’S OWN, but my fingers paused on the keyboard and for close to an hour, I read between the lines and interpret the facts of the events over the past year. I kept trying to figure out why after a year do the people who I’ve done everything to separate myself from, keep trying to suck you back in to their lives. I’ve worked so hard at surrounding myself with Love and such positive energy that the emptiness and negativity emanating from the ones I called family is so opposite of what I’ve tried to perpetuate for myself.

In my meditative state, I realized that this is their way of saying I LOVE YOU. They truly don’t know any other way to communicate the raw emotion within them, so they request my participation in their drama filled lives. It took me far less time to find the facts that were counter to those assumptions that I was led too. Someone other than my Aunt Anna created that Facebook account on her behalf. While they told her about the account and I’m sure gave her the login ID and password, she has no knowledge of how to get to it and has never logged onto it. So the emails I sent and the friendship request that were denied were being done by someone other than my Aunt Anna (I can only imagine it was my mother, Waunita Jacobs). I finally received an email message back from my Aunt, I guess the person in my immediate family who created the account for my Aunt Anna did not count on me emailing Aunt Anna the same message I emailed to her Facebook account. As for the phone calls that went unanswered; my Uncle is not doing as well as he has been. He is having difficulties with his memory and is falling down a good bit. He requires constant attention and supervision, but a woman in her mid eighties who could use help herself, is having to be his primary care giver. They both need the LOVE and SUPPORT of family and friends. Between the increased doctor appointments and other people that have been coming and going, she could only imagine that the messages were erased by mistake, but she was never great at the answer machine either.

The missed emails, phone calls, voice mail messages and friend request all culminated in the desperate calls for the receipt of love from my original family, but with all the lies, mistrust and hate; I completely understand how miscommunication has happen. Instead of saying to me, we miss you and love you; they only know how to deliver that message by causing drama, heart ache, pain and separation. It is sad, but I looked beyond the message as it was delivered to the people and why they cannot go without the drama. They have never been honest with anyone much less themselves. They only know manipulation, lies and distrust as a means to communicate, so how can I expect them to say what is truly on their mind or in their hearts. It is wrong of me to think they could or would communicate in any other way but how they know.

The realization finally sunk in for me. The world is changing (which I’ve been espousing for some time now), but so many souls in this world were born to similar manners like my parents, siblings and family. They have never learned any other way of life or to communicate, so like me having to learn that I can’t just look at the message for what it is, I must learn to see behind the message to truly understand what they really mean to say. This sounds like a lot of work, and for a while it will be; however, the energy that is changing in the world, making it a better place for all, may seem like the Devil’s work for some. So what I am experiencing with my family is exactly what the entire world may experience from all others. Those who dwell in darkness and negativity may see these changes for what they are and fear will cause them to fight against them. It means the ending to the life they know and cherish, so would you expect them to just give up the control they have over so many souls without a fight? Even those people, who are not totally engulfed in negativity, but bounce between the darkness and light, may have a difficulty garnering these changes for the possessiveness and love they truly are. It is difficult when their lives are still filled with drama, lies, half truths and misrepresentations; do you think they could trust that what they see and feel as good? No, they won’t and they can’t. Those who fill their lives with light and love, even when they know what is happening, may or may not have issue with the changing world around them. It is incumbent upon you and me to be the ones who help all others see the changes for what they truly are and help everyone through them.

That is what I had to learn from this situation and it is what we all need to learn. Everyone, not just my family, is feeling the effects of the changes that are happening with this world. These are wonderful and blessed changes that will bring about a greater consciousness of love for all. We must help to guide those around us who feel the changes, but don’t trust in them or trust themselves in the midst of these changes. They need our love and our support so that they may trust the love of others as well as us.

As for my family and the acts of the last twelve months; they will either learn and grow or parish with the inabilities to change with the world. I hope they find it within their hearts to grow with love instead of parish in the negativity and hate that it takes to treat their child or their sibling with such negative acts designed to harm. As for my actions, I choose to forgive them and to continue sending them love and forgiveness as I’ve done every day for the past several years.

