Anyone more aware than a chicken has probably heard of the recent flap regarding Chick-fil-a. By my estimates this means that over 42% of Americans have some knowledge of this issue. Just a quick look at the uproar: Chick-fil-a President, Dan Cathy publicly stated the chain supports the traditional family unit and it has been reported that they have donated as much as $3 million to groups which oppose gay marriage. Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LBGT) groups have complained and suggest boycotting the restaurant chain. Politicos from Boston, Philadelphia and Chicago have spoken out, condemning Chick-fil-a for their stand. Others, including former Presidential candidate, Mike Huckabee have praised them for the same reason. These are the facts as I understand them. Now on to my viewpoint.
Every individual has the right (that I fully support) to their own beliefs, up to the point where those beliefs cause harm to, or limit the rights of, others. If you believe in your right to perform yoga, in your yard, in the nude, go for it. If the neighbors complain, put up a fence high enough to keep from inflicting your beliefs on them. Find others with the same belief, form a group and be proud of the grass stains on your ass. Just don't show them to me, while I'm trying to eat. Have t-shirts made up for the Outdoor Naked Yoga eXperience (ONYX, I just trademarked it and am willing to sell). Until you try to force others to practice, or watch, your beliefs, you are within your rights, more power to you.
Group rights are trickier. The actions of any group member reflect upon all members of the group. If one Denny's manager actively discriminates against African-American's, the perception is that everyone employed by Denny's is guilty of discrimination. If you are an employee of Walt Disney World and you ride Splash Mountain, while a commercial is being filmed, wearing a top which shows a bit of cleavage, Walt Disney World loses some of the innocence and purity associated with them. So Disney takes the cleavage out and Denny's fires some managers and the public perception eventually returns to normal. Disney and Denny's employees, along with most other employees, sign an agreement regarding their conduct, because of how it reflects on the company. All clear so far?
When the CEO of a corporation makes a public statement regarding the company position on any controversial issue, they have, by association, pushed every employee, every franchise owner, every vendor and every customer into the fray on the side they have chosen. Many will applaud, many will complain, and many won't give a damn. Standing up and being proud of your beliefs is admirable, forcing those beliefs on others is detestable.
If marriage exists only within what is allowed and accepted by any or all religions it has no legal basis within the United States. That means no more married, filing jointly, no more deductions for all those little, wonderful dependents, no more divorce lawyers and no more alimony or child support. If marriage is a legal institution granting rights and responsibilities to the parties involved, then it has to be available to everyone. Anything less is government sponsored discrimination. If you're opposed to gay marriage, the solution is self-evident; Don't marry a person of the same sex. Carry it to extremes and refuse to attend a gay wedding. Just don't try to tell others what they can or can't do, because you have passed judgement, and found them to be less than human.
To Dan Cathy, you owe an apology. The apology isn't for your own personal beliefs, the apology is to all the customers whose money was good enough for you, even though you feel they are not entitled to the same rights as you. The apology is for all the people who gave you $5000, plus 1/2 of their net earnings not knowing some of the money would be spent to restrict their rights. To all the people flocking to the anti-gay marriage cause, be proud in your belief that your hatred of those different from you is more important than their love for each other.
Friday, July 27, 2012
Monday, July 2, 2012
"When in the course of human events"
These seven simple words should hold a very special place in the heart of every American. In case you don't recognize them, these seven words are the start of "The Declaration of Independence", the document that served as the official start of the American war for independence, the document we'll be celebrating in two days with processed pork products, sunburns and lots of explosions. I won't bore everyone by quoting the entire document, instead I'll paraphrase it for you: "Dear King of England, you're an asshole. We're tired of your crap and are done with you. Mess with us, and we'll have to open a can of whup-ass on you. Sincerely, a bunch of rich guys"
Don't get upset, I'm not mocking the founding fathers of this country, or the Declaration of Independence. I have nothing but respect for the document and for the 56 men brave enough to sign their names to it. With their signature, each man was committing everything he had, including his life, to throwing off the tyrannical rule of England. Think about that for a moment. You're living large, have just about everything you could want and you're willing to throw it all away, just to make the world a better place. The best you can hope for, if you lose, is that you'll lose all your money and property, spend several years in some prison and then get to live out the rest of your life with nothing. If you win, your life will be a little better, but the lives of all the poor people working for you, will probably get much better (then, as now costs flood down, profits, trickle down).
