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Yes it's a bit cheesy since it is this time of year. However, I would encourage all of you to take the time on a monthly basis to tell your spouse how grateful you are to them for the little and big things. If we were all a bit more grateful to each other, in word and deed, our homes would be a much more peaceful environment.
Nothing brings peace and harmony into a home more than gratitude for one another.
You'd be surprised how an expression of thanks for even the little things. Changing the light bulb, taking out the trash, folding the laundry, doing the dishes, changing a diaper, it doesn't need to be a big deal. It shouldn't be a big deal.
Write a letter of gratitude this Thursday to all the people that matter in your life. Think of what an awesome memento it will be for your kids and spouse to have a letter from their parents of that nature.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Choose your battles!
The gay rights movement has compared their plight of supposed inequality to the plight of discrimination and injustice with the black community in this country. They have for all intense and purposes, hijacked the power and message of the civil rights movement led by Dr. Martin Luther King to say they are experiencing the same horrifying discrimination. They have staked a claim that the wrong which is being put upon them of not being able to change the definition of marriage is equal to the violence and atrocities experienced by the black community.
That is why they lost their bid against California’s Proposition 8. Not because of the less than 1% of the voting population made up by the Mormon community in California.
How selfish and pompous it is to say the homosexual cause is equal to the cruel, hateful and murderous acts against the Black community endured for hundreds of years in this country.
When was the last time the gay community was not allowed to eat at a restaurant or forced to sit in the back of the bus or give up their seat for a straight person?
What’s the name of any gay community leader who was killed because they were too loud about their cause or when have they had the equivalent of burning crosses placed in their lawns and run out of neighborhoods or communities?
When was the last time there was an organized effort to beat or lynch a gay person for being gay?
When was the last time a gay person was not allowed to vote?
It is not only outrageous to compare the passage of Proposition 8 to the atrocities put upon the black community, it shows the lack of respect and humility the gay community has for any other right or cause except their own. It also shows a willingness to exploit a culturally sensitive subject for their own cause.
Only this time, it back fired. Instead of gaining sympathy from the black community they claim to understand and have a connection through discrimination with, it was largely due to the black community vote Proposition 8 was passed.
Then why is it that the Mormon Church is receiving the viciously hate filled and intolerant protests against them and not the black community? Why does the gay community feel justified in their vicious attacks toward the Mormon Church while not one single word of protest has been initiated toward the black community? Or the Hispanic community? Or the many other organizations and ethnic groups that showed a larger majority than the Mormon Church in the vote to pass Prop 8?
Protesting homosexuals will tell you it is because The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints donated almost half of the money to the “Vote Yes” campaign. The reality is that the church itself did not donate any money to the campaign. Members of the church, otherwise known as citizens of the United States of America, used their constitutional right to donate the money to the campaign. Citizens who happen to be members of the Mormon Church used the exact same ability as celebrities like Brad Pitt and Ellen Degeneres did in donating money to the cause they believed in. (Interestingly enough had Prop 8 not passed, you would not see any protest going on in front of their homes).
The real reason the gay community is telling the Mormon Church, in essence, to “sit down and shut up” when it comes to voting on how you want, is because they are the easiest group to attack. The gay community knows that they can attack a church that is looked at as an outsider by the majority of the community, both secular and fellow Christian alike, and they face little if any opposition for doing so, even from the same communities who agreed with Prop 8. In essence The LDS Church is an easy target with no real objections from the rest of the religious communities. The gay activists organizing these angry demonstrations realize that the majority of the citizens in this country don’t understand the Mormon Church other than rumor or half-truths, so the concern of groups like the African-American communities, Hispanic or even other religions stepping in to defend them will be small and ineffective, if any at all.
The irony here is more than the gay community claiming to understand the same discrimination felt by the black community, it is the Mormon community who has actually felt the very same sting of inequality.