PEACE AND LOVE WILL ALWAYS WIN

Your humble servant – Todd M Dobson

How Does A Family Hate It's Own

2009-08-21T18:51:00.002-05:00

21st of August 2009

HOW DOES A FAMILY HATE IT’S OWN

I have written many times about my childhood and those souls that are defined by the technical name called “FAMILY.” I haven’t scribed about them since the post, “If You Think Your Family is BAD – Let’s Compare” published in September of 2008. Being dragged down into their drama induced lives truly goes against what I believe is right for all people. If you’ve read any of my posts these many years, you will see a common theme that encourages you to believe in yourself and tips on how to make yourself a better person.

It has been almost one year since I posted that article with rare thoughts about it or the people disturbingly portrayed within it. However, I seem to be a common thought for them. After that post, they told some horrible lies to people that I cared greatly about and I thought who cared for me. My only living grandmother (Della M Dobson) was berated on numerous occasions about how I continue to write about them and how I frequently use their names. To the point where she finally said she never wanted to see me again unless I stopped blogging and removed all of my posts. Della has never once read any of my blogs, but when a woman in her nineties is repeatedly told by multiple people (Kimmy Covington, Melanie Covington-Arceneaux, Michael Covington and Tonya Dobson) what a horrid person her grandson is, it only takes a matter of time for the weight to be too heavy for this woman to bear. While their incessant campaign of lies, half-truths, drama and misrepresentation of the facts would cause anyone to question; it was probably more her daughter (Dr. Jeanne D. Melson (Wyatt) and her Preacher husband Lawrence “Skip” Melson) that finalized my inability to visit my own elderly and dying grandmother any longer.

To add to this wave of indiscretions, my mother (Waunita Jacobs) had the audacity to call my roommates mother in attempts to illicit information about me. My roommate’s mother was wise to the situation and understanding the kind of woman my mother is, said very little. My roommates mother received multiple phone calls all attempting to drive a wedge of distrust between me and my roommate in what I can only image was to have me removed from my home. My mother’s last effort was to tell my roommate’s mother, “I just hope that Todd is not taking advantage of your son!” What love and compassion a mother must have of her son to attempt to get him kicked out of his home…or rather, should I ask how much love does for yourself does it take that a woman tries to get her own son tossed out of his home (not her home).

It is ashamed to be as vindictive and uncaring as to deny any person the comforts of someone, but to drive an elderly woman to the place where she feels she must not see her own grandson. How much hate must you have flowing through you to perpetuate a crusade over twelve months long that is designed to isolate a single person from all whom they love? How much do you think each person involved in such a fight must loath themselves and truly dislike who they are as a person?

I was not invited to the funeral of my Uncle (Terry Lee Dobson) who died on the 31st of December 2008. It hurt that I was purposely not told of his passing nor was I invited to his funeral. It concerned me with Della’s progressively declining health that someone made her feel so strongly about my visits that a lonely woman, who is scared of dying would send away someone who visits her regularly. I looked at the situation and knew this was the work of those souls I grew up knowing. This was exactly the type of pain they would cause someone else; just to inflict suffering on me. They do not care who else must endure, as long as the target (that would be me) is punished too.

I have been on MySpace for seven, eight or nine years and I’ve been on Facebook almost three years. I found that an Aunt with whom I’ve been very close with over the years had a Facebook account. I was shocked and amused when I found her account, so I immediately sent a friend request followed up with a phone call. This is my mother’s mother’s sister or my great aunt, but we’ve always been close. Anna Leake and I spoke about every couple of months and our last phone call was several months ago, so it was time for me to find out how she and Uncle Herb were doing (seeing how they are both in the eighties). My call was not picked up, which was odd, but not so that I realized there was a problem. When I recognized that the Facebook friend request had been denied, I laughed thinking Ann clicked on the wrong button. I sent another friend request and followed it up with another phone call attempt. This call went unanswered so I left a funny, laughing message even referencing the Facebook friend request on it machine. The second request was also denied and neither call was responded too. That was highly unusual because Ann normally picked up the phone each time I called, but never went without returning my calls.