If you check out the biographies of the men who signed the Declaration of Independence you'll find that many started out with very little and worked their way into positions of wealth and influence. Others were born into or adopted by wealthy families and benefited from higher education. The one thing they all had in common was an unrelenting drive to break away from Great Britain and create a country where people could leave free from oppression and tyranny (except for that whole slavery thing). These men freely gave their time, labor and money, risked their lives, wealth and families all in the name of freedom. Do you think they would have any respect for their social equals today? Would they even recognize any aspect of our government?
Sadly, the financial and political leaders in our country today understand nothing of sacrifice. With few exceptions, they've never had to worry where the next meal was coming from, never had to wonder how much longer they could afford to keep a roof over their head, or how much longer they could work a job that was slowly killing them. Ask them to help their fellow man, and they'll form a non-profit organization which collects money from the people who need it, gives them a tax shelter and pays them a healthy salary for doing nothing. In the meantime, people are losing their jobs and homes, trying to survive in an economy that has been decimated by the greedy.
If I sound somewhat bitter, it might be because I am. Every month I pay my bills and hope that no catastrophes pop up. So far, so good. Meanwhile, any proposal to remove the loopholes in the tax code, or law that might reduce the outrageous profits in their pet industry is might with outrage. If we make the wealthy pay more, then how can they afford to spend money to help the poor? Gee, I don't know. If my net worth was growing by $30 million each year, I have no idea how I would survive if that got cut back to $25 million. I'd probably have to stop tipping waitpersons $5 for a $400 dinner party.
For all those people out there who can't remember how many homes you own, I'd like to leave you with the closing of the Declaration of Independence. Something to think about on your next vacation: "And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor."
Don't get upset, I'm not mocking the founding fathers of this country, or the Declaration of Independence. I have nothing but respect for the document and for the 56 men brave enough to sign their names to it. With their signature, each man was committing everything he had, including his life, to throwing off the tyrannical rule of England. Think about that for a moment. You're living large, have just about everything you could want and you're willing to throw it all away, just to make the world a better place. The best you can hope for, if you lose, is that you'll lose all your money and property, spend several years in some prison and then get to live out the rest of your life with nothing. If you win, your life will be a little better, but the lives of all the poor people working for you, will probably get much better (then, as now costs flood down, profits, trickle down).
If you check out the biographies of the men who signed the Declaration of Independence you'll find that many started out with very little and worked their way into positions of wealth and influence. Others were born into or adopted by wealthy families and benefited from higher education. The one thing they all had in common was an unrelenting drive to break away from Great Britain and create a country where people could leave free from oppression and tyranny (except for that whole slavery thing). These men freely gave their time, labor and money, risked their lives, wealth and families all in the name of freedom. Do you think they would have any respect for their social equals today? Would they even recognize any aspect of our government?
Sadly, the financial and political leaders in our country today understand nothing of sacrifice. With few exceptions, they've never had to worry where the next meal was coming from, never had to wonder how much longer they could afford to keep a roof over their head, or how much longer they could work a job that was slowly killing them. Ask them to help their fellow man, and they'll form a non-profit organization which collects money from the people who need it, gives them a tax shelter and pays them a healthy salary for doing nothing. In the meantime, people are losing their jobs and homes, trying to survive in an economy that has been decimated by the greedy.
If I sound somewhat bitter, it might be because I am. Every month I pay my bills and hope that no catastrophes pop up. So far, so good. Meanwhile, any proposal to remove the loopholes in the tax code, or law that might reduce the outrageous profits in their pet industry is might with outrage. If we make the wealthy pay more, then how can they afford to spend money to help the poor? Gee, I don't know. If my net worth was growing by $30 million each year, I have no idea how I would survive if that got cut back to $25 million. I'd probably have to stop tipping waitpersons $5 for a $400 dinner party.
For all those people out there who can't remember how many homes you own, I'd like to leave you with the closing of the Declaration of Independence. Something to think about on your next vacation: "And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor."
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