Posts
I wrote these today. First in a long time....
As you see it
Take this as you see it
Leave it as you may
Forever is a vision
Best left for today
I found what I was wanting
Deep inside my soul
And in the darkness fortune
Without a proper role
The simplest times of many
Obscured by all who roam
Among the dead and lonely
Confined by those unknown
Will tell a tale of sadness
A rite of passage through
Within the greenest garden
A single drop of dew
You see what I am asking
You know what must commence
The final thought of purpose
The sadness of lament
Has found the heart still beating
The fight remains alive
Take what you see as reason
And reason as Divine
--------------------
Above and Beyond no more
I will no longer go
Above nor beyond
I have gone before
I have gone after
In the night I have gone
And come back again
But no more
The division of the day
The wanting of the time
Surreptitiously wavering
Crowded by the desire
To achieve prescience
I faltered, slipped
But no more
There will be times
When those that matter most
Will seem insignificant
Or obtuse in their dilemma
They will wander and fall
They will go above
And beyond
I will not go
For I have gone and
In going I have seen
What could not be shown
Should not be opened
Is best left alone
Above and beyond
I Will Not Go
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Monday, March 29, 2010
Five Myths about Same Sex 'Marriage'
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Gay in Public, a question of Tolerance
While listening to a popular comedy routine by Stand Up comedian Ron White, a thought occurred to me that I allowed to wander through my brain for several weeks. His routine was centered around a story of a time he was arrested for being "drunk in public"; humorously, after he was physically tossed from a bar. This made me wonder precisely WHY the crime of "Public Intoxication" is, indeed, an offense. Rather, what reasons could have been given in order to justify making the simple fact that you are obviously and openly drunk, offensive when observed by the public in a public place?
Surely it is no crime to be drunk at home, nor drunk in a place where it is socially or culturally accepted to be intoxicated. Further, it is no crime if your "public intoxication" is not observed by an offended member of the public, or law enforcement official who finds your crime warrants an arrest or citation. It is also not a crime to be "intoxicated" or drunk and NOT cause a disturbance or disruption to the general public welfare.
Obviously the answer lies in the society we inherit form our parents; and from the society we create for ourselves. Public Intoxication is something the majority of us simply DO NOT WISH TO SEE, nor do we desire our children be exposed to such open displays of abnormality. You see, we view only the public display of intoxication as abnormal in our society. Sure, some would see the disease of alcoholism as blight regardless of the location of its display, but I am not inclined to discuss that here. We have come to accept alcohol and its effects so, in the interests of a perceived good, we shield our children and ourselves from as much of the results of our acceptance as possible. We tell them drinking is bad and misdirect them from the public display of intoxication so that they do not become indoctrinated into a false culture of drunken acceptance.
Picture a family walking down a popular public street after a nice dinner out. The father sees an obviously drunk man staggering ahead of them so he quickly distracts his children, even covering the eyes of the youngest, in order to keep them from seeing this man. The father holds no animosity toward the drunk man. In fact, he likely pities him in some way. Still, he would rather not have to explain alcoholism, and its devastating effects, to his young children; nor should he be expected to. The drunken man is, for the moment, an aberration on their families peaceful evening out and the simplest course of action is to avoid the situation.
Now, should the man become a nuisance, start to follow them or speak to them unkindly, then the drunken man needs toe be removed from society for, at least, the time he remains intoxicated. The visceral desire to protect our loved ones, and ourselves, from unwanted contact with abnormalities is precisely WHY we can accept the private drunk but not the openly, in your face, public nuisance.
Satisfied that I had reasoned why it was illegal to be Drunk in Public, I began to reflect on my families trip to Cape Cod a few years ago. This was the last time I could recall that I had shielded my young children (then 5 and 7) from anything in a public place. No, we did not see a drunk man or woman staggering toward us. As the title of this post indicates, what I misdirected my children around was, for Hyannisport at least, socially acceptable (even encouraged) public displays of same sex affection.
At the moment of that realization I began to ponder the similarities between what I had done to my children and what the fictional man who avoids the drunk does to his. Like the man, I hold no personal ill will toward the couples I witnessed showing each other their affections. I simply wished to avoid the public display of their affection, and chose to misdirect my children away from it, because I did not feel them old or capable enough of truly understanding what they could have witnessed.
After less than an hour we choose to leave Hyannisport, opting to eat elsewhere on the Cape. We would have done the same had we encountered seven to ten openly drunk, and visibly proud to be so, individuals crowding the streets. Mardi Gras parties in New Orleans are not typically attended by 5 and 7 year old children because it is simply not appropriate for them to be there and, similarly, I found the excess of public displays of affection inappropriate for my children.
Now, I know that some people will see no correlation and, in fact, accuse me of bigotry or hatred for the admission of these actions. Those most militant about their "freedoms" rarely care for the freedoms of those with whom they disagree. I'm not writing this to provoke anyone, though I know I undoubtedly will.
