Indiana joining the bigotry parade

[SGOS]

To me the thing seems to be a mass scapegoating. http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/right-wing-activist-flee-america-gay-marriage-causes-god-destroy-us Every problem, from economic woes to tornadoes, is blamed on theses people, and what they do in the bedroom.

It's a distant early warning to the rest of us: you could be next!

It's the way witches were reported to operate in the past.  Somebody's barn burns down, and it's blamed on the evil of some witch.  We can pat ourselves on the back for not burning witches (or gays) today, but our thinking is every bit as flawed as those who believed in witchcraft 300 years ago.  It's just a new scapegoat.

Clearly however, there is real evil afoot.  It's all around us infecting our neighbors and leaders.  It's the evil of ignorance and superstition that springs from religion.

[Solomon Zorn]

It's not just the religious. I know some non-religious people who are still bigots.

This whole entwining of right-wing religion, with right-wing politics is fucking insane. What is the real motive behind it? It's fear. And demagogues love to stoke the fires of fear, if it gets people to vote for them.

This recent decision by the supreme court is stripping a whole host of freedoms from the many, in order to allow the few to enforce their own peculiar pseudo-religious dictates.

Religious freedom, my ass! So you can refuse to allow gays to shop in your grocery store now? Where does it end?  With Jews? Blacks? Democrats? Atheists?

[Solomon Zorn]

Just heard this song on the stereo, and thought I would share. Written by an atheist, here are the lyrics to a song that fit's the subject perfectly:

"Witch Hunt"
RUSH

The night is black
Without a moon
The air is thick and still
The vigilantes gather on
The lonely torch lit hill

Features distorted in the flickering light
The faces are twisted and grotesque
Silent and stern in the sweltering night
The mob moves like demons possessed
Quiet in conscience, calm in their right
Confident their ways are best

The righteous rise
With burning eyes
Of hatred and ill-will
Madmen fed on fear and lies
To beat and burn and kill

They say there are strangers who threaten us
In our immigrants and infidels
They say there is strangeness too dangerous
In our theaters and bookstore shelves
That those who know what's best for us
Must rise and save us from ourselves

Quick to judge
Quick to anger
Slow to understand
Ignorance and prejudice
And fear walk hand in hand...


This is the best link I could find for listening, as there is no distracting video, just an ad to skip:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MWzDKE4zbY

[SGOS]

It's not just the religious. I know some non-religious people who are still bigots.

Point taken.  Although, the loudest and most frequent cries come from the Bible thumpers.  I'm sure there must be non-religious bigots, although in my experience, the only anti gays I personally know, are religious.  Not to say that all my religious friends are anti-gay.  In fact, most are not.  But I can't imagine a gay marriage protest that isn't centered around signs warning that "God forbids it."

Edit:  Oops, I forgot my cousin.  He believes in God, but not enough that he ever goes to church.  He's extremely anti-gay, but he doesn't call on God to justify it.  It's because when he thinks about gay sex, he gets a sick feeling.  I tell him to stop thinking about it.

[Mermaid]

Like the religious zealots who speak out against sex education and contraception, these people seem to think that marriage equality will somehow produce more gay people.

[Solomon Zorn]

Like the religious zealots who speak out against sex education and contraception, these people seem to think that marriage equality will somehow produce more gay people.

It's fear. Plain and simple. And these politicians are using the fears of the religious to further their positions. Keeping the scapegoat as the main focus of the discussion.

[Mermaid]

Fear and ignorance about actual reality and fact.

[Solomon Zorn]

I wrote this poem about a year ago, after hearing our governor, Mike Pence, on the morning news proclaiming that he, "supports traditional marriage," while meaning he supports banning gay-marriage.

It's short and to the point. What do you think? Is it too insensitive? It's not meant to be, but i can see, reading it now, that it might come off that way. Just remember: it's an analogy.

"I Like Pizza"
http://www.solomonzorn.com/i-like-pizza.html

[SGOS]

No, I don't think that's insensitive.  Although, suppose it was?  That wouldn't diminish the message.

[Solomon Zorn]

Well, the Governor just signed it into law. Looks like Gen-Con, the 50,000 attendee gamer's convention, is threatening to take the convention to another state. Way to go, Pence.

[Solomon Zorn]

I'd like to add an amendment: All religious exemption claims must be prominently displayed on the outside of the business, so that homosexuals, etc. don't have to be humiliated by being turned away inside the establishment.

This way we can all see who the  bigots are, and avoid their establishments. Like the old fashioned "Whites Only" signs. "NO GAYS." I think it would work against those businesses pretty quickly.

[Aroura33]

Want to help?  If you live in Indiana, go here to petition for a recall of this dumbass governor.
http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/recall-mike-pence.fb50?source=s.fb&r_by=12755395

If you don't live in Indiana, you can still email the jerk and tell him what a dumbass, backwards thinking bigot he is, here:
http://www.in.gov/gov/2333.htm

[Johan]

'Hey boys, there's some good news!' - Gustavo Nicholich

[SGOS]

'Hey boys, there's some good news!' - Gustavo Nicholich

I'm lost.  I'm not seeing a connection.  Googling Nicolich didn't offer any help.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

I'm lost.  I'm not seeing a connection.  Googling Nicolich didn't offer any help.

He was 20 years old, a Stella Maris graduate and a member of the Old Christians rugby team. He was studying to become a veterinarian. He survived the plane crash uninjured but was killed in an avalanche on the mountain two weeks later.
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=27338442