It is funny the second time I sent a friendship request to Ann, I looked at her friends and there were all of the people who have been propagating such contempt towards me. I laughed because they never made the leap to MySpace and they would laugh and joke about those who used such sites, but here the entire family resided with their pictures looking back at me. I smiled because now it made since why a woman I had just spoken too several months earlier and who compassionately told me how Waunita, Kimmy and Tonya were so lost that they could only see and negative things towards others. She professed that they could not recognize true love, compassion or anything else when it sits before them nor could they let it within their hearts. This statement was brought about by Ann without my prompting the subject and I did what I’ve been doing for the past several years, avoided them as a subject. Now I knew why Ann was not responding to me and denied my friendship requests. While I may not know what lies were told to her or in what intervals, I can attribute the demise of another familiar relationship to the hands of the ones that are suppose to love me the most - FAMILY.

I can attest that I have been learning much from my reading and much of my own teachings (in my blogs and in person with the classes I teach and the people who seek my wisdom). I learned that while their actions are designed to provoke anger, I let that emotion pass through me and move quickly to an understanding and then pity for the ones who know no better. I know that their actions speak more about the coldness that is within their own hearts, and yet, I am just the object they project that rage towards. I know that every lie and every person they focus their efforts in secluding me far from them is an act of aggression in taking something away from me; it only proves that the love of the one they turned away from me must not have been as great as I originally thought it to be. Therefore, I have lost little when they have taken nothing that I never had in the first place. The bottom line is with every attack and every attempt to weaken me; they prove my beliefs that much more. My faith in LOVE, HONOR and RESPECT stands firmer with their provocations and I know without a doubt that I won’t be the one who suffers in isolation at the end. With every step they make, my heart is filled with LOVE, because it proves to me why I am so different from the ones I was born with.

THE STRENGTH AND COURAGE WITHIN, ALLOWS FOR FORGIVENESS!

When you are faced with acts of betrayal like these from friends, family or loved ones; remember what makes you the special person you are! Don’t allow another person to tear you apart. Use the energy they dispel to empower and strengthen who you are. Don’t give in to terror from others and be responsible for how you feel and who you’ve become. If you need to talk about such acts (on the blog or off of it) let me know. Maybe I can help you see the rays of light between the grey skies and dark clouds surrounding you. As always find a way to LOVE, HONOR & RESPECT even those who wish you harm and ill will; fore they are the ones who need it the most!

Your humble servant – Todd M Dobson

The Debate Over Healthcare Reform

2009-08-16T23:54:00.001-05:00

16th of August 2009

THE DEBATE OVER HEALTHCARE REFORM

I am sick and tired over politics as usual in Washington DC. The only ones winning in the gridlock that has become the Washington beltway are the politicians who have received huge sums of money as bribes by the Medical Community and Insurance Industry. Healthcare lobbyists have spent more than a billion dollars this year alone fighting the proposed Healthcare Reforms.

Let’s break down what we’re fighting for: insuring millions of Americans who are cannot afford the huge cost of health coverage. We have one of the highest unemployment rates we’ve seen in over fifty years. That leaves the majority of those people without means for medical needs. When their children or even when they find the need to see a doctor, money is in such short supply that it may mean taking from money for food or paying the mortgage. It is a travesty when someone must chose what they must do without in order to afford the doctor’s visit, the prescriptions or anything else a medical visit may require. It only gets worst if they need an Emergency Room visit. Some families have to go into debt for ten, fifteen or more years because of a hospital stay or even worst; they are denied medical services?

Doctor’s offices and insurance companies play this game where the insurance company forces the doctor to perform their services at a discounted price. The doctors then raise their prices on all services just to maintain the profit margins they wish to make. In turn, when a person does not have insurance to receive the discounted price of services; the doctor doesn’t discount their cost to the individual. The person who needs the discounted cost of medical services the most ends up screwed multiple times over. To expound on the problem my doctor convinced me that I needed to get a Hepatitis vaccination. I started the Hepatitis vaccination process while I was insured by Aetna Insurance Company. I was more than half way through the vaccination process when I accepted a better job. I took the extra steps to find out which of my new insurance options would cover the completion of the vaccinations. The doctor’s office called to ensure which company out of my choices and told me that upon questioning Blue Cross Blue Shield PPO validated that they would pay the remaining balance. Blue Cross Blue Shield then denied that claim stating it was considered a Pre-Existing Problem.

In the process of this, I talked my roommate into having the same vaccinations. He received the same series of shots from the Gwinnett Clinic for a charge of one hundred and fifty dollars for the full batteries of vaccination shots. The half of the vaccinations that was not paid by Blue Cross Blue Shield due to what they called a preexisting claim cost me over four hundred dollars. I had to wonder how the exact same shots cost over six times more. This exemplified the game between the Doctors and the Insurance Companies with all of us getting screwed by both.

