I anticipate that soon there will be a big media storm (unless it's already going) over a movie that's to be released soon. It's a movie called Corpus Christi based on a play by the same name by Terence McNally, in which Jesus is portrayed as a gay man, and the movie is set in 1950s Corpus Christi, TX.
*GASP*
Why should such a play make everyone so nervous and filled with homophobia all of a sudden? Were you there in Jesus' time? Even if we go on the Bible, it's never mentioned whether or not Jesus was in a relationship with anyone, except his 12 disciples. We know he taught them through parables the teachings we try to live by to this day, and then later, we know that Judas betrays Jesus with a kiss. We don't know if it was a kiss on the lips or cheek, it was just a "kiss". According to the Bible, Judas didn't shake Jesus' hand, pat him on the back, or hug him to identify him for the Roman soldiers, he kissed him.
Many Christians probably loathe the idea of Jesus being depicted as gay. But, for the sake of argument, what if he was? Would it make a difference? If so, how? Would God love his son any less if Jesus was gay? Isn't God's love unconditional? Isn't Jesus' love for us unconditional?
All this movie/play does is portray Jesus in a way that no one has openly or publicly done. This simply challenges our deeply embedded image of him as one of total purity and asexuality (no sexual attraction at all) because our churches don't discuss it, and neither does the Bible. Instead, Christian churches, through their frequent anti-gay stances, maintain and uphold the following portrayal of Jesus: healer, teacher, miracle worker.
I'm pretty sure that when you ask some Christians how they feel about gay people, you'll get a mixed reaction either support or opposition. But if you were to have a discussion about Jesus possibly being gay, it'd suddenly be blasphemous and repulsive. But, why should it be blasphemous and repulsive?
I remember first learning about this play, Corpus Christi, and a church whose services I occasionally attend recently hosted a production. I didn't go because I couldn't afford it at the time. But I'm curious to see Jesus in a different portrayal than the exclusive one we've all learned over the years. I'll admit that when I first heard about this play, I was initially bothered by it. But after giving it careful thought, I drew my own conclusion: If Jesus loves us no matter who we are, what sins we've committed, etc., why should our love for him be any different? How is portraying him as gay blasphemous?
Because it is! It's mockery and repulsive blasphemy to imply that Jesus and his followers were gay!
Do you have gay friends or family members?
Yes.
Does it bother you that they're gay, or do you love them just the same?
No, it doesn't bother me.
But it bothers you to think of Jesus as gay?
Yes!
Why?
Because he wasn't!
How do you know he wasn't? Were you there? Does the Bible discuss anything about any sexual relationship he could've had?
No.
It seems to me that the very idea of Jesus being sexual with anyone in general is what's an upsetting thought to Christians (but thinking of him as gay is even more upsetting because we're taking the most beloved icon in human history and juxtaposing him with one of the most controversial issues of the human condition). Think of him as a sexual being like anyone of us, and Christians start to squirm; think of him as a homosexual, and Christians, even those who support gay people, will cover their ears yelling "LALALALALALALA!" This is because we just want to think of him as the kid born of a virgin, being found in the temple preaching to elders, teaching them, and then we fast-forward to his 30s where he acquired his disciples, challenged religious leaders, forgave sinners, and performed miracles (wedding at Cana, multiplication of loaves and fishes, curing lepers, the blind, the deaf, walking on water, calming the storms, raising Lazarus from the dead, exorcising demons from fellow citizens, and most famously, rising from the dead and ascending into heaven). There are over 20 years of his life the Bible doesn't discuss. What happened in those years?
Do I think Jesus was gay? *shrugs* I have no clue. I think it'd be cool if he was. But that's my whole point: whether he was or wasn't, what does it matter? He died. He rose. Christians expect him to come again and judge the living and the dead. He loves us. We love him. And as long as there's love in a relationship with Jesus Christ, nothing else matters.
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Monday, July 9, 2012
I'll help you pack
In an historic vote, the US Supreme Court upheld the controversial Affordable Care Act - aka Obamacare - and some people *ahem* conservatives are pissed. In fact, many conservatives have decided that they're going to move to Canada. (#4 is my personal favorite)
There's only one problem: Canada has free, government-run health care. That's single-payer health care where the government pays for everyone's health care through raising taxes on everyone. And you know what? That's what I want too. I dread going to the doctor because I know I'll have to pay an expensive co-pay. I hope I'll never have to go to the ER because I'll have to shell out money I don't care to spend. But if I have my taxes raised a little more, and I get FREE HEALTH CARE, I'm TOTALLY cool with that.
I can't remember who said this, but the quote goes: "I love taxes. I pay them, and I get civilization in return." Amen.
In all honesty, am I thrilled about how the ACA works? Yes, and no. When it was being legislated, *I* was pissed that there was no public option...because I wanted a public option! That's the primary reason I'm not completely thrilled about it. But do I support Obamacare? ABSOLUTELY! We're already required, by law, to have car insurance. What's wrong with being required to have health insurance?