Theirs is a community that has experienced a history of violence and atrocities towards them not because of the color of their skin but because of what they believe. The Mormons know what it is like to be run out of not just communities but entire states with the threat of their very lives if they didn’t leave. Their ancestors have been beaten and killed by community organized groups. Their leaders have been murdered without a single inquiry from the government into whom the killers were. They have had a state sponsored extermination order placed upon them that was only lifted from the law books within the last 30 years. They even have a very special understanding on being persecuted for wanting to practice marriage in a manner they felt was from God. The difference being, because they actually believe in abiding by the laws of the land, they halted the practice when the government “of the people by the people” made their voice heard. Instead of targeting specific groups and crying “discrimination”, they had faith that in doing so they would eventually gain understanding and respect in their beliefs from the rest of the country. Something the gay community might want to take note of.
Although there have definitely been isolated incidence of hatred, violence and even murder towards some in the gay community, it is the Mormon Church and its members who can empathize with the plight of the civil rights movement. However, because the citizens of this country who happen to be members of the Mormon church decided to use their right to vote, both with their pocketbooks and their ballot, the gay community feels it is within their rights to use hatred, lies, anger and even violence toward a community who cast less than one percent of the deciding vote. In essence it is the gay community telling the LDS community the democracy and equality they are claiming to fight for only applies to anyone who agrees with them. How is that equality? In reality their actions are the very essence of discrimination.
In closing, the desire to be called “Married” by the gay community is understandable. It is a wonderful and sacred obligation. Most people, who are against changing the definition of marriage that has been sacred throughout thousands of years and thousands of civilizations, can truly empathize with a desire for this union. Because they don’t agree with it doesn’t mean anything other than they don’t agree with it. Twice now it has been given to a vote in California and other states and twice now it has been overwhelmingly voted down. That will definitely not stop the desire. It should be a wake up call to the gay community that claiming to have an equal footing with the discrimination felt by the black community is not a fair and accurate representation of your cause. The way you are going about making change in your cause through, force, anger, violence and focused hatred is not gaining you any more true supporters. As a matter of fact just as it is best to turn away and not give attention to a toddler who’s throwing a tantrum for not getting their way, you will find people are turning away from your cause because of your tantrum.
Dr. King and all those who fought for civil rights did it in a civil manner. They did not use hatred, anger or violence. They did not protest against any one group or religion. Most importantly, they did not justify their cause by exploiting or tearing down other beliefs or trying to take away the rights of others. The passing of Proposition 8 in California with a large majority of the votes cast by the same ancestors and survivors of the civil rights movement you claim to have a kinship with should be a message to you that their sacred cause is not now, nor will ever be yours for the exploiting. No matter how much you try to hijack it, yours is not equal to theirs.
That is why they lost their bid against California’s Proposition 8. Not because of the less than 1% of the voting population made up by the Mormon community in California.
How selfish and pompous it is to say the homosexual cause is equal to the cruel, hateful and murderous acts against the Black community endured for hundreds of years in this country.
When was the last time the gay community was not allowed to eat at a restaurant or forced to sit in the back of the bus or give up their seat for a straight person?
What’s the name of any gay community leader who was killed because they were too loud about their cause or when have they had the equivalent of burning crosses placed in their lawns and run out of neighborhoods or communities?
When was the last time there was an organized effort to beat or lynch a gay person for being gay?
When was the last time a gay person was not allowed to vote?
It is not only outrageous to compare the passage of Proposition 8 to the atrocities put upon the black community, it shows the lack of respect and humility the gay community has for any other right or cause except their own. It also shows a willingness to exploit a culturally sensitive subject for their own cause.
Only this time, it back fired. Instead of gaining sympathy from the black community they claim to understand and have a connection through discrimination with, it was largely due to the black community vote Proposition 8 was passed.
Then why is it that the Mormon Church is receiving the viciously hate filled and intolerant protests against them and not the black community? Why does the gay community feel justified in their vicious attacks toward the Mormon Church while not one single word of protest has been initiated toward the black community? Or the Hispanic community? Or the many other organizations and ethnic groups that showed a larger majority than the Mormon Church in the vote to pass Prop 8?