Medicine is changing at such a veracious pace and some doctors are better than others at keeping up with those transformations. Some don’t want to keep up and some can’t. Just as with any group, there are good doctors and bad doctors. The bad doctors are running up the cost of Malpractice Insurance for the good ones. There are also good and bad people in this country. Some people want to get rich quick off of the backs of others regardless of entitlement. They will sue any doctor thinking all doctors are rich and can afford it. I do agree that malpractice claims and insurance needs to be evaluated in great details, but this is a separate issue from Healthcare Reform. My personal feelings are that the entire Insurance industry is so far out of control that the entire industry needs to be transformed.

That leads us into the Insurance Companies who are fighting with all they have against Healthcare Reform. They don’t want anyone watching over their shoulders. I worked for several insurance companies and they have teams of people crunching numbers all day every day just to tell management what claims to deny and which ones they need to pay in order not to upset the greater populace. They know that less than fifty percent of all denied claims are fought. Out of the less than fifty percent of those claims that are refuted, they may only be required to pay for a fraction of those. It is all about the numbers and profit margins. The less they pay, the more they make as profit.

The average person just want medical coverage without hearing the word “NO.” The Insurance Industry uses words like Preexisting Conditions, Denial of Claims, Co-Pay and a host of others in order to boost their profits. I believe we call that Corporate Greed! They go way beyond greed by playing games with every thing. If you get this new drug that is known to do a better job, faster and with fewer side effects; you have to pay large sums of money out of pocket because the insurance company won’t pay the higher cost for it. These examples are just a few of the games the Insurance Companies play with each and every one of us, because they cannot cut into their billion or even trillion dollar profit margins. The only things more corrupt than politics; is the Insurance Industry. It would go a long way in making this country a better place to live if we just obliterated the entire industry and started over.

The jest of this fight has to do with common decency and respect for all of our fellow citizens. When hospitals in Los Angeles are paying cab drivers to take patients who don’t have insurance out to the area closest to another hospital simply because the patient doesn’t have insurance, how sick is the system? They do this regularly regardless if those patience are sick, injured or dying, they just don’t want to care for the person who cannot pay for their medical services. What does this say about the Healthcare Industry or where is the dignity for our fellow humans. The main debate has centered on the cost of the over-haul and that outrages me more than anything. It shows that those Congressional leaders have no compassion or regard for any of us, the citizens they should be fighting for. I don’t agree with giving President Obama a blank check, but cost should be the last thing debated over. It shouldn’t matter what the cost, when every single life is worth more than the cost of reform.

My suggestion is to eliminate all emergency, medical and prescription services for all Congressmen, all Representatives and all of their families until they find a way to provide medical coverage for every living citizen of the United States. If you cannot afford medical coverage and must go without, then we should not provide it to our elected officials. When those people we elect to take care of us in Washington are made to suffer as millions of Americans must every day, maybe they might look upon this debate in a different manner.

As for the Lobbyist; I think all lobbyists should have to apply for a license with strict laws in place and full disclosure of their activities. Campaign reform laws should stop the passing of funds to any politician with no Lobbyist able to be behind closed doors with any politician…ever. Lobbyists are lower than Lawyers, lower than Politicians and even lower than pond scum. They are the medium that allows the corruption to play out with our elected officials. I think new laws should be passed that severely punishes the politician, the lobbyist and the person or company that is caught unduly influencing any elected official.

Healthcare Reform needs to pass thereby eliminating uninsured citizens. When politicians want to play with the lives of their constituents, it is time for them to be removed from office. The cost of healthcare coverage should be the last issue on the table. When it becomes the first issue, those politicians making it so also need to be removed from office, because they are the ones who have been bought and paid for by the Medical Profession and the Insurance Industry. The lives of US citizens are more valuable than your pampas and arrogance; so set ego aside and do your jobs by finding a way to insure every American.

Your humble servant – Todd M Dobson

Gay Rights - A World Issue

2009-08-13T23:12:00.001-05:00

13th of August 2009

GAY RIGHTS – A WORLD ISSUE

Thomas Jefferson once stated, “No man has a natural right to commit aggression on the equal rights of another, and this is all from which the laws ought to restrain him.”

