So, my sister has put herself up in the 29th largest television market in the country for their Largest Loser competition. She’s losing weight and working out 2x a day, which means with time zones, we don’t get to chat much.
Today, I noticed, however, that they have a blog! So here’s a shameless plug. I’ll leave it to you to figure out which one she is - the only hint I’ll give is she’s on the red team.
I have decided I really do not like the system we have here for evaluating performance. Essentially, it comes down to a 3-hour exam which is supposed to determine my comprehension of a particular subject. Never mind that the exam, a choice of 3 out of 8 essay questions, is testing 20 lectures, 2 2.5-inch thick binders, and two textbooks. Never mind that both textbooks were written by the academic teaching the course…
There is no way that 3-hour exam is relevant to anything. It will not reflect my comprehension of the subject. It will have no impact on my future career. It is completely irrelevant.
Which is, of course, why I am blogging instead of studying.
I am beyond the point in my life where I have patience for doing things “just because.” So what does that mean for tomorrow? Who knows. I just hope I get through it with enough points to pass the course.
Ok, so I haven’t been blogging much. I have been way to wrapped up in my own life to blog in any sort of reasonable fashion, which is really unfortunate, and for which I apologize.
I also have not been attending church at all. See, being gay in the CofE reminds me too much of being gay in the RCC. Too much depends on the pastor, the person you’re talking with, it’s all very hush hush and under wraps. I left that behind when I was received into TEC, so why should I go back to it now.
I did, however, feel compelled to God’s grace today and so I ended up at the Metropolitan Community Church of Manchester for worship. It was a very nice service and the people were very friendly, so I will probably be going back again once and a while to worship with them. This particular congregation doesn’t have the fabulously-gayer-than-gay-gay attitude of some of the MCCs I have been in in the States, so that was also very nice.
What has inspired me to write today, however, was the story relayed to us about Prossy Kakooza, a member of the congregation. Prossy is a Ugandan lesbian who is seeking asylum in the UK. You can read about her story on the MCC website as well as watch this video:
It makes me crazy that the Western world has not wizened up to the problems that LGBT people in developing countries face. Once and a while, we hear about the Alvaro Orozcos and Mehdi Kazemis of the world, but how many Prossy Kakoozas and others who do not get the media attention find themselves right back in the horror from which they came or worse.
Therefore, I’m asking those of you whose bully pulpits are larger than mine (i.e. Fr. Jake, Mad Priest, Ellen and Pisco) to get the word out.
Thanks.
I picked up on this letter from a high school student to Oklahoma State Rep. Sally Kern.
Rep Kern:
On April 19, 1995, in Oklahoma City a terrorist detonated a bomb that killed my mother and 167 others. 19 children died that day. Had I not had the chicken pox that day, the body count would’ve likely have included one more. Over 800 other Oklahomans were injured that day and many of those still suffer through their permanent wounds.
That terrorist was neither a homosexual or was he involved in Islam. He was an extremist Christian forcing his views through a body count. He held his beliefs and made those who didn’t live up to them pay with their lives.
As you were not a resident of Oklahoma on that day, it could be explained why you so carelessly chose words saying that the homosexual agenda is worst than terrorism. I can most certainly tell you through my own experience that is not true. I am sure there are many people in your voting district that laid a loved one to death after the terrorist attack on Oklahoma City. I kind of doubt you’ll find one of them that will agree with you.
I was five years old when my mother died. I remember what a beautiful, wise, and remarkable woman she was. I miss her. Your harsh words and misguided beliefs brought me to tears, because you told me that my mother’s killer was a better person than a group of people that are seeking safety and tolerance for themselves.
As someone left motherless and victimized by terrorists, I say to you very clearly you are absolutely wrong.
You represent a district in Oklahoma City and you very coldly express a lack of love, sympathy or understanding for what they’ve been through. Can I ask if you might have chosen wiser words were you a real Oklahoman that was here to share the suffering with Oklahoma City? Might your heart be a bit less cold had you been around to see the small bodies of children being pulled out of rubble and carried away by weeping firemen?
I’ve spent 12 years in Oklahoma public schools and never once have I had anyone try to force a gay agenda on me. I have seen, however, many gay students beat up and there’s never a day in school that has went by when I haven’t heard the word **** slung at someone. I’ve been called gay slurs many times and they hurt and I am not even gay so I can just imagine how a real gay person feels. You were a school teacher and you have seen those things too. How could you care so little about the suffering of some of your students?
Let me tell you the result of your words in my school. Every openly gay and suspected gay in the school were having to walk together Monday for protection. They looked scared. They’ve already experienced enough hate and now your words gave other students even more motivation to sneer at them and call them names. Afterall, you are a teacher and a lawmaker, many young people have taken your words to heart. That happens when you assume a role of responsibility in your community. I seriously think before this week ends that some kids here will be going home bruised and bloody because of what you said.
I wish you could’ve met my mom. Maybe she could’ve guided you in how a real Christian should be acting and speaking.
I have not had a mother for nearly 13 years now and wonder if there were fewer people like you around, people with more love and tolerance in their hearts instead of strife, if my mom would be here to watch me graduate from high school this spring. Now she won’t be there. So I’ll be packing my things and leaving Oklahoma to go to college elsewhere and one day be a writer and I have no intentions to ever return here. I have no doubt that people like you will incite crazy people to build more bombs and kill more people again. I don’t want to be here for that. I just can’t go through that again.
You may just see me as a kid, but let me try to teach you something. The old saying is sticks and stones will break your bones, but words will never hurt you. Well, your words hurt me. Your words disrespected the memory of my mom. Your words can cause others to pick up sticks and stones and hurt others.
Sincerely
Tucker
I’m stunned. That was remarkable.
In case you’re living under a rock and don’t know who Sally Kern is, here’s the video.
I was thinking about rugby tonight and I realised that my readers would never come across this song if they didn’t watch rugby. So, here is World in Union.
Hello? Is this thing on?
Like all my good intentions during graduate school, I have blogged not at all. Sorry.
Pisco inspired me to retake the Belief-o-Matic. I swear I took this before, but I can’t seem to find the results from earlier. Anyway, the top 3 have not changed.
| 1. | Mainline to Liberal Christian Protestants (100%) |
| 2. | Liberal Quakers (92%) |
| 3. | Unitarian Universalism (89%) |
| 4. | Neo-Pagan (77%) |
| 5. | Orthodox Quaker (73%) |
| 6. | Reform Judaism (70%) |
| 7. | Secular Humanism (64%) |
| 8. | New Age (62%) |
| 9. | Mahayana Buddhism (61%) |
| 10. | Hinduism (60%) |
| 11. | Bahá’í Faith (58%) |
| 12. | Sikhism (58%) |
| 13. | Mainline to Conservative Christian/Protestant (51%) |
| 14. | Seventh Day Adventist (51%) |
| 15. | Eastern Orthodox (50%) |
| 16. | Roman Catholic (50%) |
| 17. | Theravada Buddhism (50%) |
| 18. | Taoism (49%) |
| 19. | Orthodox Judaism (47%) |
| 20. | Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) (45%) |
| 21. | Scientology (37%) |
| 22. | New Thought (37%) |
| 23. | Jainism (35%) |
| 24. | Islam (35%) |
| 25. | Nontheist (34%) |
| 26. | Jehovah’s Witness (31%) |
| 27. | Christian Science (Church of Christ, Scientist) (29%) |
I love Satire - part II
Posted in Commentary, Faith on January 1, 2008 by MikeJoe. My. God. brings us news of Jay Spears new hit, ”Smack dem Christians down.”Enjoy.
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