So, like I said, if the ACA had offered a public option, I probably wouldn't even worry about going with an insurance company. But what kind of healthcare to do I really want? Single-payer health care. I want Canada's health care. In fact, many industrialized countries have it. And they're fine. We're the only industrialized country that doesn't have single-payer health care. Why is that? And the countries with universal health care are not communist. In fact, there are FEW communist countries still in existence, Cuba and China being among them.
So, if you want to move to Canada, I'm only a little jealous, but despite my jealousy, I'll help you pack. Why would I be jealous? Well, for the free health care for one. But also, Frank and I can have our 6-year relationship recognized there too. There, I could legally call him my husband.
Besides, we have yet to witness all the good things the ACA offers. A lot of it won't be implemented until Obama's 2nd term, assuming he gets it.
There's only one problem: Canada has free, government-run health care. That's single-payer health care where the government pays for everyone's health care through raising taxes on everyone. And you know what? That's what I want too. I dread going to the doctor because I know I'll have to pay an expensive co-pay. I hope I'll never have to go to the ER because I'll have to shell out money I don't care to spend. But if I have my taxes raised a little more, and I get FREE HEALTH CARE, I'm TOTALLY cool with that.
I can't remember who said this, but the quote goes: "I love taxes. I pay them, and I get civilization in return." Amen.
In all honesty, am I thrilled about how the ACA works? Yes, and no. When it was being legislated, *I* was pissed that there was no public option...because I wanted a public option! That's the primary reason I'm not completely thrilled about it. But do I support Obamacare? ABSOLUTELY! We're already required, by law, to have car insurance. What's wrong with being required to have health insurance?
So, like I said, if the ACA had offered a public option, I probably wouldn't even worry about going with an insurance company. But what kind of healthcare to do I really want? Single-payer health care. I want Canada's health care. In fact, many industrialized countries have it. And they're fine. We're the only industrialized country that doesn't have single-payer health care. Why is that? And the countries with universal health care are not communist. In fact, there are FEW communist countries still in existence, Cuba and China being among them.
So, if you want to move to Canada, I'm only a little jealous, but despite my jealousy, I'll help you pack. Why would I be jealous? Well, for the free health care for one. But also, Frank and I can have our 6-year relationship recognized there too. There, I could legally call him my husband.
Besides, we have yet to witness all the good things the ACA offers. A lot of it won't be implemented until Obama's 2nd term, assuming he gets it.
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
To love another person is to see the face of God
My post title is a line from a song from the classic Broadway play Les Misérables.
I'm well-aware that when I post on Facebook or on my blog here, I'm posting on hot topic issues, primarily marriage equality. On Facebook, I see pictures with captions that support what I believe, and I (probably) annoyingly share them on my profile in an attempt to expose and educate.
Everyone sees the world through a different lens, based on whatever their life experiences include, and many times, some people may feel as though their lens is the one true view of the world, and they defend their world perception with tremendous passion and emotion, potentially alienating others who disagree with their particular perception. Standing for something can definitely indicate what kind of person you are, your character. And one's character can easily be exposed by how one approaches and deals with others who view the world from their own lens, also insisting that their view is the correct one.
I see the world through the eyes of someone who deals with discrimination daily. I see and experience injustice first hand. I'm not in the majority. I'm part of 2 minorities in that I'm Hispanic and gay. I've known people who are members of even MORE minorities. I once met a man, when I was in college (over 8 years ago), who was Hispanic, highly hearing impaired, blind, gay, and even HIV+. The only other way I could see him be more of a minority is if he had also been a little person.
Because I see the world through the eyes of one who's a subject of daily discrimination, it teaches me to empathize with other people, to be able to walk a mile in their shoes and see life through their eyes.
That being said, here's the challenge:
If you know someone who opposes your views, and is as stubborn about being educated in your view point as you are about being educated in theirs, how do you deal with that? Do you just let the sparks fly in friction of potentially inevitable heated debate? Or despite the fundamental disagreements, do you look at that person and still do what Jesus taught us to do and love that person anyway, even when you each hold irreconcilable view points?
In today's political climate, we have 2 major political parties, and each one believes in their heart of hearts that their beliefs are the right ones. So what happens? You have 2 sides arguing and arguing, and slinging mud at each other, trying to expose each other's lies, half-truths, misinformation, etc. One side paints the other as being bigoted, while the other side paints the other as being immoral, and so the mud-slinging continues, seemingly without end. Then one side will use Scripture to justify and support their beliefs, and then the other side will use it to counter the opposition's beliefs.
A relative brought to my attention that when I post as much as I do on Facebook, I'm taking part in the mud slinging. After careful reflection, I've realized I am. I've also, upon reflection, realized that as much as I try to maintain that I'm trying to expose hypocrisy (by being a "digital activist"), I've failed to recognize my own. I cannot claim to be follower of Christ if I'm yelling in judgment at those who disagree with my view of the world. That's not love. That's hate and intolerance, something I actually would like to fight to eradicate. But I can't help rid the world of intolerance when I'm practicing it myself.