I have written many times about the atrocious fight for gay rights within the United States of America. We love to state that we are the freest country in the world, and yet I am still unable to love or marry the person with whom I chose to love.

I remember all too well how when I walked into my first gay bar, I had to look around the parking lot across the street from the bar. You didn’t dare park directly at the bar because many people would drive by as they shouted and yelled racial epithets. News crews frequently drove by with cameras running just to catch one or many people entering the bar in hopes to ruin another life. If a group of guys could catch you alone leaving the club or walking towards the bar; they would beat you, bash you and they could care less if you lived or died.

The problem was that most people didn’t care if a FAG was killed. Their loathing for the person who was beaten or killed gave very little reasons for the authorities to look too deeply into the offense. Religion has been alienating homosexuals for centuries. In fact, religion looked down upon the Greeks and the Romans who regarded homosexuality as a normal part of life with disdain, rejection and killing since before Jesus Christ walked this earth.

Weeks ago I was deeply saddened when I made a friend who lives in Tehran, Iran. My friend happens to be gay, even though President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of The Republic of Iran said when asked about homosexuals in Iran, “In Iran, we don’t have homosexuals, like in your country.“ When pushed on the issue, he said “In Iran, we do not have this phenomenon. I don’t know who’s told you that we have it.” It saddened me as I talked via email messages and chat sessions with my friend that he lives in fear every day in Iran. He fears that someone will find out that he is gay. If someone knows that he is gay and does not say, the arm of Islam will severely punish them. He says that being gay is against Islam and for that offense; he would be killed by hanging after being stoned. Religion has been crucifying gay people for centuries, but in today’s date and time, why would any country knowingly and willingly sanction the killing of people simply because they love a person of the same sex?

Much to the chagrin of both President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, homosexuality is alive and thriving within the boarders of Iran. Regardless of the efforts of all Islamic countries, gay men and women will continue to come from straight people. Both leaders can deny the existence of homosexuality within their boarders as with all other Islamic countries, but to contradict it does not extinguish it. You can slaughter all known FAGS, but that will never impede the propagation nor slow any returns.

President Ahmadinejad said when he visited the United States, that “We are a peaceful, loving nation,” so can the world expect that this isolation and killing of homosexuals will diminish. If either the President of Iran or it’s Islamic leader, Ayatollah Khamenei truly wish to show how Iran is a peaceful and loving nation, then stop killing your own people and show compassion to those who can no more change a part of their life than change the country of their birth. If you will not change the civilized treatment of citizens of your country, then let them leave and find another life in another place. Allow them to live a life with dignity while openly loving a person of the same sex. What would be even better and go beyond embracing all of humanity; legalize the lives and the love of all people…homosexual or otherwise and do what the United States can’t seem to do for its own citizens. Go beyond where you are and treat all people with LOVE, HONOR and RESPECT!

To those who live in Islamic countries, remember that the Koran states, “If Allah brings you to it, He will bring you through it.” This tells me that if you are born gay, it is because you are supposed to live a life loving people of the same sex and no one can ever denounce that part of you, but you. I would remind all Islam, “Stingyness has nothing to do with how much money you have. Neither does generosity. Its about how much heart you’ve got.” Show how Islam is truly about Love and Peace by loving all persons and if you cannot, allow those you wish removed from you sight to leave your country. Hassan al Basri once stated, “The World is three days: As for yesterday, it has vanished, along with all that was in it. As for tomorrow, you may never see it. As for today, it is yours, so work in it.” Give all people today so that they may Live Life Fully with LOVE, HONOR and RESPECT.

Your humble servant – Todd M Dobson

Lessons for Life ~ Love

2009-07-31T22:34:00.000-05:00

18^th of July 2009

Series called:

LESSONS FOR LIFE ~ LOVE

I hope that some of the lessons (Lessons for Life) written about in this blog resonate with a part of you. This message is one that should be the most obvious; however, I for one know from experience just how difficult it can be to see through the clouds that enshroud our daily lives.

The greatest gift we have to give anyone, including ourselves, is LOVE! To some that may sound trite, and yet there is nothing more important than understanding how LOVE moves within our lives. I’ve written many times how we enter this world knowing only one thing…how to LOVE, and yet, we are taught everything else.

