Why I'm Voting Republican

A repeat from 2008, but worth it. Thanks, Joe.

In Memory.

"That from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion - that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain - that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom - and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."

- Abraham Lincoln, Gettysburg Address

You Must Remember This.

“A kiss is a lovely trick designed by nature to stop speech when words become superfluous.” - Ingrid Bergman

"Do whatever you wannakuh"?

So what do YOU think of this GAP ad?

UPDATE: Here are the lyrics - seems pretty all-encompassing to me. I know I'm biased, but I read this as a pretty damn positive message:

Two, Four, Six, Eight, 'tis the time to liberate

Go Christmas, Go Hanukkah, Go Kwanzaa, Go Solstice.

Go classic tree, go plastic tree, go plant a tree, go and add a tree.

You 86 the rules, you do what just feels right.

Happy do whatever you wanukkah, and to all a cheery night.

In Which I'm Told I Destroy Marriage and Threaten Children.

Scott and I headed up to Lynnwood yesterday, to buy some more Halloween decorations (Scott has a problem) and to go to Alderwood Mall to find a few new clothes for me. Luckily, Scott has worked in Lynnwood for many years (although he just transferred to Northgate), so he could navigate us around easily - I get lost when I get out of the city. What we didn't expect was to come across hundreds of protesters rallying against Referendum 71 - which is on the ballot for next month's election to uphold Washington State's domestic partnership law, which grants state rights to same-sex couples and domestic partners over the age of 62.

We were enraged. Yes, everyone has the right to hold and voice their opinions - but this was unreal. Apparrently this group came from a Russian Baptist church in Eastern Washington, and has been very vocal in their opposition of granting us and other same-sex couples any rights whatsoever.

What really appalled me was the number of high-school-aged (and younger) kids who were out there holding signs. Yes, we learn values from our parents and families (most of us), but I don't truly believe that these kids honestly know what they're protesting against other than "people who aren't like us". That's what they are learning from this. It's okay to oppress people who you don't know anything about other than that you've been told they are not like you, and therefore not as good as you (or not good at all).

I know, I know ... I'm preaching to the choir, so why even bother?

Because in the off chance that one of those people who were carrying these signs reads - actually reads - this post, maybe they'll think about this.

Quoting the bible isn't enough. The bible was written by man, not god. There are examples (in the Old Testament) you can pull from it that say that homosexuality is a sin. There are examples you can pull from it that say don't wear white after Labor Day, if you want to spin it enough (I wouldn't be surprised if that's happened already). It's really about interpretation of ancient beliefs based on the time they were written. If those books had been written today, they'd have a different meaning. Depending on who would have written them. Interpretation is huge.

Securing rights for domestic partnerships is not tantamount to gay marriage. Sure, it may lead the way - and of course I'm for that - but you're putting the cart before the horse. That's not what this is about.

My big fat domestic partnership is not attacking the sanctity of your opposite-sex marriage. You can be opposite-married all you want. If Scott and I being together has attacked your marriage or any others', there are much bigger fish to fry. Look in the mirror.

Feel an overwhelming need to preserve and protect marriage? Make divorce illegal. I'd be out marching and waving signs for that in a heartbeat.

Think that the very idea of same-sex couples harms children? How? Do a Google search on the percentage of child molesters who are straight.

Think that the way that homosexuality - and same-sex partnerhips - would harm children is that all children will be required to view explicit homosexual pornography in schools and libraries (yes, this is actually an argument that comes up time and time again)? Where did you get that idea? Please tell me where in Referendum 71 this is shown.

Please, those of you who are against these basic civil rights for us - come to my neighborhood. Meet out neighbors. The straight, child-rearing, working and tax-paying and voting neighbors of ours. Ask them of the destruction we have wrought on our neighborhood and their families and their children. Ask them why they allow their children to trick-or-treat at our house. Ask them why they knock on our door when their kids want to see our pets, and actually let them come inside. Ask them why they let us go camping with them and let their kids see us holding hands. Ask them why they bring cans of chicken soup to our house when we have a cold. Ask them why they offer to let us borrow their mixer when ours died and we're trying to make banana bread. Ask them why they ask us to house-sit and cat-sit and bring in their recycling bins when they go on vacation, why they invite us to dinner and parties and why they stop by and talk to us out in the yard, in full view of the world, and laugh with us and wave as they drive by.

And then, look in the mirror and take a good, hard look. And wonder if your god sees them as less than you because they love and accept and yes, sometimes actually TOUCH us.

Referendum 71.

Last May, Washington Governor Christine Gregoire signed into law an expansion of domestic partnership rights that gave same-sex couples and others very close to equal rights regarding "traditional" same-sex married couples.

This has been challenged, and those who oppose this have petitioned and gathered enough signatures to have this put to a vote this fall. While the methods by which they gathered the required number of signatures are dubious at best, this is the law and it now goes to the popular vote.

I encourage everyone to look at both the link above to those who oppose these rights, and to the link to those who are in favor of them.

If you live - and vote - in Washington State, be advised that voting for this referendum means voting for equal rights as domestic partnerships. If you vote against this referendum, you are voting to overturn equal rights for domestic partnerships - and not just same-sex partnerships.

Think carefully. Just think. Try to put yourself in the mind of those who disagree with you - no matter which side you are currently on. Educate yourself. Hear - and listen - to both sides. Decide what you think is really, truly right. Logically, truly, really right.