A few weeks ago, Frank and I had the privilege to see Les Misérables through Broadway Across America. It's our favorite musical. I love the music, and he loves the story, and he essentially aspires to be like the main charactor, Jean Valjean, a man who truly and completely embodies Christ-like behavior in his actions. He starts off in the story as a criminal, robs a priest who gives him food and shelter, but when the priest covers for him against the authorities, Valjean becomes converted and vows to live a righteous life. His vow puts him in very difficult situations in which he is faced with difficult dilemmas whose options lie in self-interest, or selflessness. And each time, he chooses selflessness in remembering to honor his vow to God, to lead a righteous life. When I listen to the soundtrack, and when I saw the play, there was one line in a song that struck me:
"To love another person is to see the face of God..."
Those words echo in me very deeply. I thought about those words this Father's Day weekend. And simply the thought of these words started making me cry. I felt so humbled, so guilty, so...hypocritical. Here I am being a "digital activist" intending to educate and expose falsehoods my "enemy" teaches, and I feel like I might be causing more harm than good because I'm too busy trying to push my beliefs onto others when I vocally preach against others doing that as well.
I guess what I'm saying is that though there's nothing wrong with debate, and deep, intelligent discussions, there's certainly nothing wrong with educating people, I mean, for cryin' out loud, I AM and educator by profession! But It's not that you educate, it's how you educate. And I think I'm going about educating the wrong way. I don't know. I may look at this post in the next few years and think, "What the hell was I thinking writing that post?" All I'm saying is that I'm looking at how I've been behaving lately, and it doesn't line up with the ideal person I'd like to think I'm striving to be, and that type of person is the one described in this quote from Les Misérables. I want to be the type of person who loves all, not just those who agree with me, because I think that's what Jesus would do.
And that's not easy to do. It's a lifelong challenge.
I'm well-aware that when I post on Facebook or on my blog here, I'm posting on hot topic issues, primarily marriage equality. On Facebook, I see pictures with captions that support what I believe, and I (probably) annoyingly share them on my profile in an attempt to expose and educate.
Everyone sees the world through a different lens, based on whatever their life experiences include, and many times, some people may feel as though their lens is the one true view of the world, and they defend their world perception with tremendous passion and emotion, potentially alienating others who disagree with their particular perception. Standing for something can definitely indicate what kind of person you are, your character. And one's character can easily be exposed by how one approaches and deals with others who view the world from their own lens, also insisting that their view is the correct one.
I see the world through the eyes of someone who deals with discrimination daily. I see and experience injustice first hand. I'm not in the majority. I'm part of 2 minorities in that I'm Hispanic and gay. I've known people who are members of even MORE minorities. I once met a man, when I was in college (over 8 years ago), who was Hispanic, highly hearing impaired, blind, gay, and even HIV+. The only other way I could see him be more of a minority is if he had also been a little person.
Because I see the world through the eyes of one who's a subject of daily discrimination, it teaches me to empathize with other people, to be able to walk a mile in their shoes and see life through their eyes.
That being said, here's the challenge:
If you know someone who opposes your views, and is as stubborn about being educated in your view point as you are about being educated in theirs, how do you deal with that? Do you just let the sparks fly in friction of potentially inevitable heated debate? Or despite the fundamental disagreements, do you look at that person and still do what Jesus taught us to do and love that person anyway, even when you each hold irreconcilable view points?
In today's political climate, we have 2 major political parties, and each one believes in their heart of hearts that their beliefs are the right ones. So what happens? You have 2 sides arguing and arguing, and slinging mud at each other, trying to expose each other's lies, half-truths, misinformation, etc. One side paints the other as being bigoted, while the other side paints the other as being immoral, and so the mud-slinging continues, seemingly without end. Then one side will use Scripture to justify and support their beliefs, and then the other side will use it to counter the opposition's beliefs.
A relative brought to my attention that when I post as much as I do on Facebook, I'm taking part in the mud slinging. After careful reflection, I've realized I am. I've also, upon reflection, realized that as much as I try to maintain that I'm trying to expose hypocrisy (by being a "digital activist"), I've failed to recognize my own. I cannot claim to be follower of Christ if I'm yelling in judgment at those who disagree with my view of the world. That's not love. That's hate and intolerance, something I actually would like to fight to eradicate. But I can't help rid the world of intolerance when I'm practicing it myself.
A few weeks ago, Frank and I had the privilege to see Les Misérables through Broadway Across America. It's our favorite musical. I love the music, and he loves the story, and he essentially aspires to be like the main charactor, Jean Valjean, a man who truly and completely embodies Christ-like behavior in his actions. He starts off in the story as a criminal, robs a priest who gives him food and shelter, but when the priest covers for him against the authorities, Valjean becomes converted and vows to live a righteous life. His vow puts him in very difficult situations in which he is faced with difficult dilemmas whose options lie in self-interest, or selflessness. And each time, he chooses selflessness in remembering to honor his vow to God, to lead a righteous life. When I listen to the soundtrack, and when I saw the play, there was one line in a song that struck me:
"To love another person is to see the face of God..."
Those words echo in me very deeply. I thought about those words this Father's Day weekend. And simply the thought of these words started making me cry. I felt so humbled, so guilty, so...hypocritical. Here I am being a "digital activist" intending to educate and expose falsehoods my "enemy" teaches, and I feel like I might be causing more harm than good because I'm too busy trying to push my beliefs onto others when I vocally preach against others doing that as well.
