Proposition 8 Must Remain

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

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

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?

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?

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.

 

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 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

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:

 

1. 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.
   
2. 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.
   
3. 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.
   
4. 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

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

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

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

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

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

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