If you don't live in Washington State, talk to people you know who do. If you don't know anyone who lives here, talk to people you know anyway. Have discussions, dialogue, conversations - not flag-waving, sign-toting, anger-filled deaf-eared protests (from both sides) ... honest dialogue. Listen to each other.

I'm asking a lot.

Just think. Please.

"There is nothing you can't do"

From Ted Kennedy, Jr.'s eulogy for his father (thanks, John):

"...But today I'm simply compelled to remember Ted Kennedy as my father and my best friend. When I was 12 years old I was diagnosed with bone cancer and a few months after I lost my leg, there was a heavy snowfall over my childhood home outside of Washington D.C. My father went to the garage to get the old Flexible Flyer and asked me if I wanted to go sledding down the steep driveway. And I was trying to get used to my new artificial leg and the hill was covered with ice and snow and it wasn't easy for me to walk. And the hill was very slick and as I struggled to walk, I slipped and I fell on the ice and I started to cry and I said "I can't do this." I said, "I'll never be able to climb that hill." And he lifted me in his strong, gentle arms and said something I'll never forget. He said "I know you'll do it, there is nothing you can't do. We're going to climb that hill together, even if it takes us all day."

Sure enough, he held me around my waist and we slowly made it to the top, and, you know, at age 12 losing a leg pretty much seems like the end of the world, but as I climbed onto his back and we flew down the hill that day I knew he was right. I knew I was going to be OK. You see, my father taught me that even our most profound losses are survivable and it is what we do with that loss, our ability to transform it into a positive event, that is one of my father's greatest lessons. He taught me that nothing is impossible..."


"There is nothing you can't do".

Socialism Is Not An Evil Word

This is a great video about the need for government-funded healthcare. I am 100% for this. Bash me in the comments if you feel the need.

Thanks to Kyle.

Happy Fourth of July

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness".

Matterdays Is Alive And Well And Bringing You Pictures, If Nothing Else.

Sometimes lately, I think that I don't have any intelligible thoughts or opinions or news to post. That makes me sad. My head seems to be constantly pre-occupied with work issues ... and once I get home, I'm either in decompression time, or doing chores, or worrying about not getting chores done. When I started this blog, I was unemployed and taking a long break, and had time to breathe and eat and think and write. I miss that. I miss writing things that people would actually read and think about. I miss being able to express myself that way.

I have had to accept some of my shortcomings lately at work and adapt to them, and I'm doing that here, too. I haven't had the time or energy to write and post the way I would like to, so I guess keeping this blog as a purely egocentric album of the passage of my days is what it exists as for now. It'll have to do. It still does me good to have it, and it always does me good to know the friends that I know from this blog experiment. I'm not planning on going away ... but I have to accept the fact that this forum isn't the cathartic outlet I had hoped it would be back when I had the time and energy for it to BE cathartic. Does that make sense?

Anyway - Life is okay these days. Work is work, and takes more of my waking thoughts (and indeed, non-waking thoughts) than I would like, but I'm employed. In this day and age, and in the industry I work in, that alone is a gift. Weather's been good. Scott is a rock for me, as always. I'm a lucky guy.

The current state of acceptance/broken promises/irrationality of my particular minority (I'm a big fag, if you don't already know) is annoying and tiresome. But this column by Mark Morford, whom I truly believe is a superhero and definitely an idol of mine, gives me a little hope, as he always does. (If you're offended by the title of his column, please ignore it and keep reading - it's actually not as blasphemous as it appears at first glance). The hope wanes when I start reading the 800+ comments to his article, but what can you do.

One comment that really stuck with me, though, was one that echoes a thought that I've heard a lot (or paid a lot of attention to) recently. The comment was, "You gays keep 'procreating' your way and see how far it gets you". The gist of this sentiment seems to be that we gays are pushing to have homosexuality be the norm, the majority, and to take over the world.

Even though I don't know what "The Gay Agenda" is, I'm pretty sure this is a big part of the definition. So I'll give the tired, Matterdays-is-sighing response. We don't want to take over the world. We accept the fact that we are a minority. We're okay with that - kinda like it sometimes, quite actually. We just want all y'all to accept - not tolerate, but accept - that we exist, that we are normal and natural, even as a minority, that there's nothing wrong with us, that we are who we are, and let it go. Just let it go. Quit making such a huge ugly deal of it and just let it go.

Okay. Now for a slew of pictures from the past few weeks.

God Hates Pompous, Blathering, Hate-Spewing Inbreds, Too!

Guess who's coming to dinner ...

And two stops right in our own little 'hood, too!

Anyone wanna come to Seattle and watch? I'll bring the popcorn.

Why "Marriage" is more important than "Civil Unions".

A great definition by Rob Thomas on Huffington Post:

A civil union has to do with death. It's essentially a document that gives you lower taxes and the right to let your faux spouse collect your insurance when you pass away. A marriage is about life. It's about a commitment. And this argument is about allowing people to have the right to make that commitment, even if it doesn't make sense to you. Anything else falls under the category of "separate but equal" and we know how that works out.

Amen.

We Won't Back Down.

You Can Help.

There's a lot of work to do for marriage equality, regardless of the momentum that has developed lately. I think this is a hugely important issue. You can help. If you agree, go see Scott's post and make a difference.

More Yay For Us.

I like it.

Gov. Christine Gregoire is surrounded by children, politicians, press and onlookers at the Montlake Community Center as she signs Engrossed Second Substitute Senate Bill No. 5688, one of three bills signed that gives couples registered as domestic partnerships everything but marriage.

And, I like that the hate-filled comments only make me laugh anymore.