I guess what I'm saying is that though there's nothing wrong with debate, and deep, intelligent discussions, there's certainly nothing wrong with educating people, I mean, for cryin' out loud, I AM and educator by profession! But It's not that you educate, it's how you educate. And I think I'm going about educating the wrong way. I don't know. I may look at this post in the next few years and think, "What the hell was I thinking writing that post?" All I'm saying is that I'm looking at how I've been behaving lately, and it doesn't line up with the ideal person I'd like to think I'm striving to be, and that type of person is the one described in this quote from Les Misérables. I want to be the type of person who loves all, not just those who agree with me, because I think that's what Jesus would do.
And that's not easy to do. It's a lifelong challenge.
Sunday, June 10, 2012
The reality of 2nd-class citizenship
Dear Potential Voter (I say "potential" because a lot of Americans don't care to vote):
Are you married? If you are, great. You have the right to marry the person you love.
Can you get fired from your job due to your race, ethnicity, sex, creed, color, disability? No? Good for you. Your employment is protected.
I, on the other hand, am not married, despite what my Facebook relationship status reads. Why am I not married even though I'm in love with my partner of 6 years? Because my right to marry has been denied. So all the benefits and protections that come with a marriage license will never be available to me...so long as such laws are in place.
Also, though I can't be fired for being Hispanic, male, white, disabled (I'm not) or a progressive Christian, I CAN be fired for being gay. So I'm *not* completely protected because most employment discrimination clauses do not include "sexual orientation or gender identity/expression"...6 words that offer invaluable protections.
Which is the party that opposes marriage equality and supports sexual orientation-based employment discrimination? REPUBLICANS more so than any other American political party.
If you're legally married, good for you. You probably had to pay a small fee and show proof of ID to get the license. Me? Since it's illegal for me to get married, my partner and I have to jump through a whole bunch of hoops, and pay a shitload of money for an attorney just to get the PROTECTIONS the marriage license gives you automatically. How is that fair in a country where "all men are created equal" as stated in our Declaration of Independence? How is that fair in a country where "no state shall . . . deny any person within its jurisdiction equal protection under the law" as stated in the 14th Amendment of our US Constitution?
Being denied these rights make me and millions like me a 2nd-class citizen in my own country. And as long as you vote for Republican candidates, especially socially conservative candidates, YOU ARE CAUSING US PERSONAL HARM.
So.
If you are empathetic to equal rights for ALL citizens, please vote Democrat. If you refuse to vote Democrat because you support the Republican party on MOST issues, then contact your senator or representative and urge them to rethink their voting. They represent you. They're elected to SERVE their constituents. And if they don't represent you well, vote. them. out. Further, talk to fellow constituents and educate them about the issues.
If you're a heterosexual male or female, congratulations. You're in the majority, and none of this applies to you. But if you know someone who's gay or lesbian, then YOUR VOTE AFFECTS THEIR LIFE, not yours! Do you really want to support a candidate who will strip your friend or loved one of those rights? Would you be able to look us in the eye and say, "I'm better than you. We're NOT equals, and I will support candidates that will support or pass legislation that will oppress you."? If you can't bring yourself to look us in the eye and tell us that to our face, then vote Democrat or contact your representative. But make sure you VOTE.
When unjust laws are passed, a minority of people will be oppressed. Oppression and freedom are antonyms, and we learn about those in elementary school. That being said, I leave you with this quote:
"If anybody is oppressed, nobody is free." -Unknown
Are you married? If you are, great. You have the right to marry the person you love.
Can you get fired from your job due to your race, ethnicity, sex, creed, color, disability? No? Good for you. Your employment is protected.
I, on the other hand, am not married, despite what my Facebook relationship status reads. Why am I not married even though I'm in love with my partner of 6 years? Because my right to marry has been denied. So all the benefits and protections that come with a marriage license will never be available to me...so long as such laws are in place.
Also, though I can't be fired for being Hispanic, male, white, disabled (I'm not) or a progressive Christian, I CAN be fired for being gay. So I'm *not* completely protected because most employment discrimination clauses do not include "sexual orientation or gender identity/expression"...6 words that offer invaluable protections.
Which is the party that opposes marriage equality and supports sexual orientation-based employment discrimination? REPUBLICANS more so than any other American political party.
If you're legally married, good for you. You probably had to pay a small fee and show proof of ID to get the license. Me? Since it's illegal for me to get married, my partner and I have to jump through a whole bunch of hoops, and pay a shitload of money for an attorney just to get the PROTECTIONS the marriage license gives you automatically. How is that fair in a country where "all men are created equal" as stated in our Declaration of Independence? How is that fair in a country where "no state shall . . . deny any person within its jurisdiction equal protection under the law" as stated in the 14th Amendment of our US Constitution?
Being denied these rights make me and millions like me a 2nd-class citizen in my own country. And as long as you vote for Republican candidates, especially socially conservative candidates, YOU ARE CAUSING US PERSONAL HARM.
So.