The discussion, or argument if you prefer, boils down to a drastic change in our society, which has occurred over the last 30 or 40 years. Whether or not this change is beneficial I will leave to greater minds than mine. What concerns my thoughts today are the reasons behind the absence of "Public Homosexuality" laws. No, I am not advocating such a law be passed, nor would I rationally expect such a law to be constitutional. I have no personal hatred for any person who can love another. Still, it is clear to me that American society has quickly reversed its moral foundation; allowing and encouraging behaviors that our elders would have, rightly or wrongly, discouraged.
There are many REASONS given as to why two men or two women would love each other. Whether biological, environmental, psychological or a combination of factors the fact remains that homosexuals exist in our society. Without accepting their choices or circumstances, I can accept their humanity. I recognize that people of their orientation are PERSONS, from conception to natural death. In fact, if there were to be discovered a "gay gene" that could be detected in the womb, I believe even gay liberals would instantly become PRO LIFE. But I digress....
What bothers me, eventually leading me to write this post (which I appreciate you reading!), is the fact that, while they are a minority of our population they act and demand to be seen, heard and objectified. This small group of people maintain a powerful, and sometimes militant, faction that offers a clear "we want you to know we are gay, deal with it and accept it" message that, to me, degrades our moral society as a whole. No, we shouldn't discriminate because we find out another person is gay, any more than we should discriminate against a black person, an Asian, a woman, someone who is vertically challenged, or others et al. Discrimination is wrong, even against the unborn, and should not be tolerated by a morally bound society.
Tolerance, however, does not give you the right to put your views, beliefs and lifestyle choices IN MY FACE, or the faces of my children. Indoctrination begins with tolerance but it does not end there. If it did, if only tolerance was taught, we might have a chance at true equality. Instead, however, we are taught by T.V., News and, sadly, in classes at Public Schools, that our obligation of tolerance only applies to certain groups or classes. We are not taught to be TOLERANT of a devout Christian or Jew, when they read or talk about their beliefs in public. In fact we are told to laugh at and criticize certain groups while idolizing and accepting others, often because we are supposed to feel guilty for said group who has, presumably, been abused for millenia. We are quickly moved from acceptance as a human right, to acceptance as a politically correct agenda.
We accept homosexuality as a normal division in the human chain of life, rather than the abnormality that some see it is. Our tolerance has become so great that we even allow this certain group to display their homosexual affections toward each other in the public square. I wonder how long I could stand in Hyannisport reading my Bible out loud, in public.
As for me, I have no desire to watch men swapping spit or women grabbing each other in lewd places. In fact, even heterosexual displays of affection are often unsuitable for children and, until they are old enough to understand I will continue to misdirect my little ones from whatever I, as their father, feel is not good for them to see or hear. We will probably not be returning to Hyannisport, though I love Cape Cod. Maybe, when the kids grow up, we will all go to New Orleans and celebrate Mardi Gras together. If I'm lucky, maybe I'll get arrested for "Public Intoxication".
God Bless you!
Christopher
Definitions of used:*
Public intoxication, also known as drunk and disorderly conduct, is a summary offense in many countries rated to public cases or displays of drunkenness.
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior among members of the same sex,
Surely it is no crime to be drunk at home, nor drunk in a place where it is socially or culturally accepted to be intoxicated. Further, it is no crime if your "public intoxication" is not observed by an offended member of the public, or law enforcement official who finds your crime warrants an arrest or citation. It is also not a crime to be "intoxicated" or drunk and NOT cause a disturbance or disruption to the general public welfare.
Obviously the answer lies in the society we inherit form our parents; and from the society we create for ourselves. Public Intoxication is something the majority of us simply DO NOT WISH TO SEE, nor do we desire our children be exposed to such open displays of abnormality. You see, we view only the public display of intoxication as abnormal in our society. Sure, some would see the disease of alcoholism as blight regardless of the location of its display, but I am not inclined to discuss that here. We have come to accept alcohol and its effects so, in the interests of a perceived good, we shield our children and ourselves from as much of the results of our acceptance as possible. We tell them drinking is bad and misdirect them from the public display of intoxication so that they do not become indoctrinated into a false culture of drunken acceptance.
Picture a family walking down a popular public street after a nice dinner out. The father sees an obviously drunk man staggering ahead of them so he quickly distracts his children, even covering the eyes of the youngest, in order to keep them from seeing this man. The father holds no animosity toward the drunk man. In fact, he likely pities him in some way. Still, he would rather not have to explain alcoholism, and its devastating effects, to his young children; nor should he be expected to. The drunken man is, for the moment, an aberration on their families peaceful evening out and the simplest course of action is to avoid the situation.