The reason we know how to love when we are born has as much to do with the place we come from as it does that we spend up to nine months inside a cradle constructed for LOVE...the womb of our mother. In most cases that person radiates love when she’s pregnant. We cannot come into this world with the cumulative knowledge of our previous lifetimes, because it would impede those lessons we agreed to learn. For the majority of us, the process of growing within our mother’s womb is also a central focus of the love that is cherished by both mother and child.

It must also be said that regardless of the circumstances surrounding our lifetime, we must discover how to love ourselves. Many of us have experienced some truly atrocious things within this lifetime. If you have suffered from abuse, neglect and dysfunction, I do understand how difficult it is to do something as simple as loving yourself. Many of us think that it is far easier to find love from another, but that will never give you the depth or the breath of the LOVE that you require. We must do that for ourselves in order to know that what we receive from others may be wondrous, but it is cursory to that which we know within ourselves.

I am speaking of a LOVE that you share with another. A deep and abiding LOVE that you share with that special person as you build your own family. This Love is truly a gift and must be cherished as you give unconditionally to that person and receive simultaneously from them. There is nothing that can emulate the feeling as you find that one person and infatuation blossoms into a deep, fulfilling LOVE that you desire as your heart aches in their absence.

I am also referencing a love that you give freely to all others who surround you and enter our lives through all sources. Yes, the person you read about in the news or see on the television should invoke a sense of LOVE and COMPASSION. Yes, this love is different from that you share with someone special, but your neighbors, your co-workers, colleges and even the people you meet on the street deserve your LOVE. We must refrain from judging others because unless we are able to walk in their foot steps, we are truly incapable of knowing how or why they got where they are now. That is where the LOVE in our hearts needs to be sent even to the person we pass on the road during our travels. The nameless person that we catch a glimpse of in passing, deserve the same LOVE that we send to our family, our friends and those we cherish dearly. Even then, it is our responsibility to find it within our heart to choose LOVE over all other emotions during the course of our daily lives. That may be a more challenging concept to digest; as you think, “I must love the stranger who bumps into me at the coffee shop spilling my double foam chi late all over my new suit. The answer is “Yes!” As difficult as you think that may be, it is our duty to find it within our heart to feel LOVE as apposed to anger, frustration or any other emotion.

LOVE comes and goes in many different forms. As the world continues to change, we must connect with LOVE as our primary emotion, but let it be that which we fall too first, last and always. For the average person that is not how we focus our daily living, but it should be. As we make the change in connecting to LOVE, we will find that it is easier to give and to receive. Let LOVE be your focus always and forever, it will never lead you astray.

LOVE CAN NEVER BE WRONG

Your humble servant – Todd M Dobson

Lessons for Life ~ Life and Death

2009-07-14T17:28:00.002-05:00

14^th of July 2009

Series called:

LESSONS FOR LIFE ~ LIFE AND DEATH

The subject of death seems to be extremely emotional for people. The obvious reasons are the loss of a loved one. How would it change your views on death and the living, if you accepted that those who passed away were not gone; that they remain a passive element of our lives?

In the West, we’ve been taught that there are only three things that are certain in life; we are born, we pay taxes and that we die. We directly and indirectly learn that once we die, there is nothing more. We are buried, the ones we leave behind must grieve our passing and unless you “repent and accept God,” there is nothing more.

Jesus spoke multiple times about the soul lasting beyond the death of the physical body. Christianity taught for over three hundred years that the soul within each human being, came from God and once physical death occurred, it traversed back to God. Three hundred and twenty five years after the death of Christ, Emperor Constantine created the Council of Nicaea. Constantine was a life long Pagan, but understood humanity enough to know, that if family member would kill another family member due to a difference in ideology, then he must unite their beliefs. He set out to create a unified religion that took from all other ideologies and set forth as the only religion in the world upon which he mandated its practice. Constantine did not feel reincarnation benefitted this unified religion and had all references to reincarnation expunged from the Old Testament. He then established that no one should teach reincarnation directing the Council of Nicaea members (three hundred religious and political leaders of the time) to establish an ideology that would guide members to the church for salvation, thereby changing the world’s view of life after death.