If you are empathetic to equal rights for ALL citizens, please vote Democrat. If you refuse to vote Democrat because you support the Republican party on MOST issues, then contact your senator or representative and urge them to rethink their voting. They represent you. They're elected to SERVE their constituents. And if they don't represent you well, vote. them. out. Further, talk to fellow constituents and educate them about the issues.
If you're a heterosexual male or female, congratulations. You're in the majority, and none of this applies to you. But if you know someone who's gay or lesbian, then YOUR VOTE AFFECTS THEIR LIFE, not yours! Do you really want to support a candidate who will strip your friend or loved one of those rights? Would you be able to look us in the eye and say, "I'm better than you. We're NOT equals, and I will support candidates that will support or pass legislation that will oppress you."? If you can't bring yourself to look us in the eye and tell us that to our face, then vote Democrat or contact your representative. But make sure you VOTE.
When unjust laws are passed, a minority of people will be oppressed. Oppression and freedom are antonyms, and we learn about those in elementary school. That being said, I leave you with this quote:
"If anybody is oppressed, nobody is free." -Unknown
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Cold summers
It's around 100 degrees outside. There's little to no shade. You're thirsty, you're hot, and the only thing you can do is lie down and take the heat on a flat, hot surface, or in hot grass. You want to go inside to be with your friends and family, but the door is closed, maybe locked. There's no way you can get in to enjoy more comfortable surroundings unless you get lucky and someone comes to open the door and let you in, or at LEAST remember to make sure you not only have water to drink, but that it's at least cold enough to keep you hydrated.
Or worse. All of the above applies to you, but you're tied and can only move around so much. Your very freedom has been severely limited, and is under the total control of the one who tied you up outside. You'll vocalize your need for company, for attention, for love. Simultaneously, you'll accept your current situation and just deal with the card you've been dealt.
I live in a 2-story house with my partner and our 2 awesome dogs, Apollo and Ares. They're both big, mixed-breed dogs. They're domesticated. We treat them like our children...because to us, they are. We love them, feed them, take them to the doctor, teach them, play with them, clean up after them, etc. They're loved and completely cared for, and they know it. Then I look out a window upstairs that overlooks our backyard and the backyards of the neighbors who share our back fence. One house has 2 dogs, and from what I can see, they both stay outside. They're not tied up, and they do have a small area of shade provided by the rear patio. I have no idea if they'll stay outside, or if they're just out there to do their business before they're readmitted into the house. I don't know. But when I see dogs outside in the heat, I just want to go to them and show them someone cares.
I grew up with smaller dogs, and they weren't really "family", but rather, pets in the background, accessories. When I think about how I could've done so much more for them had I known what I know now, my dogs would've been so much happier. I grew up in one house where we had our Italian Greyhound, Grigio, living indoors with us. When I got to high school, we moved to another house, and Grigio became an outdoor dog. We only brought him in when it was too cold, too hot, or it was raining severely. But he had a dog house with a comfy bed in it with blankets. He was given good fresh food, and fresh water, sometimes with ice cubes to keep him cool. He also had a large shaded area where his dog house was. I'd go outside to play with him periodically. He had regular trips to the vet. So as far as all that, he was treated very well. But he could've been treated so much better.
When I think about Grigio, and especially other dogs we had after he died, I feel like an asshole. We could've done more, but we didn't, and I feel this way for dogs who've died under circumstances that, though good, could've been a lot better. Now I have Apollo and Ares, whom we treat so well that we even share our bed with them. They don't get under the covers, but they sleep in our bedroom; one on our bed with us, usually Apollo, and the other, usually Ares, on the futon across from the bed. When I get into bed, Apollo is either lying down at the foot already, or I'll crawl in, he'll jump up, and rest alongside my legs, and I feel his weight press against me as he lies down, and that contact, his body weight pressed against my leg is such a great feeling. I feel connected to this creature, this adopted child of ours, whose love and loyalty to his parents is unconditional. Our dogs live a great life.
But not all animals are as lucky as our babies.
It's taken a few years for my perspective to change. I didn't see things back then the way I see them now. When I drive through my neighborhood, and I see a loose dog running about in the street, my heart breaks for it. I want to find the owner and reprimand them for not being more responsible.What if that dog gets run over? What if they leave the neighborhood and become a stray? Can you imagine a child in such a situation? The police would be called and the child would immediately be returned to their home. The parents may even be charged with child endangerment or neglect. But in the case of an animal? Nope.
I feel like I'm starting to prattle here, so let me get to my point which I was trying to make in my first paragraph:
Do unto others as you'd have them do unto you. The Golden Rule that Jesus himself taught us.
When you see an animal in need, do you think to yourself, "Someone else will take care of it", or do you take action? If you have a dog or any pet that stays outdoors, please reconsider, at least for the summer, to let them stay inside with you. If you're unwilling to do that, then FIND SOMEONE WHO WILL. Give the dog away to a family who will take care of it the way it needs to be taken care of. It's so sad to know so many animals are suffering, and so many of them need good, loving forever homes. But we're all too busy taking care of our own lives. People don't want the responsibility of taking care of an animal who just wants to be loved.