Now, should the man become a nuisance, start to follow them or speak to them unkindly, then the drunken man needs toe be removed from society for, at least, the time he remains intoxicated. The visceral desire to protect our loved ones, and ourselves, from unwanted contact with abnormalities is precisely WHY we can accept the private drunk but not the openly, in your face, public nuisance.
Satisfied that I had reasoned why it was illegal to be Drunk in Public, I began to reflect on my families trip to Cape Cod a few years ago. This was the last time I could recall that I had shielded my young children (then 5 and 7) from anything in a public place. No, we did not see a drunk man or woman staggering toward us. As the title of this post indicates, what I misdirected my children around was, for Hyannisport at least, socially acceptable (even encouraged) public displays of same sex affection.
At the moment of that realization I began to ponder the similarities between what I had done to my children and what the fictional man who avoids the drunk does to his. Like the man, I hold no personal ill will toward the couples I witnessed showing each other their affections. I simply wished to avoid the public display of their affection, and chose to misdirect my children away from it, because I did not feel them old or capable enough of truly understanding what they could have witnessed.
After less than an hour we choose to leave Hyannisport, opting to eat elsewhere on the Cape. We would have done the same had we encountered seven to ten openly drunk, and visibly proud to be so, individuals crowding the streets. Mardi Gras parties in New Orleans are not typically attended by 5 and 7 year old children because it is simply not appropriate for them to be there and, similarly, I found the excess of public displays of affection inappropriate for my children.
Now, I know that some people will see no correlation and, in fact, accuse me of bigotry or hatred for the admission of these actions. Those most militant about their "freedoms" rarely care for the freedoms of those with whom they disagree. I'm not writing this to provoke anyone, though I know I undoubtedly will.
The discussion, or argument if you prefer, boils down to a drastic change in our society, which has occurred over the last 30 or 40 years. Whether or not this change is beneficial I will leave to greater minds than mine. What concerns my thoughts today are the reasons behind the absence of "Public Homosexuality" laws. No, I am not advocating such a law be passed, nor would I rationally expect such a law to be constitutional. I have no personal hatred for any person who can love another. Still, it is clear to me that American society has quickly reversed its moral foundation; allowing and encouraging behaviors that our elders would have, rightly or wrongly, discouraged.
There are many REASONS given as to why two men or two women would love each other. Whether biological, environmental, psychological or a combination of factors the fact remains that homosexuals exist in our society. Without accepting their choices or circumstances, I can accept their humanity. I recognize that people of their orientation are PERSONS, from conception to natural death. In fact, if there were to be discovered a "gay gene" that could be detected in the womb, I believe even gay liberals would instantly become PRO LIFE. But I digress....
What bothers me, eventually leading me to write this post (which I appreciate you reading!), is the fact that, while they are a minority of our population they act and demand to be seen, heard and objectified. This small group of people maintain a powerful, and sometimes militant, faction that offers a clear "we want you to know we are gay, deal with it and accept it" message that, to me, degrades our moral society as a whole. No, we shouldn't discriminate because we find out another person is gay, any more than we should discriminate against a black person, an Asian, a woman, someone who is vertically challenged, or others et al. Discrimination is wrong, even against the unborn, and should not be tolerated by a morally bound society.
Tolerance, however, does not give you the right to put your views, beliefs and lifestyle choices IN MY FACE, or the faces of my children. Indoctrination begins with tolerance but it does not end there. If it did, if only tolerance was taught, we might have a chance at true equality. Instead, however, we are taught by T.V., News and, sadly, in classes at Public Schools, that our obligation of tolerance only applies to certain groups or classes. We are not taught to be TOLERANT of a devout Christian or Jew, when they read or talk about their beliefs in public. In fact we are told to laugh at and criticize certain groups while idolizing and accepting others, often because we are supposed to feel guilty for said group who has, presumably, been abused for millenia. We are quickly moved from acceptance as a human right, to acceptance as a politically correct agenda.
We accept homosexuality as a normal division in the human chain of life, rather than the abnormality that some see it is. Our tolerance has become so great that we even allow this certain group to display their homosexual affections toward each other in the public square. I wonder how long I could stand in Hyannisport reading my Bible out loud, in public.
As for me, I have no desire to watch men swapping spit or women grabbing each other in lewd places. In fact, even heterosexual displays of affection are often unsuitable for children and, until they are old enough to understand I will continue to misdirect my little ones from whatever I, as their father, feel is not good for them to see or hear. We will probably not be returning to Hyannisport, though I love Cape Cod. Maybe, when the kids grow up, we will all go to New Orleans and celebrate Mardi Gras together. If I'm lucky, maybe I'll get arrested for "Public Intoxication".
God Bless you!
Christopher
Definitions of used:*
Public intoxication, also known as drunk and disorderly conduct, is a summary offense in many countries rated to public cases or displays of drunkenness.
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior among members of the same sex,
*(Information derived form Wikipedia.org, Dictionary.com and other reliable sources.)
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