This background information is to establish that most Western people do not have an in-depth belief in reincarnation. They identify this ideology as one from the East. However, this was not always an ideology specific to the East. It was believed, practiced and taught by almost all organized religions. They unilaterally believed, that the soul return to a dimension other than our own until such time that it chooses to return in a new physical body. If this is truly an old belief, why then does it enrage so many and invokes with great passion, retributions such as that forced upon the ruling cardinals of 545 A.D. to draft a papal decree stating that anyone who believes that souls come from God and return to God will be punished by death;

“If anyone asserts the fabulous preexistence of souls, and shall assert the monstrous restoration which follows from it: let him be anathema. (the Anathemas against Origen), attached to the decrees of the Fifth Ecumenical Council, A.D. 545, in Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, 2d ser., 14:318).”

For those who don’t believe, I ask why not? Why do you suppose we are born to live a singular lifetime and only learn what we are exposed too within it? Would it not make more sense, that our soul has been here before and with each lifetime comes a series of lessons? Our soul gathers the cumulative knowledge from each life as we return from our physical adventures to a place of peace, meant for resting between lifetimes. If you believe in an omnipotent being that created us and this universe, why would such a being only construct us for a single life? What do you do if the singular life you have, happens to be a difficult one or maybe a down right crappie one? Do you get angry if you don’t come into this world as Bill Gates, but rather the child born to no father and a mother infected with HIV, no food, no home and no family? Wouldn’t it make more sense that we have hard lifetimes mixed with good lifetimes to solidify the lessons we are meant to learn from?

I believe that we are an accumulation of all of our lifetimes. That we add to our base of knowledge by our experiences. We can learn when we are resting between lifetimes, but we learn more when we interact with other souls, here in this earthly realm. That being said, I’ve come to understand that we agree to the lessons we are set to learn in each lifetime. Understanding the lessons we must learn and the path of the life we are set to endure, we choose the family that will best establish our experiences. For the most part, we choose souls that we’ve experienced in other lifetimes. We come into each lifetime as an established being that will best serve our learning the lessons we agreed to learn: male, female, straight, gay, color, nationality, ideology, etc. will all be established to meet the needs for those lessons we must discover.

When you view life in this manner, I have found that it is easier to understand the arduous experiences that some of us endure. When you question why you are with a family, it is easier to accept that you chose them in service to your needs in teaching you the lessons that you agreed to learn. When we understand life in this manner, it changes how we view the harshness of some of our lessons. None of this will ever remove the greatest gift we’ve been given, “FREE WILL.” We can choose to remain on the journey that was established or we may decide on a different path. However, I have found that life is so much easier when you don’t fight the path you need to be on, and yet, I know that it is always our rights to change our fait.

Life is meant to be a wonderful and amazing experience for us. Our souls excel when you learn the lessons you are meant to learn and teach those lessons that you can teach. This knowledge is written from the perspective of a belief in God (an Omnipotent being), but if you are not of the faithful, please accept that in the life you now live, it may best serve your needs in not believing. That will always bring us back to a common place that says LOVE, HONOR and RESPECT all who surround you. They may be in a different position, learning lessons that you’ve already learned. It may be you who is learning the lessons that those around you have already digested. We can learn every lesson with love, or we may need to learn them through harm, hate, anger or misery.

These articles are building a base of knowledge (A Series: LESSONS FOR LIFE), we all start from the same place as exactly the same thing…..a SOUL. Our goal is to end at exactly the same place and that is an enlighten soul with grace. The only way to obtain our destination is to learn all of the lessons we must learn. If we do not learn our lessons in this lifetime, we will learn them in another. Some lessons can only be taught with distress, while some may only be taught with love, but we are the accumulation of all that we learn.

Your humble servant – Todd M Dobson

Lessons for Life ~ The Golden Rule

2009-07-14T17:25:00.001-05:00

4^th of July 2009

Series called:

lessons FOR life ~ THE GOLDEN RULE

It is no mistake that almost every religion and most organized ideologies, such as Buddhism, have a similar saying; “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”.

This phrase is known by many as the “Golden Rule,” and it says something that Buddhism, Christianity, Confucianism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Taoism, Ancient Greek philosophy, Wiccan and even Paganism all have similar phrases. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you is the verse used by Jesus Christ as depicted in the Bible chapter Luke. It is one of the more common quotes of this passage. The reason this phrase is so important is because when we start thinking of all people as much as we think about ourselves; we grow exponentially.