If you ever think, "They're animals. They can take it" if they're out in the heat, you're wrong! We've been domesticating dogs for years. They're no longer capable of "taking it". Once they're domesticated, it's unlikely they can re-adapt enough to survive as a wild animal.
Though I'm primarily addressing dogs, the same holds true for cats, though they are more self-sufficient in taking care of themselves. Dogs are incredibly social creatures, and no other species of animals works with social human cues the way dogs do.
I know this summer I'll be seeing dogs kept out in people's back yards. They'll be taking the heat, and probably enduring intense thirst. In worse scenarios, there'll be animals outside tied up, their freedom limited, kept in the background, enjoying human company when their owners feel like it.
If you have a dog, please think about how you're treating it this summer. If you don't want your dog to be indoors, but you love it too much to give it away or sell, then make their outdoor living tolerable. Play with it daily, or take it for a walk. Make sure their water bowl is always full, because they can't tell you when they're thirsty. If you ever try to rationalize how you treat your dog because...they're a dog...then ask yourself if you'd like that same treatment. If not, make your treatment of them more humane.
Or worse. All of the above applies to you, but you're tied and can only move around so much. Your very freedom has been severely limited, and is under the total control of the one who tied you up outside. You'll vocalize your need for company, for attention, for love. Simultaneously, you'll accept your current situation and just deal with the card you've been dealt.
I live in a 2-story house with my partner and our 2 awesome dogs, Apollo and Ares. They're both big, mixed-breed dogs. They're domesticated. We treat them like our children...because to us, they are. We love them, feed them, take them to the doctor, teach them, play with them, clean up after them, etc. They're loved and completely cared for, and they know it. Then I look out a window upstairs that overlooks our backyard and the backyards of the neighbors who share our back fence. One house has 2 dogs, and from what I can see, they both stay outside. They're not tied up, and they do have a small area of shade provided by the rear patio. I have no idea if they'll stay outside, or if they're just out there to do their business before they're readmitted into the house. I don't know. But when I see dogs outside in the heat, I just want to go to them and show them someone cares.
I grew up with smaller dogs, and they weren't really "family", but rather, pets in the background, accessories. When I think about how I could've done so much more for them had I known what I know now, my dogs would've been so much happier. I grew up in one house where we had our Italian Greyhound, Grigio, living indoors with us. When I got to high school, we moved to another house, and Grigio became an outdoor dog. We only brought him in when it was too cold, too hot, or it was raining severely. But he had a dog house with a comfy bed in it with blankets. He was given good fresh food, and fresh water, sometimes with ice cubes to keep him cool. He also had a large shaded area where his dog house was. I'd go outside to play with him periodically. He had regular trips to the vet. So as far as all that, he was treated very well. But he could've been treated so much better.
When I think about Grigio, and especially other dogs we had after he died, I feel like an asshole. We could've done more, but we didn't, and I feel this way for dogs who've died under circumstances that, though good, could've been a lot better. Now I have Apollo and Ares, whom we treat so well that we even share our bed with them. They don't get under the covers, but they sleep in our bedroom; one on our bed with us, usually Apollo, and the other, usually Ares, on the futon across from the bed. When I get into bed, Apollo is either lying down at the foot already, or I'll crawl in, he'll jump up, and rest alongside my legs, and I feel his weight press against me as he lies down, and that contact, his body weight pressed against my leg is such a great feeling. I feel connected to this creature, this adopted child of ours, whose love and loyalty to his parents is unconditional. Our dogs live a great life.
But not all animals are as lucky as our babies.
It's taken a few years for my perspective to change. I didn't see things back then the way I see them now. When I drive through my neighborhood, and I see a loose dog running about in the street, my heart breaks for it. I want to find the owner and reprimand them for not being more responsible.What if that dog gets run over? What if they leave the neighborhood and become a stray? Can you imagine a child in such a situation? The police would be called and the child would immediately be returned to their home. The parents may even be charged with child endangerment or neglect. But in the case of an animal? Nope.
I feel like I'm starting to prattle here, so let me get to my point which I was trying to make in my first paragraph:
Do unto others as you'd have them do unto you. The Golden Rule that Jesus himself taught us.
When you see an animal in need, do you think to yourself, "Someone else will take care of it", or do you take action? If you have a dog or any pet that stays outdoors, please reconsider, at least for the summer, to let them stay inside with you. If you're unwilling to do that, then FIND SOMEONE WHO WILL. Give the dog away to a family who will take care of it the way it needs to be taken care of. It's so sad to know so many animals are suffering, and so many of them need good, loving forever homes. But we're all too busy taking care of our own lives. People don't want the responsibility of taking care of an animal who just wants to be loved.
If you ever think, "They're animals. They can take it" if they're out in the heat, you're wrong! We've been domesticating dogs for years. They're no longer capable of "taking it". Once they're domesticated, it's unlikely they can re-adapt enough to survive as a wild animal.
Though I'm primarily addressing dogs, the same holds true for cats, though they are more self-sufficient in taking care of themselves. Dogs are incredibly social creatures, and no other species of animals works with social human cues the way dogs do.
