Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Vitriol Is Pervasive

A recent article in a local paper referred to a news story about a North Carolina program designed to insure proper nutrition for young school children by either providing school lunches or by providing supplemental food items to balance a child's "paper bag" lunch.  Apparently an overzealous Health Department employee doing a random check of home prepared lunches told a little girl she had to go to the cafeteria and eat a school lunch.

I was curious so I looked up the story here, and the follow-up, here.  Of course the story was featured by Faux News and was not particularly "controversial", but merely revealing of how some people might take a well meaning program to an unintended extreme.  However this angle - the fact that an individual state health department worker may have an erroneous or grandiose interpretation of his or her role in implementing the program - was not explored.

What did strike me as disturbing was not the meat of the story, but the fact that it was an opening for all kinds of vitriol in the readers' comments section which followed the stories.  The discussion almost immediately turned into a condemnation of Obama, health care reform, and government policies;  thrown in for good measure was First Amendment rights, the Catholic Church's stance on birth control, homosexuality, rampant socialism, etc.  I'm surprised no one mentioned the NRA and the right to bear automatic weapons.  And this in response to a story about school lunches!

My point is this: we read blogs and news that more or less supports our world view and the issues we care about, so become somewhat insulated from the reality of an alternate universe; but there are countless others who only need an innocuous story about a school lunch program gone awry as an excuse to vent their irrational fears, anger, contempt and hatred toward Obama and every issue we care about.

These people are both scary and pathetic. Should we be worried?

Friday, February 24, 2012

Perhaps There's Hope for the Catholic Church Yet

It is so easy to bash Catholics and the Catholic Church because of the hierarchical ignorance that is so prevalent and tends to make the news at every turn of the political screw.

Thank God for Rebel Nuns:

Friday, February 17, 2012

Thursday, February 16, 2012

From My File Cabinet - 5 The Hetero Quiz


This is a "souvenir" of my days as a health educator and activist, when we would be invited to give presentations on HIV and AIDS.  It was the era of Gay Men Coming Out - and gay men being forced out of the closet by AIDS.

Depending on the circumstances and the audience, we sometimes slipped in a little fun exercise to help educate people about homosexuality.

It seems to me that a lot of people, especially a bunch of Republican politicians and leaders of (un)Christian churches could use a little education.  I am not so naive as to think they can actually BE educated, but lets try.

Send them this questionnaire.  (seems I'm into questionnaires lately).


HETEROSEXUAL QUESTIONNAIRE

1. What do you think caused your heterosexuality?

2. When and where did you decide you were a heterosexual?

3. Is it possible this is just a phase and you will out grow it?

4. Is it possible that your heterosexual orientation has stemmed from a neurotic fear of others of the same sex?

5. Do your parents know you are straight? Do your friends know- how did they react when you told them?

6. If you have never slept with a person of the same sex, is it just possible that all you need is a good gay lover?

7. Why do you insist on flaunting your heterosexuality... can’t you just be who you are and keep it quiet?

8. Why do heterosexuals place so much emphasis on sex?

9. Why do heterosexuals try to recruit gays into their lifestyle?

10. A disproportionate majority of child molesters are heterosexual... Do you consider it safe to expose children to heterosexual teachers?

11. Just what do men and women do in bed together? How can they truly know how to please each other, being so anatomically different?

12. With all the societal support marriage receives, the divorce rate is spiraling. Why are there so few stable relationships among heterosexuals?

13. How can you become a whole person if you limit yourself to compulsive, exclusive heterosexuality?

14. Considering the menace of overpopulation how could the human race survive if everyone were heterosexual?

15. Could you trust a heterosexual therapist to be objective? Don't you feel that he or she might be inclined to influence you in the direction of his own leanings?

16. There seem to very few happy heterosexuals. Techniques have been developed that might enable you to change if you really want to. Have you considered trying aversion therapy?

Sunday, February 12, 2012

Never Say Never

We have not given up hope!

I have put together a survey about camping preferences and campgrounds serving LGBT campers or would-be campers - tent, trailer, pop-up, cabins, back of the SUV - whatever.

The survey is open to all, but I am particularly interested in responses from New England and the Northeast or from campers who may visit New England and the Northeast.

Thanks!

End of An Era - Whitney Houston

Back in the 1980's many of us spent hours on the dance floor with Whitney singing "I Wanna Dance With Someone".  Fond memories.  A Diva passes.

Friday, February 10, 2012

Final Tune - Last Episode of Damages - Season 3

This song "Everybody Knows" (by Leonard Cohen with Sharon Robinson) really sums things up for these crazy times.



Been watching Damages with Glen Close on Netflix. It is a sick, cynical lawyer show. With unexpected twists and turns.  It's addicting.

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