Protesting homosexuals will tell you it is because The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints donated almost half of the money to the “Vote Yes” campaign. The reality is that the church itself did not donate any money to the campaign. Members of the church, otherwise known as citizens of the United States of America, used their constitutional right to donate the money to the campaign. Citizens who happen to be members of the Mormon Church used the exact same ability as celebrities like Brad Pitt and Ellen Degeneres did in donating money to the cause they believed in. (Interestingly enough had Prop 8 not passed, you would not see any protest going on in front of their homes).
The real reason the gay community is telling the Mormon Church, in essence, to “sit down and shut up” when it comes to voting on how you want, is because they are the easiest group to attack. The gay community knows that they can attack a church that is looked at as an outsider by the majority of the community, both secular and fellow Christian alike, and they face little if any opposition for doing so, even from the same communities who agreed with Prop 8. In essence The LDS Church is an easy target with no real objections from the rest of the religious communities. The gay activists organizing these angry demonstrations realize that the majority of the citizens in this country don’t understand the Mormon Church other than rumor or half-truths, so the concern of groups like the African-American communities, Hispanic or even other religions stepping in to defend them will be small and ineffective, if any at all.
The irony here is more than the gay community claiming to understand the same discrimination felt by the black community, it is the Mormon community who has actually felt the very same sting of inequality.
Theirs is a community that has experienced a history of violence and atrocities towards them not because of the color of their skin but because of what they believe. The Mormons know what it is like to be run out of not just communities but entire states with the threat of their very lives if they didn’t leave. Their ancestors have been beaten and killed by community organized groups. Their leaders have been murdered without a single inquiry from the government into whom the killers were. They have had a state sponsored extermination order placed upon them that was only lifted from the law books within the last 30 years. They even have a very special understanding on being persecuted for wanting to practice marriage in a manner they felt was from God. The difference being, because they actually believe in abiding by the laws of the land, they halted the practice when the government “of the people by the people” made their voice heard. Instead of targeting specific groups and crying “discrimination”, they had faith that in doing so they would eventually gain understanding and respect in their beliefs from the rest of the country. Something the gay community might want to take note of.
Although there have definitely been isolated incidence of hatred, violence and even murder towards some in the gay community, it is the Mormon Church and its members who can empathize with the plight of the civil rights movement. However, because the citizens of this country who happen to be members of the Mormon church decided to use their right to vote, both with their pocketbooks and their ballot, the gay community feels it is within their rights to use hatred, lies, anger and even violence toward a community who cast less than one percent of the deciding vote. In essence it is the gay community telling the LDS community the democracy and equality they are claiming to fight for only applies to anyone who agrees with them. How is that equality? In reality their actions are the very essence of discrimination.
In closing, the desire to be called “Married” by the gay community is understandable. It is a wonderful and sacred obligation. Most people, who are against changing the definition of marriage that has been sacred throughout thousands of years and thousands of civilizations, can truly empathize with a desire for this union. Because they don’t agree with it doesn’t mean anything other than they don’t agree with it. Twice now it has been given to a vote in California and other states and twice now it has been overwhelmingly voted down. That will definitely not stop the desire. It should be a wake up call to the gay community that claiming to have an equal footing with the discrimination felt by the black community is not a fair and accurate representation of your cause. The way you are going about making change in your cause through, force, anger, violence and focused hatred is not gaining you any more true supporters. As a matter of fact just as it is best to turn away and not give attention to a toddler who’s throwing a tantrum for not getting their way, you will find people are turning away from your cause because of your tantrum.
Dr. King and all those who fought for civil rights did it in a civil manner. They did not use hatred, anger or violence. They did not protest against any one group or religion. Most importantly, they did not justify their cause by exploiting or tearing down other beliefs or trying to take away the rights of others. The passing of Proposition 8 in California with a large majority of the votes cast by the same ancestors and survivors of the civil rights movement you claim to have a kinship with should be a message to you that their sacred cause is not now, nor will ever be yours for the exploiting. No matter how much you try to hijack it, yours is not equal to theirs.
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