I know this summer I'll be seeing dogs kept out in people's back yards. They'll be taking the heat, and probably enduring intense thirst. In worse scenarios, there'll be animals outside tied up, their freedom limited, kept in the background, enjoying human company when their owners feel like it.
If you have a dog, please think about how you're treating it this summer. If you don't want your dog to be indoors, but you love it too much to give it away or sell, then make their outdoor living tolerable. Play with it daily, or take it for a walk. Make sure their water bowl is always full, because they can't tell you when they're thirsty. If you ever try to rationalize how you treat your dog because...they're a dog...then ask yourself if you'd like that same treatment. If not, make your treatment of them more humane.
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Random thoughts on important topics
For some reason, I feel more inspired to write when I'm on my laptop, well, my work laptop. It's mine to keep as long as I stay in my school district.
- CAREER - I've had a career discussion with Frank about what I think my future holds, and also the sheer point that I have NO idea what I want to do with my life, if I resign from teaching any sooner than expected. I still want to get a doctorate, and I still want to get it from UT. We've talked about getting one online, but there are no doctoral programs, especially online ones, that appeal to me as much as the Music & Human Learning doctorate from UT. I've been told to make my doctoral studies broader than strictly music, but more about education, but when it comes to education, music education is really the only kind I'm most passionate about. I can teach music really well. Very few doctoral programs, that I've seen so far, do not require applicants to take the GRE, but he's made it clear to me that if I don't have the self-discipline to prepare for and take the GRE, then I have absolutely no business even thinking about getting a doctorate, even if the doctorate application doesn't require a GRE score. He's got a point. I just wish I knew what I'd do with a doctorate. I'm still not sure, and when you apply, you must include a Statement of Purpose. Why are the faculty going to invest their teachings in you if you have no idea what you'll do with what you'll learn?
- POLITICS - I've become increasingly disgusted with Republican politics, with anti-gay sermons in so-called Christian churches, and with just how stupid some people can be. And as I've reflected, I've become increasingly set in the mindset of a progressive liberal who can't shut up about politics, religion, or how they shouldn't ever go together. Also, upon deeper reflection, I feel much more confident in my arguments about why I think and believe the way I do.
- RELIGION - I remember I thought if I ever stopped being a practicing Catholic, I'd probably go crazy because it's all I've ever known, since I grew up with it. But ever since New York legalized marriage equality, the church has done one horrible thing after another marginalizing gay people, and I've come to the conclusion that I cannot invest myself in a church that would do that to people like me. I cannot, in good conscience, partake Catholic practice if my church enacts policies and rules the way it's starting to. Further, I've found and have been attending a church that DOES affirm the LGBT community: Metropolitan Community Church at Austin (MCC Austin).
- FINANCES - A friend and former Kodály classmate of mine referred me to one of her colleagues regarding a summer camp at a school where she teaches. They needed a bilingual music teacher, and I happen to be one. It's a 5-week long summer camp. There goes more than half of my summer! The pay is good, though, and I'll likely use the pay to really knock down my credit card debt...which I feel like will never be gone. I intend to go into this job, rocking it out so much that they want me to come back again. I have NO idea if I'll like it, or what, but I'm going in hoping to be exactly who they need me to be.
- LEGAL BENEFITS - Since Texas Republicans and social conservatives think my relationship with my partner will destroy the "sanctity" of marriage, you know, despite the number of divorces any of the conservatives have had, we cannot obtain a marriage license in Texas since a constitutional amendment was passed back in 2005 making me, and others like me, a 2nd-class Texan. They all voted on whether or not I can get married, even though I never had the chance to vote whether or not any of them could get married. So because having a marriage license gives its licensees a TON of benefits and protections, we, for our 6th anniversary coming up on June 6th, have taken the extra (very expensive) step of becoming each other's Power of Attorney. This way, when anything happens to either of us, we are unfuckable, in the sense that no one can fuck with us. With these legal documents at the ready, we can make medical, financial and other such decisions on each other's behalf in the event of death, or in the event of mental incompetence. These are serious protections to have! For instance, though we've bought a house, and both of our names are on the title, if one of us dies, that doesn't mean the house goes to the other; rather, it means that the other is held liable to pay the mortgage. But having gone this extra mile, we also have to be constantly thinking about what we want to give to whom. We're both in our early 30s, and we're putting together our wills. It's morbid, but it's important
- INSURANCE - Given that we've gone the extra (expensive) mile to get ourselves legally protected, probably the BIGGEST protection we need for each other is mortgage insurance (well, it's really just a life insurance policy that is enough to cover your mortgage). Thankfully I have an uncle who's our insurance agent, and he hooked us up with a 20-year term that, regardless of who dies first, (Frank or me), in the event of our death, our house will be paid off. Can we say "relief"?