Taoism:

“The sage has no interest of his own, but takes the interests of the people as his own. He is kind to the kind; he is also kind to the unkind: for Virtue is kind. He is faithful to the faithful; he is also faithful to the unfaithful: for Virtue is faithful.”

A great lesson we must learn in life is that we are not alone. We must care as much about those who walk with us, as we do for ourselves. We become so focused on our needs, what to do for our children and what is in our own best interests that we forget there are others souls inhabiting this planet with us. We are so busy with work, family and what we consider living life, that we don’t know our neighbors. We don’t know their names or anything about them, much less if they need our help. We must get to know our neighbors and learn to care as much about them as we do for ourselves.

Judaism:

“That which is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow.”

Before you do anything to your fellow being, would you take the same action against yourself? If you would not consider the same act against yourself, you should not take that action against your neighbor. Much of what we do against others is done out of fear. Fear and not hatred is the leading instigator that perpetuates harm and the killing of fellow souls. If the act is not that which you would do to yourself without fear, then it should not be done against others, especially in the presence of fear. The only thing we fear is fear itself.

Islam:

“Hurt no one so that no one may hurt you.”

To be a good steward of humanity, we must make choices that show our own individualism and yet we must also ensure all fellow people are able to do the same. That will not always be easy, but we must find a way and the means. Humanity will never survive if we think solely about ourselves. We must think, act and learn to love all others as much as we do ourselves.

Confucianism:

“Never impose on others what you would not choose for yourself”

If we are to live in accordance to the Golden Rule, we must learn to Love all others as much as we Love ourselves. Love is the greatest lesson that we can possibly learn or teach. The next time you make a choice that places you adverse to another, take a moment to answer this simple question: would I do this to myself or would I like if they did the same to me? If you cannot answer that question easily, you should rethink the action you are about to take.

Baha’I Faith:

“Ascribe not to any soul that which thou wouldst not have ascribed to thee, and say not that which thou doest not.”

Your humbled servant – Todd M Dobson

Lessons for Life ~ Judging Others

2009-07-14T17:23:00.001-05:00

6th of June 2009

Series called:

LESSONS FOR LIFE ~ JUDGING OTHERS

I think every one has watched Will & Grace on television. Many people love the bitchy, alcoholic woman named Karen that had a harsh word for everyone and everything that happened around her. While her sardonic demeanor was funny to watch, in real life, there’s not much joy being at the end of such wrath.

No body likes to be demeaned and talked down too like they’re a child or somehow inferior. If you read my last post, you understand that we are all the same. We start at the same place and ultimately when we’ve learned all of the lessons we must heed, our final destination is the same for everyone. I’ve also written many blogs that explain how when we enter this world, we come in knowing one thing as a person…how to LOVE. We learn everything else.

We are taught how to bully. We allow our confidence to be stripped away by others. We learn how to people and situations in order to make them feel inferior while we make ourselves feel superior. It is through our own ego’s need to feel in someway better than others, that we justify our own self loathing that leads to treating people as Karen does on Will & Grace. If we all start from the same place and we all end equally, the only difference for each of us is within the paths we take towards our final destination. Some turn to focused ideologies such as organized religions to navigate the treacherous waters of this world. Religion is a wonderful source to focus us, but most religions teach their parishioners to feel superior over those who are not members. That within itself is a judgment over the billions who chose another path.

We are all on our own path with our own journey that is as individual as our finger prints. Because we start at the same place with a singular goal of completing all of our lessons, but the differences between you and me is how we learn. For some of us religion will not speak to our hearts. There is no wrong means to learn life’s lessons or to educate those we must disseminate knowledge too. For some, organized religion is not the ideology that educates our way through life. My point is that we need to focus more on the lessons to be learned and taught and less on how we are different or better than those who surround us. Accept that what you choose to be may be right for you, and likewise may not for me as I step through my journey. That does not make either you or me wrong, just different. In no way am I superior to you or does that make you superior to me, so we should leave the judgments to happen after we pass from this world. Let the only one judging, be something or someone that is worthy of true superiority without ego causing the inflation.

TO JUDGE IS TO INDIGNANTLY CLAIM SUPERIORITY OVER OTHERS

Your humble servant – Todd M Dobson