- VOTING - GO VOTE!!! I know you're probably sick of attack ads regardless of which party you support, but if you don't like current leadership, then you have no right to complain if you don't VOTE! If you don't like the guy or girl proposing, voting on, or signing the bills into law, VOTE THEM OUT. Too many people don't keep up with politics, and that's partly why a lot of people don't vote, because they can't stand the games politicians play with each other, and even worse, the games they play with their constituents. Just remember that politicians are elected to SERVE, not do whatever they want to do. You elect them to do the job you believe they should do. In their ads, on their site, they'll list what they stand for. If that matches what you believe, support them! If not, find the candidate with the least "evils" and support THAT person! If they FAIL in serving you according to the beliefs they promised they'd bring to the table, you need to let them know by putting someone else in their place. But here's the hard part: You've GOT to keep up with politics! Who said, what, when, where, why, etc. For instance, with the auto industry bail out, Romney wanted all to go bankrupt, and now he's saying he'll take credit for it. This man has changed his mind so many times that, even if he was a governor that instituted a health care plan similar to Obamacare in Massachusetts, I STILL wouldn't vote for him because the only thing that's more two-faced than him is a mythical two-headed dragon. Obama, on the other hand, though he hasn't gotten ALL the things done he promised, he's done a LOT of stuff, including the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell, which is something I was deeply passionate about, both as a gay man, but also as an equality-loving American. More of the stuff he wanted to get done he couldn't because Republicans kept blocking and filibustering, a move they've now started to use against Obama so they could say he failed the American people, not being able to keep his promises. Yes, Republicans can be THAT duplicitous!
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Loss, gain, and the Golden Rule
LOSS
Last night, I had intended to write a post about my extreme disappointment in North Carolina for approving Amendment One, defining marriage as one man and one woman. It passed by about 61% of the vote, a moderate majority. This was a tremendous setback for gay equality in America. Also, it marks NC as the 30th state to constitutionally ban marriage equality. And yes, sadly, Texas is among those 30, since a similar constitutional ban was passed back in 2005. But even before TX passed the ban, we already had a law passed making it illegal, the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). Similarly, NC had already passed DOMA as well. But, no. In both states, conservative voters wanted more. They wanted there to be NO chance, whatsoever, for gay couples, no matter how long they've been together, no matter how committed they were, to enjoy the same rights and protections as them.
There's no question that NC is a conservative state. They were part of the Confederacy in the Civil War (1861-1865), and likely, many of the conservative evangelical Christians over there are likely Baptist. Well, NC got some heat, especially pastor Sean Harris at Berean Baptist Church who justified that parents should physically beat their child should a boy exhibit feminine traits, or if a girl exhibits more "butch" behavior. Later, the pastor went on to disavow his comments, saying he was only joking, and would've been more careful with his words. But in the background during his sermon, you can hear congregants laughing, and even a few "Amen" affirmations. It's bigotry disguised as gospel, spoken through a big microphone, affecting the minds and lives of hundreds (potentially thousands) of families, plenty of whom could have closeted gay children who live in fear and self-loathing, very aware that the truth will make them lose their loved ones. Considering the kind of people Jesus spent his time with, he'd probably be very disappointed.
GAIN
A few weeks ago, Vice President Joe Biden affirmed his support of marriage equality. This was a major point of progress for equality supporters.
Here's what gets me, though. Evangelical Christians who interpret the Bible as literally as they do, they'll use verse after verse to justify anti-gay opinions. Yet, President Barack Obama, used his faith as a means to help him evolve towards his conclusion that he does indeed support marriage equality. This decision has made him the FIRST and ONLY president to fully support marriage equality.
THE GOLDEN RULE
Though he didn't refer to the Bible and quote Scripture the way equality opponents typically do, Obama just made a reference: The Golden Rule, which is found in Matthew 7:12: "Do unto others as you'd have them do unto you." He referred to this lesson in Scripture to complete his "evolving" view on marriage equality. And now, because of the Golden Rule, he supports it, because it states that we should treat others the way we want them to treat us.
My big thing with the Golden Rule and how there are so many "Christians" who oppose marriage equality based on the Bible is that opponents quote every Scripture where someone else spoke, not Jesus. They quote the Old Testament, and the letters of St. Paul to whomever. However, in this particular verse, Jesus himself spoke. He also spoke about divorce, and how "what God has joined, no man shall separate" (Matt. 19:6). So, again, there Jesus himself spoke, and he said it clearly, that what God has joined, no man shall separate. So, if Jesus clearly speaks against divorce in the gospel, why are there no laws being worked on to ban divorce? Why are people so up in arms about the one true event that is the REAL enemy of the "sanctity of marriage"? If anything, gays are fighting FOR the sanctity of marriage. They're trying to get married because they're committed to their partners, which is what a marriage is all about. It is, after all, "until death do you part", so marriage is about love and commitment, and THAT is what gays are fighting for: the sanctity of marriage. And ironically, the same people who typically oppose marriage equality are the ones who've likely already experienced a failed marriage. So, how are gays such a threat?
Our president, whether you like him or hate him, has concluded that it's only fair for committed couples to have a legally recognized marriage. He's the first president in American history to publicly state this. He could look at me and Frank, and millions of others like us, and see us as married, recognizing our life-long commitments to each other.
"Do unto others as you'd have them do unto you." -Jesus
"Love your neighbor as yourself." -Jesus
Obama is doing just that.
Can you guess who I'm voting for in November 2012?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)